This book was just okay for me. It had an interesting and unique premise. The characters were likeable and I found myself wondering what would become of them all. I had hoped for a different (better) ending overall.

Although it was fairly predictable, it was a fun Dad with some new twists on boy meets girl. It’s perfect for a light read, when you don’t have time to remember complicated plots and relationships.

Stuck in Manistique was a journey from Chicago to Michigan crossing the long bridge past Mackinaw to small towns in the UP of Michigan. Mark took the journey to Manistique to meet with a lawyer to file the final paperwork for his Aunt Vivian. She owned a bed and breakfast in the small town of Manistique. She was also a physician in Doctors without Borders. Because of this, her life was spread around the world for weeks at a time helping in places of natural disasters and/or political crisis. After her passing Mark moved into the house while working on the final paperwork. There, he met people who lived in the town who loved and missed Vivian, as well as folks who found no other places to stay in Manistique; because of this they too spent a few days in the large house.
The tale had its moments of humor, although during all of the descriptions of the lives of the guests, the reader can easily get lost. It seemed difficult to follow, therefore prompting me to stop reading about midway through this novel. The author's finish was more interesting and successful though and I was pleased that I carried through to its ending.
Admittedly this reviewer tends to bypass novels with plots that vary consistently. I do thank netgalley for providing novels of various storylines. Readers each have their own favorite novels, authors, and genre.

This is a sweet tempered novel that intrigued me more by its depiction of a specific location than it did by its plot or characters. While the latter two were fine, I've been down that road before, but it was the Upper Peninsula and all its depicted quirks that held my interest and made me smile.

Enjoyable romantic mystery. There are many funny moments, and the characters are generally believable.

Quirky, funny plot and excellent characters. I'd like to meet them. Thoroughly enjoyable romp. I'll look for more by this author.

I received this delightful ARC of Dennis Cuesta's "Stuck in Manistique" through NetGalley.

Dennis Cuesta, you made me laugh!

This endearing novel features Mark, a Chicago resident and private financial planner who has received the news that his aunt has passed away. It has been years since Mark spoke with his Aunt Vivian, but his childhood memories of her are fond, and he feels it's his responsibility to handle her estate.

Mark finds himself in Manistique, Michigan, a small town in the Upper Peninsula. Out to settle Vivian's estate as quickly as possible, a hilarious chain of events is set into motion that deters Mark from the ease of selling his aunt's house as he'd originally predicted, not the least of which is the revelation that Vivian has been using her house as a Bed & Breakfast...and her guests are arriving!

Dr. Emily Davis is by no means a scheduled guest at the Manistique Victorian. When a deer hits Emily's car right outside of town, she finds herself stranded. When someone mentions the bed and breakfast off of Lake Street, she figures why not?

Mark is fully prepared to turn Emily away, anxious to be rid of the bed and breakfast and the guests that have apparently come with it, but his conscience gets the better of him and he allows Emily to stay the night. At the close of the weekend, after obstacle after obstacle is hilariously dispatched with, neither Mark nor Emily find themselves heading homeward as they'd originally planned. But is it really so bad being stuck in Manistique?

I laughed my way through this delightful novel from beginning to end. Cuesta's sense of humor is light, his banter refreshing. From gephyrophobic Mark to deer-car Emily, and everyone in between, this story will have you chuckling into your coffee first thing in the morning and trying not to wake your significant other as you laugh to yourself in bed at night. This book is endearing, uplifting, and simply a fun read.

I enjoyed the lack of romantic entanglement between the main characters. Instead, the funny and improbable turn of events are the focal point of this small-town tale, the personality of the town developing its own character.

About a third of the way through the book, I found myself guessing as to what Aunt Vivian's mystery past would unveil. I had disappointedly felt that I knew exactly what surprise Cuesta had in store, but as the story progressed I found myself second-guessing what would happen, and found myself enveloped in the storyline, anxiously awaiting what would happen next at the Manistique Victorian.

This lighthearted book is receiving a 4 out of 5 from me. I absolutely fell in love with Cuesta's quick sense of humor. Cuesta's strength is in the simplicity of the story—a dozen or less characters in all, each as zany and wonderful as the next, with many interconnected in ways that the reader will be able to appreciate. I found myself picturing how this book would look on screen. Dare I say it? I think this would make a great comedy!

Consequently, does anyone know where I can get a thimbleberry pie??

