Christmas at The Chocolate Pot Café will definitely evoke all of your emotions, it's a wonderfully Heartwarming read, with plenty of surprises, with a sprinkle of mystery and romance.

This is the first Jessica Redland I have read (or listened to) and I was not disappointed. I found the characters engaging, and the story surprising. I made a decision for my first series to create fictional settings inspired by real places. Whitsborough Bay is geographically placed where my hometown of Scarborough is but the town is a mix of Scarborough, Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay and my imagination. This gives me flexibility to add in whatever I need to make my story work but gives readers who know and love the area a sense of familiarity. Making Wishes at Bay View is a lovely story which includes several topics, such as deception, romance and forgiveness. An easy, enjoyable read with enough twists to keep the plot moving along steadily. Callie is a relatable, well developed character, not perfect by any means but someone that can be relied on. Jessica Redland brought the cast of characters to life and made the reader care about them – well most of them anyway. Someone got exactly what they deserved.Ruby was one of the residents of the care home and I just loved her and her friend Iris. Ruby had lived quite a riotous life when she was younger and it was great hearing about her stories. She had a real no-nonsense approach to life even in her later years and just said what she thought which was quite amusing at times. The friendship between her and Iris was touchingly portrayed. She had known sadness in her life too though and with Callie's help she begins to come to terms with her past. Elise gets the surprise of her life when she arrives home early and catches her husband up to no good. Not only is he up to no good, but he has been living a lie for his whole life. Obviously the marriage is pretty much over at this point, and its up to Elise to get over her soon to be ex husband Gary.

But instead I’ll just tell you that the author has created three quite wonderful central female characters, all with issues in their presents, real sadness in their pasts, all uncertain what their futures may hold, all facing a struggle when their personal happy endings look quite impossible. Nobody had ever kissed my hand before. I felt like a heroine in an Austen novel, being wooed by an English gent. I had to fight hard not to giggle childishly or say anything stupid. Arriving at the picturesque lakeside village of Willowdale, Autumn is swept up by the beauty and magic of the stunning landscape. Welcomed into the community with open arms, she slowly starts to feel like herself again as her creative instincts re-ignite. While Barney loves his life at Bumblebee Barn - a farm that has been in his family for generations - he's struggling to find someone to share it with. The early mornings quad biking through muddy fields and the long hours looking after the crops and animals are proving to be a deterrent to finding love.

Looking to start a family after twelve years of marriage to her childhood sweetheart, Elise soon finds herself single after being married to Gary for so long. That’s when she’s asked to be bridesmaid to her best-friend Sarah’s wedding, and she looks to put the past behind her. It’s here that she meets the also recently divorced Daniel, and she’s instantly attracted to him, but just can’t shake off the past. Will she be able to trust once again? Is Daniel too good to be true? What will happen as she sees herself finding hope at Lighthouse Cove? I loved Callie’s relationship with the older ladies and gents at Bay View, the respect she showed them and the fact that the story is about a carer who loves her job and goes out of her way to make sure everyone is looked after, regardless of the hard time her boss gives her. Then Callie discovers the reason for Ruby’s seeming bouts of depression and devises a way to give her story a happy ending. So I began reading with hope Elise’s story, she was generous with her time and sage advice. Her breakup with her husband was definitely modern though unexpected for one who was educated and I tune to friends needs etc., her entire journey to find herself was way beyond the pale. She makes bad choices, she’s selfish wit her time, and feelings. She is self centered. Some characters seemed written in to perpetuate the poor choices Elise made. Tara is a complex and flawed Character, but it's not surprising considering all she has been through.