On the rolling hills that border the Brazos River lies Honey Creek, Texas—a small town where family bonds and legends run deep, and friendship and love are always close to hand . . . Piper Kate McKenzie, mayor of Honey Creek, won’t let a major scandal rip her quirky hometown apart, or jeopardize her dream of one day running for higher office. So she calls for reinforcements to find the source … reinforcements to find the source of corruption in the sheriff’s office—two men recommended by her Texas Ranger brothers . . .
At seventeen, Sam Cassidy left home, heeding the call to be a preacher. Later he found another mission: serving his country. After his one love died, he lost both his faith and his fight. Drifting from one assignment to another, he’s come to Honey Creek intending to earn his pay check and move on.
As a Dallas cop, Coby Riddell has grown skeptical and wary. People have a bad habit of disappointing each other, but the job never lets him down. This job in particular—his first undercover—is too intriguing to pass up.
Piper, who’s been wondering if Honey Creek might be the only real love of her life, suddenly finds herself drawn to two very different men. And if she can keep her town—and her heart—from going completely off the rails, there may be a sweet, unexpected future in store . . .
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On the rolling hills that border the Brazos River lies Honey Creek, Texas—a small town where family bonds and legends run deep, and friendship and love are always close to hand . . .
Piper Kate McKenzie, mayor of Honey Creek, won’t let a major scandal rip her quirky hometown apart, or jeopardize her dream of one day running for higher office. So she calls for reinforcements to find the source of corruption in the sheriff’s office—two men recommended by her Texas Ranger brothers . . .
At seventeen, Sam Cassidy left home, heeding the call to be a preacher. Later he found another mission: serving his country. After his one love died, he lost both his faith and his fight. Drifting from one assignment to another, he’s come to Honey Creek intending to earn his pay check and move on.
As a Dallas cop, Coby Riddell has grown skeptical and wary. People have a bad habit of disappointing each other, but the job never lets him down. This job in particular—his first undercover—is too intriguing to pass up.
Piper, who’s been wondering if Honey Creek might be the only real love of her life, suddenly finds herself drawn to two very different men. And if she can keep her town—and her heart—from going completely off the rails, there may be a sweet, unexpected future in store . . .
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Breakfast at the Honey Creek Café by Jodi Thomas is a sweet and heartfelt romance with a touch of mystery and a strong sense of community. Set in the charming small town of Honey Creek, Texas, the story follows the perspectives of four characters: Piper Mackenzie, the town’s mayor who has found herself in the middle of a media storm due to the disappearance of her wannabe fiancé, Boone Buchanan, Colby McBride, a handsome State Trooper who has been hired by Piper’s brothers to discreetly investigate Boone’s disappearance, Sam Cassidy, the temporary pastor at the local church, and Pecos Smith, an ambitious high school senior.
I enjoyed this book immensely. The writing style was fun, easy, and engaging. I thought the author did a wonderful job of describing the town, and I could easily picture it. The characters were realistic and lovable. They pulled you into their lives from the very beginning and kept you hooked until the last page. I enjoyed getting to know everyone and thought the ending was really sweet and hopeful. I eagerly await the second book and hope to see more of Pecos and his new family.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I am never disappointed when I read one of Jodi’s books. They take me on a journey through a small Texas town where the pace is usually a little slower and the folks are friendly. But don’t be fooled, they have their issues too, but in true Texas form, they work through those issues together.
This book felt a little different than Jodi’s other books. I think it is because I felt like there was a little bit of a mystery to solve that paired nicely with the romance. Piper, or PJ as a certain State Trooper was wont to call her, is stuck in the middle of a media storm due to the disappearance of Boone Buchanan, a friend who claimed they were engaged. As the mayor of a small town, this doesn’t bode well for her since many wonder if she had something to do with the events surrounding his disappearance. Enter Colby McBride, the sexy State Trooper doing a favor for a friend, also known as Piper’s brother. Colby has a way about him that puts the citizens of Honey Creek at ease and he even charms Piper’s family, especially the women, to get them on his side. It takes a bit longer with Piper.
This assignment had more layers than the Palo Duro Canyon.
While the story’s primary focus is Piper and Colby, there are several other storylines occurring that bring humor and more romance to the book. Sam arrives to fill a spot at the local church and wonders if being a preacher is his calling. Stella and Anna work at the church in different roles and have their own issues to deal with with the help of Sam. Sometimes you just need a fresh pair of eyes on the situation.
I think the most endearing character was Pecos. He is a graduating senior at the local school and his home life hasn’t been that great. His parents just consider him a worker and not their child which is a shame because Pecos has dreams that he should follow. His life turns upside down when he meets up with a classmate, Kerrie, and they form a friendship. There are some surprises in store for Pecos, but he rolls with the punches with the help of Mr. Winston, a lonely older citizen of the town. I actually think that Pecos and Mr. Winston save each other in the end and it is definitely a heartfelt moment (or two) as situations unfolded for these two.
