I enjoyed the literary quotes throughout this novel. Like this one by John Steinbeck, journal entry, 1938. “In every bit of honest writing in the world there is a base theme. Try to understand…if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them….but always that base theme. Try to understand each other.”

I enjoyed this theme that naturally flowed through this novel along with all the book references. I was hooked from the first line, “It finally happened.”

Readers will be thrilled to be back in Winsome, Seattle. where our favorite bookstore is located from book one, The Printed Letter Bookshop. It’s also the town Alyssa tried to run away from. Now she finds herself crawling back wounded and under investigation by the FBI. Her head was spinning, how could this be happening?

Alyssa has had issues with her mother because of what she put the family through before she left. But Janet, her mother is back in their lives and she does not know how to handle it, she just wants to spend time with her dad and regroup.

Jeremy moves to Winsome to chase his daughter (his only child) and his dream to open a coffee shop called, The Daily Brew. I liked getting to know Jeremy as he follows his heart to be with his daughter, and enjoyed how he went about preparing to follow his dream not only to open a coffee shop with great tasting coffee, but to have it be a value to the community.

This is a heart-felt satisfying read that includes some characters from The Printed Letter Bookshop novel. The author did leave me wanting to know more about the FBI Investigation with Alyssa and the company she worked for. I also wanted the author to go a little deeper into how Janet and Seth dealt with their heartbreak and healing. I did like the growth and complexity of these characters and others as the story progressed.

I think the novel would be a better experience for the reader if they read book one first

And get to learn about the ladies in the bookstore. It can be read as a standalone. This novel has all the things I delight in books, bookstores, and coffee, mixed with flawed characters you feel and cheer for. It’s a win win. It makes for an enjoyable fun time and a delightful book club pick.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org

Alyssa has lost everything - her high-powered job in Silicon Valley and her home there. She may even be implicated in a scandal even though she is completely innocent. As she is broke, she has no choice but to go home to Winsome, a small town which she was anxious to leave. After reading that in order to go forward you have to go back, she feels a bit better about it. After all, her best friend is there, but Alyssa still has a conflicted relationship with her mother and a wounded soul.



Most of the people in this book also have problems. Jeremy has bought the local coffee shop, considered a 'home away from home' by the locals but they are upset with his changes, and he can't get ahead. He asks for Alyssa's help.



This book also features characters from The Printed-Letter Bookshop, including Janet, Alyssa's mother and Chris and Maddie. Most of them are hurt and struggling, but Winsome, a warm, friendly town and community helps to heal them, along with faith, which plays an important role in this Christian novel.



I love Katherine Reay's writing and the , but calling the town Winsome is taking it a little far, I think. It seems a bit too cliched!



I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I recently finished reading Katherine Reay's new book, Of Literature and Lattes. It was the second book in her series that is set in Winsome, Illinois. I also read her first book set in Winsome, The Printed Bookshop. Katherine Reay has a way of drawing the reader in that makes you feel like you are part of this lovely, small town. She also is wonderful at moving the story along using different characters and their interactions with each other. The main character in this second book is Alyssa Harrison who is moving back home after her dream job with a tech start-up in California lands her in some "hot water" with the FBI. Moving back home reopens the unresolved issues that create drama between her and her mother. She thought that she had left that all behind her, but life has a way of bringing things back around. The second character that plays a major role is Jeremy Mitchell who is moving to Winsome from Seattle to be near his young daughter and to open his own coffee shop. The town of Winsome is full of lovely characters that Reay makes seem so real and inviting. You don't have to read The Printed Bookshop first, but I would highly recommend it too. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the first book of Katherine Reay’s that I have read. I heard a lot about this book from a book club group on Facebook. This book was so good that I’m going back to read her first book in this universe. The main character, Alyssa, returns to her hometown after her job disappears. Jeremy, moves close to his daughter and deans of opening a coffee shop. There is so much that goes on in this book, everyone needs drama. The only thing i didn’t like is some times it switches characters in some of the chapters with out warning causing it to get a bit confusing. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Daughters and mothers. . .enemies, or allies? Of course, it depends on the people, and Katherine Reay has touched the very heart of the acerbic relationship between a mother and daughter with her characterization exemplified by the connections between Janet and her daughter, Alyssa, and Janet and her mother.

