At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber

Book Description

When Ava Harrison receives a letter containing an unusual job listing one month after the sudden death of her ex-boyfriend, she thinks she’s being haunted. The listing—a job as a live-in caretaker for a peculiar old man and his cranky cat in Driftwood, Alabama—is the perfect chance to start a new life. 

On the surface, Maggie Mae Brightwell is a bundle of energy as she runs Magpie’s, Driftwood’s coffee and curiosity shop, where there’s magic to be found in pairing the old with the new. But lurking under her cheerful exterior is a painful truth—keeping busy is the best way to distract herself from the lingering loss of her mama and her worries about her aging father. 

Ava and Maggie soon find they’re kindred spirits, as they’re both haunted—not by spirits, but by regret. They must learn to let go of the past to move on—because sometimes the waves of change bring you to the place where you most belong.

Review

We’re only into February, but I already have my first contender for best reads of the year! At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber was fantastic. It made me laugh and cry while delivering the difficulties and charm of living in a small town in spades. I wanted to move into Driftwood and live there forever. If you fell in love with the fictional town of Stars Hollow from the show Gilmore Girls, you’ll want to move to Driftwood too!

Now, while the publishers categorized At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities as Women’s Fiction and Magical Realism, let’s call it what it is. It’s low fantasy with a touch of soft magic.

If you get confused between all the fantasy labels, you’re not alone. I’ve watched fantasy authors argue about what defines the many, many subgenres.

But the distinction between low and high fantasy is pretty clear. High fantasy is a story that takes place in a secondary world. Low fantasy is a story that takes place in our world.

Our world, plus magic.

Which describes At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities perfectly. (The novel Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck & Fortune is another example of low fantasy.)

A Wonderful Audiobook Experience

I originally requested this novel via NetGalley, but because of a scheduling snafu, I didn’t snag a copy before NetGalley archived the book. But not to be detoured, I joined the line at my library to wait for a copy. I waited. And waited. And waited.

Eventually it was my turn, and I’m happy to report the story was worth the wait. Something I hadn’t expected from the audiobook was each point of view character (Ava and Maggie) had their own narrator. While many audiobook narrators deliver a wonderful array of character voices, I really liked how these two different narrators each portrayed their character’s voice.

Speaking of characters, I adored the cast of At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities. Webber peopled her small town with a troupe of memorable and lively personalities. She even included three notable animal characters. The sense of community and belonging hit me hard in all the feels. It was exactly what I’d hoped to create in my portrayal of Brookfield, the town Matthew Sugiyama fell in love with in Oil and Dust.

While not cozy (I found the exploration of grief and loss in At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities difficult), this book was enchanting, funny, and heartwarming. This was my first Heather Webber novel, but upon finishing the audiobook, I immediately ordered a copy for my personal library. Based on the strength of this book, I also ordered a copy of Webber’s Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe too!

If you love stories of belonging, quirky small towns, and uplifting tales sprinkled with a dash of magic, check out At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities.

Content Warning

Chronic Illness, Death of a Parent, Fire, Grief, Loss

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Ruben Ramirez on Unsplash