Another solid hit for Reay. I like that she usually sticks with the Chicago suburbs in her books, and the story keeps you engaged throughout. I couldn't put it down!

Of Literature and Lattes is the second book in a series, that said, I have not read the first book and had no trouble following this book.

This cozy story about friendship, family and life's second chances is set in a small town called Winsome, IL. Two of the characters run a book shop, and one of them runs a coffee shop - so there are a lot of literature and lattes in this story. The book was a slow and cozy read. There were a lot of elements that I liked, such as the references to literature and the sweet story lines and a couple twists to keep things a little exciting. I absolutely adore the lovely cover art.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Katherine Reay for the advanced copy of Of Literatures and Lattes to review.

Well written and entertaining inspirational romance. Well crafted plot and characters. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

I’ve loved all of Katherine Reay’s other novels, but I could not get into this one. I really did not like the main characters, but I wanted to give them a chance because Reay always has wonderful character development. This books follows so many secondary characters that I had a hard time following all the stories and eventually gave up. I may revisit it in the future to give it another try.

Of Literature and Lattes takes us back to Winsome and we get further into Janet’s family when her daughter Alyssa has to return home due to career failure. In Winsome we find new store owner Jeremy who is trying to take over a well-loved coffee shop. If you loved The Printed Letter Bookshop,you will enjoy returning to Winsome. The book is not a fast pace read, but offers great themes of forgiveness and second chances in life.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the advanced copy of this book, but all opinions are my own.

Thank you for my advanced copy. I enjoyed this one but it's not in my most recommended list. I thought this was a slower read and wasn't fully invested in the story. I kept putting it down and wanting to read something else.

I loved reading this book. It's a perfect book to read in bed on a rainy day - it'll give you that nice fuzzy warm feeling. This book did everything right for the genre, with a few twists and new takes to keep it fresh. The characters expressed realistic development, and the stakes were just right to keep me hooked from start to finish.

3.5/5 stars

I would definitely recommend reading the previous “The Printed Letter Bookshop” before this follow-up, as I had to remember characters from a year ago to keep up. While this one was fine, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much or feel as engaged as in the first.

Centered around the small town of Winsome, IL, the main story is about 31 yo Alyssa who returns after 3 years in CA. She’s lost her job, she’s broke and needs to start over. She also needs to heal a rift with her mom. Jeremy moved to Winsome to open a coffee shop and be nearer his young daughter and has issues to solve with his ex and his new business.

While I enjoyed seeing how they worked through their problems, I was also a little annoyed by Alyssa’s selfish and immature attitude at times, and there were, in my opinion, a bit too many other characters with stories that proved to be distracting at times. But overall a good story with nice resolutions to some rather hard issues.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #ThomasNelson for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

I am so disappointed that I couldn't really get into this story. I have adored everything else I've read of this author, so I had really high hopes for this one. Not sure exactly what I was that I want connecting with, maybe just my current mindset. I'll try again at a later date.

This was a touching romance between two people who both have troubled pasts, but are trying to rise above past mistakes. In a more drastic take on the whole trope of the heroine losing everything at the start of the novel, Alyssa has literally lost everything when the company she worked for turns out to be a big fraud. Now she’s lost her savings paying for a lawyer as the FBI investigates everyone at the business. She travels home to one of those sweet small towns that populate romance novels and all her meager possessions are stolen from her car on the drive east.

She ends up having to live with her mother whom she hasn't forgiven for having cheated on her father. She gets a job working at a garage. And she meets Jeremy who has also moved to this town to be near his daughter. He’s opened up a coffee shop, but things aren’t going well for him.

The story switches narrators back and forth between Alyssa and Jeremy as well as other characters and as it soon becomes apparent that many people have sorrows that they need to overcome to get to a happier place.

Alyssa was a bit annoying for the first part of the novel as she is so unforgiving of her mother. If her father has forgiven her, maybe she can get over herself. And she’s a bit snobby about what she’s come do

When I requested this book, I hadn’t realized it was a follow up to another story.. and now I’m kind of glad. Because that means I can go back and read more about some of my favorite characters!
This was a fun read that I really enjoyed.
In the beginning, Alyssa wasn’t my favorite. Her attitude rubbed me the wrong way. But, by the end of the book I was rooting for her.
I did Jeremy from the beginning though and was excited when things worked out well for him.
There was a bit too much bickering for my liking, but overall I enjoyed the dialogue and character building that happened!

