Not sure why I waited so long to read this, but it was delightful! I liked the alternating POV and the layers of intrigue and mystery that were woven throughout the story. I definitely didn't see the twist coming at the end! This was fun and the story was beautiful and was a nice reprieve from some of the other books I normally read.

I loved this book so much. It's different than my normal reads and mushier than I prefer but it filled a hole I didn't know was empty inside me. A cushy read that leaves the reader feeling better than when they started.

It took me a while to get to this audio and I don't know wny I waited so long. I love Heather WEbber and this did not disappoint.

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities is a true feel good story. The narration was really well done and it was a terrific listen on my morning walks. I'm not usually one for magical realism but it worked here and now I think I may have to read a few more. This was a slow burn and everything turned out peachy keen which is also not really my style for reading, but this was just the tonic I needed right now. It's a cute book and I'm definitely going to read/listen to more Heather Webber!!.

Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, for the advanced copy. I should have listened to it sooner!

4.5 Stars: Ava Dowling is grieving the death of her fiancé as well as feeling guilty for some reason. When she receives a mysterious letter to apply for a job as a caregiver in a small beachfront town in Alabama, she decides to take the risk and apply. She has never been a caregiver, but she is sure that the letter somehow came from her fiancé. When she arrives she meets Maggie, the proprietor of the local coffee shop who is worried about her elderly father, Dez. She had considered trying to find him a caregiver, but changed her mind when he got upset and threw away the advertisement that she had put in the coffee shop window. When Ava shows her the copy of the ad, she is shocked, but takes her to meet her dad. Surprisingly, he agrees to hire Ava part time and wants Maggie to hire her part time as well. Maggie is a single mother, who runs the coffee shop that her mother started. Her mother disappeared while swimming one day, and she and her father have still not come to terms with her death. As Maggie and Ave work together, they become friends and kindred spirits helping each other deal with grief and other unresolved feelings.

I love Heather Webber's books. Her settings always make me want to pack up and move to whatever small town they are set in. The characters are all ones I want to meet, even the quirky, eccentric ones. Estrella is an older woman who has the reputation of being cranky and having some special powers. I loved her character, she was like the mother figure to both Ava and Maggie and helped them to figure things out about their lives. Everyone knows everyone's business, so I'm not sure why it took Maggie so long to figure out what her father's secret was. I liked Ava and all her insecurities and issues. She has epilepsy, which is controlled, but due to tonic-clonic seizures when she was young her senses of hearing and smell are heightened and she can smell and hear things no one else can hear, like Norman the mute dachshund's bark. There is some romance with Donovan who has loved Maggie since they were teenagers, and Sam the new arrival who seems to like Ava. I'm not saying what it was, but the surprise at the end of the book was perfect. This is a lovely story with well-developed characters, found family, friendship, community, love, and new beginnings. If you enjoy books dealing with women's issues, friendship and community with a bit of magical realism sprinkled in, then I recommend At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities. The audiobooks was wonderfully narrated by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis. They do a wonderful job with the story, giving voice to the characters and a smooth delivery that made it a pleasure to listen to.

“But Magpie, I want to. I didn’t offer it straight off the bat because I had been waiting for you to see what everyone else has known for a long time now. The coffee shop isn’t the heart of this town. You are.”

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities was one of those cozy fiction there to help warm your heart. It is such a feel-good story. The magical realism that was integrated into the story was so much fun. I really liked the dual point of view from Maggie and Ava. It gave a different perspective on the story; unfortunately, much of the story was very slow-paced. There weren't any main events or problems in the story, which led to lots of repetition and was monotonous at times; the ending was a bit too perfect and wasn't as believable.

Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

Another beautifully written story. This story really pulls you into the setting and shows you that it's not always about what you want, but what you need. Things have a correct time to come into your life.... "Good things come to those who wait". Written with a lovely touch of magic, this story will enchant you.

As a person who likes to go into books blind I feel like I maybe should have fully read the description and a few reviews before starting this one. I knew it had some magical realism, but was expecting more coming of age and less miscommunication/secret tropes. While I did enjoy the romance elements I feel like the book was stretched in too many directions.
I did love the small-town, quirky characters but even at that there were some frustration communication issues and different plot issues for me.
In the end I did enjoy the read overall I just felt like I could have loved it more with a few adjustments or maybe even a different mindset going in.

I requested this book, expecting a mystical and ghostly read, one with magical realism and curiosities. The title and description drew me in. However, this book was actually about grief and romance. It was about putting emotional pieces back together after hurt, loss, and pain. It was the journey of two women healing.

I think readers who gravitate towards what I call, cozy women's fiction, will enjoy this book much more than I did. Think Hallmark movie. I, however, needed more complex characterization and emotional conflict. I wanted more magic.

The audiobook performance involved two narrators acting the two women's perspectives. Both narrators delivered a solid performance.

