Cover Image: Of Literature and Lattes

Of Literature and Lattes

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This is a book I would feel confident recommending to pretty much anyone. It is heartwarming, moving, at times heartbreaking, but though it all gives us a snapshot into the lives of the residents of Winsome, Illinois as each person navigates their storm. The characters are relatable, genuine, and human. They make mistakes, see what they want to, and can hurt each other, but they all have ambitions, love, and connections. Weaving in and out of people's perspectives, Reay paints a full picture of the town, highlighting how stories are connected even when the characters do not realize.

Alyssa Harrison moves back to Winsome after losing her job and everything she owns. Her company is under criminal investigation and she has no other place to go. Moving back means confronting her mother and their relationship, and and not hiding what she has been doing. One of the first people she runs into is Jeremy Mitchell, the new owner of the local coffee shop - one who has recently renovated everything and doesn't seem to be earning as much as anticipated. Will Alyssa be able to help him save the business, and will that help her move on at the same time?

If you are looking for a clean, small-town community based read that is compelling to read and keeps you turning the page... here you go!

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

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I absolutely adored The Printed Letter Bookshop so I was super excited to read this book. What's not to love about a small town setting with a lovable bookshop?

What I loved about this book:

1. Honestly I can't review a single book in this series without talking about charming Winsome, IL. I want to move to this delightful small town so I can shop at The Printed Letter Bookshop and grab coffee at Andante all while getting to know all the wonder people that make up this community.

2. Alyssa and Janet had a lot of mother/daughter issues to work through in this book. They had spent years forming built up resentments and completely misunderstanding each other. Even though you got a bit of the details in the first book, but you get the whole story in book two. It was definitely stressful and a little messy at times, but I think Reay did a great job of accurately portraying this kind of stressed relationship.

3. I though Alyssa and Jermey were a well matched couple. Even though they both came to the table with significant baggage, they complemented each other well. Their love story was a sweet and enjoyable read.

4. The best part about a series is that you get to read more about the previous characters and you get a bit more of the great secondary characters with each additional book. I think Reay does a great job weaving together all the characters in a way that's complimentary. Sometimes it can get confusing with a bunch of characters, but that's definitely not the case with the Winsome series.

Overall I enjoyed this book (maybe not as much as book one) and I love this series. I can't wait to see what Reay writes next.

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Of Literature and Lattes

by Katherine Reay

I enjoyed Katherine Reay’s The Printed Letter Bookshop and was excited at the opportunity to read another book by this author—Of Literature and Lattes. This book is also a clean read dealing with real problems and is, in fact, a follow-up to the first book. I liked both novels, but I didn’t feel the second was as well organized or flowed as well as the first. In The Printed Letter Bookshop, the bookstore is almost another character as is Maddie, its former owner whose funeral initiates the action in the book. We depart from a focus on Maddie and her bookstore in Of Literature and Lattes where some characters continue with the focus on Janet who works at the bookshop and is rediscovering her artistic talent as well as trying to reconnect with her ex-husband, her daughter Alyssa, and her mother. That is a lot of reconciliation to accomplish!

Alyssa struggles when she discovers the success of her employer and his company are based on fraud, and she finds her only alternative is to return home. There she meets Jeremy, a new character who is also trying to start over both with a coffee shop he purchased and in his relationship with his seven-year-old daughter.

There are a lot of twists and turns as Alyssa tries to find employment. To her credit, she will take any job offered when she discovers no one in her field will hire her because she is under investigation by the FBI. Alyssa and Janet want to repair the long-term fracture in their mother-daughter relationship, but it is not simple. Meanwhile, Jeremy has difficulties with his ex-wife and his employees.

The storyline jumps around among the various characters and themes. The characters have to deal with ethical, moral, and legal issues and rely on the help of kind neighbors, family, and friends.

Although I found the first of the book to be a little disjointed, it came together as the story progressed. My favorite character is Becca, Jeremy’s young daughter. I enjoyed the novel, but did not make an emotional attachment to any of the characters. I assume there will be more books making it a series. Reay has written a number of fiction books based on her love of literature and especially the works of Jane Austin.

