I received an advanced review copy of this book from The Great Thoughts Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own. An absolute gem of a book filled with depth and details. The writing was top notch and the characters believable. You need to make time to read this book because trust me you're going to love it as much as I did.

I am not generally a fan of shifting point of view narratives, and that's the biggest weakness in this novel. The chaclracter's voices aren't distinctive enough to differentiate while reading, especially in the beginning. I had to keep flipping back to the start of the chapter to see who was speaking.

That being said, I did enjoy this book. I'm from the South and don't know much Detroit or its decline. I think reading the story gave me much more empathy for the area and it's economic decline than the news ever could. It also made me root for its rebuilding, which I admit wasnt something I thought much about. Gentrification is not a topic I ever thought about as a movement natives may not want. I like that the novel made me think about its impact on neighborhoods and the residents who may not appreciate the changing of their home.

Loved the cover of this book. Read the description and it sounded like a perfect read for me. I wasn't thrilled with this book sadly. It started off very slow for me. I struggled to keep reading. enjoyed hearing about the food and the characters but just wish it had been slightly faster paced for me

I tried, I'm sorry but I could not finish the 2nd chapter so its not fair to review

I received an ARC of The Welcome Home Diner compliments of Netgalley. It's story spreads warmth and hope coupled with tales of adversity. Two polish cousins, close as sisters buy an old diner and a neglected abandoned house in Detroit. They were reared in nearby areas and wished to be a part of bringing revitalization to the big D. Their hopes were a rebirth of the neighborhood and its neighbors while making the diner a place for all. It served local farm to table food using many recipes from their beloved Polish Grandmother.. Their wishes were for all races, people from all walks of life to find a home at and in their diner. Their hires gave hope to many with a job that would be hard for them to obtain because of certain stigmas. There was love in many forms throughout. Love for your fellow man, their city and romantic relationships as well. The Welcome Home Diner is a study on love in its purest form. It fills you as a nourishing meal fills your body. Well done author Peggy Lampman!

"Her pupils, the inky shade of a fathomless night, are circled with a glow of cosmic energy - the colour of ripe apricots, almost gold."

How amazing is that line?!?! There are number of gems like that in this book so why the mediocre rating you may ask? It's because by the halfway point of the book I wanted to kill the two main characters. Well, that's a little strong but I really had no use for them. They came across as being very catty, especially to each other. There are numerous characters and I'll confess I sometimes couldn't remember who was who. It was an okay read but not one I'm itching to read again.

The cover is glorious and if I saw it in a bookstore I would 100% buy it. Sun Beam is a delight and I loved all the talk about food.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Welcome Home Diner was provided to me at no cost by the author in exchange for an honest review, and is set to publish October 10, 2017. Big thanks to Peggy Lampman and Lake Union Publishing!

This is a charming story about family, food, and finding yourself. Two cousins, Addie and Samantha (Sam), set out to revitalize a dying area of Detroit by opening The Welcome Home Diner, where the specialties are comfort food and character. Addie and Sam have their share of obstacles: the derelict house they purchased for $3,000 at auction is falling down (literally) around them, the diner is struggling financially, and the neighborhood they so hoped to bring back to life seems to openly resent both the women and their diner. In spite of these things, Sam and Addie continue to fight – sourcing all their produce and food supplies locally, even though it drastically cut into their profits, hiring locals to staff the diner and paying them much higher than the industry standard, visiting the residents of the neighborhood with samples of their food and discount coupons.

Apart from the difficulties at the diner, Addie and Sam are dealing with their own personal struggles as well. Addie is in a long-term relationship with David, a steady, business-minded man, that for some reason balks at a more permanent commitment. Sam is struggling with her self-image after a toxic relationship and is hesitant to open herself to love again. Thankfully, the women have lots of support from a colorful cast of characters that work at the diner, but quickly become a family. Frustrations begin to mount when The Welcome Home Diner begins to receive negative reviews online from an anonymous troll and an aggressive returning customer. Paired with that, the disdain and outwardly hostile attitude of Angus, the diner’s curmudgeonly next door neighbor and long-time resident of the area cause tension to build to a breaking point for the women.

The concept of this book and the written imagery, especially the descriptions of all that fantastic food, are lovely. I appreciated the author’s work to include several relevant socio-cultural topics. I would have loved to see more angles to the characters, at times they felt a little typecast and two-dimensional. I would have also loved to see more natural, realistic dialogue. Full transparency – I normally gravitate toward character-driven literature , and enjoy intense and gritty story lines. Saying that, this book wasn’t a great fit for me. However, for readers who enjoy a cheerful, light read for an afternoon in the café, this book would suit nicely.

Warning: Don't read this book if you are hungry or else have something close to your reading spot to snack on. Actually even if you aren't hungry, you will be after you read about the wonderful food served at the diner. Added bonus - recipes at the end of the book on how to make some of the wonderful food from the diner!

I loved this book for several reasons - first, the personal reason. I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit (on the east side) and went to college in the city so Detroit is a special place to me. I want to see it come back to being the great city that it once was and the revitalization of Detroit is one of the underlying themes of this book. Second, I love to read books that weave current issues of the day into it and this one does a great job of doing just that. The author writes about human trafficking, racial issues, drugs and white flight from the city to the suburbs among other topics. Third, I loved the characters in this novel. Two cousins buy an old gutted out diner in the city and try to become part of the neighborhood. They are met with resistance from the old time residents, no matter how hard they try but they keep trying. Not only are Addie and Samantha fantastic main characters but they are surrounded by great secondary characters who also work at the diner. And lastly, as mentioned earlier, the descriptions of the food served at the diner are awesome.

This is a fantastic well written book about two women who are trying to do their part to make not only their neighborhood but also a beautiful city come back to life again. I loved it.

Thanks to the author and netgalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Unable to review book. Needs to be reviewed through IndiePicks Magazine if chosen for review. Editor in Chief will request review file if chosen for review. Thank you.

Fair warning this book will make you dust off your family recipes and open your own diner. This story follows cousins who open a farm to table diner in Detroit featuring their Polish grandmother's recipes and all the challenges that go along with that. I loved Peggy's view on local food, diversity, second chances and livable wages. I don't usually reach for the "foodie" books but The Welcome Home Diner absolutely changed that. I was thrilled to see recipes in the back of the book and I can't wait to try them. Thanks Peggy for the opportunity to review your labor of love it was a joy.