The Cozy Croissant Café follows the classic enemies-to-lovers trope with Betty and Miles at the heart of the story, told entirely from Betty’s perspective. After losing her home to developers, Betty moves into her sister’s cottage—with her trusty pony Pumpkin in tow—only to discover it’s already been promised to someone else: Miles, her sister’s husband’s best friend and someone she’s been harboring a serious grudge against since her sister’s wedding.

Betty is dealing with an event in her past that clearly affects how she interacts with the world—and with Miles, who ends up taking the brunt of her emotional defenses. While the premise had great potential for sparks to fly, I found that the chemistry between the two fell flat. The dry humor between them was fun at times, but their eventual connection felt more abrupt than believable. One moment they’re arguing, the next they’re kissing, and I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing in between.

Betty is quirky and bold, while Miles is buttoned-up and goal-focused—great ingredients for a dynamic pairing, but for me, the slow burn was too slow, and when things finally did heat up, it felt sudden and a little unearned. Honestly, I spent most of the book feeling more sympathy for Miles than for Betty.

I also struggled a bit with the supporting cast. There are clearly returning characters from previous books, and while I’m sure longtime fans will enjoy seeing them again, I found myself confused by who was who and what business they were tied to. Nicknames like “the mermaids” weren’t really explained, which left me feeling a little out of the loop.

All in all, this was a cozy, easy read with charming touches and light humor—but if you’re picking it up for a swoony romance, you might find it a bit underwhelming.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher, One More Chapter, for allowing me to read an advanced coyp of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Pure escapism for heart and soul. The Cornwall cozy village, the characters, and the light hearted story was a pleasure to immerse myself at the end of the day. Totally not my kind of read- but it became one! I am also now reading her other stories in the series. Loved it!

The Cosy Croissant Café
by Jane Linfoot

When Betty's sister graciously offers her cottage in the picturesque village of St. Aidan’s, it seems like the perfect retreat for Betty and her beloved pony, Pumpkin. However, upon her arrival, Betty discovers she is not the only occupant of the quaint one-bedroom cottage. Miles, her brother-in-law's best friend, has also made himself at home.

Despite its charming setting, Betty struggles to maintain her focus for several reasons. Miles, with an almost playful inconsistency, insists on changing Betty's name, calling her everything from "Betsy" to "Betty Beth" and even "Betsy B." This constant alteration feels disconcerting as a reader. As a freelance writer, she is usually brimming with creative ideas, yet she finds herself inexplicably fixated on securing this one particular job and publication for her story—a task that seems to grow increasingly daunting.

The dynamic between Betty and Miles is notably dull; their conversations often drift into mundane territory, leaving little room for excitement or flirtation. The absence of chemistry is palpable, making their interactions feel more like an awkward arrangement than a blossoming romance. In this seemingly idyllic setting, Betty grapples with her aspirations and the unexpected presence of a companion who adds an air of tension rather than the anticipated warmth.

Loved this book told from Betty's perspective. She's staying at her sister's house throughout the summer but hasn't been told that her brother in laws friend Miles is staying as well! Miscommunication incoming they really don't seem to like each other very much. The baking touch was a fabulous idea and loved that we got the recipes at the end. Will be highly recommending this.

We follow Betty through her POV. Betty gets to her sisters cottage to stay there for the summer and finds Miles (her BIL's best friend) already staying there. Betty and Miles previously met at her sister's wedding but he snubbed her and wanted to escort a different bridesmaid. This seems to be a whole unforgivable thing that ruined it for everyone involved causing tension between them now.

Betty and Miles seem to be constantly arguing (or flirting, I'm not sure which). I felt this was a little overdone in places though. They are complete opposites. Both are unapologetically themselves but I don't think I could stand to be around either of them. I'm not sure if it's that I'm very different to Betty but I didn't feel the connection there.

It seems expected that you should know the side characters, as there is no real introduction of them. They just appear. I am guessing they are introduced in the authors previous books but this doesn't seem to be listed as a series so I would expect it to be able to read as a standalone.

It's slow burn, opposites attract, with miscommunication (or maybe complete lack of communication).

I love the recipes at the end of the book, I thought this was a cute idea that sets the book apart.


Is the cover cute - absolutely
Is the title cute - yes
Is the premise cute - sure
Did it deliver - almost.

