Oh I reviewed the wrong book. I just listened to this engaging and sweet book. It was amazing. I was enthralled. The narration was perfect and I loved every minute of the story. It took me out of my bad mood.
I would recommend this for anyone.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a different storyline but made me reflect on my life and those in it. The characters were so fun and eccentric.

4.5 stars rounded up

I’m a fan of magical realism especially the novels of Heather Webber. I love her small southern towns that are populated by just-quirky-enough characters who make me want to visit or move there. Her newest offering, At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities, was all that and more. I loved seeing Ava and Maggie navigate their lives with the help of people who wanted them to move forward from the loss and grief they’d been stuck in. They truly needed to overcome the fears of their past or risk never finding the future of their dreams. Webber’s charming story kept me emotionally engaged all the way through to the satisfying ending. I was sad to leave the characters which is always my sign of a good read.

Recommended for fans of Heather Webber and magical realism – and books that feel like a warm hug. I enjoyed it all.

The narration by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis was perfect. Honestly, either could have done the entire book but the different character voices were nuanced enough to make me appreciate the decision for two narrators. Their performances enhanced the novel and I look forward to listening again.

Following the death of her ex boyfriend a mysterious letter prompts Ava to take a wild chance on a strange job in a small town.

There she becomes part of the fabric of the community, but especially within a specific family.

On the surface this book has everything I love; found family, a touch of magic, oddball characters, etc but there’s just something about it that fell flat. The characters don’t seem real enough for me to actually care about.

However if you’re looking for something feel good with a happy ending this might be just the thing to give you the warm fuzzies.

When I requested this ARC, I didn't put together that Heather Webber is the author of Midnight at the Blackbird Café, which I have been thinking lately (and often) of rereading. That is, I requested this new book based on its description alone—on its own merit. I'm so glad I did.

The story is warm and tender; sometimes sad, but more often sweet and/or hopeful; mystical; occasionally truly funny (often, but not exclusively, due to a strange old woman who is the town seamstress).

As we often are led to believe is common, small-town gossip is rampant. It's clear, though, that everyone seems to care about all their neighbors. There is mention at several points about how many people came to town for vacation and decided to put down roots. There are intergenerational relationships that are rich and rewarding. There is LGBTQ representation. There is descriptive language about the sights, sounds, and smells. There are so many interesting and appealing characters.

A major plot twist at 94% made sense according to clues given earlier. However, when I reread the book (I already know I will), I will be on alert so I might get a better handle on the timeline. In this first reading (when I didn't know what was coming), I felt that parts of the timeline were rushed and implausible. [I'm sure the author planned it all out carefully—I'll trust, but verify.]

Honestly, I didn't want it to end.

As I did for another recent Macmillan Audio ARC that pleased me immensely, I immediately hunted down and preordered a signed hardcover and started following the author on several sites.

The audio edition is narrated beautifully by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis.

4.5⭐

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected August 1.

This book felt like a season of The Good Witch. A warm cup of coffee on a cold morning. Porch swings. A good nights sleep. A trip that fills your soul…

This is only my second book by Heather and definitely not my last. Here are some bits that just warmed my heart…

A mysterious want ad
Small coastal Alabama town
Beachside cottage
A coffee and curiosity shop
A subtle touch of magic
A town full of charming characters
A dash a mystery

This book had a bit of everything I look for in a comfort read. It’s really hard to put into words how comforting it was and how this fictional town will win your heart. If any of this sounds good I say immediately add it to your TBR you will not be disappointed.

This really hurts me to say because Heather Webber is one of my favorite authors but I didn’t like this book. I didn’t connect with any of the characters like I did with all of her other books. I didn’t feel the pull to the small town and fall in love with its residents. I didn’t get any of the magical realism that has been in the other books. In fact, I had a hard time distinguishing between Ava and Maggie while listening. I was so excited to be able to listen to this and am sad that I just couldn’t connect.

My genre of choice for decades was post-apocalyptic - I could not get enough of it. In fact, around January of 2020 we were stockpiling and preparing for at least a year of lockdown even before much of the United States understood what was coming. Utilizing scores of main character knowledge of how the supply chain would crash, and the v-rus spread, we literally turned one guest bedroom into a storeroom and had a full year's worth of supplies at the ready. We never felt the toilet paper shortage because we saw it coming. I laughed because Randy Bragg, protagonist of Alas Babylon written in the 1950s, was my guide.

And then, during lockdown, my brain broke and I could no longer read that genre. I discovered domestic thrillers and am now an expert on how spouses murder one another (and how to best avoid detection). All that is said because "At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities" is soooooo far outside my wheelhouse and EXACTLY THE GIFT I NEEDED TO GIVE MYSELF.

