A Brewed Awakening

Title: A Brewed Awakening

Author: Pepper Basham

Source: own

My Review:

I loved this book!  I will say that, given how the story is written, it might not translate as well to audio; I feel like it might be a little harder to follow.

Dangerous didn't always come in dark alleys or in the form of scarred villains. Sometimes it came wrapped in warmth and good intentions, in the sort of temptation that could make a man think about things he'd sworn off.

This book is a warm hug, hidden under snarky remarks, small-town charm, and witty banter. I absolutely loved all the nicknames, like "little Miss Tea Barbie" and "Mr. Hotface" (I will let you discover the rest of them on your own)!

Mrs. Stevens had even resorted to fanning herself with a tea saucer.

I loved our main characters, Daphne and Finn, but I also loved the side characters. This story would not have been the same without Jack, Lucy, Pastor Nate, Granny D, and so many of the others! Granny D was one of my favorites and I would have loved even more of her, LOL!

"I am surrounded by walking, talking Goodreads tags," Daphne muttered. "This is not a rom-com. There are no tropes. And for the record, I am not Meg Ryan."

While this book had a ton of humor, it also had a couple of unexpected heavy scenes. I was completely gutted and cried several times. Now, the situation is loosely based on a real-life event, but, true to Pepper Basham's character, she didn't let it get heavy. Still, I wasn't prepared, and I was already having a hard, emotional day when I got to that part in the book. This is why I take a moment to mention it here. It does not in any way take away from the book.

Overall, the only thing I might change about the story was adding more of Granny D and her humor in, LOL! Seriously, I loved every moment of this story, including the hard ones. I want to live in a small town like this, where the community is supportive, but also all up in your business. I could gush all day, and I really hope we get more stories from these characters!

★★★★★/5

Synopsis (Goodreads):  

A small-town tea shop owner with a sweet tooth and a devil-may-care Englishman with more savory tastes join forces to cater a British-themed wedding. Sparks fly in this sweet enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract rom-com perfect for fans of Emma St. Clair and Sarah Adams.

As a child, Daphne Austen fell in love with her grandmother's stories of England, perhaps to the point of romanticizing them a little too much. Now, as an adult, she inherited Tea Thyme, the only English tearoom within a hundred miles of her Blue Ridge Mountain town. But keeping her tea and pastry shop afloat proves to be a continual struggle. Since losing her mother and then grandmother, Daphne's clung to the need for routine, predictability, and beautiful order--and her tearoom shines as the epitome of her Anglophile and obsessive tendencies. But her perfect world spirals into madness when an Englishman moves in next door and shatters all her Darcy daydreams with his loud music, questionable manners, and highly American interests. With an off-the-charts swoon factor, he even tempts to shatter her heart.

Finnley Dashwood left England to start over somewhere his ex-wife's parents couldn't track him down and force their parenting techniques on him. It was as if they wanted to make up for their daughter's neglect by suffocating him with control and unwanted affection. The unassuming town of Wisteria, North Carolina, provides the perfect place to start over and even remake himself as the dashing, English restaurant owner of his earlier days, instead of the somewhat-cynical recluse he'd truly become. With a shop ready for his use, an apartment for him and his daughter, and an acquaintance who owns the revered Wisteria Manor (now event planning center), Finn has everything he wants for a new beginning--except . . . maybe an understanding of the small-town Appalachian culture and the uptight, perfectionistic tea princess next door.

At first, Finn finds the whimsical and notoriously optimistic shop owner humorous and somewhat annoying, but as she begins to invest in the life of his daughter and he observes her authentic love for the people of the town, Finn's heart opens to the terrifying possibility of a second chance at love. As they are forced to work together on a local-celebrity wedding, their differences clash, sizzle, and finally begin to simmer into a unique, complementary blend of sweet and savory. But just as hope blooms into possibility, a massive storm crashes into the little town, upturning all their plans and putting not only their budding romance but the resilience of the tight-knit community to the test.