This is a lovely, feel-good read about moving on after grief with the help of a caring community. There are many quirky characters to enjoy, and a touch of magic. This is the perfect life-affirming book, and an excellent book when you need to take a break from other genres. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A mysterious note on a help wanted ad, a quest to an enchanting beach town full of charming, quirky people to find the life she'd never dreamed of and a community she desperately needed. Every bit as wonderful as all her other books! The way.Heather Webber writes southern, magical realism is nothing short of amazing! Her books are always exciting to start, amazing to read and devastating when they end. Five stars are not enough.

A whimsical magic realism story about friendship and grief and how deal with change. Both the main characters, Ava and Maggie are dealing with loss and change, but in very different circumstances and ways. Webber sympathetically intertwines the two narratives to develop the plot. The story is the both heartbreaking and uplifting, a lovely read!

Heather Webber has done it again. Her gift for creating small towns that call to your soul continues in Driftwood, Alabama, with a cast of lovable and eccentric characters, and a curious coffee shop that brings this small town together. Readers will find a place that feels like the home they’ve always longed for, and a story that will remind you of the power of truth, love, and remaining flexible in a world that can so easily have us cope by clinging to secrets, withholding ourselves, and remaining tight and rigid to protect our hearts. Driftwood is a place that will help you slip away for a bit, and nudge you to be open to the magic that awaits if you make space for it.

I LOVED this book. From relating to the grief, to loving the characters and the absolute perfect backdrop for the story…..to the magnificent story telling itself. This book was perfection in every way.

I love Heather Webber's small town, magical realism books. The inclusion of small communities, found family, and southern life is just so intoxicating and comforting. When I think of needing a comfort book, Heather Webber is number one in my thoughts. I can't think of a series of books that are more compelling, but also, more tender and gentle. I can recommend this book to so many different types of readers. I cannot wait for the next one in the series. I provide no spoilers here and am keeping my review purposely vague. Just know, these books are an absolute delight. Dive in!

Ava receives a mystery letter that compels her to move from Ohio to Alabama, Maggie runs her moms coffee shop, still waiting for her to return after being lost in the sea, Estrella knows everything before it happens, and Maggie’s dad Desmond is seeing ghosts and acting strangely. These are a few of the wonderful characters we meet in the Coffee Shop of Curiosities, a lovely book that writes about the warmth and love people have for each other. Magic realism, plot and characters make this a perfect book to read, another one of Heather Webber’s wonderful reads.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities.

This is a heartwarming tale about a young woman named Ava Harrison who finds herself in an idyllic town called Driftwood.

As Ava struggles to move on after the death of a loved one, her encounters with the quirky locals enable her to find her path in life and a community where she belongs.

I've never read any books by the author before but I enjoyed her writing style, the tone and character development of the local characters.

There's a lot of love, support, acceptance, and forgiveness in the narrative, themes we can all identify with and told in such a caring, and thoughtful way.

However, I wasn't expecting it to be so romance-centric so I wasn't really in the mood for its cozy feel.

I do recommend reading it if you need a break from the usual genre you read.

This was a nice change from the thrillers and serial killer-led plot driven novels I prefer to read.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Forge Books, and NetGalley for an advance read in exchange for this review.

Ava receives an unusual job listing in the mail one month after the death of her boyfriend. It's for a live in caretaker in Alabama. She's so surprised and then surprises herself even more by driving hours to go to the interview. Maggie runs a coffee shop that is quirky while she deals with the sadness of the loss of her mother and challenges of having an aging father. Somehow there is magic in every corner of the small town.

This book was touching and sweet. It moves at a very slow pace, but the ending felt rushed to me. Still, there was so much magic on each page, and I especially loved following Ava's story.

Summary: Ava Dowling is coping with the grief from the sudden loss of her fiancé. After she receives an anonymous want ad for a live-in caretaker to an old man who is fascinated with ghosts, Ava sets off for the charming coastal town of Driftwood, Alabama.
There she befriends Maggie of Magpie’s, a Coffeehouse with a whimsical Curiosity Corner.
Maggie struggles from a deep loss too.
The two friends must put their fears and ghosts to rest before they can find their true selves.

What I Liked:
- The entire community felt like one big hug. Full of quirky characters, a sweet dog, cranky cat and shops with a vivid sea glass palette. (The Mermaids, Happy Clams, The Snail Slippers) were so creative!
- My favourite character was Estrelle. Wise, mysterious, terrifying! “It has been said.”
- The book reminds us that hardships, fear, love are universal. Unity and perseverance will take us to unimaginable places.

