REVIEW: Much Ado About a Latte by Kathleen Fuller

Much Ado About a Latte  by Kathleen Fuller is the second book in her Maple Falls series. This is a friends to lovers story.

Anita Bedford has been a waitress at the Sunshine Diner for a number of years. She likes her job but was thinking it was time to step out on her own and open a cafe. She finally decided to purchase Building #3, the empty store next to the Sunshine Diner. Anita knew this decision meant a lot of work. She was hoping her friend, Tanner Castillo, would help her. Yes, unfortunately – her “friend” Tanner who Anita has wanted to up the ante from friend to something more ever since high school. Somehow she and Tanner were just not getting past the friend zone. Anita wondered if she should just give up. What kind of romance story would this be if she did that though?

Tanner Castillo has been the assistant manager at the Sunshine Diner for over a year. He’s a great cook and has been running the diner really well. He wants more though. He wants to purchase the Sunshine Diner from its elderly owner. When the owner mentions to Tanner that he has received a very generous offer to buy the diner Tanner starts to panic. That would be the end of his dream. Fortunately Tanner managed to seal the deal with a higher offer. Now he was all set and having his friend Anita working at now “his” diner would be the icing on the cake. All these pleasant thoughts were ruined when Tanner found out Anita bought the store next to the diner and planned to open a cafe – competition. Tanner had wanted to add a coffee bar to the Sunshine Diner. How could Anita do this to him? He thought they were friends and might become more.

I liked the characters but their struggle to admit they were more than friends didn’t appeal to me all that much. It took almost the entire book to make this a happy read. I really enjoyed the first book in the series. This one just didn’t hit that same high mark for me.

Book Info:

Publication: January 4th 2022 | Thomas Nelson | Maple Falls #2

She’s loved him for years, but now he’s her biggest competition. Is this town big enough for two coffee shops?

The Sunshine Diner has been Tanner Castillo’s home away from home for years, and his place behind the counter is a fixture in the small town of Maple Falls. After years of working there and saving every penny, he is able to purchase the diner and make the necessary renovations to bring it into the 21st century. Growing up poor, Tanner’s always felt like he’s needed something to his name before he could ask out Anita Bedford.

Due to some savvy business investments, Anita’s parents have been able to provide her and her siblings with everything they’ve ever needed or wanted. But Anita doesn’t have the same ambitions as her doctor brother and lawyer sister. She’s always been happy to work as a waitress at the diner, especially since it kept her close to Tanner, whom she’s been crushing on since middle school.

When her father decides to open a coffee shop and bakery, he puts Anita in charge, making her the direct competition to Tanner’s Sunshine Diner. After working side-by-side for years, can working against each other finally be the thing that brings these two lovebirds together?