I'm so late to the show with this series of books, but saw there was a new one in the series being released so wanted to catch up on them before starting that one! This one is book #4 of the Comfort Food Cafe series. I got the order mixed up and read this one first, and they can easily be read as a standalone without spoiling the other books.

The Comfort Food Cafe is found in a little seaside village called Budbury on the Dorset coast. The location sounded absolutely delightful and I could certainly understand why there were so many happy villagers living there. We get to meet Willow who works in the Cafe and lives with her mum who has dementia. Willow is a lovely character and it's obvious how difficult her life is dealing with her mum on her own. Tom is new to the village and I really liked his character, even if he did come across as a little surly at the beginning. Their storyline flows along well and as the book moves on we get to see Willow and Tom forging a new friendship.

I loved this book and couldn't understand why I hadn't read it a long time ago. It was full of friendship, family and love, and whilst it isn't a sad book it did tug at my heartstrings in parts with regards to Willow and her mum. It's light-hearted, heart-warming and so easy to read! Wonderful!

A welcome return to the friendly faces at the Comfort Food Cafe. Debbie Johnson manages to balance keeping us in touch with the characters we got to know in the previous books and introducing to new ones. She also creates a characterful house as a new focus of this story. I enjoyed getting to know Willow better and seeing her develop over the course of the novel.

Sorry I just could not get into this book. I found the characters a bit boring and the story was dragging a bit. Shame because I usually like Debbie's books

With the responsibilities Willow has she needs to be practical and organised and there is no room in her life for any extra emotions. She’s keeping on an even keel but it wouldn’t take much to tip her over. In breezes Tom, the new owner of Briarwood, opening up all sorts of possibilities (and not just on a romantic level). He sets something off that has the possibility of changing Willow’s life and it could go either way …

Willow is an awesome character. She has amazing strength (although she wouldn’t see it that way) and a great sense of humour. I laughed when she told Tom:

They’re like the Spanish Inquisition, with scans of squirty cream.

in reference to Cherie and Laura 🙂 She is so helpful to others and yet accepting limited help herself (the Budbury Bible for Tom was a fabulous idea!). She’s used to being in control and when she gets the chance to let go a little, I just knew conflict was on its way. It’s never easy is it …

I loved the dancing lessons in the cafe – bringing the characters back into the story, as well as the support for Willow. I couldn’t wait for Edith’s birthday party at Briarwood, already imagining the glitz and glamour. Such a fabulous setting. Although I didn’t guess it would be the setting for sadness too. The Budbury crew really do feel like family 😀

So many emotions for those close to Lynnie (the reason for the pink is very poignant) as well as the heart connection between Tom and Willow. I’m wondering if Auburn and Van will stick around – I’m hoping so! It will make such a difference.

Sunshine at the Comfort Food Cafe was a page turner for me. I found it hard to put down. And easy to slip back into the story each time I picked it up. I felt plenty of emotions! and as always, I’m left with the feeling that although there are trials ahead, all will be ok and everything is right with the world. I’m trying to guess who will be next, maybe Kate? but there’s definitely something Auburn has to tell too. Can’t wait!

I loved this book, it is just as good as all the previous ones. you get to catch up on old friends and meet new friends

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I enjoyed this book so much I went and bought a paper back copy and this has done the rounds of the office. Great read

This is the first comfort food cafe book I have read in the series and now I can't wait to read the rest, I do need to buy a journal and Goonies T Shirt before the latest book is out though. A loveable book that will make you want to scream, laugh and cry at the main character Willow. The dogs have THE best names especially Bella Swan and Rick Grimes you can't help but love them. If you want a quirky book with quirky loveable characters this is definitely one to read.

This is definitely the type of book to curl up with. Willows mum has Alzheimers and she is trying to cope. Her sister Auburn returns home to help her and they try to keep their mum as calm as possible. Tom is helping out as well. Alzheimers is written about with a sympathetic understanding. This was a lovely story to read and I would definitely recommend it and I will definitely be reading more books by Debbie Johnson.

I found this book harder than the others from this series, I think it may be because the regular characters were not introduced straight away and there was quite a lot of content on just the main characters storyline.
Having that said, at about the half way point I was well and truly into the story and really enjoyed it.
I love the community in this book, having grown up by the sea I love reading anything similar.

Would definitely read from this author again.

I have read and loved all of the books in this fantastic series. This could be read as a standalone novel but I would encourage anyone to savour the whole series. Just when you think the series can't get any better, it does.

