I don't normally read many cozy mysteries but I really enjoyed this story. The writing flowed with an interesting sensory of lavender and honey. The characters were well drawn with a magical vibe.

this book immediately captured my attention from its synopsis and I was excited to pick up another magical realism story since it's a bit outside of my usual comfort zone!

the story follows ava harrison who receives a random letter in the mail one day containing an unusual job listing to work all the way in driftwood, alabama. wanting to start new and finally make a change, she decides to take a chance and make the move, interviewing for the position and sealing a job working for maggie brightwell as her father's caretaker. maggie owns a quaint little coffee shop, the center of the small little town, and has her own troubles from her past. throughout the story, we follow the two ladies as they take on new experiences and learn to move on from the past.

the plot as a whole was super intriguing and I found the writing and the way that the town was depicted to just be so charming! driftwood and the people in it was so wonderful and filled with all sorts of humor and small-town drama with a blend of quirky side characters as well. told in dual POV, it was fun getting to see both ava and maggie's perspectives and getting to know each character a bit better.

one thing I loved was how this story mixed a bit of everything together - romance, discussions of grief and loss, small town gossip, mental health, and more! the main drawback for me was the pacing of the story as I just felt it was a bit slow at times due to the more laid back and cozy vibe of the story. I also wish the end would have been elaborated upon a tad bit more considering the prior build up to this big moment. additionally, I was in a major book slump while reading this and didn't have much time to read so it took me super long to finish :(

overall, I would recommend this book to others though because it had the perfect mix of small town charm meets women's fiction meets magical realism. covering themes such as loss, forgiveness, friendship, and more, this would be the perfect cozy read, especially as we transition into fall time!

All the books I have read by the author usually have a magical realism spin to it. I am fond of it in the way that the author tends to use it. In the ones I have read, there are no witches or vampires, just regular people with magic in their lives are actions. The magic translates to something positive or negative in their lives that they deal with, and that also forms the basis of the narrative.
This story focuses on two women of differing ages and different stages in life. One of them has never moved from the shop her mother left behind when she supposedly drowned, and the other has never been allowed as much freedom as she has now for several reasons.
Maggie has made no changes to the cafe since her mother died/vanished. She wants it to be just as the latter remembers if she finds her way back. This has recently become a point of contention between her father and herself, and she hopes that looking for a nurse-like person for her father might help. She has the special power to connect people with one random item on her shelf, something that helps them channel their energies appropriately.
Ava has been given a direct sign to apply for a job. She lies to her mother about both the location and the contents of the position when she moves to the strange town with even stranger people. Her power is to sew and having heightened senses.
Both of these possibly mundane 'powers' come together to help the people in their small town and to heal the hurts that have been years in the making for the two ladies themselves. As I might have mentioned earlier, these stories are not for people who do not like light magical coincidences or situations in their stories. It is heartfelt and helps carry the story forward, but one needs to be accepting of them in order to see the beauty of the plot.
I enjoyed the read and did not see a lot of events occur. The characters are older and more settled in their lives than I am used to in such plotlines, but it did not feel odd. It does feel (initially) like we have entered an already established world, but slowly and surely, we get to know everyone in the town and champion each one towards their respective happily ever afters.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Well Ms. Webber didn’t disappoint with her latest novel. I want to know what curiosity Maggie would match me with. I loved Estelle and her eccentricities but they always came from a good place. The whole town truly cared about each other and even Molly, the persnickety cat found someone she loved.

Ava has recently suffered the death of her fiance' and she becomes determined to overcome her grief and regret to start a new life. Without letting her very protective family know, she answers the strange job ad that arrived in the mail from a small town in Alabama. Stepping out into the unknown is something very new to Ava as she accepts the job as a caretaker for a grumpy old man and part time work at his daughter's coffee shop. Ava discovers new friendships and builds confidence in herself.
Maggie the manager of the Coffee shop is also trapped by grief over the death of her mother and by regret over opportunities she let pass her by. As Ava overcomes her problems she helps inspire Maggie to move on with her life.
I enjoyed this story, but not as much as I enjoyed previous books by this author.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an advance copy.