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

Rating: 4/5

Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction, Christian Fiction

Notes: 1. This book could be read as a standalone, but some of the characters’ relationships would be clearer if you read The Printed Letter Bookshop first.
2. I included this in the Christian Fiction category because the characters’ relationship to Christ is a background theme providing moral and relationship structure.

Publication: May 12, 2020—Thomas Nelson

Memorable Lines:

What before she had regarded as instances of Alyssa’s ingratitude, obstinance, and petulance were recast in light of her own issues of control, manipulation, and anger.

Father Luke had been telling her for months that her problem was no longer asking others for forgiveness, but accepting it herself. “It’s an odd form of pride, you know,” he had said over coffee one day. “You decide you know better than God and make your own ruling.”

Yes, the “bad” in life bumped down the generations with discord and pain, causing breaks and tumult as well, but it could be healed. It could be made new and, perhaps, made stronger.

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Such a sweet story about love, life, friendships and the workings of family. New beginnings aren't always easy but sometimes they make us a better person. This is my second book by this author and they get better with time. The storyline is down to earth and believable.

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I rounded up to 4/5 stars on this one, primarily because I enjoyed the characters and the genre so much, and I'm a sucker for a second chance. This was a quick and easy read, too!

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Every time I finish a Katherine Reay book I always want to keep hanging out with the characters. I was so happy to learn that we'd be able to catch up with some "old friends" in "Of Literature and Lattes". Reay pens with vulnerability and honesty a story about second chances, finding community, and forgiveness. I love how realistic her stories always are and the depth of wisdom and emotions.

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I am not really sure why it took me so long to read this book, by a favorite author, but too many good books on the line. I really enjoyed this book, with the twists of the job loss, the guilt, parental struggles, and tug a war about what love is. This is not a love story, yet, it was a story about love. It was the story of people that were seeking to find meaning in life and belonging. So many things to enjoy in this story, but I loved the little quirks that made me see and feel the businesses on the pages, along with mentions of things like dyslexia and celiac disease.

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After her life implodes, Alyssa returns to the small town where she grew up and is forced to confront the baggage she left behind when her parents' marriage broke up. I liked Alyssa and her love interest, Jeremy. The book is well named, because it's the kind of story you savor by a fire with a big mug of hot coffee. Smart, introspective small-town romance with a side of family drama.

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Of Literature and Lattes is the second book Katherine Reay has set in the lovely little town of Winsome, and I hope it's not the last. I love revisiting characters, while relishing a new story, and this book is no exception. Alyssa has returned to Winsome after losing her job in a scandal similar to the Theranos debacle. She's literally lost everything and has to rely on her estranged mother, Janet, for support. She meets Jeremy, the new owner of the local coffee shop, who doesn't understand why they town isn't a fan of his recent changes. I really love these kind of stories where different characters and their stories build upon each other in a satisfying layer. The only quibble I have is that several stories were left open at the end. I am hoping these are going to be tied up in a future novel. Other than that, I definitely recommend this sweet book.

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Katherine Reay writes really enjoyable books, using some trusted formulas, but it just didn't like as much as her The Printed Letter Bookshop.

Possibly because of the main character Alyssa, whom I practically disliked in "Bookshop" because of the very negative attitude she showed to her mother. And as she starts on with that note in this book as well .... I mean, the shock is understandable that your parents are human beings like the rest of us, when you are 14, not so much when you produce the same childish, immature behaviour at the age of 32.

Despite my original aversion to the MC, this was still a heartwarming book to read and I was happy to discover "old" acquaintances I have grown to care for in the Bookshop novel.

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OF LITERATURE AND LATTES by KATHERINE REAY is a thought provoking romance novel in which we are shown relationships, some of them at their very worst, and most that need attention, in the small town of Winsome, Illinois.
We see how running away is not the answer in Alyssa Harrison's case, with her landing in big trouble with a fraudulent company. We see how Jeremy Miller moves to live near his estranged wife so that he can be part of his seven year old daughter's life. Having been unwanted by his only living relative when his parents died, he does not want Becca to feel the rejection he felt.
The story has a background of good books and good coffee and is well told. There is a lot more to the book than this, but I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling the read for you.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

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I always enjoy Katherine Reays books. They are original and fun to read. They keep you invested in the characters and in the plot line. I also appreciate the fact that oftentimes her females characters have expertise in some technical job. It makes the story seem more real when characters actually work in their daily lives in a story. The only thing I didn’t like was the fact that the relationship between the main characters progressed very quickly romantically. They didn’t really seem to talk to each other about their feelings, but just jumped in headfirst at what seemed like an unrealistic pace.

