I didn't realise this book was part of a series, when I requested to read it via netgalley. That wasn't a real issue though, as I quickly worked out who was who, and enough of the gaps are filled in to make this book work as a standalone. I quickly became invested in the lead character, and found myself rooting for her. This was a real feel good book - perfect holiday reading! 5/5 from me!

Liz Eeles has done it again!! Another wonderfully charming book at the wonderfully charming Cosy Kettle! So whimsical and fun! PLUS, THERE'S A FOCUS ON THE BOOKSHOP SO YAY BOOKS!

I absolutely adored the first book and was super excited to read the second. I'm so glad that it did not disappoint! Although I did not love Flora in the first book, I did love her in this second book! I'm really happy to see her connecting with someone who was not her cheating ex!

...Now, can we get a third book that has a lot more of Gramps in it?! I love him and miss him!


Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an e-arc of this adorable book!

Absolutely top notch read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and devoured it as you would your favourite piece of cake. Fantastic to catch up with old characters and to get to know new ones. Light hearted and a read that gives you a fizzy warm feeling! Charm in abundance. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley

Another great read from Liz Elle’s, I loved returning to the Cosy Kettle and seeing a whole new side to Flora and meeting new residents and returning to old favourites. Another lovely read that melts your heart as you go along, addictive as always and sad when it ends ; in a good way because the endings aren’t sad ! Can’t wait for the next. Lovely summer read


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This book left me with a book hangover. I loved reading Flora’s story.

Flora actually surprised me in this book, in the first she came across as a little stuck up but in this one we find she’s not actually stuck up at all. I felt for her, her difficult situation, and I hoped for the ending that she got. Even from the start of the book, I didn’t really trust Malcolm. And seems I was right not to… Anyway, Flora. I feel she fits perfectly into these books and I hope we see more of her.

Daniel was a great character, and completely different to his mum, Luna. I liked how different he came across as the other characters as well. He seemed to be down to earth, trustworthy, even if he does keeps big secrets.

Liz Eeles has written another fantastic book, with even more fabulous characters!!! I’m glad we got more from the book club, and even a little cameo from Callie and Noah. We learn more about Becca and I really hope she gets her own story. As with the first book, Stanley is a delight to read about!! I’d love it if he got his own story, with all the wonderful things he gets up to!! T

This book was like coming to see old friends, and have s catch up over a nice cup of tea and huge slice of cake. Well written, funny moments, even touching moments. I also have to comment on the cover, it’s such a beautiful cover. It’s perfect for this delightful book.

Flora escapes to her lovely café in the Cotswolds when she discovers that her husband is cheating on her. One of the other shop owners offers her a room whilst she is working through her problems.

Luna is a wonderful character, she reads people’s auras and is a real individual, mystical and mysterious. Flora had a bad day when she met Luna’s son in the café and it takes a while for their relationship to thaw. But I loved the way that they were drawn together.

Charter Day is a big event in Honeyford and Flora is roped in to help bring a fresh approach, alongside various planning meetings. I loved the bake off and the parade bringing the community together.
The characters are all wonderful and it was a lovely read. It would be perfect to take away on holiday.

