Christmas at Carly's Cupcakes
by Jessica Redland
Christmas at Carly’s Cupcakes is a cozy heartwarming tale of friendship, family, putting the past behind, and embracing the future.
It’s Christmas in Whitsborough Bay. With fairy lights connecting the shops and cafés on either side of the cobbles, Castle Street seems magical. And in such a magical place, surely Christmas wishes can come true.
Carly Travis, owner of Carly’s Cupcakes, has two Christmas wishes this year. Her first is for her younger sister, Bethany, to focus on the positives in her life, including her Christmas wedding, instead of writing herself off as a failure. Bethany's attempts at cake-decorating aren't going to win any awards, but she’s certainly great with customers. Carly’s second wish is for her best friend, Liam, to come home for Christmas.
When Liam calls to say he’s been granted leave from the army, Carly makes a third Christmas wish. It’s the one she’s made every year since she was a teenager and, if she’s really brave, could this be the year when it finally comes true?
With Liam coming home, the shop having its best year yet, and a wedding to look forward to, it’s shaping up to be the best Christmas ever for Carly. But for Bethany, things are starting to unravel …
Favorite Quotes:
Liam had come up with the genius name, “The Biscuit Bunch,” because the large group of girls had been carbon copies of each other at school, exactly like a packet of biscuits: same haircut, same way of wearing their skirt and tie, same coat, same shoes, same bag … and same merciless bullying.
Before I hug you all goodbye, does anyone have anything else they want to confess? Nobody else tried to play tonsil hockey with Joshua? No? That’s a relief.
‘This isn’t your way of telling me that you really do want to run off with The Chief Biscuit?’ Liam’s expression turned very solemn and, for a moment, Carly’s stomach sank. ‘It’s an interesting proposition… But why would I want biscuits when I can have cake?’
My Review:
I have come to the end of my treasure chest of Jessica Redland books. I may go into withdrawal as I have been gleefully binging on her clever words with great delight. Written in the 3rd person and laced with bright wit and observational levity, this well-crafted story was a quick and engaging read that captivated, entertained, and squeezed the heart. Ms. Redland has such agile word skills and deftly tucks in imaginative and creative details and lush descriptions that elevate an excellent story into an exceptional one. I adore her and fervently hope she is banging away on her next mesmerizing tale, as I am eager to return to my vast collection of quirky friends residing in the quaint village of Whitsborough Bay.
Empress DJ
Author Bio
Jessica had never considered writing as a career until a former manager kept telling her that her business reports read more like stories and she should write a book. She loved writing but had no plot ideas. Then something happened to her that prompted the premise for her debut novel, Searching for Steven. She put fingers to keyboard and soon realized she had a trilogy and a novella.
She lives on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast — the inspiration for the settings in her books — with her husband, daughter, cat, Sprocker Spaniel, and an ever-growing collection of collectible teddy bears. Although if the dog has her way, the collection will be reduced to a pile of stuffing and chewed limbs!
Her passion for North Yorkshire is shared by fellow-writer and great friend, Sharon Booth and, together, they are the Yorkshire Rose Writers.
Jessica tries to balance her time — often unsuccessfully — between being an HR tutor, trying to re-learn how to play the piano, studying towards a Masters in Creative Writing, and writing itself. Who needs sleep?
Social Media Links
Twitter: @JessicaRedland
Website and blog: www.jessicaredland.com
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