Breakfast at the Honey Creek Cafe by Jodi Thomas is a light fun read with a group of characters that just keep you moving through the story quickly. They are so well drawn - you feel like you know them.

The story revolves around a town, Honey Creek in Texas. The Cafe is one of the three eateries in town. The mayor, Piper Jane is worried about the town and keeping her job. An old acquaintance is saying they are engaged and has disappeared. Piper is worried how the town will take the investigation. This brings in Colby McBride to be undercover and figure out what happened to him. Meanwhile, there is a new preacher - who isn’t really a preacher - Sam Cassidy. Then there is a local high schooler Pecos. Together this unlikely group all end up … well you will see what they end up doing. Following the romance and the mysteries is fun. Learning about the town and their bonds, makes the book very likable.

I enjoyed the book for the characters and the interesting story line. I do like how the book changes narrators, so we are offered a variety of views of the situations. The book is listed as the first of a series and I am looking forward to the series! Breakfast at the Honey Creek Cafe by Jodi Thomas is a fun read.

Breakfast at the Honey Creek Cafe is a fun, lighthearted read with quirky characters in typical small town fashion. Honey Creek townspeople love their mayor, Piper Mckenzie, who comes from a family of politicians and law enforcement officers. Her granddad was also mayor, her dad is a senator, and two brothers are Texas Rangers. Colby McBride is a Texas Highway Patrol Trooper in town asked by one of the brothers to keep the mayor safe when her so called fiance disappears. He is incognito and playing the part of a lovesick former acquaintance. Told from four different viewpoints, this story takes place over the course of several days. We hear the action from Piper, Colby, interim minister, Sam Cassidy, and new high school graduate, Pecos Smith. Sam is like Colby in that he is not who he professes to be. He has a divinity degree but has never preached, having been in the Army and currently is a forest firefighter in Colorado. Each has a unique story.
This is an entertaining story with a great supporting cast of characters, some lovable, some not so much, but all colorful and interesting. With romance and a mystery to solve, this is a winner and a great story to watch develop and unravel.
I received a complimentary ARC from Zebra and Kensington Books through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

Breakfast at Honey Creek Cafe is a sweet romance with just a hint of mystery. Jodi Thomas has a way of taking small town America and making a wonderful story line with townsfolk who care and take care of one another. I have enjoyed many of her series. Her characters bring to life what it is to live in a town of quirky, caring, nosy neighbors. Her ability to weave words and phrases together in order to have the reader laughing out loud is a huge part of the story. While a first it may seem that there is way too much going on in the story, the reader finds it hard to stop turning pages. I look forward to the next story by Jodi Thomas. I received a copy through Netgalley, A review was not required.

great story, nice light read. A good way to get away mentally in a time of influx in the world. Definitely reads like a small town story, and I say that as someone who lives in a small town.

This seemed like a different kind of book from Jodi Thomas. It seemed just a little bit dark, which I'm not used to from her. The characters were compelling as are all her characters. I loved the two relationships in the book and the mystery was very interesting. Ms. Thomas can obviously write anything very well. The story kept me turning the pages.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.
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Immediately Jodi Thomas draws the reader in, with intriguing characters in the middle of odd situations right in the middle of a little dusty town in Texas.  We have the Mayor Piper Mackenzie - she seems to be in a spot of trouble, and then along comes a preacher who has been a soldier  and a smoke jumper and is now trying on a preacher's suit - Sam. And along with the preacher someone else is dressing up as a cowboy, that would be Colby. And he has a mission.  Great set up.

And so the story begins. It's entertaining and as always the characters are delightful. I loved almost each and everyone.  Pecos - the kid just finishing high school and leaving home and the girl he gets entangled with. Old Mr Winston was another loveable person, plus the widows. And of course red headed Anna. And my favourites - three children with a wagon.

This is the first in a series and I look forward to meeting them again as hopefully at least some of them will make an appearance in the next book.

Two things Jodi Thomas does well. Makes a small town in Texas come alive and she writes characters who are warm and very likeable. The plot has some mystery, some romance and sheer good heartedness. Perfect for an escape read.

This was a hoot, a zany, funny light read that’s sure to entertain readers who like romantic fiction that’s set in a small town and that contains a little mystery to liven things up.

Breakfast at Honey Creek Café tells the intertwined stories of three couples – Piper and Colby, Sam and Anna, and Pecos and Kerrie. All different, all romantic in their own way.

