Viola Shipman brings us back to Michigan, and this time it is a place of magic and mystery. Sure there are cozy small towns, cherries, beautiful lakeside vistas, and strong family ties. But there are also visions, and dreams, and dare I say a hint of desperation and violence. It was unexpected but thoroughly enjoyable! A strange mash-up of a story that drew me in and kept me up reading. Sit back and enjoy the ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

Master storyteller Viola Shipman returns following A Wish for Winter and The Edge of Summer with his latest summer charmer, FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN —a delightful and enchanting tale as we return to the simplicity of small-town life. Embrace the magic that lives within you. Learn the true meaning of family—the one you are born with and the one you choose.

Rich in history, character, time, and place, FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN is a beach bag essential to kick off the summer season!

In this quaint small town of Good Hart, Michigan, you will find nostalgia, loads of wisdom and wit, magic, family, intergenerational friendships, self-discovery, memories, heartwarming conversations, the historical and friendly Very Cherry General Store, roadside stands, colorful Adirondack chairs, Lake Michigan, farmhouses, scenic highways, breathtaking evergreens known as the Tunnel of Trees, great food, recipes, endearing characters, an escape—a place where everything is coming up CHERRIES! 🍒

Meet Mary Jackson, 80 yrs old, waiting for someone special to walk through her Very Cherry General Store door. She will know this magical person as soon as she meets them.

The General store is a lively hub of the town and the community. A post office, bakery, ice cream, a sandwich shop—it has it all, full of memories and great times. From locals to tourists, Mary is ready to pass on her legacy to the next generation.

Becky Thatcher, age 40, is on a road trip with her BFF. Life has not worked out for her the way she planned.

She ends up at the general store with Mary. Could she live in this quirky community? Is Becky the one to continue Mary's legacy in this magical town?

DAZZLING! No one can spin a small, town-endearing, alluring story like Viola Shipman. Fans anxiously await the summer sizzlers and the winter holidays for an extraordinary journey, and memorable vacations, where you never have to leave your chair. What better way to spend your time than with a Viola Shipman story?

Whenever you open a Viola Shipman book, you are magically transported—a heartwarming journey—your stresses fade. Viola has a rare gift of reaching into the heart and soul, bringing to the surface feelings, wants, desires, love, and memories that warm the heart.

Viola reminds you of simple things, days passed, the special people in your life, childhood memories, grandparents—learning to appreciate the beauty around you, big dreams, all things summer — new adventures await, belief in yourself, and most importantly, believe the legend you were meant to be AND "you cannot wonder if you do not wander"! Wade/Viola's smile will light up a room. His grandmothers would be proud.

A stunning package perfect for book clubs. As always appreciate the Author's note, recipe, readers guide, and a personal message from the President of Cherry Republic.

I adored FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN and hope it brings you as much joy as it did for me. From history, recipes, lore, and storytelling—it is always better with a cherry on top! The perfect beach read.

For fans of Mary Ellen Taylor, Heather Webber, Joanne DeMaio, Robyn Carr, and Sherryl Woods.

I cannot wait for November for The Wishing Bridge, a holiday gift set in the magical Michigan Bavarian Christmas town of Frankenmuth!
Thanks to #GraydonHouse for a gifted ARC via #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 13, 2023
June 2023 Must-Read Books

Famous in a Small Town is another picture perfect offering from Viola Shipman. A multigenerational story, this brings together the stories of Cherry Mary Jackson, an octogenarian from Good Hart, Michigan, and 40 year old Becky Thatcher, originally of Hannibal, Missouri before her family relocated in St. Louis.
Becky is an educator and administrator in a private school. She has been living with her college boyfriend Matt in the house she bought and pays for more than a decade. When he surprises her in the school yard on her 40th birthday, Becky is expecting a grand gesture followed by an engagement. Finally the years will have paid off, even if she is no longer sure she wants them to. When what he presents is a scheme whereby he wants her to offer up 5% of her yearly income for the remainder of her career so someday down the line they might get a small vacation cabin, Becky reaches her limits. When Matt is asked about marriage, children, and such he answers he is quite content and wants to go on as they are. Becky sends him packing!
Mary Jackson has always lived other than expected. She is from a line of strong women who married worthless men, were widowed early, and kept the Very Cherry General Store ticking along. As a young woman of 15, Mary did something no girl was supposed to do. She entered the cherry pit spitting contest as part of the yearly cherry festival and set a Guinness record that has yet to be broken. She is a legend in these parts!
Becky’s best friend Monique, or Q, is determined Becky will get the birthday celebration she deserves and puts together a girls’ roadtrip to Good Hart, where Becky has such fond memories with her dearly departed grandparents. And from there, Viola Shipman weaves a story like no other.
I very much enjoyed this novel and do recommend it!

