the ultimate feel-good debut romance to escape with in Summer 2023
Description
'A wonderful read to curl up with. Cosy and comforting. I really enjoyed it!' Heidi Swain
An irresistible story of love, friendship and the power of Games Night, perfect for fans of Holly Martin and Christie Barlow.
When Emily loses her job, house and boyfriend all within a matter of days, she's determined to turn a negative into a positive and follow her dream of running a small cafe in the gorgeous Yorkshire village of Essendale.
But she quickly finds she's bitten off more than she can chew when the 'popular' cafe she takes over turns out to secretly be a failing business. Emily desperately needs a way to turn things around, and help comes from the unlikeliest of places when she meets local board game-obsessed GP Ludek. But when a major chain coffee shop opens on the high street, Emily is forced to question if she'll ever be able to compete.
'A funny, clever, well-written & completely engaging story. I loved every page.' Caroline James
'A heart-warming romance perfect for curling up with. I absolutely loved it.' Kitty Wilson
I read this book following a meeting of the Yorkshire chapter of the Romantic Novelists Association at Piece Hall in Halifax where I met Jennifer.
At the beginning of the novel Emily is made redundant by her fiancé Peter and we see that her life with him is very one-sided (his), leading the reader to realise this may be the best thing that has happened to her. She can start a new career with the business she always dreamed of having with her late mother and get away from Peter's overbearing mother Florence.
The book brings Essendale, based loosely on Hebden Bridge, to life and as a fellow board game enthusiast, the novel had me eager to try some of the games mentioned in the book that I haven't played such as Dinner in Paris, Scotland Yard, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne and Powergrid. (Should you fancy playing any of these games you are in luck, as there is a special event taking place this weekend at Hebden Bridge Town Hall* see below)
Little touches like the chapters starting with books by Emily's bedside (sometimes loaned by her friend Kate) such as Recipe for Success - How to Run A Profitable Cafe or Overcoming Setbacks had me rooting for her small business to succeed and Emily's friendship with lonely Mr Baranski and old neighbour Marjory was a wonderful mirror to what was going on with her reclusive father.
The references to baking made me quite peckish for the Chorley cakes and as a lover of bomboloni, I wanted to try Pączki pastries and makowiec or pierogi, some delicious sounding Polish food. Trust me, this book will have you salivating or trying out for Great British Bake Off.
If you know what a Meeple is, then this cosy romance book is definitely for you 5/5
Jennifer Page wrote her first novel – a book about ponies – when she was eight. These days she prefers to write romance. When she isn't writing, Jennifer can usually be found playing board games which are the inspiration for her first novel. She has worked as a television producer, a music teacher and has even run a children's opera company. She now lives near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire with her husband and his large collection of games.
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