How nice to be returning to the lovely Comfort Food Cafe, and for a Christmas story to boot. I have read and enjoyed all the books in this series, and was delighted at the prospect of revisiting the cafe and all the inhabitants of the Dorset village of Budbury, where this unusual eatery is set high above the sea. For those who haven't read the previous stories, just the amazing cover should be enough to entice them; it absolutely oozes Christmas charm and invites the viewer into the warmth imagined within the cafe.

The newcomers to the village in this tale are Zoe and her teenage goddaughter, Martha. Zoe is feeling out of her depth trying to look after her rebellious charge and hopes that a move away from their home environment may be the answer. How lucky that she decides to relocate to Budbury, where the healing powers of the Comfort Food Cafe and the somewhat zany villagers could just be their salvation. How lucky as well that Martha's father, Cal, who she has never met, also arrives on the scene.

As with all the other books in this series, I have really enjoyed the mix of characters and the amazing setting described by the author in this story. The usual Debbie Johnson humour is present, as well as some quite heart-rending moments. So, tissues at the ready for tears of laughter as well as sadness. Although the book can be read as a standalone, I would heartily recommend reading them all in sequence. It has been wonderful watching the characters develop and learning more about them with each consecutive addition to the series. I always find it a real pleasure to return to Budbury and find out how everyone is faring. If only it were a real village; I would be moving there tomorrow.

Oh my word, guys, you have no idea how much I loved "Coming Home to Comfort Food Cafe"! I simply adored it with all my heart and my whole little miserable life, and I really can't describe how great it was to be back to the Comfort Food Cafe, Budbury and all the brilliant villagers, old or new. The Comfort Food Cafe series, in fact, is up there, very very high, on the favourite series shelf, together with the Walshs by Marian Keyes and The Proper Family by Chrissie Manby and I really don't want to end.
You can read this book as a stand - alone, as it introduces as to brand new characters that are going to break your heart and full it with the warmest feelings at the same time, but I highly, highly recommend to read all of the books in the series because they are simply brilliant and it is always such a great feeling to catch up with all the regular, old characters.

The story is split into four parts, and each of them is full to brims with beautiful descriptions, bad and good things happening, tears and laughter. Within those four parts we can see how much affect The Comfort Food Cafe is having on Zoe and Martha, how they change, open and find their place. But of course this story is not only about Zoe and Martha, and I was over the moon with joy to see and hear the latest from Laura, Becca, Cheri, Edie and their other halves. They didn't change one iota, thanks God, they are still as warm and welcoming as ever, and they still know what is needed to help the new kids on the block to see happiness again.

The characters are, as always, spiky, bubbly and real and they feel like 3D people. They are quirky, they are fun, they are full of compassion and I would love to have such Comfort Food Cafe nearby. There is this brilliant and warm feeling of community spirit. Zoe and Martha, the two main characters this time, are so beautifully written, they are down to earth and genuine with all of their emotions. Martha is the typical teenager but you cannot dislike her, you sympathize with her, with the way she copes with her grief, and her being so sarcastic and awkward rings such a bell. The interactions between Zoe and Martha are fabulous and also genuine - the author has got so easily into their heads and put all of their feelings into words. Zoe is so authentic, and she deserves a standing ovation for being as she is, what with her chaotic and shaky childhood.

The story mentions good as well as tough times of Zoe and Martha, and it is incredible how very well it is balanced, how well the author knows when to add a poignant moment and when to brighten the atmosphere, and let's just mention the welcoming party or the Christmas Talent Show. There is so much feeling and understanding to the words and even when Debbie Johnson writes about dogs sitting on Cal's feet, hoping for something to eat, it is written in such a way that you could easily picture this and feel the warmth in those words. This novel is full of twists and turns and surprises, there are so many threads in there but they all mesh really well, they get together brilliantly and as a result we get a wonderful story without a single flat moment, but also that is not overdone.

I've no idea how Debbie Johnson manages to capture and put into words all the emotions and feelings: of disappointment, anger, hope, love, despair and exasperation - but she does it in a brilliant way. It was so honest, so genuine that I really had goose bumps, it touched upon all my right heart - strings and it doesn't happen often, guys, only very few authors can do this, and Debbie Johnson belongs to them.

