Published by Park Row on December 9, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
Welcome to the Time Hop Coffee Shop, where wishes can come true…
Greta Perks was once the shining star of the iconic Maple Gold coffee commercials, the quintessential TV wife and mom. Now fame has faded, her marriage is on the rocks, her teenage daughter has become distant and Greta’s once-glittering career feels like a distant memory.
When Greta stumbles upon a mysterious coffee shop serving a magical brew, she wishes for the perfect life in those past Maple Gold commercials. Next thing she knows, Greta wakes in the idyllic make-believe town of Mapleville, where the sun always shines and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and second chances fill the air. Given the opportunity to live the life she dreamed, Greta is determined to rewrite her own script. But can life ever be like a coffee commercial? And what will happen when Greta has to choose between perfection and real life, with no turning back?
Greta Perks and her family had once been in the spotlight as the faces of Maple Gold Coffee, but they had been replaced after a decade with a new, younger family. With her star fading and her marriage falling apart, Greta longs to return to the comfort of the Maple Gold days. When she stumbles upon a new coffee shop, a magical brew allows her to live this alternate life in Mapleville, but will the life of her dreams meet her expectations?
This was a bit of a different book from Patrick. What-if books are always interesting and tend to cause some introspection for me. What makes a life perfect? What would be the life of my dreams? It was interesting to see the things Greta wished for as well as how those wishes played out. I have to admit, I was a little surprised with one of the choices Greta made, but I thought it was a good one.
Overall, I enjoyed taking this journey of self-discovery with Greta and was happy with how it worked out. I really liked the one little twist and the overall messaging which left me hopeful for this family.
Published by Alcove Press on May 7, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
A woman returns to her family's Hamptons beach house for a final time—and a final chance at the love she's lost before, in this contemporary retelling of Persuasion , perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Rebecca Serle.
Olivia Taylor's marriage is in a death spiral when she agrees to come home to the Hamptons to help her father and sisters pack up the family estate. If it looks like she’s running away from her soon-to-be-ex Wes and New York City, well, she is. But someone has to take care of things and that’s always been Olivia’s role in the family. After years of financial trouble, someone’s finally bailing them out with a huge offer to buy their beachfront property, which is a good thing, although it means losing the home she grew up in, where her mother died, and where she first met Fred, the love of her life.
It’s been five years since the last time things blew up between Olivia and Fred, but much longer since the first time. At this point, Olivia fears it was never meant to be, so there’s no reason to feel butterflies in her stomach at the idea of seeing him again. They’ve already tried, and tried again…and again…but she’s newly single, and she isn’t the same person she was the last time–and Fred has changed, too.
This time, things will be different. Maybe, just maybe, the fifth time’s the charm.
I love books that play out over long time periods, and this one had me going for over 20 years! Olivia and Fred met and fell in love as teens but things happened that kept them apart. They made an initial promise that first summer, to see where they were in their lives and reconnect. Fate seemed to be helping them keep that promise, and they kept crossing paths, summer after summer. As with most stories like this, it was frustrating to see all those missed opportunities, but their love ran deep, and I kept the faith.
The tale did take an interesting turn towards the end. I suspected something but did not exactly predict what was coming my way. I thought it was a smart and clean way to let things move forward. I have seen that this is a Persuasion retelling. I cannot comment on that, as I have not read the book, but it was a touching, sweet, and sometimes, frustrating romance which I enjoyed.
Let us know in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment