Book Review: A Recipe for Christmas by Jo Thomas

From the moment I picked up A Recipe for Christmas, I was whisked away to the enchanting Swiss Alps alongside Clara, our hopeful protagonist. Clara's dream of a perfect Christmas filled with warmth and loved ones resonated deeply with me, especially as she embarks on what she imagines to be a fairy-tale holiday after moving for her new boyfriend.

The initial excitement quickly gives way to reality when Clara signs up for what she envisions as a delightful chocolate-making course, only to find herself in an intense chocolate-making bootcamp. I found her experiences both humorous and relatable as she navigates the challenges of this unexpected adventure. The setting is vividly described, making me feel the crisp mountain air and the cozy atmosphere of the workshop.

What really captivated me was Clara’s journey of self-discovery amidst the chaos. As her relationship with her boyfriend begins to unravel, she encounters Gabriel, the aloof yet intriguing chocolatier. Their chemistry is palpable, and I appreciated how their connection developed over shared experiences and mutual interests. It added depth to the story, showcasing how sometimes the best things come from unexpected places.

Jo Thomas's writing is warm and inviting, capturing the essence of holiday magic while tackling themes of love, identity, and the importance of community. The delightful culinary elements, especially the chocolate, made my mouth water and added an extra layer of charm to the narrative.

Overall, A Recipe for Christmas is a heartwarming tale that reminds us that sometimes our dreams can take unexpected turns, leading to even greater joys. I finished the book with a smile, feeling inspired and ready to embrace the holiday spirit. This book is a perfect festive treat for anyone looking for a cozy, romantic escape this Christmas season!

I always look forward to a Jo Thomas Christmas book as I know it will be filled with warmth, humour and plenty of festive imagery. This book was no exception to that, in fact it was so much more as it was all of that covered in lashings of chocolate!
Clara seems to have been coasting through much of her life so far, keeping to the safe option of no change due to things that happened when she was growing up. But, when she is offered the chance to change it all up, she decides to take a chance and moves to a new country with a new relationship and to learn about a possibly new career, Go Clara!
Obviously life is not as simple as all that, it wouldn’t make for a very interesting book if it was, but the way we see Clara coping with all that happens shows she is a much deeper, more well rounded character than she first seemed. This is a book of new beginnings, of trying and keeping on trying despite those boulders that appear along your path and it is a very lovely story of hope, redemption (kind of) and lots and lots of chocolate!
As always with a Jo Thomas book after turning the last page there are some of the recipes that were included in the story, I always find this is a lovely addition especially when the food sounds as yummy and incredible it does in this one!

Snow, Christmas, Chocolate. What's not to love!
I loved the easy style of this book and how the characters grow page by page. I wasn't sure who Clara would end up being romantically involved with, but loved the storyline to get her there.
The descriptions of the scenery, coldness of the season, and all those chocolates made me want to catch a plane and live it myself.

A Jo Thomas book is a little like the chocolate she is writing about in this romantic novel. It ticks all the boxes and has an interesting storyline to get you to the end. A lovely autumn read, curled up in front of a fire with a hot chocolate....what else.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the advance copy of this book.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Meet Clara, the safe dependable Clara, who doesn't take risks, doesn't like change and has worked as an HR manager in her current position forever! Single after failed relationships, Clara's highlight of the week is her weekly catch up with her 2 best friends, after all it features her all time passion chocolate and maybe some prosecco. Every week she listens how her friends lives are moving on while she is stuck in the same old rut and Clara decides something needs to change and soon.
When the company she works for are seeking voluntary redundancies, could this be her chance, she doesn't do risks, but she'd have enough money and she'd also get money towards retraining (how clever of her to put that in the HR policy), she could even do that chocolate making course she has dreamt of. Mulling it over Clara, discovers her new online boyfriend has accepted a job in Switzerland and he suggests she could go with him! Well the policy doesn't say where the retraining has to be and Switzerland is the home of the best chocolate. Trying to make a go of a new relationship and then discovering the chocolate course is definitely not for beginners, everyone's waiting for Clara to give up? Will she get the next flight home or will she persevere and become the chocolatier she dreams of.

Grab a velvety hot chocolate, a cosy blanket and curl up with this gorgeous read.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Transworld for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Transport yourself to the snowy Swiss alps as Clara finds herself on an exciting adventure featuring a move to Switzerland and attending a chocolate making course. She loves chocolate so how hard can it be? It’s not all plain sailing as her class mates clearly having more experience than her and they’re not all friendly. Add in Clara finding out a shocking secret and you’re all set for a fabulous snowy festive read. Great characters and a plot that will keep you entertained to the end, but will probably make you hungry. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and the author for the chance to review.

