The Gingerbread Cafe

by Anita Faulkner

The brand-new Cotswold romance from Anita Faulkner, author of A COLOURFUL COUNTRY ESCAPE. Cosy up for chilly winter nights, falling snow and heart-stopping romance - the perfect festive read!

'Cosy, charming and utterly captivating' HEIDI SWAIN

CAN GRETEL FIND THE RECIPE FOR THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS?

The Gingerbread Café is always full of Christmas magic. Come rain or shine (or even a July heatwave), there's always a hot chocolate bursting with cinnamon and marshmallows waiting for you. For introverted Gretel, it's been the perfect escape from 'real life'. The owner, Nell, is Gretel's last link to her late mum, and hiding out at the café feels so much safer than making new friends.

So when Nell suddenly passes, Gretel is left heartbroken. Then she discovers that Nell has left the café to her - but there's a catch. Gretel has to share the running of The Gingerbread Café with the least festive person Nell's nephew, Lukas. Head chef at the local fancy restaurant, Lukas makes it clear he has no time for the café, Gretel or even Christmas itself, and Gretel's too busy struggling to save her burnt batches of gingerbread to work out why.

Gretel is determined to keep Christmas alive and make the café a success before Lukas hands the keys over to the scrooge-like developers. But she can't do it alone; besides an over friendly ferret and a waitress with a secret, the only person she has now is Lukas. Will it take a Christmas miracle to get the pair to finally see eye to eye, or could the ice already be melting?

Packed full of sugar and spice, The Gingerbread Café will tick all the wishes off your Christmas list this festive period. Perfect for fans of Heidi Swain, Jo Thomas and Bella Osborne.

'Don't miss this enchanting sparkly Christmas read . . . grab it as soon as you can and devour, along with a steaming mug of hot chocolate, marshmallows and a gingerbread cookie!' GEORGIA HILL

'A beautiful Christmas story full of love and festive magic' KATIE GINGER

'One of the most beautiful Christmas books I've ever read. Warm, lovely, homely, and filled with community spirit and festive joy in all the right places!' JAIMIE ADMANS
PRAISE FOR ANITA

'Full of fun and colour' BELLA OSBORNE

'A heart-warming and uplifting romance!' HOLLY MARTIN

'Such a fun ride! Faulkner brings colour and humour to every line' PERNILLE HUGHES

'I absolutely adored this book. Fresh, funny and upbeat' KITTY WILSON

'Pure delight - I loved it!' NICOLA MAY

'Endlessly joy-lit. Bursting with character and warmth' CHRISTIE BARLOW

'A vibrant, charming book. Makes me quite want to take a colourful adventure of my own, especially after these rather beige past couple of years!' ISLA GORDON

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit

368 pages, Paperback

Published October 24, 2023

Reviews

[Jaimie Admans · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read A Colourful Country Escape earlier this year, I said Anita Faulkner had instantly become one of my favourite authors and this completely confirms it. What a masterpiece of a book! A Colourful Country Escape sparkled, but this one shines like a Christmas star!

We go on such a journey with Gretel, and also with the other characters as well, and I was cheering them and Green Tree Lane on from the very beginning. Fantastic characters with backstories and pasts that you really care about, and even a few surprises that I didn't guess along the way! Choc-a-block full of ferrety goodness, a very naughty jukebox, and some inventive use of cherry-pickers!

One of the most beautiful Christmas books I've ever read. Warm, lovely, homely, and filled with community spirit and festive joy in all the right places!

Five sparkling stained-glass stars from me! It will leave you craving gingerbread, hot chocolate, and a hug from Lukas! I'm already counting down the days until Anita's next book!

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best Christmas read I've ever had, quite predictable and dull, but ok for your average cheesy book for this time of year.

[Gem ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this from start to finish, a really accomplished Christmas story about loss,love and finding community amongst the weird and wonderful! Lots of delicious treats such as lebkuchen, gingerbread, cinnamon hot chocolate, warming winter soups etc entice you in to the warm cosiness of the cafe and charms you in to believing in the character development. A book as gorgeous as its cover!

