A big fan of Amooi's writing, I picked Coffee,Tea or Me to read whilst on holiday last week. I found it easy to get into, and enjoyed getting to know the two main characters, Jack Robbins and Susie McKenna.
The story is about the opening of a new tea shop next to an established coffee shop. Jack owns the coffee shop and is intrigued by the new business, and then becomes slightly concerned by the competition. Susie tells him that they are catering for two different markets; him for coffee drinkers and her for tea lovers. But then there's her scones, which are the main attraction and drawing his trade away.
After an inauspicious beginning, Jack and Susie have to work together on their hometown festival, and inevitably love blossoms.
I liked Jack's dog, Chimichanga, who does not like women around Jack, but on meeting Susie, behaves quite differently, allowing Susie to pet her. I also liked Harvey, Jack's regular customer. I found his antics entertaining, but also understood that he was lonely following the death of his wife, and felt a little lost in his retirement years.
Susie's brother, Kenneth, starts out looking like a corner-cutting bodger, and I was fully expecting his handiwork in "Susie's Tea & Scones" to start a fire. Kenneth and Jack clash from the outset, and size-up to each other, but when Kenneth gets injured, Jack goes to help him, also getting injured in the process. Their feud is ended, and their new-found friendship sees them helping Susie to save her business.
Coffee, Tea or Me is another well-written, believable, nicely paced romance from Amooi, and was perfect as a holiday read.