A novel rather like a good cup of coffee: bitter and sweet at the same time, somewhat complex, and a perfect way to take a break and relax in the midst of a crazy world. There, I got that cliche out of the way--it just had to be written. Luckily, Katherine Reay is less susceptible to cliches, as her newest book manages to feel surprisingly original. And as I said: if you need a relaxing pick-me-up (that will remind you of times when book clubs weren't all on zoom and church services were allowed and crowded restaurants were seen as a good thing), this might be just your cup of tea. Er... Coffee.
Altogether, it's not my favorite of Reay's books, mostly because I think it's vastly more readable if you're familiar with the first book in the series, The Printed Letter Bookshop (which I loved). Do yourself a favor and find that one--then come back to Of Literature and Lattes for dessert.

This book was not for me.
I immediately disliked that there was so many POV. I thought this would be a romance with just 2 main characters.

I really wanted to like it but I just couldn’t get into it.

Katherine Reay's Of Literature and Lattes was just an okay read for me. It is worth the read but not my favorite by this author. I will give it three stars.

Of Literature & Lattes is Katherine Reay’s follow-up to The Printed Letter Bookshop, which I finally read and reviewed just last week. In this new novel, we return to the town of Winsome, Illinois — home of an amazing bookstore, lots of cute shops, and people who get what community is all about.

The story follows two main characters: Alyssa, returning with dread to her hometown after a disastrous stint in Silicon Valley, and Jeremy, a grown-up with a sad childhood behind him, looking to spend more time with his daughter and investing everything in a new coffee shop.

For Alyssa, nothing has worked out as intended, and she seems like the walking embodiment of someone having baggage. After her parents’ divorce three years earlier, she sided with her father, cut her mother out of her life, and moved as far away as she could get. Alyssa’s magic with numbers and coding landed her a great job at a medical start-up — but her world crashes down sudddenly when it turns out that the company was nothing but a fraud, and what’s worse, provided false information to people about future diagnoses of awful illnesses.

Wracked by guilt and totally broke, Alyssa has no choice but to head home — where nothing is as expected. Alyssa’s mother is Janet, one of the main characters in The Printed Letter Bookshop, and Janet has changed dramatically. Alyssa expects to be able to hide out at her father’s apartment, but instead, he forces her to face her mother. As Janet and Alyssa spend time together, they form new understandings and realize that they have a lot of work to do to overcome the harmful patterns of their past, if they ever hope to have a relationship in the future.

Meanwhile, life for Jeremy is complicated too. His 7-year-old daughter Becca lives nearby, and he’s relocated from Seattle to be with her. Jeremy invested all his savings into buying the local coffee shop from its retiring owner, dreaming of turning it into a modern, successful business. The problem is, the locals don’t share his vision — and as he transforms the cozy, shabby coffee shop into something sleek and streamlined, the daily traffic plummets.

Jeremy is a good guy and his heart is in the right place, but he has to learn to step back and understand what community is all about if his business is going to survive — and if he’s serious about creating a new home for himself and for Becca.

There’s a lot to love about Of Literature & Lattes. First of all, the town of Winsome is just as charming as in the previous book. It’s an idealized version of small-town homey-ness, and wouldn’t we all love to find a place like that to belong?

The people here seem to really care about one another, and while yes, they are all up in each other’s business a little more than I’d personally care for, this connection comes out in all sorts of ways that are heart-warming and important.

Alyssa and Janet spend a lot of this book at odds, and it’s messy and a little terrible, but also feels real. Their dynamic goes back years, and has as much to do with Janet’s feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction as with their actual relationship. It’s not easy for them to sort out all the ways in which they’ve hurt and misunderstood one another, but over the course of their months together, they make major strides — and find that they both truly want to make things better.

For Jeremy, the relationship with his ex Krista is difficult, and his business isn’t going as he’d hoped. He starts off very focused on his own vision — an outsider who thinks he knows what the town needs. It’s only when he allows himself to admit that he needs to learn that he starts to connect with the community in a real way, realizing that a coffee shop that’s perfect but lacks heart just isn’t going to cut it.

Once again, I really enjoyed the author’s way of weaving personal stories into a bigger picture of a community. I enjoyed seeing the familiar characters from the previous story, as well as meeting Alyssa and Jeremy and seeing how they fit into the greater whole.

