In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

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Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber
Published by Forge Books on July 16, 2019
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction, Enchanted Realism

Goodreads

Heather Webber's Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe is a captivating blend of magical realism, heartwarming romance, and small-town Southern charm.

Nestled in the mountain shadows of Alabama lies the little town of Wicklow. It is here that Anna Kate has returned to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café.

It was supposed to be a quick trip to close the café and settle her grandmother’s estate, but despite her best intentions to avoid forming ties or even getting to know her father’s side of the family, Anna Kate finds herself inexplicably drawn to the quirky Southern town her mother ran away from so many years ago, and the mysterious blackbird pie everybody can’t stop talking about.

As the truth about her past slowly becomes clear, Anna Kate will need to decide if this lone blackbird will finally be able to take her broken wings and fly.

Anna Kate vowed to return to Wicklow only to deal with her grandmother's estate. Little did she know that Granny Zee had other plans for her.

This book had all my favorite elements PLUS a bit of magic. I was something special seeing Anna Kate opening her heart and forming relationships. She had spent her life keeping people at arm's length, never spending enough time in one place to put down roots. Being in Wicklow was going to change that! Anna Kate made so many connections in town. An incredible "family" was found, and it was beautiful the way everyone embrace her as their own. Something special was set in motion when she made her way to Wicklow to bid her beloved Granny goodbye, and it was great seeing the universe's plan play out.

With a bit of romance, magic, and family drama, this one was bound to be a hit for me. Webber made some interesting choices and left me with such a hopeful ending. All I can say is my eyes were wet with happy tears and my heart was warm. That's a sign a winner for me.

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Pieces of Blue by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Published by Flatiron on May 9, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction

Goodreads

From New York Times bestselling author Holly Goldberg Sloan, a compelling and heartfelt novel for fans of Maria Semple and Emma Straub about a family trying to restore a ramshackle beachside motel―and their own lives

What good was thinking the future only held cloudy skies? Wasn’t the reality that pieces of blue were always there, waiting to break through?

When Paul Hill drowns in a surfing accident, his broken-hearted wife, Lindsey, and their three children are left in huge financial trouble. Once Paul’s life insurance finally comes through, Lindsey impulsively uses the money to buy a charmingly ramshackle motel in Hawai’i, hoping for a fresh start. Teenage Olivia quickly develops a crush on a handsome but monosyllabic skateboarder. Twelve-year-old Carlos reinvents himself as a popular kid named Carl. And Sena, the youngest, will do whatever it takes to protect her beloved motel chickens.

But while the kids adjust, Lindsey is flailing, trying to pretend she knows how to bring a motel―and herself―back to life. Then a handsome stranger rolls into the motel parking lot, and she’s surprised to feel a long-dormant part of herself stirring. She accepts his offer to help, unaware that he may have secrets of his own. And all the while, out in the Pacific, the trade winds are fiercely blowing.

Funny and tender, full of twists and turns and heart, Pieces of Blue is a portrait of an irresistible family learning to start over.

I jumped at the chance to read this book having enjoyed Sloan's middle grades books. This story started out with a family reeling from the death of their father which had followed some great financial and lifestyle losses for the family. They had already started over once and were forced to start over again, this time without their father and husband.

The story began as I expected it would. I enjoyed spending time with this family as they attempted to pick up the pieces of their life once again. The focus early in the story was on them trying to find their way in Hawaii as they attempted to renovate an old motel and fit in with the locals. I laughed and cried with this family and they took on all these new challenges. 

But then, there was a reveal that I didn't expect, and this tale took quit a turn. Honestly, I liked where it went. The drama got turned up quite a bit and reached a real fever pitch towards the end. Even with that twist, this was still about a mother and her children working through grief and all its accompanying emotions. It was about getting back up after being knocked down. It was about family and love and new beginnings, and I thought it was wonderful.

*ARC PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER

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