Famous in a Small Town by Viola Shipman is a women’s fiction title that was being compared to Fried Green Tomatoes so of course I had to give this one a try. The story in Famous in a Small Town is one that does have two timelines of the present and the past and different points of view.

Mary Jackson has a lived a long, good life in her small town of Good Hart, Michigan. When Mary was young the town dubbed her with the nickname Cherry Mary. Mary had set a record in the town’s festival cherry spitting contest and to this day no one has even come close.

Becky Thatcher has come to the small town of Good Hart, Michigan with her best friend to recover from a break up and figure out what she wants in life. Becky had always stuck by her man but she just figured out sticking by was turning into settling for something she didn’t want. When Becky crosses paths with Mary the women wonder if it wasn’t their destiny.

A lot of times I see books advertised as being for someone who loved a specific popular book and I think to myself why, this is nothing like what is mentioned. Famous in a Small Town however did have similarities to Fried Green Tomatoes and being a fan I found myself enjoying this one too. The story was a charming one of friends and family and finding oneself in the midst of it all and with lovely characters the pages just flew by. Great story that I’d also recommend to anyone who enjoyed Fried G sreen Tomatoes so for once I agree with their marketing and would definitely return to this author myself.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I’m always so thrilled to be part of the Harper-Collins tours as I almost always LOVE the books I get to read for them! This was true for the latest one I just finished: Viola Shipman’s Famous in a Small Town. I love Shipman’s writing and have read many of his previous novels. The stories are ones I can connect with and I tend to love the characters. I find them heart-warming with uplifting endings. They remind me a bit of books by Fannie Flagg.
Thank you for my copy!

I love Northern Michigan, the lovely town of Good Hart with their General Store, and the Tunnel of Trees. Would recommend it to anyone looking for a visit. I'm also interested in the local Odawa and Ojibwe traditions and wish this book had alternated the contemporary storyline with traditional stories instead of trying to combine the two. Sadly, I could not get through this book though others may enjoy it.

I have come to enjoy books by Viola Shipman and Famous in a Small Town is another winner. It is another story where woman support one another, stand on their own two feet, and determine what they want out of life and go after it. Famous in a Small Town tells the story of Mary Johnson, aka Cherry Mary, and the previous two generations of women. They had to learn to live in a man's world and deal with abuse (physical and emotional) as well as disrespect. Mary holds the record for cherry pit spitting, and the story tells how it changed her life. Enter Becky Thatcher who is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. She likes her job, but doesn't love it. She recently kicked out her live in boyfriends when she realized that he had no intention of marrying her and was pretty much using her. She and her best friend head to Northern Michigan where she used to vacation with her grandparents and show up just as the Cherry Festival is getting underway. Meeting Cherry Mary, changes her outlook on life and maybe is what she has been looking for all along.

I enjoyed this story a lot, but found it a bit slow at times. There are some wonderful characters in the book and I liked how the author shared Mary's past as well as that of her mother and grandmother. Mary was such a strong, independent woman, but I felt bad for her grandson, Ollie, who wanted to take over the store. Mary was adamant that it had to be another female. Becky and her BFF, Q, are wonderful together. Everyone needs a friend who will drop everything to be by your side when your life is imploding. All the characters were well developed and several were the quirky characters that I love in small towns. Living relatively close to where this story was set, I loved some of the familiar aspects of the cherry festival. There is a bit of a romance storyline as well, but that is icing on the cake, it is not the main aspect of the story and I had figured out how it would pan out relatively early in the story. This is a story of female power, love, friendship, finding your place in the world and even has a bit of magical realism (it relates to dreams the women share). I always love my trips to Michigan with Viola Shipman and if it hadn't been slow at times, I would easily have rated this one five stars.

Famous in a Small Town, by Viola Shipman, is filled with loveable characters and set in a small town. What a combination! I love, love, love, cherries, and romance in a small town. Shipman's descriptions and mentions of local areas have led me to believe that I now must visit Northern Michigan. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook to review.

