Olivia James loves baking and has recently taken over the running of her mother’s café and bakery. Although she had been assisting her mother for a while before her mother’s retirement and her takeover, she had never really had the time to join any of the village activities or clubs, but now she decided she must make more of an effort. Christmas was coming and she hoped that would give her the opportunity of making more friends. She loved her small flat above the shop in the Cotswold village of Wychwood-on-Lea, but she was lonely in the evenings particularly, watching everybody else finding partners and getting married. She felt her life drifting away.
Simon Blacklock is new to the village and has been living with his sister and her family whilst trying to find a property of his own. He is a music teacher who plays the cello really beautifully. When he walks into Olivia’s teashop she has just started a promotion based upon an idea one of her young customers had suggested. It was based on the Twelve Days of Christmas, but with different cupcakes available on each of the twelve days leading up to Christmas. It was also loyalty themed, with a free cupcake at the end of the promotion for loyal customers. She tells Simon about the idea and he becomes a regular visitor. She likes him more than she cares to admit. Both are single but both have secrets they must share with each other. Dare they hope for more than friendship in the lead up to a magical Christmas?
I really enjoyed the tender romance building up between the two main characters Olivia and Simon. Kate Hewitt is a very talented author with superb storytelling skills. Her characters are cleverly crafted and further developed as the story moves on. I love the simplicity of her story plan and I also enjoyed Simon and Olivia’s independent stories. Each story was heartbreaking in their own different ways. They were excellent characters, really made for each other, but sometimes things do not go the way you expect them to. I was really invested in the novel and couldn’t wait until I found out what would happen.
. I received this book through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Tule Publishing in return for an honest review. Thank you most sincerely for my copy. I recommend this as a lovely Christmassy romantic read.

FROM SWEET TO BITTERSWEET

"Cupcakes for Christmas" at first seems like a light, frothy, sweet, charming Christmas cupcake of a book - the perfect relaxing Sunday afternoon read to curl up on the sofa to.

It is all of that and more.

At first, anyway.

And then it craftily sneaks in some serious issues. It's hard to reveal them without spoiling major character developments in the book. All I'll say is this: What at first seems like inconsistent frustrating behavior from an otherwise likable character eventually reveals and explains itself.

I was not expecting it. It was a punch to the gut - in a good way.

It made me feel in a way I normally don't when reading a novel in this genre.

"Cupcakes for Christmas" is part of a series, but no prior knowledge is required. I was able to jump right in without having read any of the other books first. (I'll be seeking them out now!)

Kate Hewitt's novel is indeed like a delightful cupcake, but there's some strong spiked coffee to go along with it.

Warm festive romance , good to read something where the main characters have left their twenties very much behind but still manage to find love! Not the usual completely lighthearted read, some serious issues (depression and Alzheimers) feature in the story too and I enjoyed the fact that the characters had some baggage , everything doesn't have to be perfect all the time. A quick read but an enjoyable one

Kate Hewitt has this way with emotions that means you can always count on her to get them just right. I already knew she did that beautifully in her series on The Holley Sisters of Thornthwaite (https://walkingthroughthepages.com/index.php/2017/a-vicarage-christmas/) but, as I’ve now discovered, it’s a universal thing for her books, apparently.
I have to admit that it took me a while – longer than with her other books – to get into the story of this one. There were these little things that just didn’t strike me as “quite right”. From the relationship between Olivia and her mother, to the way Simon was acting at times… It just made me a little… Uneasy? That’s probably the best word I can find to describe it, right now.
Of course, because, you know: this is Kate Hewitt, it turns out I was *right* in feeling a little uneasy. Right, and, on to the plot. Kind of. Whereas I could see from pretty early on what general direction Olivia’s mother was moving in, Simon kind of caught me unaware. And he certainly got me *in the feelings*.
The author certainly takes her time to set up the atmosphere and the characters of this holiday read, but seeing Olivia slowly unwind from her spinsterhood, as well as the development of her relationship both with her mother and with Simon? It made for just about the perfect cosy holiday read. Best accompanied by cupcakes – of course!
Rating: 3.5/5

This is a new author for me. This book was a really good read. It was about like and things that can happen and all are a part of life. Relationships, depression and dementia. I know it sounds depressing but it was written so that it worked in with the story well. I mean this is life.The give and takes of relationships. I would highly recommend this book and plan on reading more of this author

A wonderful Christmas romance, and I appreciate a book that features main characters that are past the first flush of youth. A subtle and slow romance that has characters dealing with Alzheimers and depression, but balances it with heartwarming scenes of Christmas.

Very average story.Writing was good, and character of Olivia was very true and nicely portrayed.
However story disappoints towards the end.Such a beautiful story till almost the end and then a total let down by the way it was handled.

I really enjoyed the previous Willoughby Close books, so I was excited to read a new addition to the series.

Olivia James took over mother's bakery, Tea on the Lea, after her mother retired and moved into a retirement home. Olivia has made a few friends in Wychwood, but still felt disconnected from the rest of the town. She lives a quiet life working and then returning to her flat above the shop to the moody cat, Mr. Jekyll that her mother left behind when she moved. With Christmas on the way and the new cupcake promotion at the bakery, things are starting to turn around for Olivia. Then, Simon Blacklock, walks through the door and everything in Olivia’s life changes.