[Sarah Kingsnorth · Rating 5 out of 5]


THE GINGERBREAD CAFE
BY
ANITA FAULKNER.

Nel owns The Gingerbread Cafe, where it really is Christmas every day.
One of her most loyal customers is Gretel.
Gretel is a broken soul. She is dealing with her own overwhelming grief and copes mainly by creating Christmas crafts in stained glass.

When Nel passes away, she leaves a gift for Gretel in her will.
Gretel is now the new owner of half of The Gingerbread Cafe. Unfortunately, Nel’s grumpy nephew Lukas is the owner of the other half.
The will stipulates that they cannot just sell up and cash in, so it looks like this unlikely pair are stuck with each other for some time to come.
However when you consider that Gretel can’t bake for toffee and Lukas is a talented chef, they may just make the perfect partnership, if they can get past their differences.

Alongside Gretel and Lukas we meet an eclectic cast of colourful characters, who all bring something special to the story in their own way.

I do have one complaint about this story. All the mentions of scrumptious food did make my mouth water and sent me rummaging through the cupboards for any hidden treats I may find. This is not a diet friendly read!

Seriously though, there is just so much to love about this book. It is quite honestly such a warm hearted festive romp. If this book doesn’t melt your insides, You really must have a heart of stone.

The Gingerbread Cafe is a book about learning to deal with grief, finding a way forward, friendships, love, community, everything festive and a ferret called Angel Gabriel!

Anita Faulkner has once again shown us readers what a super talent she is. Her personality shines in her vibrant writing.

You have to add this gem of a book to your festive reading list. Hang your baubles, wrap your gifts, then pour yourself a large Baileys and settle in for a wonderful slice of the most feel good Christmas fiction.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Out now on all formats.

With thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group Uk for a digital arc of this title.

[Agi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely, warm and uplifting story it was! Yes, there were moments that I thought I will never finish it, it was rather on the long side and sometimes it dragged a bit, but altogether I completely enjoyed it. The characters were brilliant, so real and realistic, full of flaws, problems, secrets and you couldn`t not like them and the sense of community was overwhelmingly positive. I've cheered them on their journey to achieve the happiness, I laughed with them and kept everything crossed for them, and that's a sign of characters truly well written, when you live almost vicariously through them.

The sense of place is great and I've never wondered why the characters love their little street so much, the author captured the atmosphere so well.

The author has managed to deal with so many important issues here, like grief, forgiveness, friendship, community, moving onward, sparkling a great dose of humour over them and writing about them with gentleness and understanding. This is my first Anita Faulkner book and it won't be be my last, that'S for sure. This novel is so warming and cosy, full of joy and happiness and Christmas. What's not to love.

[Julia Sarene · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a good long while to really care for the main character. I was interested in how she ended up where she was, and it was quickly obvious that she lived through some horrible things to become who she is.

However the completely unprepared and thoughtless way she goes into things at the start really grinded on me. I mean if you are a social recluse and decide to reopen a coffee, one would think you at least have something to sell and have tried out how the coffee machine works in advance...

Once she starts to progress a bit, and we get a glimpse into her past, I did finally connect to her, and from then on I was able to enjoy the story.

I did love the way the community goes from strangers to friends, and how that starts to change everyone's life's in little and big ways.

A ferret as a pet was also something I haven't come across in a romance, and I always count a furry friend as an extra plus!

[Hannah Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading A Colourful Country Escape by Anita earlier this year I was very excited to read her next novel - especially as it was a Christmas book!

This book delivers on every front, the super cute cover, eccentric but lovely characters, lots of Christmas and Gingerbread, a super cute fluffy pet, lots of community spirit, friendship romance and a bit of tension!

I’m so glad I read this and can definitely say that I’m very excited to see what Anita magics up next as I’ll be sure to get myself a copy - I was very kindly sent this copy from @littlebrownbookgroup_uk after purchasing it myself on my kindle.

[Jennifer Bibby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this magical charming story of love, community and friendship.