As soon as I saw this e-book on Netgalley I had to request it as I loved the first book in the Honeyford/Cosy Kettle series, and this time it focuses on Flora (who was Callie's boss and new owner of the bookshop) and her life.
I didn’t like Malcom in the other book and I obviously had good reason to, as one day Flora finished early from work to catch l her husband with one of the waitresses in the food cupboards! Flora decided to move out and into the attic of the bookshop which is full of spiders and sleeping on a put up bed left by the old owner who used it for naps during the working day is not the best and soon makes Flora miserable and suffering with circles under her eyes and even spiders at some points in the nights .
When Malcom comes into the bookshop to persuade Flora to come home, he knows she has been sleeping in the attic but when a customer jumps in to say she is staying with her, Flora is surprised to find she is also a fellow shop keeper and is kind enough to fake offer her home whilst her husband is there, but once Malcom leaves, Luna meant her offer and forces Flora to move in at the Starlight Cottage.
Along with living with Luna at the cottage. Luna has her son and grandson, Daniel and Caleb also staying with her as Caleb's mother died a few years ago. I'm sure Flora wouldn't of minded her other lodger buddies if it wasn't for the fact she shouted at Caleb whilst in the Cosy Kettle as he dented one of the kettle ornaments and now Caleb was scared of the woman and Daniel is not best pleased with her either!
Living in Starlight Cottage has brought Flora new kinds of questions and thoughts. Why is Caleb sad all the time and doesn't want his father helping out? The book which was recommended by Daniel has the town in a dizzy wanting to know who is April Devlin and why has she not brought any more books out?
Along with all of her new home confusion, she also has a decision to make regarding Malcom. Will she return to her previous life, living under the thumb and give up her bookshop as Malcom regards to it as a 'hobby' whereas he needs her at his very important restaurant. Or will Flora realise a lepoard will never change his spots (ecpially the cheating kind of spots) and become a confident women and maybe even flirt with Daniel?

Final thoughts: I loved this, maybe even more so than the first part? Also, did anyone else know/ have an idea who April Devlin could be? I had two people I thought and was only wrong about one!
I would love to hear who you thought was the mystery author. Message me on insta about your thoughts on this book: hayleyjaynereads

Oh my heart. It feels so good to be back with these lovely characters, the bookshop and the town. After loving the first book, this was a must read for me and yet again I am absolutely blown away with how much I loved and enjoyed it.

A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle is book two in the Cosy Kettle series, best read in order. Another gorgeous, eye catching cover to match the first book too.

In this story we have some new characters, Luna, Daniel and Calib and I fell in love with them all. Cute little Calib having his only kid battles, handsome Daniel and the little bit wacky and wierd Luna! I have to give a little mention to Stanleys character to, he does make me laugh! The start of the story starts off quite sad for Flora but throughout the story we see her develop and transform into a totally different and confident woman.

A well deserved five stars from me and I have my fingers crossed for more from this lovely town, bookshop and the characters ofcourse. PLEASE! Highly recommend. I actually devoured most of this book in a day, I couldn’t put it down.

Also, if you’ve read the book you’ll understand this part… Days of Desire by April Devlin. It’s surely got me intrigued too. Who is April Devlin???? …. Hmmm. I wonder

I absolutely loved the last book by Liz Eeles – New Starts and Cherry Tarts at the Cosy Kettle and have been eagerly awaiting the second book in the series. This is bloody fantastic!!

In this book we’re with Flora, who had recently opened a book shop and cafe in the little village of Honeyford (read all about it in Book One). She finishes work early one day and goes home….to find her Husband in a compromising position with one of his waitresses. Heartbroken and betrayed she resorts to staying in the little attic above her bookshop. But then the strange and rather eccentric Luna sweeps into the bookshop one afternoon, reads her aura and offers her a place to stay.

She moves in so she can start healing and start figuring out what she wants to do. But her Husband is constantly on her case trying to get her back and not giving her any space. On top of that Luna’s son Daniel and grandson Caleb, also live in the cottage. And although they don’t get off to best start, eventually they strike up a somewhat strained friendship….

All Flora wants to do is feel like she belongs in the village and so agrees to take part in the community celebrations that everyone is raving about. But has she taken on too much? She’s dealing with heartbreak, trying to run a business, trying to settle in to her new temporary home and plan for the celebration……

But then on the day of the celebration things start to unravel…..but will the day be a success? Will Flora go back to her Husband or will she realise that she deserves more? And will she be able to love again?

I completely and utterly fell in love with this story. Flora is a strong woman but you get to see her vulnerabilities, and it’s so heartwarming how people of village rally round to support and help her. Luna is an amazing character – I absolutely love her! She’s kind, loving and a bit nuts (is a brilliant way!). Daniel is a bit standoffish but you learn why (and then love him!), and Caleb is adorable. I was SO happy to be back with some of the characters from Book One….Stanley is as brilliant as ever – still up to his crazy tricks (he’s in his 80’s and living his best life!), and Becca is developing in leaps and bounds.