Alyssa Harrison never wanted to return to Winsome, Illinois. However, circumstances and life conspired heavily against her. Now, she not only feels like a loser but must face her mother, too.

Reay pulls you into the story of a prodigal daughter, her parents and the community of Winsome from page one and never lets you go.

Of Literature and Lattes is written from multiple points of view. I enjoy this, on one hand, because you get to know the people and their thoughts better. However, on the other hand, it can sometimes be confusing. I think more so because, even though Of Literature and Lattes works as a standalone, it is a sequel, and I may have understood the people better had I read the first book, too.

Lest you think the book is only about parental relationships, it is not. It is about relationships of all kinds; the good and the not so good.

The novel is serious, thoughtful and at times bleak and desolate. The Biblical themes, though minimal, are weighty and on point. Through it all runs a thread of optimism and the promise of hope.

I received this book from NetGalley. However, I was under no obligation to write a review.

# Of Literature and Lattes #NetGalley

With Of Literature and Lattes, Katherine Reay has penned another contemporary blend of romance and women’s fiction in her picturesque Illinois town of Winsome. Nods to literature abound within this story of returning and working toward a worthy goal, with deeper themes of reconciliation and a bright secondary cast. Readers who enjoyed The Printed Letter Bookshop will be delighted with glimpses of familiar characters and perspective (once again!) from Janet, Alyssa’s mother.

To borrow a concept from Janet’s character, this story is very much about moving through forgiveness after one has let go of the past. While the friendship and romance between Alyssa and Jeremy is a major part of the story, another significant portion of it includes perspective on parenting, both with Janet and with Jeremy’s own experiences and his precious daughter, Becca. I appreciate the way this draws attention to concepts of people’s complexity, motives, relationships, and the way parents should intentionally be supportive for the hard and the good things in life.

The point of view changes employed in this novel echo a clever device used in The Printed Letter Bookshop, with multiple POV and tense shifts. But here, secondary characters sometimes have the narration. This device works and adds dimension, but sometimes I feel that it is abrupt and detracts from page time with the main few characters and deepening their connection with the reader. Maybe I just need a few more pages and time with these characters to feel the ending more fully “settled” with me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this return to Winsome and the themes these characters wrestle with. The Happy Ending is there, with all the bookish talk! I particularly liked the way children’s books are discussed and recognized as an important influence on childhood. I wouldn’t mind a future novel set in Winsome, especially if it has more of Chris and his brother’s conversations (Printed Letter favs!), or Jeremy’s daughter, Becca!

Thank you the the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy. This is my honest review.

The beginning of it reads great then it gets annoying. I couldn’t get into this book. DNF



*******************************************I received an ARC for my honest opinion.*******************************************

Contemporary relationship romance; series but stand alone read; mild faith elements
Revisiting the town of Winsome with Alyssa coming back after a complete implosion of her life in California, worrying about an investigation by the FBI into her place of employment and even her, and coming home to the mess that is her relationship with her parents, gradually unfolds as the reader also sees Jeremy's coffee shop, and his relationship with the town, and his customers and his place with his daughter in his life. Life that is messy, real, hurting, and capable of change, hope, and determination to make something right.
Alyssa's talents with business are an impetus to start her friendship gradually with Jeremy. As they both see their lives gradually unfold, and develop around them, Alyssa with her parents, and seeing them for who they really are in her life and their lives as well, and also seeing Jeremy's relationship with his daughter and ex-wife as that is exposed for what it really is, interweaving gradually together in this small town in a way that knits into your heart as theirs knit together.
You'll want to visit this town again, with the heart, the character, and the foibles, loving it all as it combines together to work it's way into your heart. Lovely, heartfelt, honest, hurting, and hopeful read. One of my favorite kinds of novels.

Set in the smallish town of Winsome Illinois, semi-prodigal (or shall we say estranged) daughter of Janet has returned from California with her proverbial tail tucked between her legs. When the FBI opened an investigation on the company she works for in Silicon Valley, Alyssa lost her very important job. Although Alyssa truly believed what she was doing was not only legal but an invaluable service to the world, her greedy boss was likely selling personal data overseas and giving customers false and potentially damaging information about their health. Overextended, incredibly stressed, and broken emotionally, Alyssa drives home and finds that things have definitely changed in Winsome.

