Another interesting Carolyn Brown book, following three sisters, their children and romantic relationships, as they figure out the future of their family legacy, the divine doughnut shop.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I have previous books by the author, but I think the characters were well developed and storylines well written and I loved the location and small town vibes.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

What a good story. Sisters and cousins all work in the doughnut shop that has been passed from one generation to the next. Grace's daughter is trying her patience and going through a rough stage. She was hanging with some mean girls that were making her do things she knew was wrong. Her old friend Raelene (that she is not friends with right now) is without a home and the ladies invite her to stay with them. Grace's daughter hates it at first, but gradually they start to be friends again. Both Sarah and Macy had a love interest that didn't work out. How it happened was very interesting and exciting. Grace met Travis when he came in and wanted ot buy her land and store and she wasn't having it. He didn't give up right away and they slowly became friends and then more. It was a very turn of events all through the story. I loved it

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

The Devine Doughnut Shop has been open, and family run for years. Grace and her sister Sarah along with Cousin Macy have been running it for years. Grace has a teenage daughter that has taken to running with the wrong crowd. Sarah thinks she has finally found a man to bring home; Macy is engaged to a man. Sarah finds out the man of her dreams is really not, and Macy's perfect fiancé' is far from perfect.
Travis Butler comes to the shop one morning meeting up with his grandfather's old friends. They want him to open a factory in town and build new homes. He tries to buy the doughnut shop and land. Grace is not interested in selling and the cousins are not really interested in selling right now.
As their lives seem to be taking a different turn will the girls be ready to sell out or can they find a way to a new life.
Carolyn Brown books are so good, and the stories just really hold my interest and it's hard to put the book down.

This book was CUTE. Small town, Texas. Three God-fearing women who own a doughnut shop with a top secret recipe. Two *cheating scandals*. One epic high school bullying dilemma. Zero spice. I really enjoyed the connections that the women in this story shared. They always seemed to put each other first and keep the well-being of the younger girls ahead of their own. Grace is a single mother, but it really never felt that way because Sarah & Macy were right there helping her parent Audrey & later Raelene. Beezy rounded out the group with her humor & wisdom. The romance part of the story was kind of lacking for me, as Grace doesn’t meet Travis until late in the game, and Macy & Sarah both meet their men at the last minute. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I was able to read more about their love stories. I did really enjoy the scandals, though, and the women supporting women all throughout the book.

Loved reading this book I couldn't stop reading this book. I hope there are more to this book. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend doing so

Great book and just what I needed. If this was summer or I was going to the beach, this would have been a great book to take along.
The 2 sisters and a cousin seem like everything is going their way but there is a twist. A daughter that wants to be popular, a boyfriend that can’t be trusted and a groom with no morals. What could possibly go wrong.

A sweet novel about women helping one another in a small town - and then a developer, a charming handsome one, throws a wrench in the works. Sisters Sarah and Grace and their cousin Macy have been running their doughnut shop and raising Grace's daughter Audrey, a teen with teen attitude. They've all had trouble with men and no one was looking for Travis but there you have it. I liked this best when it focused on the women (and don't forget Audrey's friend Raylene). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Brown's fans will be pleased.

The Devine Doughnut Shop has been run by four generations of Dalton women and Grace, her sister Sarah, and their cousin Macy are keeping the traditional recipes alive. All the women crave love and a family of their own but each one has experienced heartbreak. Billionaire Travis Butler promised to do something good for the town of Devine and building a factory to make the Devine Doughnut Shop’s doughnuts sounds like a winning ideal and if he is attracted to Grace more power to him. An atmosphere of heartbreak has Grace on guard doubting Travis’s interest. The women decide some changes will do them good and one vacation later and they are looking to the future to figure out what they want out of life. A feel good story about the strength of family and finding happiness, the story leaves the reader feeling hopeful and grinning like a fool. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

I love a trip to Texas with Carolyn Brown! The three gals of the Devine Doughnut Shop have a lot going on, but they know how to look out for each other. The people in their town are just like people in our town and it is fun to read books that seem so true to life.

