I loved this book. The characters were interesting and the story flowed well. I liked the dual POVs of Maggie and Ava, and the character growth throughout the book. The magical realism was very strong in this book, so if you don't like it smacking you in the face at times, you might skip this one, but I really thought it worked for this story. This was a really nice feel good listen. The narrator also did a great job! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

When Ava finds herself driving to the faraway beach town of Driftwood, Alabama, she has no idea why she is going, other than she has a feeling that she must. Following the death of her boyfriend, Ava receives a letter asking her to apply for an "in-home caretaker" for an elderly man in Driftwood. As Ava arrives to the quaint town, she realizes that the Coffee shop is more than just a storefront, but is in fact the center of this small town. Next thing she knows she is employed not only by the elderly man, but also to coffee shop. As she meets and builds friendships with the town of driftwood, Ava is forced to confront some of her own past traumas, and begins to find she is more alike those in Driftwood, than she had initially thought.

I found this to be an overall, feel-good novel with a hint of "whimsy". Being that the setting is a small southern beach town, the characters are very fitting, however, being from the harsh north I had moments where I could not fathom basic strangers being so kind and supportive to one another. And the discussions that were supposed to be dramatic, seemed very :low-key" to me. There are some supernatural elements to this story, but they are not over the top, but instead regular occurrences that the town people have read-into, and declare "supernatural".

I listened to this audiobook, and I found that the narrators were enjoyable and clear; however, one of the narrators has a very slight lisp, that sometimes caught me off-guard. Otherwise the production of the audio quality was good, and the story was overall enjoyable.

Omg, did this book give me all the feels. I loved it SO much. Magical, charming, cozy, imbued with such tenderness…’At The Coffee Shop of Curiosities’ by Heather Webber is the biggest, most comforting hug in book form. I swear I experienced the whole spectrum of human emotion while reading TCSOC. It’s just an absolutely perfect story with the prettiest settings and brilliant, lifelike, utterly lovable characters. Also a whole town of found family (one of my favorite tropes). And the way the dual POV was performed in the audio by the narrators? Don’t even get me started about their talent! They absolutely embodied the story and their characters. Flawless. 1000/10 would recommend.

The MC Ava has led a sheltered life due to health issues when she was a young child. She's been taught to look at life as a dangerous thing willed with the potential for illness and harm. So, when she received a letter regarding a job posting far away from home, she doesn't know what to think.

But she's also been through a recent traumatic event, and she needs a change of scenery to try to recover from it. So, she decides to take a chance and heads to the small town of Driftwood, Alabama, where she meets a cast of fun and quirky characters and learns that there's more than meets the eye.

With a newfound sense of "home," she discovers herself again thanks to her "found family" there and begins to hope and dream for the future in a way she's never had the chance to do before.

Overall, I found this to be a delightfully charming story and loved the cast of characters almost as much as I loved the widsom and insight they shared.

This is one of my favorite books this year!

Thank you to Heather Webber, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

When a mysterious letter leads Ava to a small coast town in Alabama, it's scary, but also a chance at trying a new life on for size. It's hard to leave the old one behind, though, when your health always seems to be a reminder of it. Maggie is happy to accept Ava into the fold, but has her own mysteries she's working through and stresses to handle. As the town meddles in every9one's business, gossip is spread, truth is revealed, and love abounds.

Ava and Maggie were great main characters to follow and get to know. The character development in this was great, but the writing was a bit on the nose, meaning a bit corny, for me. All of the health stuff gave this story a sense of urgency that was necessitated, IMO. It was a cute read, with real emotions, cute kids, and maybe even cuter pets (a dog that quack-barks, a persnickety cat, and an escape-artist bird). I liked the two different character viewpoints and was happy to go back and forth as the stories intertwined. I'll read Webber again. 3.5 rounded up to a 4.

The cover of this book caught my eye, the title intrigued me, but the author’s name sold me on wanting to read it. Ms. Webber is one of two authors whose magical realism books I enjoy, and this book was no exception. The audiobook was done well, with the narrator providing different voices for each of the primary characters, each voice appropriate for the character.

Ava needs to get away from Cincinnati, even if only for a brief time. Maggie needs more assistance in her coffee shop and her personal life than she realizes. When they meet, each realizes the other could be the answer to her prayers – and that the two women are kindred spirts, both trying to move past lingering regret.

As expected, this book is well written and the characters pull you into the story almost from the very first page. I liked Ava and Maggie, but also the other primary characters, especially Estrelle. And who wouldn’t love Norman, the long-haired dachshund? Together, they made up the stereotypical small southern town, but not in a stereotypical way. It was obvious that they cared about each other, and most did what they could to support the others when things went awry. And yes, the monarch butterfly on the bookcover is significant to the story.