[yooneast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je l'ai dévoré aussi vite que je dévore une boîte de lebkuchen. C'était cozy, tout mimi et émouvant. Cliché à souhait aussi mais comme on les aime.

Je me sentais un peu moue en ce moment et je suis tombée par hasard sur ce livre en voulant lire une romance de Noël. Ça m'a fait beaucoup de bien de le lire, avec ces références sucrées que je connais bien (#strudelvie). Les personnages sont adorables et très attachants, et bien que ce soit une romance, le côté amitié et "found family" est super mignon et émouvant et tout aussi important pour les personnages.

Ça parle également de deuil et de se retrouver, se reconnecter à soi-même (merci Phoebe et ses chakras) et j'avais besoin de ça pour cette période

À lire avec un chocolat chaud et des lebkuchen sous un plaid bien au chaud (supplément chat ou furet rpz Ange Gabriel) <3

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely abysmal. Would give negative stars if I could.

Why so many deaths in a Christmas romance novel is beyond me.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve never been so tempted to not finish a book in my life. This was soooooooooooo boring. Gretel’s mum and sister are dead, but she loves Christmas. Lukas hates Christmas and is a chef. That’s it. Those are their entire personalities. They have a maximum of 5 conversations. They are (allegedly) madly in love and perfect for each other. Everyone lives happily ever after. That’s the whole story.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas all year round – that’s what it’s like at the Gingerbread Cafe. Heaven for some, certainly not for others – but very much a safe haven for Gretel, working alongside the lovely Nell who’s gone some way to help heal her grief in the absence of her mum and sister. But Nell has now passed away too, and the cafe has been left jointly to Gretel and Nell’s nephew Lukas. While Gretel, in her quirky Christmas outfits and with a deep love of everything Christmas, wants to keep the place going as a tribute to the woman she loved – not the easiest task when she really doesn’t like people that much and certainly can’t do what’s needed in the kitchen – Lukas has an eye on the profit from its sale, a chef wanting to set up his own restaurant rather than turning out other people’s menus at the Rotten Carrot (sorry, that’s just Gretel’s version – it’s really “La Carotte Rôtie”).

Things are looking pretty hopeless – all the small shops in the Cotswold village are struggling, there’s no sense of community any more, and the developers (who’ve already ruined the neighbouring village) are getting ready to move in. But then there’s a bit of a glimmer in the darkness – the mysterious Amber, who appears just when Gretel most needs her, helps give her a sense of purpose and to fight to save the cafe she loves. The community – a wonderful mix of quirky characters – start to pull together, working towards the village fair they all pin their hopes on to change their fortunes. The relationship between Gretel and Lukas is warming up nicely, and it seems he might be on her side after all – but then everything rather comes crashing down, and the situation looks more desperate than ever.

This book really was a lovely read. I expected fun – and yes, there’s plenty of that, as I whooped and cheered a new stronger Gretel fighting for her dream. The characters are fantastic – all the other shopkeepers, every individual beautifully drawn, and particularly the appalling larger-than-life developer, Miss Swingy Bob Whimple (who rather reminded me of Cruella Deville… but in distinctive black and gold trainers). A small and furry character plays quite a large part in the story too – I’m not that keen on ferrets as a rule, but Angel Gabriel might just have converted me a little (although I think I’d rather not have him in the kitchen, chewing my toes…). But it’s certainly not all laugh-a-minute – there were plenty of other moments of particular poignancy that brought a real tear to my eye, and I just wanted to give Gretel a big cuddle. And the romance? Yes, I rather enjoyed that – it perhaps didn’t have quite all the chemistry I’d have liked, but I really did hope that the pair, after going through so much and coming so far, would have their happy ending.

And I haven’t even mentioned Gretel’s glass sculptures, the crystals, the truth about Amber, the jukebox with a mind of its own, the gingerbread village… you’ll just have to read the book for yourself, and I do hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. Bravo to its lovely author – and I’ll be looking forward to seeing what she does next.

