Publication Jan. 7, 2025
Annie Sara Hart's background may be touched by Hollywood glamour from her father's job as an agent to the stars, but Annie isn't loving it. She works as an assistant of sorts to her father, which largely means keeping Gray's superstar mother happy. When we first meet Gray, it's pretty clear why Annie may not be loving her job. Gray is both demanding and spoiled, used to the best in life, expecting others to be impressed when they find out who her mother is. So, how they heck does Gray wind up in a small town, sleeping in a small cottage and, gasp, actually working to help out? It seems Annie needed a quick influx of cash and Gray's mother needed someone to monitor Gray's diet. Seems her mother expects Gray to fit into basically a size zero pair of jeans to be acceptable in public as her daughter. Yikes. And this is only a small part of the story.
I won't detail the plot as the blurb for this first book in a new series does an excellent job. What I will share is that the characters, and there are quite a few, come across as likable and real people with real lives, not just cut-out characters. Some are quirky, such as mega-perfectionist Patty and Toby, Jenny's seemingly autistic son who does much of the superb baking at the bake shop. Then there's Liv, who appears to be a major character. She's married to a mystery writer Bill and adores having folks over to eat. Then there's Matt Austin, owner/publisher of the local paper, who appears to be a potential romantic interest. Officer Cooper Smith, a former military guy who still seems rigid at times, is one we'll meet early on, too. And, oh, my, I can't forget Jack, the cat, who seems to have some talents that aren't quite explainable yet. I actually found it relatively easy to differentiate characters as the book went along although I did make a list early on and was glad to have it handy at first. This small town seemed to all come out to meet Annie and Gray. My hunch is that, like me, you'll start off rolling your eyes at Gray but wind up liking her by the end. There are definitely layers there, not to mention a sidestory for the future on expectations imposed on the children of stars, such as being stick-thin, in Gray's case. Watching both Annie and Gray slowly, almost apologetically breaking away from their rather controlling parents was fun.
As for the mystery, it appears a former owner of Classy Yarn, the shop Annie inherits from her late uncle, died a rather mysterious death. Not sharing, especially since it takes Annie awhile to get all the details. As it turns out, Eleanor wasn't an easy person to like. Prickly and strict on the rules she set for the knitting group who used the shop. Jack was her cat, however, and seems happy to be back in his known home with Annie thanks to Liv's efforts. There's lots of growth and definitely lots of fun and friendship. Thanks #SevernHouse for this early introduction to Annie, Gray, and the rest. Anyone who enjoys character driven books where the characters are likable and have room to grow in future books, should give this one a read. Heck, you don't even need to knit or crochet. The schoolhouse now Classy Yarn shop sounds delightful and can't wait to explore the town more. But, oh, that ending!
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