May 15, 2018
Nora Huckleberry, born and raised in Guthrie, Vermont, is forced to consider life-altering decisions for herself and the town when she and her sister inherit a neighbor's property that was in the process of being sold to HG Corporation to build a big-box store.Nora grew up in the Miss Guthrie Diner her parents owned. When her mother died, she helped her father run the diner and mothered her younger sister, Kit. Now the diner is hers...along with all the responsibilities. When Kit, who'd left home for big city life, returns full of plans for the money she'll get from the sale of the 200 acres their neighbor, Peggy Johnson, surprisingly left to them, Nora can't help but contrast her life to Kit's. What are her dreams? Nora falls in love with the property despite the expenses and obligations that come with it. Then she gets a letter informing her that Peggy, the former owner, had been paying thousands of dollars a month to keep a mysterious woman named Elsie, who has Alzheimer's, living in the local nursing home. What kind of relationship did they have? To complicate matters, Nora is drawn to Elliot, HG's representative, and the feeling is mutual. How will this impact her decision not to sell the land? Despite the split in town over what some see as progress and others as the ruin of small-town charm, the solution is a good one for all. In this feel-good tale, characters are somewhat stereotypical, including the almost too-nice-to-be-real Nora. When Nora's dream falls into her lap, it isn't so much because she made it happen as because she stays true to her convictions and realizes she was already living her dream.Miller's (The City Baker's Guide to Country Living, 2016) second novel is comfort food and country charm with a happy ending.
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May 1, 2018
As warm and cozy as buttered brioche and tea next to the fireplace on a winter morning, Miller's second novel (after The City Baker's Guide to Country Living) features two sisters with night-and-day personalities living in small-town Vermont. Nora owns the local diner she inherited when her father died, a place where the blueberry muffins are complimentary and the townspeople find camaraderie. By contrast, her sister Kit is spontaneous and headstrong, a financially strapped filmmaker by trade. When Peggy, a beloved grandmotherly figure in the town, has a heart attack while driving, the two sisters inherit her property. Prior to her death, Peggy was in the process of selling her land to a developer, which causes mixed emotions in the community and stirs conflict between the sisters. VERDICT A novel about sisterly bonds and the ties that bind a community, with a hint of blooming romance between Nora and a newcomer in town, this is slow and gentle reading that will appeal to fans of Jan Karon's "Mitford" books and Jennifer Chiaverini's "Elm Creek Quilts" series. [See Prepub Alert, 1/29/18.]--Julia M. Reffner, North Chesterfield, VA
Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 1, 2018
Two sisters, beloved diner owner Nora and her short-on-cash filmmaker sibling, Kit, are inheriting the property of local cake-making legend Peggy. The town is divided on whether the sisters should sell the land to a big-box developer, which Nora opposes, but everyone wants to find Peggy's lost dog. Following The City Baker's Guide to Country Living, Miller's popular debut.
Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.