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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a nice, bittersweet exploration of family, forgiveness, and belonging. I enjoyed reading it. However, it had quite a lot of little plot similarities with another book from Heather Webber, such as:
- Young woman moves to small town after a loss
- Small town people are mostly kind, well-meaning, but very nosy
- There is at least one semi-magical person in town
- Young woman meets local man and slowly falls in love
- There is talk of either taking over or selling a beloved cafe
- An elderly man is hinted at dying eventually, but doesn't (yet)
- A small shop is set on fire but nothing bad happens
- Said fire makes shop owner realize their passion and love for said shop
These make me feel reluctant to read her other books as she seems to be a formulaic writer. But hey, if it works, it works.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
LOVE. 9/10
This is where I learn I’m a huge fan of Magical Realism. I’d never heard that term before and realize it describes most of my favorite books.
This is where I learn I’m a huge fan of Magical Realism. I’d never heard that term before and realize it describes most of my favorite books.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I'd like a slice of blackberry pie.
Cozy, Magical Realism, Enjoyable.
Cozy, Magical Realism, Enjoyable.
4.5 but on the higher side. Saw a review that said “hallmark movie in book form.” Nailed it.
I picked this book to read for the 2021 PopSugar category of "a book set in a restaurant". I don't normally read a lot of "contemporary fiction" & when I do, it's mainly cozy mysteries, but this had a little magic mixed in, so that's closer to my normal reads. Other reviews have noted the couple things I was going to say and that it reminds me of a Hallmark movie (of which I don't watch) and of the story-in-the-story of Fried Green Tomatoes about The Whistle Stop Café and the people it affected.
It's a story about love, loss, family and finding where you belong. It does have a bit of cheesiness to it, but it also seems to feel close to how people actually do think, act & feel. I didn't love it, but I also don't think it was a waste of time to read it, so there's that.
It's a story about love, loss, family and finding where you belong. It does have a bit of cheesiness to it, but it also seems to feel close to how people actually do think, act & feel. I didn't love it, but I also don't think it was a waste of time to read it, so there's that.
Saccharine sweet hallmark movie style book.
Relies heavily on stereotypes and feels really formulaic.
A lot of elements in here I would have loved had it not been so coated in syrupy sweetness.
(On audiobook it’s even worse.)
Relies heavily on stereotypes and feels really formulaic.
A lot of elements in here I would have loved had it not been so coated in syrupy sweetness.
(On audiobook it’s even worse.)
The first half of this book was 4 stars for me, and second half was 3 stars. I wish it had been the other way around. The whimsical storyline started out strong, but it fizzled. Perhaps if the novel had just concentrated on the main character, Anna Kate, it would have been stronger. The tone was light and positive - even while covering some heavier subject matter - but it also got a little cheesy and some of the resolutions felt forced. (Also this town needs to review its seat belt policy).
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
23: Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber...because I'm a sucker for books set at cafes and bookstores, I guess.
Ultimately, I enjoyed this book...but I wouldn't say I loved it. I suppose some of that is due to feeling it to simply be far "fluffier" than books I'm more inclined to "love." A few reasons for this are that one, it just takes on way too much that either things don't all get resolved or they do a tad too easily for my liking, too unrealistically, perhaps. How selling a particular recipe of tea at the cafe for a few weeks raises a couple of thousand dollars, for instance, is just a little too easy. Or someone who's never rented out two outbuildings before can, in just a few hours turn them into accommodations for paying overnight guests, again...just a little too easy. Or how a recent college graduate, say, thrown into running a business she never has that involves a number of tangled new responsibilities, none of which are her previous areas of work or expertise does so quite swimmingly (and seemingly finding about 8 more hours in each day than exist for the rest of us), well, again...just a little too easy.
But you know what? Those are my super picky observations. There are plenty of other reasons to enjoy this book and its intertwined stories of this cast of characters in and around little Wicklow, Alabama. I did enjoy the setting and the small town-ness of it all. And I did love the food references and the making of tea with health-ful benefits. And the legend of the blackbirds and what comes to those who eat a piece of well-made blackbird pie is an interesting aspect as well.
Ultimately, it's got a lot of good going for it, but some things just work out too commercially for my literary love. You may just love it all, and that's fine by me, too!
Ultimately, I enjoyed this book...but I wouldn't say I loved it. I suppose some of that is due to feeling it to simply be far "fluffier" than books I'm more inclined to "love." A few reasons for this are that one, it just takes on way too much that either things don't all get resolved or they do a tad too easily for my liking, too unrealistically, perhaps. How selling a particular recipe of tea at the cafe for a few weeks raises a couple of thousand dollars, for instance, is just a little too easy. Or someone who's never rented out two outbuildings before can, in just a few hours turn them into accommodations for paying overnight guests, again...just a little too easy. Or how a recent college graduate, say, thrown into running a business she never has that involves a number of tangled new responsibilities, none of which are her previous areas of work or expertise does so quite swimmingly (and seemingly finding about 8 more hours in each day than exist for the rest of us), well, again...just a little too easy.
But you know what? Those are my super picky observations. There are plenty of other reasons to enjoy this book and its intertwined stories of this cast of characters in and around little Wicklow, Alabama. I did enjoy the setting and the small town-ness of it all. And I did love the food references and the making of tea with health-ful benefits. And the legend of the blackbirds and what comes to those who eat a piece of well-made blackbird pie is an interesting aspect as well.
Ultimately, it's got a lot of good going for it, but some things just work out too commercially for my literary love. You may just love it all, and that's fine by me, too!