While Of Literature & Lattes could work as a stand-alone, I’d recommend reading The Printed Letter Bookshop first. I’m glad I did! OL&L is touching and lovely, but it’s so much richer when set into the context of the larger story, and I think without the previous book, many of the connections would have gone right by me without leaving an impression.

Another heart-warming story from author Katherine Reay — and yes, plenty of book talk too!

I loved this book! It was set in a small town and it had a book store and coffee shop *sigh and scream* it was everything. It pretty much taught me how to appreciate the art of letting go and embracing new changes. I could not put it down! Loved it. Thank you Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for my copy in exchange of an honest review

Wow! What an emotional rollercoaster! I fell in love with the characters in this book. The author has such a talent in creating mental pictures for the reader. I loved all the layers of this story. I am really hoping this story continues in another book.

I wanted to like it but I think I came in with the wrong expectations. I'm usually a huge fan of anything small town, cozy, bookshops, a sweet love story but it didn't click for me this time. It could've been that I never quite warmed up to Alyssa, though I did like Jeremy more, or that I don't typically go for mother-daughter storylines.

Also, the cast of characters seemed unnecessarily large for the story being told which led to moments of confusion when a name would come up but wasn't really important for the plot. The additional characters are likely the cause of the book's length too as the plot was a bit slow. I hate to be such a bummer because I can see that others really enjoyed it. I would still recommend it to other readers who are fans of the genre though. Just because it wasn't my cup of coffee doesn't mean it won't be someone else's.

Note: The honest review above would not have been possible without the digital ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you to them and the author for the opportunity to read and review it.

Thanks to #First Editions for suggesting this book and #netgalley for supplying the ARC. This was a lovely read. It was not very deep. If you like small towns, book stores, coffee shops, romance, and family drama you will like this book. It was an easy read but it kept you wanting more. I have to say I did not care for the main character, Alyssa Harrison. I found her to be selfish and self centered. The author did try to redeem her at the end but it didn't work for me. I did like her best friend, her mom, her boyfriend and little Becca (her boyfriend's daughter). And I really wanted a cup of that wonderful coffee!

Since I've discovered Katherine Reay I've discovered books that make me giddily fangirlish. This book does not disappoint. Seriously her way with words are just...... it's just. A quote from this book sums it up perfectly what this book is, in fact what all her books are. "Reading is therapy".

This book is a part two without being a part two of "The Printed Letter Bookshop" (TPLB). You do not have to read TPLB in order to read this book comfortably, but since it was such a wonderful book you should. We meet again many characters that we enjoyed but this is a completely stand alone book with it's own new set of characters and quirks.

As a book with other books interweaved within it's pages you get tales within tales. Even if you have never read a book mentioned you wonder at the other level of what is spoken about or is happening. I find that I get so much out of what isn't said from the mention of a book or character because those books meant something to me that may be different and adds another level to my current reading. "Of Mice and Men" from High School Literature class and all I experienced there.

The characters are far from one dimensional and they take you along on their journey that invokes a journey of your own. Whether you agree with a character or not you are presented with your own opportunity for growth, for grace and for understanding.

Just in case it wasn't clear, I loved this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a well written story with good characters and a lovely setting. It just wasn’t for me. Small town romance is usually well in my wheelhouse of happiness but this wasn’t as romance focused as I wanted it to be. If your taste isn’t as romance dependent then I think this would be a story you would enjoy. Plus bonus points for having an adorable kid in the mix. I also think it might be good to read the first book before this one. While this can be a standalone I get the feeling that I might have hooked into it more if I came to it having already read the first one.

For various reasons, Jeremy and Alyssa find themselves in the small town of Winsome, Illinois. This quaint little community has Jeremy Mitchell moving to be closer to his child and to open the coffee shop he’s always dreamed of. But the town isn’t so sure if they like all the renovations and updates he’s making to their old familiar shop, including changing the name. So will his move end up being in vain?

Alyssa Harrison, who quickly left her hometown three years earlier, never planned to return. She was mad and blamed her mother for her parents’ divorce, and Alyssa had landed an enviable job in Silicon Valley. So she left in a whirlwind. But she has returned out of necessity. Her employer has closed and is under an FBI investigation. This means Alyssa is nervous about her possible involvement and she is without income. She hopes her dad will allow her to stay with him until she can figure out what to do. But things don’t always work the way you hope they will.

