EXCERPT: 'Where's the nearest convent or bootcamp?' Grace Dalton stormed into the kitchen of the Devine Doughnut Shop that Friday morning. 'That daughter of mine needs to spend some time in whichever one that will take her.'
'What has Audrey done now?' Grace's younger sister, Sarah, asked.
She sent me a text last night after I'd gone to bed and said that she had been suspended for today,' Grace answered as she slipped a bibbed apron over her head and tied the strings in the back. She tucked her hair up into a net and moved over to the sink to wash her hands.
Their cousin Macy, who was a partner in the doughnut shop, set the bowls up on the counter to get the dough made and rising. 'Good Lord! What did she do?'
Grace flipped the hot doughnuts into a bowl of powdered sugar glaze, turned them over, and set them out on a different rack to cool. 'She got caught with a pack of cigarettes and one of those little sample bottles of whisky at school. When she goes back after spring break, she gets to spend two days in the in-school suspension building. I'm paying for your raising, Sarah June, not mine. I was the good child.'

ABOUT 'THE DEVINE DOUGHNUT SHOP': 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.

MY THOUGHTS: I want a maple doughnut - more than one in fact. I am glad we don't have a decent doughnut shop in our town or I would have been down there every morning buying a dozen to get me through the day.

Anyone who has a teenage daughter, or who has ever been a teenage daughter, is going to relate to this read. Audrey is at that age where being popular is the most important thing in her life. Her mother neither likes nor approves of her friends and Audrey is certain her mother is out to ruin her street cred.

The relationship between Grace and her daughter had me chuckling, recalling similar battles between my mother and myself. I loved the relationship between Grace, her sister Sarah and their cousin Macy. The saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child, but in this case it just takes a close knit family. I love the way these three support one another and indulge their love of ice-cream in times of crisis.

These characters are all smart, resilient and sassy. Carolyn Brown sure can write them.

This is a heartwarming story of family, friendship, faith and romance that kept me smiling throughout.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.4

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THE AUTHOR: Hi! I'm twenty five years old and movie star gorgeous. The camera added thirty plus years and a few wrinkles. Can't trust those cameras or mirrors either. Along with bathroom scales they are notorious liars! Honestly, I am the mother of three fantastic grown children who've made me laugh and given me more story ideas than I could ever write. My husband, Charles, is my strongest supporter and my best friend. He's even willing to eat fast food and help with the laundry while I finish one more chapter! Life is good and I am blessed!

Reading has been a passion since I was five years old and figured out those were words on book pages. As soon as my chubby little fingers found they could put words on a Big Chief tablet with a fat pencil, I was on my way. Writing joined reading in my list of passions. I will read anything from the back of the Cheerio's box to Faulkner and love every bit of it. In addition to reading I enjoy cooking, my family and the ocean. I love the Florida beaches. Listening to the ocean waves puts my writing brain into high gear.

I love writing romance because it's about emotions and relationships. Human nature hasn't changed a bit since Eve coveted the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Settings change. Plots change. Names change. Times change. But love is love and men and women have been falling in and out of it forever. Romance is about emotions: love, hate, anger, laughter... all of it. If I can make you laugh until your sides ache or grab a tissue then I've touched your emotions and accomplished what every writer sets out to do.

I got serious about writing when my third child was born and had her days and nights mixed up. I had to stay up all night anyway and it was very quiet so I invested in a spiral back notebook and sharpened a few pencils. The story that emerged has never sold but it's brought in enough rejection slips to put the Redwood Forest on the endangered list.

Folks ask me where I get my ideas. Three kids, fifteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren. Note: I was a very young grandmother! Life is a zoo around here when they all come home. In one Sunday afternoon there's enough ideas to keep me writing for years and years. Seriously, ideas pop up at the craziest times. When one sinks its roots into my mind, I have no choice but to write the story. And while I'm writing the characters peek over my shoulder and make sure I'm telling it right and not exaggerating too much. Pesky little devils, they are!

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Montlake via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Devine Doughnut Shop by Carolyn Brown for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Grace her sister Sarah and their cousin Macy run the Divine doughnut stop. They are the fourth generation to do so. But they are getting tired of just working. Each has been burned by love. Can they they get a happy ever after ending. Sweet small town story

The Devine Doughnut shop is another utterly delightful and insightful novel by Carolyn Brown. Set in tiny Devine, Texas, the novel introduces us to 2 sisters, Grace (the eldest) and Sarah, as well as their cousin, Macy, Grace's teenage daughter, Audrey, and her used-to-be friend, Raelene, who was left homeless and penniless when her mom ran off with her boyfriend, and whom the sisters unofficially adopt. The setting is mainly the titular doughnut shop, inherited from their grandmother, making these three women the fourth generation to keep the popular establishment running. The fact that the delicious recipe is a long-held secret is what drives the plot forward, and it's the reason people cannot get enough of their doughnuts. The doughnut shop is open at the oddest hours, from 5:00 a.m. until noon, and is the hub of gossip in this small town--and gossip there is, in spades, not to mention the emotional angst these characters experience!

