Jancy Wilson was driving to Louisiana to stay at her
cousin Minnette's for a while. Jancy just lost her job,
her home; all she has is sixteen measly dollars, her old
car and a tank full of gas. On her way, she stopped at her
beloved grandmother's grave in Pick, Texas, and that's
where her car literally went up in flames. There was a
tiny silver lining to that huge black cloud: her high
school crush, Shane Adams, is still in town and they need
a waitress at THE STRAWBERRY HEARTS DINER. Two weeks, and
she would have enough money to go to Louisiana.
Isn't it amazing that THE STRAWBERRY HEARTS DINER is
Carolyn Brown's 85th book! Ms. Brown has honed her craft
to such an extent that, within only a few pages, I felt I
belonged in Pick, Texas, and I knew these people. I love
the multigenerational angle of the story: Vicky and Nettie
-- THE STRAWBERRY HEARTS DINER co-owners -- are respectively
40 and 70; Jancy is 22, as well as Emily, Vicky's
daughter. Jancy's had a rough life, it didn't get her
down, but seeing Perfect Emily come home, after only a few
days, brings back memories sadly tinged with jealousy. THE
STRAWBERRY HEARTS DINER is such an easy book to read,
because of the wonderfully realistic depictions of the
everyday life of ordinary folk in a small Texas town. The
story is told mostly through dialogues, which is
definitely one of Ms. Brown's many strengths, and it
didn't take long for me to mentally read with a Texas
twang, y'all!
THE STRAWBERRY HEARTS DINER is low on angst, but there is
quite a bit of low key drama as a shifty stranger
threatens the town, and an unwelcome guest almost destroys
a relationship, and this is what made Jancy realise that
maybe she did want roots after all. I enjoyed watching the
relationship evolve between the women -- Jancy, Emily,
Vicky and Nettie -- and also how much they individually
grow, and learn to embrace the good and the bad. The
romance between Jancy and Shane is touching and sweet, and
Shane's stuttering only made him more endearing. The bonus
is though, that there is more than one romance, and
without giving anything away, I do wish to see what
happens between Andy and the woman he obviously has fallen
for.
THE STRAWBERRY HEARTS DINER is a feel good book in the
best way, not cloying in the least, but entertaining and
with the message that it is important to do what makes you
happy, and to have faith in yourself and others. Just
remember that no one is allowed to take more than two of
those famous strawberry tarts. I think I will be dreaming
of all that yummy food, especially those tarts! I do wish
there had been a recipe, but it's Nettie's closely guarded
secret!
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?
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