Welcome to The Comfort Food Café!

It’s been a tough year for Maxine Connolly – so tough she’s almost given up on finding her happy ending. But then she discovers The Comfort Food Café, shining like the star on top of the Christmas tree and welcoming her in to its cozy, cake-filled embrace for hot chocolates dripping with whipped cream, melty grilled cheese toasties and the funniest bunch of regulars she soon calls friends.

Then there’s gorgeous local Gabriel Moran, who looks at Max like she’s a present he can’t wait to unwrap – and she can’t help but think that, maybe, he’s just what she wants for Christmas too…

My Thoughts:

I cannot believe this is book seven in the Comfort Food Café Series, I have to admit I have not read them all but I will be going back to them at some point. This read focuses on Maxine, who has had a tough time and really needs to find herself again so with the help of her daughter, they move to Dorset and Max starts a new job where everything starts to fall into place and they both see a brighter future for themselves. There are parts where she is working in the Café but it mainly focuses on Maxine and her attention to detail with her interior design and building a life for her and her daughter. I loved the cosiness of it all and the way it was a nice light and easy read. The characters were relatable and filled with warmth.

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The sudden death of a pupil in Fleat House at St Stephen’s – a small private boarding school in deepest Norfolk – is a shocking event that the headmaster is very keen to call a tragic accident.

But the local police cannot rule out foul play, and the case prompts the reluctant return of high-flying Detective Inspector Jazmine ‘Jazz’ Hunter to the force. Reunited with her loyal sergeant, she enters the closed world of the school and begins to probe the circumstances surrounding Charlie Cavendish’s tragic death.

When staff at the school close ranks, the disappearance of a young pupil and the death of an elderly classics master provide Jazz with important leads. But, while snow covers the landscape, a suspect goes missing.

As Jazz must confront her personal demons, a grim discovery at the school will make this the most challenging murder investigation of her career. Fleat House hides secrets darker than even Jazz could ever have imagined . . .

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Lucinda and I really do not know why I had not read any of her books before. I picked this one as it sounded gritty and full of police drama and it really was gripping for me. A pupil dies at a private boarding school, but was it really a tragic accident? the police come into play and interview the people that were there that day but who is hiding a secret and why did the killer specifically kill this pupil? I like the police investigation side of this story, i was captivated when they were interviewing each person to see who may slip up. I thought I had it all worked out but then a twist came and ruined it. But I was utterly shocked when I found out the truth. I liked the mixed bag of characters and how they connected together. I need to start reading a few more of Lucinda’s previous books now as there are quite a few to get reading.

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https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murders-at-Fleat-House/dp/1529094976/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1U5R41YYSTRX4&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OpFF7-7BKnMg6J2tJybeQB1PIfPzTQHUie-oTGyxDuS42dnjKrSZH0eNyn0y-SfUT0brCR0aUp70nOn2J-0FzqxqJfgcRug9kqAYAPPIQLgxA3tp1i3JnVoIyccI3j5QkZyttiFXdD0naEakoCc4Qw.fYJeiVjBXgsdbCnzjvYWuHlQm475VC0ULREpbdkgXr4&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+murders+at+fleet+house+lucinda+riley&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1735896402&sprefix=the+murders+at+fleet+house+lucinda+riley%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-1

With her thriving business Cottage Angels, Freya Bolton prepares the Lake District’s holiday homes for Christmas visitors. It’s her job to think of everything, from cinnamon-scented candles to tasteful decorations and hampers of seasonal treats.

If only her love life were such a success… After being burned by past relationships, she’s now determined to steer clear of love for good.

So when she bumps into gorgeous – and single – ex-boyfriend Travis, a no-strings festive fling seems perfect.

But when her feelings for him begin to develop, is she on track for another romantic calamity? Or could this Christmas give her the gift of true love?

My Thoughts:

When I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. Phillipa is one of my go to comfy cosy authors and I knew I would love it. It is one of her older books, but still a great comfort read and I could not wait to dive in. I loved the idea of the plot, it made me feel warm inside, Freya runs a business where she prepares holiday homes for visitors. I liked this idea as not many books are centred around this subject or maybe I have not read any. She has a great business that is doing really well but she does not have a certain someone in her life to share it with. Until an old flame turns up unexpectedly and Freya and Travis are thrown together whether they like it or not. It is set in the Lake District and this is my favourite place in the world. It felt as though I was coming home. You can guess the outcome of this story but it was such a comfort read that I did not mind. I loved it.

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When Mallory Dawson gets a call from a former colleague, Elsa, describing a strange scene, she initially thinks nothing of it. The teenage cleaner had gone into clean a holiday cottage in the forest to find a kettle boiling on the Aga, sandwiches half made and the family who were renting it gone.

DI Harri Evans, however, has a story about the place from the time he was in uniform. He was called out to a girl with scratches down her face claiming someone unseen had attacked her.

When the father of the missing family is found dead in their hire car there is an urgent hunt for the rest of the family. But their identities are false and there’s no hint of their history. How are the past and present connected?

My Thoughts:

This is book three in the Mallory Dawson Crime Thriller Series and can be read as a standalone. I have not read any books by this author but this one intrigued me. There are strange goings on in one of the remote holiday cottages, a cleaner has found some unsettling and quite frankly weird goings on as she went into clean for them. Mallory Dawson is the one to head up the investigation and see if she can piece together what happened to the family? but this holiday cottage holds a lot of memories are these things related? I liked how the story builds and I did not want to stop reading. I liked the mixture of characters and the plot was well thought through. I felt the first half was better than the first but I still enjoyed it. If you like a twist this is the book for you, as there are plenty. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading Sarah’s previous two.

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Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else’s shoes?

Meet Sam. Meet Nisha.

Two women living very different lives.

But when their paths cross, causing each a world of trouble – and finding some missing shoes is the only way to solve it – they’re left with a choice every woman must face: to walk alone, or stand together . . .

My Thoughts:

I have not read a book by Jojo for a while and realise that I really should catch up with her previous books as I always remember how good they are. I like how this book was spit into two. Two very different women living completely opposite lives. It was so good meeting both women and see how their lives are affected in certain ways. But what will happen when they meet? I love the strong female connection and how it made me feel. It was fun and exciting but also had an important message to go with it. This would be a great movie.

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