I was pretty sure I knew what was going on with Maggie’s father, and had a clue about Sam’s backstory, and I was right on both counts. The revelation at the end of the book regarding another matter, though, was a complete surprise, as was Estrelle’s proposition to Ava. I would love to read more about these characters and their stories, but I don’t see any indication that this is the first book of a series, so I will simply have to look for more of Ms. Webber’s books instead.

4⭐️

I had the audiobook narrated by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis they are both very good.

Ava gets a unique job advert come to her attention, the post is live in care taker for a peculiar old man and a cranky cat. In Driftwood Alabama. Ava feels the need for a new start following the death of her ex boyfriend six months earlier. She is lonely and has been socially isolated for a long time.
At the beach town Ava meets Maggie Mae where they discover that they are kindred spirits.

It’s an endearing easy gentle listen. It’s more women’s fiction, with an infusion of romance and a hint of magical realism and paranormal. It’s a light feel good, everyone is lovely, the tone is light, it just reached a spot that I didn’t realise needed reaching. It would normally be a bit overly ‘sweet’ for my taste. There’s something about the ending that left me with a question.

It would make a decent beach read.

So happy to have spent a week with this book. I as completely caught up in the story, the community, and the lives of these characters. The narration was great and brought these 2 women, Ava and Maggie to life for me.

If you are experiencing grief this may the balm to your soul. I’ve listened to it twice and found so many hidden gems along the way, curiosities you could say. I hope I never forget how I felt when I read this book.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this one.

Maggie is the heart and soul of Magpie's Coffee and Curiosity Shop. The shop had belonged to her mother, who was caught in a riptide, disappeared years ago, and is presumed dead by everyone but Maggie. Although her father has been talking about selling the shop lately, Maggie is determined to hold on to Magpie's, which she still considers her mother's shop. Maggie also has concerns about her father's strange behavior lately and is thinking about hiring an aide to live with him. She creates and then discards an ad for someone to care for a cantankerous old man. When Ava receives a strange letter and a crumpled advertisement for a job as an aide to an older man in Driftwood, Alabama, she decides this is the perfect fresh start after the death of her ex-boyfriend. Ava closely guards two secrets. She had epilepsy as a child, and she developed some extrasensory abilities after her last grand mal seizure.

I loved every bit of this book, from the coffee shop, to the town, to the quirky characters. Driftwood is a typical small town where everyone is in everyone else's business, but it also has some very unique residents. Estrelle, who always dresses in black, might just predict your future if she chooses. Maggie has a gift for picking out the perfect "curiosity" for friends and customers, and the newcomer Ava's gifts are special indeed. In addition to gifts, the town holds many secrets, and so much love that the reader will feel pulled right in. There is romance in every corner, but the themes of loss, trusting others, and moving forward shine through. I hope there will be a sequel, because this was a special book indeed.

The narration of the audiobook was very well done by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis, who perfect captured both the characters and magic of this small town.

I received a free copy of this audiobook via Macmillan Audio. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

There are times when I begin reading a book and I get so swept up in the joy of the story that I don’t take even one note. This curious coffee shop novel was exactly that for me. It was a complete and utter escape into the life of Ava and the adorable people of driftwood Alabama. There was no end to the amount of times I wished I could live in this little town with these wonderful neighbors. I wanted to be part of the walking group of 60+ ladies, I wished to have a dog just like Norman, and a community of people who loved me more because of all my eccentricities.

This is, at its core, a story of love and acceptance. And yes, there’s a nice little dose of magical realism to make this one feel extra special. I loved it!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the alc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"A mysterious letter. An offer taken. And the chance to move forward."

This one was much more kitchy that I anticipated. The narrator took away from the story and that may have been the reason this one just wasn't for me.

I loved this! It was a sweet, charming and cozy kind of story. Hit my feels and warmed my heart as I listened to this audiobook. The narrators were great and the story flowed at a nice pace.

I've needed as much comfort as I can find over the past year and I have been waiting eagerly for this book because of the magic and emotion that Heather Webber has inspired in all of her books to date. This is a tale of characters searching within their close knit community for the missing pieces of their lives. It made me want to move to this coastal town and drink a coffee at the shop with Maggie and search for beach for treasures with Ava. I cannot recommend this book enough. The narrators pulled me deeply into this story and brought it to life with the longing and passion of the characters.