I really didn’t know what to expect with this book but I was delightfully surprised. The premise of the story was original with quirky characters to create more depth and hilarity along Mark’s journey. I have to admit the storyline’s conversation became chaotic at times for me when all the characters were involved. Other than that it was diferent and funny and sad and wonderful. I would recommend this book to all!!

I received Stuck in Mainstique as an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this story, the setting was great, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and the characters were real and very relatable. Mark and Emily are not a romantic couple and that made the story even better for me. Two people meeting and making a connection, that was great. Stuck in Maistique is the kind of story you hate to see end and one that could continue on into more books. Great first novel by Dennis Cuesta, I highly recommend!

Stuck in Manistique is a great "feel good" book. I really enjoyed the characters, they were easy to relate to and it was fun reading how Mark, the main character, interacted with each one as they came into his life. I got the reference to "Fawlty Towers" and it made me feel like I had insight that very few others would get. It made it personal for me.
The story was well told, and even though I felt as though I knew how the book would end I enjoyed the winding road that the author took us on to get to that ending. I liked the interaction between Mark and Emily and came to love both of them by the books end. The use of humor and, at times, sarcasm made me feel like I was hanging out with friends.
Author Dennis Cuesta gives just enough details to give you a feel for where the book might be taking place, but not so many that it drags the story down. I read an uncorrected proof of Stuck in Manistique via NetGalley. I would gladly read another book by Dennis given the opportunity.
#StuckinManistique #NetGalley

Mark has inherited a bed and breakfast in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. With every intention of selling it, he finds himself hosting Emily Davis, a recent graduate of medical school who is on her way home but has had an accident with a deer and has no transportation. As she waits to have her car repaired, she and Mark get to know each other and others in the small town. An enjoyable read with delightful characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC.
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4 🌟/5
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As someone who has lived in MI for their whole life, I knew this would be a good book for me. This book is about Mark who inherits his Aunt's house, in the UP. Little does he know, her house is a B&B. As guests start to arrive, Mark decides to let them stay, since all the other hotels, are full. Emily is his first guest, and throughout the book, they get to know eachother, and become friends. Soon they find out they have quite the connection, when it comes to Mark's late Aunt, Vivien.
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This was a quick read for me, that I really enjoyed! What a great debut novel from Dennis Cuesta!
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Although I enjoyed reading STUCK IN MANISTIQUE, especially the descriptions of places in Michigan, my home state, I thought the story dragged on a bit too long. The story had a little bit of everything: quirky characters, a little mystery, some humor, a little romance, and a slightly unexpected ending. The two main characters, Mark and Emily, meet for the first time at a B&B in Manistique, both with unusual circumstances. They have to learn to trust each other as they learn about what really connects each to the other.
For the most part it was a fun read.
#StuckinManistique #NetGalley

A fast-paced story about a young man who inherits his aunt's estate which included a house in Manistique on Lake Michigan, which he soon discovers she has been running as a B &B. Guests start to arrive, and although he does his best to turn them away, he is soon caught up in the lives and problems of these characters.
There were some laugh-out-loud funny scenes, reminiscent of Fawlty Towers, but there was also serious commentary about the events in Sarajevo in 1992, and I found it difficult to decide if the story was supposed to be cute and funny, or serious and thoughtful.. Because I have never been to the Upper Peninsula area, I was distracted by all the descriptive narrative of the area.

I absolutely adored Stuck in Manistique! I've been fascinated by Yoopers since reading The Cat Who books. Though the author of that series never specifically says the books are set in the UP of Michigan, it definitely feels like they are. The fact that this book takes place there makes it all the more delightful. The characters are quirky yet totally believable. The entire book is amusing, yet it is filled with deep emotion too. I really wanted to step into the book and meet the characters for real! I really hope that this becomes a series because I need to read more about these characters and the Bed and Breakfast!

What a gem. I can’t begin to describe how much I enjoyed this novel. Dennis Cuesta has written a story that I couldn’t put down. I completely fell in love with the location and the characters (and what characters they are!) This is a charming novel.

Mark has suddenly become responsible for his late aunt’s estate. Vivian was his mother’s sister, though somewhat estranged. He finds himself in the UP, otherwise knows as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He knows very little about this aunt, as she was always traveling the world as a humanitarian doctor in war-torn countries. He had never met her, and her annual letters to him stopped appearing after his thirteenth birthday.

