Much Ado About a Latte by Kathleen Fuller Review

 Happy Friday Bookish Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I want to thank you for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

I had the opportunity to read and review the first book in Kathleen Fuller's Maple Falls series awhile back, and it honestly left me conflicted. 

While I enjoyed certain elements, I didn't enjoy others, but I was still looking forward to continuing on with the rest of the series.

This week I had the chance to read the upcoming second release in the series, and today I'm here to share with you all what I ended up thinking about it.

You can check out my review of the first book below:

Hooked on You

And keep reading for my full review of book two.

Much Ado About a Latte by Kathleen Fuller:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: January 4th, 2022

Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary Romance

Series: Maple Falls

Synopsis:

She’s loved him for years, but now he’s her biggest competition. Is this town big enough for two coffee shops?

The Sunshine Diner has been Tanner Castillo’s home away from home for years, and his place behind the counter is a fixture in the small town of Maple Falls. After years of working there and saving every penny, he is able to purchase the diner and make the necessary renovations to bring it into the 21st century. Growing up poor, Tanner's always felt like he’s needed something to his name before he could ask out Anita Bedford.

Due to some savvy business investments, Anita’s parents have been able to provide her and her siblings with everything they’ve ever needed or wanted. But Anita doesn’t have the same ambitions as her doctor brother and lawyer sister. She’s always been happy to work as a waitress at the diner, especially since it kept her close to Tanner, whom she’s been crushing on since middle school.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

I'd found the first book in Kathleen Fuller's Maple Falls series to be kind of hit and miss, but I was still looking forward to giving the second book a try. I had enjoyed Anita's character in the first book, and I was looking forward to her getting her own story. Unfortunately, this one ended up being not exactly what I was hoping for, and while I did still enjoy many things about it, it definitely fell short of my expectations.

I really enjoy the setting of Maple Falls, and I love how idyllically the town is portrayed, but also realistically at the same time, like in the way the town's struggle to survive in the current economy is represented. I also enjoy a lot of the secondary characters, and I thought the diner setting for the majority of the story blended really well with everything that was going on. Anita and Tanner were also protagonists I could easily root for, as I loved how they'd both had to work hard for everything they have, and both were concerned with trying to be there as much as possible for family and friends.

However, I really didn't end up enjoying the actual romance. I thought most of the complications that arise between Tanner and Anita could have easily been avoided if they'd actually have taken the time to communicate. Plus, they both act extremely hypocritical for being mad at the other for not sharing about their new business venture while they are each doing exactly the same.

I was also underwhelmed with the scenes with Tanner's ex-girlfriend, as neither Tanner or Anita really acted appropriate considering the situation, and the reader really wasn't given the impression that Tanner was an innocent victim in the relationship. 

Lastly, I can't conclude this review without mentioning that I was really disappointed in quite a bit of the content sprinkled throughout, especially since this is labeled as Christian fiction. There's several innuendos I could have done without, some of the language seemed more than was necessary, and the inclusion of the scene where Anita gets drunk seemed tacky and out of place to me. The only true "Christian" mentions throughout are the fact that Anita and Tanner both attend church.

Overall, I think this book could have been a really great read, but certain elements caused it to fall short of what it could have been. Still an enjoyable read, but not what I was hoping for, and most likely, not one I will be rereading it. 

Final Rating: 3/5.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your weekend :)