Title: The Windmill Café
Author: Poppy Blake
Genre: Romance; Women's Fiction
Publisher: HarperImpulse
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 400
No. of Pages: 400
Date of Publication: September 20, 2018
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
Escaping the bustle and heartbreak of her old life in the
city, Rosie Barnes can’t believe that her dream of setting up a café has come
true. Whether it’s her chilled homemade lemonade, sticky chocolate brownies or
warming mince pies, Rosie’s café draws guests in from far and wide, and the
folk of Willerby can enjoy it come rain or shine.
But some mysterious events soon threaten the picturesque town she now calls home, and with the help of ruggedly handsome local Matt Wilson, she must find out what’s going on before the reputation of the town – and her beloved café – are ruined.
From the scorching summer sun through to the crisp winter frosts, Rosie is in for a year she’ll never forget…
But some mysterious events soon threaten the picturesque town she now calls home, and with the help of ruggedly handsome local Matt Wilson, she must find out what’s going on before the reputation of the town – and her beloved café – are ruined.
From the scorching summer sun through to the crisp winter frosts, Rosie is in for a year she’ll never forget…
MY THOUGHTS:
Summer Breeze
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Summer Breeze
The Windmill Café is an omnibus containing three novels all set
in the same location. In the first story, Rosie Barnes has fled to the small town of Willerby
to attend a garden party. This should be a great distraction to Rosie as she
has experienced a bad breakup. Having caught her fiancé in the act of cheating
was horrible for Rosie. Things are still not pleasant for Rosie, however, as an
apparent accident occurs to one of the guests. Was it an accident that
occurred, or was it actually a poisoning? How could it have happened? Now
working at the Café, Rosie decides to team up with a town local, Matt, to solve
the case.
The police appear to be dragging their feet. Suki, a singer
at the lodge, is the woman that was poisoned. A lot of questions arise and
Rosie won’t rule out any possibility as to the cause. Is the town safe? Better
yet, what of the Café? This is Rosie’s chance for a new life. Yes, she must get
to the bottom of things.
In this entry into the series, Rosie and Matt begin
interviewing everyone that could possibly have been responsible for poisoning
Suzi. all the while a gentle romance blooms between Rosie and Matt.
As I read the second book in this series six months ago, I looked
forward to reading the series in order. I found the dialogue to be rather
droll, but I am glad to have given this series a try.
Autumn Leaves - *Published individually on June 26, 2018.
In this second book in the series, Rosie is still quite busy
at the Windmill Café, but wonders if she wants more. Presently, she agrees to
help her good friend Matt Wilson on one of his outdoor expeditions. After a
drudging hike and a night's sleep, the first morning brings on worries. As
leader of the expedition, Matt has an early morning pre-sunrise hike planned,
but he and the rest of the group oversleep. Two things are quickly realized. They
must've have been poisoned, causing them all to oversleep, and one of their
party is missing, and is discovered after having been shot with an arrow, and
it was no accident.
Meanwhile, although having suffered recent heartbreak at the
hands of her ex-boyfriend, Rosie now finds herself quite drawn to Matt, and he
seems to feel the same. Over the summer, there was a poisoning at the café, and
Matt and Rosie teamed up to solve it, and it appears they plan on doing the
same again this time, a crime-solving duo.
This is a cute story with a budding, sweet romance. Having
not read the first in the series, I still felt connected enough with the story
and the characters. This was a very quick read with a great little mystery. I
was surprised at the ending, which means to get the complete story, the third
book in the series must be read when it is released.
Christmas Trees
When Rosie’s ex Harry turns up she is nonplussed. Why is he
in Willerby? She has gotten her life back together and she’d much rather
prepare for the Christmas celebration about to take place at the Windmill Café.
Plans have been underway for months. There will be a Christmas tree competition
and Rosie wants everything to run perfectly. Rosie hardly has time to think of
the sudden business proposition that Harry makes. Not only does she have her
current job to consider, there is Matt, the man she met and has worked with
while at the café.
Rosie gets even more distracted by a change in events. There
is a cycle race about to take place, and one of the town’s members, Theo, is
injured. Another accident? Of course, Rosie doesn’t believe that, so she starts
her own investigation.
This was a nice addition to the series. As in the previous two books, the mysteries
are rather light, as is the romance. So, the crime, Christmas and the planned
wedding of two people named Josh and Grace all tie in together to make an
engaging story. This really was a nice conclusion and I am glad that I got to
read the entire series in order.
Many thanks to Harper Impulse and to
NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Poppy Blake is an avid scribbler of contemporary romance and
romcoms. When not writing she loves indulging in the odd cocktail or two –
accompanied by a tower of cupcakes. The Windmill Cafe series follows the life
and loves of Rosie and Matt in the glorious countryside of Norfolk and will be
opening its doors in March 2018 with Summer Breeze. Why not pop in for a visit?
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