What Could Have Been Improved:
- The pace was a bit slower than I was hoping but picked up nicely halfway through.
- Exploring Estrelle’s background and character deeper.

This was a well-developed story with relatable characters. The magical realism had a nice twist to it. Absolutely love the baubles of the Curiosity Corner and how they are uniquely matched to someone so that they’re dreams become a reality.

Thank you to Forge and Tor publishing for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy from one of my favorite authors.

Oh how I LOVE reading Heather Webber's books; they are heartwarming, uplifting and beautifully written with touches of magic and true romance. . This book is about dealing with grief and loss and finding your way through while embracing change and accepting yourself and love. 100 stars!!

This story gave me ALLLLL the feels! It made me want to live in this small town and make this community my own. The characters are full of realness and deep connections, lots of positivity and love. A teensy twist I never saw coming, and just everything I could hope for in a story I'm reading strictly to stir my happy heart.

Heather Webber is an incredible author, and I've been a fan for many years. I simply must add this one to my collection of her small town magical stories. I highly recommend this book to anyone with romance in their heart, and sweet bit of magic in their soul.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forge Books, and especially Heather Webber for allowing me to read this wonderful magically sweet book. It may just be my new favorite.

WARNING: This book will give you an emotional hangover. You will be in your feels after reading this book.

Wow. If I could rate this book with 20 stars I would. It was feel good. It was heart-wrenching. It was inspiring. It was emotional. It was absolutely immaculate in every way.

I've read many books that were heartwarming but, I haven't read a book so captivating that I had to force myself to slow down to savor it a little while longer... until this book. I never wanted it to end. I wanted to stay in Driftwood with Ava, Maggie, Sam, Norman, Molly, Donovan, Estrelle, Rose, Titus, Jolly, Hannah, Dez, and everyone else.

I wanted to go to Magpie's for my small iced matcha, add espresso, add chai, and lavendar syrup. I wanted Maggie to pair me with a curiosity. I wanted to eat cinnamon buns with Javier. I wanted to snuggle Norman. I wanted to join the Mermaids after the storm and walk with the Snail Slippers Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I just never wanted this book to end. It will live rent free in my mind for a very very long time. I cannot wait until this novel publishes so I can get my hands on the physical copy. This will be a book that I reread many times.

Please read this book if you enjoy:
-Heartwarming love stories
-Letting go of painful memories to make room for new ones
-Coffee Shops
-Kooky Old Ladies
-Beach Towns
-Small town romance
-small iced matchas with espresso, chai and lavendar syrup
-feel good romance
-sweet fur baby angels in the form of a long haired dachshund and a fluffy sassy cat
-sentimental gifts

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Forge Books and Heather Webber for the amazing opportunity to read this beautiful book in exchange for my honest review.

I have officially added every single book by Heather Webber to my list. I can't wait to read more.

What a beautiful, beautiful book! How do I even begin to formulate my feelings and opinions into words?

It was a slow, calm and slice of life story. I felt like it was a little <i>too</i> magical to be simply magical realism but that might just be my experience reading fantasy as most of the magical elements was explained as non-magical toward the end. Maybe I'm just more prone to believing it's a magic story?

It.. was a slightly sad book. Bittersweet? It started sad and got better. There are two POV, Maggie and Ava and both are struggling with grief and loss. Maggie over her mother who disappeared 20 years ago and her letting the love of her life go. And Ava whose recent ex-boyfriend died. To add to it, Maggie's father is acting strange and Ava has a long history of medical issues.

But it was a story very much about happy endings, of hope, of finding your place in the world, and accepting who you are. I even got teary eyed at the ending there.

I greatly enjoyed how it was written, how the author places us in this tiny little place somewhere in America and let's us, the reader, get to know the town and the people who live there. Because the story wasn't just about Maggie and Ava. It was about a bird who kept escaping. It was about romances that sprouted at coffee shops and small town gossip. And it was all so incredibly cozy and warm.

LOVED this book. Love books that take place in Alabama (or the south in general) - they feel like home.

This story a great finding yourself story... full of family, friends, community, etc....
Very heartwarming and uplifting. I couldn't put it down. But that's the way it's been with any of her books I've read.

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber is a charming and heartwarming novel that is perfect for fans of magical realism. The story follows Ava Dowling, who, after the sudden death of her fiancé, finds herself on the run and takes a job as a live-in caretaker for an elderly man in a small town in Alabama. There she meets Maggie Laine Brightwood, who runs the town's coffee and curiosity shop, and the two women quickly become close friends.