I enjoyed the descriptive text about the town and especially the preacher’s new quarters. I’m not sure who decorated the cottage but it is not what a single bachelor would want to see when they wake up each day. You’ll have to read the book to discover how it was decorated, I think you will get a chuckle out of it much as I did.
I loved this book and did not want the story to end. There were so many unanswered questions, ok maybe not that many but a few. The upside is that this is going to be a series and I hope that all of these characters make guest appearances in future books.
We give this book 5 paws up and can’t wait for book two, which I was lucky enough to read the first couple of chapters at the end of this book.
Jodi Thomas is the poet laureate of loneliness. Her characters long to connect, and when they do, you’re more than satisfied.
There are so, so many things to love about this story. Jodi Thomas creates characters so realistic, you feel like they could be neighbors or friends. And she gives some of them such a great sense of humor, it makes the book even better! My favorite character in this fast-moving story was Pecos, a teen who just wants to do the right thing. What a great kid! And a fantastic book!
Cannot wait to read more by this author. I want to read more about these characters!
Such a sweet book.
Piper is the mayor of Honey Creek Texas and her boyfriend mysteriously disappears. Except – he’s not her boyfriend. Her brother hires Colby, a Trooper, to come into town and investigate the disappearance quietly. At the same time, Sam, a firefighter, comes into town pretending to be a traveling preacher following in his father’s footsteps.
Piper adamantly refuses to acknowledge Colby and his persistent attempts to woo her but the townsfolk quickly support him in his efforts. Sam, still reeling from the death of the love of his life, refuses to acknowledge that he has feelings for April.
Then, there is Pecos. A local high school kid who drives for Uber but never really signed up with Uber. One night after a high school dance, the girl he’s been infatuated with asks him to bring her home and their story begins there.
A cute, sweet, romantic story.
You can always count on Jodi Thomas for a good story with wonderful characters and interesting situations.
LOVE anything Jodi Thomas – she is a first-class story-teller that writes in such a way that you LIVE her characters! You’ll never be disappointed when you pick up one of her books to immerse yourself in!
BREAKFAST AT THE HONEY CREEK CAFÉ by JODI THOMAS
(A Honey Creek Novel Book 1)
On the rolling hills that border the Brazos River lies Honey Creek, Texas—a small town where family bonds and legends run deep, and friendship and love are always close to hand . . .
Piper Kate McKenzie, mayor of Honey Creek, won’t let a major scandal rip her quirky hometown apart, or jeopardize her dream of one day running for higher office. So she calls for reinforcements to find the source of corruption in the sheriff’s office—two men recommended by her Texas Ranger brothers . . .
At seventeen, Sam Cassidy left home, heeding the call to be a preacher. Later he found another mission: serving his country. After his one love died, he lost both his faith and his fight. Drifting from one assignment to another, he’s come to Honey Creek intending to earn his pay check and move on.
As a Dallas cop, Coby Riddell has grown skeptical and wary. People have a bad habit of disappointing each other, but the job never lets him down. This job in particular—his first undercover—is too intriguing to pass up.
Piper, who’s been wondering if Honey Creek might be the only real love of her life, suddenly finds herself drawn to two very different men. And if she can keep her town—and her heart—from going completely off the rails, there may be a sweet, unexpected future in store . . .
This is Piper Kate McKenzie and Sam Cassidy’s story.
Mayor Piper Jane Mackenzie The mayor of Honey Creek, Texas, walked slowly down the long hallway to her office on the fourth floor of city hall.
It wasn’t dawn yet and she already felt a heavy weight bearing down on her slender shoulders.
This may be her last day in public office.
It may be the end of the Mackenzies occupying the mayor’s seat since the building had been built over fifty years ago.
Samuel Randall Cassidy pulled his dusty blue Audi into the rest stop parking lot forty miles from Honey Creek, Texas.
It was time to clean up and step into the parallel life he might have lived if he’d turned down another road after college.
Five years of seminary school, then ten years in the army flying, and another five as a firefighter in the Rocky Mountains. He’d been called a student, a captain, and a smoke jumper, but now he was stepping into a new identity . . . a preacher.
I recommend reading.
BREAKFAST AT THE HONEY CREEK CAFÉ by JODI THOMAS is a 4 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by JODI THOMAS.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book.
Piper is the mayor of Honey Creek and her pretend boyfriend is missing. His car has been found in the nearby river, but there is no trace of Boone. The story is told both from her point of view as well as that of two men who arrive in town shortly after the disappearance and a young man about to graduate from the local high school. The author continues to develop her characters as the story unfolds and there are a few surprises along the way!