Wonderful, sweet read. I liked the story and the characters, but the setting was the true highlight. I'd recommend this to other readers for sure.

This opening was hands down one of my favorites from this year. The set up is interesting, it's extremely readable, and it should go over well. I stopped after chapter 1, but easy 3 stars, and 4-5 for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities.

3 - 3.5 stars

Hang in there for the second half of this book!

I liked the story concept of the character moving away from home (and out of her comfort zone), discovering herself, finding her niche, and realizing Driftwood is where she belongs. In true Webber fashion, this book is chock full of quirky, small-town southern characters. As with her other books, you can envision these eccentric folks in your mind. However, in this book so many secondary players enter the story in a very short amount of time, making it hard to keep them all straight. I had to go back and re-read a few times when they were re-introduced later on. The main characters didn't seem as well-developed as the ones in some of Heather Webber's previous books. This could be why I wasn't able to immediately connect with any of them. As the storyline becomes more cohesive in the second half, the characters begin to show more real emotion and become more relatable. This will make you glad you hung in there with this book!

I have been a fan of Heather Webber's books since I read MIdnight at the Blackbird Cafe several years ago. I'm always eager to read each new book she writes. This one was a little off the bullseye for me, though. I liked the concept, but the storyline was loose and meandering for the first half of the book. When it finally pulled together, the book was almost over. If the entire book had read like the last half, I would give it a 4-star rating.

Such a cozy spooky mystery. I just got into the mystery books and this one did not disappoint. Highly recommend this for you Halloween month read!

Such a wonderful heartwarming read. This gives huge cosy vibes and the magical realism in this book really works well. In addition it is full of whitty humour.

Joining Ava on her coming of age story, with her illness entering into remission is comforting. And the cosy small town setting creates a wonderful atmosphere.

A truly pleasant read.

What a great novel about love and life. The setting takes place in a coffee shop that will make you want to visit and see the characters at the shop. Maggie Brightwell runs the coffee shop and she is trying to find love and deal with her father. Ava shows up to help with her dad by saying she received a letter inviting her to town. It turns out that Maggie’s dad is in love and ready to move on. Maggie finds a way to own the coffee shop and begin a relationship with an old friend. The book is so good.

This was such a cozy, magical, comforting and fun read. This is my first reading Heather Webber but it won't be the last. Although I've only read a couple of magic realism books I'm always surprised with how the author manage to create a magical atmosphere in a mundane setting. This wasn't the exception.

From the first page I was transported to a small town where I got to meet so many different, quirky and memorable characters. I loved the found family aspect in this story, the connection the characters shared between them was so wholesome.

This is written in two POV's, Ava and Maggie, I never once dreaded reading from one of their perspectives. Getting to know both of them made the plot more interesting and the pacing flow. Both of them went on a journey that I was happy to follow, I was rooting for them. There's discussion on grief, discovering oneself and moving forward in life.

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Publishing Group and Heather Webber for the digital ARC. All opinions in this review are entirely my own.

“If you continue to let yourself be haunted by your past, if you continue to allow fear to run your life, you will never have the future you yearn for, the happiness you’ve dreamed of. You must make peace with your past in order to move forward. Stop hiding from your pain. The only way out is through.”

I never thought I would be a fan of magical realism. Heather Webber is changing that. I really enjoyed her book Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe. Recently, I was given the opportunity to read and review her newest book At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities.

The small town setting and charming cast of characters make these books a warm and cozy read. I’ve pulled fabulous quotes from both of these books.

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities is the perfect cozy story for fall. It is a story of healing and found family. I definitely recommend it!

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities was a very sweet, mysterious small-town novel. Its cast were hugely likeable and the setting very beautifully arranged. I can be picky about how supernatural elements are presented in novels, and I was satisfied with the balance between phenomenons that had mundane explanations and ones that we were left wondering about.

