This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

I loved this book cathy style is her own pull into the story from first page love the characters loved the cafe i could picture in all in my mind great book

Rosie sticking to her principles finds herself jobless and helping out at her grandmother's cafe in a village in Derbyshire. Not quite where she thought life was going to take her.

However, Rosie finds something in the cafe and being back with her family that means perhaps she has found what she has been searching for all this time.

Rosie then stumbles across some secrets, ones that have been kept from her and her family for a generation. Her Italian grandmother holds the key to the past and it will not just unlock the past but make Rosie face something she has been hiding away for years. How can the past and the present be so related.

When a handsome familiar face sails into the village then Rosie might need to face the past. However when it looks like everything she is working for is being threatened by those close she needs to dig deep, look past her failings and perhaps start to let people into her life.

This is another lovely read from an author who weaves a story through the roll hills of Derbyshire, through to the Italian streets and the warmth of family and friendship from a long time ago. All of the characters no matter how minor, have a role to play and somehow seem to be fully formed with enough background for us to love, like or loathe.

You are guaranteed a story with Cathy Bramley one you can lose yourself in and forget everything around you. Perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Trisha Ashley.

I absolutely love Cathy Bramley books! They're warm and cosy like having tea and can with your best friend.

I am never sure whether i want to read Cathy Bramley’s books in their instalments or wait for the whole book. I want to read them instalments because I love her books and don’t want to wait but then I enjoy being able to get stuck in to the whole thing. I read this as the whole book over two days. In fact I sat in the garden one day and read well over half of it. This might be my favourite of Cathy Bramley’s books since Ivy Lane. I really liked the main character, Rosie, and I loved her Nonna. This was full of unexpected humour, a return visit from a character from a previous book, a twist I didn’t see coming and a visit to Italy that made me want to go there myself

This is a warm, light-hearted novel which was perfect to pick up at University when I wanted something easy to read between my classics from English and my psychology textbooks!!
In this novel we follow the character of Rosie, who begins to work in her Grandmother's cafe in rural Derbyshire in England after leaving her PR job in the city.
I loved the descriptions of the cafe, and the surrounding countryside. It sounded like such a perfect place, it was just a lovely atmosphere to be reading about!
The novel has its drama, as you might expect to keep you engaged and interested. I will admit that some felt a bit contrived and blown out of proportion for the sake of the story, but overall I still enjoyed the plot and the novel as a whole. A lot of the drama in this novel could have been averted by everyone just communicating a bit better, but then where would the plot come from huh!!
This novel had a pretty good set of characters; Rosie was irritating at times but for the most part I liked her character enough to keep reading. Her romantic interest was called Gabe, he was ok too, but a little disappointing overall. He wasn't particularly loveable, he seemed a little underdeveloped and could've done with more about his backstory and his character being in this novel. He had a young son in the novel called Noah, and he was probably my favourite character in the whole novel. He was adorable and funny and just too cute!!
There is a very odd rape scene and a transgender boyfriend character in this novel which made very little sense to me. I won't go into details about it because of spoilers, but it definitely reduced my enjoyment of the novel and it just seemed really wrong in the context it was in.
Overall I gave this novel 4/5 stars, and I enjoyed it as the light read that I needed it to be. However I was disappointed by certain scenes which I believe could have been written and handled better, or completely omitted.

I got totally caught up in this book. I loved the fact that it had many storylines weaved through it with different characters. I felt almost as it I was part of the community that centred around the cafe and it is a place that i thought "I wish I lived here" - I'd be popping in all the time to be part of it all. I was sad when i got to the end of the book - I wanted it to be like a soap opera - what happens next?! I know that this was originally written as four parts, but I still want more!

A new book by Cathy Bramley is always a highlight in my year. I love her uplifting and inspiring stories and I can already tell you that I absolutely loved The Lemon Tree Café. Especially it is not the first time that we read about Rosie Featherstone, she was a friend of the lovely Veritiy in The Plumberry School of Comfort Food. So I was very. excited to find out more about her and her story.

