Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I did not recognize the author or the title when I first came across this on Netgalley, but I was attracted to the colorful cover and the summary of the book. I am so glad I did judge a book by it's cover and took a chance on this new read. Of Literature and Lattes was a sweet story of coming home, forgiving, and trusting in new possibilities. I found the characters to be relatable with likable qualities but also flaws that made them human and gave depth to the story. I would love to read more by Katherine Reay.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

The story was a cozy feel about second chances.

There were way too many characters...but still worth the read!

#OfLiteratureAndLattes #NetGalley

I have read all of Katherine Reay's novels, this one was a hard one. This book is a sequel to The Printed Letter Bookshop, but can be read as a stand alone.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of. Alyssa comes home dejected and wanting a place to collect herself, after being investigated because of a prior job. Alyssa has a hard time forgiving her mom and their relationship is strained, because of her mom's affair.
Jeremy, moves to be closer to his daughter and opens a coffee shop. He remodels the coffee shop that was successful and the small town has a hard time accepting the changes he has made.
Alyssa and Jeremy's worlds connect when, Alyssa offers to do some accounting work, for Jeremy and a couple of other close friends. I have to confess that I've never even drank coffee before, and had a hard timeme connecting with some of the characters. This book was very different compared to the authors other novels.

Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Reay
Source: NetGalley and Thomas Nelson
Rating: 4½/5 stars

I have to say clearly from the beginning, I don’t understand the Goodreads rating for this book at all ☹ This book is far better than its rating, in my humble opinion.

Here we go . . . .

Going home is hard to do; going home with your tail firmly tucked between your legs is damn-near impossible. When you add total humiliation, the possibility of jailtime thanks to the shady company you worked for, a complete lack of funds, and an estrangement from your mother whose house you need to return to, well, going home is most certainly a level of Hell. After a very, very long drive, being robbed, and generally dreading her reception, Alyssa Harrison is now firmly ensconced in her own personal level of Hell.

Alyssa has no intention of staying in her hometown for more than the summer, she has no intention of making nice with her mother, and she has no intention of going to jail. As the old saying goes, we plan, and God laughs! The first bit of laughter comes when Alyssa is forced, by her dad, to return to her childhood home where her mother still lives; the second bit of laughter comes when Alyssa’s car breaks down and she is forced to work off the repairs at the local service station, and yet another bit of laughter comes when Alyssa realizes the FBI has interviewed everyone but her and they have yet to reach out regarding her old company. To add insult to injury, as the days move forward, there’s a load more laughter coming Alyssa’s way before she finally gets her sh*t together.

One of the ways in which Alyssa finally begins to pull her life together is helping her friends with their accounting. One of Alyssa’s greatest strengths is her ability to see and understand numbers in a way many others cannot. To that end, her best friend not only hits her with a harsh dose of reality but employs her to review her restaurant’s numbers and see how and where they can improve their overall spending and saving. What’s more, Alyssa’s best friend also encourages her to do the same thing for the new local coffee shop owner, Jeremy Mitchell, whose grand new coffee shop is failing miserably, and he has no idea why.

Alyssa’s time at home is an awakening on so many levels. Though she spends a great deal of her initial weeks at home fighting everything and everyone, Alyssa has a scary moment of reality when she lands herself in the hospital. From that moment on, Alyssa truly begins to reassess her life, her position in other’s lives, and how she has behaved and contributed to her own situation. Once Alyssa makes the decision to right the wrongs of the past, her future suddenly becomes far more realistic and potentially very happy.

The Bottom Line: I reiterate, I feel like this book is far better than its star rating on Goodreads. I read this book cover to cover in a single sitting and regret nothing. While I have focused my review exclusively on Alyssa, this book is also the story of coffee shop owner Jeremy Mitchell and I found his story to be just as appealing and interesting as Alyssa’s. When their stories begin to cross over, the story becomes even more interesting and well-rounded. Make no mistake, this isn’t a silly or frivolous story, but the story of two very broken people trying to make sense of their lives and put all the wrongs to right. When you add in the minor characters, there’s a depth to this story that I really appreciated. In all, a fine read that is worth more than its rating suggests.

This was a comforting and challenging romp through the lovely new characters Katherine introduces us to invariably in all her novels. They are complex, deal with intricate and unexpected problems, and we feel their losses and triumphs keenly. The imagery creates a cozy world we are happy to inhabit for as long as Reay allows us to, and we begin to feel like part of the "cast". Love how she explores difficult and generational parent/child relationships and redemption/forgiveness as well. You won't regret picking up any of her books, this latest is no exception!

Although this book wasn’t like any of the other Katherine Reay books, I still enjoyed it. There were a few more characters in this book to keep up with, but they blended well. Several references to The Printed Letter Bookshop has encouraged me to read that one soon.

