The Strawberry Hearts Diner by Carolyn Brown

Blurb:

Being broke, unemployed, and stranded back in the tiny town of Pick, Texas, was not part of Jancy Wilson’s plan. Yet here she is, watching her car literally go up in smoke—along with her last-ditch hope of staying with her cousin in Louisiana. When Jancy spies a Help Wanted sign hanging in the window of the quaint Strawberry Hearts Diner, the memories of the two years she spent there as a teenager—and the lure of the diner’s beloved strawberry tarts—are enough to draw her in and plant her feet…but only temporarily.

Raised by parents who refused to settle anywhere for long, Jancy has never known what it is to have roots. Now that Jancy’s swept up by the warmth and character of this quirky little community—and by the pull of an old crush—it’s beginning to feel like home. She’s making friends and even discovering the sweetness of falling in love. But when the town is threatened, Jancy knows it will take more than its legendary tarts to save it. Can she fight for this little Texas town—knowing she might not stay forever?


My Review:

I've never been to a small town quite like Pick, Texas. I grew up in Dallas, which is a big city, and I'm from Rio, which is even bigger. So it's hard to image a quaint, charming little town where everyone knows each other.

I loved all the female characters in this book. Jancy, who often slept in her car and has no family. Vicky, who was a single mother and owns part of a diner. Nettie, who cracked me up multiple times with her blunt words loud personality. And Emily, who is Vicky's daughter and so friendly. Together they made up a family - whether by blood or by choice - and ran the Strawberry Hearts Diner.

And let me just tell you - I don't think I've ever had a strawberry tart before, but all I could thing was where do I find one?! These are so popular and delicious that there are two rules - they can ONLY be consumed at the Strawberry Hearts Diner, and if you must take some home, you are limited to two slices per person. This was such a cute little quirk of the story line. And again - where do I find one in Dallas?!

I've never read anything by Carolyn Brown before, but from looking through her other books it sounds like she often writes about small towns. The only thing that left me a little confused was that I feel like there were a few loose ends. I won't point them out so I don't spoil anything, but after I finished and started thinking about what to write, I kept coming up with more and more things that I don't think were fully explained or wrapped up. Maybe it's just me. And there really weren't any major conflicts in the novel - which can be great if you're not looking for anything suspenseful. There were a few arguments here and there, a few little bumps in the road, but nothing that made me wonder what oh what is going to happen next. It was just a cute, charming little read about four women in Pick, Texas who own and run a diner and are discovering themselves and their future.

My Rating: