The holidays have come and gone, but my stack of books to review that I read during the holidays still awaits! Today I’m going to share a review of a Christmas novel by one of my favorite authors, Sue Watson. Even though the season is over, you can enjoy this story now, or add it to your holiday TBR for later this year 😉 Besides, is there ever really a bad time to sink down in a big comfy chair and enjoy a feel-good romantic comedy?!
Bella’s Christmas Bake Off by Sue Watson
Published: October 22, 2015
Book Blurb: Two best friends. One big lie. The best bake off EVER. Bella Bradley is the queen of television baking – a national treasure. Her Christmas specials have been topping the ratings for years and her marriage to Peter ‘Silver Fox’ Bradley is the stuff of Hello magazine specials. But this year things are going to be different. For Amy Lane, Bella’s best friend from school, life hasn’t held quite the same sparkle. And when Amy’s husband walks out three weeks from Christmas, it seems their lives are further apart than ever. Amy has watched Bella’s rise to fame fondly, despite the fact Bella was always a terrible cook. But when she realises that Bella’s latest Christmas book is made up entirely of Amy’s mother’s recipes, the gloves are off… After winning a competition to appear on Bella’s TV show, Amy is going to make sure that for Bella and her viewers, this will definitely be a Christmas to remember… A hilarious, heart-breaking and feel good read about best friends, baking and the magic of Christmas.
Book Links: Amazon | Amazon UK | Goodreads
My Review
Much like all of Sue Watson’s other novels, Bella’s Christmas Bake Off had me laughing from the get-go. Amy’s life is changing before her in a flash. First her husband of 20 years decides to leave her for another woman, just three weeks before Christmas! Then a former best friend comes into her life in an unexpected way and past grudges make for some interesting drama in her otherwise mellow life.
This was a lovely, charming, heart-warming story about what really matters in life; learning to let go of things to be your true self, getting out of relationships that aren’t based on love, and reconnecting with friends from the past by forgiving and moving on.
I loved the dynamics between Bella and Amy and enjoyed watching their friendship rekindle and come back into what it was. They reminisced about their shared past and together began creating new memories and traditions. Love was a big theme in this novel, where one found love in unexpected places and the other was forced to let go of a loveless marriage. Sometimes you have to do difficult things to protect the ones you love and at the end of the day, having a true friend helps make the difficult times easier and on the flip side, makes celebrating the good things so much better.
5 stars for this charming Christmas confection!
I received a free review copy from NetGalley, courtesy of the author, in exchange for an honest review. Currently $2.99 on Amazon
Check out my reviews on some of her other novels!
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