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If you’ve been following along with my blog, you already know that I fell in love with Jenny Colgan‘s New York Times Bestselling Christmas novel, The Christmas Bookshop. I re-read it several times because I didn’t want to leave these characters and these stories. So, with the other books in my TBR pile staring at me, I purchased Christmas at the Cupcake Café, hoping to have a similar experience. I was not disappointed!
While I cannot say that I adored this book as much as The Christmas Bookshop, I can say that I fell in love with these characters and their story. Colgan writes such believable characters that it’s easy to become invested in their lives. They’ll quickly become your very best friends!
Like The Christmas Bookshop, I categorized this book as a romance even though it doesn’t follow the romance novel “formula.” Christmas at the Cupcake Café is the sequel to Meet Me at the Cupcake Café. However, you don’t have to read it first! (I didn’t.) This novel can stand completely on its own and feels complete.
Colgan’s Novels Mentioned in this Review
I’m so excited to announce that The Christmas Bookshop, still my absolute favorite read of the year, is getting a sequel! You can pre-order Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop now.
Summary
Issy Randall finally has a life she loves. Abandoned by her mother for most of her life, Issy was raised by her grandfather. Considering that the first time she remembered her mother leaving her was at Christmas when she was just seven, it’s amazing that Issy loves Christmas the way she does. She could be jaded by the whole season, like her colleagues at the Cupcake Café, instead of experiencing the kind of excitement that only a London Christmas can give her. But then, Gramps had always done his best to make up for her flighty mother’s frequent absences, and Issy has Austin and Darny in her life now. And her café is doing wonderfully well. So, there’s so much to look forward to!
The only thing that’s dampening her Christmas spirit, apart from Pearl’s attitude at the mention of Christmas decorations going up a single day prior to Advent, is the fact that her boyfriend Austin is away in New York. It’s only for a few weeks, though. At least, that’s what she keeps trying to convince herself of. She knows that the bank he works for in London is suffering financially, and New York would be mad not to try to snap Austin up. He’s brilliant! However, she refuses to allow herself to consider the possibility that Austin would want to move. How could he? They had built a life they loved together. Hadn’t they?
Impossible Decisions
While Austin is in New York, Issy continues taking care of both her business and Austin’s eleven-year-old brother, Darny. She feels guilty that he seems to be getting into even more trouble than usual. She hopes that Austin won’t think it’s her fault. Issy refuses to cross the line of acting like a mother to Darny. She’s just his older brother’s girlfriend, after all. Austin and Darny’s parents had both died in a car accident a few years ago, and Austin had left college to take care of his little brother. His parents’ accident had changed his life’s whole trajectory, but he didn’t regret the decision in the slightest. In fact, he hadn’t had any ambitions beyond providing for Darny as best he could until he reached Manhattan.
Austin knows how hard Issy worked to make the Cupcake Café a reality. It was her baby, and her business was thriving. He was so proud of her. But a part of him feels a little bit resentful that no one is proud of him. New York wants him, and it will be a big promotion. Can’t Issy try to see things from his perspective? Is it even fair to ask her to leave her beloved Cupcake Café, her friends, and beloved customers to move to New York? Austin wishes he could just consider what’s best for him and Issy, but it’s not just them. There’s Darny to consider to! What would be best for Darny?
Issy’s worst fears are realized as she discovers that she may have to choose between her two biggest loves. That realization may just make this the worst Christmas since her mom left at Christmas when she was seven.
Robin’s Recommendation
First, don’t skip the author’s note, “A Word from Jenny,” at the opening of this novel. While this novel could probably stand alone even without the author’s note, if reading a sequel before reading the first novel in a series bothers you, this short section will catch you up to speed and introduce you to the fabulous characters. In addition to Issy, Austin, and Darny, you’ll fall in love Pearl and her son Louis. You’ll probably also learn to like Caroline a bit. Issy’s best friend Helena will become a real person as you sit commiserating with Issy and Helena.
If you’ve ever fretted over not having enough money to buy that one gift that your child is desperate to have under the tree, or if you’ve ever felt like you are drifting away from people you’ve always been close to and miss them, even though you see them all the time, you’ll love their stories as much as you love Issy and Austin’s.
It’s a bit unfair to compare this book to The Christmas Bookshop just because they have the same author. Yet, it seems impossible not to. I fell just in love with the characters of Christmas at the Cupcake Café as I did those in The Christmas Bookshop. Jenny Colgan has a knack for writing characters who are just so real! However, I was not as enchanted by this novel. Perhaps that is because I didn’t read the first book. Or maybe it’s because the setting isn’t quite as magical as the bookshop in Edinburgh.
I don’t think that’s it, though! The feeling of Christmas didn’t permeate Christmas at the Cupcake Café quite so well as it does The Christmas Bookshop because of the situation Issy and Austin find themselves in. I found myself so sad, much much sadder than I like to be when reading a Christmas novel, for both Issy and Austin.
However, it’s that situation, and the story’s resolution that make their Christmas magical as the novel draws to a close. The romantic final scene, along with the hope of much happier days to come, make this novel my second-favorite of the year, so far. Pick up Christmas at the Cupcake Café . You won’t regret it!
If you missed my review of The Christmas Bookshop, please click here. Then go read The Christmas Bookshop and pre-order it’s sequel Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop, which will be out in October of 2023!
