This book is surprisingly good for a debut novel. I found that the characters were well rounded and easy to like. Each has his/her own back story and I enjoyed seeing how the author was able to weave these stories together. Mr. Cuesta was able to make me laugh, worry, smile, and feel relief as our characters develop.

My only concern is that I did sometimes feel as if situations were created just to extend the story. While they don’t hurt the book, they do not necessarily serve to enhance it, either.

I accepted an unsolicited ARC of this book from NetGalley with no promise to review. I’m glad I did as it was a delightful book to read. I will be interested in seeing if future books by this author are as good.

I really enjoyed this debut novel. I loved the descriptive narrative about a part of the country I have never seen. I thought the characters were real and I was quickly drawn into this world. My only regret is that I had to finish it. I did not want to leave. Hopefully there will be more in Manistique! I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure about it when I started because I generally do not read romance books. It was so funny, kept me laughing and loving the Yupers.

Chance and circumstance lead different individuals to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Stuck in Manistique is the story of a man and a woman who wind up in a small town, in the bed and breakfast once run by the man's recently deceased, long estranged aunt who has surprisingly left her entire estate to him. This is as far as I got with this story. The plot is interesting--and the setting one that I have longed to see for myself. So, the novel has that going for it; an attention-grabbing premise and fascinating twists and turns with side trips into the unique (such as the 5-mile bridge where bridge employees will drive your vehicle over for you if you can't deal with driving over the bridge). What I missed and why I stopped reading about 50 pages in, is good storytelling. The language is stilted with occasional flashes of brilliance. The characters are simple, predictable, unfathomable to this reader who couldn't and wouldn't wallow through indifferent language and wild word choices. That said, the book has a great premise, wonderful setting, and terrific possibilities. My low rating is not a reflection on a very good writer who could use a good editor to guide, to shape, to make the story sing.

I enjoyed this book, perhaps more than I was expecting! It was quirky and interesting, a mix of humor and a series of more than coincidences that left me quite satisfied with the story. It was not a cannot-put-down kind of page turner for me, but it was a light and entertaining read. I would recommend this book to someone looking for a fun book with a story full of interesting characters and their connections.

I think this was a little too Hallmarkish for me, I love Hallmark, but I felt as though I was reading a just a little cozy story, nothing much to pull me in. The story reads easily and is somewhat humorous with a few funnier quirks or life anecdotes and a touch of romance mixed in. I didn’t necessarily connect with the characters and I felt a little sluggish reading it with no real "ahh ha" or thats it moment. For me it just didn't grab my attention or full interst

It's a charming feel good story that grabs your attention and won't let you go until you finish it. The characters are memorable that come together unexpectedly in a small town setting.

I was intrigued by the book's setting of the Upper Peninsula in MI as I'm from Michigan. I was surprised by how quickly I became invested with each character in the story. This was ole fashion good writing in a great way. Several people interact and become intertwined with each other when they arrive at a Bed & Breakfast that was left to a family member that wants to sell it and be on his way. The situations that arise are really cute and funny. If not careful you may see yourself or someone you know in the wide-range of characters.

Dennis thank you for allowing me to read the book. I enjoyed very much!! It was nice to have the setting in the U.P. .

I intentionally made this book last longer- I didn’t read it as fast as I could have. I did that because it was such an interesting story that I didn’t want it to end. The book caught my attention from the first pages to the last. I have been to the parts of Michigan that the story centered around and they are small “homey” towns full of people just like Mark and Emily. The author has done a great job writing such an interesting story with some very memorable characters. Each one could have their own book written about them. Verity good! And I will definitely recommend this book to family and friends. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review..

I thoroughly enjoyed this charming and witty debut novel by Dennis Cuesta. This is one of the quirkiest books I’ve read in a long time. From the first page it had me laughing out loud. This book is definitely perfect for readers who love quirky characters and small town settings. I read this book in one sitting it with all the twists and turns it was very entertaining. The book was very well written and the characters well developed. A nice read for an afternoon.

Perhaps it's because my father's family lives in the UP and I could picture every bridge, lake and street sign. Or perhaps it's because I was raised eating pasties. Or perhaps it's because Stuck in Manistique was simply a delight to read. Whatever it was, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this debut novel from an author who deserves a standing ovation.

I found this book to be thoroughly entertaining. I not only smiled, but laughed out loud several times. There were a few dramatic moments too and a couple of heartbreaking moments, but the characters were quirky and dynamic and loveable.

I hope to see more from this author in the future. Perhaps a continuation of this story? I would love to read about more guests at this B&B. And, my oh my, would I ever love to stay there!

I really don't know what to say about this book. I just finished and really don't know what I was supposed to take away from the ending.
The story and characters were interesting, but I really don't know what the point was. Mark and Emily have several adventures and the odd little connections around them and the community were intriguing, but it never seemed like anything went anywhere.
I felt like this was more a collection of odd little short stories with Mark and Emily being the connecting factor than a novel.

A standalone comedic romance novel about a man who inherits his aunt's estate in 2014 in upper Michigan and must remember his past.

This eARC was sent to me by NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press for an honest review.

