The Devine Doughnut Shop by Carolyn Brown is a sweet confection with a lot of heart. Set in Texas, the book is the story of two generations of women and is a testament to the value of family, friendship and faith.
Grace and Sarah Dalton, together with their cousin Macy run the Devine Doughnut Shop, which has been in their family for decades, and is very successful because of their great grandmother's secret recipe and a loyal local clientele. Lately though it seems like things are starting to change. Single mother Grace is struggling with her daughter who seems to have changed for the worse since ditching her old friends and taking up with a new group. Sarah has sworn off love following her latest heartbreak and Macy is recently engaged and thinking of leaving the business altogether. When a wealthy developer , Travis , arrives in town looking to buy out the business, the recipe and the adjoining land that the family owns, it is time for the three women to make some tough decisions and to further complicate matters , it seems like Macy's husband to be might have a secret or two of his own.
I really enjoyed the comradeship of these women, how they stood together to protect each other, support each other and encourage each other. It was this that made the book for me, the plot is not original but sometimes it is very enjoyable and comforting to read a book that you can sink into like a cozy blanket. I also enjoyed the humour of the writing., it made for an entertaining and easy to read book. On a slight negative note, I could have done without the religion in the book, but that is a personal dislike, it did made sense for the characters in context.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher ,all opinions are my own.

3.5 stars. I loved the concept but it didn’t quite flow for me.

The Devine Doughnut Shop tells the story of 3 women, Grace, Sarah and Macy, owners of the homonymous 3rd generation shop in a small town in Texas. Grace has a teenage daughter, Audrey, who contributes to the drama mix, together with Raelene, Audrey’s childhood friend.
Hard workers and disheartened with regards to men-matters, the story unveils conflicts, opportunities, choices with a zest of impulsiveness long time overdue.

I loved the idea of the doughnut shop owned by three women, close and supportive to each other.
I liked how the author portrays their lovely personalities with light touches.

What didn’t work for me was the flow and the pace: some parts seemed to take forever to develop as predictable as they were (Sarah and Macy’s initial love stories), while others felt too quick and out of the blue (Travis and Grace were supposed to have a spark but I never felt it, or Audrey change of loyalties, or Sarah and Macy’s final encounters).
I also felt the secondary characters deserved better telling of their evolution (Audrey, Raelene, Travis): they did things, then suddenly did something that seemed out of character with just a few lines of explanation for their change of hearts or sudden passionate feelings.
The ending was a bit disappointing as well: I do not want to spoil it, on a personal level all very nice for the characters (though again, quite quick in wrapping up). It just felt like “And after all that dedication, this is how it’s supposed to go?”

On a side note: Do people really eat 2 donuts as a daily snack? I felt the cholesterol mounting with all those orders by the dozen.

A nice read, slowly paced. Loved the shop theme and loved the ladies.

This book was a very sweet and fun read. The characters were adorable and the writing style very easy to get into and keep up with

Are you ready for a good time. A laugh out loud one that will make your smile go ear to ear. Well usually that would apply to anything with Carolyn Brown’s name on the cover and I must admit I was immediately smitten with her newest tale in the book THE DEVINE DOUGHNUT SHOP. Down home good fun filled with traditions, love, trust, and friendship all rolled into one. Kind of like a yummy, glazed doughnut wouldn’t you say.

Life isn’t always sweet, but the old timers would have just said to dust off and pull up your big girl bloomers. And that’s what this wonderful group of sisters and cousins and their niece are doing. Getting on with life and hoping to measure up to the standards left by their grandmother. The shop is these women’s legacy. They fill an important niche in their community. Warm and welcoming. And even so this small community has members that have been the target of bullying. Seems to be a rather common dilemma for all teens.

Grace is a single parent and daughter Audrey is being led by a twosome of haughty girls. Putting her foot down is tough, in this day and age means getting somewhat creative. She thought about a boot camp or convent but went with working at the shop during spring break, wearing the required hairnet, cell phone turned off via an app - very cagey I must admit - and perhaps the pinnacle, spending time with her old friend Raelene. You see Raelene isn’t part of the cool crowd in school. Audrey has worked hard, at times against her better opinion, to fit in. Tough love meets teenage angst. Let the games begin.

Fans of Carolyn Brown never shortchange the story by jumping to conclusions. THE DEVINE DOUGHNUT SHOP is a perfect example of the ingenuity mixed with reality. There is a hefty dose of real life at the center of THE DEVINE DOUGHNUT SHOP. Thanks to some wonderful characters, their situations, and dialog this story moves at a quick pace. Just when you think you’ve reached the conclusion of a situation up pops a new angle right around the corner. Certainly kept me on my toes.