One of the changes is that Jeremy Mitchell is now in town. He has moved to be near his daughter from a marriage that lasted about 10 minutes. He is experiencing culture shock and may also be blinded by his own expectations of himself and others. As the layers of both Jeremy and Alyssa's stories are unraveled, we see that they have believed multiple things, important things, that are turning out to be profoundly wrong. And when they discover the truth, how will they cope, live, THRIVE in these new realities?

I love when authors do this: provide us with a 'follow up' or companion book (this is what I call them anyways...) I don't believe this book was listed as a sequel per se, but definitely a continuation story, if you will. It picks up where "The Printed Letter Bookshop" leaves off. Now, if you have ever read any of my other reviews you will know just how I feel about this, but it is ALWAYS BETTER if you read the first one. With that said....read them both!


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

After fleeing her hometown three years earlier, Alyssa Harrison never planned to return. Then the Silicon Valley start-up she worked for collapsed and turned her world upside down. Jeremy Mitchell moved from Seattle to Winsome to be near his daughter and to open the coffee shop he’s been dreaming of for years. Problem is, the business is bleeding money—and he’s not quite sure why. This is Ms. Reay's second book in the series set in the quaint town of Winsom where most people know one another. I read the first book in the series and enjoyed it so much that I encouraged my book club to make it one of their selections, which they did.

This book, based on new character also has some of the same characters from the previous book that I grew to like. And I pretty sure that since she left some things in limbo, there is to be another book in the series. The book is a combination of things that make you feel good including a restored marriage, things that are painful including a job that went sideways, and some things that are just wrong including theft. I felt the theft was a bit undeveloped in the book but then that probably was just because of my work history. I realize that it was mostly there to show the relationship of the two men.

The book especially does a good job of portraying those relationships. In addition to the two men, it depicts what can happen with three generations of, in this case, women. It can be very difficult at time to understand parents and grandparents at times. It is something that really has to be worked on. Also, the book brought in the relationship of children to adopted parents which gave the book a good feeling.

I would like to think NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of the book that I received. The review is my own.

This book is so good!! It's a well written story about small town second chance romance. I didn't realize it was book two of a series, now I want to read book one. If you like a book that shows grace and redemption, you will love this book. Thank you Thomas Nelson--FICTION via NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book All opinions expressed are my own.

This novel follows THE PRINTED LETTER BOOKSHOP.

In OF LITERATURE AND LATTES, Katherine Reay takes readers back to the cosy town of Winsome, Illinois where two people learn to love and grow. This is a small town book focused on friendship, family, and community. Although it is labeled as Christian Fiction, religion is not a heavy part of the story and readers of Romance/Fiction would enjoy the story. OF LITERATURE AND LATTES is a quick, charming read, with a satisfying happily ever after.

This book is the second in a series about a small town called Winsome, Illinois. It's a quirky little town not far from Chicago but light years away in its vibe and its character....very Hallmark movie-ish which is one reason I love this series.

This story deals with family dynamics... from a mother estranged from her daughter, to custody issues, to teenage rebellion... it covers it all with some romance thrown in for good measure.

This book can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the first book in the series which is "The Printed Letter Bookshop" as the story is a continuation of that book. I can see these books being made into a Hallmark series and found myself picturing what actors and actresses would be best cast in the roles. Do yourself a favor an pay a visit to Winsome... you won't regret it.

Alyssa Harrison never planned to return. However, when her life collapses where can she go? After returning, Alyssa finds that maybe her town was not so bad after all. Will she be able to leave again? Jeremy Mitchell moved to be near his daughter and start his dream business. However, his business is in trouble. Can Alyssa help him find the problems? But can this relationship go further? With the help from the quirky characters of Winsome, Alyssa and Jeremy try to find love and help. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

I dove into Katherine Reay's Of Literature and Lattes without knowing much about it - just that I loved the cover and books about books. This sequel to The Printed Letter Bookshop is just as charming as the cover and title would lead you to believe and though I haven't read the first installment I found it enjoyable and easy to follow. I'll definitely be going back to Winsome, Illinois, and reading The Printed Letter Bookshop soon.
I loved the endearing characters, the beautiful story of love and second chances in a small town, and the love for books that permeated every page.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing and Netgalley for the advance copy.

