#BlogTour #Review : Willow (The Pepper Lane Club #1) by Grace Parks @rararesources / Books Teacup and Reviews

Hello Readers! Today is my stop during the blog tour for Willow by Grace Parks, organized by Rachel’s Random Resources. Many thanks to Rachel for tour invite and author for providing e-copy of this wonderful book. Check out the book details and review in this post. I hope you enjoy it.

Willow (The Pepper Lane Club #1) by Grace Parks
Publication Date: April 16th 2019
Genre: Chick Lit / Romance
Pages: 195
Stars: ★★★★☆

Can a socialite and a technophobe fall in love?

A bubbly personality and a great job in social media didn’t mean that Willow Lawson had it all. Her love life was distant memory and her social life only work related. The maddening demands of life seemed to get in the way of finding time for herself or her friends.

She starts the Pepper Lane Club as a chance to step away from her busy schedule once a month to reconnect with her friends.

Thomas Greer, the proprietor of the Pepper Lane Café, annoys her. He’s her complete opposite; unsociable, serious, old-fashioned and dead set against social media.

Always game for a challenge, Willow decides to take him on as a client. She’s going to prove to Thomas that he needs her help. She knew she would be successful, she just didn’t know she would lose her heart along the way.

Can Willow fall in love with a man that doesn’t respect her profession? Will Thomas let go of his preconceptions long enough to get to know the real Willow? Enjoy this sweet romance as Willow finds love and friendship in the first book in the Pepper Lane Series.

Six women. Six stories. Six chances of love. One café.
The Pepper Lane Series follows the lives of six women as they share life, love and heartache once a month at the Pepper Lane Club. They might be an unlikely group of friends, but it takes all types to form a tribe.

Willow is first in series, a love story of one of the member of club, Willow. It was about friendship, social media vs anti-social media, getting over the past and betrayal, and second chance at love.

Characters-

Meet 6 members of the dinner club ‘The Paper Lane Club’.

Willow, 25, main character and narrator of her story, was witty, fun-loving, social media expert who helped business to reach out to world, who got the idea to start all girls dinner club. I felt connected to her in many ways- bargain and free products or sale person, I like to organize but things never stay that way, and some more. She was nice character, good at her work, amazing with her sister and other paper Lane girls. She eventually saw things from Thomas’ perspective and started to think differently about his job and its effects.

Riley was Willow’s twin sister, gave name to club. She was writer, nerdy, introvert, calm and organized, and great friend and supporter of her sister.

Aria – fashion magazine editor. Workaholic. Willow’s friend from workplace. Loaded with energy, wild hair, a person whom you cannot not notice. She and Willow were close like sisters. While she and Riley were opposite, she and Aria were same in many ways.

Mary– Riley’s editor, 45. She was married, sensible and adult of the group. She was intimidating at first but was soft once she get connected to others.

Carey– hairdresser. Chatterbox of the group. No one has to worry about out-of-topic silence if she is in the group.

Rachel, 35, worked at stationery shop, and the beautiful one, yet single. I loved her apartment.

They all were different and so readers will find themselves easily connected to one of these charming ladies. They were lively, high-spirited and realistic and had their own issues in life. One common thing they had, they all were single except Mary.

‘It takes all types to make a tribe.’– that line from summery of Paper Lane Club series was befitting.

What I Liked-

First I loved that cover. In fact, all covers in series.

Just looking at blurb, both of series and Willow in the beginning of the book, I knew I’m going to like this. And this concept of telling story of members individually in series was great. I loved it in lunar chronicles and I know I’ll love it again.

Writing was easy, gripping, and entertaining from very first page. Willow’s voice was charming. She drew me into her world that was filled with social media and lovely family.

It started Willow’s idea of dinner club, introduction to her sister and all other characters of the club. On their first meeting at Paper Lane café she was surprised she hadn’t heard about the place before, the place wasn’t anywhere on social media, and there were not many diners even though the place was beautiful. She contacted the owner of the café, Thomas, to offer her service but Thomas was old fashioned and technophobic person, he refused her offer. And so started their sweet banter and romance.

Willow’s relationship with her sister and other club members was great. They had something that pulled me towards them. We get to know them a little throughout the book and as novel progressed, Willow formed strong friendship with each of them. The gossips were entertaining and conversations were delightful. I felt jealous for not having nerdy sister or not being part of any club.

I love social media vs anti-social media arc in the books these days. It proves how social media has turned into necessity in every business but at the same time it shows the how the place can be so special if not many people knew about it. Of course it is not good for business but at the same time you would not like the place crowded and noisy. I myself avoid too much crowd and noise and so mostly prefer takeaway. So advantage and disadvantage of both cases were perfectly put together.

Romance between Willow and Thomas was cute. Thomas was cute. I wish I could know him more. Willow could not tolerate Thomas and his denial to get her service. She found him arrogant, cocky and old-fashioned, not exactly a person she would date. But as they met more, her view changed and their relationship developed.

Entry of Willow’s past was good turn in the story. I expected big twist around the climax but it wasn’t there. However, story flowed easily. End was sweet. I wish I could see Willow and Thomas more in next books of the series, as this was not enough. I can’t wait to see how Riley is going to find her novel worthy prince.

Why not 5 Stars-

As this was first in series, it formed a base of the series by introducing all characters and representing Willow’s story. So we only hear Willow’s part not the rest of the characters and therefore there wasn’t much depth in characters. Development was okay.

Overall, it was sweet, charming, entertaining chick-lit that I recommend to readers of this genre. If you prefer light-hearted, fast paced and short book that you can devoured in a day or few hours, this is perfect one.

Purchase Links:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07PMSXYFL

US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PMSXYFL

Author Bio:

From Grace, with Love…
Grace Parks is a sweet romance / chick lit author with a penchant for the happily ever after.

Social Media Links –

Facebook | Instagram | Website

What do you think about the book? Have you read it already? Are you going to add it to TBR?
Do you like this genre? Do you like social media vs anti-social media arc or have you read any falling in this theme? If so, recommend me your favorite book.

Share your thoughts in the comment-box below.