At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities was a very sweet, mysterious small-town novel. Its cast were hugely likeable and the setting very beautifully arranged. I can be picky about how supernatural elements are presented in novels, and I was satisfied with the balance between phenomenons that had mundane explanations and ones that we were left wondering about.

The story ran a little slowly at times, but was never a pain to read. The romantic elements never took precedence over the mystery or the main characters' relationships with existing friends and family, which I liked. The whole ensemble of characters were easy to root for.

4/5. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!

AT THE COFFEE SHOP OF CURIOSITIES
Heather Webber, Author
Women’s Fiction

When Ava and Maggie are thrown together under some unusual circumstances. They become fast friends but each are hiding deep secrets. Will their friendship survive when they find out each others secrets or will it fall apart.

I adore Heather Webber with her witty humor and ability to weave a bit of magic into her books without some readers even knowing. I already have my mother reading this book and she loves the book as well. I would definitely give the book a 5 out of 5 stars.

Heather Webber has been an auto-read author since Midnight At The Blackbird Cafe. Her books never fail to hit all the marks for me and At The Coffeeshop of Curiosities did not disappoint!

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webb checks all of the boxes for me, It is a heartwarming story set in a small town with likeable and memorable characters. This story follows Ava, a young woman who has been sheltered for most of her life due to her epilepsy diagnosis. As she is growing up, her condition is going into remission. She takes a chance and moves to a new town in search of a job.

This was a great coming of age story with found family with an added sprinkling of magical realism.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this magical escape.

This book was magical and cozy! I almost felt like it was a mashup between the tv shows Hart of Dixie and Virgin River. I loved the town of Driftwood and the sweet & quirky characters that resided in it.

I loved most everything about this book, the title, cover, plot line, etc.
I love haunting, atmospheric, compulsive reads with a strong setting in which the characters play and this book sure delivered. I would love to read it again!

Heather Webber’s magical, beautiful, uplifting writing of stories continues to treat her readers with another wonderful unique story, At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities. Her characters, stubborn, strong, quirky. Their problems secret, hidden deep in their souls, but the love they have for each other obvious which makes the story so romantic.

Ava Harrison broke up with her boyfriend and then he died. She is guilt ridden. Unable to pick up the pieces of her life which according to her late ex is so predictable and without risk, she decides to try new things, one of which is to apply for a job out of her comfort zone. After her ex passed away, Ava found a note. It was a classified ad for a job as the caretaker of an elderly man in a seaside town called Driftwood, Alabama. She has no idea where it came from, but she decides to travel to Driftwood and apply for the job.

There she meets Maggie Mae Brightwell who runs the local coffee and curiosity shop named Magpies. It’s her father’s now, but it was owned by her mother, the light of Maggie’s life who went missing when she was a young girl. Her father, Dez seems to be causing an uprising in the town as the rumor mill believes he is getting ready to sell the beloved shop. Maggie begins to think Dez’s age has caught up with him as he lives alone in the family house, is a bit of a packrat and claims to hear ghosts up in the attic. He also lives with a crotchety cat named Molly who only seems to like Dez.

So, when Ava shows up out of the blue, Maggie is grateful to have someone watch over her father. Maggie likes to keep busy, very busy so she doesn’t have to think about her past and her mother. But when Ava and Maggie meet, they bond over the losses in their lives and seem to be two old souls who were somehow destined to meet.

Both are holding on to what has happened to them from years ago, with fears of what may come, with regrets for what they did or didn’t do. But with the help of Estrelle, a mysterious elderly woman who owns a local shop who seems to have insight into just about everything, and who is feared (in a good way) by just about everyone, those feelings may soon change.

And Ava and Maggie do begin to see their pasts and futures differently as they allow those who they have always kept at arm’s length into their lives. Although they are afraid, they begin to open their wings and fly like confident butterflies to help not only themselves, but each other and those they love in this small town.

At The Coffee Shop of Curiosities is an exceptionally joyful read with funny, adorable townspeople and a satisfying ending which will continue to make you smile even after you’ve put the book on your own shelf.

Thank you #NetGalley #ForgeBooks/MacmillanPublishing #HeatherWebber #AtTheCoffeeShopofCuriousities for the advanced copy.

I adored this book from start to finish - the characters (human and animal) the town itself as a character, the magic, the fact that there is mention of a pug named Gus AND reference to Magdelena - like my dearly departed pug Gus and Mom Mom - were bonuses

Reading this felt like a hug

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Every year I look forward to the release of author Heather Webber's newest title. Her books always have a whimsical feel and the kind of characters you want to hang out with. Although I did like this story, it was not my favorite of all her titles. Regardless, it was a lovely story that kept me guessing until the very end.

Magical realism? Beach setting? Small town vibes? Immediately YES! I’m still putting my thoughts together and will update this review, but what I can say right now is this: At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities was a charmingly cozy read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing this advanced reader’s copy!

This was a sweet story set in an Alabama costal town filled with a cast of quirky characters. It was a cozy read about found family, being your true self, and moving forward all sprinkled with some magical realism. There were a few times the coincidences stacked up a bit too precariously, but overall it was a fun read. I would suggest this one if you are needing a warm book hug.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review of the book.

