Book Review | OF LITERATURE AND LATTES by Katherine Reay

Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Reay
Publication Date:  May 12, 2020
Publisher:  Thomas Nelson
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating:  ★★★★★

Amidst literature and lattes, two people discover the confusing, complex, and beautiful nature of friendship.

After fleeing home three years earlier, Alyssa Harrison never wanted to return. But after the Silicon Valley start-up where she works collapses and turns her world upside down, she finds herself broke, in trouble, and without a place to go. Having exhausted every option, she returns to Winsome, Illinois, to regroup and then move on. Yet as friends and family welcome her back, she begins to envision a future in this small Midwestern community.

Jeremy Mitchell moves 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. When he meets Alyssa, he senses an immediate connection, but what he needs most is someone to help him save his floundering business. When he asks for Alyssa’s help, he wonders if something might grow between them—but forces beyond their control soon complicate their already complicated lives and the future both envision is not at all what they anticipated.

Return to the cozy and delightful town of Winsome as two new friends discover the grace of letting go and the joy found in unexpected change.

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 totally 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.

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About the Author:

Katherine Reay is the national bestselling and award-winning author of several novels and one full-length non-fiction work.

Katherine holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University and is a wife, mother, rehabbing runner, former marketer, and avid chocolate consumer. She lives outside Chicago, IL.

*Thanks to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the digital galley in exchange for this unbiased review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.