This was a cute contemporary novel about finding yourself and second chance romance. It was a cozy read and the characters were enjoyable as well. A great read if you're in the mood for a cute contemporary read.

Review URL: https://www.thepagewalker.com/2020/03/book-review-of-literature-and-lattes-by.html
Review live on 3/16/20, 7:30 AM; Central Standard Time

Winsome Illinois is home to The Printed Letter Bookshop characters and it is lovely coming back to this community for OF LITERATURE AND LATTES’.

I think Katherine Reay is starting to be a favorite. I am captivated by her deep understanding of the community. For an immigrant like me, the need for kinship and inclusion is very acute. Everyone deserves a place to call home and a family to lean on, especially when things go sideways. Reay did her best to bring in real-life issues and avenues to address them, enveloped with acts of kindness and a good amount of grace, without being theatrical or desperately pious.

The characters are all relatable -you can be a father, a mother, a daughter, or a good friend- there’s a good chance you’ve been there too. I am drawn to their struggles and how they overcame them, to their mistakes and how they amenably acknowledged each. I am drawn to their transitions from a very rocky start to optimistic individuals.

I highly recommend this book that celebrates second chances and the birthing of a book club.

I loved traveling back to Winsome! For the record, you do NOT need to have read another Katherine Reay book before reading this one (though, if you haven't yet become a fan, you'll hunt down all of the copies of her books you can find after this one).

Things I appreciate about this book:
1. The major theme is deep philosophical Christianity rather than just "Jesus Loves YOU!", which sets this author apart from other Christian fiction authors. I have read that Mrs. Reay bases her thesis on a question of philosophy that arises from different C.S. Lewis books she's read. I need to read more C.S. Lewis books so that I can figure out exactly which provided her the beginnings of this novel.
2. The romantic relationships in this book weave into the overall plot rather than being the primary focus of the characters (although it's made clear that true sacrifice and true love are synonymous).
3. I want to live in Winsome, but only in the summer months, as this book is set.
4. Examples of ecumenicism. Holler.

Read this book if you're a romantic, but you want a clean, not-syrup-y-focused relationship on the page. Read this book if you have someone you need to forgive. Read this book if you want to see Love play out in many different ways, through actions of mistake and actions of valor.

Just read it.

DNF

I did not expect Christian Fiction when I started to read this book. I don't have anything against it, but it's not for me and I don't want to read a genre that I inherently don't care about.

I did not finish this book. I found there to be too many characters to keep track of, the coffee shop sounded hideous, the FBI scene was not realistic or believable in any way. Perhaps if I read this author’s first book I’d have caught on and piqued my interest! so I’m off to read her first book.

Thanks #netgalley for the ARC.
#ofliteratureandlattes

I’m such a city girl, but after reading this, I want to go find my own small town and open a bookstore or coffee shop in it. It was very cute and amusing. I wish it focused on the two main characters more so we could see the relationship blossom, but also being able to see the insights of all the people was enjoyable. It made you really feel like you were a part of the town. Overall, a good and happy read.

If you have books and coffee right in title, isn't it already tempting to pick up the book and escalate direct into a really comfy zone nearby a fireplace and sit with a cozy cuppa and a cozy book about that cozy cuppa.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and I am utterly delighted after reading this book. The book has strong but imperfect characters which one can related with easily. The story revolves around several important characters which makes it a bit difficult to know which one is the main character.

But I found Alyssa to be the main character and also its her character with which I was able to relate with tremendously. Alyssa has always lived that perfect life where her mom likes to be in control of everything and is counted among good ones. She has parents who are in love, who love her. Siblings as well as a best friend. Some would really cherish this background; but not her.

Alyssa felt trapped and in a consistent need to pretend to be the perfect person her parents wanted her to be. She always felt the need to flee from her family and live an independent life and so she did at the first chance she got. Her mother made a mistake which broke the family and that was the best chance to flee away.
She lived an independent life, worked in the analysing logistics department but soon she found that the company was fraud.

Left with no money, no job, no probability of getting any job, no friends or family, and a possible police case against her, she is forced to return back to her parents. She though still hates her mother and cannot be bothered to even hold a decent conversation, returns to her home after her dad forces her out from his place. She finds various small jobs to survive.

Meanwhile there are the already introduced characters Janet, and Seth, Alyssa's parents who are going through a broken marriage but are still very much in love and trying to get back. Janet has her own monsters to deal with. She always pretended to be someone else, a good mother, a good wife but lost herself and so it happens, nobody even liked the pretentious body anyway. She finds she is at the end of the day, a chaotic, vulnerable person. But a real person.