Liz has such a fantastic writing style, that genuinely sucks you in. She is amazing at bringing the characters to life and making you want to hang out with them – you just know you’d have the BEST time! I read this in one day because it’s just one of those that you can’t put down, and I feel kind of bereft that it’s finished!

Honestly, if you haven’t read any of Liz’s books you NEED to! They are fantastic and will give you all the feels and will have you laughing out loud. I just end up with a massive smile on my face :). You can read this as a standalone but I most definitely recommend reading Book One – just because they’re so fantastic and I wouldn’t want you to miss out! Book Three is in the pipeline and I genuinely CANNOT wait for it to come out!

This is the perfect book to read on a summers evening with a glass of wine, or take with you on your holiday to read by the pool. Absolutely 100% recommended by me!!

Cute book. A bit sad at times. You get involved in the story so the characters become more like friends than people in a book. Very easy to read and enjoy.

Omgggggggggg!!!! What a SCRUMPTIOUS read!! I demolished Liz Eeles' latest treat in less than two hours without even trying. I genuinely could not, and did not want to put it down at all. You may remember the authors previous book being the first instalment of the 'Cosy Kettle' series, but do not fret if you haven't read the first before before reading this one as they each can be read on their own. However, I would advise that you switch your phone to silent, grab a ginormous slice of cake and ignore EVERYONE around you while you binge read these two books. Trust me, when have I ever been wrong?!

So, Flora has taken over a local book shop and has opened a cafe inside it called 'The Cosy Kettle'. In a small village like Honeyford, community spirit is rife, but the downside to that is everyone knowing your business. Especially when ones business is something you do not wish others to know due to mortification on your part! Rumour has it that Flora's husband has been dabbling in a lot more than the leftovers from his restaurant....if you catch my drift. Of course he blames Flora for his infidelity, as though she commanded him to stick his tongue down another woman's throat. Yeah....a wife would TOTALLY do that. Well, actually, they might if they had pre-arranged to dabbling in their marriage, however Flora had not agreed to that.

Whilst Malcom's cactus personality commandeered a lot of the storyline, Flora's new friendship with her new landlady, Luna, and her family had me giggling and feeling quite emotional at the same time. Ever since I had my daughter, if a storyline contains a situation where a child is sad, I come over very emotional and motherly. Thats exactly what happened here. I don't want to give too much away, and I know that I am being a soppy date by becoming a bit teary eye at Daniel son's sadness, but my heart did go out to the little boy and even though Flora didn't exactly approach several situations in a way that Daniel would approve, her heart was completely in the right place and I was so glad that the little man had someone on his side when he felt as though he had nowhere to turn.

Stanley is up to his old tricks again. I laughed. It's a bit difficult not to, although the images that my mind conjured up weren't exactly what I had ever thought I would be imagining......!!!!

I absolutely-flipping-FUDGECAKE LOVEEEEEDDDDD this book!!!! I am #TeamFlora all the way! Malcolm is a doorknob, a cactus, and anything else that can be used as a double entendre! I am sure I have made my feelings on him perfectly clear, however if you aren't sure what I think of him, I DIDN'T LIKE HIM! Just incase you had any doubts in the matter!!!!

The 'Cosy Kettle' series is swiftly becoming one of my all time serials due to the colourful personalities of the characters, beautifully and witty storytelling from Liz Eeles, and the fact that the books are so unique and bubbly in equal measures. Not only that, the book contains enough sweet treats to make you dribble without even realising it. How do I know this? Two words; wet patch.....

A delicious, scrumptious, huggable and colourful read which made its way into my heart quicker than I could eat a muckle slice of chocolate cake!!

I really enjoyed this book. I adored the story line and loved the main characters. I read this book in one sitting and would highly recommend this book.

