Three books that might be identified as Women’s Fiction as they all had women dealing with various issues. There is domestic abuse in The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up, grief and medical issues in At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities and infidelity, secrets and new beginnings in An Escape to Remember. There is romance, but to me, that was not the main theme of these books. Scroll down to see what I thought.

The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up by Laura Pearson, Julie Maisey (Narrator)

Published April 6th 2024 by Boldwood Books

4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Shelley Woodhouse wakes up from a coma, and has trouble with her memory. When it starts to come back, she remembers being pushed down the stairs by her husband and insists he tried to kill her. She also knows that she and her mother have a difficult and estranged relationship due to the fact that she put up with an abusive partner and didn’t protect Shelley from him. Her only visitors are her nurse and hospital volunteer by the name of Max. She is also visited by a psychologist who talks to her and helps her remember. The story is told in a dual timeline, where we learn about Shelley’s life while growing up and before she was married, and the present day where she is healing from a brain bleed.

I really liked learning Shelley’s story as it was slowly laid out for both her and the reader. I got an inkling of what was happening, but it didn’t become perfectly clear to me until Laura Pearson was ready to share all. Shelley is a very sympathetic character. She was emotionally abused by her mother’s partner, and her mother continued to stay with him. When she moves out, gets a job and begins to stand on her own two feet, she ends up with a man who did the same thing to her. The cycle of abuse continued. The characters were well-developed, including the secondary ones. Granny Rose was Shelley’s advocate, a feisty, strong and loving woman, which might have helped to avoid all she went through had she not passed. Dee was Shelley’s best friend and as the story is unveiled, we see how much she tried to do for her. She was a wonderful friend and was there for her after she comes home from the hospital. The only other thing I want to add is that I loved Max, he plays an important role in the story and is a hero in my eyes. I don’t want to say much more because I don’t want to give the story away. This book has themes of domestic abuse, generational abuse, friendship and unconditional love. This is only the second book I have read by Laura Pearson, but I will definitely look for more. The audiobook was narrated by Julie Maisey, a new narrator to me. I enjoyed her skill as a storyteller, adding voices, expression and tone to make this story come alive to me.

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber, Narrated by Hallie Ricardo & Stephanie Willis

Published August 1st 2023 by Forge Books, Macmillan Audio

4.5 Stars:

Ava Dowling is grieving the death of her fiancé as well as feeling guilty for some reason. When she receives a mysterious letter to apply for a job as a caregiver in a small beachfront town in Alabama, she decides to take the risk and apply. She has never been a caregiver, but she is sure that the letter somehow came from her fiancé. When she arrives she meets Maggie, the proprietor of the local coffee shop who is worried about her elderly father, Dez. She had considered trying to find him a caregiver, but changed her mind when he got upset and threw away the advertisement that she had put in the coffee shop window. When Ava shows her the copy of the ad, she is shocked, but takes her to meet her dad. Surprisingly, he agrees to hire Ava part time and wants Maggie to hire her part time as well. Maggie is a single mother, who runs the coffee shop that her mother started. Her mother disappeared while swimming one day, and she and her father have still not come to terms with her death. As Maggie and Ave work together, they become friends and kindred spirits helping each other deal with grief and other unresolved feelings.

I love Heather Webber’s books. Her settings always make me want to pack up and move to whatever small town they are set in. The characters are all ones I want to meet, even the quirky, eccentric ones. Estrella is an older woman who has the reputation of being cranky and having some special powers. I loved her character, she was like the mother figure to both Ava and Maggie and helped them to figure things out about their lives. Everyone knows everyone’s business, so I’m not sure why it took Maggie so long to figure out what her father’s secret was. I liked Ava and all her insecurities and issues. She has epilepsy, which is controlled, but due to tonic-clonic seizures when she was young her senses of hearing and smell are heightened and she can smell and hear things no one else can hear, like Norman the mute dachshund’s bark. There is some romance with Donovan who has loved Maggie since they were teenagers, and Sam the new arrival who seems to like Ava. I’m not saying what it was, but the surprise at the end of the book was perfect. This is a lovely story with well-developed characters, found family, friendship, community, love, and new beginnings. If you enjoy books dealing with women’s issues, friendship and community with a bit of magical realism sprinkled in, then I recommend At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities. The audiobooks was wonderfully narrated by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis. They do a wonderful job with the story, giving voice to the characters and a smooth delivery that made it a pleasure to listen to.

An Escape to Remember (Love From Italy #2) by T.A. Williams, Helen Duff (Narrator)

Published March 14th 2022 by Canelo Escape, August 10th 2023 by SAGA Egmont

4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

An Escape to Remember is the 2nd book in the Love From Italy series by T.A. Williams. Each book is a standalone story, and it is more than just a romance. Louise has been hurt and broadsided by her boyfriend and his infidelity. She needs to get away, so when she is offered the opportunity to restore an ageing hotel in Italy that her company has recently purchased, she eagerly accepts. The Grand Hotel del Monferrato is located in the beautiful Italian countryside of Turin, and managed by a group of sextagenarians. Louise is not looking for romance, so when not one, but four opportunities for come her way, she graciously turns them down. She works with the management team, and turns the hotel around to become a much in demand boutique hotel with amazing cuisine. The previous owner had a son, Vito, who didn’t want to run the hotel. He is a professor, who has no interest in a relationship, so Vito and Louise feel safe becoming friends.

One thing I love about William’s books are his beautiful descriptions of the locations where his books are set. As well as that, he creates wonderful characters that make me want to sit down with them and have a coffee and conversation. I loved the staff at the hotel, those trying to keep it alive with little or no resources. Domenica, Luigino, Calogero were all great secondary characters that add much to the story. I loved their backstories. Vito is a recluse, he wants to be left alone with his memories and secrets. As he and Louise get to know each other, he begins to open up and share his secrets, which of course, helps him to heal. I enjoyed this story of new beginnings and personal growth. With decisions about their lives to be made, not only does Louise and Vito have a new beginning, but so do Domenica and Calogero. Of course, one of my favourite characters is Leo the Labrador. Leo is Vito’s pup and he is not quite trained yet. He is friendly and exuberant and often ends up either knocking someone over, or getting mud all over their clothes. This is a romance, but it is also a book of figuring out what you want out of life, new beginnings, personal growth and healing. My one niggle is that the ending seemed rushed and a bit abrupt. The audiobook was narrated by Helen Duff. She does a nice job with the audiobook and it made for enjoyable listening.