Carolyn Brown excels at small-town stories involving people whose lives feel like they could be yours or your neighbor's. This is a story of love, family - by blood and of the heart, and dreams. Two sisters, Grace and Sarah, and their cousin Macy are the fourth generation of women who have run the Devine Doughnut Shop. The doughnut recipe is a cherished family secret, and the shop is the center of the town's information-sharing community. Drama abounds on both sides of the counter.

Grace is the oldest and the mother of sixteen-year-old Audrey. She had Audrey while she was young, with a man who bailed when he found out he would be a father. With the support of her family, Grace manages single parenthood well. But as the story opens, she's ready to send Audrey to boot camp or a convent. Audrey has been caught with contraband cigarettes and alcohol on school property and refuses to say where it came from. Grace believes in accountability, and Audrey isn't happy to find she's expected to work in the shop from 3 a.m. to noon every day during spring break. I love Grace's down-to-earth attitude and parenting style.

But Audrey isn't Grace's only problem. Three of their oldest customers have invited a younger friend to try the doughnuts, with an eye to buying Grace and the others out, building a factory, and taking the pastries national. Travis is a handsome and charming man who doesn't give up easily, no matter how often Grace tells him they won't sell. Complicating matters are the sparks that fly between them.

Sarah has never been married and wants a family of her own. She's spent a lot of time looking for love and finally found a man who checks all her boxes. Everything comes crashing down when she discovers that he hasn't been truthful with her. Brokenhearted, she wonders if she'll ever have the family she longs for.

Meanwhile, Cousin Macy busily prepares for her upcoming wedding to Neal. They have big plans for her cousins to buy her out while she and Neal wait for him to be promoted to manager at the hotel where he works. Then an unexpected encounter shows that he isn't what he claims to be, and Macy joins her cousins in the love-lost ranks. And though Macy is the more spiritual of the group, she has no trouble playing the part of an avenging angel on his sorry hide. I laughed out loud at that scene and cheered her on.

Audrey is one of those teens who must learn things the hard way. She wants to be popular and has ditched her old friends to hang out with two of the school's queen bees. She has blinders on when it comes to those two and doesn't see that she is being used. Grace gets nowhere when she tries to point that out and suspects there will be trouble when it finally happens.

One of Audrey's former friends, Raelene, comes to Grace looking for a job. The grandmother who raised her has died, and her mom has left town with a boyfriend, leaving her behind. Grace's big heart steps up, giving Raelene a job as a housekeeper for them and inviting her to move in. I loved Raelene. She is a young woman who has had to grow up fast and has a good head on her shoulders. But things going on in her life could upend everything she's worked for.

Travis is an intriguing man. The head of his company, he has a talent for selecting people who share his vision. His best friend, Calvin, and oldest employee and friend, Delores, round out the trio that keeps Butler Industries growing. Travis is a workaholic whose marriage crashed when he and his equally workaholic wife grew apart. Grace had his attention from the moment he walked into her shop and offered to buy her out. She turns him down flat, both for the sale and for a date, but he isn't one to give up easily. What he must decide is whether he is interested in buying her out for the business or as a way to spend more time with her.

I enjoyed watching the fun as Audrey learned her lesson the hard way. I liked the effect having Raelene around had on her once she got over her snit fit. Once Audrey's eyes opened to her "friends" true natures, she got that look in her eye that didn't bode well for them. I laughed at Grace's sense of impending doom because she knew her daughter well. And when that moment of reckoning came, it was a doozy. I loved how it turned out, thanks partly to Raelene's intelligent actions.

Small towns being what they are, the gossip was out of control after this. I loved seeing the three ladies decide it was the perfect time to take the vacation they'd never had. Within hours the whole family was on their way to Florida, and two weeks of rest and relaxation. Grace never expected Travis to follow her down there, nor that she'd be so happy to see him. Travis won my heart by including everyone in his plans while he was there. He's a good man, and it shows in everything he does. But Grace is wary of rushing into anything and is honest with Travis about her concerns.