Confession: I don't like cherries...except in a pie. Yes, I am weird that way. However, I loved Famous in a Small Town, which is all about cherries. It's also about friendship between generations and there's some romance too! The setting is a beautiful and cozy town in Northern Michigan, inspired by real locations in that area. It's the perfect idyllic summer escape read! I even cried happy tears.

It's really a sweet story the whole way through. Viola made me want to go to Michigan right away, with all her descriptions that really brought the small town of Charlevoix to life. It reminded me of "You Take Me Home" by LeAnn Rimes. I appreciated Mary for saying what she was thinking and not taking crap from anyone. I was cheering her on quite a few times. I also cheered for Becky when she stood up for herself.

As with any Viola Shipman novel, there's a Hallmark movie quality to it, especially with how everyone talks. The characters get introspective, but they sometimes voice their thoughts out loud. I am used to it by now, but when it comes from a male perspective, it just seems less realistic. (However, if Viola wants to find all these sentimental men - a.k.a. unicorns - and send them in the direction of my single friends, I won't complain.)

Overall, this was another really enjoyable story by Viola. I appreciated that there wasn't as much tragedy in the characters' backstories this time around. It was just a genuine good time to be had by all! I already look forward to her next holiday novel, coming in November, as it sounds like it will be a lot of fun.

Movie casting suggestions:
Mary: Lily Tomlin
Becky: Emily Wickersham
Q: Bridget Regan
Ollie: Jacob Fortune-Lloyd
Taffy: Christian Kane
Virgie: Jane Fonda

If you're looking for a summertime read that is nothing short of charming, I'd recommend Famous in a Small Town. I've enjoyed everything I've read by Viola Shipman, so I expected to enjoy this one as well. Enjoy it, I did, and I've already recommended it several times. The story is wonderfully written, and I found myself pulled in by the wonderful setting and characters. I'm not on Lake Michigan, but Shipman's writing transported me there as I lazed on my porch swing, Kindle in hand. This one is primarily women's fiction that warms the heart, but it does have a small bit of romance that is important to the story. So, if you're still looking for your summer read and you want something that will leave you smiling, Famous in a Small Town is the way to go.

Title: Famous in a Small Town
Author: Viola Shipman
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2 out of 5

For most of her eighty years, Mary Jackson has endured the steady invasion of tourists, influencers and real estate developers who have discovered the lakeside charm of Good Hart, Michigan, waiting patiently for the arrival of a stranger she’s believed since childhood would one day carry on her legacy—the Very Cherry General Store. Like generations of Jackson women before her, Cherry Mary, as she’s known locally, runs the community hub—part post office, bakery and sandwich shop—and had almost given up hope that the mysterious prediction she’d been told as a girl would come true and the store would have to pass to…a man.

Becky Thatcher came to Good Hart with her ride-or-die BFF to forget that she’s just turned forty with nothing to show for it. Ending up at the general store with Mary is admittedly not the beach vacation she expected, but the more the feisty octogenarian talks about destiny, the stronger Becky’s memories of her own childhood holidays become, and the strange visions over the lake she was never sure were real. As she works under Mary’s wing for the summer and finds she fits into this quirky community of locals, she starts to believe that destiny could be real, and that it might have something very special in mind for Becky…

I enjoyed the first half of this novel. The characters are quirky and interesting and the friendship between Becky and her BFF is great. But then, everything changed. I felt like I was reading an outline of a novel, not an actual novel. There were scenes, but they didn’t follow any logical path and there were no transitions to link them to the preceding scene. Supposedly the road trip/vacation is supposed to last for month, but in one scene the two women had just arrived at their destination, and the next scene the vacation was almost over. This was very jarring to me as a reader. I was not a fan of this novel, because it felt like the author didn’t do the work of actually completing and polishing the novel.

Viola Shipman is the pen name of bestselling author Wade Rouse, who chose his grandmother’s name as a pen name to honor her. Famous in a Small Town is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Graydon House in exchange for an honest review.)

