This is truly beautiful - this is a graphic novel done right. There was so much content; the characters were loveable and well fleshed out, the art was a beautiful watercolour, and the plot was deep and perfect. Will be purchasing this in a physical copy to read again as it was a well worthwhile read.

I was lucky to receive an arc of Days of Sugar and Spice which is an adult graphic novel by Loïc Clément (Script), Anne Montel (Art). It tells the story of Rose who is living in Paris until she is called back to Brittany after her Dad's Death but being back has given Rose so many bad memories which she is finding hard to deal with. But with the help of her Aunt Morronde and her childhood friend Gael Rose becomes more happier than she was and realises how important it is to have her friends and family around her. I found the story very cute and easy on the eye thanks to the art of Anne Montel. So I am giving this 4 stars

A really sweet tale about Rose who returns to Brittany after her estranged fathers death to deal with the bakery he left behind, it’s a lovely tale as we Rose deals with the inheritance and the bakery, we also learn about her childhood through her fathers recipe book and learn things Rose didn’t know. I love that it touches on current issues that towns are dealing with loss of businesses, people moving out, effects on labour and corporations taking over, it’s done so well and sensitively handled. It’s beautifully illustrated/designed. I loved the different panels and styles used to separate the chapters, a wonderful tale about new beginnings to start the year. Thoroughly recommended

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

So sweet and beautiful. I loved this so much and can’t wait for it to be on my shelf. The story and artwork were so perfect the way she portrayed things visually and the grandmother with the spoon during the soup! Perfection.

The plot of this was such a good idea and I loved it as a comic book. It was such a cute story and the illustrations were amazing and so adorable. My only problem was reading the cursive handwriting (maybe have it a bit bolder so it stands out?).

<i>Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and I'd like to thank them in letting me read a copy of Days of Sugar and Spice by Loïc Clément.</i>

Since reading the description of being set in a small town in Brittany, France, and being about a bakery, I knew I wanted to read this. I loved the incorporation of recipes in this; it wasn’t step-by-step instructions, but it gave the gist of it. From drinks to soup to tarts, everything seemed delicious. The art is beautiful, filled with colour, but not overwhelming so, and filled with details. I liked the change in colour scheme, going to a minimal set of shades colour, when the main character, Rose, was recalling events from the past. It made things clear, and easy to not mix up the two. My only criticism about the art, although it’s not really about the art itself, is that sometimes there weren’t any borders between the “panels”. It might be that I’m so used to those concrete dividing lines that I prefer it not to change, but it’s still relatively easy to follow.

I do have to say that the first half is a bit predictable and slow-moving, but in the second half, it gets more interesting. Nevertheless, I love the aunt with her big personality, as well as the cats who gave me a good laugh. Gael is also nice, but since this is such a quick, easy read, I didn’t get too attached neither to him nor any other character.

My only regret is that I wish I read this in French, as how it was written. On another note, I would like to say that the narration font isn’t the best. Don’t get me wrong, I love the cursive; however, there are some words of which are hard to make sense, and some letters that don’t always appear to be what they actually are, such as the capital letter “I” that looks like a “J”.

That aside, I think this is a sweet little book (pun intended).

This was an absolutely charming and heartfelt graphic novel. I really enjoyed it, and definitely recommend it.

Font in cursive sections could be clearer, it's almost unreadable. The story is really good plot wise, but straining my eyes to make sense out of the words takes me out of the story. The cats are amazing, I love the little cutaway scenes with them. Overall it was a sweet story 10/10 will read again.

I was in the mood for a fun and quick read, so I decided to request another graphic novel. When deciding on a graphic novel there are two things that I look for: a plot that I think will interest me, and a drawing style that I enjoy looking it. Days of Sugar and Spice had both, so I decided to give it a go.

When diving into the story I realised I got exactly what I bargained for. The story was sweet, but predictable and the drawings were what made it special for me. Overall it’s about a woman named Rose who inherits a bakery from her deceased father in Brittany. She goes there with the intent of selling the place, but eventually falls in love with it – and the man who spends a lot of time there – and decides to stay and re-open the place.

Overall, I was pleased with the book and I enjoyed reading it.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


Graphic novels are always quite hit-or-miss for me but I really like trying out new authors and illustrators. The cover of this one appealed to me straight away when I saw it and I just had to read it.

Rose was an interesting character that I found myself relating to quite a bit considering the minimal text describing her personality. I found that the artwork really helped with this as it was expressive even with only slight details.

The story itself tackles themes of childhood and memory as well as having the most adorable love story at its heart. I thoroughly enjoyed Gael as a love interest and I found that the added quirkiness of the talking cat chorus was adorable.