[Ritu Bhathal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and The Little Brown Book Co UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Anita Faulkner is a relatively new author on the block, but, having already read her debut, A Colourful Country Escape, I was brimming with excitement to read her soon-to-be-released The Gingerbread Cafe, and I was not disappointed one bit!
Gretel is stuck in a time warp, replaying all that is Christmas in her life every day because it's the safest way. Memories she doesn't want to forget about people she has lost, all attached to the festive season.
And what better place to be able to relive them than in the village's all-year-round Christmas-themed coffee shop, The Gingerbread Cafe, run by Nell, a person who has been her surrogate mother for many years.
Then illness takes that one person who grounds her but leaves her with a gift she had never expected. the ownership of said cafe. Or rather, shared ownership with Nell's grumpy nephew, Lukas, an up-and-coming head chef with aspersions much higher than a lowly cafe, themed around the season he hates the most. And worst of all, the Will conditions state that they are stuck with each other and the cafe for a while before they can be rid of one another.
I loved the way this story developed and how each main character found themselves, more and more as the pages were turned,
Gretel needed to learn that she could live in the now and that not all memories had to be lived constantly, and Lukas had to find a way to fulfil his real dreams, not those he was expected to have,
No story is complete with a decent cast of characters, and the village of Mistleton was not lacking, I tell you! The other shop owners of the village, as we came to get to know them, each brought much colour and wisdom to the journey Gretel found herself on, as well as Amber, the mysterious, sort-of waitress, with her strange uniform, and straight-up wisdom, even though her mouth needs to be reined in sometimes.
And then, our villain of the piece, Francesca Wimple, or Swingy Bob, is determined to strip all the local villages of their individuality and character by turning everywhere into franchise-run high streets.
The review wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention Angel Gabriel, Gretel's pet ferret, who plays a starring role in the story with his little squeaks and quirks.
I feel all gooey inside after reading this. I finished it in a day, and now I really want to go to Mistleton, sample all the gingerbread goodies and hot chocolate in the cafe, and visit the other wonderful independent shops that line Green Tree Lane!
A wonderful second book by this author who is fast becoming an instant buy fave of mine!

[Kayleigh Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet little chic lit read. I loved the setting and some of the quirky characters. I found myself wanting to learn more about the main characters to try and connect with them, it took a while to get there but it was a cute read. Meeting the wider community and the atmosphere created in the second half of the book is what made this book enjoyable for me.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, light-hearted read, where I didn't have to think too much. It wasn't difficult to guess the love story part, but the small twists and development of the story were surprising and kept me engaged. The quirky characters were a great addition and we're just what the book needed to add some depth.

[Patricia Trapero · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lo siento pero voy a abandonarlo :( Y me sabe fatal porque seguro que a muchas personas le puede gustar mucho esta historia pero es que a mí no me dice nada… sobre todo los personajes… qué rabia porque la historia está chula, pero no conecto con nada ni nadie :(

[Emma Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little read

It was a cute read from start to finish and it had all the bits to make it a Christmas read read from loss, love and finding community amongst the weird and wonderful towns folk.
Would i read it again maybe, maybe not I'm on the fence it also gave me pumpkin spice cafe vibes.

[Emmie Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gingerbread Cafe is such a heart-warming and festive story about overcoming grief, new friendships and a community coming together. ⁣
⁣
This is my first Anita Faulkner book and will not be my last. I really enjoyed her writing and the descriptions of the food made me incredibly hungry! Also I can safely say that this is the first book where the main character had a pet ferret! I loved it! ⁣
⁣
This was an amazing book to start off my festive reading month!⁣
⁣

[Paige jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cutest lil Christmas read🎄✨🤩

[Shakespeare Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet Christmas read but a bit slow to get going, but then it has a good pace, great cast of side characters and good character development for the main characters with some mysteries maintained to the final few chapters.

