I purchased this book from Amazon originally, and I was so excited to read it. I loved The Printed Letter Bookshop, and this book continued some of the character stories from it.
Format: Paperback
Genre: Women's Fiction
Page Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (May 12, 2020)
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mr. Darcy‘s Rating: “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
A Chasing Mr. Darcy Review
This is my second book by Katherine Reay, and it won't be my last! This book loosely continues The Printed Letter Bookshop, and it was wonderful to have time with these characters again!
Here’s a plot synopsis from GoodReads: After fleeing her hometown three years earlier, Alyssa Harrison never planned to return. Then the Silicon Valley start-up she worked for collapsed and turned her world upside down. She is broke, under FBI investigation, and without a place to go. Having exhausted every option, she comes home to Winsome, Illinois, to regroup then move on as quickly as possible. Yet, as friends and family welcome her back, Alyssa begins to see a place for herself in this small Midwestern community. Jeremy Mitchell moved from Seattle to Winsome to be near his daughter and to open the coffee shop he’s been dreaming of for years. Problem is, the business is bleeding money—and he’s not quite sure why. When he meets Alyssa, he senses an immediate connection, but what he needs most is someone to help him save his floundering business. After asking for her help, he wonders if something might grow between them—but forces beyond their control soon complicate their already complex lives, and the future they both hoped for is not at all what they anticipated. With the help of Winsome’s small-town charm and quirky residents, Alyssa and Jeremy discover the beauty and romance of second chances..
I love Katherine Reay's books because they just flow. The characters are realistic, and I enjoy the seamless quality to her stories. I feel like I'm reading a story about real life, which is nice sometimes. Of Literature and Lattes is no different, and I just felt like I stepped into a story about friends. I was happy to see Maddie and Chris again, and it was so wonderful to revisit Claire. This book really focused on Janet and her family, though, especially her daughter Alyssa.
Truth be told, I found Alyssa a difficult character to like. I understand Janet had some issues (That were well explored in The Printed Letter Bookshop), but Alyssa really treated her mother like garbage in this book. I couldn't understand her anger and how she could lash out so irrationally at her family. Because of that, I had a really hard time connecting with Alyssa or even liking her. It was really hard to reconcile the way she acted with her mother compared to the way she acted with everyone else. I found her selfish and self-centered. She did change a lot by the end of the story, though.
For all the dislike I had for Alyssa, I had a wealth of like for Jeremy. I found him endearing and searching - searching for the life he wanted without any real knowledge of how to get it. He has a good heart, and he just needed a bit of guidance to learn how to navigate small town living. The fact that he moved across the country for his daughter was so touching, and even though his ex-wife was a real pill (I couldn't stand her), the daughter loved Jeremy so much. It was really touching to watch their connection grow throughout het story, and the twist at the end just about broke my heart. It seemed like, in the epilogue, everything worked out, though, so I'm holding onto that! And, who doesn't love a man who can make the perfect espresso shot???
There were so many things I liked about this book, but I wasn't crazy about the plot line about the conflict between Jeremy and Ryan. I didn't find it believable that someone would hire a high school kid and immediately give them so much responsibility, and I feel like it was almost a cop out storyline to create a conflict that shouldn't have been there in the first place. I thought the threat of the coffee shop not making it was enough of a conflict as it was!
Overall, though, this book really made me feel. I felt for Janet as she struggled to right the past to forge a future with Alyssa. I felt for Jeremy as he struggled to find his way with daughter and business. I even, by the end, felt for Alyssa as she navigated a health crisis as well as her growing feelings for Jeremy combined with her forgiving her mom. This book is full of emotion from start to finish!
Comments