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I will admit, Of Literature and Lattes was nearly a DNF for me, the initial start of this complex chick lit almost lost me. It was apparent right away that this book shouldn't be read as a standalone and then on top of it one of the main characters isn't all that likable, but I pushed on. My need to finish books outweighed my lack of enjoyment and soon I found myself halfway through the book and invested.

Katherine Reay has created a lovely community in Winsome, Illinois, a community of characters who love the small town they reside in. They all know one another's drama, they all meddle a bit too much, and somehow they're all likable. They work together, spend their free moments together, and push one another to create romance stories like the one we get in Of Literature and Lattes. Focused mainly on Jeremy and Alyssa, OLAL is the second book in the charming small town about families and love. Jeremy's come to Winsome to put his life together, to be there for his daughter, while Alyssa's back with her tail between her legs desperate to leave her mess of a family the minute she pulls into town. Of course, it wouldn't be an interesting story if things just worked out that way. With true to life scenarios, Katherine Reay takes her characters on a journey of family, friendship, forgiveness, and, well, forever. The two learn what they really want out of life, what they really need for themselves, and along the way readers are treated to secondary character's side plots that really bring the Winsome world together.

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Of Literature and Lattes was a novel of second chances and knowing what and where your community (friendship) is. This story felt cozy and partly it was because I was familiar with many of the characters who had been in The Printed Bookshop, even though it doesn’t say it is a series, it helps to have read it. It gave me a bit of understanding for some of the dynamics of the relationships, but it does stand on its own.

I really enjoyed Of Literature and Lattes, it reminded me of the season of fall even though it wasn’t set in that season, but it gave me a sense of renewal and beginnings all at the same time.

My gratitude to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Always a fan of a Katherine Reay book! None of them have hit me as much as her first (Dear Mr. Knightley), but I love her characters.

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I'm a huge fan of small town romances and can't usually resist but I struggled to engage with the characters. The amount of fighting that took place in this book was also a bit much and keeping up with the MANY different characters was overwhelming. I needed a chart that covered the small town residents and of their melodramatic story lines.

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So I think this book was supposed to be about a romance--maybe, but it was so much more than that. It was a book about redemption and second chances, about forgiveness and love, about hope and healing. It was a rich book. And while God was not a front and center theme in the book, His presence is, to me anyway, the only way redemption and forgiveness could have begun to take place.

Alyssa is struggling. She feels like her life is falling down around here and she has been left with no recourse but to go home which is the last place she wants to go. But home is exactly where she needs to go. Home is where she learns that there are other perspectives in life than just hers. Home is where she learns to forgive herself and to allow other people to change. Home is where she finds that family and childhood friends are the glue that holds a person together.

I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give any spoilers so I won't talk about Jeremy, about Seth, and about Janet. But from them I learned that second chances are important, that true love doesn't give up, that family is more than sharing a DNA, and that perfection is unattainable, but progress in that direction is.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by Katherine Reay. I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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This book was a fun read. I enjoyed how the different threads came together. I wanted to be a part of the town.

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I love Katherine Reay's writing, and this book is no exception. It is a sequel to The Printed Letter Bookshop, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I thought it was more of a standalone book when I agreed to read and review, but I found I had to keep going back and forth between the novels, I would highly recommend reading the first one before picking this one up for maximum enjoyment.

I enjoyed the shift in point of view with this novel, even though Alyssa was certainly not my favorite character in the previous story. I think looking at everything through her eyes in this novel adds depth to the first novel as well. Jeremy's story is certainly not comfortable at all, but again, it adds depth to the story and the relationship he has with Alyssa.

Rating: 4.5 stars

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Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Reay is a solid work of women’s fiction. This book is full of fascinating, complicated characters. The stories are so intertwined in interesting ways. I think readers of this genre will be delighted. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

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