A Cup of Silver Linings (Dove Pond #2) by Karen Hawkins

 

You know how you wait and wait for something, then it finally arrives, and instead of jumping on it and being happy it's finally here, you dink around and put it off for a bit? That's exactly what I did with this novel, the sequel to 2019's The Book Charmer (you can read my review here).  

I just can't get enough of novels that involve magic. Add in a small town and a family of sisters, and that's pretty much an irresistible trio for me. 

Even though I couldn't wait to read this, I started it earlier this month and didn't get far before I got distracted--and thought oh no! I'm not going to enjoy this. That lead me to setting it aside and reading a few other books. This past week I picked it up again and decided I was going to dive in and finish it before I read anything else. So I did, and it didn't take long before I got over my stuck-ness and bam! I was back in Dove Pond with the Dove sisters and right in the thick of things. 

This, the second in the series, focuses on Ava Dove. She's opening a new tea room and working hard to get it ready. Helping her is teen Kristen, who has just lost her mother Julie to cancer. Ellen Foster, Kristen's grandmother, has arrived and has told Kristen she's selling the house and Kristen will move back to Raleigh with her. Kristen, still deeply grieving her mother, is determined to never leave Dove Pond, nor the house she grew up in and holds so many memories of her mother. Ellen, estranged from Julie and Kristen for years, struggles to grieve and understand her granddaughter. It's a rocky road for the two of them. 

Ava, meanwhile, is having some issues because of a secret she's kept for years and years. That secret is in a box under her bed, wrapped in ribbon and bound tightly with some Dove magic. However, that box has been thumping, pounding, moving around, and causing Ava horrible headaches and sleepless nights. That secret wants to come out. Will Ava have the courage to spill her secret before something horrible happens? And what's going on with the special teas Ava creates for folks who have ailments (both physical and those of the heart)? Three people have returned teas saying they didn't work correctly and had some disastrous results. What could have gone wrong? Ava's reputation is on the line. 

Once I got past my reading block, I inhaled this novel. It took me a bit to familiarize myself again with the Dove sisters and the town. It wasn't hard, and you could read this without reading the first in the series. There are hints of potential romance, and a big change for Sarah and her painful reaction to the town sheriff. 

Themes in this novel involve grief, cancer, death, betrayal, secrets, looking for a biological parent, forgiveness, and friendship. It's a gentle read, and I loved it so much! It was wonderful to return to Dove Pond. I hope I can be patient and wait for the third in the series. There's quite a bit left to discover about the Dove sisters (there are 7 of them!) and the town of Dove Pond, North Carolina. 

Rating: 4/6 for a delightful sequel to The Book Charmer. Characters from the first novel appear, but new characters take center stage--and we find out a big secret that could change everything for Sarah Dove. 

Available in paperback, audiobook, and ebook.

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A Cup of Silver Linings (Dove Pond #2) by Karen Hawkins

Plaid and Plagiarism: The Highland Bookshop Mystery Series, Book 1 by Molly MacRae

I had high hopes for this mystery series, but unfortunately I was disappointed. 

Set in the Scottish town of Inversgail, four women have purchased the local bookstore Yon Bonnie Books, with additional plans to open a tea shop next door, and have rooms upstairs for overnight guests.  Janet and her daughter, Tallie, have moved from Illinois. Janet's tie to Inversgail is a vacation home she and her now ex-husband bought and used for years before their divorce. It will now be Janet's permanent home. Janet's friend Christine, and Tallie's friend Summer have also moved to Inversgail to help run the tea shop and bookstore.  It's a fresh start for all the women--but murder and mayhem quickly make an appearance. 

The local advice columnist and reporter is found murdered in the shed behind Janet's home. An unpleasant woman, Una is the local font of all gossip, and sticks her nose in everyone's business, while remaining secretive about hers. There are a number of suspects in Una's death. But who had the biggest motive?

I completely expected to fall in love with this series, the characters, the town, and, of course, the bookstore. I didn't.  The story felt clunky; the supporting cast of characters felt one dimensional; Janet--who I thought for sure I'd love, given her previous job as a librarian and lover of all things books--well, Janet and Christine, along with Tallie and Summer, felt wooden to me. I didn't get the vibe of a warm, long friendship with Janet and Christine. Usually when I read a cozy mystery, the author spends some time building up the characters, and the setting, inviting you in to stay awhile. I didn't get that from this mystery. I always felt like I was missing part of the story.  

There is a second book in the series: Scones and Scoundrels,which takes place four months after Plaid and Plagiarism.  I may read it, and see if I change my mind. The person I suspected as the murderer was correct; the motive behind Una's murder was the only interesting part of the plot. But otherwise, I felt like I had to wade through a lot of disjointed story before I got to the big reveal. 

Rating: 2/6 for a mystery that could have been so much more.  I felt completely disconnected to the four main characters; the town didn't feel very cozy, and overall, the mystery just wasn't that interesting. 

Available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook. 

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Plaid and Plagiarism: The Highland Bookshop Mystery Series, Book 1 by Molly MacRae