Sofie Waits

Coffee and Donuts #2

by Amanda Hamm

Amber was Sofie’s first friend at a new school and they’ve been inseparable ever since. She’s been the source of countless laughs and occasional dares. She supported Sofie through college and carried her through her mom’s battle with cancer. But if Amber is her rock, Austin is Sofie’s hard place. He’s the only guy she’s ever loved. She can’t tell anyone because he’s also Amber’s brother.

Sofie has spent eleven years trapped between her feelings for Austin and her loyalty to Amber, who would be horrified to find out about those feelings. Now something has happened, something that means Sofie’s feelings for Austin are no longer a secret. Sofie can’t avoid the fallout forever, and it might not be anything like she expected.

Genres: Contemporary

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2015

About the author

Most of Amanda's books are love stories featuring Christian characters, which sounds way less preachy than Christian love stories. Two books have received the CWG Seal of Approval: Andrew's Key (2014) and The Art of Introductions(2021). Three books have earned Catholic Media Association Book Awards: They See a Family (2019), What Goes Around (2021) and The Art of Introductions (2022).

Reviews

[Amanda]

There are short excerpts from Sofie Waits here and here.

[Valerie (Val's Vicinity) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This story is told through alternating past/present timelines, and both timelines also have alternating points of view (switching between Sofie and Austin). Initially I was a bit skeptical about this format, but it was actually fairly interesting to see how things were revealed in one timeline and then became relevant in the other. I do think this format slightly delayed my bonding with the characters due to the shifting times, but I did eventually come to like them all.

I was quite amused by the obsession that Austin's dad had with croquet and the way he always roped everyone else into it. Quirky stuff like this is something that I always appreciate as it makes stories more memorable for me. I was also very amused by Austin's need to consciously remind himself how truly nice one of his relatives is, despite the fact that she caused inconvenience to his plans. This is SO realistic and something that I (shamefully) can relate to, which I think made it even more amusing to me.

The alternating timelines (past/present) isn't my favorite style of storytelling, but I do have to admit that it makes for a unique reading experience. Overall I enjoyed the story as a whole, though not quite as much as some of the author's other work. Still, I'm glad I had the chance to read it and I'm anxious to continue on and check out the next book in the "Coffee and Donuts" series when it's released. Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy.

[Brent Soderstrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Hamm's second book from her Coffee and Donuts series and I think this one is better then the first book of the series. They each have the same church and the coffee and donuts which are served between services as the connection between the books. Alexa, the main character from the first book, is even briefly mentioned in this book.

The focus of this book is the relationship between Sofie and Austin, or more accurately the lack of the relationship between them. The chapters alternate between present day and the past examining how Sofie and Austin met (through Sofie's friend and Austin's sister Amanda) and how they spend years with crushes on each other but never connecting. This book also shows the differences between the sexes and both parties not saying what is on their minds and instead reacting based on misunderstandings.

Looking forward to seeing who else attends the Church and what issues they have going on in their lives.

[Christina Bowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.

Sofie has spent eleven years hiding her feeling for Austin, because he's the brother of her best friend, Amber. Sofie knows that Amber would be horrified to find out how she really feels about Austin, and so she decided to not tell him how she feels, in order to avoid hurting her friend and possibly losing her friendship.

But then something happens that causes the truth to be revealed, and Sofie is forced to deal with the fallout. However things might not go as she had expected.

I'm not going to give away any spoilers, so you'll have to read for yourself to see how Amber's secret comes out when she tried so hard to keep it hidden, and what happens afterwards. But I will say that I really enjoyed this story.

[Cynthia A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a little difficulty keeping the past and present separated. I think the story was drawn out and I kept losing some interest.

[Kimberly Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this in a Goodreads giveaway. This I a really good book. This is,a really fast read.