Welcome To A
Small-Town Community
Synopsis
For various reasons, Jeremy and Alyssa find themselves in the small town of Winsome, Illinois. This quaint little community has Jeremy Mitchell moving to be closer to his child and to open the coffee shop he’s always dreamed of. But the town isn’t so sure if they like all the renovations and updates he’s making to their old familiar shop, including changing the name. So will his move end up being in vain?
Alyssa Harrison, who quickly left her hometown three years earlier, never planned to return. She was mad and blamed her mother for her parents’ divorce, and Alyssa had landed an enviable job in Silicon Valley. So she left in a whirlwind. But she has returned out of necessity. Her employer has closed and is under an FBI investigation. This means Alyssa is nervous about her possible involvement and she is without income. She hopes her dad will allow her to stay with him until she can figure out what to do. But things don’t always work the way you hope they will.
The story centers around Jeramy and Alyssa’s struggles and growth, both with family issues and trying to find where they belong in a town that has both changed and yet remained the same.
Details
- Title: Of Literature and Lattes
- Author: Katherine Reay
- Publisher: Thomas Nelson
- Publication Date: May 12
- Pages: 336
- Read a Sample
My Thoughts
A – While there was much to love about this book, it didn’t totally work for me. The storyline felt a bit here and there. And the characters missed their chance to pull me into their stories by having too many issues.
B – It was fun to see so many references to older books and the way the theme carried them throughout the story.
C – Because both Jeremy and Alyssa find themselves struggling to work through family concerns and work-related concerns, they gradually migrate toward each other. A relationship slowly begins to blossom. But since the book has so many subplots, even their romance ends up feeling disappointing.
NOTE
After reading this, I discovered that there is an earlier book, The Printed Letter Bookshop, which you might want to be aware of. Though Of Literature and Lattes felt like a standalone book, sometimes it’s nice to start at the beginning. The backstory can provide so much more insight and richness to a novel.
What Concerned Me
Please don’t misunderstand my concerns to mean that I don’t recommend this book. On the contrary, I enjoyed it. I just felt that
- there were way too many subplots
- Alyssa acted more like a spoiled teenager at times than her true age
- the main characters needed to be fleshed out and their concerns addressed more fully
What I Liked
Recently I’ve read several stories that centered around a smalltown. This book did bring that feel to the story. Many of the characters reacted with emotions that felt believable to a close-knit community. Bottom Line –the town felt huggable.
I also liked the underlying thread of concern and love that ran through the story.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Books. All opinions in this review are my own.
Rating
About the Author:
Katherine Reay is the national bestselling and award-winning author of Dear Mr. Knightley, Lizzy and Jane, The Brontë Plot, A Portrait of Emily Price, The Austen Escape, and The Printed Letter Bookshop. All Katherine’s novels are contemporary stories with a bit of classical flair. Katherine holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and is a wife, mother, former marketer, and avid chocolate consumer. After living all across the country and a few stops in Europe, Katherine now happily resides outside Chicago, IL. You can meet her at www.katherinereay.com; Facebook: KatherineReayBooks; Twitter: @katherine_reay; or Instagram: @katherinereay.