The story ran a little slowly at times, but was never a pain to read. The romantic elements never took precedence over the mystery or the main characters' relationships with existing friends and family, which I liked. The whole ensemble of characters were easy to root for.

4/5. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!

AT THE COFFEE SHOP OF CURIOSITIES
Heather Webber, Author
Women’s Fiction

When Ava and Maggie are thrown together under some unusual circumstances. They become fast friends but each are hiding deep secrets. Will their friendship survive when they find out each others secrets or will it fall apart.

I adore Heather Webber with her witty humor and ability to weave a bit of magic into her books without some readers even knowing. I already have my mother reading this book and she loves the book as well. I would definitely give the book a 5 out of 5 stars.

Heather Webber has been an auto-read author since Midnight At The Blackbird Cafe. Her books never fail to hit all the marks for me and At The Coffeeshop of Curiosities did not disappoint!

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webb checks all of the boxes for me, It is a heartwarming story set in a small town with likeable and memorable characters. This story follows Ava, a young woman who has been sheltered for most of her life due to her epilepsy diagnosis. As she is growing up, her condition is going into remission. She takes a chance and moves to a new town in search of a job.

This was a great coming of age story with found family with an added sprinkling of magical realism.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this magical escape.

This book was magical and cozy! I almost felt like it was a mashup between the tv shows Hart of Dixie and Virgin River. I loved the town of Driftwood and the sweet & quirky characters that resided in it.

I loved most everything about this book, the title, cover, plot line, etc.
I love haunting, atmospheric, compulsive reads with a strong setting in which the characters play and this book sure delivered. I would love to read it again!

Heather Webber’s magical, beautiful, uplifting writing of stories continues to treat her readers with another wonderful unique story, At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities. Her characters, stubborn, strong, quirky. Their problems secret, hidden deep in their souls, but the love they have for each other obvious which makes the story so romantic.

Ava Harrison broke up with her boyfriend and then he died. She is guilt ridden. Unable to pick up the pieces of her life which according to her late ex is so predictable and without risk, she decides to try new things, one of which is to apply for a job out of her comfort zone. After her ex passed away, Ava found a note. It was a classified ad for a job as the caretaker of an elderly man in a seaside town called Driftwood, Alabama. She has no idea where it came from, but she decides to travel to Driftwood and apply for the job.

There she meets Maggie Mae Brightwell who runs the local coffee and curiosity shop named Magpies. It’s her father’s now, but it was owned by her mother, the light of Maggie’s life who went missing when she was a young girl. Her father, Dez seems to be causing an uprising in the town as the rumor mill believes he is getting ready to sell the beloved shop. Maggie begins to think Dez’s age has caught up with him as he lives alone in the family house, is a bit of a packrat and claims to hear ghosts up in the attic. He also lives with a crotchety cat named Molly who only seems to like Dez.

So, when Ava shows up out of the blue, Maggie is grateful to have someone watch over her father. Maggie likes to keep busy, very busy so she doesn’t have to think about her past and her mother. But when Ava and Maggie meet, they bond over the losses in their lives and seem to be two old souls who were somehow destined to meet.

Both are holding on to what has happened to them from years ago, with fears of what may come, with regrets for what they did or didn’t do. But with the help of Estrelle, a mysterious elderly woman who owns a local shop who seems to have insight into just about everything, and who is feared (in a good way) by just about everyone, those feelings may soon change.

And Ava and Maggie do begin to see their pasts and futures differently as they allow those who they have always kept at arm’s length into their lives. Although they are afraid, they begin to open their wings and fly like confident butterflies to help not only themselves, but each other and those they love in this small town.

At The Coffee Shop of Curiosities is an exceptionally joyful read with funny, adorable townspeople and a satisfying ending which will continue to make you smile even after you’ve put the book on your own shelf.

Thank you #NetGalley #ForgeBooks/MacmillanPublishing #HeatherWebber #AtTheCoffeeShopofCuriousities for the advanced copy.