I'm late to the party when it comes to Viola Shipman books. I've only read two - so far - but you best believe I'll be working my way through the back list soon. These books are special. In addition to heart-tugging stories, they are also love letters to my native state of Michigan. If you've ever visited Northern Michigan, Shipman's descriptions in this book will tease your memories to the surface: the lure of a crystal clear Great Lake, the mystical light at dawn and dusk, the dance of leaves on mighty trees, and the faint sound of long-ago drums whispering on a gentle breeze. If you have yet to discover the beauty and legends of this area, this book will have you wanting to correct that.

While the background of this book sets the stage for the story, it's the characters who bring it to life. Shipman has infused each of them with relatable fears, hopes, and dreams, bringing them to such vivid life that I'm firmly convinced they're actually living their best lives in Good Hope. I love that all of these characters have some miles on them. They've reached ages where they know they need to make life changes in order to move forward, to escape the (false) comfort of the ruts they've been living in and claim the happiness that's eluded them. I love the mystical element of the story that unites Mary and Becky; the connection between generations of women that supports, teaches, and stretches but never breaks. And I love that even Mary, who is sure she knows how the story will end, can be surprised by the twists coming her way.

This is a book about friendship, family, forgiveness, starting over, finding love, and discovering your destiny. It's filled with quirky characters, unexpected romance, humor, heart, and strong women with the will to claim that destiny. It's also filled with cherries, the lifeblood of this region of Michigan, and the many delicious things you can make with them. Some of my favorite scenes in this book were in the kitchen, with Mary teaching Becky how to bake the many cherry delights sold at the General Store. It took me straight back to my grandmother's kitchen, the recipes she shared as she taught me how to bake, sharing love, and life lessons, along the way.

I loved every perfectly placed word of this story and am already eager to read it again. It touched my heart, made me laugh, made me cry, and left me eager to return to page one and experience it all over again. It also left me aching to visit the quirky, scenic, fruit-filled small towns of Northern Michigan again; to climb the sandy dunes, play in the cool, clear water of Lake Michigan, walk among the fluttering trees, and open my soul to the faint, distant drums of the past.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley. Fair and unbiased review.

Famous in a Small Town is pure Viola Shipman, the characters and the settings, such a joy to read and for me who lives in lower Michigan, added remembrances of many vacations. The story of two friends "breaking out" and having fun is always uplifting. Another great story, thanks for placing it in Michigan! Thanks to @NetGalley@GraydonHouse@FamousinaSmallTown

Two women with four decades separating their ages become dear friends. In this sweet small-town setting, a wonderful story of life, friendship, and even love, is told.

Becky’s life as an assistant principal is uneventful and uninspiring. When her ten-year relationship with her boyfriend ends due to disappointment, she decides to go on a girls trip with her best friend Q. They travel to Michigan and Becky’s life changes in unexpected ways. When she meets Mary, a woman, 40 years, her senior, she learns that Mary has held a 65 year record for cherry pit spitting. Admittedly, I did Google this because I did not realize that cherry pit spitting was a “thing”.

Becky and Q love their visit to this small town in Michigan and Becky find herself drawn to Mary for more than one reason. Mary is not the only one that Becky gets close to in this touching story. I love how this story centered around cherries, but also how this drew the strong bonds of friendship and love even tighter. I loved the way this story left me feeling, as is always the case with books by the talented Viola Shipman.

Many thanks to Graydon House and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I loved everything about “Famous in a Small Town” by Author Viola Shipman. I feel like packing my bags and visiting “Cherry Picking” Hart, Michigan, for a nostalgic visit. Viola Shipman vividly describes the small town; I can see, smell, touch, hear, and feel everything there. The author writes a fantastic novel about the importance of friendship, sisterhood, family, and self-worth. In my mind, I hear the song “Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better,” where a little girl points to a little boy. Don’t you think women can do anything they put their minds to just as well or better than men?