Chocolate and Christmas set in a beautiful country, what a brilliant combination for a novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, loved getting to know the characters and really enjoyed the descriptions of winter in Switzerland. The theme of chocolate running throughout the story was genius. Thoroughly recommended.

After reading a Christmas book in September I know am feeling full of Christmas cheer .A nice read by Jo Thomas and I recommend this book .

This is a brilliant story. I did not want it to end, like when eating an exquisite box of chocolates.
This book tells the story of forties something Clara and all of her ups and downs.
It is set mostly in Switzerland so there is an amazing helping of aforementioned chocolate deliciousness and gooey oozy cheese too.

Perfection from Jo Thomas!

Word of warning though - it will make you crave chocolate pretty much for the whole book, so make sure you have a stash to snack on.

This is utterly brilliant for Chocolate lovers, warm and cosy fiction lovers, those wanting to travel to Switzerland this winter and of course for fans of the author.

All of her trademark destination writing and food writing combined into a mouth watering variety of book. I couldn't have loved it more if I tried, or devoured it faster!

Any story that starts with someone trying to work out how many Lindt balls they can fit in their mouth at once, is always going to capture my attention, especially when you then discover Clara has done something very out of character and agreed to move to Switzerland with her new boyfriend which she barely knows and enrol in what she believed to be a beginners chocolate making course.

Turns out it was slightly more advanced, and I absolutely loved her attempting to go along with it anyway. I enjoyed seeing how Clara was able to develop as a chocolatier as well as slowly make new friends in her new life. Although nothing is plain sailing which just adds to the enjoyment of the story.

This really spoke to my inner chocolate lover and was fascinated by the techniques that were mentioned, and just how you temper and create chocolate. I also really wish i had been able to go along on the author's research trips for this book as I can imagine they must have been a lot of fun!

A really Christmas chocolate lover's paradise of a book. Just brilliant and not too festive either, so easily able to be read out of season, but definitely a fabulous winter warmer of a book.

Thank you to Transworld and Netgalley for this book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Switzerland. In the snow, At Christmas. With chocolate. Winning combination.

Jo Thomas never disappoints.

Love a Jo Thomas Christmas story so much so that I read this in 2 sittings.
Clara decides to head to Switzerland with new boyfriend Daniel. Taking a chance on love and hoping for a new start in life
She signs up for a chocolatier course. It's not easy as the others are so much younger than her and have more experience, but Clara is determined to succeed.
Things fall apart with Daniel, but he constantly texts her, begging another chance.
I didn't see why Clara would give Daniel another chance, I certainly wouldn't have.
The developing relationship Clara had with Gabriel was endearing, and I loved how he made her use her senses when eating chocolate. I will definitely be more mindful when putting it in my mouth from now on.
I loved how the group came together and helped each other towards the end.
Snowy Switzerland, Christmas and chocolate with a little romance thrown in the mix.
It's a perfect Christmas recipe.
I was invited to read this in return for an honest review. Thanks to Random House and Netgalley.

I'm sorry, but a new Jo Thomas Christmas book? It's sure to be a winner! And that cover! Oh so beautiful.

This book opened with a very evocative description of chocolate and the way it melts and smells and the joy it brings you...and that was me instantly hooked. This book itself is like chocolate, the melted, warming, luxurious, cosy, comfort that it brings.

I found myself smiling throughout. It's so full of hope and joy and passion and bravery and love, and I think it's my favourite of hers yet. What I really loved is that she's written an older protagonist. Okay, so Clara is 40, not exactly ancient, but for the lead in a rom-com, she is quite old and I loved that. It showed that it doesn't matter if you haven't achieved the "perfect life" by a certain point. You can still find love, adventure, a new career, new opportunities, new friends at any age and I thought that was really important.

I did find it a little repetitive to begin with, day after day at the chocolate school, but that very quickly became a good thing, a comforting and familiar thing, and it means you get to see her progress over the course of the novel.

I have read a number of Jo's books, some I've liked more than others, but none have failed to uplift me. Never have I spent an unenjoyable hour with her work.

I would have gladly accompanied Jo on her research trip! Using Switzerland as the backdrop for this festive tale is great, as it gives us that sort of fairy-tale Christmas ideal, the cold and snow and romance and everything we want Christmas to be. I've always wanted to visit and this has just cemented that.