This is a truly a heartwarming novel about the importance of family, friendships, single parenthood, trust in their friendships and romantic relationships, and is jam-packed with so much sensible, sound advice on how to deal with all of life's trials and tribulations, that it's almost a how-to book--and I enjoyed every single minute of it. There is also a small dash of romance thrown in--showing up a little too late and a little too understated in the novel for this reader, which is the reason for my 4.5- rather than 5-star rating. Nevertheless, it's truly a gem of a read in women's fiction, and I doubt that there's a woman alive who won't find herself relating to at least one of the characters.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions stated are my own.

Carolyn Brown's books always make me smile and feel good. This one was no exception as it's uplifiting and heartwarming.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂
The owners of the Devine Doughnut Shop in Texas are thirty-something single mom Grace, her sister Sarah and their cousin Macy. All three rise each day at 3am to start baking the shop’s doughnuts that sell like hotcakes. The three owners aren’t having the best of luck but maybe that’s all about to change.

𝓜𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
A light read with a very Texan vibe, there is lots of dialect and sweet tea with thoughts of finding the love of their lives, lessons to be learned and swindlers to be caught out. I enjoyed the easy banter and the characters that come into the doughnut shop, the family and the friends.

Thank you NetGalley and Carolyn Brown for the Arc of The Devine Doughnut Shop. This is my personal review.
Grace and Sarah are sisters and along with their cousin Macy run the family Devine Doughnut Shop together.
The book is an easy read and filled with family drama, friendship, romance and so much more. Each character brings so much to the story and builds a foundation for a book that will stay with me after reading it for a long time.
The emotion the author was able to bring out as I read the book was done perfectly. The small town setting was just the right place for this to be set.

Another interesting Carolyn Brown book, following three sisters, their children and romantic relationships, as they figure out the future of their family legacy, the divine doughnut shop.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I have previous books by the author, but I think the characters were well developed and storylines well written and I loved the location and small town vibes.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

What a good story. Sisters and cousins all work in the doughnut shop that has been passed from one generation to the next. Grace's daughter is trying her patience and going through a rough stage. She was hanging with some mean girls that were making her do things she knew was wrong. Her old friend Raelene (that she is not friends with right now) is without a home and the ladies invite her to stay with them. Grace's daughter hates it at first, but gradually they start to be friends again. Both Sarah and Macy had a love interest that didn't work out. How it happened was very interesting and exciting. Grace met Travis when he came in and wanted ot buy her land and store and she wasn't having it. He didn't give up right away and they slowly became friends and then more. It was a very turn of events all through the story. I loved it

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

The Devine Doughnut Shop has been open, and family run for years. Grace and her sister Sarah along with Cousin Macy have been running it for years. Grace has a teenage daughter that has taken to running with the wrong crowd. Sarah thinks she has finally found a man to bring home; Macy is engaged to a man. Sarah finds out the man of her dreams is really not, and Macy's perfect fiancé' is far from perfect.
Travis Butler comes to the shop one morning meeting up with his grandfather's old friends. They want him to open a factory in town and build new homes. He tries to buy the doughnut shop and land. Grace is not interested in selling and the cousins are not really interested in selling right now.
As their lives seem to be taking a different turn will the girls be ready to sell out or can they find a way to a new life.
Carolyn Brown books are so good, and the stories just really hold my interest and it's hard to put the book down.

This book was CUTE. Small town, Texas. Three God-fearing women who own a doughnut shop with a top secret recipe. Two *cheating scandals*. One epic high school bullying dilemma. Zero spice. I really enjoyed the connections that the women in this story shared. They always seemed to put each other first and keep the well-being of the younger girls ahead of their own. Grace is a single mother, but it really never felt that way because Sarah & Macy were right there helping her parent Audrey & later Raelene. Beezy rounded out the group with her humor & wisdom. The romance part of the story was kind of lacking for me, as Grace doesn’t meet Travis until late in the game, and Macy & Sarah both meet their men at the last minute. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I was able to read more about their love stories. I did really enjoy the scandals, though, and the women supporting women all throughout the book.

Loved reading this book I couldn't stop reading this book. I hope there are more to this book. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend doing so

Great book and just what I needed. If this was summer or I was going to the beach, this would have been a great book to take along.
The 2 sisters and a cousin seem like everything is going their way but there is a twist. A daughter that wants to be popular, a boyfriend that can’t be trusted and a groom with no morals. What could possibly go wrong.