Overall I really enjoyed this graphic novel and would recommend it to anyone wanting a light standalone graphic novel.

4 out of 5 stars!

Confession; I have never read a graphic novel before and I think this classifies as one right? It’s strange to me because the illustrations almost take me away from what the story is telling me. Nevertheless, this is such an enchanting story! Sweet and heartfelt and something I want to keep on my shelf for ever and ever! I’m convinced that this is a beautiful story told in a beautiful way and that I am sold on graphic novels.

Rose's life as a graphic designer in Paris turns upside down overnight, when a call lets her know that her estranged father has died, leaving her his bakery in a small town in Brittany. Although she intends to just travel there for a day, accept the inheritance and sell the property, it seems that life has other plans for her. Once she meets her old friend from school and her auntie again, Rose will start learning more about her real childhood. And, along with those realizations, her decisions are going to change.

Heartbreakingly beautiful, Days of Sugar and Spice is a story that will make the reader's mind wander. The characters are simply lovable, there's a generous dose of humor involved, and the plot is well-built and beautifully presented through the dreamy illustrations. Truth be told, this story takes you for a ride in an emotional roller coaster. But it is definitely worth it. Strongly recommended.

I thought this looked like a sweet, warming tale to read this festive season, and I was right! The art style was gorgeous, and it was such an easy read. It was a nice length, too, I felt; It wasn't too long, but it was still long enough to develop the characters and story.
Rose Lemon lives in Paris but is summoned back to her childhood hometown at the news of her father's death. She hasn't seen or heard from her father in years - since she and her mother were kicked out of their home twenty years ago. Rose discovers that her father has left her his bakery, which she intends to sell immediately. But she finds herself slowly falling in love with the bakery, the village, and the people.
Of course, it isn't easy. At first, Rose is extremely bitter, irritable and, quite frankly, rude. And then, later, she leaves her loved ones behind after a shocking discovery, before realising where her heart truly lies. But things eventually do work out: the ending was so sweet!
The art really was gorgeous, and I absolutely loved the little intervals with the cats! My only real issue was that Rose was rather horrible at first, and I feel like the others forgave her a little too easily. Still, at least she eventually changed her ways. 4.5 stars overall!

3⭐️⁣
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Thanks @Netgalley for a copy of this graphic novel!⁣
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This was a sweet, cozy, fast read about a woman named Rose who inherits a bakery from her estranged father when he dies. While back in her small hometown, she bonds with her aunt and her childhood friend and they help her see that maybe her dad wasn’t exactly the man her mother made him out to be. ⁣
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The illustrations in this were absolutely gorgeous, and while I enjoyed the story for what it was while I was reading, it definitely isn’t a book I’ll be thinking too much about in the future.⁣
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#bookstagram #netgalley #earcs #arcs

From the description, I was expecting a French sort of Hallmark-y graphic novel with lots of delicious baked goods. That’s not quite what this is, however.

Estranged from her father since she was eight, Rose returns to her home village in Brittany after his death twenty years later. She intends to sell the family bakery and go back to her life in Paris, but a series of mishaps lead to her missing her train and reconnecting with her Aunt Marronde and childhood friend Gael. After finding her father’s diary, she starts to wonder how much of what her mother told her about her father was actually true, and she decides to reopen the bakery. But will running a small business in a dying village help her come to terms with her father’s death, or just reopen old wounds?



Rose, like her namesake, is prickly and defensive, or as she describes herself, “built on a foundation of cynicism, supported by walls of indifference.” While she’s not a completely awful person, she does tend to lash out at those she’s closest to, like Aunt Marronde and Gael. Aunt Marronde is a humorous character, in the vein of cantankerous old woman everywhere, and Rose convinces her to stay on and continue helping her with the bakery. Gael, on the other hand, is Rose’s exact opposite – as friendly as a labrador retriever and seemingly not turned off by Rose’s moods and wishy washiness. While I love the “childhood friends reconnect” trope, the romance between Gael and Rose, while sweet overall, moved too quickly and didn’t have quite enough substance. Rose is downright cruel to him at times, and I never felt like she sufficiently apologized or explained her actions, and for the most part, Gael just accepts that.



The romance also took away from other aspects of the book. I was hoping for more cooking goodness, like the gorgeous page showing Aunt Marronde’s recipe for tomato soup, and while there’s several lovely panels showing Aunt Marronde or Rose baking, there’s a lot more dealing with Gael and Rose’s relationship. I also wanted more exploration of Rose’s relationship with her father, especially since that’s the reason she even returned to the village in the first place.



