Christmas as the Chocolate Pot Cafe

Christmas as the Chocolate Pot Cafe

by Jessica Redland

5 out of 5

Synopsis
A few minutes of courage might change your life…

Emotionally, Tara Porter finds the festive period a challenge. Christmas Day is a reminder of the family she lost, and New Year’s Eve holds bitter memories of the biggest mistake of her life: marrying Garth Tewkesbury. Shunning invitations to celebrate, she seeks refuge in her flat with only her giant house bunny, Hercules, for company.

Professionally, though, it’s the best time of year. Tara’s thriving café, The Chocolate Pot, is always packed. With the café hosting a wedding and engagement party, it’s shaping up to be the café’s best Christmas ever.

When former nemesis, Jed Ferguson, threatens the future of The Chocolate Pot, Tara prepares for a fight. The café is everything to her and she’s not going to let anyone or anything jeopardise that.

Tara badly misjudged ex-husband Garth and, since then, has refused to let anyone in. After all, if you don’t let them in, they can’t hurt you. But has she misjudged Jed too? Is it possible that he’s not the arrogant, deceitful man from whom she bought the café 14 years earlier? Can she find the courage to find out for sure?



Review
Tara has faced more than her share of adversity, and she has built herself the perfect armour. But perhaps she has gotten too good at keeping people at a distance.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This follows Tara, the owner of the hugely successful Chocolate Pot Cafe. After coming to the coastal town of Whitsborough more than a decade ago, to escape her past, and create a new life for herself, Tara has become a success. The price is, she has kept as disconnected as possible. She is a good boss, and is generous with her time, money and resources, but she now realises she has failed to connect with anyone on a personal level.
Cue the reappearance of Jed, the conniving previous owner of the cafe, and Tara's perfect armour begins to crumble.

This is the second book I've read by Redland, and I really like her light style of writing. Everything feels so real, and normal, but entertaining nonetheless.
I was surprised with the direction this book took - I thought it'd be a cosy romance - it is cosy, and there is some romance, but it's not at the center of the story.
This is about Tara learning to appreciate and open up to those around her. It's about accepting the good and the bad in her past, and being happy with who she is now. It's about the importance of friendship; and making the best positive contribution you can to the world.
Yes, Jed is there, but he's in the background as the prize, once Tara decides she is ready for a relationship.

I loved it. It was so light-hearted and easy to read, with the underlying mystery of Tara's life, slowly being unravelled. I admit that I felt my own emotions reflected in a lot of the story, with issues around black cloaks, and the illusion of independence that we hide behind. In the end, I felt so proud of every step that Tara made.

I would definitely recommend checking out this story, for a little home-made Christmas magic.
(p.s. I want a Hercules...)

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