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readsbyanna 's review for:
At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities: A Novel
by Heather Webber
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!
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!