Book: What It Takes Special Edition by Willow Aster
Reviewed by Dani
Rating: 5/5
Thank you so much to Willow Aster and Valentine PR for the e-ARC of this book!!!
I am so grateful to have read Juju and Camden’s story! It is a brothers best friend/best friends brother story full with miscommunication, missed opportunities, and so much ‘will they, won’t they?!’
Camden meets Juju at the ripe age of 5, he’s 7, and she just spilled cookies all over the lawn, but he helps her pick them up, and he really likes the cookies- he sampled one of course. Flash forward to the present and they barely speak without tension and tempers flaring. What happened to them?!
The entire story is so beautifully woven with small details from their past where you get to see them second guessing, and always revolving around each other.
This was a great read. Definitely one of my favorites this year. I loved the entire cast of characters you meet, the small town vibes, the Kitty Corner cafe, I felt like I was tucked away in the corner watching this play out. And when we were at Elm & Echo, it was such a classy vibe. I could definitely see this being a television series, something along the lines of Chesapeake Shores? Like that kind of family and vibe.
Tropes:
Chef x Cafe Owner (and chef)
Small town Resort living in Minnesota on Lake Superior
Attacking Rooster & cute chickens
Found Family
Family Secrets & texts!
Unhinged grandparents
Workaholics
TW: parent with cancer, death of a parent (car accident- different person)