Such a lovely feel good book that you could read at any time of the year not just christmas. I've been recommending this to my friends since I finished reading it. Jo Thomas is like a warm hug, it's so easy to pick up her books and find yourself hooked within minutes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It ticks all the boxes when it comes to a Christmas themed book.
Clara, approaching 40 has lived the same life with the same routine and is essentially stuck in a rut.
When redundancy suddenly appears as an option and having met someone on a dating app (Daniel) who will be relocating to Switzerland. Clara sees this as an opportunity to breakaway from her mundane life and embark on an adventure (albeit with a guy she has just met but seems to have connected on an intimate level).
Part of the redundancy package includes being enrolled on a pre paid course. Being in Switzerland, a beginner's chocolate making course sounds perfect. When she gets there, it might not be as beginner as she thought it might be and makes Clara rethink her decision and if she’s cut out for this course. But what I loved about Clara is that she wasn’t deterred and chose to battle it out and learn as much as she could and prove to herself and the others that she could do it even if she was an amateur.

As well as pushing herself to prove herself in the chocolate course she discovers that Daniel is not all he seems and is forced to leave their shared apartment.
With a commendable undeterred spirit, Clara decides to stay and immerse herself in the course and life living with her fellow students.

Without ruining the entire storyline, a few other notable characters add to her journey and experience.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book. The descriptions of Switzerland, the world of chocolate and Clara’s personal journey was a wonderful combination. Clara’s tenacity and drive was inspiring and you felt yourself cheering for her throughout. I wholeheartedly recommend, A Recipe for Christmas.

I found myself constantly reading "just one more" chapter every time I picked up this book. It is light (yet with some depth) and a very enjoyable novel. That said, it does require some suspension of disbelief, I think.

Have you ever felt that you were in a rut? Doing a job that you know well but which feels unsatisfying? Have you ever hoped for the rush of a new romance and the chance to make a spontaneous life change? These are aspects of Clare's life so when the opportunity to live in Switzerland with her new romance is a possibility, she does the unexpected and goes.

Clare wants to take a course while there and chooses chocolate making. Through a bit of an error, Clare has enrolled herself in a class with those who have much more experience than she. Not everyone is nice to this beginner. Despite doubts, Clare stays.

Readers get to know a lot about the making of chocolate. I enjoyed this aspect of the book. They also get to know the other students in Clare's class and those who work at the school.

The boyfriend turns out to be a maybe. Read the book to see if Clare is with him at the end or with a well-known chocolatier whom readers learn is facing his own challenge.

Recommended to those who like fiction, women's fiction, romance, stories of growth, Switzerland and chocolate. That certainly means many readers who will enjoy this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK-Transworld for this title. All opinions are my own.

Jo Thomas never disappoints. Food, family, love and fresh starts. Any book Jo writes jumps to the top of my TBR list and this book reminds me why. Another cracker.

After losing her job, Clara makes the rash decision to move to Switzerland with her new partner, who is moving there to work. She is enrolled on what she is expecting to be a beginner's chocolate making course, but quickly finds herself out of her depth, and that she has moved there with someone that she really doesn't know.

I loved this book. A cozy festive story, full of chocolate, snow, romance and a bit of humour; perfect for getting lost in.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for letting me read a copy in return for my honest review

I read this book on a Christmas holiday abroad. The book was a perfect backdrop to the rest and relaxation. The story is heartwarming and lighthearted. I loved it.

Clara takes redundancy and is offered a course paid for as part of the redundancy package so she chooses to go on a chocolatier course in Switzerland. After all she can put a fair few Lindt chocolates in her mouth at one time so definitely has a passion for chocolate.
Clara finds herself on a journey of self discovery, making new friends with a little romance thrown in.
A lovely festive read.
Thank you to Random house UK and Netgalley for an advanced copy review of this book, with opinions all my own.

I didn't want this book to end. The setting was fantastic, the characters were relatable and the chocolates sounded amazing. I was pleased that the main character retained her sense of self worth. Good read.

I’m a fan of Jo Thomas and A Recipe for Christmas was such a warm, hopeful novel. Cute friendships and a blossoming romance. A perfect festive read

Jo Thomas is one of my all-time favourite authors, always managing to capture the most perfect of backdrops mixed with romance and the main characters finding out who they truly are.

Having just returned from Switzerland this was the perfect novel to lose myself in as I could feel and see the backdrops being described which made it all the more perfect. The chocolate focus was so interesting and just that little bit different - as not much of a chocolate lover, I can tell you now that I wanted to try every single one!

The romance was perfection and I completely fell in love with Clara has a main character, maybe because I have a lot of the same feelings as her right now..

Yet another favourite book that I’ve enjoyed recommending to customers.

This book contains all the elements for a feel good book.
Christmas, snow, chocolate, love, romance. I think I'll be rereading it every Christmas - and I’ll certainly be reading more books by this author.

