The Good Luck Cafe

by Annie Rains

Moira has been hurt—badly. So devastatingly, that she has never shared what happened to her and how she reacted with anyone. Even Gil, who rescued her, only knows part of the story. Now he is town mayor and one of the nicest people in town. Except he has not stopped the town council’s plans to demolish her mother’s coffee shop on the main street through town and replace it with a parking lot. Everyone agrees that it will be sad to lose Sweetie’s Bakeshop, but the driving and parking situation in town has become dangerous. 

Gil has always been attracted to Moira, but she pushes him away because of her secret and her concern that her mother will lose the business she loves. Moira is a dispatcher for the town’s 911 emergency services, works from home, and loves her job. Gil has done a good job as mayor. He is also a great big brother to his brother Doug who has Down syndrome. Goldie, Gil’s golden retriever, adds fun to the story.

Around this basic plot, Annie Rains creates and develops some great characters in The Good Luck Cafe. There is a lot of tension over the parking lot controversy, the upcoming mayoral election, and the relationship of Moira and Gil. Denise, Gil’s high school nemesis, decides to stir up trouble.  Also, Doug wants to move out on his own and solicits Gil’s help in persuading their parents to allow it while his mother wants Gil to convince Doug to continue to live at home.

All through the book you will find a heartwarming story and a clean romance. Both Moira and Gil have a support group of friends. Moira meets with her Book Club on Thursday nights and the associated men meet at the local tavern to enjoy each other’s company along with some friendly teasing. Most of them go way back as friends. 

This is my second book in the Somerset Lake Series. If the next book were available, I would have followed up with an immediate read of it after The Good Luck Cafe. I will just have to be satisfied that there are two more books in the series that I can go back and pick up.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Romance

Notes: 1. #4 in the Somerset Lake Series, but can definitely be read as a standalone.

    2. Although it is a clean and fun romance, it does address a few serious topics which I will not list because they would be spoilers.

    3. I was simultaneously reading a book for my book club, but I read several chapters of this every day to keep the story going.

Publication: March 14, 2023—Forever (Grand Central Publishing)

Memorable Lines:

When Doug was growing up, it had seemed like acquiring every new skill was a challenge. Doug never gave up though. He wasn’t a quitter. Gil had learned everything he knew about perseverance from his brother.

“Trust me, when you feel like you want to be alone you really need to be with the people who love you.”

“Relationships are hard, and they can be messy, but sometimes the things that complicate our lives are the things that make life worth living.”