Publisher: HQN
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Scroll down for the giveaway!

Blonde, curly-haired Zoe is openhearted, kind and free-spirited, and dreams of becoming a famous actor in New York City. Shy Emily struggles with mental health but has the heart and soul of a writer. And Shannon—tall, athletic, strong—has a deep sense of loyalty that will serve her well when she heads off to military college.
As Zoe, Emily, and Shannon grow into women—forging careers, following dreams, and finding love—they’ll learn that life doesn’t always unfold the way they want it to, but through it all, the one constant is each other and their regular tea parties. And when the unthinkable happens, the girls must come together to face the greatest test of all.
A deeply moving novel about the family that raises us, the hearts that nurture us, and the great friendships that define our lives.
PRAISE FOR THE LITTLE TEASHOP ON MAIN:
“Heart-wrenching as well as heartwarming, the book reflects the experiences of these seven multifaceted and compelling characters as they journey through challenging years together.” — NY Journal of Books“A comforting treasure for regular Thomas readers who enjoy the easy flow of her writing, a little steamy romance to spice things up, and the development of vulnerable, realistic characters.” — Booklist
The Little Teashop on Main had me in its grasp with just the title because I love tea and quaint businesses set up in little towns. As a woman who didn’t grow up with many close girlfriends, I am also drawn to stories where the characters meet as youngsters and then navigate womanhood together. I have yet to find my bosom friend or a group of girls who can magically fit into the same pair of pants as me, but books like this one make me feel like one of the girls.
This is as close to a perfect story if I’ve ever read one. If you’re a woman, you can relate to at least one of the three women. If you’re a man, you’ve probably been in love with one or all three of them. Which is why opening the story with Jack Hutchinson was such a great choice. It is reminiscent of the narrative style in another book, The Virgin Suicides, but the tone is completely different and the other narrators are the women themselves, not boys or men who were on the outside looking in.
I feel as though Thomas put every ounce of care into writing this story because even the names that she chose for her characters suit their personalities perfectly. The hippie, single mother named Alex pairs perfectly with her dancing fairy-like daughter named Zoe. The name Emily very easily brings to mind a shy girl raised by a very proper and imposing mother, whereas Shannon is the name of a headstrong girl who won’t be pushed around. I don’t know if the author intended to have two male characters with rhyming names, Jack and Mack, but both men are very similar: reliable and simple – as in lacking artifice, not intellect. The character named Fuller might not match the All-American name at first glance, but he’s the pull ‘em up by the bootstraps type. And he certainly works hard to make a life for himself and the people he loves; thus, becoming “fuller” in a sense.
I enjoyed every moment with this book. As carefully as Thomas chose the names of her characters, she was precise with each word on every page. I have a bad habit of skimming when a book gets slow or gives me information that I don’t want or need. I never did that with this one. While I could predict a few plot points or motives, I was surprised with the overall arc of the story and did not want it to end. I was truly invested in each character and loved getting to know them. I hope that Thomas might consider writing a companion book to this one.
5/8/19
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Notable Quotable
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5/8/19
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Notable Quotable
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5/9/19
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Review
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5/10/19
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BONUS Stop
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5/10/19
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Guest Post
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5/11/19
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Review
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5/12/19
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Review
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5/13/19
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Excerpt
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5/13/19
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Author Interview
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5/14/19
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Review
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5/15/19
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Excerpt
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5/15/19
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Review
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5/16/19
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Excerpt
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5/16/19
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Excerpt
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5/17/19
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Review
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5/17/19
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Review
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