Bea Reviews The Strawberry Hearts Diner by Carolyn Brown

Publisher: Montlake Romance
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: July 18th, 2017
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Being broke, unemployed, and stranded back in the tiny town of Pick, Texas, was not part of Jancy Wilson’s plan. Yet here she is, watching her car literally go up in smoke—along with her last-ditch hope of staying with her cousin in Louisiana. When Jancy spies a Help Wanted sign hanging in the window of the quaint Strawberry Hearts Diner, the memories of the two years she spent there as a teenager—and the lure of the diner’s beloved strawberry tarts—are enough to draw her in and plant her feet…but only temporarily.

Raised by parents who refused to settle anywhere for long, Jancy has never known what it is to have roots. Now that Jancy’s swept up by the warmth and character of this quirky little community—and by the pull of an old crush—it’s beginning to feel like home. She’s making friends and even discovering the sweetness of falling in love. But when the town is threatened, Jancy knows it will take more than its legendary tarts to save it. Can she fight for this little Texas town—knowing she might not stay forever?

My Thoughts:

Ms. Brown has been on my radar for a couple of years now. The blurb sounded appealing so I grabbed the book.

Brown gives us a sweet, slow-paced, character driven story of four women of varying ages. Three of them are already family and the fourth quickly becomes part of their family. Jancy, temporarily stuck in Pick and alone, discovers that family isn't just blood. Family is the people who love you and take you in and stand by you no matter what. She doesn't plan on sticking around at first; she wants to earn enough money to move on to her original destination. But she gets involved, with the women of the diner, the people of the town, and a young man. She gradually sets down roots, though she doesn't realize it at first. Emily, the same age as Jancy, has advantages that Jancy doesn't - a home, a loving family, the ability to attend college. She and her mother Vicky want different things while Nettie, a foster mother to Vicky, wants them all to live their lives and be happy.

"The Strawberry Hearts Diner" is a heartwarming, if sometimes sappy, story of roots, family, home and love. There are several romances, all of them sweet and light on steam. My favorite was the romance between Vicky and Andy. It was sweet and low key and neither of them was young, unlike Jancy and Emily, and their loves. It was nice to see a romance with older characters.

Some favorite quotes:

Any minute now he is going to throw back his head, point that penis nose at the ceiling, and start crowing.

"Memories can grow like a big old oak tree with roots here just as easily as they can on the wings of someone who can't ever find a place to settle."