I loved how the two weeks away gave each person a new perspective on their past, present, and future. The two teens are given an opportunity that could change the futures they thought they had in ways they'd never imagined. The doughnut shop is no longer the be-all and end-all of the three ladies' lives now that they've seen what a little life balance adds to their lives. And Sarah and Macy discover it's never too late for love.

I always enjoy the variety of characters that populate the author's books. The three older men who come into the shop every day for their doughnut and coffee fix would fit in any small-town gathering place. Beezy, the honorary grandmother was a hoot with her joy of life, adventurousness, and sense of humor. I also liked her support for the family. The two so-called friends were spoiled brats and bullies, and I loved seeing them get their comeuppance. Their mothers were even worse. I liked what little I saw of Brock and Jimmy.

The epilogue was a grand wrap-up to the story. I loved seeing where they were a year later. Some things were surprises, and some weren't, but I loved them all.

What a sweet book! This was about two sisters and their cousin who own/run the Devine Doughnut Shop.

They've each had bad experiences with love, but only the oldest Grace isn't longing for a relationship. She's busy with her popular minded daughter Audrey who's given up her old friends to try to be more "popular."

Throughout the book each woman questions the choices they've made.

I enjoyed it, it was a sweet shirt read.

This is a Women's fiction with a slow-moving Romance. I really loved all the characters in this book, and I also loved all the family drama in this book. I have a 13 year old daughter that is always saying mom you just cannot understand or mom you are just trying to mess up my life. So, I really connected and enjoyed Grace and Grace's daughter in this book. I am glad I am not the only mom that their daughter thinks are messing everything in their life up. I did think the romance in this book moved a little bit too slow. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Montlake) or author (Carolyn Brown) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Grace, Sarah, and Macy will work their way into your heart. They are the epitome of what family means and they stand by each other as well as the next generation of women. It's a heart lifting story of family, commitment and respect: for the past and the future.

As they move through life running the family bakery and living together they rely on each other in business and their personal lives. You will laugh and cry with this family as they traverse this path of life together..

Another great book from Ms Brown. Although I received a free ARC eBook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

💝🍩The Devine Doughnut Shop By: Carolyn Brown ARC Review 🍩💝

ITS RELEASED DAY!!!

Synopsis:

Three women are torn between traditions of the past and unexpected new beginnings in a warmhearted novel by Carolyn Brown about family, romance, and the best pastries in Texas.

For Grace Dalton, her sister, Sarah, and her cousin Macy, the Devine Doughnut Shop is a sweet family legacy and a landmark in their Texas town. As the fourth generation to run the Double D, they keep their great-grandmother’s recipe secret and uphold the shop’s tradition as a coffee klatch for sharing local gossip, advice, and woes. But drama brews behind the counter, too.

Grace is a single mother struggling with an unruly teenage daughter. Heartbroken Sarah has sworn off love. Macy’s impending wedding has an unexpected hitch. And now charming developer Travis Butler has arrived in Devine with a checkbook and a handsome smile. He wants to buy the shop, expand it nationally, and boost the economy of a town divided by the prospect.

With the family’s relationships in flux, their beloved heritage up for grabs, and their future in the air, it’s amazing what determination, sass, a promise of romance, and a warm maple doughnut can do to change hearts and minds.
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This is my second Carolyn Brown novel and let me just say SHE DOES NOT MISS! 🙌🏻From the drama to the lingo to the small town aspects to the way everything just synced together in the end. 💫The togetherness is really what stood out 🤞🏻. I quickly knew this was going to be a 5 ⭐️ read . At first I wanted to give Audrey a piece of my mind , but I think only because I related so much to that instances during my school years. I just devoured it like those magnificently magical doughnuts. 🤗Pure gold!! 💛
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Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Genre : Small Town Family Drama

Thank you @netgalley & @carolynbrownbooks for the opportunity !!

#carolynbrownbooks #thedevinedoughnutshop #arcreviewer #bookrecommendations #fivestarread #dramaticreading #reads #bookreviews #kindleunlimited #smalltownbooks #bookworms #fiction #readthis #highlyrecommended #arcbook #bookreviewing #releaseday #booksbooksbooks #readwithme #booknookstagram #bookrec #bookrelease

I enjoyed this small town romance with a slow burn vibe. My favourite aspect was the dynamics between the family members. Their conversations and emotions felt genuine. Plenty of small town gossip and intrigue kept things interesting. It’s low spice but I definitely still enjoyed it.