I would consider this more women's fiction rather than a romance. This story follows a group of related women who have a well known and regarded doughnut shop. Though the shop does feature, given it is something that was passed down through the family, the most important aspect are the relationships- the relationship between the sisters, the cousins and the mother/daughter. And secondarily the men. The romantic relationship was so slow that it was definitely not a key aspect of the story. Overall, I enjoyed the up and downs between the women and felt like it was a realistic look at the challenges between family members. I just wish that there was more of a romantic nature to the story.

Grace, Sarah, and their cousin Macy own the Devine Doughnut Shop, but things are changing for them. They inherited the Devine Doughnut Shop, with all its history, the grooming that took place while they were growing up, to someday becoming the owners and carrying on to pass on to the next generation.
They used to enjoy it, the getting up and being at the bakery at 3 to make the doughnuts, but they are older now, and Grace is raising a teenage daughter, Audrey, who is heading in the wrong direction. They also live in a small town, with everyone knowing everyone's business, the drama, and the gossip.
A girl, Raelene, comes into the bakery looking for a job, her granny had passed away, her mother had taken off with her boyfriend, the rent was up, and she wanted to finish school because she had a scholarship to a college which would pay for everything. They didn't have any jobs, offered her a room at their house. She didn't want charity, so they offered her room and board and fifty dollars a week, to do chores around the house, which she accepted.
Sometimes changing something, things begin to change and that seemed to be happening in their lives. Their lives change, they are struggling with the past, the present, and what to do about the future. It all came to a head one day, after the two teenagers, got suspended from school, and they had, had enough. They went to the airport, asked for help because they had never been on a plane, hadn't really been anywhere, but they went on vacation to Florida. Getting away from everything, helped them clear their heads. They relaxed, learned new things, and it seemed they opened themselves up for possibilities. The possibilities, dreams they had started to happen. When it was time to go home, they were each different, saw things differently, and were ready for what lied ahead. This book was so good, I was sad to see it come to an end.
I received an ARC from Montlake through NetGalley.

What I read: The Devine Doughnut Shop by Carolyn Brown

Why I picked it up: It was available on NetGalley and I’ve liked Carolyn Brown’s work before.

How I read it: On Kindle. I received the eARC for free, but these thoughts are my own.

What it’s about: Two sisters and their cousin run their family’s doughnut shop in Devine, Texas (a small suburb outside of San Antonio). Each have been scorned in relationships and now Grace’s daughter has decided she wants to be friends with the two biggest bullies at school. There’s a lot of gossip in this small town, and a lot happens in this book. It’s really 4 women’s stories in the midst of a less than 350 page book – it could have been a 4 (or even a 5) book series.

What I liked: Travis was a delight!!

What I disliked: It was way too much in one book – but not a planned trilogy since there’s a huge reveal in the 1 year later epilogue.

Genre: Closed door romance, small town, family saga, mothers & daughters, sisters, cousins.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and yes – it releases February 14th and would be a doubly sweet Valentine’s read!

Interesting characters that will draw you into their lives as they go through their daily routine. Then their problems start and life gets complicated. You'll enjoy getting to know how things will work out.

I loved this book. I could relate to Grace’s frustration with her daughter hanging out with mean girls and the bullying they were doing to Raelene. I liked the characters and how down to earth they were. It was such a realistic story with such a happy ending. I devoured this book in one sitting. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Carolyn Brown knows how to write women’s fiction that readers enjoy. Here she uses the familiar device of following of three characters lives and how they intersect with one another, in this case, though their shared ownership of a business.

Readers get to know Grace, Sarah and Macy. Each has a life with some issues. For example, Grace is trying to decipher coping with a teenager while Macy is planning her wedding. And, what is happening with Sarah and the doughnut shop itself? Read this one to find out.

While there is nothing that makes this title truly outstanding it does offer readers a comfortable and easy read. Those who enjoy family stories may want to take a look at this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for this title. All opinions are my own.

The Devine Doughnut Shop is a story featuring multiple characters and plot lines. Sisters Grace and Sarah, along with their cousin Macy, run the small town donut shop that has been in their family for four generations. Also featured is Sarah’s daughter, Audrey, and the daughter’s former friend, Raelene, who, much to Audrey’s dismay, moves in with them after being abandoned by her family. In addition we meet wealthy investor Travis, who is interested in buying the family doughnut shop and taking the brand commercial.