The story centers around Jeramy and Alyssa’s struggles and growth, both with family issues and trying to find where they belong in a town that has both changed and yet remained the same.

My Thoughts

A – While there was much to love about this book, it didn’t totally work for me. The storyline felt a bit here and there. And the characters missed their chance to pull me into their stories by having too many issues.

B – It was fun to see so many references to older books and the way the theme carried them throughout the story.

C – Because both Jeremy and Alyssa find themselves struggling to work through family concerns and work-related concerns, they gradually migrate toward each other. A relationship slowly begins to blossom. But since the book has so many subplots, even their romance ends up feeling disappointing.

NOTE:
After reading this, I discovered that there is an earlier book, The Printed Letter Bookshop, which you might want to be aware of. Though Of Literature and Lattes felt like a standalone book, sometimes it’s nice to start at the beginning. The backstory can provide so much more insight and richness to a novel.

What Concerned Me
Please don’t misunderstand my concerns to mean that I don’t recommend this book. On the contrary, I enjoyed it. I just felt that

1. here were way too many subplots
2. Alyssa acted more like a spoiled teenager at times than her true age
3. the main characters needed to be fleshed out and their concerns addressed more fully

What I Liked
Recently I’ve read several stories that centered around a smalltown. This book did bring that feel to the story. Many of the characters reacted with emotions that felt believable to a close-knit community. Bottom Line –the town felt huggable.

I also liked the underlying thread of concern and love that ran through the story.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Books. All opinions in this review are my own.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Reay has frequently been recommended to me by some of my favorite inspirational writers, particularly her Austen inspired books. So, I was eager to give her a try with her latest, Of Literature and Lattes. And while it has a good idea at the heart of it, I just didn’t care for the execution.

I love the cozy small town atmosphere, and hearing that she has another book set in the same small town is exciting, as I know what I might check out next. And of the characters and storylines, I enjoyed Jeremy and his relationship with his daughter Becca.

However, I never fully felt invested in Alyssa’s story, and there’s a plethora of other characters who I found too hard to keep track of.

Admittedly this is a bit of an odd book in a genre I don’t read often (small town contemporary), so I think your mileage may vary when it comes to whether you enjoy this one. If you’ve been a fan of this genre in the past or like this author, I think you should make the call for yourself.

Being a huge Katherine Reay fan ever since she wrote my favorite book, Dear Mr. Knightley, I was anxious to get my hands on her newest work as early as possible so I was very happy to receive a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley before its publication date! I was even more excited to find that it was set in the same town as her last book, The Printed Letter Bookshop, which I loved. I always love to revisit beloved characters in new books. I was a little puzzled when I saw on the promotional material that even though it was set in the same town, it could be read as a stand-alone, and now that I've read it, I can say that I strongly disagree with that statement! Please read The Printed Letter Bookshop first! This book is a breathtakingly beautiful continuation of the transformation that began in Janet, one of the characters in The Printed Letter Bookshop, and I would hate to think that anyone missed out on experiencing her full transformation by skipping the first one!

While I enjoyed getting to know Jeremy and the new characters involved in his story, it was the relationship between Alyssa and Janet that touched my soul throughout this book. Their mother-daughter relationship journey is so raw, so poignant, and moved me to tears several times. It brought out over and over again how our perceptions, expectations, and patterns of interacting influence various relationships in our lives. I hope that I will be able to apply some of the things I learned while reading this book and strengthen some of my own relationships.

I will add that, though Jeremy's story didn't really capture me for much of this book, he did a few things towards the end that were so shocking in their generosity and humility that they made me feel his story of transformation was as beautiful in its own way as Janet's.

