I have read quite a few of Heidi's books in the past and I have adored them. I've had The Cherry Tree Cafe on my TBR pile for a very long time and I have been looking for a space in my schedule for a while now.

I'm so annoyed with myself for waiting so long to read this book. I absolutely loved Lizzie and Jemma's story. Lizzie is such a likeable character. She is also frustrating at times. There was one point where I just wanted to shake her to see sense!

The characters in this book were so easy to like and when they fell out with each other I was so upset. This story is also full of lots of humour. There is some romance but the book is so much more than that.

This book is an excellent debut and if you are like me and haven't read it then you absolutely should!

Firstly I owe a massive apology to Heidi Swain and her publishers Simon and Schuster as I've had a copy of her debut novel The Cherry Tree Cafe from NetGalley on my Kindle for quite some time so thought it was about time that I finally reviewed it.

What do you do when your future doesn't go the way you'd planned? When her birthday meal ends up with boyfriend Giles breaking up with her instead of proposing, Lizzie realises that she can no longer afford to stay in the luxury flat in London on her own or face seeing Giles in the office every day so she decides to pack her bags and and return home to Wynbridge to the comfort of her family and friends.

Jemma. Lizzie's best friend, and her husband Tom have just taken on the lease of the local cafe and enlist Lizzie's help with the revamp and re-opening of The Cherry Tree Cafe. And before long it's a joint effort as Jemma baking skills and Lizzie's flare for needlecraft are combined to offer an unique experience for people to come together to be creative and enjoy a treat or two at the same time.

Anyone who knows me knows that I do not have a creative bone in my body but I was soon caught up in the lives of Lizzie and Jemma and their plans, I literally could not put the book down and within a couple of hours I'd read the book from start to finish. I was swept away as I visualised their transformation of the cafe, I could picture the craft corner and everyone sewing their wares led by Lizzie, and could almost smell the signature Cherry and Chocolate cupcakes served up by Jemma. Of course nothing is ever straightforward, and there are a few hiccups and misunderstandings to overcome that threaten to pull their plans apart.

Both Lizzie and Jemma were down-to-earth, relatable characters who you would love to have as a friend, they truly were the perfect partnership. Jemma had everything Lizzie wanted, a loving husband and young daughter Ella, Lizzie's goddaughter, so maybe now that she's returned home and is rebuilding her life this could be her own future one day... but who will be her prince charming? It would seem that there's more than one possible suitor but are they really who they seem... the last thing Lizzie needs is to get her heart trampled on again.

I really loved the setting and community feel of Wynbridge, it really did feel like the sort of place that you would love to live and be a part of the village life. Everybody knows everyone and being on hand to offer friendship and support, but at the same time knowing when you need that bit of space and time to yourself.

The one consolation about not reading The Cherry Tree Cafe straight away is that I have been able to dive straight into Summer at Skylark Farm and Coming Home to Cuckoo Cottage, both of which are also set in Wynbridge so I'm hoping that we will reunite with old friends as well as being introduced to new ones.