A piece of magical realism, set in a small beachfront town, was a nice diversion from real life. Ava applies for a job in a small town where nobody knows her and she can start over without being seen as fragile and different. When Maggie hires her to help Maggie’s father Dez, Ava and Maggie become good friends, despite the secrets they are both keeping. All of the characters are a bit quirky, but likable. I enjoyed the book and recommend for readers of women’s fiction and magical realism. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities~what a cute little gem this was. Maggie has a lifetime of sadness and heartache to deal with the passing of her mother. Ava has a lifetime of a mother smothering her she has to deal with. When their paths cross how do they help each other. Do they or will they find happiness in the end.

Thank you Net Galley for providing this book and allowing me to read it in advance. I was unable to personally get into this book but that is the power of reading. There’s books for everyone. I know someone else will adore it!

I love Heather Webber, who always paints a beautiful world with a healthy dash of magical realism. I just have a really hard time with “lack of communication” trope, so this ended up being not the right book for me.

EXCERPT: The letter had been sent by a dead man.
There was no doubt in my mind.
Fine. There was a little doubt. Okay, a lot of it. Buckets of it.
But after thirteen long hours in the car during which I'd thought of very little else, I couldn't come up with anyone else who might have sent the note. Not one single person, other than Alexander Bryant, who'd died exactly a month ago yesterday.

ABOUT 'AT THE COFFEE SHOP OF CURIOSITIES': When Ava Harrison receives a letter containing an unusual job listing one month after the sudden death of her ex-boyfriend, she thinks she’s being haunted. The listing—a job as a live-in caretaker for a peculiar old man and his cranky cat in Driftwood, Alabama—is the perfect chance to start a new life. A normal life. Ava has always been too fearful to even travel, so no one’s more surprised than she is when she throws caution to the wind and drives to the distant beachside town.

On the surface, Maggie Mae Brightwell is a bundle of energy as she runs Magpie’s, Driftwood’s coffee and curiosity shop, where there’s magic to be found in pairing the old with the new. But lurking under her cheerful exterior is a painful truth—keeping busy is the best way to distract herself from the lingering loss of her mama and her worries about her aging father. No one knows better than she does that you can’t pour from an empty cup, but holding on to the past is the only thing keeping the hope alive that her mama will return home one day.

Ava and Maggie soon find they’re kindred spirits, as they’re both haunted—not by spirits, but by regret. Both must learn to let go of the past to move on—because sometimes the waves of change bring you to the place where you most belong.

MY THOUGHTS: I always want to move right to wherever Heather Webber has set her latest book, and the town of Driftwood, Alabama is no exception. It's a small town, one where everyone knows everyone else's business probably before they are even aware that they have any business. But then as Estrella says 'It's not gossip if it's the truth.'

I loved all the characters in this book: Maggie, who is holding onto the past for dear life; Ava who has extraordinary senses of smell and hearing and is burdened by guilt; Dez, Maggie's father who is trying to reorganise his life without upsetting anyone; Estrella, perhaps the strangest character of all; Donovan who is still holding a flame for Maggie after all these years; and Sam, another relative newcomer to the town who has secrets of his own. Let's not forget Molly, reputedly a Maine Coon cross Ragdoll and who knows what else, who likes to cause havoc, and Norman the dachshund who lost his bark, whom only Ava can hear.

Heather Webber is a truly magical writer. Her characters come alive and I read her stories with a smile on my face, warmth in my heart and a twinkle in my eye. Who can't love someone who is described as she smelled of orange blossom and almonds, homemade biscuits and patience.'; or someone who collects 'whims and whatever strikes my fancy'; or someone who lies about her age, adding years onto it rather than deducting them, so that she can join a seniors group.

Heather Webber has written another stunning novel, full of whimsy and wishes, surprises and special people, love and acceptance.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#AttheCoffeeShopofCuriosities #NetGalley

I: @booksbyheather @forgereads

T: @BooksbyHeather @ForgeReads

#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #familydrama #fantasy #friendship #romance

THE AUTHOR: Heather Webber, aka Heather Blake, is the author of more than twenty-five novels. She loves to read, drink too much coffee and tea, birdwatch, crochet, and bake. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and is hard at work on her next book.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Macmillan - Tor/Forge, Forge Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

The perfect book choice for when you are looking for a heartwarming read with a sprinkle of magic.. I absolutely loved it!.

It is official. I am not a cozy story reader. At least not right now. A woman mysteriously gets a job listing that wasn;t even meant to be serious, packs up for this small town, and then is given the job because the town psychic tells the coffee shop owner who didn’t mean to hire anyone that she needs to hire her. It was a nice palate cleanser after many of my recent reads. I don’t feel like any of the characters will stay with me very long.

Thank you NetGalley for this free digital ARC. The characters are well developed, and I wanted to know what was going to happen to them. The story was magical, and I couldn’t put it down. It was the perfect summer read helping me relax and bringing me happiness and joy. I felt in love with this book and enjoyed reading this ARC immensely. I would recommend this book to all.

4.5 stars

This book was everything I’ve come to expect and love from a Heather Webber book: charming small town, lovable and quirky characters, beautiful writing, perfectly blended magical realism. The “surprises” at the end were pretty easy to see coming, but I still really enjoyed how the story was told. Definitely look forward to more by Webber!