I love the community based around the cafe and would love to either live here or at least visit! A wonderful cast of colourful unique characters which are well rounded and intriguing, some are very quirky. This book is based around Willow's story as a carer for her mum who has dementia. I found this a very emotional story which was dealt with in a very real but sensitive way. Heartwarming and heart lifting.

Well paced story, I couldn't put it down and can't wait for the next instalment! Highly recommended with a cuppa and a large slice of cake!

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

Sunshine at the Comfort Food Cafe was a good read. The story follows the life of Willow Longville a 26 year old who works at the Comfort Food Cafe, runs a cleaning business and looks after her Mother who has Alzheimer’s dementia.

The story was quite unique as the character and her family are quirky and unconventional. The town of Budbury was charming and quaint.

I found the romance between Willow and Tom slow going and wished the author could have added more fun and lightheartedness into the novel. I expected more scenes at the cafe because of the book title.

It was an enjoyable read but I’d have liked less drama and more escapism as a reader.

I absolutely adore this series by Debbie Johnson, and not only because it is set in my favourite county in England but because the characters are so diverse but all loveable in their own way.
If you haven't read the previous books in the series don't worry - the author cleverly gives the reader a concise background when the buyer of Briarwood, the run-down former children's home, moves into the village of Budbury and our main character Willow writes him a reference book so he can recognise the local residents without having to go through the painful ordeal of making introductions.
Willow is struggling to cope with mum Lynnie's Alzheimers despite the amazing support of Budbury's close knit community. Circumstances and a little help from the village's newest resident lead to Willow finally contacting her estranged siblings in an attempt to bring the family back together to try and ease daily life not just for herself but also in attempt to make life easier for Lynnie as she spends more of her time living in the past due to her condition.
Debbie Johnson has portrayed life with dementia in a sensitive yet very real manner, celebrating the fun day to day happenings while still balancing these with the scary emotions both the sufferer and their family members go through every hour of every day.
Every book in this series has been a complete triumph and the latest instalment had me laughing and crying in equal measure. One example of Debbie's brilliant writing which stood out for me was a quote from nonagenarian Edie: "It's not just your generation who does complicated. The films might have been black and white back then, but our lives weren't."
I will definitely be recommending this novel - indeed the whole series - to everyone, with this review featuring on my blog (www.sandiesbookshelves.blogspot.co.uk) for publication day

LOVE LOVE LOVE. There's nothing happier than sitting down with a book by Debbie johnson..this is the 4th in the comfort food cafe series but it doesn't require reading in order as I havent. Each book sets about a story with different characters from the town. This book centralised around willow who is the waitress in the cafe and a cleaner. She mwerd Tom the new owner of Briarwood and he used to live there. Obviously they hit it off and like each other but willow has to watch her alzheimirs mother like a hawk. Then another sibling appears and helps out a little so she gets to see Tom more regular.. .
The characters are amazing, it's an easy read but all I needed was some warmer weather. Reading summery books in a snow storm isn't the best way hahahaha. I really loved this book. 10 stars if i could

I just love this series, you kind of forget how good a series is when you haven't been to the fictional place for a while waiting for the next book, and then you jump back in with the new book and all the warm feelings flood back. This book is like that, and my favourite of this series so far.

I've been waiting for Willow's story and so was very happy that she'd finally got her own book. She is such a bright, quirky character with pink hair, a really lovely person, looking after her Mum who has Alzheimer's, and doing cleaning from her hippie van and working shifts in the cafe for a living.

She bumps into Tom at Briarwood, aka The House on the Hill, when she is doing a cleaning job and finds out that he has just bought it, and spent a few years there when he was younger and it was a childrens home. Willow and Tom were both lovable geeky sort of people who just both fit together so perfectly I couldn't wait to read the rest of the book and see how their relationship developed. Willow had a very full life looking after her Mum, Lynnie, which proved a big stumbling block for her as she didn't have the time for any other entanglements. But then her sister and brother entered the picture again and started helping look after Lynnie too and things, eventually, started to be easier to handle for Willow, although she did find it hard to let go and let people help her.

This whole book had such a lovely warm feeling throughout it, one of those books I wanted to read all the time, but equally didn't want to finish. Wonderful! Hopefully the series will continue and we'll get stories for both Auburn and Van in the not too distant future.

Oh guys, I can't tell you how happy I am that The Comfort Food Cafe series is going strong! I could read about it, and the characters, over and over again and I won't have enough. "Sunshine at the Comfort Food Cafe" is already the fourth addition to the series and yes, it is a stand - alone novel but without reading the previous books you're going to miss too much on the characters, the incredible warmth and hidden wisdom.