The three main characters Grace, Sarah and Macy haven’t had much luck in the romance department. Their jointly owned and operated business is their safe place. Here they are surrounded by warm friendly people and donuts. They have lived wisely, have money to carry them. But most of all they have an amazing relationship of caring and trust.

Grace’s daughter Audrey has grown up with all three of these ladies in her life. But even with the best guidance and love she fell into a situation that had her at odds with her mother. Popularity seemed to be more important than respect. Audrey had a lot to lose. She had already distanced herself from her lifelong pal Raelene, who didn’t fit in with the popular kids. Audrey was slated to learn many lessons. Hopefully make her way back to a life that was much more stable and secure than what she had pictured as cool.

Carolyn Brown created a cadre of fabulous characters whose circumstances resonate with us all. As always dialog peppered with love and sass is center stage. THE DEVINE DOUGHNUT SHOP gave these four females a place to land when times were difficult. But time has a way of supplanting routine. Changes are in the air for these four and Carolyn Brown takes us along their journey towards a brighter future.

I was put off by Grace's daughter, Audrey's attitude. She came off as a spoiled 13 year old rather than a 17 year old. Near the end she redeemed herself but it was hard to forget. I also wish that the relationship between the three ladies and their new love interests had happened earlier.

Grace, Sarah and Macy run the Devine Doughnut Shop which has been in their family for generations. Along comes a developer who wants to buy the shop and then comes big decisions of what they really want out of life and if it contains doughnuts.

When I need an easy but meaningful read this author elevates my perspective, gives me hope, makes me laugh and cry. Three women who inherited the family legacy at the Devine Doughnut Shop are spunky, spiritual, loving and loyal. Throw in a couple of contrary teenage girls and it’s never dull at the sprawling acreage where they all live.
Grace, Sarah and Macy run the best pastry shop in town, maybe the state. Their secret family recipe is not for sale despite continuing offers and persistent corporate tycoons. Divorce, cheaters and generally irresponsible men have left them all single. The burden of continuing the family’s strong female leadership does have them all wondering if they can keep rising at three a. m. Maybe there’s more to life than a small town doughnut shop.
New friendships bloom, the town gossips keep rumors flying while the resident rich b*t*hes cause an uproar. Sparks and fur flies! What a fun romp and a great reminder about learning who to trust, who your friends really are, who you can hand your heart and savings to. The love of family and true friends is what’s important. Another enjoyable read by an author I will continue to read.
Many thanks go to NetGalley, Carolyn Brown and Montlake for the digital advance reader copy of “The Devine Doughnut Shop”. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

SIsters Sarah and Grace and their cousin Macy run a small town doughnut shop. The characters are so fun - the grumpy old men that show up every morning, Beezy, even the small town mean moms. There is a whole lot going on in this book - it will keep you reading to see how things end up. The story is a touch unbelievable but entertaining and not everything is how it seems.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

This is my first Carolyn Brown book and I thought it was quite the delight.

A thank you to NetGalley and publishers for sharing an ARC with me, it was an easy read and definitely a generational women’s tale that I think many would find relatable.

Set in southern Texas this book does a good job encompassing a small town Texas way of life. Growing up in one of the towns mentioned in the book, I speak from experience that I can tell Carolyn also must have that this is customary for a lot of folks I know.

What I liked: the overall story, the women’s journey to new traditions while honoring themselves in the process, the action of their love life takes, and backdrop of the familiar setting of the pillar the donut shop has come to be in their town. Each woman had their own beast of burden and each one gets time defining changes in their life.

What I didn’t like: the lack of credit to teenagers overall with Audrey’s lack of depth I think could loose some younger readers. I am certainly much closer to having a teenager than being one, but I don’t feel like she got credit for the troubling time in life it is to make big moral decisions and not feel like your gaining the credit you deserve for the expectations pressed upon our youth. It’s hard to be that age or some many people wouldn’t stumble during that time in life, so more of a nod to how her journey wasn’t just immaturity but also an effort to forge her path would have given the story a more rounded out impression.

I give this book a 3.5 stars, it’s not the style I typically read but if you like mostly light women’s story that are low on spice and layered with southern lifestyle, this would definitely be for you!

This is a quick and easy read, a story of women, for women. It is about family, heritage, traditions and the past.
It is fun, entertaining, enjoyable, funny and a bit of a feel good type of read.

It is a book that can be read quickly and easily but that is not saying it has no depth as it has a great storyline and good characters that you can relate to.

I must say I will be having a look for other books by this author as I found this one delightful.

I was a bit underwhelmed by this book if I'm honest. I think that I was expecting something more to do with doughnuts and the shop but I felt like that was secondary to everything else.