Well…this just wasn’t it. I had a tough time connecting with the characters and story. It was difficult to fall into their world and enjoy the story. Things felt a bit all over the place; there were segments that took me a minute to understand. I was looking forward to what seemed to be a cute rom-com but was unfortunately left disappointed.

I don’t really know what it was with this book, but it just didn’t do it for me. I found the main characters quite irritating and childish and thought the story was a bit all over the place. I really enjoyed the bun making and all the different flavours but found myself speed reading through this book just to get it out of the way.

The Cosy Croissant Café was an adorable read and perfect for Spring/Summer. I had a great time with the humor and especially the romance. I really enjoyed Betty’s character and especially Miles Appleton. Perfect name for him since he is a talented pastry chef. I really enjoyed Betty’s and Miles complex relationship. All of the baking scenes were worth it because Betty can’t seem to be able to stay away from them. Overall, this was a sweet, simple read. I really adored the cover and I can’t wait to read more from Jane Linfoot. The writing was extremely addicting. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for giving me this cosy opportunity.

This was a bit of a mixed read for me.

It was slow going to match the slow burn and I couldn't figure out why it was so hard to get into. Maybe the style just isn't for me.

The story is kinda nice, we have Elizabeth and Miles meet in the Boathouse Cottage and then proceed to tiptoe round each other or annoy the living daylights out of one another. I think more petty behaviour from one or both of them might have elevated this story a bit further.

I loved the sweet treats and the pony aspect. The slow burn was too slow to then go from 0 to 100 and back again. I think the conflict resolution happened far too quickly in both Tate/Scarlett and Miles/Beth. We need more of the longing and the drama.

The title of this book also grinds my gears. Croissants literally features maybe once. They don't even have a cafe?? It should be called The Boathouse Bun shop or something.

It was a nice read but I think needs some work.

After Betty and her Shetland pony Pumpkin have to move out of the rescue centre where she had been staying and working she moves to her sister and husband 's holiday cottage. The only problem is that, unknown to her sister, her brother in law had already left his friend Miles stay there and they already had history. Things don't start well and go downhill from there.
This is part of a series set in St Aiden, Cornwall, although it can be read as a standalone book. It has an enemies to (hopefully) lovers theme, both Betty and Miles have totally different characters, she is impulsive, good hearted, he comes across as very organised and stuffy. Both of them have issues which are only very gradually revealed, which makes some of their interactions difficult to understand at first. They almost by accident start a joint business, which forces them to work closely together which has both highs and lows. Set in my favourite part of the world, Cornwall, the star of the show is definitely Pumpkin.
4.5* stars rounded up to 5*this will be enjoyed by those such as myself who appreciate slower, more thoughtful, books.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

I really enjoyed this book, a warm, easy to read hug in a book. Although set in the summer on the beach, this can be easily read as a summer holiday read, or a winter curl up by the fireside.

Betty and Miles are sharing a house, both there by a mistake on the owners behalf. However there is history between them which does not make living together a match made in heaven. However can they set their differences aside to set up some summer pop up shops or will Betty not be able to move on from the past.

Highly recommend a read of this book.

Set in a small seaside village in Cornwall. Betty and her horse, Pumpkin move into a small cottage owned by Betty’s sister, Scarlet. The cottage is close to the ocean and Pumpkin has a field close to the cottage, everything looks perfect, but Betty is in for a surprise when she discovers Miles Appleton is living in the cottage.

Miles and Betty have secrets and a strong dislike for each other.

This was a fun romance. I loved the way Betty made friends and connections through daily walks along the beach with her horse Pumpkin. Lots of humorous incidents as Betty and Miles spend their days, Betty writing articles for a magazine on living a rural lifestyle and Miles perfecting his baking skills. Betty wants to keep her distance from Miles but can’t resist the delicious croissants he makes.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher One More Chapter a Division of HarperCollins for a chance to review this E-Book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I received a complimentary copy feoknthe publisher and all opinions expressed are mine

The book follows Betty and her beloved pony Pumpkins at Boathouse Cottage. She does not count on fate delivering her best friends brother-in-law who she can't stand but finds attractive. They go head to head for the people they love. Not only will it make you hungry but it's well written. It's perfect as a summer read.

