Review: 'Christmas at the Little Village Bakery' by Tilly Tennant (2016)

Snow is falling in Honeybourne and Spencer is bringing home his American fiancée Tori for a traditional English Christmas with all the trimmings. But when his hippie mum and dad meet her high-maintenance parents, sparks of the wrong sort start to fly. Then Spencer bumps into his first love Jasmine and unexpected feelings come flooding back. 
Millie is run off her feet with Christmas orders at the Little Village Bakery and new baby Oscar. Thank goodness her cousin Darcie is here to help her. Although she does seem to be rather flirty with Millie’s boyfriend Dylan. 
Will Darcie ever find true love of her own? And is marrying Tori a terrible mistake for Spencer if his heart is with someone else?
It's December which means it's time to grab some hot chocolate or a nice warm cup of tea, turn on those festive sparkly lights, crawl underneath a comfy blanket and read some fabulous holiday-themed novels! I can't help but feel as if with each year more and more Christmas books are being released and I have to say it's a trend I don't hate. I love Christmas; it's my favourite time of the year and I'm really glad I finally got to dive into my big pile of holiday reads. This year I started with 'Christmas at the Little Village Bakery', the second part of Tilly Tennant's lovely new series set in the village of Honeybourne. I loved the first book (click here to read my review) and couldn't wait to go back again!
The small town of Honeybourne is getting ready for the festive season, and so are its inhabitants. Spencer has come back from the other side of the world, taking with him his fiancee Tori, to spend Christmas in Honeybourne. The only obstacle in their way: both their parents want to spend Christmas with them, but this turns out to not exactly be a match made in heaven. At the same time Millie and Dylan are incredibly busy in the village bakery, especially while also taking care of their new baby, Oscar. Luckily they have Millie's cousin Darcie to help them out, but Darcie is dealing with some of her own issues and being around the bakery all day long definitely isn't helping... Will Spencer and Darcie be able to solve their issues in order to have a good Christmas or is this year's holiday season about to become a real disaster?
Oh, how I loved being able to revisit Honeybourne and seeing what all the different characters were up to, especially with this lovely dose of Christmas cheer that author Tilly Tennant has included in this second part of her latest book series. 'Christmas at the Little Village Bakery' can be read as a stand-alone, but I personally definitely recommend starting with the first book, just so you know the different characters and their history together. It was great to once again join Millie and Dylan, now with new baby Oscar, at the bakery, but I also really enjoyed the larger focus on other characters such as Spencer, a good friend of both Millie and Dylan, and his fiancee Tori, and Darcie, Millie's younger cousin, who has moved to Honeybourne and helps out in the bakery.
This is definitely a great read to get into the festive Christmas spirit; Honeybourne in the snow is described as one of the prettiest towns on earth and I would have loved jumping into the pages of the novel to visit the small town myself. I've really come to love these characters and even in this sequel Tilly Tennant managed to come up with two equally fascinating and enjoyable storylines; combined with her well-paced and easy-to-read writing style it resulted in a fantastic read I loved from beginning to end. Overall, 'Christmas at the Little Village Bakery' is warm-hearted and lovely festive read that has made me even more excited about the holiday season that's coming up, and I already can't wait for my next visit to Honeybourne...!

Rating:9,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: 'The Little Village Bakery' by Tilly Tennant (2016)

