I loved this book, for me it has captured the meaning of Christmas and working together with friends.
To top it off it’s all about New York City, my favourite city in the world.
Give this Christmassy boon a read.

Christmas is coming to Fifth Avenue and the excitement is high for all as we look forward to the upcoming holiday season. The snow is softly falling and the Christmas lights are twinkling. Is that chocolate I smell wafting in the air? It is indeed and it's coming from the Candied Apple Cafe, mmmm! This is the first Christmas for Hotel boss Mads Eriksson and his six year old daughter, Sophie since his wife and her mother passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. They have lost their belief in the magic of Christmas. Like a lot of men think,Mads believes he is not to show his grieving and act like he is over her death but he's really not! When he meets Iona can she help thaw his heart and show them the magic of Christmas and help a sweet little girl,who needs a mother, heal as well? Enjoyable holiday read.
Pub Date 10 Nov 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperImpulse for a review copy in exchange for my honest review

This setting of this story is so delicious it will make your mouth water. Lots of scrummy confectionery, snow (gotta have snow!), Christmas in New York, and a man to make your toes curl.

The whole thing was neatly and beautifully packaged, like a wonderful Christmas present. This is the perfect book to get you in the mood for the festive season.

I love Christmas books and Christmas at the Candied Apple Café was no exception. Great plot, characters and setting. I couldn't put this book down. If you enjoy a good romance I recommend that you read this book.

5☆ Captures the Essence of Christmas, Family and Romance.

Christmas at the Candied Apple Café was simply a joy to read. I was swept along with the Romance, Passion and Magic of Christmas, it was emotional, Funny and was about creating firsts and learning to love again!

When Mads walks into the Candied Apple Café preparing to talk Iona and her 2 friends/ business partners Cici and Hayley into going into partnership with him and his hotel business he never ever thought that Iona would become someone very special and capture his and Sofia's heart!

Mad's is a single parent Dad to the adorable 6year old Sofia.
His wife Gill passed away the year before leaving him heartbroken, and facing life with Sofia alone was daunting.

Mad's feels terribly guilty for opening up and letting Iona into their life.
But there is something very magical about Iona, and Mad's knows the sizzling chemistry between them might not just be because of the Christmas Spirit!

Iona, who was so deeply involved in the Candied Apple Café she never had time for finding love, especially as she was left heartbroken when her fiancé left her for her brother.
Iona is scared of getting hurt again so puts her guard up.
Iona hasn't had it easy growing up and her strained relationship with her father only pushes her further towards Sofia.

For me Sofia stole the show!! She was so adorable. So grown up for a 6year old with a huge heart. Iona and Sofia's relationship was so special and heartwarming.
Iona came along, when this little girl needed her the most.

Can Iona rescue Mads and Sofia or is it really just the magic of Christmas?
Can she ever Truly trust another man again?
Can Mads ever learn that's it's ok to move on and get rid of the guilt and anger inside?

You will just have to read to find out!!

Be prepared to be swept away with the spirit of Christmas, scrumptious mouth watering delights that will leave your tummy rumbling, have your heart melted by Sophia, the passion and Romance that will leave you wanting more!

Katherine has created some memorable Characters that will melt your heart
And I can't wait to read more of Katherine's work.

This book was very well written. Loved the way Iona and Mads worked through their problems taking into account Mad's daughter Sofia. Both Mads and Iona were working through conflicts and knew they had to work through them before they could have any type of relationship. I would read more books by this author really enjoyed it.

Loved, loved this emotional Christmas story of opening your heart up again. Iona is publicist for Cannied Apple Cafe , Christmas is a very busy time of the year for her. When she Mads, a widow from last Christmas, who's heart is not there this Christmas season. He has a little daughter, Sophia, who does not believe in Christmas. Soon the magic of Christmas with the help of Iona will open their hearts but Mads is so afraid for both him and Sophia.

A great read that will melt your heart full of love and emotions. I could not put this book down, Sophia won me over!! Plus, I love the cover. I highly recommend this book!

Certainly a book that tries its hardest to bring the magic of Christmas in New York to life.