I also want to mention that I found the POV odd and, at times, a little jarring in this book. It's very fluid and slides from one person to another mid-scene but then stays with the new person until it slides to another character altogether. It's kind of like a TV show. I lost count of how many different people's POVs there were. There are definitely more than one in each chapter, and they weren't set apart in any way. (I was reading an ARC from NetGalley so it is possible that these POV switches are made more clear in the actual book. When I get my own copy, which I will be purchasing, I will try and come back and update this review if the final layout somehow makes it less jarring for me.) It didn't read like an omniscient narrator nor did it feel like an inexperienced writer flopping back and forth. This felt very intentional, but I can't say I particularly liked it. I daresay some people will love it though, and perhaps, I can get used to it with time. It was just something I haven't experienced before, and I personally felt like it took away just a little from my enjoyment of the book because my flow kept getting interrupted as I had to stop and think about whose head I was in now.

My only other complaint is that I wish the author had been a little more explicit about the spiritual nature of the transformations experienced by her characters. I know some people like it to be really subtle so this is totally a personal preference, but I prefer it when it's very clear that the source of real heart transformation is a relationship with Jesus. This can definitely be inferred from this book if one already knows the Lord, but I just wished it was less subtle and more clearly shown. Its subtlety does make it a good candidate for those who wouldn't ordinarily read Christian fiction or are put off by perceived preachiness as it is definitely not that.

Despite these few complaints, this book really is breathtakingly beautiful, and I know that I am better for having read it. I will certainly be purchasing my own copy and it will undoubtedly be reread a time or two whenever I need to remember that people really can change, and it's worth it to keep giving, keep loving, and keep forgiving.

Of Literature and Lattes is the second book by Katherine Reay set in the mythical outside of Chicago suburb of Winsome, Illinois. In the first book we met Madeline Cullen and the ladies of The Printed Letter Bookshop. This edition focuses on artist Janet Harrison, but more precisely, her estranged daughter Alyssa.

Alyssa left the area three years ago, when the family was shattered, her mother to blame. Alyssa had jumped at the chance to work with Vita XGC, writing algorithms for their predictive health app. But when the bottom fell out and the FBI closed the company’s doors and began investigating employees, she was jobless and under a dark cloud of suspicion. After six months of being out of work and seemingly a pariah in the industry, Alyssa reluctantly heads cross country with her few belongings, which are stolen along the way. Upon arrival at her Dad’s apartment, while happy to see her, he says she must stay with her mother rather than him, hoping for a healing between mother and daughter.

With Alyssa’s best friend, Lexi’s, help, she is able to come to terms with her return home, meet exciting new people, and move toward something she thought would never happen, forgiveness. This is a lovely second installment set in this lakeside small town and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first. I do recommend this book!

What an adorable, small-town, Hallmarkish book!
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I love the characters and the small town setting. I didn't love how the story jumped around so much and I felt like there were too many characters and story lines happening at one time. Alyssa was a great main character and Jeremy grows so much throughout this book. This sweet book made me want to make scones and good coffee. I could see this book being turned into a hallmark movie.
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This was a good light read for this time in my life. I wasn't very compelled to pick up this book if I wasn't reading it but I'm glad I read this book.

Of Literature and Lattes is a modern-day novel written by Katherine Reay, and is a follow-up book to the The Printed Letter Book Shop.

Summary: Alyssa Harrison is returning home to Winsome with her tail between her legs and a chip on her shoulder. Her job is gone, her money and possessions are gone, and her only choice is to go back to Mom and Dad-a place she swore to never return. Will she be able to get past all of the bitterness with her mother, or will history repeat itself over again?

Jeremy Mitchell has given up everything to move to Winsome and take over a coffee shop with his friend Ryan. Anything to be closer to the daughter he barely knows. He does know coffee though, and is determined to make a go of his new business. But when the numbers start not to add up, he leans on Alyssa’s expertise-will she be able to help him figure out why his business is failing?

My Thoughts: I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked that the story showed the characters working through past regrets and trying to change their family dynamics. And, I liked the characters and the quaint little town-I thought they were both interesting and complex.

What I didn’t like, was that there were several times where the book abruptly switched to a different character, and I found it a bit difficult to follow who was thinking/feeling what at times.

I also would not recommend reading this as a stand-alone book. There were several times where previous events were referenced, and I felt a little lost.

Overall though, it was a good book-definitely not a light read, maybe more of a counseling session between characters much of the time-but I stayed interested in the characters and the storyline from start to finish, so that was good.

I would like to thank Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you.

I love a lot of books and a lot of authors. But there is really something special about Katherine Reay and her books. The Printed Letter Bookshop was one of my favorite books last summer.