Rosie is a hardworking and business driven strong woman who has focused on her career and forgot about relationships for many years. So when she starts helping her nonna in the café, she discovers a completely new rhythm of life. The small and cosy café couldn't be more different that her latest workplace. Soon though, she becomes attuned to it and doesn't miss her old life any more. I especially enjoyed seeing how Rosie adapted to this new challenge and used her strength in the café.

The star of the story though is her nonna. At seventy five she stills runs the café single-handly and is as stubborn as sweet. I was really intrigued with her past. We know she came to England when she had her daughter but nothing else. I kept trying to guess how her story would unfold but I was surprised at every turn!

Rosie though is not the only familiar character in this story. A lovely family moves to the village too and makes Rosie's life definitely more interesting. I have to say that in The Lemon Tree Café we get to meet such a lovely and fun bunch of characters! I loved how everyone was so supportive of each other and the whole small village atmosphere.

The Lemon Tree Café is a charming and heart-warming story that will make you laugh but that will surprise you too. Definitely the perfect read for a crispy weekend, to be enjoyed with a good Italian coffee and a big piece of lemon cake.

I really enjoyed this book by Cathy Bramley. It was really easy to get into and I enjoyed all of the different sub-plots along the way in order to understand the backgrounds to the various characters. I also like to see characters from previous books making an appearance to see how their lives are progressing.

Overall a great, light hearted read, I'll look forward to future books from Cathy.

Rosie was creative director at a social media agency until she refused to airbrush a famous actress to make her appear thinner, and walked out of the job. While applying for new positions, she starts working at her Nonna's - Grandmothers - cafe, nestled in a pretty village in the Derbyshire Hills.

Rosie soon falls in love with The Lemon Tree Cafe, with its yellow awning over its frontage and a pair of miniature lemon trees in terracotta pots flanking the door. It's a place full of happy memories for her, going all the way back to childhood, when she and her younger sister Lia would go there after school, to be looked after by their Nonna. The cafes delicious aroma of coffee, fresh pots of herbs on each table, sweetness of freshly baked cookies, and the zingy lemons from the pots in the conservatory at the back, all added up to a welcoming mix of warmth, love and a sense of community.

However, Rosie has a few obstacles to overcome. Her Nonna is still a driving force in the cafe, but is now in her 70's and should really be enjoying a retirement. She refuses to admit she can't keep up with the pace, that is until a cafe regular called Stanley starts diverting her attention. The local garden centre suddenly goes out of business, and a huge chain of garden centres takes over, threatening the livelihood of the villages local shops, including the cafe. So Rosie has to come up with a plan to place the cafe firmly on the map, and to ensure it stands out. She also has some decisions of her own to make; such as accept an amazing new job in Manchester, or follow her heart and remain working in the cafe in the village she loves.

The village newcomer - Gabe and his young son Noah - had caught Rosie's eye and love looked like it could start blossoming. Until he tells her something that immediately thaws her feelings. Then there is the mystery of her Nonna's past - just what is she hiding in the envelope Rosie spotted in the filing cabinet that her Nonna is determined remains private?

Just look at that book cover! Seriously, who could possibly resist that? This is a truly sweet book that makes you feel like you've been encompassed in a sumptuously warm, soft and cosy fleecy blanket. A great book to read if you're in need of a pick up, or in the mood for something not too heavy going. I was surprised at the length of the book, it definitely feels a bit longer than similar books of this genre - which most certainly isn't a bad thing. There's also a couple of scrumptious sounding recipes at the back of the book, which I think is a lovely idea. Seeing as the book is centred around a cafe and food - yum - I'll sum it up like this.

