Christmas at the Gingerbread Cafe
Rebecca Raisin, 2013
Carina UK (Harlequin)
64 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781472073785 (ebook)
Summary
Christmas is the season the Gingerbread Cafe was made for…but owner Lily couldn’t be feeling less merry if she tried. She’s spent another year dreaming of being whisked away on a sleigh-ride for two, but she’s facing festive season alone—again. And, just to give her another reason to feel anything other than candy-cane perky, a new shop across the road has opened… Not only is it selling baked goods, but the owner, with his seriously charming smile, has every girl in town swooning.
But Lily isn’t about to let her business crumble—the Gingerbread Cafe is the heart of the community, and she’s going to fight for it! This could be the Christmas that maybe, just maybe, all her dreams—even the someone-to-decorate-the-Christmas-tree-with ones—really do come true! (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—1979
• Where—Perth, Australia
• Education—N/A
• Currently—lives in Perth, Australia
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Book Reviews
The Gingerbread Cafe is a special place, especially at Christmas. At the heart of the community the cafe is a delightful haven, warm and welcoming with owner Lily and employee CeeCee full of the Christmas spirit. Lily is recovering from the breakdown of her marriage and CeeCee is determined to matchmake. When handsome, mysterious Damon opens up a shop across the road, CeeCee encourages Lily to make a move for him, but before long it becomes apparent that Damon's business is in direct competition with the Gingerbread Cafe.
The relationship between Lily and CeeCee is one of the key features of Christmas at the Gingerbread Cafe, and their friendship is heart-warming and reassuring. CeeCee is like a mother hen, desperate for Lily to find love and she was my favourite character, coming across as larger than life. The combination of her and feisty Lily is fabulous!
I also loved how the cafe was portrayed as a cosy, snug place, somewhere full of warmth and festive shimmer. I wish that I had a cafe like this near me—I'd certainly be a regular customer.
Kate Beeden - Amazon Review
Discussion Questions
1. Do you think Lil would have made the same decisions without CeeCee's gentle nudging?
2. Does Lil follow her head or her heart when it comes to the Gingerbread Cafe?
3. Lil uses cooking as a coping mechanism, is there any rituals you use in times of stress?
4. Do you think Lil made the right choice when it came to Joel?
5. Do you think Lil will save the Gingerbread cafe with the expansion of the catering side?
(Questions provided courtesy of the author.)