What starts out as a female-centric story regarding their lives and loves lives soon turns into a story filled with many plotlines and secondary storylines. I am not the greatest fan of overly complicated plots or books with too many plots. It feels like this book could have been better served as 3 separate books so that Sarah, Grace, and Macy can have their stories fully featured. Having so many plot points can make it difficult for a reader to easily follow along or root for the character’s happy endings, as well as just fully developed a character. It was well written, but several times I wish that some of the plots were resolved or wrapped up with a pretty bow. It just felt clunky and rushed for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

From chapter one to the end of The Devine Doughnut Shop by Carolyn Brown, I became immersed in the lives of the three strong yet independent women who own and run the successful doughnut shop! The two sisters, Grace and Sarah Dalton, along with their cousin, Macy, are fifth generation owner operators of the best doughnut shop around as well as guardians of the family's secret doughnut recipe! Although constantly engaged with their successful business, Grace's rebellious and somewhat misguided teenage daughter, Audrey, and the women's disastrous affairs of the heart, the three are always there to support, uplift , and encourage each other. Added to the mix is what to do about Raelene, whose Grandmother has passed, and left Raelene with no family. Being the loving family unit that they are, they accept Raelene into their family, inadvertently adding another set of issues with which to deal. As if the women do not have enough going on in their lives, Travis Butler appears with the purpose of buying the Devine Doughnut Shop property and the secret recipe in order to build a factory to produce pastries. Refusing to take no for an answer to his offer leads to Travis's pursuit of Grace on a more personal level.

On a much needed and overdue vacation Sarah discovers a young girl alone on the beach. Will they find her father and reunite them? Macy has begun to think she will never find love, Upon returning from vacation, Macy meets the new pastor at church? Will there be an interest between the two? Will Sarah find love again in the future? Will there be happily ever after for any of the three women? And what happens to the business as the women consider cutting back on the number of days they open the shop? Will they sell and pursue other interests?

The answers are definitely worth reading the book to discover! Carolyn Brown held my interest throughout the entire book. I will be reading more works by her!

“Small towns….everyone knows everyone.”
“That’s the problem a lot of times, isn’t it?”
“Or the blessing. It all depends on how you look at it.”

A light-hearted, quick and entertaining read set in Devine, Texas and featuring the struggles of a family-run bakery - the Devine Doughnut Shop.

✔️gorgeous cover and title
✔️struggle between traditions and new beginnings
✔️focus on family and heritage
✔️family-run business and family relationships
✔️three very different women with three very different struggles
✔️tension the developer and the teenager brought to the narrative
✔️small town and southern living
✔️promising romance
✔️lessons about accountability, bullying, gossiping and working together towards a common goal
✔️focus on hope, trust, friendship and choices

❎ so much drama

You’ll be guaranteed a heartwarming story of love and friendship every time you pick up a contemporary romance from Carolyn Brown.

I was gifted this copy by Montlake and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This is a sweet and filling five-star read. This is a fun read, but each character has their own struggles so its not all sunshine, but there is some great fun to be had by everyone in the end. There is a great underlying theme about family in this story, family made up of all different characters. There was something about this one that sticks with you and makes you care more than you ever expect.

Carolyn Brown’s The Devine Doughnut Shop is a fun romance with likable characters, humor, and some Southern sass. I enjoyed this book and its warmth. It was exactly what I needed after reading a bunch of heavy books recently. .

The novel stars Grace, Sarah, and Macy (two sisters and a cousin) who own and operate a doughnut shop with delectable treats, plus Grace’s teenage daughter Audrey and Raelene, another teenaged girl. The small town of Devine, Texas also is a large feature of the book and makes you almost want to live in a similar small town with its loving and supportive community.

I am a big fan of Carolyn Brown and have ready many of her books. This is a good and entertaining book but not one of my very favorites of hers. Nevertheless I did enjoy The Devine Doughnut Shop very well.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.