Review: Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

Book: Coffeehouse Angel

Author: Suzanne Selfors

Pages: 304 pages

I read it on: My Kindle

I read it in: A couple of hours

Plot Summary: Katrina works in her grandmother's coffee shop in a small town in Washington State, which isn't exactly the coolest job, given that it's an old-world Scandinavian coffee shop rather than the ultra hip Java Hut next door. 

One morning, when she gives a free cup of coffee and muffin to a homeless guy sleeping out behind the shop, this random act of kindness turns her life upside down. She soon learns that the homeless guy is actually a teenage guardian angel intent on returning the favor. Fame and fortune seem like the obvious requests, but after two botched wishes, Malcolm knows Katrina is hiding something from him. But how can she tell him the truth, when her heart's desire has become Malcolm himself?

What I Liked: Here is what I liked:

• Katrina is a nicely written, fairly realistic teenager as far as young adult (YA) characters go. She is not uber-sassy, uber-smart or any such thing. She is confused about what she wants to do with her life, has close friends she shares things with and is not too anything..which is a good thing. 

• I also liked Katrina's relationships in this book.. she and her grandmom are close.. but not in the fake 'we-are-like-friends' way that a lot of YA books show teenager-adult relationships as.. In this story, Katrina's grandmother-Anna- keeps Katrina away from all the financial worries and other challenges in their life and let's her be a kid and focus on things like school and friends etc. Katrina's two close friends- including a close male friend- are written in a relatable manner.. and not like something which exists only in the minds of YA writers... 

• This is a great book to read at this time of the year.. Bombay is not cold at all.. but I am sure it is cold in most parts of the Northern Hemisphere.. so, a book about a cute little 'old world' coffee shop, with descriptions of hot chocolate and snowflakes and such is just the ticket. Plus, this is also a love story, so that is another cute seasonal thing to read. 

• Malcolm is cute, too. He is some kind of a messenger angel, so he is clueless about the way the human world works and that leads to some sweet and funny moments. 

• The main 'conflict' in the book is the rivalry between Katrina's grandmother's coffeehouse and the ultra-modern wi-fi enabled cafe next door. I like the way this rivalry is dealt with and also how Anna chooses to not do anything sneaky to put Java City out of business. 

What I Didn't Like: Just a few little things:

• I wish there was more time spent on the Katrina-Malcolm love story. We didn't get to see that much of them together.. and given, this book is, primarily, a love story, this was a bit dissatisfying. 

• There should have also been more of Malcolm. He is the "hero" of the book and we don't get to see him that much. Also, we don't get to see things from his perspective. 

Rating: 4/5 
This is an easy, cute, romance read, which is perfect for this time of the year.