Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Reay

Have you ever traveled to the fictional city of Winsome, IL?

Katherine Reay originally introduced us to this beautifully quaint city in The Painted Letter Bookshop in 2019 where we met a whole cast of characters that are drawn together and assist one another in their own struggles and personal growth within the context of the towns major book store.

Now we get to revisit this little town again in Of Literature and Lattes. We met Janet in the original story, she was reeling from a tough divorce and her life was in upheaval until she found solace in working at The Printer Letter Bookshop. Her daughter Alyssa has left town to get away from all the family trouble and found herself in the middle of an FBI investigation as her former employer is being investigated for questionable practices. Not able to land another job because of her central focus in this investigation, she’s forced to return home to Winsome and face all the things she tried to run away from. But the unchanging town has changed quite a bit and it ruffles her feathers as she was hoping to return to something familiar in her unbalanced state.

I’m so excited to share this reading journey with you all and I appreciate that Book Sparks selected me as one of the recipients of this beautiful launch box for this mesmerizing novel. Not only did they send me the book and a matching bookmark, but I also got to try a few cups of City Girl Coffee. Specifically their Organic Guatemala blend that tastes absolutely divine! For those of you that love to sip away at a cup of coffee while you’re reading, this coffee definitely hits the spot. Not to mention their adorable coffee cup that features their pivotal City Girl logo.

I’ll be sharing more with you all as I read through this novel, but five chapters in and I’m loving the intertwined relationships that we are introduced to with all the characters in this story. If you weren’t sure, this story focuses on the renovated coffee shop in the heart of Winsome where a new owner has changed up the idyllic look and feel of the local coffee shop to a much more modern feel that everyone is trying to navigate their feelings about it.

This is one of the things that I absolutely love about small town stories. The unique quirks that small town residents depends on such as their coffee shop and book store. These places make the town and are where the residents spend a large portion of their socializing time with one another and how disruptive it can be to everyone when something so pivotal is changed within their community.

Have a wonderful reading weekend and stay tuned for more updates!