Thanks #NetGalley #Montlake for a complimentary e ARC of #TheDevineDoughnutShop upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Three women (two sisters and a cousin) own and operate the Devine Doughnut Shop, a popular gathering place for locals. Each of the women faces personal challenges as they also struggle to keep the family business solvent. One day, a charming developer arrives in town and offers to buy the shop (and the grandmother’s secret recipe) and expand the shop into a national chain.

If you love small towns, family drama, entrepreneurial women, and a slow-burn romance, grab a pastry and enjoy this warmhearted women’s fiction story.

The Devine Doughnut Shop by Carolyn Brown is another close look at Texan women. Two sisters and a cousin continue running the family doughnut shop as the three generations before them. The women are different in personalities but the same in working hard, making their way in life and sticking together as family. There is the wayward teenager, but she has time to straighten up while she is working hard.

For Grace Dalton, her sister, Sarah, and her cousin Macy the Devine Doughnut shop has all the drama that is needed but then their lives have some too. Some of the family drama could have been avoided but that is the way it often is in families. It is the way that these women stick together and their resilience that makes the story so readable. While there is romance it is not overly done, neither is the thought of selling the secret family recipe. The focus is on the women, how they handle it all and the decisions that they make.

Carolyn Brown is excellent at pulling you into the characters’ lives, making you root for them all along the story way. She does it once again for Grace, Sarah and Macy.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Carolyn Brown always comes through with a feel good book when I need it. This is the story of two sisters and a cousin as they deal with life, love, and the family legacy- The Devine Donut shop.

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

It's always a treat to read a book from Carolyn Brown. This one is a bit more on the light-hearted side, but still revolves around family relationships and small-town living and perhaps a bit of divine intervention. It was a welcome change after reading a number of books that involved tragic events. Just be warned that you may be tempted to rush off to the nearest bakery! Thanks so much to NetGalley and Montlake for a copy to read and review.

Four generations of Dalton women have held the secret recipe and run the Devine Donuts aka Double D in small town Devine, TX. They’ve shared laughter, tears, private pains, and a tough triumph to hang in there. Now, Grace, Sarah, Macy, and young Audrey, with a newcomer to their midst, Raelyn are the current Daltons to face big developers, small town gossip, teen angst, broken hearts, sisterhood, and a little romance.

Wild Sarah is the oldest Dalton sister and she’s kicked up her heels and given ‘em something to talk about for years, but that was to cover her private resentment to have to return to Devine after her mama died and pick up the reins right when her sister got herself into trouble with a bad boy who broke her heart. Deep down in her heart, she’s ready to settle down with a loving man and start a family.

Grace, the younger sister, made a teenage mistake and ended up raising Audrey without her runaway bad boy Jake, and now she’s the mainstay of the family and the doughnut shop. Her daughter is making her own big mistakes and Grace is using tough love to waking Audrey up to the truth of her ‘popular friends’ and mean girl behavior that thinks she’s entitled to wealth and a cushy life. What she hadn’t counted on was pesky feelings of attractions for the big businessman developer who wants her to sell shop and property, Travis Butler.

Macy is a Dalton cousin like a sister who seems to have the happily ever after all sewn up with her good man, Neal. But if something sounds too good to be true… then hell hath no fury Texas-style.

Audrey knows best over her behind the times mama and aunts and she’s in the popular crowd if she can keep her friends happy and not knowing her mom took in her geeky former bestie after Raelyn was homeless when her gran died and mom skipped town, gah! Slave in the donut shop through her spring break all because she covered for her friends by getting caught with their booze and cigs? But, maybe she doesn’t know everything and it takes a hard fall to discover this while she’s young.

Loved the multi-generational focus on family and sisterhood and life in this light, heartwarming small town women’s fic.

I enjoyed this sweet generational tale by a beloved author. This is a heartwarming story about a family (2 sisters and a cousin) who run the family doughnut shop in Devine, Texas. The shop has been in the family for generations and is very popular.