Loved Clara's story and the beautiful Swiss alps which I could just imagine I was there. A lovely foodie author who combined a great story with what's better than Swiss choccy. Absoulty gourgous read wby a cracking fire and a cup of hot choc

well jo as done it again this is a book to read how somebody writes a story about chocolate is so good it makes your mouth water throughout your reading it tells the story of clara who loves chocolate and finds her way in life at last by going to chocolate school in the alps and starts to taste all the new chocolate which she invents along with help of her friends and long the way daniel and gabriel are in her life where she dines with them to enjoy the qualities of the alps diners now for you to enjoy it for yourself

Whether it be a summer or winter book you are always guaranteed a fantastic read from Jo Thomas and this new festive read - A Recipe for Christmas - proved to be no different. This book had the honour of being my first Christmas read for the 2024 season and it certainly lived up to all expectations and put me right in the mood for Christmas. With a colourful, warm, inviting and eye catching cover, the reader is immediately sucked into this wonderful story which is a real feast for the senses. The mention of Lindt chocolate on the opening page had my mouth watering and had me adding said chocolates to my shopping list that week.

Jo is known for having food or cooking to feature heavily in her books and that’s what sets them apart from all the rest. Chocolate and becoming a chocolatier is the main focus here and be warned don’t read this on an empty stomach or else you’ll end up craving chocolate. Make sure to have a square or two to hand as you delve into a creative story full of flavour, community, friendship and the perfect combination of Christmas and chocolate.

Clara MacKenzie is the main female character and when we are first introduced to her she is about to embark upon a major life change. She is leaving the comfort, routine and familiarity of a job that she has worked in all her life. She has worked her way up from the café to human resources in a local department store but she has now taken voluntary redundancy. She wants to do something different with her life. It’s time for a change and some adventures before she hits 40 as 23 years in the same job has taken it’s toll on her. In order to secure her redundancy package she must undertake a course of some sort and when her partner Daniel (with whom she hasn’t been with that long) is offered a job in Switzerland she decides to take the bull by the horns and go with him. Whilst there she hopes to complete a chocolate course in order to get her full redundancy. I mean what could be better than to soak up and savour all that that Switzerland has to offer whilst at the same time enjoying herself on the course?

The setting of Switzerland is simply stunning. You feel as if you have been whisked away to a country with snow-capped mountains, rivers, pine trees, wooden chalets and of course all the mentions of chocolate of which there are numerous. Yet, you haven’t left the comfort and warmth of your own home but still you are taken on an adventure where Clara gets a lot more than she bargained for and in doing so she discovers a lot more about what she wants and what she is truly capable of. Clara sets about immersing herself in the culture and history of Switzerland but soon discovers the course is not what she had expected at all. Instead of a relaxing time sampling the various chocolate creations and delights that the company, Audair, has to offer she finds herself literally thrown into the fire as the various participants and the content of the course itself are very serious. There is no room for amateurs here of which Clara definitely very much is one.

I loved how Clara didn’t up sticks and run away at the first hurdle which she could have very easily done. Instead, she chose to battle it out and learn as much as she could and prove to herself and the others that she could do it even if she was literally like a fish out of water. She pushed herself way beyond the limits of her comfort zone and she deserved nothing but admiration and respect for this. It’s not plain sailing for Clara by any means especially as she discovers fairly early on that Daniel is not all he seems and soon she finds herself flying solo. But she has courage and tenacity and she is not going to head back to England with her tail between her legs. It’s not the redundancy money that she cares about instead she is trying to better herself and soon progress, creativity and invention are all traits that start to emerge that she didn’t realise that she possessed.

Clara embeds herself into her chocolate making family and the supporting characters of Frederic, Sebastien, Michel, Patrice and Fleur all start to show their own qualities. Each have their own little backstory to share which becomes more apparent the further you read. These all melded wonderfully with Clara’s main story and only added to my overall enjoyment of the book. Madame Noeletta, the principal of the chocolate school, seemed to view Clara with disdain but I loved how Clara didn’t let this bother her at all. Instead she rose to every challenge thrown at her and put in so time, effort and practice that she was determined to succeed. Yes she may not have had the talents, expertise and background that the other participants on the course possessed but she was determined to keep going and learn as much as she could.

As I was reading I kept thinking Jo Thomas must have had the time of her life undertaking research for this book. It’s simply a chocolate lovers dream. All the little details surrounding the chocolate making process and all the different techniques the course participants learned were fascinating. At no point did the story become overloaded with details of food and chocolate which it very much could have done. Rather the perfect balance was struck alongside the more personal and human story of Clara. Going on the course brings something to life within her. Something she didn’t know she had and it was so enjoyable to see her go from a woman who didn’t know what she wanted in life now that her security blanket of her long term job was gone to someone who became inspirational and confident and who wanted to help herself and those around her. This is very much evident hen she starts to develop a friendship with Gabriel, who was a mentor on the course and a world famous chocolatier in his own right.