I have seen many readers write about how much they loved Breakfast at the Honey Street Café. I am one of those who have too frequently discovered that books and movies do not live up to the flattering press and am disappointed when I do not feel an inkling of the mass love given to them. Jodi Thomas is a new to me author and I was thrilled to find that was not the case with this book. Yes, I was hooked from the very start.
Ms. Thomas has created a town I would love to visit. While the premise is centered around the disappearance of Boone Buchanan, the story is about life in Honey Creek and how the residents look out for one another. We also find several romances blossoming within this book.
Anyone who enjoys a blend of mystery and romance should enjoy this easy to read story.
Many thanks to Kensington Publishing Corp. for my selecting me to receive an advance copy. No promise of a positive review was promised or requested.
This is my first book read by Jodi Thomas but it definitely will not be my last. She introduces us to the town of Honey Creek, Texas where Piper is the mayor. Seems that Piper’s self proclaimed boyfriend, Boone Buchanan, has turned up missing and his car is found floating in the creek. Colby, a trooper, has been asked by Piper’s brother who is a Texas Ranger to go and see what he can find out and make sure that his sister is safe. Then there is Sam, a new preacher, who has come to town to preach until a permanent one can be found. This is a great story with a little romance and a lot of suspense. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.
I loved this book! Intrigue, romance, and a mysterious disappearance kept me on the edge of my seat! Can’t wait for the next book as the preview shows it is going to be just as wonderful! definitely 5 stars!
I loved this book!! So good!!! I definitely recommend this book for all to read!!!!
Breakfast at the Honey Creek Cafe is my first novel by Jodi Thomas. It is set in the town of Honey Creek, Texas. There are four main characters and storylines, although there are many interesting side stories. This novel is well-written, humorous and fast-paced. It is evident that the author has affection for the characters and town that she has created.
Piper Mackenzie is the town mayor and has the dilemma of the suspicious disappearance of her fiancé (according to him, not her). Piper’s brother has enlisted the help of a state trooper, Colby, to investigate the missing “fiancé”. Sam is an ex-military fire fighter with seminary training who is filling in for the local pastor. Pecos is a motivated and kind high school senior.
Although a mystery, the story is primarily character driven. The only drawback for me was the occurrence of some “insta-love”. This is the comfort food of books. Honey Creek is a nice break from the horrors of current events and would make a great beach read. I’ll be looking for more books from Jodi Thomas.
I received this book from a Goodreads contest and really enjoyed the story. It took me a little while to get used to the author’s style of moving the story forward through time and individual characters. Mayor Piper Mackenzie asked her Texas Ranger brother for help in solving the disappearance of a friend who claimed falsely that they were engaged. He sent Trooper Colby McBride undercover to investigate and for his cover he pretended to be an ex-boyfriend looking to reconnect with the mayor. There are two intersecting stories of the temporary preacher Sam Cassidy and Pecos Smith who is just graduating from high school. All the Honey Creek residents love their mayor and are looking out for her, but they are also enjoying the unfolding romance which started as fake and quickly became real. Romance in a small town has some surprising twists and turns.
Sweet cozy mystery with a bit of romance. This is set in a small town and the mayor’s “almost fiancé” has gone missing. A trooper is sent to watch her undercover to protect her. Meanwhile a new preacher comes to town. Plus there is a young high school couple trying to find their way in life.
Nothing earth shattering about this book, just a sweet town that cares about its community and looks out for each other. 1st in a series. This is a feel good story for when you need something light. Plus there is a line about oxygen in the book that made me laugh out loud- funny!
I look forward to reading the next book in this series as I loved the characters in this story.
#BreakfastAtTheHoneyCreekCafe #JodiThomas
Breakfast At The Honey Creek Cafe is a wonderful mystery/ love story. I enjoyed the story of the missing fake boyfriend, but I enjoyed the deeper stories of the townspeople more. Each set of characters had a richly developed story that was separate from the other characters. Those stories made this novel a joy to read.
I do not normally read this genre but I enjoyed reading the blurb and thought that I would take a chance. I am so glad that I did. I think that Jodi Thomas is going to be one of my favorite new authors to follow. I am looking forward to reading more from the Honey Creek series.
I am hoping that in the future there will be some back stories about the Aunts at Widows Park. Maybe a spin off series??
Wow! Great Book! So entertaining I couldn’t put it down. There was so much action in this book you couldn’t begin to predict what was going to happen next. I love Jodi Thomas books and always pre-order. I am never disappointed.
Thank you in advance to the publisher, Zebra/Kensington, for providing an advanced reader’s/review copy/edition through Bookish First. A positive review was not required and all words are my own.
First of all, this ARC/ARE was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so I didn’t receive it until about a week ago. That is why this review is a bit “delayed”.
This was one of those “gotta have it points redemption” reads – or so I thought. This story is written by new-to-me, but widely known author Jodi Thomas.