I loved the time I spent there. I enjoyed the humanity and friendship of main characters Ava and Maggie. I appreciated people who needed people and the community in which they lived. It was a palate cleanser for a continuous reader of anger and violence.

My greatest compliment I can give to the story is I am now investigating all Heather Webber's previous works. I think it's time I fed my brain nicer stories.

At least for awhile.

I am such a fan of Heather Webber's gentle magical realism. I always feel hopeful and charmed after reading/listening to her books and that is just what I want once or twice a year. At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities brings me back to the joy of Webber's Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, which I loved, and the similar whimsy of a bakery/coffee shop setting and small town motifs. I love the examination of sorrows and regret mixed with relatable MCs with Maggie and Ava and the deftly developed themes on feeling haunted by the past/lost chances and the sense of renewal that comes with a little magic, hope, and finding where you belong.

A win for fans of this author and readers who like last year's Other Birds; for fans of southern charm, bakery shop/small town vibes, and whimsical magical realism.

Thank you to MacMillan audio for the well narrated audiobook, great production quality and perfect style for Webber's gentle writing.

Another delightful magical realism tale from Heather Webber.

In the Coffee Shop of Curiosities, Ava is finally going to live her life!
Growing up, she suffered from seizures, and always had to be so very careful. Following the death of a friend, she decides to make some changes, big ones, and leave her home and life behind to move to a small town for employment as the caretaker for a an elderly man, and as a part time barista in the local coffee shop.
Such a delightful cast of characters, sweet loves found and rekindled...
A wonderful book all around!

I really have come to love Heather Webber's books! They are cozy, sweet, and charming. They are perfect to curl up to & my only regret was that I didn't save this for a cold fall day.

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities was my first Heather Webber novel and now I'm going to have to read more of her books. I have to admit that I picked this book simply for the title and cover. I didn't read the the synopsis so I went into it not knowing what to expect. I was utterly blown away by how magical and emotional this story is. This book made me feel so many things. I wish I could just curl up in this story and live there. It was a beautiful small town romance with hints of magic, ghosts, and fur habies. I loved the sweet dog and sassy cat. The small details are what made this book so great. The characters were so real and unique. I was really impressed with the character development everyone showed by the end. I have a feeling this one will sticking with me for a long time.

Thank you to @booksbyheather @macmillan.audio @netgalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities was such an adorable summer read. I am on vacation visiting my in laws and it was so nice to sit on their back deck, overlooking the wide farm fields of Montana and listen to this wonderful audio arc!
After the death of her boyfriend, Ava receives an ad in the mail for a job posting for an in-home caretaker for a peculiar old man, on the ad is the writing of her boyfriend. She is so used to being in a protective bubble, and her boyfriend always tried to push her out of that bubble. She took this as a sign to take the job, leaving her life behind, and heading to a magical little town in Georgia. The owner of a coffee shop, daughter of the peculiar old man, is who she meets first, who is also struggling on a path all her own. I loved watching the different relationships blossom in this story. This is a great read for those that feel stuck on a path that doesn’t feel like their own, it was a good wholesome “comfort read” about love, loss and finding your way.
The only thing that confused me is the fantasy genera tag as I am not entirely sure the ghost was even real? Other than that it was a great read, very similar feel to Legends and Lattes.

This book was such a lovely read. It was the perfect poolside companion this summer season and I flew through it without even realizing. There are quite a few fun twists and turns and it kept me guessing along the way. I think my biggest question is the question of the ghost. I am still wondering if it was really a ghost or if it was simply a ruse to distract from what was really revealed in the end.
There are several relationships which seem to bloom through this novel and though it seems such interesting they would all happen right at this time, I guess I won't question it too much. If you enjoy a book that is about finding your place in the world after you've been too scare to wander beyond your front door, this may be the one for you. Ava and Maggie are wonderful women who are finding their way in the world after life shattering events and are reevaluating life and what is important to them.
This was a book I didn't know I needed until I read it. Please do yourself a favor and read it too. There's no way it won't warm your heart and inspire you to take a trip down to the beach.

Shortly after the death of her boyfriend, Ava receives a mysterious letter containing an advertisement for a job as a live-in caretaker for an elderly man. She jumps at the chance and takes off for the seaside town that will become her home. There she meets Maggie Mae Brightwell, owner of the local coffee shop/curiosity shop who seems to be the heart and soul of the town, but Maggie has heartache of her own. Ava and Maggie are drawn together and become the best of friends in this lovely story about the strength of women’s friendships

First I'm automatically reading anything Heather Webber writes. Second this may be my favorite book so far - the one I felt closest to. You can't help but fall in love with the towns and he people she writes about. I smiled so much listening to this. I'll be awaiting her next book anxiously.