Of Literature and Lattes Paperback – May 12, 2020

I seem to be on a streak of quick endings with books. Like every other Katherine Reay book I've read, the beginning took awhile for me to get into and really want to read this book. I have this book on Kindle so I went back and forth with it for a few weeks before I got far enough into the book to get absorbed in the plot. I'm not sure if that's my problem or a problem with her books, but it usually takes awhile to see how all the characters she is setting up relate to each other.The main section of the book flows nicely and there is a good dynamic between Alyssa and her mom as she deals with her parent's previous divorce and gets to know her mom as an adult. There is also intertwined in that story, Jeremy who runs the coffee shop in town. He's living there so he can be closer to his daughter, Becca and her mom who he divorced after a very short marriage. I really liked Jeremy's story and found that to be the stronger storyline rather than Alyssa's. The parts of the story that focused more on him were infinitely more interesting and complex.My main critique is again with a rushed ending. This is the third book I've read recently where the ending feels very rushed and while I appreciate the author trying to leave the readers wanting more, it seemed to me like there were too many strings left undone to just end the book. Alyssa's storyline mostly wraps up, but the Jeremy storyline is still in flux and no real ending there. There's also the issue with Alyssa's past company that is mentioned and explored a little, but the ramifications don't get dealt with in a satisfying way.Overall, I'd still recommend the book as it was a good read, but be prepared for it to end way before you think it will.

The only thing that improves a great book is a good cup of coffee to go with it. Of course, I don't drink coffee, so for me, it's more like a frappuccino and the atmosphere of a good coffee shop. The latest trip to Winsome had both, and I read for the setting and atmosphere as much as anything else. I missed The Printed Letter, but Andante has a charm of its own, especially as it opens up to the community. As with The Printed Letter, you get the sense that Andante is a character in itself--perhaps an introverted or misunderstood or misused character, who needed a lot of love.That's actually true for the human characters as well, characters I enjoyed getting to know. As Katherine Reay notes in her discussion questions, perspective is a big theme for them, and it comes through great. From one person's perspective, another might look manipulative, perpetually angry, or just plain horrible. That was certainly the case between Alyssa and Janet. But because Katherine lets you get to know everybody, you find out these people are just human. They aren't perfect, idealized, or even nice at times. But Alyssa captures the human side of us when we get in a bad situation, particularly when we're innocent. She's also a good mix of analytical and creative. Janet gives us a human perspective on what it means to change and keep changing. Jeremy does the same thing, owning up to his mistakes and growing into his roles as business owner, father, and leader.One of the best things about Literature and Lattes, I think, is that the character arcs are not tied up in bows. For instance, Alyssa and Janet both have to face their tendency to "dump on" people when they're angry, which is often. And while they're going to make conscious efforts not to do that anymore, you know they may never be buddy-buddy--and that's okay. Jeremy has to face a huge mistake in trusting the wrong person and letting someone else he should've trusted down. He has to grow a spine where Krista is concerned, and learn to be the dad Becca needs. While he is successful in these endeavors, you get the sense he's still learning, which adds a dose of reality to an otherwise idealized setting.I liked all the little scenes that added depth to character and relationships throughout the novel, such as when Alyssa interacts with Jasper or Lexi or even her grandma, or when Jeremy reads Of Mice and Men, or reads little kids' books to Becca. There are some great scenes between the three of them, but I applaud Katherine for avoiding the traditional romance route. This feels more like a relationship novel than a romance novel, and I need more of those.Speaking of relationships, the spiritual thread here is subtle but present. It's almost too subtle, but it's enough to let you read in their actions that the protagonists trust in God, even if they don't always act like it. You sense that Winsome is a town where God is welcome and people want to show His love, from George and Margery taking in foster siblings to Maddie, Claire, and Janet still matchmaking with books, to Alyssa learning to let go of her hubris. I might have wanted a little more at times, but again, it works. I think it's Katherine's style, and in the Christian market, that level of subtlety isn't easy to pull off.I did find some issues I wish Katherine had worked on. She head-hops frequently, usually without scene breaks, so I had to reorient myself in different points of view multiple times. Also, even though I like that things aren't tied up prettily, there are some loose threads I wish got more attention. A big one was with Jill; I don't buy the fact that she'll be "okay" because eventually the FBI will tell her she got false information. Alyssa made too big a deal of Winsome being involved with XGC for that, and she was right. What probably should've happened is that she and Janet should've connected more with Jill or someone else, and worked on both relationships through the tragedy of XGC.Another thread is Becca's. She's a great kid with some highly interesting plot threads, but they're not resolved. For one thing, she's suspected to be dyslexic. I love how Jeremy and Maddie help her through that, and I did not need to see a positive test or conversations with the school. But I would have liked to see Becca gaining more confidence, inside and outside of book world. There's also a twist between Becca, Jeremy, and Krista that causes Jeremy to fight for Becca--but we don't actually see him do it. I wanted a resolution wherein I knew Becca would be with the best parent for her, even if everything wasn't ideal.Finally, I feel like too much time was spent on Alyssa and Janet manipulating, fighting, and dumping. Kudos to Katherine for not making that obvious--it would've worn me out. But there was a point at which, like Seth, I said, "You two have been through way too much to keep going this way. Start acting like decent human beings to each other." It happened, but arguably too late.With those things said, Of Literature and Lattes was a lovely sequel, and again, I love visiting Winsome. I hope Katherine continues to write books like this, improve on the weak spots, and play to her strengths, which are great communities and three-dimensional, human characters. Until next time, I'd say grab some good literature and your favorite coffee or coffee-like beverage and enjoy.

