Cinnamon, eggnog and an unexpected promotion
As Christmas approaches, the activity at the Cupcake Café is growing more and more and this is not to displease Izzy, happy to see that her business is holding up over time. On the personal side, everything is also going well for the young woman and her relationship with Austin is the height of happiness. However, a shadow will come to obscure this perfect picture when Austin is offered a very attractive position in New York. Not wanting to leave her cafe or break up with her partner, Izzy doesn’t know what to do and it would take a good dose of Christmas magic for the situation to improve.
Although Meet at the Cupcake Café had been a pleasant read but without more I still decided to give its sequel a chance because as a general rule I like stories set at Christmas. The fact that the story takes place at this time of year is also rather well integrated into the whole, in particular thanks to the numerous recipes which, as in the first volume, dot the novel and correspond to the theme. However, I would have liked more characters to be transported by the magical side of the end-of-year holidays because with the exception of Izyy, a good part of those around him have a rather cynical or disillusioned view of Christmas. It’s normal that there are always killjoys or people who have difficulty with this period and those who are a little too focused on Christmas can also be very tiring but a little positivity from time to time doesn’t help. no harm either.
On the other hand, no real surprise in the tone of the novel which remains quite similar to the first except that certain characters that I really liked have become a little more horrifying like Helena or Pearl and others who did not appeal to me. more convinced that this on the other hand benefits from a fairly satisfactory development like Carole. Izzy and Austin, on the other hand, irritated me a lot because for a couple who are supposed to be close, their inability to communicate clearly is very annoying and even if I understand that there have to be some obstacles in their relationship for the good of each other. The plot might have needed a slightly more subtle approach. I also found the ending to be a bit frustrating as the storylines of some of the supporting characters are unfortunately left unresolved and I don’t think Jenny Colgan has written a sequel.
A novel quite similar to the first therefore and even if the Christmas atmosphere adds a very nice little extra it will not leave me with the most memorable memories while a little more humor would not have been too much. .