"Sunshine at the Comfort Food Cafe" focuses on Willow. Willow, the youngest of Lynnie's fourth children. Willow with pink hair, Doc Martens boots, and a dog. Willow, who's currently looking after her dementia suffering mum and juggling her own cleaning business with working as a waitress at the cafe. Willow is not angry with her siblings for travelling the world and for the fact that she's left alone to look after their mum. No, she's cheerful and happy with her life and takes things as they are. To help her mum remember things they both have journals in which they write things - who is who and what has happened.
Willow's cleaning business has been engaged to clean The House on the Hill - a large old house that previously served as a children's shelter and has just been bought after years of standing alone. When Willow spots the new owner she can't believe her eyes, as it's Tom, a former resident of Briarwood, and there is something that happened many years ago that is a reason for her being so shocked right now - you must read this scene for yourself. It's hilarious. They bond very quickly not only over their dogs or plans for renovating the House but also over plans for surviving the Zombie Apocalypse - don't ask. But you will love it.

I can't express enough how much I loved this book. It is full of so extremely beautifully captured emotions and feelings and standing ovation to Debbie Johnson for being able to put them so well into words. The dynamics between the characters were brilliant, and there was so much love and acceptance that you could spot and feel it through the pages. Also, the author has this talent to immediately draw you into the heart of the book - I, for once, right from the beginning felt at home, and yes sure, it was the fact that I've already known and loved the characters, but it was also the lovely writing style, so inviting and so enveloping, like the cosiest of blankest. The author always knows when to drop a surprise on your not - expecting - it head, or to put a joke or two to break the ice.

The banter between the characters was abso - bloody - brilliant, especially between Willow and Tom. I adored those two, they were so honest and so genuine around each other, and they talked, which made such a great difference...! There weren't any understatements, they knew where they stand, and I loved their testing, checking and their feelings and emotions. It was just so real and so true, you know. And I adored how much they loved their dogs, Bella Swan and the perfect mix of German Shepherd and Rottweiler, Rick Grimes. And the way Willow has done a very handy Game of Thrones - style recap on the residents of the village for Tom's benefit was brilliant, and it was also a great recap for us all.

The story also introduces us to some new characters, such like Willow's siblings, especially her sister Auburn who comes home to help Willow look after their mum. My gut feeling is telling me she's going to be the heroine of the next novel - I hope I'm right because she seems to be a very colourful person that has a lot in store.

This was a brilliant, feel - good, poignant and touching romance, set in a wonderful, full of lovely people, village, and the community spirit there is very easily spotted. They all know about each other's businesses and they meddle in each others' lives, and not always in a very subtle way, but it is hilarious and so uplifting, to know that they had their backs. They also always have time to eat a slice of cake and to try Laura's new recipes.

I simply loved this book and didn't want it to end. I've been hooked by Willow's story and fell for her immediately. It was bitter - sweet, with many emotional and poignant moments, and with many hilarious as well, it made me cry and it made me laugh - out - loud, just the perfect mix for me. It touched upon some heavier issues as well, just like Tom's past or Lynnie's disease but it's done in such a subtle and gentle way and it opens eyes to what it really means to be an orphan or how it is to live with a person suffering from dementia, how emotional and unstable this life is. I was truly hanging onto every single word of the story and I could beg for more, guys. A gorgeous story about family, friends, love and forgiveness, with a lot of hidden depth that made me feel so warm inside and left me feeling hope and optimistic. Highly, highly recommended!

Sunshine at the comfort cafe is a book that as you read envelopes you like a warm cosy blanket.
Willow is the youngest of four children, she had a different father to her two brothers and sister and has never known him. Now the only remaining sibling at home it is up to her to care for their mother Lynne who is in the grips of early dementia. Willow also works as a waitress and cleaner. She has been hired to help clean Briarwood a large house that has been empty for ten years and recently purchased. The new owner Tom is a geeky chap that has made his money inventing various articles, he is a shy man extremely uncomfortable in social situations. He and Willow hit it off from the start and both begin to blossom in each other's company.
A lovely romance with a cast of funny and endearing village characters, though not without its pathos in the excellent description of the downward spiral of dementia and the ripple effect it has on those around the sufferer, despite this it is an excellent feel good uplifting story.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book honestly.

I've read all the books in this series so far and I cant enough of them! Debbie Johnson is amazing!
This story focuses on Willow and her mum, who we've found out bits about in previous books but never got the full story.I don't want to say much more because I really don't want to give anything away.