Meet Millie. Heartbreak has forced her to make a new start and when she arrives at the old bakery in the little village of Honeybourne she is determined that this will be her home sweet home. Her imagination has been captured by the tumbledown bakery but with no running water and dust everywhere, her cosy idea of making cakes in a rural idyll quickly crumbles.
Luckily the locals are a friendly bunch and step in to help Millie. One in particular, Dylan, a laid-back lothario, soon captures her attention.
But just as Millie is beginning to settle in, an unexpected visitor from her past suddenly turns up determined to ruin everything for her. It’s time for Millie to face the skeletons in her closet if she’s going to live the dream of running her little village bakery, and her blossoming romance with Dylan.
Promise me a story about a small cosy village, a bakery, and give me a pretty colourful book cover to look at, and I'm your girl. I know we've seen a lot of chick lit novels the past couple of years that focus on characters starting or working at their own bakery/cake shop, but it's a trend I can't get enough of just yet. So when Tilly Tennant's 'The Little Village Bakery' popped up on my NetGalley page, I immediately got excited and looked forward to giving it a try. I was actually already familiar with Tilly Tennant's writing since I've read 'Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn" and, most recently, 'The Accidental Guest', which I both really enjoyed, so when I needed a pick-me-up read a few weeks ago I knew this one would most likely do the trick!
Millie wants nothing more than to leave her current life behind and start over somewhere new, and Honeybourne seems to be the perfect place. After purchasing an old bakery that's in desperate need of renovation Millie is focused on this new project of hers and leave her old life behind. The locals are friendly and welcoming and ready to give Millie a hand. Especially local playboy Dylan and his sister Jasmine immediately warm to the new girl in town, but Millie seems a bit reserved and not yet ready to share her story. Until a familiar face from her past shows up in town, ready to disrupt Millie's new life, no matter what it takes...
I love it when the story inside a book matches its lovely front cover on the outside, and that certainly the case with Tilly Tennant's 'The Little Village Bakery.' I already expected this to be an enjoyable chick lit read, but I have to admit I enjoyed it even more than I anticipated. Tilly Tennant's writing fits this genre incredibly well, if you ask me. A good division between description and dialogue, chapters that are well-paced and of a good length, and just the kind of writing that made me feel as if I was flying through it while I was reading. The plotline (female protagonist wants to leave past behind, moves to small village where she starts her own bakery) isn't the most original one, but the author gave it her own twist and I have to say I'm one of those readers who will probably never tire of this particular plotline, haha!
The book has a great character at its core in the form of Millie; I liked her but was also intrigued by her and wanted to know what had happened to her in the past, so that definitely kept me reading. As can be expected in a lovely town like Honeybourne there are a number of fascinating and entertaining locals; I personally warmed most to Jasmine and Ruth, but I think there's something for everyone in there. I have to agree with some other reviewers that I was surprised that the bakery didn't really play such an important role in the novel; I missed all the cake and overall yummy-ness, but it doesn't change the fact that this is a great read. 'The Little Village Bakery' ticks all the required boxes for a warm-hearted and simply great chick lit read and since it is only the first part of a new book series by author Tilly Tennant, I am already incredibly excited about what is still to come...!

Rating:9,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Upcoming Release: 'The Little Village Bakery' by Tilly Tennant!

Help yourself to a generous slice of Victoria sponge, a perfect cup of tea and a big dollop of romance. Welcome to the Little Village Bakery. 

Meet Millie. Heartbreak has forced her to make a new start and when she arrives at the old bakery in the little village of Honeybourne she is determined that this will be her home sweet home. Her imagination has been captured by the tumbledown bakery but with no running water and dust everywhere, her cosy idea of making cakes in a rural idyll quickly crumbles. 
Luckily the locals are a friendly bunch and step in to help Millie. One in particular, Dylan, a laid-back lothario, soon captures her attention. 
But just as Millie is beginning to settle in, an unexpected visitor from her past suddenly turns up determined to ruin everything for her. It’s time for Millie to face the skeletons in her closet if she’s going to live the dream of running her little village bakery, and her blossoming romance with Dylan. 
On the 15th of June we will be treated to a delicious-looking new release by author Tilly Tennant. I've already fallen in love with the gorgeous book cover for 'The Little Village Vakery' and the title and the blurb have already kind of convinced me that this is a read I am going to enjoy from start to finish. I really love the sound of the story and I can't wait to find out more about Millie and Dylan...!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Review: 'The Accidental Guest' by Tilly Tenant (2015)

Soulmates don’t just fall from the sky… do they?

Hannah Meadows doesn’t believe in fate or destiny, or any of the other things people reach for when they lose control of their lives. That is, until a man arrives on her doorstep on Christmas Day begging for help. Hannah’s not the sort of woman to turn her back on someone in need, but this isn’t what compels her to aid the handsome stranger, nor is it the intense dark eyes, or the inexplicable feelings she quickly develops for him.

Something magical is coming her way, something that will turn her life completely upside down. Hannah Meadows may not believe in fate or destiny, but they seem to have other ideas…

In November 2015 author Tilly Tennant released the first part of her new book series, 'Once Upon a Winter'. I just love the title of the series and can honestly say the title, together with Tilly's name on the book cover, is already enough reason for me to want to give this new series a try! Luckily, I managed to get a review copy of the first part of the series, 'The Accidental Husband' via NetGalley and I had my fingers crossed I would enjoy it as much as I did Tilly's novel 'Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn', which I read and reviewed last year (click here to read my review)!