Becky Thatcher is a school administrator who just turned 40 and who just threw her boyfriend of a few decades out.

It is summer vacation, and Becky and her friend decide to head to Michigan for a girl's vacation.

When they arrive, they meet the owner of the Very Cherry General Store in Good Hart, Michigan, and the connection between them is amazing. This is a real store.

Mary has been waiting for someone to take over the store.

Is it Becky she has been waiting for?

Is this what Becky has been waiting for and needs?

FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN makes you want to immediately go to Michigan, even though it took almost until 50% for me to get connected to the storyline.

It is definitely worth the wait, though.

You will love the sentiments throughout the book, and you will find Wade's signature warmth oozing through every word, page, and character.

ENJOY!! 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my copy of Famous in a Small Town by Viola Shipman in exchange for an honest review. It published June 13, 2023.
This was not my first book by this author, and it also wasn’t my favorite, unfortunately. The writing style of previous books have been so good and wonderful, the plot of this book felt flimsy, and the writing felt rushed. I almost felt like I was reading a novella with minimal details and time passing quickly with no explanation.
I found the whole “girls can do anything, even spit cherry pits” to be kind of ridiculous. I get the sentiment, but it was very dramatic about blowing a cherry pit.
I also felt like I started reading a book paid for by a tourism of Michigan company. Previous books I’ve read by this author have made me want to go to Michigan, this one was way overdoing it.
Good things about this book were the character development and all the cherry recipe ideas.

If I combine Mayberry RFD with Waltons Mountain and maybe throw in a few Golden Girls, I picture the town and people of Good Hart Michigan, the town at the center of this story. Another sweet read by Viola Shipman (aka Wade Rouse). The love of Michigan, charming small town traditions, family and friendship comes shining thru in this latest book. Very relatable characters all trying to find, reinvent themselves at a later age after being disillusioned with their current situations. Enjoyed the mysticism touch.

At times, this can feel like a mini geography/history lesson, but it adds to the storyline and the author’s love for the subject. I definitely have a visit to Michigan on my bucket list.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

This was another good book by this author. The story is so descriptive with great characters. Every book by this author that’s set in Michigan makes me want to go there even more. Definitely recommend
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

All Michigan Tourism Boards Should Hire "Ms. Shipman". Seriously, this book in particular is basically one giant love letter to rural Michigan, in prose form for around 350 pages. The history - for better and worse. The current - for better and worse. The land. The culture. The lakes you can never get far from.

And the cherries. Always the cherries.

Oh yes, there are humans here too. And some mysticism/ "magical realism". And their story is both linked and compelling, as they always are in a Viola Shipman book.

But really, you're reading this book to feel like you're travelling to Michigan - and that is not a bad thing at all. It really is described so beautifully that even this hardened Southerner who has been north of the Mason-Dixon just three times in his lifetime... want to consider going to Michigan at some point. Maybe.

Very much recommended.

What a great story. I couldn’t love Mary, Becky and Q more. Mary was a woman ahead of her time thanks to her mother and grandmother. I have never had the pleasure of visiting Michigan, but I’m ready to go. Friendships are so important and these ladies were lucky enough to have some good ones. Not everyone is blessed to find their true calling and to know exactly where they should be. If you do, you are so fortunate. I loved this story line and the characters. I would love to make a return trip just to catch up with my new friends. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

Viola Shipman’s Famous in a Small Town is delightful and very surprising. I was honestly not expecting how… magical it would be. The storyline relies on a dual point of view and takes you through various generations of women, both their struggles and their successes. This book is an excellent summer read that will make you wish you could spend the summer in an idyllic lake setting, rediscovering yourself.

Special thanks to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Grayson House for providing an advanced reviewer copy to me in exchange for my honest review and opinion!

I always look forward to Viola Shipman’s new books. This book is all about being in Michigan which makes me want to visit. A heartwarming and inspiring story as all of his books are. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release. To be published June 2023.

The latest novel from Viola Shipman (aka Wade Rouse) is once again a paean to the beauty and culture of Michigan. It is also an exploration (with a feminist bent) of how we all need to make sure we are pursuing the lives we want, rather than those others tell us we should want. In the center of the story are two women--one 80, one 40--who are not related but who will find each other almost accidentally (although they would say it had been foretold), for the benefit of both.

"Cherry Mary" is renowned in her small town for being the first woman to enter, then win, the annual Cherry Pit Spittin' Competition, setting a record that has never been equaled. Mary has now lived her whole life in the same area and is the owner and proprietor of the Very Cherry General Store. On the 65th anniversary of the win that has made her a town icon, Mary has been encouraged to participate in the Cherry Festival once more. In town for a girls' trip, Becky and her best friend, Q, had planned to spend most of their time at the beach. Both are from St. Louis--Becky as a grade school assistant principal and Q as leader of a theatrical company. Becky has just broken up with her long-term, clueless boyfriend and taken a leave from her school, trying to figure out what's next in her life. Her parents have always encouraged her to take the path of least resistance, rather than to adopt a more interesting (and less safe) path as her grandparents had done. When Mary sees Becky casually spit a cherry pit even farther than Mary had, she wonders whether this is the person who can carry on with her store and her community when she retires.