Having read the first book of this pair, I wondered where the author would take our previous characters but was more surprised at where she took the less mentioned characters from the first book! Wow! I never would have expected a plot with so many deep twists and turns! This book will leave you wanting to hear more about the goings on in the lives of these people. Be sure to read it-you won’t be sorry!

3.5 stars"She stopped at the intersection and pondered the conundrum that was Winsome."Alyssa Harrison had climbed to the top of the highest peak, only to plummet into the depths of the deepest sea; figuratively speaking, of course. Naturally, her only recourse was to limp home; broke, unemployed, under a cloud of suspicion, driving a car subject to a major breakdown and bereft of personal belongings that were stolen along the way. To make matters worse . . . .much worse . . . her father insists that she stay with her mother.Jeremy Mitchell thought that opening an up-scale coffee shop in Winsome would solve all of his problems . . . or most of them, anyway. He could live closer to his young daughter, thus being able to spend quality time with her, and he could make a living selling something that he knew an awful lot about . . . coffee. But even though the small town is incredibly friendly and inviting, its residents are also resistent to change . . . . and "Andante" is a gigantic change from the "Daily Brew". . . . . ooops?There is so much to like about this story; which is both its strength and its weakness. Readers may find it incredibly difficult to choose who or what to concentrate on first, even though many of the characters are already pleasantly familiar from the author's first excursion into Winsome. Curiously, Jeremy's last name is listed differently throughout the book; first as Miller and then as Mitchell. Even though the name confusion is surely an editorial gaffe, it was quite distracting; Jeremy is a main character.Ultimately of course, "Of Literature and Lattes" exhibits a great deal of proverbial wisdom; terribly damaged relationships take huge steps forward when those involved honestly and lovingly "try to understand each other". And it works beautifully! Enjoy your visit back to a most beloved place!

I always enjoy Katherine Reay's books. Her writing is hard to describe, but I'll try. It's rich, layered, deep, and colourful. I enjoyed revisiting Winsome and the friends I made there in The Printed Letter Bookshop. Each book of Reay's is so different from the previous that it sometimes takes me a chapter or two to fully immerse myself. There were several point-of-view changes that caused me to stumble until I found the flow of the story. Despite that, I still give it five stars. I had a hard time putting it down. I teared up several times, completely taken by surprise with the touching fostering/adoption theme. As an adoptive mom, these scenes struck me deeply, and Reay wrote them well. I'm already looking forward to the next book and hope it might even be set in Winsome again!

Read within 48h. From someone with a data background I enjoyed Alyssa’s progress in the story and found the Xcg plot intriguing. Could see this book made into an enjoyable Sunday movie

Of Literature and Lattes was a novel of second chances and knowing what and where your community (friendship) is. This story felt cozy and partly it was because I was familiar with many of the characters who had been in The Printed Letter Bookshop, even though it doesn’t say it is a series, it helps to have read it. It gave me a bit of understanding of some of the dynamics of the relationships, but it does stand on its own.I really enjoyed Of Literature and Lattes, it reminded me of the season of fall even though it wasn’t set in that season, but it gave me a sense of renewal and beginnings all at the same time.My gratitude to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was a great read, but it’s not a stand alone. I would recommend reading The Printed Shop first.