[Danielle Carley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nah

[Gracemay Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have said 4 stars as it is better than the average romance due to twists and a couple of storylines rather than just the romance one. However, elements where written to cringe for me haha

[caoimhe murphy · Rating 1 out of 5]

No thanks

[Caira Lucia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very sweet and cozy book but also had deeper storylines which I also enjoyed overall a decent book

[Grace Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Nell owner of The Gingerbread Cafe passes away she leaves her beloved Christmas cafe to Gretel and Lukas who is her nephew but he’s not a fan of Christmas. Gretel loves Christmas and the cafe is her happy place and she makes her stained glass ornaments there. They have to run it jointly but Lukas who is a chef wants to sell up, Gretel can’t bake but wants to try and fulfill Nell’s wishes. Brimming full of fabulous festive food I immediately craved gingerbread and hot chocolate whilst reading this book. Green Tree Lane sounds a magical place with some interesting and quirky characters, I so wish it was real.

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had an advanced reader copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

I have to admit, I wasn’t sure about this at first. The heroine was so weird that I found it difficult to engage with her but I persevered and I was so pleased that I did. This was a fabulous, heartwarming story and I loved it. Lucas and Gretel were just perfect and although there seemed to be rather too many other characters, the author did handle them very well. A fabulous read.

[T.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just the cozy Christmas read I needed. I kept thinking this books feels like it is set in one of the villages by me and then the author mentioned Tewksbury and the acknowledgements mention Gloucester and I realised it is because the author clearly lives near me.

Wonderful Cotswolds country vibes, with a typical hallmark style Christmas romance of two people seeming at odds who you just know will work it out.

A lovely read for this time of year if you’re missing the Christmas cheer.

[Susanne Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet story!
I love love love Angel Gabriel, what a fantastic character!
Charming and emotional, it was a delightful book filled with hope and determination to succeed.
The characters were adorable, their relationship was intriguing to watch too.
Captivating and endearing, a great festive book.

[Emma Pepperdine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect cosy Christmas read! I loved this cute story. This was an easy read and although it was predictable, I enjoyed ending the year with this feel good Christmas story!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Earlier this year, I read Anita Faulkner’s debut novel A Colourful Country Escape, which I absolutely loved. So I was thrilled to hear her latest novel was out – The Gingerbread Café. The first thing to mention is the beautiful cover – a gorgeous house (the café of the title) in a navy blue background with trees, flowers, hills and snow. Just lovely! Plus gingerbread is one of my favourite foods!
The Gingerbread Café is a special place, festive all year round. When Nell (the owner of the café) dies, Gretel Rosenhart inherits it, along with Nell’s nephew Lukas. It’s not the perfect match - Lukas hates Christmas, Gretel loves it. He’s a Head Chef at a restaurant and insists he isn’t interested in the café. How will this ever work?
Gretel is 26, she is originally from Austria and now lives with her pet ferret Angel Gabriel in a small maisonette in Mistleton, Gloucestershire. Since Nell died, she doesn’t really have anyone left to care about. She has a talent for making beautiful Christmas ornaments from glass, which she sells online. But is her crafting and her ferret really enough?
I loved Gretel right from the start. I love her clothes and how she takes her ferret with her – in his matching outfits! I like the fact she has obvious issues to deal with; she isn��t perfect at all. She’s not comfortable around people and has had a tragic past. I really wanted her to make a success of The Gingerbread Café and find some happiness.
I loved all the characters in the book – well, nearly all of them. Francesca Whimple deserves a big panto-style BOO HISS! But everyone is interesting, some hold plenty of secrets and you are intrigued to find out more about them. What’s Amber hiding? Will Grumpy Lukas thaw with the snow?
It’s not just a romance novel, there are so many layers and fascinating characters with their own stories to tell. Gretel and Lukas are both grieving and looking to find happiness and contentment after sadmess and loss.
Anita’s writing style is just beautiful – easy to get into, fun, warm and witty with some brilliant lines! (One of my favourites was “Gretel had run out of steam and had gone home to sob into her ferret.”) The festive theme is gorgeous, I could literally smell the gingerbread and cinnamon! (Remember those Scratch ‘n’ Sniff stickers? We need Scratch ‘n’ Sniff books!) The chapters are just the right size too and always tempting to read “just one more”… Plus there are some wonderful little touches like the café’s unpredictable jukebox.
This is the second of Anita’s books I have read and I’m happy to add her onto my list of favourite authors, as both novels have been perfect! Highly recommended.