Even though the doughnut shop being potentially bought out was mentioned, it went away almost as quickly as it started. I like that there wasn't a lot of drama with Travis in that way, but still. Just kind of came and went.

There are a lot of different storylines but not much seems to happen. Every character has a different storyline with a lot of drama which seems unnecessary, and also unnatural.

I felt that the book was much too long and I'm not sure if everything was absolutely necessary for us to know. Also, Audrey's character seems to change almost immediately which seems unusual for a teenager. The ending was sweet, although I'm not entirely happy that they just decided to close down a doughnut shop that had been around for generations. I feel like that could have gone in a different direction somehow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a cute novel about a bakery. An easy and quick read that leaves you feeling good.
Not quite up to par on the authors other novels but still ok.

The Devine Doughnut Shop, I found the story of 3 sisters, family owned shop in it's 4th generation, a warm,happy cosy story of family life.

There's the warmth from sibling bond, the strength and courage of single parents and their second chances at love and romnce.

The Devine Donut Shop by Carolyn Brown takes her readers to Devine, Texas. Sisters Grace and Sarah, along with their cousin Macy, inherited the Devine Donut Shop when their grandmother passed away. They have a secret family recipe that makes their donuts taste better than anything around. Grace is a single mother raising a troublesome teen daughter. Sarah is considered the wild one, but her dream is to marry and have a family. Macy thought her life was all set, but then again maybe not.I loved all these characters as well as the secondary characters. As I was reading I just wanted to be part of this special family. I enjoy how Ms. Brown portrays families and how they interact, support each other and love each other. This was a special read for me as the characters seemed so real and caring.

For Grace, her sister Sarah, and their cousin Macy, operating the Devine Doughnut Shop is about honoring their family’s legacy. In business for four generations, the shop is the place in Devine to meet, rest, and offer a little conversation while enjoying a doughnut made with the family’s secret recipe. Even though they enjoy working their business, the women have started to contemplate what it would look like should they decide to close their place. Grace is a single parent dealing with a rebellious daughter, Audrey, while Sarah longs to settle down, and Macy’s relationship is not what it seems. Meanwhile, Travis Butler, an investor from San Antonio, wants to buy the shop and is looking for opportunities to meet with Grace, leaving both wondering if his insistence has other motives. In the end, will Grace, Sarah and Macy have a real chance at love?

This is a cozy story that touches on topics of single parenting, mother-daughter relationships, second chances, found-family, and bullying, however, it did not work for me. The plot started to feel all over the place, especially in the second half of the book. There were plenty of happy, too-convenient coincidences that took away from any relatability and/or authenticity the story might have had. Moreover, the one diverse character appearing in the story immediately gets a stereotypical comment about his looks, which added disappointment to an already uncomfortable reading experience. I do have to point out that the author did a respectable job of portraying the small-town atmosphere, but other than that, it was a genuine struggle to finish this book. A two-star book for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with a free digital copy to review this book.

#TheDevineDoughnutShop#NetGalley#bookstagram#booktrovert#booklover#netgalleyreviewer#bookstagrammer#bookreviews#goodreads#netgalleyreviews#bookstagram#booktrovert#booklover

Sweet story two sisters and their cousin who run their family's bakery. The pacing was a little slow, but the story was enjoyable, and definitely hit the small town feel with the issues of gossiping.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I was tempted by the cute cover and the blurb. Who wouldn't want too read a story set in a bakery?!

Unfortunately, the story did not love up to my expectations. The narration is disjointed and the pace is too slow to my liking. Though three book is tagged as general fiction romance, it is more of Christian fiction. The repeated references to religion were off-putting.

There are a lot of interesting characters, but their character sketch left me wanting for more.

DNF at 36%

This is a cute story about 3 women running a donut shop in a small town in Texas. Great characters, good story with a few bumps in the road along the way for the characters. This is a light, fun read and as usual Carolyn delivers a story you can count on to keep you entertained. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Another wonderful story by Mrs. Brown! I love reading her books early, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you @netgalley and #Montlake for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

“Three women are torn between traditions of the past and unexpected new beginnings in a novel about family, romance, and the best pastries in Texas.”

Normally, I love a good book about a family bakery. This one just missed the mark, unfortunately. It started off with a promising premise and a fun cover – and of course doughnuts – but it all went downhill from there.

The writing and plot points seemed off to me – I kept feeling like I was missing parts of the book. And the transitions were clunky. I also wish there had been more character development. For example, one character kept talking about romantic sparks with another character – and it seemed like they barely even interacted.

I could almost hear their southern accents coming off of the page and this family is clearly religious – so I guess if you’re from the south and go to church regularly, you might appreciate this book.

The one thing that they said that I did agree with – “ice cream heals everything.”