So I’ll admit I had read a Daisy James book before and mainly because it hadn’t read the same as a number of books I was reading at the time, I hadn’t really got on with it (that and a protagonist I hadn’t warmed to). After said book I’d see book after book from this author with covers and blurbs to die for and I began to wonder if I’d made a mistake. If I read and just let the language flow over me as opposed to sitting their rigidly trying to take it in would it have been easier? I can tell you the answer is a resounding ‘yes!’

I read this at a time I needed something really easy-going, warm and lovely and found myself settled in straight away to a book that oozes beauty. It is centred around Millie, who is going to work alongside the famous Claudia Croft in an estate that is the stuff of dreams. When we were delivered into the snow in a fantastic setting I nodded and smiled along, really enjoying Millie’s protestations that her entirely inappropriate, chic daywear weren’t wrong for the snow they were lumped with. This book was ALL about the food and it was heavenly, with descriptions of desserts, baked goods and other courses that put you in the pristine cutting edge kitchen of Claudia Croft (or indeed in the other establishments in the area, where the more homely fare would do the job for me!), sniffing and making appreciative noises.

I’ll admit I was nervous for the mystery part, as it became clear some of it could be health related, and with some health stuff going on with people I know this year (that seemed to be similar at the start to that in the book) I wasn’t in the frame of mind to shed tears , but luckily Ms. James more than delivered and I breathed a sigh of relief. The saving of the school was hilarious and nicely over the top, just as I like it! This is part of a series but I read as a standalone and it by no leaned curbed any of the enjoyment I had for it. The language was of course all pretty, delicate and flowery but this time I warmed to it, maybe because of the lovely characters and actually general loveliness of the story. Extremely enjoyable and definitely recommended. Thanks so much to Canelo and Netgalley for the book in return for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5

If you like romance, beautiful people, escapism and Christmas then this is a must have read for you. Beautifully written, almost believable characters and a lovely, if somewhat predictable plot, but that is of course the mainstay of this genre so I am sure you will not be disappointed. Thank you Netgalley.

Ohh what a fabulous finale to a delicious, feast for the eyes feel-good series by Daisy James. The Paradise Cookery School has not only been a delightful read but it's also been my first introduction to the work of Daisy James. I've completely fallen in love with her writing; who wouldn't, as she fills her stories with warmth, laughter and heart.
Mistletoe & Mystery has taken us back to the celebrated chef's home in the Cotswolds. Millie has been invited to co-host with chef Claudia Croft in a Festive Feast cookery course at Stonelea Manor. Not only will it give Millie an opportunity to work with Claudia but Millie will get to see Zach again. Zach the handsome Estate Manager she met in the Caribbean who infuriated her at first but also brought Millie out of a gloom that had set in her personal life. Millie and Zach's friendship had bloomed in the sun but now back in the UK Millie is hoping their friendship could have more potential.
I adored the sound of Stonelea Manor and the villagers and how they all shared a common goal of helping each other. Claudia's husband, Tim, was a fabulous, quirky character and you couldn't help loving his creativity and his energy. With Millie soon feeling welcomed at the Manor and the village she started to sense mystery and trepidation from Claudia and concern soon mounted.
Daisy James has created such a delicious, delightful trio of stories that you'll fall in love with each and every character. I wholeheartedly recommend reading the books in order, which are:
Sunshine & Secrets
Confetti & Confusion
Mistletoe & Mystery
I'm a little sad that the series has come to the end but I feel like it's a bright new beginning for our much loved characters.
A series to warm your heart with sunshine, laughter, fun and frolics, festive feasts and winter sparkles with a gorgeous budding romance.

I was very happy to be given the opportunity to rejoin Millie Harper, following her return from St Lucia where she had successfully opened the Paradise Cookery School for famous chef, Claudia Croft.  Mistletoe & Mystery is the third book in The Paradise Cookery School series, a series that I have thoroughly enjoyed.  I must admit that I was a little disappointed when I discovered that this novel would be set in the Cotswolds....I have nothing against the beautiful Cotswolds, but I really have enjoyed the St Lucia setting of the previous two novels.  I shouldn't have worried though - a book set at Christmas really should be in a cold, snowy, magical English village and so it didn't disappoint!

I have really loved following Millie, a woman who at the beginning of the series doubted herself following a harsh break up.  She doubted herself both as a person and as a chef.  Opening the Paradise Cookery School in St Lucia really made her character flourish as she gained confidence in her own abilities.  Mistletoe & Mystery continues to see Millie grow as a person, and we also get to see if her relationship with Zach could grow into something more.  We also get the meet the elusive Claudia Croft, as she opens her home to Millie.  There is of course some plot twists thrown in, which are full of emotion as we learn more about the owner of the Paradise Cookery School, a company we have grown to love across the three novels.

I am more than happy to recommend this novel (along with the previous novels, Sunshine & Secrets and Confetti & Confusion) - all three could be read as standalone novels, but personally I would recommend reading them all.  Let me know what you think!

Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.  Thank you also to Ellie Pilcher at Canelo for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour.

I've absolutely loved every book in this fantastic series and this is no exception! Millie Harper is off to the Cotswolds to work at Stonelea Manor with chef Claudia Croft, the person she had previously helped cover for at the Paradise Cookery School in St Lucia but who she's never actually worked alongside before. She's also looking forward to seeing Zach Barker who had been out in St Lucia with her to see if the romantic sparks between them are as powerful as before. However, when she gets there, totally unprepared for the snow, she realises something isn't right and so the mystery begins . . . .

