A Recipe For Christmas by Jo Thomas

 A Recipe For Christmas

 by Jo Thomas



A Recipe For Christmas by Jo Thomas 

was published on 10th October 2024 by Penguin.

My thanks to the Author and Publisher for sending me a copy to review and to 

Random Things Tours for inviting me on the tour.




Synopsis

Take one woman longing for the perfect Christmas…


All Clara has ever wanted is Christmas surrounded by loved ones, full of warmth and delicious food. So, when her new boyfriend asks her to move to Switzerland, she can't help but say yes! After all, what could be more perfect than Christmas in the Alps?


Add a dash of surprise

She quickly signs up for a chocolate-making course, imagining a workshop like something out of a festive advert. Instead, it's chocolate-making bootcamp! And her boyfriend isn't all he seemed either.


And enjoy a magical festive treat!


My Review


For me Jo Thomas never disappoints when you need a nice, easy read that will give you a few hours of escapism, in this case with a nice mug of hot chocolate and a box of Lindor chocolates. I will also defy any reader whilst the are reading this not to wonder how many Lindor chocolates you can fit in your mouth at once !!!!!!

The characters within this lovely story are all relatable to people you will know , or who have come across, as is the wont with Jo’s books and consequently she draws you in to this oozy Christmas storyline bathed in beautiful , tempered chocolate from start to finish.

I must admit there were times when I did wonder how much chocolate could one eat before feeling incredibly ill, which didn’t seem to happen here, but then again it’s a story and reality can be sidestepped.

The book begins eight weeks before Christmas with Clara’s leap of faith into starting a new life, with a new man, in a new country leaving her friends and all that she has known for the last forty years behind. Even though she is just a character in a book you have to admire her positivity whilst you may also wonder “What if I did this ?”

One thing I always like about Jo’s books are the recipes she includes at the back and the tartiflette one had me chasing to the shops for reblochon cheese to make this unctuous comforting dish that brought back many memories of Switzerland and Austria for me.

Enjoy the book, the recipes and the escapism and let me know how many Lindor chocolates you can fit in your mouth in one go. 


About the Author


Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, including time at Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Radio 2's The Steve Wright Show.


Jo's debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller and won both the RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the Festival of Romance Best eBook Award. Her book Escape to the French Farmhouse was a #1 bestselling eBook.


Jo loves to explore new countries and discover the food produced there, both of which she thoroughly enjoys researching. Jo lives in Pembrokeshire with her husband and three children, where cooking and gathering around the kitchen table are a hugely important and fun part of their family life.


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