Ingredients
A dollop of warm and likeable characters, including plenty of strong independent females
Plenty of funny moments - I loved how Nonna got some English expressions muddled up
New beginnings and different turns on life's path
Lots of descriptions of yummy food
Gorgeous setting in an olde worlde village
A large spoon of friendships - both old and new
Extra helpings of fun, courage, surprises and heart warming moments, yet with a pinch of some more serious subjects
A handful of intriguing plot lines that keep you turning the pages, or tapping your kindle
A romance or two - the romance between
Nonna and Stanley was especially cute and sweet
Sprinkled throughout are the changes of the seasons - spring and crocuses sprouting on the village green, mists and snowfall

Method
Mix all together and you end up with a delightful, cheery and heart warming book, perfect for fans of romance or chick lit. Hopefully repeat, with a follow up book and a revisit to The Lemon Tree Cafe for a catch up.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House U.K, Transworld Publishers for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

I'm not a fan of serials so even though I have loved everything Cathy Bramley has written I waited patiently until the complete version of her latest series The Lemon Tree Cafe was published before I immersed myself into this tale of Rosie and her family and friends in Barnaby. And it was so worth the wait as I loved every single second of it as I found myself rooting for Rosie in her endeavours to help out her Nonna Maria to save the family cafe when faced with a challenge or two.

I loved Rosie from the first moment we're introduced to her in her corporate job at a marketing agency where she's asked to do something she absolutely despises, to airbrush a young model's photo for a campaign. Sticking to her principles she refuses to do so and decides to resign from her job instead even though it's a rash decision as she has no back up plan other than to return to her family home in Derbyshire whilst searching for a new job. It's only when she returns home that she discovers that her beloved Nonna is struggling to keep on top of things at the cafe so she steps in to help out little knowing that Maria has been hiding a dark secret from the family.

As I've found in her previous books a familiar face or two crop up and in this instance it's when Gabe and his son Noah, who we met in The Plumberry School of Comfort Food, arrive on their narrowboat that things get interesting. Gabe has decided that it's finally time to set up roots somewhere permanent as Noah is ready to start school, and their mutual friend Verity has rung Rosie to ask her to keep an eye on them.

Once again Cathy Bramley has created a wonderful community of characters who are there for each other in the good times and the bad, you can't help smile at poor Stanley's attempts to woo Maria, have a chuckle or two when you discover what Rosie's dad Alec is up to, and gasp when you discover secrets from both Maria and Rosie's pasts that connect them.

But it's the wonderful descriptive writing that really brings this story to life as I could imagine myself walking round the village green during the Spring fair visiting each of the local trades stalls, found myself salivating at the dishes Lia creates when Rosie asks her sister to help out at the cafe, and picturing the beauty of Sorrento as Rosie and her Nonna take a trip back to her hometown in Italy to put the past to rest.

The Lemon Tree Cafe was another hit with me and shows what a remarkable storyteller Cathy Bramley is as she pulls you in and doesn't let you go until you've reached the final page. But the good news is that she is spoiling us again next year with two more stories, a new serial A Match Made in Devon and a standalone Hetty's Farmhouse Kitchen in March

This is the first Cathy Bramley book I have read and I loved it! I will be looking for more books written by her.

I understand this book was originally released in 4 parts but I am pleased I could read it all in one go as I wouldn't have liked to wait for the next instalment.

This is a heartwarming feel good story - I was drawn in from the start and the book kept my interest throughout. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Likeable characters, lovely village setting with a charming community spirit. The food descriptions made me crave pizza.

An uplifting, warm cosy story - ideal for a summer afternoon or for an autumn evening on the sofa. A delightful easy read. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Cathy Bramley's Ivy Lane.so I was pleased to see her new novel on NetGalley. The Lemon Tree Cafe was just as delightful as I had hoped for.
First of all it is set in rural England that I always love to read about. The way of life in a small town, in a close-knit community has irresistable charm for me.
I also like the colourful set of characters. They are funny and quirky and I'm sure every reader can find at least one person among them that they can identify with.
The main characters, the three generations of the Carloni women are really loveable. They all have their own problems, but in the end they can find a solution and a way to happiness. I love happy endings in a book as much as the next person and this plot did not disappoint me.
There are darker moments in the book when the main characters reveal their past secrets and face their demons, but on the whole the novel is funny and delightful. A lovely read. I can recommend it to everyone who loves happy endings.