This story has a delightful village filled with great characters, a real sense of community and working together. The camaraderie and intrigue add to the enthralling story and there are plenty of laugh out loud moments in it, too. The Festive Feast cookery course has some really tasty dishes to have your mouth watering and the kitchen in which they works sounds fantastic! It was great to reconnect with many of the characters from the earlier books but I suspect it could also be read as a standalone - though you'd probably want to go read the earlier books after finishing this one. As Zach dubs her, Amelia Harper really is the Queen of Clutter and Chaos but this is still part of her attraction and it will come in very handy when the Manor is in danger . . . . . 

I have no hesitation in highly recommending this delightful festive read. It is a heartwarming mystery and tasty treat whether there is snow on the ground around you or not, a superb book to snuggle up with by a cosy fire or relax with on a sunny beach. The talented author takes you with her into the story, bringing the scenes, characters, drama and dishes to life in your imagination - definitely a 5* read for me!

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley. I have chosen to read it and this is my honest review after doing so.

Millie is back in the Cotswolds after her return from the Paradise Cookery School in St Lucia and she is running a Christmas cookery course but will she meet up with Zach again, the gorgeous man she met in St Lucia?

Another lovely feelgood book, the characters are all warm and interesting and although the book is predictable it is still a good read and great to be back with the characters from the Paradise, although it could easily be read as a standalone book

Apart from finding the title a bit misleading I have nothing negative to say about Mistletoe and Mystery. Neither, however, do I have anything extravagantly positive to say. It's probably an ideal book to read over Christmas when your brain is relaxed. I was happy enough to read the whole book but not enthused enough to find the rest of the series.

I really enjoyed this feel good story about Christmas and love. A great easy read about more than just love, and a real sense of community coming out of it.

A fun, interesting book. I could now do with the recipes for some of the simpler foods that they made. Set around a culinary school in the Cotswolds just before Christmas. The sword of Damolces is hanging over the school - even though it is very successful. Mille arrives to help with the Festive Fayre classes and to continue the relationship she started with Zach in the Caribbean earlier in the year, but everything seems strained and Zach isn't as loving as she expected.

A good light read, that brought a wide smile to my face.

A lovely festive,feel good story. An easy read, that pulls you in right from the start. Full of lovely likeable characters. I particularly love that someone else apart from me, passes off scones gone wrong as rock cakes lol. A must to add to your to read pile.

I just adore this series!

From start to finish it is wonderfully heart-warming and filled with a mix of wit and humour.

With loveable characters and a touch of romance, Daisy James has managed to write something quite simple yet thoroughly entertaining.

If you are looking for a book to inject you with some festive spirit, then Mistletoe and Mystery is just what you need to be reading right now.

I cannot recommend this author enough.

I enjoyed Mistletoe and Mystery. An easy to read and lighthearted book that has put me into the Christmas spirit. Read in a day I could not put this book down.

Excellent book with a great storyline. Characters that are so well written. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

This was a lovely Christmassy read, perfect for curling up in front of the fire with hot chocolate. There was plenty of drama, romance and community spirit to keep you hooked and entertained throughout.

The writing style was typical for this genre however the linking between this and the previous novel got a bit tiresome. This seems like it is setting up for the next one in a series so it might just be a linking story to explain a jump.

I think I didn't remember what the description of this book said when I started reading it. I thought I was reading a mystery novel and it really was not despite having the word in the title. I kept expecting something sinister to happen. But while unpleasant things may have been happening in the book there was no real villain and no real mystery. It is a culinary romance. There are previous books in this series but I've not read them and it didn't matter as this book stands alone.

Nice descriptions made me see the countryside and feel the cold in this wintry tale. I liked the main characters as well as secondary characters. I think it would be fun to attend this kind of culinary school, especially in preparation for Christmas feasting.

Sex: references to heated body reactions and noticing of body forms. Some kisses. Sexual tension but no sex.
Language: yes, Deity
Violence: no

I received a Netgalley copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review.

This was a really light read, not challenging, not surprising and you pretty much know exactly how it is all going to end, I found myself skipping huge bits of the book just to reach the end. I hadn't read the other books in the series however the author caters nicely for this by giving the backstory so you don't feel mystified about what has gone on in the past.

It's very much chick lit, which I quite like every now and again but this particular book isn't for me, far too predictable! Maybe a nice read in the sun as it isn't very christmassy and could be read by a poolside with a gin and tonic.

Haven’t read anything by Daisy James before, but this was the perfect book to start the descent into Christmas. It has romance, snow, glitter and decorations, alongside festive food fun. There is even a sprinkling of Caribbean sunshine thrown in for good measure.
Thank you Canelo and #netgalley for letting me read this book, it has certainly lifted my spirits.

Perfect sequel to the Paradise cookery school. This is set in the Cotswolds with Christmas menus the focus plus the mystery that awaits. Easy to read delightful story.

Millie Harper had just come back from St. Lucia helping present a cookery course for renowned cookery expert Claudia when sh's asked to help with the Festive Feast course at Stonelea Manor. She'll be reunited with Zach who she met while in. St. Lucia. There are a few mysteries as Claudia says this will be the lat Festive Feast.

I have loved this series by Daisy James and read it straight away.

Amelia is back in the uk and gets an offer to help run a festive cookery course at her friend Claudia's house in the Cotswolds.

Zach is also back in the uk and Millie and Zach are boh fighting their feelings for each other to a backdrop of Millie and Claudia cooking a perfect christmas feast.

The book was satisfying, but ended in another arghhhhh moment for me in that i was shouting at my kindle flippin hell not again. I hope Daisy writes another one as i want to know what happens between Zach and Amelia and also Claudia and Tim.