When relationship troubles cause drama for the women, the family bands together. However, change is inevitable, and the trio start to question the future of the shop.

The Devine Doughnut Shop is a story about a small-town doughnut shop run by 3 women with multigenerational ties to the store and the town. They haven't had a lot of luck with love, but they always have each other. They support each other as they overcome heartache and take a chance at forging a new future for themselves.

This story does have romance as one of its concepts but it's more of a story of how the women deal with a particularly bad time in all of their lives. I really like how the women worked together to solve issues, but they also took time to think about their feelings and motivations. Honestly, these women seemed very real, and I can imagine them being lovely to get to know. Grace gets most of the romance in the story because Travis enters the story when he tries to buy the doughnut shop. They spend time together and the reader gets to see how they fall in love. I thought that Grace's daughter, Audrey, was a typical teenager. The author gave her a nice redemption arc. Macy and Sarah start out the story in very different places romantically. I enjoyed how the author chose to have the women learn and grow. The fact that all of the women find a happily ever after at the end is really nice.

I might be a touch bloodthirsty, but I really wanted to see the bad guys get more of a beat down. Yeah, I know that the point was that the small-town would never let them forget what they did but that wasn't good enough. I can't say more because I don't want spoilers. The other thing that bothered me was that the people in the town sometimes knew things that they could not possibly know. For example, if someone is speeding out of town in their car, how does anyone know the reason they are speeding out of town? I just can't imagine that the bad guy would stop and announce all of the bad things that led to the speeding (I am so dancing around this issue because it's a major plot point). Now, if I assume the town is psychic or something then how did the bullies not get caught ages ago when they were doing their evil deeds? Yes, I'm being extra picky.

If you are looking for a clean book about a small-town family and their journeys to find love, you have to read this. I will definitely read more from this author in the future (that was a given since I'm a bit of a fan girl already).

This was cute. I like small-town stories, particularly those that weave together small town romance and small town families. I have young children but I definitely can see bits of this in my future.
I don't think this book is earth shattering. It moves pretty slow. But its cute and I like the bakery backstory, so for me its good and doable.

A Carolyn Brown book where donuts are featured front and center equals pure bliss.
Three women drank out the most delicious donuts but they’re unlucky in love. Will they completely give up or give love on more try?
I waited and waited for Audrey’s attitude to Improve and read on to see what the ladies’ ultimate decision about the shop would be.
The funniest scene involved Cyclone Macy giving the want for to two shysters who deserved much more.
There’s lots of fakes and phonies in this story but in true CB fashion there’s a steady theme of simplicity, family, love, and changes.
It’s a Devine read.

The Devine Doughnut Shop written by Carolyn Brown was so heart warming, and tasty. I have never read a book by Carolyn Brown before, but this was a perfect book to start off a new author. I instantly fell in love with this story, the characters just walked right into my heart. This book was so cute, tasty, heart warming, family oriented, and overall a lovely story. At times, this book broke my heart, I just can't describe it, like it broke my heart, spit my heart out, and pieced it right back together all on the same page. The cover is so so beautiful. I was instantly hooked from the very first page, and couldn't put it down until the very end. Neither of these characters were perfect in any way, but they were all perfect in their own ways. The Devine Doughnut Shop is a heart warming story about family, friendship, resilience, faith, and romance. The sassy twang the characters had were so adorable. Please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book, but DO NOT read it on an empty stomach, all the mentions of doughnuts made me want to run to the local doughnut shop and buy a dozen of every doughnut they have, the only one that didn't make me hungry was the maple one. Every sweet tooth deserves a sweet and yummy book.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND MONTLAKE FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!

