ARC Review - Publish Date August 1, 2023
Author: Heather Webber
Series: Stand Alone
Category: Women's Fiction
Spice: 🌶️
"Without a doubt, the timing of that letter felt all kinds of unexplainable. Was it simply coincidence that the letter had fallen from the stack of mail the day before the job interview, giving me just enough time to get to Alabama?" - Ava
I struggled to fully immerse myself in this book in the beginning. For the first thirty pages, there are flourishing descriptions of everything from the cozy beach town of Driftwood, Magpie's coffee shop, and the town's residents with their kooky backgrounds and habits.
However, once the two main characters Ava and Maggie officially meet, things pick up and I was riveted to the story. There are a host of unexplained events unfolding and with each new surprise revealed, I had more and more questions about Driftwood and just how magical the place may be.
"This couldn't possibly be real. Any of it. The mysterious letter. The out-of-character road trip. This delightful town, which looked postcard perfect despite the gloomy skies." - Ava
Ava is at a turning point in her life. Having been sheltered during most of her childhood, she is ready to embrace change, whatever that may look like. The growth of her character from scared and unsure to finding her way is wonderful to witness. No matter the mysterious circumstances of how she found her way to town, Ava whole-heartily plunged herself into Driftwood, creating a new life for herself that was much more rewarding and fulfilling than being comfortable was.
"Hard times could be overcome, given time. Given heart. Given determination. Life could be rebuilt. Fresh starts were possible." - Ava
While Ava is at the point in her life of throwing caution to the wind, Maggie is hiding away from the world. She was so caught up in grief that she failed to realize she was hurting everyone she loved with her steadfast determination to hold on to the past. Everyone in her life placated her as a child, and the continued enablement that allowed Maggie to avoid change hindered almost every aspect of her adult life.
"Holding on is all well and good, as long as you're holding on for the right reasons. But Maggie, you're only holding on because you're too scared to let go.'" - Maggie's father, Dez.
Ava's arrival acted like a catalyst for Maggie's delicate balance of avoidance. These two women came together under mysterious circumstances but instantly clicked despite their age gap and place in life. I loved their friendship and how solid it became in such a short time.
Magpie's coffee shop was truly the heart of Driftwood. All of the secondary characters seemed to revolve around this center, butting into each other's lives with good intentions and genuine affection for one another.
My favorite character was neither Ava nor Maggie, but the mysteriously glamourous Estrelle. I can only hope to be as sophistically fascinating as her when I grow older. I want nothing more than to blow into a small town and deliver truths to those that need to hear them, all in the name of throwing some sass around and helping people be happy. Though everyone living in Driftwood has an interesting backstory, Estrelle's character practically begs for a book of her own.
"'You're spooky.' She started to smile, then quickly pursed her lips, as if not wanting to get caught enjoying herself. 'I prefer surprising.'" - Ave and Estrelle
At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities was a delightful book full of transformation, character development, and a hint of magic. I loved not only the setting of Driftwood but the community aspect of the small town, and how interconnected everyone in the book was with each other, for the good and bad.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Tropes and Themes: Magic, Small Town, Found Family, Mystery.
Blurb
A mysterious letter. An offer taken. And the chance to move forward.
When Ava Harrison receives a letter containing an unusual job listing one month after the sudden death of her ex-boyfriend, she thinks she’s being haunted. The listing—a job as a live-in caretaker for a peculiar old man and his cranky cat in Driftwood, Alabama—is the perfect chance to start a new life. A normal life. Ava has always been too fearful to even travel, so no one’s more surprised than she is when she throws caution to the wind and drives to the distant beachside town.
On the surface, Maggie Mae Brightwell is a bundle of energy as she runs Magpie’s, Driftwood’s coffee and curiosity shop, where there’s magic to be found in pairing the old with the new. But lurking under her cheerful exterior is a painful truth—keeping busy is the best way to distract herself from the lingering loss of her mama and her worries about her aging father. No one knows better than she does that you can’t pour from an empty cup, but holding on to the past is the only thing keeping the hope alive that her mama will return home one day.
Ava and Maggie soon find they’re kindred spirits, as they’re both haunted—not by spirits, but by regret. Both must learn to let go of the past to move on—because sometimes the waves of change bring you to the place where you most belong.
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