I didn't even read the book blurb on the back of Of Literature and Lattes before I started reading it. So it took me a few minutes to realize it's a sequel to The Printed Letter Bookshop.

One of the main storylines in Printed Letter was Janet and her broken relationship with her husband and children. When the book ended she seemed to be on track to make amends with her husband and son. But her daughter, Alyssa, was having none of it. 

Of Literature and Lattes picks up not long after The Printed Letter Bookshop ends. Alyssa has finally admitted defeat in her life in California. She has no choice but to return to Winsome, Illinois, to her mother's house.


The town of Winsome has had some changes with new businesses being added. Jeremy left the city and bought a coffee shop in Winsome so that he could be closer to his daughter. But he's losing money, and can't understand why.

Alyssa starts using her skills to help Jeremy fix his business. Janet is also hoping to rebuild her relationship with Alyssa, even as Alyssa and Jeremy grow closer.

But there are a few surprises in store for Alyssa and Jeremy. Neither of their lives is turning out like they hoped...But maybe it could be better than they hoped?

Ah, the relationship between mothers and daughters. Can there be too many books? Watching these two find peace was an amazing story. It was so well-written that I could feel the emotions of both. I think most mothers and daughters could relate to their struggles.

I love how Katherine writes transitions in her books. The scenes change quickly moving from one point of view to another. It makes the story flow so smoothly.

There are also short glimpses of life from other points of view. It gives the story so much depth.

None of Katherine's books really go together, so I was surprised that Of Literature and Lattes was a continuation of The Printed Letter Bookshop. But it was a nice way to keep the story going.

It seems from the end that there might be more coming from Winsome soon. And I can't wait to read it!

Of Literature and Lattes
By Katherine Reay
I delight in books whose characters or plots surprise me. However, this book did neither. From the first moment that Alyssa met Jeremy, it was obvious that they would end up in love, and Alyssa would never leave Winsome. This was true in every single story line.

Alyssa, one of the main characters, never grew on me. She seemed way too old to be that whiny and unforgiving. Janet, Alyssa’s mom, was my favorite character. I found her story to be the most interesting and the mother-daughter relationship felt heartbreaking and realistic. However, there were a lot of characters revolving around the shops in the center of Winsome, many who were mentioned and not fully drawn out. I found myself sometimes confused about who was who and had to look back at the book to remind myself of their story. Some of those characters could have been eliminated, and it would not have negatively affected the story.

I did enjoy the many literary references; however, I did not realize that this book was meant as a follow up to The Printed Letter Bookshop and perhaps that was the problem. For me, it did not work as a standalone story. And it did not leave me wanted to read the Printed Letter. I also really disliked the ending of the book, as it was too neat and tied up in a bow for my taste.

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

I started this book with great anticipation, as I really enjoyed Reay's book, The Printed Letter Bookshop. I struggled to get into this one. There were so many characters, it was sometimes confusing and the story just never really got my attention. I would like to thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for allowing me an ARC of the book to read, for an honest review.

n this book, we return to the fictional Chicago, Illinois suburb of Winsome. Alyssa has returned there as a last resort. The Silicone Valley company she worked for is being investigated by the FBI, and no other companies there will hire her. So, she returns to her childhood home and all the relationship issues included in it. At the same time, Jeremy has relocated to Winsome to open the coffee shop of his dreams and be closer to his daughter. All is not roses there either.

I was looking forward to returning to Winsome. This isn't necessarily a sequel to The Printed Letter Bookshop (which I really enjoyed), but it was helpful to have read that one to have more context for Alyssa.

I really wanted to love this book, and I just didn't. It was okay. I didn't enjoy any of the characters, and there seemed to be a lot of repetition in informational details about some of them. Additionally, there were random characters that were just thrown in occasionally with very specific details about them. I'm assuming to set up for a third book in Winsome, but it just irked me a bit to have tidbits dropped and no follow through.

Also, the whole plot and relationships and drama seemed to happen really quickly. I did like some of the interactions between Alyssa and her mom, but then other interactions seemed to come from left field.

I felt overall there was a lot of telling and not so much showing when it came to everything in this book.

Not my favorite of hers. I loved some of here other books much more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. I received a complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.