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Much Ado About a Latte–Anita and Tanner’s story
Much Ado About a Latte
by Kathleen Fuller
Anita and Tanner had their first kiss as teenagers stuck in a closet playing Truth or Dare. Mostly they saw each other at tutoring sessions. Anita has a learning disability, feels stupid, and was bullied about her problems in school. All her life she hasn’t measured up to her family’s standards. Her siblings all have careers as professionals. Anita works as a waitress; she is kind, efficient, and customers love her. Tanner, whose father died when Tanner was young, immediately took over the role as head of the household fulfilling a promise to his father. He and his mother both worked two or more jobs to survive and to put his younger brother through college.
Anita has always had a crush on Tanner, but he has been too busy to see what is right in front of him. The pair worked together for three years as he was assistant manager at the Sunshine Diner (i.e. her boss).
Much Ado About a Latte is about their attraction and difficult relationship. They both have plans and dreams for the future, but they don’t share them with each other any more than they share their feelings about each other. Will they be able to reconcile their differences and proclaim their love?
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance
Notes: 1. #2 in the Maple Falls Romance Series which should be read in order.
2. Includes a map of Maple Falls and Discussion Questions
Publication: 1/4/2022—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
Streetlamps lit up the dark street, but she didn’t need light to know every outer detail of #3, from the picture windows on each side of the dark wooden door to the splintered wooden façade that was in desperate need of repair and fresh paint….Six months ago she had come up with a crazy idea: opening a café in #3….But she always talked herself out of the idea, and tonight was no exception. She didn’t have the brains or skills to run a business. She wouldn’t even know where to start.
But spending time with her last night had been nice. More than nice. He appreciated the way she hadn’t hesitated to help him taste-test food she’d never tried before, and her gastronomical bravery in trying the anchovies—an ingredient most people either loved or loathed—was impressive. Best of all was her sigh when she tried the patatas bravas. That had been one of the sexiest things he’d ever seen and heard.
Night of Miracles–tales of sweetly intertwined lives
Night of Miracles
by Elizabeth Berg
One of the most interesting things in the world is people. Elizabeth Berg created a gentle, touching world in The Story of Arthur Truluv. Then she expanded on the core characters, adding more characters that tie into one another in Night of Miracles. The chapters are short; the novel is a character driven set of tales of common people living out their interesting lives looking for meaning in the everyday circumstances and the extraordinary ones.
Arthur Truluv’s legacy of calmness and kindness lives on in the family he adopted. His neighbor Lucille’s legacy is the culinary wisdom she imparts during an age of “fast” everything. Neighbors Jason and Abby learn the importance of living in the present. Tiny and Monica learn to share the love that has been in front of them all along. The chapters bounce back and forth from one storyline to the next. This is one of those stories I had to keep reading. I read the last of the book with tissue in hand, not because it is tragic, but because there is sweet sadness in knowing that life keeps progressing toward an inevitable conclusion and we can find happiness by reaching out to share life with others.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Women’s Fiction
Notes: For those who enjoyed The Story of Arthur Truluv, this is not a sequel in the traditional sense. It takes a few of the characters from that book and builds a story around them. Although it could happen, I wouldn’t expect any more stories in this line. From my perspective the story has been told.
Publication: November 13, 2018—Random House
Memorable Lines:
It was true what they told her on the first day of teachers’ college: you never forget some of your students. For Lucille, it was the cut-ups she could never keep from laughing at, the dreamers she had to keep reeling back into the classroom, and little Danny Matthews, with his ragged heart of gold.
At least Link loves to read. There’s always hope when a kid—or an adult, for that matter—likes to read.
All those years, and not one person that she had truly opened up to, or kept up with. Probably she expected her husband to be everything to her when it wasn’t his place to do that, even if he wanted to or could. Another thing she regrets: having made him feel that he was failing her when she was the one failing herself.
education pathways 