Review: Christmas at the Gingerbread Cafe by Rebecca Raisin

You are probably looking at this post and thinking to yourself, "A Christmas Review?  But we just had Valentine's Day!"  And you would be correct.  However, who says that we can't celebrate Christmas all year long?  Goodness knows that most of the country is still experiencing enough cold and snow that they may be wondering when, if ever, spring will come.  But even if it was the middle of July and everyone was slathered in sunscreen and basking in the bright sunshine of summer, I would read and post a review about a Christmas story.  Christmas isn't just a day on the calendar, or even a season, it is a feeling down deep in your soul. It represents all the best we have to give, Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward Men.  I think the world could be a bit brighter all year long if we reminded ourselves of that basic tenant through out the entire year.

Christmas at the Gingerbread Cafe was a very cute novella that I requested and received through Netgalley. Almost the entire story is told between two shop fronts, set across Main Street from each other, in the small town of Ashford, Connecticut.  It is the story of Lily and Damon, two equally stubborn souls, who with a little bit of luck and a hefty dose of Christmas Spirit, may just end up having all their Christmas Wishes come true.

Lily has been quietly whiling away the time, waiting for her ex-husband to realize the mistake he made in leaving her and their marriage to chase after another woman and a get rich quick scheme. She has put all over her time and energy in to making her unique ginger inspired bakery and small catering company. Lily knows deep in her heart that if she can continues her success, her husband will eventually figure out where he belongs. Needless to say that she is horrified when another food shop opens right across from hers and starts siphoning away her clientele.

Damon has moved back to Ashford and brought his successful business with him. He is recently divorced and wants the stability and peace of a small town for his daughter. But as a single man in a small community, and one with deep family connections to the area, he immediately gets off to the wrong foot with Lily.  The back and forth bickering and bantering was fun to watch as they each tried to one up the other.

Ms. Raisin did a really good job of telling this story.  Both these characters were mature and experienced with love and loss and the author stayed true to them. Each was a little more cautious about their heart, and there was very little of the emotional game playing this is often found in immature characters and story lines. I was looking for a meaningful story about second chances at love and that's exactly what I got. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.

Christmas is the season the Gingerbread Café was made for…but owner Lily couldn’t be feeling less merry if she tried. She’s spent another year dreaming of being whisked away on a sleigh-ride for two, but she’s facing festive season alone – again. And, just to give her another reason to feel anything other than candy-cane perky, a new shop across the road has opened… Not only is it selling baked goods, but the owner, with his seriously charming smile, has every girl in town swooning.

But Lily isn’t about to let her business crumble — the Gingerbread Café is the heart of the community, and she’s going to fight for it! This could be the Christmas that maybe, just maybe, all her dreams – even the someone-to-decorate-the-Christmas-tree-with ones – really do come true!

Available at the following retailers:
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