Grace Dalton, her sister, Sarah, and their cousin, Macy are the fourth generation to run the Double D, The Devine Doughnut Shop, that is a sweet family legacy in their small Texas town. Grace, Sarah, and Macy keep their great grandmother's recipe secret and uphold the shop's tradition as a coffee klutch for sharing local gossip, advice, and woes. But, drama also brews behind the counter as well. Grace, Macy, and Sarah aren't allowed to share their great grandmothers secret doughnut recipe with anyone, everyone that steps foot into the doughnut shop is supposed to guess what the secret could be, but no one ever really knows the true answer. I loved getting to know Sarah, Grace, and Macy in this beautiful book. These girls go through so many doughnuts in just one day, it's insane, after reading this book it made me think twice about running my own doughnut shop, but knowing myself, none of the doughnuts would make it to the display case. Grace, Macy, and Sarah were sassy, funny, adorable, and lovable characters. All three of them have that sassy Texas twang.

Grace is a single mother, struggling with an unruly teenage daughter. Grace swore she would never get pregnant at such a young age, but she did, her boyfriend at the time decided to leave a note on Grace's car saying he wasn't ready to be a father and just walked away before their daughter, Audrey was born. If you have a teenage daughter, or if you were a teenage daughter you can relate to this book so so much. Audrey got caught with whiskey and cigarettes in her contraband for her so called "friends", Audrey wants to be the popular girl in school, but she decided to hangout with the wrong group of girls, Audrey got suspended from school, and for her consequences Audrey is to work in the doughnut shop with Grace, Macy, and Sarah, waking up at three in the morning during her spring break. Audrey was sweet and sassy, I actually adored her, but she needed to be put into her place, which her mother Grace did. Sarah is heartbroken and has completely sworn off love, after she caught her "boyfriend" married with another woman.

Macy's impending wedding has an unexpected hitch, which I am totally shocked and did not see that coming at all. Travis Butler, a charming developer has arrived in Devine, Texas with a handsome smile and a checkbook, Travis wants to buy The Devine Doughnut Shop, expose the recipe, and expand it nationally. Grace, Macy, and Sarah promised their great grandmother before she passed away that they would never sell the doughnut shop. With their relationships in flux, their beloved heritage up for grabs, and their future in the air, it's amazing what determination, sass, a promise of romance, and a warm maple doughnut can do to change hearts and minds. This book was so fun to read, it honestly left a warm smile on my face. As much as I loved this book, I can't recommend it enough, everyone please do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this beautiful and heart warming book. So many parts shocked me, I didn't even see them coming, but the end of this book truly made up for it all. Ugh, it was just an amazing story, I left some important things out of this review, because I didn't want to spoil the entire book.

I suppose I should have lowered my expectations for this book but I got excited with the doughnut shop description. Instead, I found this a bit preachy and that the story languished so much! I will say, if you like women's lit with religious overtones, this might be for you. Hope you have better luck.

The Devine Doughnut Shop comes out next week on February 14, 2023, and you can purchase HERE.

"Where's the nearest convent or boot amp?" Grace Dalton stormed into the kitchen of the Devine Doughnut Shop that Friday morning. "This daughter of mine needs to spend some time in whichever one that will take her."

I really loved this small town read by Carolyn Brown about a small doughnut shop owned by two sisters and their cousinin a small texas town. I enjoyed this book so much and I can't wait to read more by Carolyn in the future. :)

This book is a delightful read. I loved every moment with Grace, Sarah, Macy, Audrey, Raelene, & Beezy. I enjoyed the generational/family aspect of it. I even enjoyed reading about Crystal and Kelsey getting what they deserved for their actions. The Panama City Beach vacation made me long to breath in the salty air and have sand between my toes. PCB is our home away from home. Shell Island and renting a pontoon boat is our favorite part of our time there. This book just made me smile so big!!

Thank you, Netgalley and Montlake for this e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

I love the "down home" aspect of the books written by Carolyn Brown. Her characters are usually from really small towns and they always have a Southern accent (at least in my head). The Devine Doughnut Shop is owned and run by two sisters and their cousin. They have their own secret recipe for doughnuts, of which they run out of frequently. What they don't run out of is man problems and family problems. There is a teenage daughter of one of the women that is really trying their patience. It's a toss up between her being the bully and her being bullied. Those women are fierce, though, and they will certainly take care of the problem.

There are cheating men in this book, but there's also a good one (at least one...). This is mostly women's fiction with a slice of romance served with it. I dare you to read this delightful story and not yearn for a doughnut!

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.