Helpful Score: 2
Started this but decided pretty early on that it was chick lit, which I can't tolerate these days... but I'm sure some one will enjoy it! (I am a book snob!)
Helpful Score: 1
An excellent fast read.
A single mom with a gifted 12 year old daughter loses her teaching job and must move in with her mother and grandmother, who share quarters over the family's cafe. This, of course, opens countless avenues of differences in lifestyles, family secrets, unexpected alliances, and new romances. Other than a few too many fortuitous coincidences, the book is well-written and the characters are warm and engaging.
Great story. Wonderful characters. Loved it.
This was an outstanding book!! I highly recommend it.
This was a really good story, excellent characters and good descriptive writing. Unfortunately I found the main characters a bit whiney.
I really enjoy Ms. Mapson's writing and this was no exception. It was a bit too predictable for me but i enjoyed the reading and the characters. It's not a 5 star like most of her others that I have read though. I loved the four generation of women and how they all love each other but lives are made from reacting to one another. An enjoyable read.
Good read. I liked the alternating of the characters so we could see all sides of the family. It wasn't suspenseful or too troubling, just a nice family drama.
This book tells the story of a family of four generations of women.... The challenges they face, secrets they keep and love they share. It's not terribly full of twists and turns, but tells the story straight away and leaves you feeling good in the end. It's well written and the characters are likeable. I really enjoyed it.
As a gurl who's obsessed with Northern California, this book was like a virtual vacation in words. The three generations of women featured in the novel were easily forgivable for their emotional flaws and often unkind behavior towards each other. A sweet journey of a story with lots of happy endings.
Another reviewer said this book is chick lit. In my opinion it so NOT chick lit, but rather women's fiction - and rather good women's fiction at that.
If you think that this will be a book about running a cafe with a few recipes thrown in - you're wrong. It's really a story about the women and their family. Each of the women has a very different and distinct personality. You get to see most of those personalities clearly as the story is told alternately from the viewpoints of Mariah, Allegra and Lindsey. You'll notice that Bess isn't on the list of narrators, and I think that was one of the few flaws of the story. Her character wasn't as fully rounded as the others. This could have been a very sad story, with Allegra fighting leukemia, but it isn't. It was very enjoyable to watch each woman discover herself as the story progressed.
There is a strong sub-plot in this book about medical marijuana. The author is clearly in favor or it I guess it's not a surprise she set this book in California LOL. I found that sub-plot to be very interesting. There weren't any recipes in this book (and I would have liked some for some of the deliciuos sounding baked goods for which the cafe was known.) Well, not unless you count practically telling the reader how to grow marijuana and harvest it yourself a recipe. Not that I'm going to go grow my own though. Heck, if I really wanted some all I would have to do is drive back down to my old family farm in Iowa - where it grew wild in the backyard :-o
If you think that this will be a book about running a cafe with a few recipes thrown in - you're wrong. It's really a story about the women and their family. Each of the women has a very different and distinct personality. You get to see most of those personalities clearly as the story is told alternately from the viewpoints of Mariah, Allegra and Lindsey. You'll notice that Bess isn't on the list of narrators, and I think that was one of the few flaws of the story. Her character wasn't as fully rounded as the others. This could have been a very sad story, with Allegra fighting leukemia, but it isn't. It was very enjoyable to watch each woman discover herself as the story progressed.
There is a strong sub-plot in this book about medical marijuana. The author is clearly in favor or it I guess it's not a surprise she set this book in California LOL. I found that sub-plot to be very interesting. There weren't any recipes in this book (and I would have liked some for some of the deliciuos sounding baked goods for which the cafe was known.) Well, not unless you count practically telling the reader how to grow marijuana and harvest it yourself a recipe. Not that I'm going to go grow my own though. Heck, if I really wanted some all I would have to do is drive back down to my old family farm in Iowa - where it grew wild in the backyard :-o
I liked this book. I liked the characters and the way the story unfolded. I don't think I'd call it chick lit.. it's more like The Ladies Friday Night Knitting Club. If you liked that, you'll probably like this. Good read.