Debbie Johnson's writing style is one of a kind, she draws the reader into the story from the very first page and I found myself racing through the pages, but not wanting this book to end. This story is so beautifully written, it's full of layers, it's deep and incredibly funny at the same time, and full of unforgettable characters and situations, friendship and the overwhelming feeling of being welcome. It's bittersweet, and it is very honest and raw but there is also this incredibly uplifting, optimistic side to it. You can feel the love, the friendship and hope and it is great. It made me laugh out loud and cry like a baby, and it evoke all kind of emotions in me. It is Debbie Johnson at her best, though I could have mentioned it once or twice in my previous reviews? Very highly recommended!

Didn’t know how emotional I could get reading a holiday book. I expected a light chic lit Christmas book. Instead I read a well written novel of life, loss, sadness, happiness, hope, sillyness, jealously and generosity all rolled up into this book that takes place during a Christmas season. Not going to give synopsis of the book. Just say if you pass over not to read, you aren’t worthy. I cried with sad tears, happy tears, silly tears, regretted tears. But in the end, I give this story 5 stars. Now, I must go back and read other Debbie Johnson books. Oh, I wish there was a Comfort Cafe I could stop into.

I started reading Debbie Johnson’s “Comfort Food Café” series last year and got hooked! She writes beautifully – the storyline pulls you in within the first few pages, the dialogue is excellent, and the characters interesting and totally believable. It was a joy to return to the café and the people we’ve come to know, and to meet Zoe and Martha for the first time. Zoe’s best friend, Kate, dies and leaves Zoe to be guardian of her teenage daughter, Martha. Life is not going well for either of them so Zoe decides to head out of Bristol and down to Dorset for a few months. Debbie Johnson dealt with grief and bereavement in a very sympathetic way, and the book was really lovely. I can’t wait for the next “Comfort Food Café” to be published!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperImpulse for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and loved being reunited with familiar characters from the other Comfort Food Cafe books. It felt like seeing old friends again and finding out what they have been up to!

The Comfort Food Cafe is once again takes centre stage in this book and brings us new characters, Zoe and 16 year old Marsha who are still grieving the loss of Marsha's mum and Zoe's best friend Kate.

Following a move to Dorset for a new start they are taken under the wing of the inhabitants and residents and begin to discover the magic the community and the cafe have on them.

It's a lovely story that is well written - you feel the grief Zoe and Marsha are going through as they attempt to simply get through each day.

This is becoming a lovely series and I can't wait to read more. The characters genuinely feel like family and I will miss them dearly!

Thank you to Netgalley for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Every time I come back to this series and start a new book I remember quite how enjoyable it is with such great characters. The covers are always seem very light-hearted, and there is a lot of funny moments, but there is so much more depth to the stories too than you may think from the cover.

This time we meet Zoe and 16 year old Martha. Martha's Mum and Zoe's best friend, Kate, died about 6 months ago and Zoe has taken over the responsibility for Martha as she promised Kate she would. Martha was the product of a one-night stand when Kate was young and travelling around the world and whilst the Dad, Aussie Cal, knows about Martha it was agreed by everyone that Kate would bring Martha up by herself and so Cal has never met her, apart from their contact via Skype over the years.

​Both Zoe and Martha are struggling quite a bit with their loss. Martha is acting up, staying out late and drinking/doing drugs, so Zoe has a brainwave to move them away from the city into the country for a while, and they end up in the Dorset village of Budbury, where the Comfort Food Cafe is located. They are welcomed with open arms by the quirky residents and whilst they are not quite sure how to take everyone initially they soon settle into the fairly eccentric, but very loving and helpful, group of people that live in Budbury and frequent the Cafe. Then while they are settling in and trying to figure out their lives now in walks Cal, Martha's Dad, who has flown over from Australia to meet her without telling anyone, and throws them all a bit of a curveball, but in a very good way.

It was so lovely catching up with the characters from the previous books, along with the new ones, there's plenty going on to keep you turning the pages and it just sounds like such a lovely place. I can't wait for the next book in the series, I'm sure it'll be 5 star read just as all the rest have been so far for me.

I was so happy to see that there would be another visit to the Comfort Food Cafe and I couldn't wait to read Zoe's story. Even though it is part of a series I would still class this story as a standalone. You get to meet the characters from the previous books along with just the right amount of back story given to get a lovely feel for them. However I do have to say that you will be missing out on some really wonderful stories so if you get chance I definitely recommend starting right at the beginning.