Once again, Heather Webber weaves such a heart felt and beautiful tapestry of longing, magic, and comfort that will be keep me an avid reader for anything she creates!

First, I want to thank #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for sending me this #eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have never read a book by Heather Webber and the cover of the book is what actually caught my eye, so I didn't know what to expect.

This book is heartwarming, and something I didn't know I needed. I honestly don't know how to explain how much I loved this book. The characters, what they are each going through, how their lives intertwine, and how letting go of something doesn't really mean you are forgetting; life is all about transition and Heather Webber made a great story about all of it.

Sometimes I can "see" the characters and sometimes I can "see" the setting, but Webber allowed me to feel the pain, sorrow, joy, and happiness and I found myself smirking as if I was watching a scene from her book unfold in front of me.

I'm definitely going to have to read a few others by her.

I love these tales that Heather Webber spins. They have me rooting for the characters to grow in the ways they need to so they get their happy endings. The settings are marvelous and make me want to be there too.
I love Ava and Maggie, Donovan and Sam, Norman and Molly and all the other characters in At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities.
I end up feeling sad and happy and just full to the brim. I hope you’ll give At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities a try.
The narrator is great.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to experience this book.

When I need a comfort book I turn to magical realism so when I read the synopsis for At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities I was all in. The story revolves around a small town in Alabama where Ava, having recently lost her boyfriend in a tragic accident, moves to after receiving a mysterious job description promising happiness. The town has all sorts of characters. Maggie runs the coffeeshop which is the heart of the town and has a corner where knickknacks remain until she finds the right owner for them – the person for whom the piece inspires and leads them to their life’s dream. Ava begins to work for Maggie’s father who needs a caretaker since he has not been himself lately (e.g. he is insisting there is a ghost in his house). Ava has been trying to avoid her past, her epilepsy which left her with heightened senses, and Maggie has been doing the same – avoiding the deep loss she feels from losing her mother to the sea at a young age. Together they find ways to move forward and find love, friendship and new definitions of family.

I liked the novel and the characters but it was a little too sweet for me. As I am a sucker for the magic side of things and I love a quirky character (and there were many in the town) I did enjoy the book and read it really quickly but it won’t be a book that will remain with me. It was a nice read while I had it but I didn’t fall in love with it.

The audio’s narrator was very good and did justice to the different characters which isn’t always easy.

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review

A woman named Ava receives a mysterious letter shortly after the death of her boyfriend. The letter contains a job offer in another state. Ava has never been a risk-taker but she feels compelled to follow this invitation which seems to be calling her to a new life.

Ava falls in love with the picturesque town of Driftwood, Alabama immediately. The people are inviting and friendly. Even the pets are sweet and charming! There is something strange about Driftwood, however. There are rumors of a ghost and signs certainly seem to point in that direction.

Driftwood is also home to Maggie who just cannot move past the tragic disappearance of her mother. She runs the town's quaint coffee shop which attracts its own unique cast of characters. As Maggie and Ava become friends, they seem to be helping each other let go of their past regrets and move forward to new adventures.

While I enjoyed this audiobook overall, it was difficult sometimes to distinguish whose part of the story I was listening to. Parts of the ending also took away from the magical realism element in an annoying way.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a review copy of this audiobook.

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities is proof positive that Heather Webber is the reigning queen of the magical realism genre. Ava is in the depths of despair, with the death of her ex-boyfriend, the loss of her job, and concerns about her health. Then she inexplicably receives a job posting in the mail that pulls at her so strongly that she drives through the night to apply. When she takes the job, she is enfolded into the welcoming arms of this coastal community full of mystery and love.

The narrators, Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis, bring this book to life with seamless choreography. Their warm and compassion-filled narration enhance the story so much that I can still hear their voices.

This is a masterful tale about breaking free from the tentacles of fear and regret, and allowing oneself to experience happiness. (I reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.). This book touched my heartstrings, making me laugh, cry and continue listening far into the evening.

This is my definition of a perfect comfort read: a small town setting, a coffee shop, and a cast of endearing characters! I felt like I was a resident of Driftwood, and I loved the characters of Maggie and Ava, plus the touch of romance.

My only critique is the insinuation at the end that Estrelle was Maggie's long lost mom. That part was a little too far fetched and strange.

4.25⭐️

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities is a poignant tale of a group of people haunted by and stuck in the past, finding what they need when the find each other, in a small town laced with gentle magic. I enjoyed this story, it felt comforting and heartwarming, much like a warm blanket on a chilly day.

Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis did a good job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Heather Webber, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.