Piper is the mayor of Honey Creek whose rumored boyfriend went missing and is now under suspicion of foul play. Colby is a trooper who was sent by her Texas Ranger brother to investigate the case and also to protect her. The cover story they came up with has Colby posing as an old suitor so that he can get the townspeople to talk to him. Both have bad experiences with relationships in the past that made them wary about their attraction to each other. With the entire town looking on, their pretend courtship soon turns oh-so real.

Sam is a former firefighter and former soldier who takes up the position of temporary preacher originally meant for his deceased father. After the death of his girlfriend, he found himself drifting along without any real purpose until he came to Honey Creek. There, he realizes that preaching isn’t for him, but Anna, the feisty world-saver definitely is. Their snappy banter made me laugh out loud.

The third story–told from the point of view of Pecos, the graduating high school student who wants to leave town to be somebody–is the one that touched me the most. Pecos has the most tremendous growth of all the POV characters. He made me tear up with this line: “That living through any storms with her was better than facing the world alone.”

Jodi Thomas described a setting that’s quirky enough to be fictional, but also familiar enough to be realistic. There’s a lot of named characters necessary to paint a complete picture of a community. My favorite is the generous Mr. Winston.

This book is a different style from what I’ve read of Ms. Thomas’s work before. It’s more comedic and less angsty. It’s still her usual heartwarming story and I love that. My only critique is in the inconsistency of the tone. It started really serious with the mystery of the missing boyfriend but as the book went on, the graveness was abandoned in favor of attempts to elicit laughter from the reader. Also, the ending was a tad rushed, with the villain’s motivations not fully fleshed out. But all of that is minor compared to my overall enjoyment of the book. How could I not when this quote from Anna expresses my carpe diem motto exactly?

“We don’t know what the future holds, but we want to step into it together. It’ll take some work, but we’ll fit each other in our lives.”

This is my first Jodie Thomas novel. I did not realize that Breakfast at the Honey Creek Café is the first book in a new series. The first years of my life were spent in a small town where everyone knew everyone’s business.This is true in Honey Creek.

We have Piper, the mayor, Colby, a state trooper who has been sent to Honey Creek to protect Piper and find out what happened to Boone Buchanan who claims to be Piper’s fiancé. Then we have Sam who comes to town to fill in as a guest minister who hasn’t figured out what he wants to do with his life after losing his parents. He meets Annie who is a lawyer who never really had a family. These are just a few of the characters. (I would suggest keeping a list of the characters as there are quite a few. Lots of secrets and also charming moments in the story. I liked that the chapters alternated between several of the characters.

I did think the mystery about Boone needed a bit more to it as to why he did what he did. This book makes a good summer read or a read for a rainy afternoon. My thanks to Zebra Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

I so want to go hang out in Honey Creek with these wonderful people. Just like in real life there are the good and the bad and the ones that just need a little push to realize what they really want in life. I think you’ll enjoy the stories of Piper, Sam, Colby, Pecos and friends. The characters in this book are so great as is the story line. I just wanted to keep reading. I hope you are as entertained and enjoy this book as much as I did. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

j'ai beaucoup aimé cette ambiance small town ainsi que la palette de personnages que l'autrice a voulu nous présenter. On ne s'ennuie pas en leur compagnie et si j'aurais apprécié d'avoir plus de détail sur certaines relations (et donc moins de relations détaillées), ils sont tous très agréables et on ne peut que sourire en les voyant prendre des décisions, s'y tenir, essayer d'avancer et de choisir le meilleur chemin pour eux et leur entourage. J'ai aimé vivre les choses de l'intérieure et le final nous apporte vraiment toutes les réponses que l'on pouvait en attendre. Une très chouette lecture !!

This is a sweet story, set in a small Texas town, filled with some people I would love to meet and some I’d rather avoid! There are three different storylines that cross paths in both small and big ways. While there is some romance, this isn’t a just a romance, it really is a snapshot of a few pivotal days in Honey Creek, TX. The events of those days greatly impact the directions of some lives. It’s also the beginning of a series, so I am sure we will be getting to know some characters better in future books and checking in on others.

Piper Mackenzie is the mayor of Honey Creek, TX, following in her grandfather’s footsteps. Unfortunately her fiancé (at least according to him) is missing under some concerning circumstances. A state trooper, Colby, is doing Piper’s brother a favor by looking into the disappearance. He has an amusing cover story. Sam is filling in for the pastor at the local church. While he’s never really been a pastor, his dad was, he did complete the training, and he’s got good memories of Honey Creek. Maybe he’ll find what he doesn’t even know he’s looking for. And Pecos is a charming high school senior with big plans for the future.