There is a romance in this but to me that was the frustrating part of the book, as I was getting fed up with neither character wanting to admit what was blatantly obvious for half the book to the reader, to each other.

The story that I loved within this book was of Sofia, she is Mads daughter, six years old and unfortunately doesn't believe in Santa anymore. When you hear the reasoning you will understand it, but due to a series of encounters with Iona, she and Mads are determined to bring the magic of the season back to Sofia.

So there are all manner of fabulous festive outings, that show off New York and Christmas to their best. There is a trip to the Nutcracker, there are Christmas markets, and Sofia is also keen to learn about various Christmas traditions.

The other highlight of the book for me was The Candied Apple Cafe itself. I loved all the delicious sounding chocolates and other candy on offer, as well as the friendship co-owners Hayley, Cici and Iona all shared. I remember parts of Hayley's story from The Hot Cop Next Door which I read a few years ago, so it was good to have a degree of familiarity.

I didn't feel lost that I hadn't read Cici's story, so would say this could easily be read as a standalone despite being the third in a series about the friends.

Mads and Iona are both great characters and I enjoyed reading their story. There was certainly some chemistry between them which they were fighting. Both of them are selfless and both just want what's best for Sofia which was lovely to see.

Christmas at the Candied Apple Cafe is an enjoyable story to read in the run up to Christmas and I'm glad I read it.

Thanks to Harper Impulse and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Firstly, thank you to the author and Rachel over at Rachels Random Rescources for my copy of the book and for the chance to take part in the blog tour.

This cover just screams Christmas!! I love it, and there is nothing like New York at Christmas.. apparently.

This book is a light-hearted, feel good romance. It reads easily, and is written in a quick, easy pace. I did find it a tad descriptive at stages though when it came to the sex. For me, anything over 3 pages to describe sex in a book like this felt too much. It didn’t need it. I understood that some of it was explaining how Mads felt about progressing in his life at that moment but the other bits didn’t really fit. Other than that, this book read perfectly. Oh, and thanks to Rachel and the author for clearing up some confusion I had as well!!

The characters in this book were honest, caring, lovable and just fantastic. Especially Sofia. I fell in love with her and would happily scoop her up for cuddles. Iona was possibly the most focused character I have come across recently. She wants her friends and her business to succeed, but to give up a man so her brother (!!) can fall in love with him instead is someone who always puts someone else but herself. She was a lovely character and I would honestly say I ‘d love to be her friend.

This is the 2nd book I have read where chocolate plays a huge role in the story, and I’m surprised that I’ve not gained another persons weight while munching on chocolate to dampen down the cravings. The chocolates descried in this book are unbelievable – I loved the idea of Naught and Nice Truffles!! I’m glad there are recipes at the end, maybe one day I’ll try to make them!!!

It was refreshing to have a single, widowed Dad instead of a Mum. It must be difficult for anyone to got through what Mads and Sofia had to deal with, but to read it from a man’s perspective on it was a different thing for me.

I gave this book a 4 out of 5. The description thing was bit of an issue for me.

The Candied Apple Cafe sounds like a most wonderful place to be – and especially during December. With lots of yummy chocolate, fabulous drinks, truly fantastic Christmas window displays and staff who dress up for the festive season .. what’s not to like?

Iona Summerlin is one of the owners and is the woman who comes up with all the marketing ideas. Situated on fifth avenue in NYC, it is becoming very successful and has attracted the attention of the owner of an exclusive hotel chain who would like to have a similar store in each of their resorts world wide. When Iona cancels their meeting at short notice, Mads Eriksson decides to take along his six year old daughter Sofia to drop in at the cafe in the hope of grabbing an impromptu chat with her. The Christmas season is proving to be very hard for the little girl after the death of her mother at the same period the year before, and Mads is struggling to get her to believe in the magic of Santa.

The outline of this book makes good reading, and the Candied Apple Cafe business is so well described you can almost smell the chocolate – whether it be in truffles, cake or hot chocolate. I loved the descriptions. However, the story didn’t flow as smoothly as I would have expected. I understand that the relationship between Iona and Mads ran hot / cold / hot / cold several times over but, for me, there were a lot of inconsistencies which detracted from the story and added together they did rather spoil the book. Simple continuity errors and the odd grammatical mistake badly need sorting out.