When I first picked this book up it's safe to say my emotional side was well and truly brought out. Even though something tragic has happened to Zoe and Martha I loved the insight into their lives before their loss. You can feel the love and also there is that bittersweet feeling too. Debbie Johnson wrote it perfectly with just the right amount of emotion without me turning into a complete blubbering mess!

I loved catching up with everyone back in Budbury, it was like greeting old friends and once I started I realised how much I had missed reading about the Comfort Food Cafe. I absolutely adore this set of quirky but very loveable characters. Debbie Johnson has a lovely witty and down to earth way of telling her stories where you can't help but fall in love with the characters. Whether you are smiling, laughing or shaking your head at them. Aswell as pulling at my heart strings, making me laugh and cry but also some well timed laugh out loud moments that just lighten the mood perfectly. All in all it comes together to create a fantastic balance that made this story so engaging. Filled with friendships, family and love it goes a long way to proving the fact that you can find your true family even if you aren't necessarily related. This was one of the things that made this story so huggable and heart warming for me.

The whole story moves smoothly and I found myself completely caught up in Zoe, Martha and Cal's lives. My heart went out to Zoe I loved the fact that she wasn't completely perfect (who is by the way) but she tries so hard to be there for Martha. I really had my fingers crossed that with a little help from the people of Budbury that things would work out for them all.

Coming Home to the Comfort Food Cafe is the perfect story whatever the season. I adored it!

Five stars from me!

With thanks to Harper Impulse & Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Firstly I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I was super excited when I found out that Debbie Johnson had revisited the Comfort Food Cafe as I couldn't wait to find out how all the friends we met in the previous books were getting on. We really only find out tidbits of information about our 'old' friends as the story centres on Zoe and her friend's 16 year old daughter, Martha, who Zoe has guardianship of as her mother (Kate) passed away. Since Kate's passing Martha has become more rebellious and her grief is leading to her pushing Zoe away. Under duress, Martha joins Zoe as they temporarily move away to Dorset to try to get their lives back on track.

The book explores their time in Dorset and relationships with the people they meet and is written in such a way that feel you are there and you can almost smell the rich aroma of the coffee, feel the love in Cherie's hugs and taste the delicious cakes that Laura has been rustling up - I for one just waned to curl up on the sofa and devour this book.

Can't wait for the next instalment!

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I wish The Comfort Food Cafe and Budbury were real!

This one is Debbie's best yet. I have a feeling I say that every time, but it's true! I laughed out loud, I cried, I held my breath, I gasped. She kept me with her for the whole book.

Zoe & Martha's story is particularly sad but I really admire the way Debbie infuses the sadness with real laugh out loud moments.

"My legs are so fat, they'd make harem pants look like jeggings." Classic!

I really hope this series never ends but I suppose that's a bit unrealistic! Thank you Debbie for the great book :)

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just how good was it to be back in Budbury, Dorset and the Comfort Food Cafe? Well let met tell you it was fantastic, just to be able to catch up with all the cafe regulars in this all new standalone story.

Before we even get to Budbury we meet Zoe and Martha. The opening of the book is fairly emotional, and there is a fair amount of emotion present throughout the story. Martha is 16 and is grieving for her mother, and has never known her father. She is living with Zoe who was Kate (Martha's mum)'s best friend and is now her legal guardian.

Martha is pushing every boundary, and Zoe makes the tough decision to move them to Budbury even just for a few months so they aren't showered with memories everywhere they look.

There are all manner of secrets and plot turns in this book which is split into four parts, to help with the passing of time. I really enjoyed seeing the affect that The Comfort Food Cafe has on Zoe and Martha over time, and seeing how they interacted with everyone .

Fans of the previous two books will love getting the latest from Laura, Becca, Cheri, Willow and Edie, in this small town of lost souls who become like your family. If you are new to the comfort food cafe, then it can easily be read as a standalone, and I urge you to pull up a chair, grab a bowl of your own comfort food and sit back and relax with a wonderful story.

Although Zoe and Martha are going through a tough time, there are plenty of light hearted moments too, the talent show on Christmas Day has some interesting acts, there is a moment of high drama in the cafe quite early in the book, and Martha has the biggest surprise of all. There are so many threads and bits of story that mesh really well culminating in ok an ending I may have been predicting but only from about half way through the book, and even then wasn't completely sure of!

