Member Reviews

Ivy and Adam have some big decisions to make as they find themselves out of work. Should ivy give up her dream and can Adam find a building firm with the same high standards as his own?.
Jess, ivy’s best friend from school has a solution, but is it the right one for them all?
This engaging and enjoyable story left me wanting more. It also has some interesting information about baking with healthy ingredients, something I would like to explore more.
An easy enjoyable read.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book.

I wanted to immediately move to Cornwall and somehow be part of what Jess and her family and friends are establishing. I felt excited for Ivy and Adam when they decide to make the move. The writing conveyed that it was hard work but enjoyable at the same time. It shows the difference that community and enlisting the support of locals can make when starting a new venture.

I didn't read this at Christmas, but that didn't matter. It helped me to begin to anticipate the festive season.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC to review. Opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This is the second book in the Cornish Farmhouse trilogy. This time round we see Ivy and Adam facing new challenges. Can the suggestion from Ivy's best friend Jess, to open a bakery at Renweneth Farm, be the opportunity they need to reset their lives?

Wonderful descriptions (I could almost taste the bread and cakes!), heartwarming friendships, and a cosy sense of community make this a lovely read. However, as in the first book, the author does overuse names in conversation and it still irritated me - you simply don't say someone's name in every line of speech!

Was this review helpful?

A wonderful Christmas story set in beautiful Cornwall.
This is a real heart warming read full of community spirit, friendships, romance and Christmas spirit. It’s a HUGE Christmas hug from a book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Was this review helpful?

There is nothing like a cozy Christmas read, and I had high hopes for this one but it missed the mark for me. Unfortunate after reading a third of the book I decided to DNF, which was a struggle for me as I almost always finish books.

Perhaps reading the first book in this series would have made me feel more invested in the characters. The premise of the book is great, and had I read Summer at the Cornish Farmhouse first my review might have been different. As a standalone I felt it was slow, repetitive and a bit confusing. (So many characters to remember!)

The plot felt like something was missing. I needed to be pulled in and wonder how things would turn out but it just didn’t do that for me.

I hate to give a star review for this one as I didn’t finish the book, but if I had to I would like give it one & a half or maybe two.

Thank you NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the ARC and my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This is the second in the series, and the focus this time is on Jess' best friend Ivy and her husband Adam.
Adam is looking for work after quitting his job. Temporarily, he helps Riley at Renwenweth Manor.
Ivy is looking for new premises for her bakery around their home in Stroud.
An opportunity for Ivy and Adam to start afresh with a new home and an established business presents itself at Renweneth, but will Ivy take the plunge?
I loved catching up with these characters again. The whole setting sounds like a dream place to live, especially living that close to the sea.
This has a lovely Christmassy feel, with everyone coming together and getting into the spirit.
I hope there is a third book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Aria and Aries for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A truly joyful story to get lost in, especially the excitement of Christmas. It’s so descriptive you feel herself licking your lips as you taste some of the extraordinary recipes Ivy comes up with. As the story unfolds Ivy finds herself at a crossroads in her career and unsure which route to follow.

Was this review helpful?

This book was such a perfect Christmas fix for this time of year, for anyone that enjoys celebrating Christmas in July. It had such cozy hallmark vibes. The story just felt like the perfect thing to read when you’re cozy up by the fire with a warm cup of cocoa! I would love to just dive in and live in this town!

Was this review helpful?

A Cornish Christmas at the Farmhouse Bakery" transports readers to the idyllic landscapes of Cornwall. With a blend of heartwarming characters and the spirit of Christmas, this tale is both cozy and compelling, making it the perfect read to curl up with next to a roaring fire. Highly recommended for a dose of holiday cheer!

Thank you Aria and Aries and NetGalley for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Ivy enjoys married life. Her work life needs some help. She is unsure about what direction she wants to go in. When her best friend offers some ideas, she takes them to heart. This was a quick read.

Was this review helpful?

Fantastic book, absolutely love the warm cosy characters.. you get the feeling and sense the smell of the bakery.
The story unwraps to the friendships and their trials. Helping the community and involving people to help each other. A great read especially at winter time.

Was this review helpful?

When Ivy Taylor finds herself in urgent need of new premises for her successful Café business her best friend Jess comes up with an idea.
Why don’t Ivy and her husband Adam relocate to Cornwall and take over The Farmhouse Bakery at Renweneth Farm? Adam loves the idea but Ivy is sceptical. Can she really leave behind her family and friends and start again?
Deciding to take the plunge, Ivy and Adam quickly learn that they will have friends old and new who will help them in their new venture.
Set in the run up to Christmas, in an idyllic location, this story of friendship, love and family, will give you a warm festive glow.

Was this review helpful?

So lovely to return to Cornwall and Renweneth Farm for Christmas, everything seems to be coming up roses in this delightful, seasonal story for Ivy and Adam and hopefully we can return next summer

Was this review helpful?

Loved this book. Ivy has had to give up her confectionery and cake business in stroud as her inscrupulous landlord has sold the shop. Her friend Jess gives her a lifeline to open a cafe and bakery.in Cornwall

Was this review helpful?

Ivy and her husband Adam are both at a crossroads in their careers, so when an opportunity for Ivy to run a bakery and cafe on her friend's farm in Cornwall arises, she jumps at the chance.
This book felt a little rushed and repetitive, as though there wasn't quite enough content for a stand alone book. This made sense when I found out after reading it that it's part of a series.
The festive content was good.

Was this review helpful?

You know it's a darned good story when you just want to keep reading. I don't know how to categorise this book. The first one in the series felt a little romancey, but this is a step away from that and the storyline is so good, it's not necessary. This is simply a fabulous story that continues the happenings set out in Summer at the Cornish Farmhouse. We travel through the run-up to Christmas viewing proceedings through the eyes of those that were side characters last time around. It feels good to get to know them a bit better.

The people that we read about feel very real. They have problems that keep them awake at night. They have issues with people around them. They have to work to sort things out - but work they do and the end results are worth it.

Was this review helpful?

This was a lovely cosy, comforting read.

I seem to recall reading a book about The Farmhouse Bakery at some point previously, so it was nice to read about those characters again. While this story mentions 'Christmas' in the title, not all of it takes place at Christmas time, so it would probably be fine to read this at any time of year. It's the type of book that I might pick up for a little escape, or some light relief after a particularly heavy book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately I was not able to finish this book. I got about 20% through it, and realized that it was affecting me poorly. I found the job struggles, wishes for home, and life changes that the characters were going through to be really accurate. So accurate, that it made me feel my own stress acutely. For me, reading isn't about feeling that type of stress. And although I feel guilty that I cannot give this book a proper review, I just couldn't bring myself to finish it.

Additionally, I didn't find the story very engaging. I get that the author was really hammering home the concept of a life altering decision, but it was just so much. Again, it made me feel stressed and sad rather than having the enjoyment of a good book. The plot was also something that didn't pull me in. Books about the day to day lives of people- what the ate for breakfast, what time they went to bed, etc. is a bit boring to me.

Finally, the little bit that I did read had several editing errors that I came across; which detracted from the story even more for me. It made an already unenjoyable experience for me even more "blah".

If fiction and stories about people and their daily life and struggles are something you enjoy, you may like this book. It just really wasn't my cup of tea.

Rating: DNF

Was this review helpful?

Cute story, unique with great themes, the focus on the recipes and supporting a community was nice to read. It was well paced and had good descriptions. It was nice to have a fiction/Christmas story that had an established romance and focused more on being happy in life and finding your place, with a strong commitment to family, friends, and community.

Was this review helpful?