The novel was a great idea but it didn’t deliver for me. I know I can be rather pedantic when reading but in this case it has, sadly, affected the rating I can give. A good re-edit would go a long way to turning this one into a five star read.

My thanks to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources and publishers HarperImpulse for sending me an arc of this novel. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book. I am just not interested in this book anymore. Sorry for the inconvenience.

This is an ideal read for the Christmas Season. It oozes charm and sparkles with the joy of it. In the Candied Apple Cafe, Katherine has created just what I imagine New York must be like at this time of year: beautiful shop windows, streets full of excited shoppers and the whole place fizzing with life. Having read Katherine's guest post, I can see why her descriptions in the book ring so true. They're based on her families' memories. Everyone can relate to their family Christmas traditions. They can make or break the holiday!

The relationship which develops between Iona and Mads' daughter, Sofia is very touching and believable. It adds another layer to the story as Sofia struggles to get over the death of her mother, the previous year. Iona may be a cool business woman on the outside but you soon realise that she has a softer centre. She has her own demons to work through as her relationship with her father was complicated and she has to come to terms with her brother's new relationship. And then there's Mads who is fighting his anger and anguish at his wife's death but trying to forge new Christmas traditions with his little girl. All interesting characters in their own right.

In short: a warm, cosy read for a warm, cosy time of the year.
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.

What a truly festive treat this is! I have never been to America, let alone going to America for the holidays, yet with Katherine Garbera's stunning descriptions of New York, I felt like I was there amongst it all. Seriously magical!

Poor Mads and his little girl haven't exactly the most wonderful year due to the death of Mads' wife. Not only did Sofia lose her mum, she also lost her ability to believe. Honestly though, can you blame her? She's lost her mum, the last thing she is going to believe in is Santa. However, I adored how Iona (their neighbour) tried to help them create new traditions at a time which harbours devastating memories.

I absolutely loved the Christmas element to this book, including the Candied Apple Cafe itself. The community spirit from the Iona's colleagues and her customers just made my heart soar with joy. If I was met with people like that every time I walked into a shop, I would be one VERY happy lady.

Unfortunately, I do have a little irk with the romance part of the storyline. Now whilst I fully appreciate that sexual scenes in a book need to be kept respectful and not border on a blue movie style, I really do wish that certain words weren't used during those intimate scenes as it made an otherwise hot under the collar scene, lean more towards a grimacing scene. Personally for me, I didn't find it believable.

Apart from that, I think the Christmas element made the book stand out big time. My favourite character was Iona as she just oozed class, sass and had a heart of gold.

Such an enticing and magical read to curl up with this Christmas.

Thanks Harper Impulse.

I have been lucky enough to visit New York on several occasions but top of my holiday wish list is to see New York at Christmas and this book has made me even more desperate to get there!!

I loved the whole book from the cover to the last page.  The story was well planned and really well executed – I loved the characters, they made the book come to life for me, it was an excellent read.  The atmosphere created was great and I love reading about places that I have visited as being able to envisage where they are and to feel that I have visited the places in the books or could have walked the same streets as the characters.

A magical read – made me feel all warm and festive – 5 stars!!

Iona Summerlin has her hands full running the Candied Apple Cafe with her two friends. Christmas is approaching and the shop is thriving, so much so that a large company has shown interest in investing. Iona’s personal life, however, has not been going quite so well, but she is happy in her work and looking forward to the festive season.

Mads Eriksson is the hotel boss who has the job of sealing the investment deal. Christmas will be a sad time for him, it will be the first year alone with daughter Sofia since his wife passed away. He tries so hard to balance his family and work life but something is missing. Mads is so busy trying to be both mother and father to the six year old that he fails to actually recognise the little girl’s true feelings. When Iona strikes up an unexpected relationship with Sofia, it doesn’t take long for her to see that the child is hurting.

I liked the character of Iona, she had a tough business mind yet an incredibly soft side emerges as the story progresses. Mads is a lost soul, trying to hide his pain by working too much, and trying his best to restore some happiness into Sofia’s life. For me, the little girl who was feeling lost and lonely, but desperately trying to put on a brave face for her papa, just stole my heart.