I received a free copy of The Cosy Croissant Café from One More Chapter and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. While the title promises a warm, café-centered romance, the story is something else entirely—and not in a good way. The plot felt scattered and underdeveloped, with moments of confusion that made it hard to stay engaged. Betty and Miles lacked chemistry, and their conversations felt stiff, repetitive, and lacking in depth. I couldn’t connect with Betty, whose quirky, innocent charm read more immature and aimless than endearing. Her past trauma is mentioned but never properly addressed, which felt like a missed opportunity for character development.

The editing also left much to be desired. Phrases like “he pulls a face” were so overused it became distracting, and the inconsistent punctuation made it harder to immerse myself in the narrative. I really wanted to like this book, but it ultimately fell flat for me.

Cute, romantic, funny. It's a lovely little holiday romance book with baking and family and will they/won't they/should they? thrown in.

I found it to be a quick read, the style of writing is easy and fun, and it is one you can just fly through without realising.

Perfect book for the summer I'd say.

I could not get into this book and I really tried. This was open to be such a cute, cliche romance with tropes we all know and love but it was just too slow for me. I just felt like the chemistry between them never built and they were forced together. I also felt like our FMC was written maybe 15 years ago because the pick me, I'm not like other girl vibes were out pretty hard with every new description of her outfits. I was excited for this book because it honestly sounded like it could have been a 90s romcom but sadly it did not live up to the hype.

A slow-paced book, but the ending is satisfying.

The storyline is interesting, and while the book is part of a larger series with many previous installments, it can still be read as a standalone. The pacing is quite slow—maybe even a bit of a snooze fest—but it picks up after about 75%, and that’s when it gets engaging.

Betty gets evicted from her house and needs a place to stay. Her sister offers her country home while she and her husband, Tate, are away for five months. Betty also has a horse, which makes finding accommodation a bit tricky.

Miles is house-sitting too, needing a place after his mom’s boyfriend moved in with them. He’s into baking and enjoys spending time in the kitchen.

They agree to live together under one roof with some ground rules to cohabitate peacefully. Meanwhile, trouble brews between Scarlet and Tate, which adds tension for Betty. She plans to move out due to challenges living with Miles and even sublets a new place. But before she can leave or inform Scarlet, she’s told to stay put.

The story evolves with funny mishaps, unexpected moments, and how Betty and Miles begin to grow—both individually and together—as they also build a business from scratch. The people in the town slowly become part of their journey, intertwining in their lives in meaningful ways.

Thanks to @netgalley for the advanced copy. I love @janelinfoot and St Aiden, always nice to be back in any world Jane creates.

We meet Miles and Betty; thrown together by circumstance but destined to navigate the summer together. Betty has many reasons for hating Miles, she just needs to keep an eye on things on behalf of her sister. When opportunities arise and business proposals are too tempting to resist, can Betty stop seeing Miles in a different light?!

Romance, comedy, delicious food and summer by the beach. What more can you need! Lovely read.

I truly wanted to enjoy this book—the premise had promise, and I can see what the author was going for with a cozy, light-hearted romance. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite land for me.

One of the biggest challenges was the editing. The phrase “he pulls a face” appeared quite frequently,

The story also seems to take place within a larger universe, which could be interesting, but it wasn’t clearly established. That made it a bit confusing at times, as characters were introduced as if the reader should already know them.

The FMC appears to be intended as endearingly quirky and innocent, but she came off to me as a bit too naïve and inconsistent. Her profession was hard to grasp, and her past trauma was touched on briefly but not fully explored. Similarly, her dynamic with the MMC felt underdeveloped—I wasn’t quite sure why there was tension between them.

As for the MMC, he had potential but remained pretty one-dimensional. Other than being described as attractive, we didn’t get much insight into his personality or motivations.

Overall, I appreciate the intent behind the story and the cozy vibe it was aiming for.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I was really drawn in by the title and cover art. I thought this would be a super cute, cozy spring romance! But instead of cozy, it was really just boring.

The start of the book is very slow. I kept reading it in small chunks and I had a difficult time wanting to keep going. At 23% in, I decided I wasn't enjoying it and wasn't invested in the characters or the story enough to keep going.

I feel like we weren't given any very compelling reasons to care about these characters or their cohabitation, and the reason for the forced proximity just didn't even really make sense.