In 1958, Fifteen-year-old Mary Jackson, one of the female protagonists in the story, breaks all records and becomes the first female champion to win the ‘Cherry Pit Spitting Contest”. Mary proves courageous and runs the town’s general store as time passes. An eighty-year-old Mary has a vision that she believes in, that a woman is meant to carry on after her.

Forty-year-old Becky Thatcher and her best friend come to Michigan after major disappointments. Becky is looking to find herself. Somehow Becky and Mary meet, and the two believe this was meant to be. At the same time, Mary’s grandson comes to visit, looking to find himself.

Viola Shipman has written a heartfelt, emotional, witty, and thought-provoking novel that I highly recommend. Happy Reading!

FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN by Viola Shipman is a wonderful women’s fiction story with romantic elements that is full of Michigan summertime vacation nostalgia, generational family drama, the bonds of friendship, and the discovery and belief in the power of women all delivered with a cherry on top. This is the perfect summertime read, especially if you are a fan of all things tart cherry.

Mary Jackson became “Cherry Mary” as a girl of fifteen when she won the cherry pit spitting distance contest in her small hometown of Good Hart, not only beating all the men, but also obtaining the Guinness World Record. Sixty-five years later, she is now eighty years old, still undefeated and runs her family’s Very Cherry General Store and waits for the girl she was told in her visions would come to carry on.

Becky Thatcher has turned forty and feels stuck in a monotonous life, with nothing to show for it. She and her best friend, “Q” take off for a vacation in Good Hart to relive the fun childhood holidays she remembers with her grandparents. When Becky spits a cherry pit, Mary witnesses the record breaker and believes Becky is the girl she has been waiting for. While not the vacation she was expecting, Becky works under Mary’s wing and soon discovers peace and beauty in the small town and the belief that Mary may be right, and this is where she is meant to be.

Enchanting, emotional, and memorable characters and landscapes are all present in this story. It is summertime memories, trips with grandparents, small town nostalgia all intertwined with everything tart cherry. The strength and power of women is a recurring theme throughout. The sweet romance is a relatively small subplot in this story, but it is relevant to both main characters. I feel this is the perfect summertime read and I loved it.

I highly recommend this very cherry women’s fiction!

No one writes with a stronger sense of place for his beloved Michigan than Viola Shipman, one of my favorite authors. His devotion to the state sparkles like the waters of Lake Michigan in Famous in a Small Town. The fictional story centers around the real Very Cherry General Store in the town of Good Hart. Just the name of the store makes me feel good and crave one of the decadent cherry deserts described in the book.

Mary Jackson, also known as Cherry Mary, runs the store as have generations of women in her family. Becky Thatcher, an elementary school Assistant Principal from St Louis, arrives in Good Hart with her best friend for a vacation. It seems as if Mary and Becky were destined to meet, and a beautiful story of friendship, legacy, and love follows. I hope you fall in love with the characters, locale, and memorable tale in this small town, just as much as I did. You are certain to find a new favorite cherry treat somewhere within the pages. I don't often say this, but I think this book should be made into a movie!

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for an advance reader's copy. My review is my own.

Famous in a Small Town is another Viola Shipman awe inspiring story where empowered women learn that self-discovery can happen at any age. It tells the story of generations in one family which is made up of mostly women and how they cope with the men in their lives who want to disrespect them. It follows another young woman’s journey on her own road to finding out where she belongs and shows the intersection of these people and the joy, they all bring to each other when they find themselves and each other.

Mary Johnson is now 80 years old. She owns the Very Cherry General Store in a small town in Michigan which does much more than sell cherries. She is quite famous in her own right for winning the cherry spitting contest years ago, a feat no one has yet to break. The store has been run by the women in her family for years and she is the only woman left as she had a son and now has a grown grandson. Mary worries what will happen to the store and her legacy.

Mary’s life was not easy. She had an abusive, alcoholic husband who she feared. She had two best friends, one who let her down years ago and she no longer speaks to. But Mary has a good heart and years ago had a vision that someone would come along and take care of the store to keep the legacy going. And at Mary’s age she feels perhaps this really is the end of the line.