The characters in this book have had some lemons thrown at them - and part of the story has them floundering for a bit before they figure out how to make lemonade. What I loved most is the charming setting - small town Winsome with its shops and shopkeepers, its Main Street and its newcomers. Alyssa and Jeremy struggle but finally figure out the balance between what the town needs and what they can provide, while staying true to their values. Can’t beat a small town story with a bookshop, a coffee shop, and a smart as a whip data analyst!

I didn't realize this was the second book in the series. I'll definitely have to go back to the first book to read it. This was the first book I've read by this author and really enjoyed it. I felt like the characters were so "normal" and relatable. As a reader, their emotional reactions stretched out to me.

One of the aspects I really liked about how this book was written was all of the different perspectives by different characters. It threw me off at first, but then I looked forward to seeing the different pov's.

Surprisingly, even though there are a LOT of people in this story (kind of like a Hallmark movie) I wasn't lost as I am with some stories. I felt like there was enough depth of storyline with each of the characters that I was able to get to know them well.

Alyssa was such a complex character. I wanted to feel bad for her, but she was so angry I wanted to shake her. On the other hand, I could completely understand why she felt like she did - towards her company, towards her mom, and even towards herself. Then there's Jeremy. Boy does that guy need to catch a break. Krista is a complete jerk, but we finally understand why. And all I have to say on that count is there better be a 3rd book! lol

Janet and Seth were also an interesting read. I wish I knew more about their story, which maybe that's in book 1, but I have no idea. I've heard about couples getting back together after an affair, so it was good to read them go through working on things.

Overall it was a good read and a good introduction to this author.

Having never read Katherine Reay, but having heard a lot of good things about her work, I was excited to get ahold of her newest release. Of Literature and Lattes is set in the small Illinois town of Winsome like The Printed Letter Bookshop. However, this book works well as a standalone.

The book gripped me right away as Alyssa Harrison limped out of Silicon Valley under F.B.I. investigation. She barely made it to her dad’s apartment in her small hometown. Her parents are divorced and Alyssa’s animosity toward her mother simmered as she moved in to her old room in the family home, and started pumping gas to pay for car repairs. This despite being a data-interpreting genius.

Across town, Jeremy Mitchell has bought the old town coffee shop and spent too much money dragging it, and the disgruntled customers into the twenty-first century. The brew may be superior but business falls away quickly and Jeremy has to fight for survival.

Both characters have towering family issues, but their relationship grows quickly even as external circumstances press in from all sides. Will Alyssa go to jail? Can Jeremy keep his daughter?

This charming tale of grace, second chances, family and hard work includes an ensemble cast of townsfolk who allowed Jeremy and Alyssa to take center stage. I haven’t read Katherine Reay before but I’ll be checking out her back catalog now.

Visit Katherine Reay’s website here…

Buy Of Literature and Lattes or read an excerpt, here…

Find other great reads here…

Wasn’t to sure at the beginning but fell in love the story and characters not too far in. Well written book about relationships and redemption in them. Well developed characters. Waiting for next in the series to come out

I wanted to fall in love with this book, I really did. I just absolutely couldn’t connect with the characters for some reason. Alyssa returns to her hometown after losing her job, and becoming involved in an investigation into her company. She had previously cut her mom out of her life after her mom and dad’s divorce. Upon returning to town, her dad insists she live with her mom, hoping they would reconcile.

Jeremy moved to Winsome to open a coffee shop, and to be near his daughter. He invested everything in the renovations, and has got to make this work. While he has good intentions, townspeople feel somewhat betrayed because he changed so much that was meaningful to them.

Of Literature and Lattes is a follow up to the Printed Letter bookshop, which I have not read, but intend to go back and do so. I did not have trouble following the story without knowing the entire background of the town.

I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley, and was not required to leave a positive review. Even though this book may not have been my cup of tea, I encourage you to give it a chance.