My Take
And, they're gonna get one. My first pet peeve is the primary character doesn't even have a last name. WTF? I don't get that. You can provide a protagonist with a first name, how hard is it to come up with a last name? Open a phone book. Call him Smith, Jones, Farmer, Black, Jaspevtinquawtew. Just give him a frickin' last name!

That whine over, it's a group of characters trying to find themselves, into self-reflection and discovery, especially our two protagonists in something of a classy Keystone Kops routine with unwanted guests dropping in, being dramatic, and having their own conflicts. Mark is running about not wanting guests, but also not wanting to tell them the truth about the B&B. Which I really don't understand. As for Vivian, she's a poignant mystery.

There are a number of conflicts in this: Mark's is inheriting his aunt's estate when they hadn't spoken since he was eight and now pretending his aunt is alive — I can't see any good reason to not tell people she's dead(!!), and Emily knows she needs to stop seeing John and is traumatized about losing a young patient. Secondary characters have their interesting conflicts: Peter and his need to conquer while Yvonne has "something" going on(?); George, poor George is such a sweetheart with his very own nerve wracking mystery; and, some interesting, entwining, and revealing conflicts that relate to Aunt Vivian's time in Sarajevo. A nice bit of mystery.

A few too many awkward info dumps and way too much tell; I so did not feel that romance. I kinda wonder if it even was a romance... I certainly can't get excited about Emily, at least in terms of her not caring about how she's disrupting her lover's marriage. And why doesn't she tell Mark about George's issues? It'd be a heck of a lot safer for George! Of course, Emily does have a thing for lying...

Speaking of Emily, I do wish Cuesta had played up the drama between Bulcher, who is too much of a stereotype and doesn't even get it(!), and Emily.

I like that Mark has scruples, even if he is rather wishy-washy. Probably a good thing in a CFP, lol. Part of me was amused by his meekness, and the other part of me wanted to give him a good kick.

My favorite part was the radio show "Knitting Time" with a couple of old ladies, Doris and Evelyn, who carry on as though they're alone. Of course, Mark, having no clue about what his aunt is doing in Manistique, is pretty funny, as he juggles dealing with all these people and their expectations. Bear Foot has some interesting scenes as well *grin*

I really appreciated the italics to help indicate when the characters were reading the book.

There are so many weird issues combined with the immature writing, that it makes me nuts. I mean, why would being involved with Bulcher have caused that death? Lord knows, Emily whines on about this so much, why didn't Cuesta slip a few of Emily's reasons for this in? What's with Emily's insta-jealousy and both her and Mark's assumption that going to dinner with Laura was a date? Then there's Emily's overly fierce reaction to Mark being concerned about her.

At any rate, the use of third person global subjective point-of-view means that we have a ringside seat to this comedic romance.

As for the ending. I suspect Cuesta wants to create a series, 'cause there really wasn't one. I guess the issue was that "Trespassers Will Be Violated"!

The Story
It's supposed to be a romantic weekend, just the two of them. And there's so much to look forward to when Emily starts her residency at the prestigious Lincoln Presbyterian in Chicago, not least is being able to cut some ties. It's just her and the open road ahead...until, bam!

With no room at the inn, Emily turns to the only other option, the Manistique Victorian B&B and its reluctant manager, Mark. A man flustered by the revelations zipping his way and too confused to stop what's heading for him.

The Characters
Mark, a personal financial planner, has a deep fear of bridges, who lives in Chicago. His mother, Margaret, had been a psychiatrist; his father had been a doctor as well. His aunt Vivian Peregrine, a Chippewa who ended up being adopted, but Margaret considered her, her sister, was a humanitarian aid doctor in worn-torn countries. Bear Foot Hemenway had been Vivian's handyman for some time.

Dr Emily Davis has a couple more years in her residency as a DO, osteopathic medicine. Kyle is the brother who died, and her parents have retreated from life. Her father had been a structural engineer and bridge inspector. Lynnie is her favorite aunt. Lauren, a third-year resident at a nearby hospital, is her about-to-be-former roommate.

Dr John Bulcher, an attending and teaching pediatric surgeon and Emily's mentor, is married to Lisa. They have two sons, Joey and Cory. Dr Greg Olsen is an unconfident resident.

Manistique, Michigan, is...
...where Vivian's house is located. Ron is a real estate agent; his cousin, Mikey, is a bartender. Barbara is a real stickler about the rules for renting cars. Her cousin, Maryilou, manages the Cozy Inn with Big Joe's next door. C. Bryst and Marv are state troopers. There's another Officer Bryst, a brother, who works with Manistique Public Safety. Diner 37 has great pie, but do not eat the fish. Ace's does a tasty pizza. Cal installs windows and is turkey hunting. Dr Jim "Jimbo" Currant works at the local hospital. Mike is the coroner. Conrad is the young idiot who got hurt. Arnold runs the other gas station.

George is retired and escaping from his wife, Trudy, and the tour bus where Trina is the tour director. He's quite familiar with Fawlty Towers too. Laura is his niece in Chicago. Peter Hinton with his dream goal and the overly sexy Yvonne who turn out to be more guests. Then there's Ellen Terrence who's caught between a rock and a hard place, lol, and saddled with a lighthouse to boot.