Cathy Bramley is fast becoming one of my must read authors. She is great at writing family dynamics. Rosie her sister Lia and their Nonna are great examples of this when Rosie's work life takes an unexpected turn she turns to her Nonna to help out in her business the Lemon Tree Cafe and soon discovers that her Nonna is hiding secrets and by helping her Rosie discovers that she can also reveal a secret which she has kept buried for many years. Has everything you want in a book, love interest with Gabe (from the Plumberry series which is a nice touch) community pulling together and family.

I had read excellent reviews of Cathy Bramley’s books, but had never got round to reading one of them myself. I liked the sound of The Lemon Tree Café (anything to do with food gets my vote!) and I wasn’t disappointed. I love Cathy’s style of writing and I was drawn in from the very first page. Rosie gives up a high-flying job and ends up helping out at her Italian grandmother’s café in a quintessentially English chocolate-box village. There are lots of wonderful characters in a highly believable storyline, and I didn’t want the book to end. Cathy has now been added to my list of favourite authors, and I’ve already bought another of her books! Highly recommended :)

This book was a struggle. Never really got going. Didn't relate to the characters. I understand nonna was meant to be enderiring but i just couldn't get along with how she spoke. Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me.

The title wouldn't load onto my device but just by the description I would recommend this book.

I went into reading this book without knowing what to expect as i'd never read anything by Cathy Bramley before and as she is a popular author I decided to try The Lemon Tree Cafe.
The story didn't live up to my expectations i'm afraid and it always kills me to low rate a book but this story was so slow to get started that I started to loose interest very quickly but I hate leaving a book unfinished so I kept plodding on hoping for the story to pick up. I found that there were far too many characters popping up all the time so that you couldn't keep up with who was who or if they were of any importance with very little story actually happening around them. It took until around 24% into the story to meet the love interest and I'd almost given up on him ever appearing and when he did it didn't really make much of an impact on the story until very much later in the book, their relationship was more off than on for most of the story so it was hard to see how they could fall in love when they hardly had any time together and felt too much like a subplot.
As I said before I don't like not finishing a book because then you can't really get the full picture of what happens to give an honest review so I read on and it took until around 50% into the book for it to liven up and take on an interesting twist when something is revealed by two of the main characters. Without giving away any spoilers it's something that for me was too easily forgiven by the heroine and should never be forgiven under any circumstances as it's inexcusable, so I couldn't get my head around why she so easily did after 10 years of being angry and affected by it.
I have still given this book 3 Stars as it does get better but it took a long hard slog for it to eventually get there. Even though this book left me feeling a little disappointed I think that I would maybe try something again in the future from this author to see if I would like something else that she has written.

I was both surprised and delighted when I started reading this novel and realised it is set in my home county of Derbyshire; instantly it felt like I knew the village and its residents.
Rosie's Italian Nonna runs the Lemon Tree Café, heart of the village, but as Rosie returns to fill her days whilst job hunting she realises all is not what it seems, and in order to save her family's legacy, and happiness, huge changes are going to have to happen, changes which will unearth secrets, break hearts, and challenge everything the family (and village) hold most dear.
Written with such warmth and emotion,it is like a huge cosy hug with a mug of Italian roast & a piece of biscotti! Fabulous food, beautiful scenic description, characters you just adore; this book has everything you'd want in a foodie/romance and more!

This book had me giggling and smiling throughout it had a feelgood factor with the added bonus of Italian food making the reader want more.

The characters were likeable and the storyline well written. I loved the intrigue and the not knowing what would actually happen next. You really had no clue as to just what was round the corner.

I felt quite sad when I turned the final page but I also felt content that this wonderful book had been in my hands and that other readers are guaranteed to enjoy more of Cathy Bramley’s work just as I have.