The author did a great job writing this book. The story had a lot of different elements to it, but not so much that it was overwhelming. This is a romance that borders on women’s fiction. Part of the story touches on mental health issues and Alzheimer's, which made the story emotional and believable. The book was a quick read and easy to follow.

So glad to return to Willoughby Close! Love this series and now I have three more to look forward to in 2019! Happiness!!

If you haven't treated yourself to the Willoughby Close series yet, you have such a treat in store! A wonderful village, incredible friends, it has it all. You're going to love it!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Keep reading Xmas books even though it is nowhere near it. I really really enjoyed this book, the characters and the storyline are great.

3.5 What couldn't be better... Just like these cupcakes we covet from the British Baking show, this story has all of the build-ups and then some to be sweet and enjoyable. From the way our lady has to take care of her mum and keep the cupcake store strong, to how she crosses path to our handsome guy who seems to be the answer for everything. No sugar rush...just sweet.

cupcakes for Christmas.
A lovely short romantic Christmas love story with Olivia James running a tea shop and meeting Simon who has secrets.
Will it all come together in the end ?

CUPCAKES FOR CHRISTMAS by Kate Hewitt. What a delightful Holiday read! I enjoyed the characters, Olivia and Simon, as well as the secondary characters and the lovely little town they all live in. Olivia, single and running her mother's tea shop, is dealing with trying to make the business grow, as well as her mother's health issues. Enter Simon who is so cute. I loved that he wasn't all alpha male and too cool for school - he was sweet and human.
They take it slow but their chemistry cannot be denied. This entire tale is filled with heartwarming moments that reflect true life. It's a wonderful story that is a fairly quick read - perfect for sitting in front of a fire with a nice cup of tea. (received ARC for honest review)

Cupcakes for Christmas by Kate Hewitt, book one in the Return to Willoughby Close series. I enjoyed this book. Catching up with characters from the past Willoughby Close series, meeting new characters and getting to know them was enjoyable. Plus having the setting be in a Tea shoppe was also nice. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Lovely, Romantic, Heart-Warmingly festive. A beautifully written novel by Kate Hewitt. I believe I have read a few novels by Kate before but none really stood out to me since then until this one. It was lovely and left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside at parts! It's set at my favourite time of year and I love where it was set.

It was an easy read and went at a good pace so didn't feel boring or too long. Would recommend.

Cupcakes at Christmas is a book set in a little village in Oxfordshire, the setting is definitely chocolate box and sets you up for a Christmas love story centred on Olivia who runs the local tea shop.
The book is set in the same place as other books by Kate Hewitt and but it’s not an issue getting to know the characters and good to read as a stand alone.

An enjoyable book which travels on a good pace, but I thought that the development of the love story between Olivia and Simon could have been stretched a little further. Other than that it is a good intro to my Christmas reading and would recommend.

Delighted to have an early copy from net galley in exchange for a honest review.
First time reading Kate Hewitt book.
A really warm cosy read full of Christmas charm and fabulous cup cakes from the little village of Whchwood -On-Lea In the Cotswolds and the residents of Willoughby close along with Olivia from cup cakes on lea coffee shop a bit of romance entertwined with a bit of mystery of the lovely Simon ideal Christmas read would highly recommend.

It was nice to return to Willoughby Close and it’s present and former residents. This is Olivia and Simon’s story. We met Olivia, the local tea shop owner, in the earlier books in the series. Simon is relatively new to their village. Both are around 40 and have never been married. Their romance is initially rather slow to start, but becomes serious once they get started. Two serious issues are woven into the fabric of the story - Olivia’s mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and Simon’s longstanding history with depression. Both medical issues are handled rather simply, yet sensitively. This was a lovely story of new love between two mature people nearing middle age.

I really enjoyed this book it's quite a quick read and throughly excellent from the first page. Has you in tears at times and laughing at others it's so well written. The characters are brilliant and the story is so true to life and shoes how we have many challenges to face but with friendship we can do. It's heartbreaking, heartwarming and romantic and about family and friends. Of course full of lovely cupcakes as well you just want one to eat.
Olivia has been living about her cafe in a small town and her mum use to run the shop but she's moved to a retirement home. She has many struggles trying to keep the shop going and friends give her ideas to help and they suggest a different cupcake for each day leading up to Christmas and if at the end you have had one every day you get a free cupcake. She makes some wonderful cupcakes and one day a handsome man walks in and wants to buy one Olivia really starts to look forward to his visit each day to buy one her stomach turns is she falling in love. Her mother Tina comes in and she's burnt her arm so Simon offers to take them to the hospital and the hospital want her mum to have further tests on her memory. Simon and Olivia really start to enjoy being with each other but her friend starts to tell her he has a past but she wants Simon to tell her not friends. She learns he's lost a brother and struggled with it and lived with his sister but is now moving into willoughby close and as it gets closer to Christmas she's really falling for him but can sense he's not telling her something but will he tell her or will she learn through someone else. Her mother does have the start of dementia and she has to learn to cope with it but she can't get hold of Simon for support and how will she cope when she's given some news will she run or is she to much in love to walk away.
A brilliant read and can't wait for more to come. Worth more than five stars.

Olivia has taken over running the cafe in a a small town from her Mum.
In the run up to christmas she starts the twelve days of cupcakes. This is how she meets Simon - her friends hint there is a secret Simon is hiding.
An enjoyable read and nice to see a book dealing with the issues common in life, but usually largely ignored.