From New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown comes a sweet romance about finding a place to truly call home.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 … 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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Carolyn Brown is one of my favorite authors. Her books are enjoyable to listen to and she has good narrators for her witty, romantic, characters.
There are days you just need some chocolates, bathrobe, and a feel good read with great characters….this is one of thise books.
Hooks you right away with Jancy, a down on her luck, young and plucky, girl and her car dying in Pick, Texas.
Heck, the car doesn’t just die, it catches on fire in the small town so two guys come to her rescue….Ryder and Shane. And she knows them as she use to live in Pick a long time ago…fate.
She needs a job and grabs one at the diner run by Vicky and Nettie and moves into their home. Vicky is waiting for her daughter to come home from college for the summer to help in the dinner. Nettie is a spitfire of energy in her seventies and helped raise both Vicky and Emily as Vicky was young, pregnant and widowed in less than a year. The diner is the heart that holds the town together, good food, good friends abd great strawberry tarts.
Jancy thinks about moving on but falls in love with Nettie, Vicky and the guy she had a crush on long ago…Shane. Vicky is dealing with Emily wanting to quit college and a man that wants to buy the diner and other parts of the town.
If that wasn’t enough, Andy shows up at the diner to try the tarts and comes under suspicion as working for the guy trying to take over. You have a small community and everyone knows your business and tries to protect each member.
Realistic calamities in business and in life lead to changes…..and how each person deals with them makes this book a better read!! Funny, witty, serious, and memories all put together in a delightful book to uplift you…and not sappy….yeah!!
Audio Review from 2018
This was a beautiful simple story of a simple Texas town and how four women find happiness as love happens all around them.
It’s a slow burn love story about family love as much as romantic love.
The boy next door falls for the slightly tarnished one, the bad boy falls for the girl next door.
It’s not 100% closed door but the sex scenes are implied and not described which makes this unique in the sea of decadent descriptions these days.
I really enjoyed the story and how it unfolded.
A charming and warm story about accidental acquaintance in a small town called Pick, Texas!
Jancy Wilson is driving through the town she and her parents grew up in to visit her grandma’s grave but as she is driving out to go visit her cousin in Louisiana, her car catches fire outside the Strawberry Sweetheart Diner. No car, no money and no where to go, Jancy takes the job at the diner to save enough money to get out and move on but after spending time with the people she knew as a child, she is quickly falling in love with Pick and the locals not to mention Shane Adams who she had a major crush on in school.
Loved this book. The ups and downs of life, the way a community sticks together through good and bad. New love and just plain old contentment. The characters show they stand by what they believe and won’t let anyone take what they built. This story shows a strong community that will stick together through good and bad!!
This was a cute story with lots of side stories. First off Jancy is leaving town when her car catches fire in the diner parking lot and she barely gets her bags out before it goes up in flames. Left homeless and with only a few dollars left to her name she is taken in by Nettie and Vicki and given a job at the Strawberry Hearts Diner. Soon Emily, Vicki’s daughter comes home from college for the summer and watching these women coexist was wonderful. Add in the two young men who help out and soon we realize are more than just friends and we have a tangle of small town. I listened to this one on audio and found it very light and refreshing…
This was a wonderful story about life. In this story everything happens for a reason. I loved the way the author used the geographical language, and the narrator’s use of accent. each character was unique and well developed.
Absolutely loved this book! I was riveted from the beginning, book flowed and was written perfectly. I never got bored or thought it was going on too long. Read it in a day and almost didn’t want it to end, but couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Highly recommend as it also seems timeless.
I LOVE absolutely EVERYTHING Carolyn Brown writes! This is one of her SWEET romance novels full of small town southern charm. One you don’t want to put down once you start and will go in your TBR AGAIN pile. You can’t go wrong with this book!
Book was too long; too syrupy and too simplistic. Fun characters to follow but plot was too drawn out.
Sweet as expected from this author!
Wonderful characters, great twists and interactions. The romance is sweet, not
nasty. I really get involved in these books, ending up loving the characters like
people!
I love Carolyn Brown! This was another satisfying read
The Strawberry Hearts Diner was delightful! I enjoyed the friendships that were portrayed and the way the people of the community of Pick, Texas were all so close. The story starts with young Jancy being stranded in Pick one day as she is on her way to Louisiana. She begins working at the Strawberry Hearts Diner and gets to know the others who work there and the other people of the community. She forms close friendships with the other women. Jancy becomes torn between continuing her original plan of moving on or staying put in Pick to live. The characters are all enjoyable and fun. It seems as if everyone knows everyone else in Pick. The story is refreshing and full of romance and humor. Author Carolyn Brown also includes yummy food throughout the pages of the story!
I started reading this, then switched to the audio to make my drive back and forth to take my son to college. The characters are wonderful and strong. It’s very well written and makes you feel like you know them. It made my time driving special and flew by.
Carolyn Brown never fails to deliver and this book is no exception. Great characters and plot. Add in the handsome cowboy and voila.
Taking place in the small town of Pick, Texas, this book presents a delightful cast of women characters, weaving their lives together around the setting of a small diner featuring delicious strawberry tarts. The results of their friendship brings healing and hope to all. A most enjoyable read!