I received an audiobook copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I originally requested this novel via NetGalley, but because of a scheduling snafu, I didn’t snag a copy before NetGalley archived the book. But not to be detoured, I joined the line at my library to wait for a copy. I waited. And waited. And waited.

Eventually it was my turn, and I’m happy to report the story was worth the wait. Something I hadn’t expected from the audiobook was each point of view character (Ava and Maggie) had their own narrator. While many audiobook narrators deliver a wonderful array of character voices, I really liked how these two different narrators each portrayed their character’s voice.

Speaking of characters, I adored the cast of At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities. Webber peopled her small town with a troupe of memorable and lively personalities. She even included three notable animal characters. The sense of community and belonging hit me hard in all the feels. It was exactly what I’d hoped to create in my portrayal of Brookfield, the town Matthew Sugiyama fell in love with in Oil and Dust.

While not cozy (I found the exploration of grief and loss in At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities difficult), this book was enchanting, funny, and heartwarming. This was my first Heather Webber novel, but upon finishing the audiobook, I immediately ordered a copy for my personal library. Based on the strength of this book, I also ordered a copy of Webber’s Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe too!

If you love stories of belonging, quirky small towns, and uplifting tales sprinkled with a dash of magic, check out At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities.

Heather Webber has a way of weaving the magical and the everyday together, so that you find yourself wondering if you are just imagining the magical aspects, but secretly hoping that some of that magic truly does exist in the real world. This book brings all of that and gives hope that even the ordinary things can be extraordinary to the right person at the right time. Sometimes, you just need to find the right time and place.

The narrator of this audiobook was wonderful - she narrates at a good speed, and uses just the right amount of inflection.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley; all opinions are my own.

This was a fun read! It’s one I normally would not have picked up, but thanks to #NetGalley I received an advance audio in exchange for my review! It has likable characters along with a magical storyline. It would be a great, feel-good book to lift your spirits or for a light beach read.

Small town vibes with a magical twist. If you loved the Gilmore Girls this has a similar feel. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a feel good book. One of my favorite reads of 2023.

Overall, At The Coffee Shop of Curiosities was a fascinating read and I enjoyed the touch of magical realism with romance and the small town feel.

This was a heartwarming story that I read at just the right time, and loved that it also featured one of my favorite tropes of found family.

*many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy.

Typically I truly enjoy Heather Webber's novels but this is the first time I felt that the story fell short. I couldn't connect to any of the characters and there were times in the audiobook that I wasn't even sure which character was "speaking." I also had hoped for a little more of the ghosts and magic - less of the everything else.

I needed a break from some heavy and dark recent reads and this book was exactly what I was looking for. Small town, friendships, love, grief, and magical realism all set up a story that provided a sweet, heartwarming read. The reader had the perfect tone to compliment this story.

I found myself very bored by this story. My expectations may have been too high and I hate to say this book wasn't what I wanted it to be, because that's just me projecting my interests on to a book that was not necessarily written for me, but that's exactly how I was left feeling. The jacket copy lead me to believe this would be more quirky small town with a touch of magic but it never quite delivered on that in an interesting way. This is a much quieter story than I usually enjoy and it took a long time to get going. I found myself speeding up the narration to get to the meat of the story only to find there wasn't actually much meat. Again, not a bad book but not for me.

The narration was well done.

A story of grief, love, loss, friendship and found family centered around a small town coffee shop, At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities is a heartwarming multiple POV book filled magical realism and a hint of Hallmark.

I will admit that I was slow to get into the allure of this one due to the initial pacing; however, as we got more into the core story of the town and both of our main characters being there, I found myself more drawn into where their paths would lead. I actually really liked where Ava and Maggie's stories brought us and the characters that surround them. I especially liked Estrelle. Now that the world has been set up, I think it would be really interesting to learn more about this small town and those who live in it.

I also think that the narration was really well done.

I listened to the audio version of this book, narrated by Hallie Ricardo.

This was a sweet story centered around a coffee shop in a small coastal town. It brings together friends, family, loss -- secrets are exposed -- and some magic is sprinkled in as well. The book alternates between Ava and Maggie’s point of view and I never had an issue following who was speaking. Each main character (and some of the side characters!) have certain events from their past they must overcome in order to move on and live a happy life.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for accepting my request to audibly read and review At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities.

Narrators: Hallie Ricardo; Stephanie Willis

Just okay. Nothing special about the story.

The title hinted at something unique and another simple cozy mystery was written. I found the story long and tropes repetitive.

The narration was okay.

I listened to the audio version of this book, narrated by Hallie Ricardo.

This was a sweet story. A wonderful small coastal town with friends, family, love, loss, secrets, and maybe some magic. It alternated between Ava and Maggie’s point of view. Both have had their issues and had to come to terms with their pasts to appreciate their present. This is a book I look forward to listening to again

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.