The premise sounded interesting and I was under the impression that there was going to be a bit of a “triangle” with Colby/Piper/Sam. That definitely turned out not to be the case. It was more centered around Colby/Piper and Sam off on his own.
While the premise sounded adorable, a romance with a mix of suspense – to me, it seemed to drag along quite a bit. I chose it because I LOVE stories set in Texas since I am from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. I also love romantic suspense stories as well. This falls more under a “cozy” type of mystery – there was very little romance to it. Or that I was able to read. As I don’t read them very much, or titles from the publisher – this did seem to fit the genre. I am sure this is definitely geared more for those who enjoy a cozy mystery over romantic suspense so long as they don’t have too high of expectations.
I’ll give this book an A+ for effort with the cute and cozy cover. However, to me, it didn’t really seem to match the story which was told in third person from four different POVs – Piper, Sam, Colby, and Pecos.
This is more or less a character driven story, as most of them are, but this focused more on the characters than having the plot front and center, or even having it running secondary.
Don’t get me wrong, we do read books for the characters – so I really wanted to give this a chance.
Since it is character driven, I have to admit that I REALLY liked Colby. He just stood out to me and I fell in love at first sight even if Piper didn’t. Sam’s sad past was kind of hard and I really hoped he could find someone as well as understand his father better. Piper was okay, but she seemed just too “tight” to even seem like a fun sort of fit for Colby.
Saving Pecos for last – I had a REAL disconnect with his story line. It just didn’t fit the theme of this novel. The Pecos/Kerrie dynamic (can’t even call it a relationship) really didn’t seem to fit either and it felt forced. I think the story would’ve worked just as well, if not better, without it. It seemed awkward and clunky as it moved along.
I was tempted to pass those chapters but didn’t want to miss something. I didn’t like Pecos’ parents at all. While he wasn’t abused per se, he was neglected. The teen pregnancy, marriage, and “job” were a bit rushed, and I personally feel it detracted from the Colby/Piper and Sam/Anna story lines.
The story starts off with the mystery and then gets into Sam’s sad tale. While I thought he and Piper were supposed to have “something”, turns out it was more him and Anna with Colby/Piper in the foreground.
That isn’t the only issue with the plot …
One plot hole was Boone. To me it seemed like a gaping hole. There was NO motive given for what he did as well as the disappearance. Also, the addition of Marcie and him being her “guy” along with the “other woman might have to die” part needed something to hold it to the story. His disappearance isn’t explained. And, it seems there is very little effort to look for him.
The sheriff’s disappearance also seemed a bit off. The whole “ran off and got married” part seemed like a way of trying to decide whether he was a good guy or bad one. Though I did like seeing him offer Pecos a chance at a good job.
Another clunky, awkward, and tad disturbing part – some kids following poor drunken Daily Watts. His heartbreak was understandable. Part of me wanted him to see the kids as angels trying to comfort him and care for him; the other part wanted me to say “leave him alone”. I was trying to figure how Daily’s story played into the main plot. And, it didn’t, at least not to me.
The townspeople, for the most part, were seemingly unconcerned with the drama surrounding Boone and Piper.
There is an issue that I hope is a typo. In chapter seven, on the first page of the chapter it says something about Piper having lunch with her mother “Lunch with her mother and the other ladies at Widows Park at one o’clock”, very next page – “Though her mother died when Piper was eight …”
The real action happened at the end with some dual “intimate” scenes along with a major incident and a mediocre reveal. It seemed the mystery got scrapped in exchange for the banter between the characters.
This a “cleaner” read. While there is mention of nudity, the language isn’t too foul; there is mild underage drinking, and perhaps a teenage pregnancy. There are no explicit or mentioned sex scenes though. Piper’s change of heart towards Colby seemed rapid due to the time frame for the story. Yet according to the blurb she seemingly is attracted to him.
The short chapters make this a quick read. The story takes place between 5/23 Wednesday to Wednesday 5/30 – so about a week’s time. While reading the book, it seems like it drags, chronologically it moves far too fast to be believable. There are some good quips and moments though.
A hilarious part was when Colby is told, referring to breaking Piper’s heart, “they’d likely murder you then dig you up every year to kill you again”. Poor Colby seemed like a lost puppy. I laughed out loud with his assessment that half of the town needed to be in line-up.
It isn’t so much the main characters that support this, as much as it is the supporting characters – Sam and Colby. There were too many characters to keep track of and at times seemed like a distraction. I think it could’ve been narrowed to Piper, Sam, and Colby.
I’m thinking this is a typo, but on Chapter 16, the heading was “Mayor Piper Mackenzie”. As this has already been established in the beginning – it isn’t needed again. Other than the two issues, the writing was solid and definitely transitioned well.
I didn’t dislike the book, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I might be interested in the next book of the series, however that will have to wait until it is in a library or available as a thrift purchase. Perhaps fans of the author and the genre might enjoy it.