But Mary has not yet met school administrator, Becky Thatcher, yes that is her name, who at the beginning of the summer broke up with her long-time boyfriend who really never treated her as an equal and usually lived off Becky’s money, who seems to have decided he likes this arrangement and doesn’t want to get married. Her parents seem to like him more than her and insists he stay part of the family.

She also has realized she perhaps chose the wrong profession. Her parents, who have never, ever thought outside the box always told her women worked as a teacher, got married and had children. Well, Becky realizes that shipped has sailed and decides she needs to come up with a new plan. Of course, her parents are horrified. She wishes she could be more like her grandparents who lived for adventures and lived life to the fullest! So, Becky and her best friend Q decide to go on a road trip to be with just each other, no men, no family and everything spontaneous.

But when Becky accidentally meets Mary, some kind of magic happens to each of them. They seem like old souls who were always meant to know each other. Becky not only is drawn to the town and the store, but she seems to have the same knack as Mary for spitting those cherry pits pretty far.

With the help of Mary’s grandson who has come for a visit, they all work together to not only help Mary at the store but prepare for a very special anniversary faire for the annual cherry pit spitters. As they all begin to understand each other and help each other find out what they are really missing in life, the bond they all have grows stronger and Becky realizes THIS is the life she has always wanted. But can this woman who has never done anything uncalculated in her life just up and move and work harder than she ever has for herself and nobody else?

She feels this is where she belongs, but just doesn’t know why just yet. But with the help of these strangers, now family she discovers the vision of who she wants to be lies in this small town in this store and with these people.

Famous in a Small Town is a delightful story with lovable characters, beautifully strong women inside and out with their grace and stubbornness which only makes them able to endure all that is thrown their way.

Thank you #NetGalley #GraydonHouse #FamousinaSmallTown #ViolaShipman for the advanced copy.

Viola Shipman never disappoints in her books and this one was no exception. A small town, a cherry spitting contest, family and friend relationships, a little bit of drama, and overall an engaging story.

Viola Shipman's books always make me want to spend the summer in Northern Michigan and Famous in a Small Town is no exception!

Mary has run the Very Cherry General Store like her mother and grandmother before her and has been waiting for the arrival of a stranger who would carry on her legacy. Becky has arrived for the summer with her BFF to escape. She just turned 40 and her boyfriend let her down and she's tired of playing it safe. She's quickly becomes friends with Mary and finds this community a breath of fresh air compared to her life as a principal back in St. Louis.

This is a small town book with such fun characters -- I liked seeing Becky's growth and Q was such a great BFF. It's all about friendship and family and sometimes needing to create your own in a beautiful setting. I want to spend a week along Lake Michigan now!

Thanks to HTP and Graydon House for my copy of Famous in a Small Town. It came out June 13th!

How can you not love a Viola Shipman book??? Another heartwarming, cozy and fun read by the amazing Wade Rouse who writes books in honor and memory of his beloved grandmother. His books give you all the feels of past memories and family!!! Highly, highly recommend!!!

Viola Shipman does it again with a fabulous story of friendships, strong women and ultimately finding your way home.

Cherry Mary is famous in her small town for being the best Cherry Pit Spittin’ Champion of Good Hart, Michigan. But, when Becky Thatcher from St. Louis shows up and threatens this champion’s record, Cherry Mary knows she is the woman she has seen in her dreams.

The characters are definitely people I know! I grew up down the road from an old store so I could just picture Cherry Mary and her old cash register. Cherry Mary is such a fantastic personality. I bet everyone who reads this novel knows someone in their life that IS Cherry Mary.

Viola Shipman has become one of my go to authors. I just love his stories. They always take me away! And this tale is wonderful.! I love all the St. Louis references….I mean…Ted Drewes! I love that place…and of course, Cardinals baseball! And he threw in a lot about Michigan. I felt like I was right there in this novel!

Need a good, small town, nostalgic tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.