I enjoyed the feeling of visiting a town with many different personalities. There was also a mystery to be solved which added to the story. I look forward to coming back to Honey Creek.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it. I wasn't certain I was going to continue when I read the first chapter or two. I kept on and am so glad that I did. I came to like Sam after all, along with the other main and secondary characters. I would not want to live in this too small for me town, but it works for all of them. Charming, delightful and a few tears may have been shed. I look forward to reading more about the Honey Creek Café and its patrons.

One of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint. It held my interest from the start and kept it until the end. I look forward to the next book in the series.

As with most of Ms. Thomas’s books, this one held a little bit of romance, a little bit of mystery, and a little bit of the quirky citizens in a small Texas town. Even though there were three ‘romances’ being followed, it was an easy book to navigate. I read it on a lazy afternoon.

Mayor Piper Mackenzie is talked into allowing Colby McBride to investigate her now missing, faux fiancé by her brothers, both Texas Rangers. Piper wants to keep her reputation and her town safe. Colby is looking to become a Texas Ranger and figures this will help his chances.

Firefighter, pilot, and ex-military drifter with a divinity degree, Sam Cassidy, is the new interim pastor. He’s lost his soulmate and isn’t looking for anything but two weeks to see if the pastor gig will work for him. It’s not looking good until he barrels into a church worker with secrets of her own.

Pecos Smith just graduated from High School and he’s going to be somebody someday. His parents are tired of being parents and he’s been saving money to leave. His high school crush and his heroics in town, may change his mind and his future.

I believe this is the beginning of a new series and I can’t wait to see what happens next with all of the couples and eccentric town folk. A fun, easy read.

Breakfast at the Honey Creek Café by Jodi Thomas is a sweet and heartfelt romance with a touch of mystery and a strong sense of community. Set in the charming small town of Honey Creek, Texas, the story follows the perspectives of four characters: Piper Mackenzie, the town's mayor who has found herself in the middle of a media storm due to the disappearance of her wannabe fiancé, Boone Buchanan , Colby McBride, a handsome State Trooper who has been hired by Piper's brothers to discreetly investigate Boone's disappearance, Sam Cassidy, the temporary pastor at the local church, and Pecos Smith, an ambitious high school senior.

I enjoyed this book immensely. The writing style was fun, easy, and engaging. I thought the author did a wonderful job of describing the town, and I could easily picture it. The characters were realistic and lovable. They pulled you into their lives from the very beginning and kept you hooked until the last page. I enjoyed getting to know everyone and thought the ending was really sweet and hopeful. I eagerly await the second book and hope to see more of Pecos and his new family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am never disappointed when I read one of Jodi's books. They take me on a journey through a small Texas town where the pace is usually a little slower and the folks are friendly. But don't be fooled, they have their issues too, but in true Texas form, they work through those issues together.

This book felt a little different than Jodi's other books. I think it is because I felt like there was a little bit of a mystery to solve that paired nicely with the romance. Piper, or PJ as a certain State Trooper was wont to call her, is stuck in the middle of a media storm due to the disappearance of Boone Buchanan, a friend who claimed they were engaged. As the mayor of a small town, this doesn't bode well for her since many wonder if she had something to do with the events surrounding his disappearance. Enter Colby McBride, the sexy State Trooper doing a favor for a friend, also known as Piper's brother. Colby has a way about him that puts the citizens of Honey Creek at ease and he even charms Piper's family, especially the women, to get them on his side. It takes a bit longer with Piper.

This assignment had more layers than the Palo Duro Canyon.

While the story's primary focus is Piper and Colby, there are several other storylines occurring that bring humor and more romance to the book. Sam arrives to fill a spot at the local church and wonders if being a preacher is his calling. Stella and Anna work at the church in different roles and have their own issues to deal with with the help of Sam. Sometimes you just need a fresh pair of eyes on the situation.

I think the most endearing character was Pecos. He is a graduating senior at the local school and his home life hasn't been that great. His parents just consider him a worker and not their child which is a shame because Pecos has dreams that he should follow. His life turns upside down when he meets up with a classmate, Kerrie, and they form a friendship. There are some surprises in store for Pecos, but he rolls with the punches with the help of Mr. Winston, a lonely older citizen of the town. I actually think that Pecos and Mr. Winston save each other in the end and it is definitely a heartfelt moment (or two) as situations unfolded for these two.

