Blog Tour - Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Kisses by Carole Matthews (including giveawy)

Today I am really pleased to welcome Carole Matthews to my blog to celebrate the publication of Carole's 30th novel, Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Kisses. 

I recently saw a post on Facebook asking which author I would buy without reading the blurb on the back of the book and I know that Carole Matthews is definitely one of the authors that I look forward to receiving their latest book. I do not bother waiting for the blurb to be released before placing my pre-publication order and eagerly awaiting it's arrival. Carole Matthews always writes fantastic books, with strong characters on a wide variety of themes, topics and locations. I always remember 'A Place to Call Home' which has a Muslim lady as the main character and she leaves home due to domestic violence. I was doing my University degree at the time and had chosen to do my final assignment on the role of Children's Centres for the many Muslim families who used its services. It really made me think about how the community works together and do not divulge such information readily. It was a thought provoking book for me, but was written in a way that people could enjoy it as a easy to read book, one to enjoy at a poolside over the summer, or on a cold winter evening curled up in a comfy chair. 

Indulge in this wonderful, cake-filled novel of romance and friendship. Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Nights is Sunday Times bestselling Carole Matthews doing what she does best!
Fay and Danny are madly in love and it's all Fay's ever dreamed of. But she left everything - including the delightful cake shop she used to run - to be with Danny on his cosy canal boat The Dreamcatcher. And as she soon finds out, making delicious cakes on the water isn't always smooth sailing!

Then Fay gets a call from her friends, a call that sends her back to her friends and the Cake Shop in the Garden. It will be hard being away from Danny but their relationship is strong enough to survive . . . isn't it?

Fay soon falls happily back in love with her passion for baking - especially now she's on dry land again! - and starts to wonder if she ever should have left.

With Christmas around the corner, Fay is determined that her friends will have a very merry time, but does that mean even more time away from Danny?

Can Fay really get everything she ever wanted in Christmas Cakes & Mistletoe Nights.

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

ISBN: 9780751560275

Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Kisses reunites the reader with Fay and Danny from 'The Cake Shop in the Garden', two of my favourite Carole Matthews characters. They are off on their travels around the country on Danny's barge when a phone call back to the Cake Shop gives Fay troubling news which means she must return home.

I really enjoyed this book, although the title is Christmassy it is not a traditional Christmas read, The story is the build up to the Christmassy period and is very character orientated with a number of smaller storylines leading to the crescendo at the end being the festive period celebrations.  I don't want to give away any of the storyline but I really liked  Lija and her new assistant, Rainbow. They are like chalk and cheese, but each have fantastic characters, and I think the customers are in for a treat when they visit. The food that the café serves sounds gorgeous, not a book to read when hungry. 

I really hope that Carole revisits the characters in a future book as I love the series but there is a small part of me that is worried to visit as it could mean a sad occasion. However I am sure Carole has her own thoughts on how the characters lives pan out and so I will wait with baited breath.

The publishers, Little, Brown are offering one of my blog reader the opportunity to win a signed copy of 'Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Kisses'. The competition is only open to readers in the UK and Ireland and will be sent directly from the publishers. To enter, please leave a comment below and tell me your favourite Carole Matthews book or, if you haven't read Carole's books before, what is your favourite festive dessert. I will draw a name out a hat on Sunday 29th October 2017

Good luck to all the entrants and thank you again to Carole and Little, Brown for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and a copy of the book in return for an honest review.