A sweet novel about women helping one another in a small town - and then a developer, a charming handsome one, throws a wrench in the works. Sisters Sarah and Grace and their cousin Macy have been running their doughnut shop and raising Grace's daughter Audrey, a teen with teen attitude. They've all had trouble with men and no one was looking for Travis but there you have it. I liked this best when it focused on the women (and don't forget Audrey's friend Raylene). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Brown's fans will be pleased.

The Devine Doughnut Shop has been run by four generations of Dalton women and Grace, her sister Sarah, and their cousin Macy are keeping the traditional recipes alive. All the women crave love and a family of their own but each one has experienced heartbreak. Billionaire Travis Butler promised to do something good for the town of Devine and building a factory to make the Devine Doughnut Shop’s doughnuts sounds like a winning ideal and if he is attracted to Grace more power to him. An atmosphere of heartbreak has Grace on guard doubting Travis’s interest. The women decide some changes will do them good and one vacation later and they are looking to the future to figure out what they want out of life. A feel good story about the strength of family and finding happiness, the story leaves the reader feeling hopeful and grinning like a fool. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

I love a trip to Texas with Carolyn Brown! The three gals of the Devine Doughnut Shop have a lot going on, but they know how to look out for each other. The people in their town are just like people in our town and it is fun to read books that seem so true to life.

I would consider this more women's fiction rather than a romance. This story follows a group of related women who have a well known and regarded doughnut shop. Though the shop does feature, given it is something that was passed down through the family, the most important aspect are the relationships- the relationship between the sisters, the cousins and the mother/daughter. And secondarily the men. The romantic relationship was so slow that it was definitely not a key aspect of the story. Overall, I enjoyed the up and downs between the women and felt like it was a realistic look at the challenges between family members. I just wish that there was more of a romantic nature to the story.

Grace, Sarah, and their cousin Macy own the Devine Doughnut Shop, but things are changing for them. They inherited the Devine Doughnut Shop, with all its history, the grooming that took place while they were growing up, to someday becoming the owners and carrying on to pass on to the next generation.
They used to enjoy it, the getting up and being at the bakery at 3 to make the doughnuts, but they are older now, and Grace is raising a teenage daughter, Audrey, who is heading in the wrong direction. They also live in a small town, with everyone knowing everyone's business, the drama, and the gossip.
A girl, Raelene, comes into the bakery looking for a job, her granny had passed away, her mother had taken off with her boyfriend, the rent was up, and she wanted to finish school because she had a scholarship to a college which would pay for everything. They didn't have any jobs, offered her a room at their house. She didn't want charity, so they offered her room and board and fifty dollars a week, to do chores around the house, which she accepted.
Sometimes changing something, things begin to change and that seemed to be happening in their lives. Their lives change, they are struggling with the past, the present, and what to do about the future. It all came to a head one day, after the two teenagers, got suspended from school, and they had, had enough. They went to the airport, asked for help because they had never been on a plane, hadn't really been anywhere, but they went on vacation to Florida. Getting away from everything, helped them clear their heads. They relaxed, learned new things, and it seemed they opened themselves up for possibilities. The possibilities, dreams they had started to happen. When it was time to go home, they were each different, saw things differently, and were ready for what lied ahead. This book was so good, I was sad to see it come to an end.
I received an ARC from Montlake through NetGalley.

What I read: The Devine Doughnut Shop by Carolyn Brown

Why I picked it up: It was available on NetGalley and I’ve liked Carolyn Brown’s work before.

How I read it: On Kindle. I received the eARC for free, but these thoughts are my own.

What it’s about: Two sisters and their cousin run their family’s doughnut shop in Devine, Texas (a small suburb outside of San Antonio). Each have been scorned in relationships and now Grace’s daughter has decided she wants to be friends with the two biggest bullies at school. There’s a lot of gossip in this small town, and a lot happens in this book. It’s really 4 women’s stories in the midst of a less than 350 page book – it could have been a 4 (or even a 5) book series.

What I liked: Travis was a delight!!

What I disliked: It was way too much in one book – but not a planned trilogy since there’s a huge reveal in the 1 year later epilogue.

Genre: Closed door romance, small town, family saga, mothers & daughters, sisters, cousins.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and yes – it releases February 14th and would be a doubly sweet Valentine’s read!

Interesting characters that will draw you into their lives as they go through their daily routine. Then their problems start and life gets complicated. You'll enjoy getting to know how things will work out.

I loved this book. I could relate to Grace’s frustration with her daughter hanging out with mean girls and the bullying they were doing to Raelene. I liked the characters and how down to earth they were. It was such a realistic story with such a happy ending. I devoured this book in one sitting. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.