Review: Love at the Icicle Café by Denise N. Wheatley

 Can an icicle-themed festival thaw the most unlikely hearts?

California lawyer Mina Richards spent her childhood helping her mom bake at their winter-themed café in the snowy village of Gosberg, Germany. When her retired parents want to sell The Icicle Café, Mina returns to facilitate the sale. She needs this to go right—she’ll fly in, finalize the deal and fly out to rescue her once high-powered career. But faced with Scott, her childhood friend and crush who doesn’t want to sell, Mina’s plan quickly falls apart.

Rising chef Scott Dawson has turned The Icicle Café into a destination restaurant. His parents and their partners want to sell the café to a hotel chain, and Scott can't meet their price. When Mina arrives—more beautiful and determined than ever—he sees the possibility of a new future for the business and the town he loves. He just needs to change her mind…about more than selling the café.

When Scott asks Mina to help with the café’s annual Icicle Fest, their icy relationship warms. Can these former friends find a future together in the snowy village of their past?

 

My Review:

A sweet second chance romance

Two old friends, Mina and Scott, are brought together again to finalize the sale of their beloved family restaurant, The Icicle Cafe, in Gosberg, Germany.  But first, there is one event that the entire town looks forward to each year, the Icicle Fest.  Mina and Scott work together to make it the best one yet.  As they spend time together, they discover the chemistry they once had is still there.  But is it strong enough for Mina to stay in Germany, or will she go back to her life in California?  And, will they be able to save the cafe from being sold and turned into a hotel? 

This is the first book I have read by this author and it definitely won't be the last.  She has a way of telling a story that drew me in from the very beginning. The characters felt real along with the descriptions of the cafe and town of Gosberg in the winter, really came to life through her words.  I could easily see this book as a movie.

 

Review: Once Upon a Winter Wedding (Holly, Idaho #2) by Jeannie Watt

Can opposites attract and plan the perfect winter wedding?

Free-wheeling Stevie Evans is thrilled when her best friend announces she’s getting married and promises to help, never imagining she’d play wedding planner with her bestie’s uptight brother, Brant. She and Brant clashed several years ago and she’s avoided him ever since. But this time she can’t run or hide, and the buzz of attraction is stronger than ever.

Brant Gilroy’s meticulous life plan takes an unexpected turn when he hits a career bump on the same day as his sister’s wedding announcement. She wants to get married at the family tree farm, which he’s been restoring. Brant’s determined to make her day special despite his uncertain future, although he dreads working with her best friend—a woman who’s his complete opposite. So why can’t he get her out of his head?

As Brant and Stevie work together, Brant begins to wonder if they have more in common than they suspected. But how can he convince her that opposites can sometimes make the perfect team?

 

My Review:

A heartfelt reunion.

It’s been ten years since Stevie had a falling out with her best friend Kara’s brother, Brant.  Now Kara wants Stevie and Brandt to work together to plan her wedding.  After they put their disagreements from the past behind them, they find friendship again and soon find themselves falling in love. 

This was a fun book to read.  Stevie and Brant were great together once they were able to put the past behind them.  I laughed when the people in town thought they were the ones getting married as they were going to food tastings and ordering flowers.  There were some emotional parts in the story as well, like when Stevie has to overcome her fears and Brandt is there to help her.  Brant is at a crossroads with what he wants to do with his life and with Stevie’s help, he is able to make a decision.  All around, it is a good book. 

 

 

Review: Confessions of an Angel Cat by Nic Tatano

Meet Murphy, an Angel Cat. An actual Guardian Angel in the form of a cat.

No, seriously.

Guardian Angels take different forms on Earth, but in the case of Angel Cats, they’re sent on missions to fix broken lives. And while doing so, they strive to achieve a “heart lock” with a human, a bond so strong it will last forever. Their reward is to spend eternity in Heaven with their special person.

Alas, Murphy has failed several times and is beginning to wonder if he’s cut out for the job.

But when he’s assigned to Maggie Ryan, a seriously ill teenage girl who is ready to give up, he begins to see the proverbial bright light.

Will he be able to turn Maggie’s life around, and, in doing so, achieve the heart lock he so desperately wants?

 

My Review:

Sweet and sentimental.

I could get enough of Murphy, the angel cat, who was sent to help a young girl, Maggie, who had a terminal illness and had given up on life. 

The love Maggie and Murphy shared and the encouragement Murphy gave Maggie had me tearing up many times through the book.  I would recommend this book to anyone who loves cats or just looking for an inspiring story to read.