What I wasn't expecting from it was it to make me cry. It's not sad, so why would I cry? But it's so beautiful that I couldn't help it, and I don't think I'll be the only one. And whilst it's only September (at time of reading), I am definitely now in the mood for Christmas!

Determined to get out of her comfort zone, hoping for new beginnings, Clara decides to leave her long standing job, and heads to Switzerland with Daniel her new boyfriend.

Jo Thomas’s books take you on amazing journeys, along with delicious recipes and this book is no exception. Set in the Swiss Alps, Clara begins an intensive chocolate course not realising the challenges. As a chocolate lover, she becomes fascinated with all the recipes determined to succeed.

Descriptions of the snow bound landscape are vivid and spectacular, you feel you are up in the mountains, breathing in the crisp fresh air. The chocolate recipes that are being created sound delicious and set the taste buds tingling.

As Clara becomes absorbed in her course, she becomes involved with Gabriel a famous chocolatier, and they help each other. I like how several characters have their own stories which the author weaves into the plot. She really gets inside her characters, and it’s interesting to see how they develop.

This heartwarming story is about new beginnings, relationships and friendships, set in the spectacular mountains of Switzerland. Another winner from Jo Thomas.

Clara thinks she has found Mr Right so can she say no when he asks her to go to Switzerland with him, just six weeks before Christmas? She imagines romance and all the magic of a white Christmas in the Alps. She signs on for a chocolate making course, her second love after Daniel, after day one she realizes that it isn't the beginners course she imagined.
Can she and Daniel survive, can she survive the course when all her fellow students are professionals?
Help comes from the most unexpected people so can she help another someone else along the way, maybe even find unexpected love after Daniel proves he isn't Mr Right after all.

I was asked to review by NetGalley

I love Christmas now I work for a school and have all the holidays off so Christmas is magical for me.

Clara was working in HR and was made redundant, on her weekly get together with her good friends she makes the anouncement that she is being made redundant and the guy she has been dating for a short time is moving to a new job in Switzerland. Her friends think double whamy for her until she anounces she is going to move to Switzerland and move in with him!!

As part of the redundancy Clara can sign up for a course and chooses a chocolate making course at a rather prestigious school in Switzerland - was has she done with really only a love of eating chocolate.

Although this story spans just 8 weeks it tells the story at a good pace for the reader.

At times does not feel as festive as you would expect in Switzerland and snowy scenes but the author has wisely written the story this way.

A good few twists and turns. Will the romance work will the school find out that Clara is not an expert chocolate maker.

Recommended read.

Well its fair to say that I adored this. Christmas isn't my favourite time of year but this book made me feel all wintry and festive in the best possible way. As loyal readers of this author will know, crikey me can Jo write food and this is the turn of Chocolate and cheese!

I was craving chocolate almost immediately.

The relationships were great in this one, with a lovely ensemble cast. I liked how this had an ex that wouldn't go away and interrupted the love interest too. This didn't get too bogged down in Christmas cliches but still felt the right amount of festive.

I think I'll suggest to the family this Christmas about trying the how many lindt can you fit in your mouth game. And I feel i'm a Cadbury's Strawberry Rose. Hard exterior, soft on the inside and very sweet.

Recently redundant Clara takes a leap of faith with new boyfriend Daniel, following him to Switzerland for his new job. Wanting to try something different she signs up for a chocolate making class in a prestigious chocolate school. But has Clara bitten off more than she can chew?

This was an enjoyable romantic read, the wintery setting gives a seasonal feel but lacks the festivity that you would normally associate with a Christmas book and could easily have taken place in January/February rather than the 'most wonderful time of the year'. That said it worked well with the story being told.

The story moves at a good pace, spanning an eight week period without feeling overly rushed. Some of the characters lacked a bit of depth and the story could easily have carried on without them. But overall there were some interesting supporting characters to compliment the FMC as she seeks to find where her future lies.

A few unexpected twists throughout the story keeps you invested in how things are going to pan out for Clara.

Overall it is an easy, enjoyable, cosy read, perfect for a light reading session on a cold winters night.

This is a heartwarming story about how Clara finds not only love, but also the person in herself she wants to be. The novel is set in Switzerland before Christmas and we get a glimpse of the beautiful snowy landscape as the story unfolds. There are some twists and turns along the way, but there is a happy ending after all. I liked from the supporting characters the young people at the chocolate making course, and I found the details about chocolate making really interesting.
I can recommend to everyone who loves a nice winter romance.