While working to clean out Vivian’s Bed and Breakfast, Emily appears on his doorstep. Emily has had an unfortunate encounter with a deer and needs a place to stay until her car is repaired. Mark opens the door to her, even though the bed and breakfast isn’t open. He doesn’t inform her that his aunt has passed, he merely says that she’s not there.

The relationship between Mark and Emily is entertaining, and it isn’t long before yet another guest appears on the doorstep. George, is the next guest. An octogenarian thrown out of the nearby hotel where his casino tour group was staying. Even though Mark attempts to cut off any further guests before they arrive, here come Peter & Yvonne with their electric car to be charged.

It is the cast of characters staying at the B&B that is such fun. There are stories within the story, some of them touching. Each character has a specific place in the story. Mark and Emily both have revelations about their lives that are touching and amazing. Cuesta has created characters that are real, not without fault, and believable. Manistique is a charming, quirky little town. I’ve never visited the UP, but it sounds like a fun place to spend some time in a B&B.

In Dennis Cuesta’s Stuck in Manistique, Mark leaves his home in the Chicago area when his Aunt Vivian dies and leaves him property in the UP. While coming to terms with the death of someone he loved and wished he’d known better, he discovers her home was a bed and breakfast that immediately begins attracting a quirky ensemble of characters that can’t seem to find their way out of this small town community. There are points where this book is sweet, some where it is sad, some where you just want to shake your head, and all told at a breakneck pace that sometimes leaves your head spinning. There were moments where I felt like I was struggling a little bit to keep up with everything as it unfolded, but overall I enjoyed the book and really liked the way it ended.

I quite enjoyed this book by Dennis Cuesta. I am a fan of Janet Evonovich’s character Stephanie Plum. If you like an upbeat, qurkey story, you’ll love this book. Mark, the leading man, and Emily having something in common...Manistique! This charming town full of memorable characters and the silliness the ensue will entertain you and leave you asking for another installment. Cuesta manages to envoke all your emotions and still make you laugh. I would definitely recommend this book and will look for more by this author. Quick, quirky read. Delightful.

I am always uncomfortable giving bad reviews. And while this is not a horrible book, I did consider bailing a couple of times. I found it too fluffy, rather cheesy and I didn’t connect at all with either the characters or the story. The two main characters (one, mid-30s; one, mid-20s) behaved more like 10 year-olds most of the time, and most of the story was just too far-fetched to be believed. I felt that the author was trying for a heartwarming story arising from a series of seemingly unrelated, random events. But instead it ended up being a mishmash of unbelievability without any lovable characters to redeem it. I really wanted to like it, but other than appreciating a few humorous places, it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #CelestialEyesPress for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is set in Manistique, Michigan and seems to be a place that people can arrive at for various reasons but leaving seems to be a lot harder…and with the different twists and revelations, everyone appears to be interconnected as well.
Mark has arrived because he has inherited his long lost aunt Vivian’s estate—which turn out to be a Bed and Breakfast establishment. He does not know this until guests and helpers begin to arrive.
First there is Bear Foot, his aunt’s general repair person who is Vivian’s friend but didn’t know she had dies.
Then Emily arrives—a recently graduated doctor on her way to a new life at a prestigious new hospital, but with a past that she cannot escape from. She cannot escape from Manistique either because a deer ran into her car, smashing the windshield that cannot be fixed for an ever-changing variety of reasons.
George arrives next—taking leave from his senior’s group that is touring the native casinos although he doesn’t seem to be operating with full consciousness of where and who he is.
After that comes Peter and a girlfriend who seems to be making eyes at every male in the place.
Throw in some locals—doctors, bar owners, car repair people, highway patrol officers and so on—and you have the setting for a farce of epic proportions. Think Fawlty Towers with some of the goings on there and you have what the author seems to be wanting to achieve. He references the TV show on a number of occasions, saying at one point that half the episodes have already happened at the Bed and Breakfast.
On top of that, though, is the back story of Aunt Vivian and her time with Doctors Without Borders and her time in various parts of the world. Added to this back story are the complications in the lives of the present characters. It is like a never ending whirlwind!
Overall, the book works. At times it feels like one of those episodes of Fawlty Towers or perhaps a George Bernard Shaw farce. At times I felt myself getting a little frustrated with the ongoing shenanigans but, in the end, things became a little less ‘stuck’ and there was hope for moving ahead. A good light read from a new author. Thank you!