This read was like coming home to see family and friends. Having loved the first book it was a joy to meet up with old and new characters and get to know them in depth. The quaint book shop and cafe is the perfect setting for this series and the little town of Honeyford is charming in its picturesque quality as the backdrop to set this story upon.

The narrative welcomes you in with warmth, affection and humour and I was hooked on the plot from the opening moments. Liz's writing style is so free and easy that you can't help but breeze through her books with an effortless energy and sit back and soak up the story with pure enjoyment.

Getting an insight into Flora's world was a pure delight, even if her story did get off to a rocky start. My heart went out to her on several occasions but her true grit and determination to succeed in life shone through on every page and I was cheering her on every step of the way from the sidelines. I loved the soft simmering chemistry she had with Daniel which encouraged me to read on with keen determination to see how their situation would play out. All in all this story was a pure joy from start to finish.

A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle is bursting at the seams with warmth and charm. I read this book in one sitting as the story wouldn't let me leave and I couldn't recommend this series enough. Bring on book three.....I'll be here waiting patiently.

Flora is the owner of a cafe and bookshop . She leaves work early to surprise her husband but finds him in the arms of another woman.
Flora then moves out of Oxford to Honeyford where she moves in with Luna who owns a mystic shop. Also living with Luna is her son Daniel and Grandson Caleb they live with Luna since Daniels wife was killed in a car accident. This book is about the friendship between Flora and Luna and blossoming romance with Daniel .
A great summer read
Thanks NetGalley

This was such a delightful summer read. I was a bit nervous when I started the book since Flora has her entire world ripped out from underneath her thanks to her good for nothing ex-husband. I loved that the romance in this book wasn't over the top; especially since I wouldn't have wanted Flora to rush into a rebound type of relationship. I also loved Flora's picturesque bookshop. It made me want to just sit at one of the little tables with a copper kettle of tea and devour a good book.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the eARC. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Full review will be up on July 5th as part of the blog tour.

The author takes us back to Honeyford where she told Callie's story in the first book of the series. Because I really enjoyed it, I was very keen on reading the second part as well. 

This time it's Flora who is the main character and she is surrounded by a lot of people we met in the previous book. It was nice to hear more about them and Grandpa Stanley is still as hilarious as before, but she introduces us to new villagers as well. 

The cover is mouth watering and the way the author describes the goodies that are for sale in the cafe ... I wished I could dive into the book and devour a piece of one (or more ;) ) of them.

It's true when you live your every day life you think you are happy. You never take the time to reflect because often you are so busy and you are in a kind of routine. You do not look around you anymore or you take everything for granted. Suddenly something occurs and turns your world upside down and that's when you realize what went on for too long already. Is there a way to turn everything around or is it time to let go and make a new start?

The author has created a lovely story in a wonderful village. There is room for romance (of course), parts that make you laugh and parts that break your heart. 5 stars

Thank you, Liz Eeles, Bookouture and Netgalley.

I thought this looked like a cute story, but I didn’t expect it to be as in-depth as it turned out to be. There were many layers to the plot, and the further I read, the more I could see how the author cleverly planned the story. I especially liked how the author potentially paralleled the book itself with a book that features heavily in the plot. I thought that showed forethought and loved the effort. The author also did an excellent job of shedding light on the chauvinistic ways of some men but did so with a wink so that the reader knew that the women were the strong ones (case in point, Alan and Katrina). That was also a nice touch. I was intrigued by the characters and the town in general. I became invested in Flora’s journey and was satisfied with the end. I was also happy to learn that this is part of a series, so I look forward to reading more about the residents of Honeyford. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author for a complimentary pre-release digital ARC of this book.

In March I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing, New Starts and Cherry Tarts at the Cosy Kettle by Liz Eeles. Like that wonderful novel, A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle takes place in the quirky village of Honeyford in the Cotswolds and many of the same people whom I loved in that novel are revisited.