Other main character is Jeremy who came to the small town after his ex wife and his child. He wants to be a dad to his daughter. His daughter is the best thing to have happened to him in a long time. He buys a cafe but is unable to run a well functioning business, he is like a foreigner, unwelcome and has to become better at his business, better at parenthood. Since his business is really slow, Alyssa decides to help him with logistics for free and well, a lot more happens between them from there.

Lexi, Madeline, George, Chris, Jill, etc are various other characters in the story who are portrayed in a really superb supporting role and they make the idea of the town more lively than ever. These characters really aid and elevate your imagination to a higher level and makes the story more real. As a reader one can even see themselves caring for them apart from the main characters.

In totality the book is a really delightful read and I had a good time. I would recommend the book to teenage and above age groups. It falls in genre of romance, family, drama, etc.

I’ve read several books by Katherine Reay, and have given all but one two stars (“it was okay”). This is one of the two star reads. It was hard to follow. There were characters who were made to seem like they should be an important person to remember and by the end they had nothing to do with the main story. The main story jumped all over the place. I didn’t feel like I was being led. I liked the premise but it wasn’t executed well.

I'm not sure why I thought this was going to be a mystery, but it was not. I cannot decide if I enjoyed the book or not. Alyssa has fled California for her hometown of Winsome, Illinois, after her pharma company tried to defraud people with fake test predictions. She wonders why she hasn't been interview by the FBI, and quite frankly so do it because she was heavily involved in writing the algorithms. The scene with the FBI, when she is finally interviewed, is totally unbelievable. I liked her parents Janet and Seth and the portrayal of how her mother's own anxieties and quest for perfection influenced her actions. As for the side story of Jeremy and his coffee shop, he did not strike me as someone who had enough business sense to spend the kind of money he did on a coffee shop and then not know how to operate it. Really would like to give this book a 2.5 star rating.

Katherine Reay is my favorite Christian fiction author. I do not read a lot of Christian fiction, but I will read anything that Reay writes. Her writing speaks to the Christian woman who truly loves literature (yes, English majors), but her stories also have such emotional depth and skill that anyone could enjoy them, Christian or not. I first started reading her books based on classic novels, but I also enjoy her current projects. This book, Of Literature and Lattes, connects beautifully with her last novel, The Printed Letter Bookshop. This is what God created Reay to do! I thought the premise of a company falsifying medical information and selling people's personal data unethically was creative and timely. The small town coffee shop was a great setting, and I was rooting for the main characters. The portrayal of a small town felt authentic.

In May 2019, Katherine Reay's novel The Printed Letter Bookshop was published.  The new book, Of Literature and Lattes can be read on its own but will be enjoyed most by those who have read The Printed Letter.  The setting in Of Literature and Latte is the same town as in the prior book and readers catch up with the lives of some of the characters from that book as well.  However, the novel also has its own plot and some new characters.


In this book Alyssa has left a job with a company that seems to be based on Theranos and that similarly explodes for Alyssa.  With nowhere to go and under investigation, she returns to the town where her parents (characters in The Printed Letter) live.  Alyssa has to figure out what to do with her life and with her unhappiness.


Jeremy has come to Winsome to run the kind of coffee shop that many of us dream of, one that values community and great beans that make great drinks.  However, the shop is struggling as is Jeremy.  One ray of brightness is his daughter but his daughter's mother is threatening to leave town.


Janet, from the prior novel. is trying to have a life in which she has stronger relationships with Alyssa and Seth, the man she first married, and is again seeing.  It is complicated.


The stories of these characters come to life and I think that readers will care about them.  I did not find Of Literature and Latte to be as strong a novel as The Printed Letter but I am pretty confident that this author's many fans will be eager to engage with this title.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read in exchange for an honest review.  By the way, I love the cover.

I give the three and 1/2 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for sending me an ARC for this book! Overall, I would say it was a three star read for me. I found it hard to relate to the main characters and it was hard for me to stay engaged with the story. The transitions between chapters was also hard to follow. I did, however, love the title and cover of the book. Thank you again!

Katherine Reay is an author who consistently delivers stories that render a thought provoking punch. This latest release, Of Literature and Lattes, is no exception. Brimming with memorable characters, introspective depth, and a plot that leaves you rooting for the impossible, Reay’s novel clenches your heart.

This book, though slated as a standalone, follows in the footsteps of Reay’s previous book, The Printed Letter Bookshop. I do recommend reading that book first, as that backstory provides so much more insight and richness to this novel. And fans of Reay will be delighted in this sequel! Loose ends are tied up although some new ones are created...

If you enjoy stories of coming to grips with failure or complicated relational layers, this is the book for you! Not lighthearted, but perfectly complex in its own way.

I received this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.