For three decades, the Seaside Cafe has served delicious meals to locals and island tourists alike. Kayana Johnson has moved home to help her brother run the cafe--and to nurse her wounds following a deep betrayal. Between cooking favorite recipes--creole chicken with buttermilk waffles, her grandmother's famous mac and cheese--and spending time reading, Kayana is trying to embrace a life free of entanglements, while staying open to new connections . . . ( )

Kayana Johnson returned to Coates Island to help her brother with the family restaurant two years ago. She had a bad divorce and felt it was the perfect time to return to the island of her childhood. Having always loved to cook, Kay has taken over the morning shift where she meets two ladies, very different, but whom she discovers , also have a love of reading. They decide to start a weekly Book Club which also turns into bonding friendships. Each of the ladies appear to have a special story and in this series debut, Kayana finds that there are friends and that they don't necessarily have to be female.

A really enjoy Ms. Alers writing. She brings her characters such life, their flaws, which are revealed as we read, only make them more likable because they appear as normal every day people, but ones that you would like to meet. I'm looking forward to Leah's and Cherie's stories.

One downside - the books that they were "reading" for this book club, are real and have increased my TBRs! ( )

Good book. It has two main storylines; both centered around Kayana. She is a forty-six-year-old woman who returned home to Coates Island two years earlier after divorcing her cheating husband. She has found peace and healing in helping her brother run the family café and spending her free time reading. Part of the book is spent on the book club she started with two female customers, Leah and Cherie. The other part covers Kayana's unexpected connection with Graeme, a visitor who is more than he appears.

The book club aspect was an interesting one. A voracious reader herself, Kayana struck up a conversation with Leah about a book she was reading while dining at the café. Kayana proposed that they get together once a week over the summer to talk about what they are reading. A second customer, Cherie, was also invited to join. All three women have issues in their lives, which color their opinions of the books they read and discuss.

I was a bit put off by one of the women, Cherie, who was somewhat abrasive in her interactions. She was frequently rude and often seemed angry at everything and everyone. Leah also had her moments, especially when dealing with Cherie, leaving Kayana to play peacemaker. Though originally meant just to discuss books, the three women found themselves becoming friends and sharing their personal lives. Leah is married, but not happily, and the mother of grown twin sons. She has stayed in her marriage to provide a stable home for her boys, but living with her husband becomes harder each year. She enjoys the freedom of being on the island and contemplates her future. Cherie is filled with guilt over her affair with a married man, which makes her defensive in many of her conversations, even if they have nothing to do with her personal life. I liked seeing the three women become friends as they shared views on books and life both in general and specifically when it comes to their own situations.

The other part of the book was devoted to Kayana's developing relationship with Graeme. He has come to the island during the summer for a couple of years and was drawn to Kayana from the beginning, though she didn't take any particular notice of him. However, this summer something changes, and Kayana does take note of him. She's not too happy about it as she was burned by her cheating husband and has no intention of getting involved with another man. His betrayal of her trust made her wary of letting another man close. Graeme is a widower of several years who was burned by a spoiled wife. He carries a load of guilt because of the argument he had with her shortly before her death. Besides being a math teacher, he is also a bestselling author, though that part of his life is a well-guarded secret. There are sparks between Kayana and Graeme though Kayana is initially reluctant to acknowledge them. Graeme is more interested but is also patient enough to give Kayana time to get used to the idea. I liked seeing their friendship grow. I loved their cooking lessons, which were fun and relaxing. I enjoyed seeing them grow closer, and the attraction between them becomes stronger. Kayana doesn't look forward to the end of the summer when Graeme will go back to his teaching job. But he hasn't been forthcoming about his plans, and when she finds out about them, she feels betrayed. I liked that both Kayana and Graeme are mature enough not to make too big a drama out of the issue. Graeme gives Kayana the space she needs to process what she learned, and Kayana doesn't write off their relationship. I liked the ending and seeing them come back together.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and learning more about Leah and Cherie. ( )