A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle focuses on Flora, the new owner of the bookstore, who discovers that her husband, Malcolm, has been cheating on her with one of the waitresses from his restaurant. Initially shocked and hurt, Flora stays several nights in the attic of the bookstore, until Luna, an eccentric new-agey woman offers her a room in her cottage. Unbeknownst to Flora, Luna is the mother of a man she had a bit of a run-in with at the Cosy Kettle when his son accidentally knocked over some decor and Flora didn’t react as well as she could have.

While New Starts and Cherry Tarts at the Cosy Kettle was lighter, more of a romance, and yet hit all of the emotions, A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle feels a little more somber and a bit more like women’s fiction. There are some fun moments because of the eccentric characters, but when one is exploring the implosion of a 20-year-old marriage, it’s rightfully more melancholic and thoughtful.

Both are very good novels, written well, and with insights, but if you’re looking for the same effervescence that was in New Starts and Cherry Tarts at the Cosy Kettle, you won’t find it in Eeles’ new novel. But I’m not sure that given the subject matter you should expect to.

The characterization is again very good, with Flora discovering new things about herself and mostly discovering who she is. I liked the fact that she struggled with what many people struggle with: do you stay with the devil you know or move on? Do you stay with the safe or take a risk? It’s a common question in life and it’s dealt with well here.

While the novel may not provide a decidedly happy-ever-after, it was again appropriate and appreciated due to its thoughtfulness.

I did feel that there was some repetition during Flora’s introspective moments regarding her marriage, which was noticeable enough to draw me from the narrative, but not enough for me to be highly critical of.

All in all, this was an engrossing, satisfying read that kept my interest throughout, gave me some laughs, and some thoughtful moments. I loved the character of Luna and hope to see her again in future novels. Very enjoyable.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Liz Eeles has written a delectable story full of charm and whimsy. It was a lot of fun returning to the Cozy Kettle. Books and yummy delights, what more could you want? This is the second book in this sweet series, but it can absolutely be red as a standalone. In this book we do revisit characters from the first book and that was lots of fun, but you won’t be lost if you did not read that book. But why deny yourself? You can have a cherry tart and some strawberry cake. 😋

This book is about Flora and how she deals with the aftermath of catching her husband Malcolm in the arms of another woman. Flora is such a good person and Malcolm is such a slime (I did not like him in the first book). I definitely had no trouble rooting for her to kick him to the curb! That is not exactly what happens, but she does pack her bags and move herself to the charming village of Honeyford. Now that she is both working and living in this small village she forms a deeper connection with the community. Flora finds a place to live with Luna, her son Daniel and grandson Caleb. Luna was a great character a little magical, a little mystical, a little witchy. There is also a bit of a bookish Mystery involved, and that was fun! And I cannot forget the bake off, that was delicious! My only little complaint was the romance, I just didn’t necessarily feel it between Flora and Daniel. Not to mention Flora was a strong savvy woman and I don’t think she would get involved with another man so quickly. This is also just a personal preference for me I’d like to see a woman get back on her feet without the need of a man. Despite this I thought this was an absolutely charming read, the perfect book to add to your summer TBR.

*** thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

Loved the book!! Second book in the Cosy Kettle series and just as delightful as the first one. This book centers around Flora. Flora is trying to decide whether or not to forgive her husband and go back to her old like. Honestly, I didn't think it was that hard of a decision. Malcolm is simply an awful husband. I didn't care for him in the previous book and in this book his true nature is on full display. One of the many horrible things about him, is that he blames his infidelity on his wife. Becca, Callie and all the usual book club members show up. Stanley is still up to his usual shenanigans. The eighty year old is still a daredevil and fond of using hip slang words. There could be a book about the adventures of Stanley and Dick. New to the book are Luna, Daniel and Caleb. Luna was a wonderful help to Flora and exactly the person she needed.

Definitely recommend the book and the previous one. I love this series and hope there's more books to follow. I definitely see a story about Becca. I look forward to reading more books by the author. I love the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.