I enjoyed the descriptive text about the town and especially the preacher's new quarters. I'm not sure who decorated the cottage but it is not what a single bachelor would want to see when they wake up each day. You'll have to read the book to discover how it was decorated, I think you will get a chuckle out of it much as I did.

I loved this book and did not want the story to end. There were so many unanswered questions, ok maybe not that many but a few. The upside is that this is going to be a series and I hope that all of these characters make guest appearances in future books.

We give this book 5 paws up and can't wait for book two, which I was lucky enough to read the first couple of chapters at the end of this book

Jodi Thomas is a go to author for me! This book did not disappoint. Cute story, great characters and great writing. I would definitely recommend!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review

It's always a treat to pick up a new Jodi Thomas book and return to small town Texas. As a fan of mysteries and thrillers, I was immediately intrigued by the potential of a scandal, yet I always return to the author's works because they are filled with relatable and highly likable characters.

Told over the course of about a week, the story follows multiple main characters from their perspectives as they face defining moments in their lives. While the synopsis suggests that the focal point is on Piper and the disappearance of her "fiancé" that ultimately isn't the case. Blossoming relationships and personal discoveries are much more the centerpiece. Not even mentioned in the synopsis is the beautiful and inspiring story of Pecos and Kerrie, which I really hope is continued as more stories unfold. Given such a short amount of time spent together, the love stories felt rushed as though matches were happening simply because couples were in the right place at the right time. Each pairing ultimately received their happily ever after, and while the journey was fun to follow, I wanted to see more meaning behind the connections. While young love gets a bad rap, Pecos and Kerrie were by far the most mature and certainly willing to make the greatest selfless sacrifices. The adults could stand to learn a lot from their example. There were many comedic moments that I hadn't seen much of in previous books from the author, creating quite a refreshing and incredibly charming read! Several secondary characters shine as well, showcasing the quirky, yet enduring side of small town life.

This heartfelt story weaves together all of the highs and lows life has to offer and I do look forward to my return. Honey Creek is a captivating little town filled with history, so much warmth, and lots of romance!

“Because I want to always be the one you run to when you need help. The one you go through wild times with. I want to hold you when you cry, and laugh with you.”

Breakfast at the Honey Creek Café by Jodi Thomas is a 3-in-1 romance that will warm you all the way down to your toes. While all three romances develop at lightning speed, they are believable, sappy in all the right places, and downright entertaining. But this story is not all about love and romance.

Piper Mackenzie is the mayor of Honey Creek, Texas, and she finds herself embroiled in quite the mystery. Where is the sheriff, and where is her supposed boyfriend, Boone Buchanan? Piper’s brother has hired Colby McBride to pose as Piper’s admirer from her past trying to gain her affections once more, all so he can protect her and figure out what in the world is going on in this one-horse town, without raising any suspicion in this gossipy town about his true reason for being there.

Sam Randall heads into Honey Creek as an interim preacher, but while formally trained in theology, that is not his true calling. Pecos Smith is about to graduate from high school, and he cannot wait to start building his life away from his indifferent parents. All three of these men become embroiled in their own mysteries: whirlwind love connections that knock them for a loop and seal their romantic fates.

Jodi Thomas catches the reader’s attention with a wonderful tapestry of danger, mystery, relationships, and sweet romance. All the characters are full-on enchanting and interesting. The three main men are flawed, of course, but still a bit too good to be true, and the women they fall in love with are full of either secrets or spitfire sparks. Watching these relationships blossom across the pages is pure entertainment. My personal favorite characters are Pecos Smith and Daily Watts. These two have faced their share of troubled times and will definitely steal your hearts.

While Boone’s disappearance is the main backdrop to the story, Boone seems to be somewhat of a non-entity in the grand scheme of things. Nevertheless, the story is too fun, and the other characters are too fabulous for that to make that big of a difference. If you enjoy a bit of mystery and a healthy dose of funny and sweet romance, then stop in for breakfast at the Honey Creek Café and lose yourself in the goings on in a small Texas town. You won’t be disappointed.

I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.

Fans of the small town novel should try this one- it's a mix of romance and mystery all leavened with humor and heart. It's told from the alternate perspectives of Piper, who is the Mayor, Colby, a detective, Sam, a preacher, and Pecos, a teen. Colby has come to town because someone is threatening Piper and Sam is doing some soul searching about his future. Both of them find themselves interfered in Piper, who's a delightful character. This is one of those takes a village novels so keep your eye on the other characters as I suspect their stories might turn up in the future. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a gentle read and and was a good one for a time when we all need a boost.