The watercolor art is sweet and matches the whimsical nature of the comic. The French village and its inhabitants are lovingly detailed, and the depictions of village life are cozy and sweet. The author and illustrator seem to especially love cats. Each chapter starts with a page from the perspective of the town’s cats, for instance, which is mostly hilarious, except for when one of the cats jokes about drowning kittens in the river (?!?!).

My main issue with the book is a particular scene from the middle of the graphic novel. It’s a very secularist French exchange between one of Rose’s friends and a group of Muslim men. For lack of any other work in the village, two of the men work at the local vineyard picking grapes, which a third protests is against Islam since alcohol is forbidden. But ah, Rose’s friend protests, France’s social programs are funded by taxes on things like the vineyard’s wine, so living in France itself would be forbidden. What? This is the sort of ridiculously pat “AHA! I’ve got you!” argument that I expect from teenagers, and I have absolutely no idea what the purpose was including this in the book. The men are never seen again, and the friend mostly serves as a foil for Rose to talk about the various men in her life (boss, lover, or father, take your pick). I know the French prioritize separation of church and state over free speech (for instance, “conspicuous” religious symbols like large crosses, yarmulkes, turbans or hijab are banned in French public schools) but from my American perspective, this crossed the line into badgering.

Overall, while this wasn’t what I expected from the blurb, I still enjoyed it. The only thing that truly bothered me was the casual Islamophobia. I’m not quite sure how to rate this due to that, so I’ll go with three stars and a very strong content warning.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Days of Sugar and Spice - Script by Loïc Clément - Art by Anne Montel
This is a delightful graphic novel about Rose, a prickly graphic artist who inherits a bakery in Brittany from her father. The illustrations are what elevate this from the usual story of a young woman fleeing to the countryside to open a bakery. Fun to look at!

I got this in exchange for an honest review

I thought this little graphic novel was really cute. I actually really enjoyed the art. I loved that watercolour art and how colourful it was and the cover is really beautiful. The story is wholesome and it shows how people and situations in life can change and deserve a second chance and I really liked this. The ending was adorable and the couple in here is so cute. Definitely loved this little graphic novel and if it becomes a printed version I will most definitely purchase it.

The illustrations and writing work well together to tell the story. I did have to pay close attention and get used to how speech bubbles sometimes appeared opposite of the character actually speaking. Backstory is told in a handwritten style font that wasn’t always dark enough to easily read. There is a ghostly character in the background of some scenes who is ultimately proved to be sweet.

Les chats, sont adorables. Rose’s aunt is a force to be reckoned with. Gael is cute even if he is first a bit boisterous. I’ve seen some reviews that call Rose difficult and unlikable but the story shows the upbringing she had and I think gives adequate cause for why she is initially as she is.

There is a bizarre scene in the book where Rose’s friend Mei has a discussion with two immigrant Muslim vineyard workers and their friend about whether that is haram and if it’s not allowed then the fact that France taxes wine and uses some of that money to pay for social programs would mean that Muslims couldn’t live in France. I read it thinking “WTF. Why is this even here?”

The romance was also a bit lukewarm for me with one character dragging on it before suddenly at the end, everything had been quickly worked out for a HEA end. Rose does have to face her past and come to peace with things she can’t change. In the end, it looks as if the patisserie will thrive. The cats are happy but I wish more had worked for me. Read it for the lovely illustrations and, of course, les chats. B-

This is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about a young woman called Rose. When her estranged father dies, Rose returns to her home town because her father has left her his bakery and home.

Rose is resentful and angry when she discovers her inheritance, and she returns to her home town with the sole purpose of selling the property and leaving her childhood in the past forever. These plans change when Rose arrives in the small town because she discovers Gael her childhood friend and an elderly aunt that she didn't know she had. As she considers her legacy, the broken pieces of her past begin to come together and she discovers that her past is not what she believed it to be.

As Rose uncovers her past and her father's recipes, she discovers a love of baking and the truth about her childhood. Rose is forced to confront the possibility of a new life and a chance to escape from a job and life she dislikes, but first she needs to embrace the truth about her parents and their tumultuous relationship.

This is a lovely, gentle story that involves drama, romance and comedy. I really enjoyed reading it and the artwork is very expressive with drawings that convey the beauty of the story and it does this eloquently and without words.

I was so pleased that this was a complete story instead of a serial story because it gave me a chance to fall in love with the characters and follow the complete story.

It is a lovely story and a very enjoyable graphic novel.

Copy provided by Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I received this free copy from Net Galley in exchange for a fair review. I enjoyed the graphics and the storyline of this pretty book.. the illustrations are beautiful and detailed. The storyline has a few twists and turns but it works at a gentle pace. The main character,Rose, inherits a Boulangerie and learns to cook using her father’s recipe book, she has a few personal crisis to overcome and develops emotionally through the book, making mistakes and fighting them throughout.