Harold and Gail give Emily a lift.

Petoskey, Michigan, is...
...where Frank Walters, Vivian's attorney, has his office. The Tell-Tale is a bar in the Gaslight District.

Laura is Mark's girlfriend who laid down the ultimatum; Shane is her ten-year-old son. Brad and Steve are friends of Mark's, and Annie is Brad's sister whom he adores. Woodland Hills Funeral Home will handle Aunt Vivian's burial. Mrs Schubert had been Emily's very strict second-grade teacher. Nicholas is the boy who was lost. Dr Kevin Sykes got too caught up in partying in Africa; his sister Cynthia wrote his story. Ted "Buff" had been Emily's boyfriend in med school. Lora had been a serious girlfriend for Mark in college, then Lorelei, then Nora, then...

Bosnia, 1992, is...
...where Vivian had been stationed. Marie had been Vivian's contact at the MSF office in Belgium. Ratko is her driver in Sarajevo. Rijad is another local. Vivian worked with Dr Divjak. Claude and Eva are journalists. Phil. Sonja is a nine-year-old orphan while Emela is two.

A UP-er (Yoouper), is someone who lives in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan.

The Cover and Title
I do love the cover. The simple background of Indian Lake where the horizon meets the sky with those gorgeous blues and the shadows in a much darker blue of two people standing at the railings looking over that peaceful view. The title is in the upper third in red while the author's name uses the color of the sky and is set at the bottom in the shadows. You can almost see "A NOVEL" in the lake.

The title is both reality and metaphysical, for Mark is Stuck in Manistique, for good or ill.

Stuck in Manistique is simply a delightful book chock filled with humorous events and characters around every corner. I found the book to be very funny within the pages, comical at times and serious at others. Silly lies, misinterpretations, cloudy intentions abound. I actually loved the book!

Stuck in Manistique by Dennis Cuesta was a charming story with great characters. Mark just inherited the estate of his Aunt Vivian, who he has not been close too in a long time, though he had fond memories. He has no idea what she has been up to and finds out she ran a B&B. His plans was to close things out and head home. But when the doorbell rings, things change.

Emily is traveling when she is in an accident and finds herself at Mark’s B&B. Before Mark’s knows it, he has people coming and going and finds himself playing host. From here we get an entertaining story that had me engaged and made it hard to put the book down. I truly enjoyed reading this story and look forward to reading more from this author.

Happy reading!

This novel was delightful! I loved the characters and the way the scenes unfolded when they came together. The story takes place in the town of Manistique, Michigan near the lakes. This is where Mark visits to settle his aunt’s estate. Mark soon discovers that his aunt was running a bed and breakfast from her large home. Soon the door of the bed and breakfast will open to different people who end up stuck in Manistique and part of the story. Various characters make an appearance at the bed and breakfast. It seems that everyone is getting stuck in Manistique and there is never a dull moment. There is a sense of seriousness to the events that occur to bring the characters together. But along the way, the pages are full of humor and wonderful interactions.

Enjoyed this book . The characters were well developed and the story had a few twists and turns that I did not expect. I liked the way Mark was not afraid to show his imperfections and called someone to drive him across the bridge. Emily was a headstrong individual that wasn't afraid to do anything and wasn't afraid of much. Both Emily and Mark had some issues to work through and it sounds like Manistique was the place to do it. Great book to share iwith your friends!

Fate has a way of bringing people together.
This book by Dennis Cuesta was a treat to read with its loveable characters and quick moving storyline. The story starts off by introducing Mark who is on his way to settle his late aunt’s estate. He has no clue that he is walking into a bed and breakfast business. As he is touring the house, his first guest arrives.
Emily is a doctor on her way to start a new residency as a doctor. She runs into a deer, or as Emily says, the deer ran into her, which causes her to be stuck in Manistique until her car is fixed.
The story continues with more unexpected guests and some town folk blended into the story of Mark and Emily. This story is witty and heartwarming all at the same time. The ending was something I didn’t expect, but that’s all I’m going to say! For a first novel, Dennis Cuesta struck gold. I loved his style of writing and can’t wait to see what his next book is.

Trespassers Will Be Violated! This is a quirky comedy of errors with a bit of mystery and recent history thrown in. Solid effort, and a very pleasant and quick read. New to me author, but one I plan to watch for in the future.

Stuck in Manistique by Dennis Cuesta was a different book for me to read. I had the feeling that the book was going to be more drama/romantic that comedy driven situational humor. I think this book might be a good play or another type of visual art, but for me I found the book did not work. I was underwhelmed by the characters and how they interacted. I did not find how Mark handled the Bed and Breakfast as realistic and wanted to shake him for his half truths and partial truths.

I did like the setting and the various opportunities for the character to rewrite their lives. I like how the house was almost a character in itself. I like the whole paddle boat scene. To me,. Stuck in Manistique by Dennis Cuesta was okay. I am sure that people who enjoy comedy might find this more humorous than I.