Katherine Reay is a gifted storyteller. Let her take you to her lovely fictional town of Winsome, Illinois. You won't ever want to leave. This is her 2nd book set in this wonderful community and I hope there are many more. It is beautiful story of forgiveness and moving forward. This is a wonderful novel that will have you longing to be a part of the Winsome Community. This is a must read for any fan of Katherine Reay and will certainly be getting the attention of fans that just haven't been introduced to this fabulous author. I will be giving this as a gift to many friends.

I loved this author’s previous book “The Printed Letter” and was happy to be able to return to the lives of these characters. This time around, we view the life of the town of Winsome from the backdrop of both the newly-restored coffee shop and the bookstore that’s become the heart of the town’s community.

This storyline centers around Alyssa’s reluctant return home to Winsome and the contention in the relationship that exists between she and mother, Joyce. It was easy at first for me to get quite annoyed with Alyssa and I did not care for her at all. But all throughout this story, we have the opportunity to see Alyssa grow and change and begin to see that she really does not know her mother at all. By the end of the book, I had warmed up to Alyssa and began to hope that maybe she’d find her place in Winsome. I did, however, like the character of Jeremy from the very beginning and was cheering him on to find success with his coffee shop and build his relationship with his young daughter.

This is not a sweet, romantic story. There’s romance, but it’s the kind that’s gained by hard work in establishing a relationship. I’m not sure if there will be a third book in this series, but I’ll be reading it if there is.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This was a great lighter read for these times (March 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis). Set in a small town and filled with literary references and coffee shop vibes, it’s a story about community, family, and second chances. Alyssa is still reeling after a scandal completely demolished the company she was working for. Jeremy has moved to Winsome and remodeled their beloved coffee shop to rival any big city cafe. Both are wrestling with their pasts and figuring out that relationships are what sustain us more than anything else.
I found the characters to be charming and the plot to have just enough elements to keep the story moving forward, but at times the transitions felt rushed. I would have liked to see a little more character development, especially in the main characters.
I am not certain but I think this may be a sequel, or at least a spin-off, of an earlier book. Perhaps reading The Printed Letter Bookshop first would have rounded out the story a little better.
All in all, a solid read that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to someone in the mood for an uplifting, heartwarming story.

I adored the previous book, the Printed Letter Bookshop, so naturally I was very excited for the opportunity to read the follow-up, Of Literature and Lattes. Unfortunately I only got about a quarter of the way through and realized I was really not enjoying it at all. Unlike the last book, I felt no warmth toward the characters or their situations at all. The main character, Alyssa, I found to be unnecessarily unpleasant. Jeremy's ex-wife - does anyone really act THAT nasty and hostile? Having loved the last book so much, I really wanted to love this one, but I couldn't stomach these characters.

This is the first time I have read this author and the book and it was a good read. Enjoyed the characters.

Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Ready

Grab yourself a latte, get cozy and prepare to dive into a heartwarming read.

The story of two seemingly lost and wondering souls will warn even the coldest of hearts. Fantastic character development that will have you cheering not only the two leading characters but the whole group of well meaning town folk.

4/5 stars

Thank you #NetGalley and #ThomasNelson for this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this second novel set in Winsome, Illinois, a lovely small town where people look out for each other. The two main characters are in Winsome for different reasons: temporary refuge for one, a fresh start for another. Neither is working out too well until help is asked for and is given in various ways. There are a few loose ends by the conclusion of the book, but I figure either that's real life or there is more to come.

I loved the characters, the town, the books, the lattes, and the story. This book was a great escape for me and we all need that right now.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book follows The Printed Letter Bookshop and we see some of the same characters in this one. However the main two characters were not present in the first novel. Jeremy has moved to Winsome, IL, a suburb of Chicago, along with a friend, to open a coffee shop in the small town where his ex-wife and daughter live. Hailing from Seattle and having worked in the coffee industry, Jeremy feels confident in his abilities and doesn’t understand why sales aren’t better. Hometown girl Alyssa, still feeling burned by her job experience in California, is recommended to Jeremy to help with figuring things out. The two are attracted to each other and Alyssa works through her next steps in life with her family and career.

Winsome sounds like a town where we’d all like to live, where there’s a true sense of community. I enjoyed the first book more than this one, but it was fun meeting some of the same characters.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review.