Book Review: Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet

About the Book:

Forty-year-old Kate Landry's carefully planned life has become as messy as the powdered sugar on her famous beignets. Juggling the responsibilities of running her café, raising her teenage niece, and the emotional baggage from her breakup, Kate finds her world once again turned upside down when her first-ever crush, Micah Guidry, returns to town as the hunky local librarian.

As Kate struggles to implement her plans to expand her café amid the New Orleans Mardi Gras madness and the meddling of her conniving ex-fiancé, Micah becomes the unwitting hero of her misadventures, stirring up feelings she thought she'd long buried. How can falling in love in the Big Easy be this hard?

Rebekah Millet spins a delightful tale, set against the vibrant backdrop of New Orleans, proving that sometimes the messiest of situations can lead to the sweetest outcomes.

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My Thoughts:


Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet hosts an adorable cover for the feel-good story inside. As I read this contemporary romance, I loved the influential and unique setting. New Orleans culture saturated everything: the food, the characters’ experiences, and the plot events. Millet wrote of The Big Easy in a way that only one who has lived there can.

I appreciated the balance of humor, depth, and romance in Kate Landry Has a Plan. I grinned often, especially when I identified with Kate’s calamities, and these light moments balanced out the family drama, the control issues, and the stress Kate experienced. Then, time and again, the romantic scenes took me by surprise. I’d read along, enjoying the gentle romance, until an unexpected, swoony moment with Kate and Micah would plop on to the page. All in all, the novel’s structure felt well-rounded and satisfying.

Kate Landry Has a Plan lands as the second book in the Beignets for Two series by Rebekah Millet. I enjoyed seeing Julia from book one, but this novel can stand alone without reading the first book (Julia Monroe Begins Again). I recommend this novel for readers who enjoy inspirational romances with swoony moments and just-enough depth. Four stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

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Author Bio:

Rebekah Millet is a Selah Award, Cascade Award, and ACFW First Impressions Award–winning author of southern inspirational romance novels. A New Orleans native, she grew up on beignets and café au lait, and loves infusing her colorful culture into her stories. Her husband is an answer to prayer, who puts up with her rearranging furniture and being a serial plant killer. Her two sons keep her laughing and share in her love of desserts. Visit her at http://www.rebekahmillet.com/.

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Book Review: Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet

About the Book:

Samuel was back. It seemed unfair to be blindsided. And in church no less. Shouldn't there be a commandment about that? Thou shalt not step foot inside thy ex's place of worship.

Julia Monroe has just turned forty and has high hopes for a fresh start after the last decade of her life abruptly left her a young widow and a single mom. With both her boys off to college, she can finally focus on expanding her New Orleans-based cleaning business. Julia is ready for new beginnings--but God has other plans. Samuel Reed, the ruggedly handsome Green Beret who shattered her heart over twenty years ago, has returned to town and is the kind of distraction she never saw coming.

After their first interaction in years leaves her mind spinning and her emotions out of control, Julia knows she needs to avoid him if she wants any chance of preventing history from repeating itself, but her meddling best friend keeps throwing them together. And now it seems inevitable that the man who was hard to forget might just be impossible to resist.

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My Thoughts:

I love a good second-chance romance, and Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet did not disappoint. Despite twenty years apart, Julia and Samuel had unfinished business to deal with and a sizzling attraction to each other. Their unhappy history gave immediate tension to the story and a bit of an enemies-to-lovers vibe. I enjoyed the sassy banter and smart flirtation between these characters. As the animosity gave way to healing, I appreciated their relationship being different the second time around.

Julia Monroe Begins Again immersed me into Julia’s mind via first person point-of-view. Being of similar age to Julia, I giggled at or nodded along with her thoughts and words. Her particular sense of humor made this novel truly funny to me.

Aside from the sparking romance and light-hearted jesting, Julia Monroe Begins Again held plenty of depth. A handful of the situations Julia and Samuel faced included: the death of a spouse, the challenges of single parenting, becoming an empty-nester, and longing for peace in one’s soul. As the title suggests, this is the story of Julia stepping into a new season, making changes, and opening herself to hope after previous disappointment.

Julia Monroe Begins Again is a strong debut novel. The story held my attention throughout, gave me a book hangover because I didn’t put it down when it was time to sleep, and made me want to try a beignet. The romance, quirky side characters, and emotional depth in Julia Monroe Begins Again created a story that has a permanent home on my bookcase. 4.5 stars. I’m already looking forward to Millet’s next novel!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.