I am already eager to return to The Comfort Food Cafe and hope this is a series that can run and run, as more characters get added to the rather quirky Budbury cafe family!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Impulse for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

There has so far been an outstanding array of uplifting Christmas novels published in 2017, I’ve been thrilled and impressed, so the bar was set high … but this is possibly my favourite of them all so far! I was a big fan of the 1st & 2nd books in the Comfort Café series by Debbie Johnson, and this third offering continues the emotive and genuine vibe that I loved: quirky, loveable, fascinating characters; a fairytale setting; a wonderful community; and a gorge of cakes, hot chocolates and cider, such a joy! You can enjoy this book as a stand alone novel, as it follows new characters and their arrival to Budbury, but I highly recommend the other two.

I absolutely adore the cover; wintery comforting cosiness with a beautiful robin and snowflakes. I have noticed the paperback (that is released a couple of weeks later) is a different cover and I have to say I prefer the ebook one, but that’s my tastes.

The two main characters of Zoe and Martha are beautifully written; the tone for their grief, the awkward / sarcastic teenager interactions, Zoe’s own pain from her chaotic childhood and how this weaves through in her concerns, awareness and hopes for Martha, are all done in an authentic, warm style. The sudden arrival of Cal brings out the vulnerability in Zoe and Martha and the book explores how we can all be fragile but strong, intelligent but clumsy, and unlovable but be loved.

I particularly was impressed by how music played an important role for the characters in this novel; that nostalgic element really sets the plot and music is often the glue that holds everything together, which I’m sure many readers, not just me, will relate to entirely.

Though some of the Budbury antics, and the residents themselves for that matter, are completely bonkers this eclectic community is such a joy, I challenge anyone to read this novel without both snorting and crying and feeling somehow lighter by the end of it.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Impulse for this advanced copy to review.

Zoe hasn’t had the best start in life but gets through it with the help of her best friend Kate, despite Kate’s parents’ disapproval. They’re a team through thick and thin, she helps Kate through her unexpected pregnancy and helps bring up Martha until tragedy strikes leaving her the sole responsible adult. How can she cope? She can’t manage to look after herself properly never mind deal with a devastated teenager. When things get bleak she packs them off to the wilds of Dorset hoping for a fresh start and ends up somewhere where the people are welcoming and as weird as she is. I really liked this book and wish I had read the first two, not essential but would have been enjoyable.

Zoe's best friend Kate died, leaving her the guardian to Kate's teenage daughter Martha. Despite the fact that Zoe has been Kate's best friend since they were at school and has been there helping to raise Martha from the day she was born , things aren't going well. Zoe is overwhelmed and Martha is dealing with her grief like a typical British teen by bunking off school, dressing like a goth, drinking too much and dabbling with drugs.

In an attempt to get Zoe away from unhealthy influences before her teenage rebellion leads her into something worse and/or destroys her career prospects, she decides to relocate the two of them from their home in Bristol to a holiday cottage in Budbury, Dorset.

Expecting the countryside to be full of boring yokels Zoe and Martha are blown away by the wacky residents of Budbury - as someone who hasn't read the previous books in this series I was too. But as Zoe and Martha begin to settle in to the village and make friends, Martha's father makes a appearance.

I loved this book, it had a Gilmore Girls kind of vibe (of course other than that one incident when she first started seeing Logan, Rory would never do what Martha did), Zoe and Martha are spiky and real, the characters they meet are quirky and fun. I want to move to Dorset and drink coffee at the Comfort Food Cafe. It was funny, and touching and realistic and sweet and each part of the book was named after a David Bowie song.

I will definitely look out for the previous books in this series.

I’ve grown quite fond of the village of Budbury and its residents. Now, Johnson brings another lost soul to the Dorset village, where she’s sure to find help, hope and happiness. Zoe has lost her best friend, Kate, to cancer and found herself the guardian to Kate’s 15-year-old daughter. To say this is a difficult transition is putting it mildly. Hopefully a move to Budbury will be a new start for both women. All the residents you loved in the previous books in the series are here, along with the kind of cafe everyone wishes they had in their own town. You don’t need to read the previous books to understand this one, but I recommend it just because the series is so good