As with many of the other characters Gabriel had his own secrets and to be honest I did guess fairly early on what was going on with him. But it took longer for Clara to crack his shell and discover what was bothering him. Their’s was a friendship which I could potentially see developing into something more. There is a strong fire lit within Clara as she becomes determined and enthusiastic and she transfers these qualities to Gabriel. I did feel sorry for Gabriel. He was going through a tough time and had the weight of the world on his shoulders but with the help of Clara maybe he can start to believe in himself. Through the process of helping Gabriel and keeping things going on the course Clara also starts to change and instead of being the bottom of the class and so different from the others she starts to find her niche and it was brilliant to see her hard work, learning and skills emerge and come to the fore. That said there was plenty of stumbling blocks and challenges put in her path and as we raced towards the climax there was one event which I thought there was no coming back from. But Clara was amazing and took the lead and here is where friendship, community and working together really paid off.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the time I spent reading, A Recipe for Christmas. Jo Thomas creates the most wonderful feel good stories and this was a prime example of that. Chocolate for Clara is the one constant in her life which makes her feel safe and this is something we can all relate to at one time or another but going on the course takes things to an entirely different level for her. Her senses are heightened and she learns with some encouragement that if you work at the things you want in life you will be richly rewarded. How she is rewarded and how the story overall pans out, well you will have to pick up this delightful and entertaining seasonal tale. Now I’ll just have to wait patiently for my next fix of the magic that is Jo Thomas when in June I will be venturing to Tuscany with her next book A Place in the Sun.

I have read and enjoyed a few of this author's previous books and thought this one was also great. Ideal pre Christmas reading, especially if you fancy something light, easy to read and uplifting.

A Recipe For Christmas by Jo Thomas @jothomasauthor a NetGalley review. Clara is at a crossroads in her life, she craves the happily ever after like her friends, so she takes a leap of faith with a man she’s only just met. That leap of faith involves moving to Switzerland with her new boyfriend but it that where her future lies or it the leap of faith more about Clara finding herself. I really enjoyed this book, it’s a heartwarming read and it felt like a cozy, Christmas read but also a great books for anytime of year. Clara is a great character a huge lover of chocolate, passionate, brave, friendly but also lacks confidence in many respects, to trusting in occasion but she has the biggest heart and will help anyone despite at time me thinking that she’s probably kinder than I would be towards people that haven’t been particularly kind to her. It’s an incredibly easy read, that in places I didn’t want to put down, there’s no huge plot twists and yes it’s predictable but I didn’t care because there was something in the way it was written and in the story that it was telling that grabbed me (it could be the background story of chocolate!), a festive, romantic, chocolatey romp between the pages. The only thing for me is that (without giving anything away) is that despite everything going on in Clara’s life in Switzerland and the changes, that her friends back in England weren’t more involved and surprised at those changes. I highly recommend this book and will be reading more by this author , a Christmas delight which deserves ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Clara has established a fine career for herself in HR having worked her way up through the business. But now, nearing the age of 40, she feels stuck. When her very new love interest, Daniel, takes up a new job in Switzerland and a redundancy package comes up in her workplace, Clara decides to take a leap of faith. But is it a leap of faith to find love? Or something more than that.

This is such a lovely Christmas read! I absolutely loved the setting in the Swiss Alps which the author describes so well. And the chocolate-making school topped it all off for me. It is so clear from the writing what an avid foodie the author is and this book made me salivate on numerous occasions! If you're familiar with Amaury Guichon (TikTok chocolate sculpture), he was who I imagined as Gabriel for the entire book.

Clara is a fantastic main character. I really enjoyed her growth and how she found herself as the story progressed. It was really nice to have a main character that was a little bit older than the usual "hallmark" christmas books/movies (when I say older I just mean not mid 20's).

There were some quite unlikeable characters in this story but they were written really well and made the story less "sickly sweet".

There were times when I felt the story could have been a little shorter. For instance, the 12 dates/12 chocolates seemed like a lot, and perhaps six would have been sufficient, but overall it was a cosy, festive read that would be perfect for any foodie or chocolate lover!

I also really appreciated the addition of some recipes at the end of the book for dishes that featured in the story. A lovely touch!

Cute and cosy read perfect for this time of year. Love that chocolate was a big part, I am chocolate obbessed 🎅🎁✨

This is a delightful christmas read, set in stunning Switzerland, to a backdrop of chocolate. What is more perfect! Oh, someone loves cheese, that's what!
I absolutely adored learning about the chocolate making process and the intricacies of creating flavoured chocolates.
The relationships between the class were lovely to see blossoming, as was Clara's realisation of what makes her happy.
The story talks often of taking a leap of faith. You don't need one of those to read this. Just look at that cute cover! The author always writes stunning christmas tales, and this is no exception.
A perfect read for you to curl up with a hot chocolate and maybe see how many chocolates you can fit in your mouth at one go!

Classic Jo.
Slightly predictable, but written in a way that you just have to keep reading.
Well-rounded characters that you fall in love with.