I found the story interesting, although I would have preferred less repetitive ruminating and philosophizing on the part of both women. It was late in the book when things really started to happen, and I became enamored of the two protagonists, as well as the supporting characters of Q, Mary's grandson Oliver, local builder Taffy (a man), and Mary's childhood friends Francine and Virgie. I also like the theme: take time to let life take you where it goes. My favorites by this author are The Heirloom Garden and The Summer Cottage.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

There was just something about Famous In A Small Town that caught my eye immediately. I do love a good contemporary with a small town setting and older main character, and especially Mary's character spoke to me when I read the blurb. I've been looking forward to visit Good Hart and getting to know the main characters... So I was a bit surprised when I ended up with mixed thoughts instead. Don't get me wrong: it isn't a bad read at all, and it might simply not have been a right fit for me. Either way, I couldn't look past the fact that I did have some issues with this story personally.

First of all I have to say that I did love the setting, and the thorough and vivid descriptions really made Good Hart and its lake come alive for me. I wish I could visit Michigan myself, and it definitely made me crave cherries! I can't wait for our own cherry tree to grow so we can pick our cherries and bake all kinds of goodies just like the main character Mary. The setting was without doubt the star of the show for me, and it was probably the main reason I kept reading (along with the community spirit and small town vibe in general).

As for the characters... I did like them for the most part. Especially Mary has such a colorful past and so much personality, and I can appreciate how she fights for herself, her family and her legacy. Becky had an interesting character development, and I liked how she finally starts standing up for herself and her dreams. That said, both characters also had traits that highly irritated me. The whole 'women are powerful' and putting men in a negative spotlight just started to become too repetitive and simply too much; I don't mind a feminist angle in my stories, but is it really necessary to repeat the same opinions over and over and over? It just all started to sound too much like preaching, and not in a good way.

I wasn't a fan of the religious angle in Becky's parents at all, nor how she let both her ex and her parents walk all over her and her dreams. Instead of appreciating Becky's character growth, it only made me think less of her character instead. I actually liked the most of secondary characters more than Becky (Q, Taffy, Francine and Ollie), and I was glad that they played quite a big role in the plot. I wasn't sure what to make of the writing itself though. The tone just didn't seem consistent; at times preachy, at time almost fanciful, and this distracted from the plot. The pace was also considerably slow especially in the middle.

All in all there were things that did and didn't work in Famous In A Small Town. I loved the small town setting of Good Hart and the community vibe, but there were other elements that didn't work as well for me. That said, this story might just not have been a right fit for me... So don't give up on my account if you think this story your cup of tea.

In true Viola Shipman style, she creates a story and so many wonderful characters that I just can’t put her books down and wish they would never end! A beautiful story abut a small town in Michigan and intergenerational friends, family and community working together.

Quirky characters, quirky town, quirky plot. But I loved it. Sometimes we need a small-town, clean-cut story to remind us of what’s important in life. The down to earth characters in this book illustrate how critical it is to figure out the essentials and let most of the rest of it drop away.

Another meaningful story from Viola Shipman -- and I just so love the Michigan settings and history!

Who knew cherry pit spitting could be so enjoyable and entertaining - I really enjoyed the characters in this story, it was a great storyline that kept me thinking. Love the Michigan setting, esp the Cherry Republic store.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review. Pick this on up!

Destiny is always there, it is ours for the taking. A cast of characters in this charming story in Good Hart has you believing you are there. The cherries, woods, Lake Michigan and choices. Be the person you were meant to be!
Viola Shipman has done it again!

This delightful book is a great read! Following the lives of two generations with Mary and Becky is interesting and fun. The small town descriptions and the cherry icon are spot on. Wonderful book!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how it talked about two different characters from two different pasts. It was so heartwarming and funny. I had tears in my eyes. I am grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review

Famous in a Small Town
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I was so excited to receive Famous in a Small Town from Netgallery. I've loved all of Viola Shipman/Wade books. He is one of my favorite Authors!!
Each of his books reaches in & touches your soul and heart. This was so true for this one also. I loved it!! I loved the characters. I loved the History of Cherries in Michigan. So cool to include all the towns, places, & events in the book. I can't wait to visit Michigan. This book was Fantastic!
It was Heart Gripping, Charming, & Totally Inspiring!!
Thank you Netgallery for the opportunity to enjoy & read this great book!!
Publish date 6/12/2023
Be sure to get your copy!!