Curl up with plenty of delicious snacks ( the descriptions of truffles and gingerbread will have your mouth watering!) and devour this heartwarming and beautifully written story, about the true magic of Christmas.

Thank you NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for providing me with this book.

I enjoyed this story, even though I was surprised to find it was a short story. It has all the elements it need for the romantic christmas story. It doesnt let too much details out, it even has a realistic tone to real life.

Before this book I read another christmas book. This one was absolutely different but very tempting. Both stories are quite outstanding, but a romantic story through christmas time is never boring (for women).

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

The few weeks before Christmas are such a lovely time. I love to walk through the city and look at the beautiful decorations in the shop windows. To me it is the best time of the year. Currently, it is still nearly two months to go until Christmas. However, due to “Christmas at the Candied Apple Café” I am really looking forward to Christmas.

I think I have that in common with Iona, the main character and owner of the Candied Apple Café. She loves Christmas, backing cookies and attending those many seasonal events. The only thing she hates about this time is that she is single and is surrounded by happy families and couples.

The story is also told from Mads perspective. Mads used to like Christmas but he was never able to celebrate Christmas the way normal families do. His wife was many years ill and died a year ago. This year he wants to rediscover the spirit of Christmas together with his six-year-old daughter Sofia. As they have no Christmas traditions as a family they need to come up with new ones. Therefore, they get a little help from Iona. The best part for me was to witness how Iona and Mads but also Iona and Sofia get to know each other and gain each other’s trust. It might not have been love at first sign but to me, it felt real.

I loved the atmosphere in the book. It has a really nice pace. There is enough action but is also reflects the dead season. The reader gets a feeling for Iona’s daily life and gets to know her friends which are also lovely. I would love to read a book about their lives, too. Together they have a fabulous business. Most of the time I wanted to eat chocolate and to have one of their nice-or-naughty truffles. In real life I must find a place that serves peppermint hot chocolate.

The language is vivid. I could see the window decoration of the Candied Apple Café or the different seasonal outfits from Iona. I could also feel the Christmas spirit. Everyone who loves Christmas and a love story should read this book. It is the perfect attunement into the Christmas season.

4 1/2 STARS!

The future is bleak until a ray of sunshine enters their world! A story of adjusting to life after loss ... and embracing the goodness that comes around even though you don't think you're ready! The characters are fairly well developed and it's easy to get wrapped up in their story!

Hotel owner Mads Eriksson is not looking forward to his first Christmas without his wife, but he's even more concerned about how his six year old daughter seems to have totally lost her Christmas spirit since losing her mother. When a business meeting brings them in contact with an elf-like bundle of holiday cheer, Mads can't help but be drawn to the dashing Iona and how she seems to connect with his little girl!

Iona Summerlin is running around like crazy with all that is going for the holidays at the Candied Apple Cafe. She doesn't have time to think about men and relationships ... but a when a handsome father and his sad little girl cross her path, she can't resist taking them under her wing!

I totally enjoyed reading Christmas at the Candied Apple Cafe by Katherine Garbara. As publicist for the Candied Apple Café, Iona Summerlin is busier than Santa elves at Christmas time and she definitely doesn’t have time to think about men, dating, or the fact her last boyfriend ditched her for her brother. This is the first Christmas for Mads Eriksson since losing his wife last year and his six-year-old daughter Sofia has lost her belief in Christmas magic along with her mother. After a business meeting with Iona at the holiday decorated café, Mads finds his heart thawing, letting in the light and sparkle again.

I enjoyed seeing Iona getting recognition for her hard work and acceptance by Mads and Sofia for her friendship. Ms Garbera did an amazing job reconnecting Iona with her brother and his boyfriend without hurt feelings or either of them losing face. I hurt with Iona and Mads as they struggled with their feelings for each other and their fears of finding happiness. I identified with Sofia as she tried to establish holiday traditions with Mads, since her mother’s illness kept them from being able to do so.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Ms. Garbera is a wonderful story teller drawing me into her books, making me forget the world around me as she drew me in and not let me go until I turned the last page. I highly recommend this book to other readers

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.