The author weaves a magical tale about finding oneself and coming to terms with loss and guilt. The setting of the beachside cottage and the coffee shop adds to the book's charm, and the characters are well-developed and relatable.

Webber's writing is beautiful and vivid, making it easy for readers to imagine themselves in the quaint little town of Driftwood. The magical realism elements add a unique and enjoyable twist to the story, making it a delightful read from start to finish.

Overall, At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities is a heartwarming and uplifting novel that is sure to captivate readers with its magical and enchanting story. It is a must-read for fans of magical realism and anyone who enjoys a heartwarming story about finding oneself and finding a place to belong.

Beautifully written magical realism novel about dealing with grief and loss, finding a way through and embracing change. Written from two viewpoints in the same time frame, the reader sees the events from Ava’s perspective, then Maggie’s perspective, advancing the story with each chapter. Both are dealing with loss and regret, in different ways. The characters have depth, and the reader sees each one’s struggle to come to terms with circumstances. There are underlying themes of forgiveness, and acceptance. The magic is subtle, and charming. Minor characters have substance, and even the furry companions have personality. The reader becomes engaged with the story early on, and it becomes harder to put down as a mystery needs solving. This delightful story will capture your heart, and hold it until the end. Recommend.

While I was a little confused when I started reading this book-thought I had missed a chapter- once I got past the first chapter I was hooked. The characters are so unique and quirky they make you want to join their town. I am pretty sure I missed some of the connection because I didn’t pay as much attention to some of the details as I should have.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️

I struggled to fully immerse myself in this book in the beginning. For the first thirty pages, there are flourishing descriptions of everything from the cozy beach town of Driftwood, Magpie's coffee shop, and the town's residents with their kooky backgrounds and habits.

However, once the two main characters Ava and Maggie officially meet, things pick up and I was riveted to the story. There are a host of unexplained events unfolding and with each new surprise revealed, I had more and more questions about Driftwood and just how magical the place may be.

"This couldn't possibly be real. Any of it. The mysterious letter. The out-of-character road trip. This delightful town, which looked postcard perfect despite the gloomy skies." - Ava

Ava is at a turning point in her life. Having been sheltered during most of her childhood, she is ready to embrace change, whatever that may look like. The growth of her character from scared and unsure to finding her way is wonderful to witness. No matter the mysterious circumstances of how she found her way to town, Ava whole-heartily plunged herself into Driftwood, creating a new life for herself that was much more rewarding and fulfilling than being comfortable was.

"Hard times could be overcome, given time. Given heart. Given determination. Life could be rebuilt. Fresh starts were possible." - Ava

While Ava is at the point in her life of throwing caution to the wind, Maggie is hiding away from the world. She was so caught up in grief that she failed to realize she was hurting everyone she loved with her steadfast determination to hold on to the past. Everyone in her life placated her as a child, and the continued enablement that allowed Maggie to avoid change hindered almost every aspect of her adult life.

"Holding on is all well and good, as long as you're holding on for the right reasons. But Maggie, you're only holding on because you're too scared to let go.'" - Maggie's father, Dez.

Ava's arrival acted like a catalyst for Maggie's delicate balance of avoidance. These two women came together under mysterious circumstances, but instantly click despite their age gap and place in life. I loved their friendship and how solid it became in such a short time.

Magpie's coffee shop was truly the heart of Driftwood. All of the secondary characters seemed to revolve around this center, butting into each other's lives with good intentions and genuine affection for one another.

My most favorite character was neither Ava nor Maggie, but the mysteriously glamourous Estrelle. I can only hope to be as sophistically fascinating as her when I grow older. I want nothing more than to blow into a small town and deliver truths to those that need to hear them, all in the name of throwing some sass around and helping people be happy. Though everyone living in Driftwood had an interesting backstory, Estrelle's character practically begs for a book of her own.

"'You're spooky.' She started to smile, then quickly pursed her lips, as if not wanting to get caught enjoying herself. 'I prefer surprising.'" - Ave and Estrelle

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities was a delightful book full of transformation, character development, and a hint of magic. I loved not only the setting of Driftwood but the community aspect of the small town, and how interconnected everyone in the book was with each other, for the good and bad.


*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow!! I LOVED this book. This is my first book I’ve read by Heather Webber, but definitely not my last!

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities is such a cozy read filled with whimsical characters and a bit of magic. I felt like I was in a seaside version of Stars Hollow. I loved the dual POV and all the quirky characters scattered throughout the book. The overall theme was LOVE and connection, and who doesn’t need more of that? I couldn’t put it down and it truly just made me feel so happy!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forge Books for the E-Book ARC in exchange for my honest review.