Hannah Meadows is looking forward to celebrating a quiet and fun family Christmas with her sister Gina and niece Jess this year. However, an unexpected knock on the front door changes all of this, especially when Hannah finds a handsome stranger with amnesia on her doorstep. The man has lost his memory after obtaining some kind of injury and can't remember who he is, where he comes from or what happened. Hannah can't help but feel an instant connection to the man and knows she can't just send him off to hospital. It's Christmas after all, right...?

What a great start to this new 'Once Upon a Winter' book series by author Tilly Tennant! The first few pages in which Hannah and her family are preparing for Christmas made me smile and feel all festive and I was straight away taken in by the story. Things definitely got more interesting as soon as a handsome stranger appears on the doorstep, one who suffers from amnesia and has no idea who he is. Since this is just the start of the series, not too much is given away yet, but the story has definitely caught my interest and I'm curious to find out more!

Tilly Tennant's writing style is well-paced and really enjoyable to read. I instantly liked protagonist Hannah and the family chemistry between her and her sister Gina and niece Jess is great as well. The plotline is fascinating and made me curious... What more could I ask for from this novella? 'The Accidental Husband' is an entertaining and promising start to a new book series; a series which I can't wait to read the next part of!
Rating:9,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour: 'Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn' by Tilly Tennant (2014)

There’s only one man for Bonnie, and that’s Holden Finn.
The problem is that Holden Finn is a twenty-three-year-old pop megastar with his boy band, Every Which Way, and has no idea she exists. Not only that, but half the women in the world want to be Mrs Finn, including Bonnie’s teenage daughter, Paige. The real men in Bonnie’s life do nothing but let her down, but a man you can’t possibly have can never do that… right? She’s safe inside her fantasy bubble.
Then Paige wins a radio competition to meet Holden and the band, and Bonnie’s carefully-constructed world starts to unravel. She is about to find out that you should be very, very careful what you wish for...
Today I’m happy to be a part of the blog tour for Tilly Tennant’s novel ‘Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn’! Ever since the release of Tilly’s debut novel, I’ve seen numerous book bloggers and readers talking about it and most of them seemed to be really excited and positive about the book. So, when I was asked by Gosling Girls Book Tours whether I could fit in a review of Tilly’s book as part of the blog tour, I couldn’t pass up on the chance to discover this book and this new author everyone has been talking about!
Thirty-something Bonnie is a single mum to her 15-year-old daughter Paige who is obsessed with mega popular boy band Every Which Way. However, Bonnie has a little secret of her own, namely that she herself also has a big crush on one of the singers in the band named Holden Finn. She secretly fantasises about meeting him, knowing it is just a silly crush. But then Paige unexpectedly wins a radio competition to meet Every Which Way together with her best friend, and Bonnie will be there to supervise them. Suddenly, Bonnie’s fantasies of meeting Holden Finn aren’t just silly fantasies anymore...
I immediately warmed to Bonnie, the main character of this novel, from the first few chapters and really wanted her to get the happy ending she so deserves. Bonnie is a caring and warm person, and a single mum trying to deal with her teenage daughter Paige on her own. I think most readers will be able to relate to Bonnie in a way, because don’t we all have a secret celebrity crush? I know I do, and I loved reading about Bonnie’s secret obsession with Holden Finn and what happens when she actually manages to meet him. Next to Bonnie, the book is filled with wonderful secondary characters such as Max, the handsome deliveryman who seems to be kind of into Bonnie; Linda, Bonnie’s loud but loveable colleague; and Jeanie, Bonnie’s slightly eccentric but caring mother. A great bunch of characters who I instantly warmed to and wanted to learn more about.
Tilly Tennant’s writing is so easy to get into; it literally felt like I was flying through the pages of the novel, but definitely in a good way. I also want to mention the gorgeous and colourful cover, which I think will instantly attract any chick lit fan! If I have to mention one point of criticism, it’d have to be the choice of title for the book. I expected the story to be all about Bonnie’s infatuation with Holden Finn based on the title and the blurb, but the story was much more than just that and Holden was just one of the various aspects that is focused on. Overall, ‘Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn’ is a light-hearted, warm and fun debut novel, and I look forward to reading more of Tilly Tennant’s work in the future!
Rating:

   8,5/10

For more information about this book: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Goodreads    Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review, and thanks to Gosling Girls Book Tours for organising this blog tour!