Quilters of the Door

Door County Quilts #1

by Ann Hazelwood

A quilt artist finds a new home—and beautiful new horizons—on the shores of Lake Michigan in this series debut by the author of The Jane Austen Quilt Club.

At fifty-five, Claire Stewart has left her Missouri home for the charming community of Door County, Wisconsin. A watercolor quilt artist, she soon joins a small quilting club in town. The beauty of Door County offers boundless inspiration for new quilt projects. But it is the man with the red scarf who intrigues her most of all . . .

When Claire left Missouri, she also escaped a bad relationship. Now, as she grows more comfortable with her move to Door County, she becomes open to new ideas, new friendships, and even the possibility of new love.

Genres: Fiction, Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Quilting

388 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 25, 2020

About the author

Ann Hazelwood was the owner of a quilt shop for 30 years. She has always adored quilting and is a certified quilt appraiser. In addition to her cozy quilt fiction, she has written travel guides and quilting non-fiction.

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know when I have finished a book and been so angry. The immediate anger was motivated by 388 pages of wishing for more and then the ending was simply a set-up for the next book in the series; most of the storylines, particularly two introduced near the end, were not given any sort of resolution. Throughout, as someone on our library site noted about an earlier book by this author, the book reads like a first-draft high school writing project. But the author has at least 23 books published, in four series--where were the editors who could have helped tighten the story, add more quilting, take out the travelogue about so many restaurants and shops in Door Country, and lose the trite adjectives? "The Almighty" references are odd as well, for a character who only goes to church possibly twice in the three months (not clear whether she actually goes on Christmas or not). There are some interesting novels with quilting at their center but this is not one of them.

[Marge · Rating 1 out of 5]

Adult women calling each other Clair bear and Cher bear - ridiculous and irritating. Woman runs a quilting business but never quilts, too busy eating and talking about her ex boyfriend who she left. Again not adult actions.

[Ann Kiefer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m conflicted about this book. I did not enjoy the writing or the descriptions of Door County, which is a place that I love. The dialogue was stiff and unnatural. I did not appreciate the cliffhanger ending. But somehow I managed to become interested in the characters and now I am actually considering reading the next book in the series to see how things turn out.

[Sally B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I trust she's better at quilting than writing. This is a predictable story set in the beautiful Door Peninsula. Although the standard disclaimer of no place is real, haha. All the places are real. And please, stop with all the exclamation points.

[Lynn Hayward-Bisbee · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's rare that I don't finish a book, but I just couldn't stomach this one. What is so disappointing is that I've read countless others by this same author, but this new series just doesn't compare with her others. My library did only have the audio copy and that is part of the problem, I recognize. The narrator was just not good at all and it was SO ANNOYING to have music played at the end of every chapter, especially when those chapters are so, so short.

The short chapters were another thing that bugged me. Instead of having 100+ chapters in a book, how about making each chapter a wee bit longer and not end seemingly in the middle of some action every single time.

I couldn't stand hearing the stupid names the characters had for each other-Claire Bear and Cher Bear-- or some such and every single time I heard it, it just turned my stomach. By about the 50th time, I told myself that was it. I'm sorry, but I just don't see grown women calling each other by such sugary sweet nicknames.

I couldn't get attached to the characters in the group. There wasn't a whole lot of quilting and talking about quilting, but an awful lot of going out for coffee.

There are probably more reasons why I didn't like this book, like character development, for example, but I could't get past one more time of hearing "Cher Bear and Claire Bear" to give it a try. Ann Hazelwood has written so many books, but this new series has really fallen short. Even if, or especially if you've read her previous series, you'll want to give this one a miss.

[Susan V · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know that this author has a following. This is the first of her books that I have read. It seemed like a first book of an amateur writer. I found it disappointing. I’ve spend lots of time in Door County and quilting. I think more editing was needed, and more zip. There was no humor, no interesting action until the later chapters. The ending was uncomfortably abrupt. The author mentions the goats on the roof of Al Johnson's restaurant but neglects to explain that the building is in the style of a swiss log home and there is sod on the roof, which is why the goats are comfortable spending the day up there. If I'd never seen this I wouldn't get it. I listened via Hoopla and the narrator was not good. Perhaps this influenced my negative opinion.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Adult women calling each other Clair bear and Cher Bear.

There's more, but the other 1 star reviews have covered it sufficiently.

Quit around page 20.

[Monica Tomasello · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that this is a self-published work. Thus I will give the author the benefit of the doubt and read the second book in the series to see if the writing improves. I like the idea and the general plot, but the characters are stiff and flat. The main character, Claire, makes me uncomfortable because she is so obviously uncomfortable in every situation. The thing that bothered me most was that the book ended with more than one cliffhanger. Nothing was resolved in the story. I love a good series, but each book should have a situation or situations and resolution(s). There were several situations and no resolutions in this book, which was full novel length.

[Emily Erickson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was gifted to me so I felt obligated to read it. The dialogue was like reading my mother’s voice to text messages.

[Nancy Klarich · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy fun read especially after having just been to Door County this fall and being a quilter. Loved all the characters and story line. I will have to read the rest to see what happens next

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Door County, often compared to New England's coastal beauty, is that special gem between Wisconsin's Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Authors of almost every fictional genre have attempted to make this tiny county the setting for their stories, but once they decide to do that, they must undertake the daunting task of making this blend of tourists, artists, and residents whose roots go back generations to the early fisherman, orchard growers, and farmers, come a live. Not to mention the need to capture the water, the smells, and all that Door County nature offers. As a Wisconsin resident and long time lover of this special place, I am always up to trying a new book set in Door County. And a new series combining Door County's special draw with quilting?? That would be a series not to be missed. When I requested the book QUILTERS OF THE DOOR from our library system, I did not realize that Ann Hazelwood's genre is quilt-themed fiction. With winter approaching, the time was right for this book which features Claire who has decided to move right before Christmas to Door County from Missouri after exiting a dead-end relationship. Having a new-to-the-area main character gives the perfect backdrop for the author to draw in bits of real Door County like the Door County Coffee Company. In fact, as I read the book today, my coffee flavor for the day was the same one Claire liked so much -- Cherry Creme. This was a relaxing read, but also a bit disappointing. For me, there were too many trips for coffee and lunch and too little plot. The quilting club never hooked me Now I understand that we will probably delve deeper into their lives in future books, but right now, after having just finished the book, I can only remember the tiniest bit about a couple of them. Still it's always to read a gentle book that highlight friendships and kindness. But then I got to the ending, or more accurately the absence of an ending. I now have to wait for a second book. Perhaps I'll have the opportunity for a real trip to that special Door County before I visit fictionally again.

[Danielle Alba · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book and stuck with it hoping it would get better, but honestly, nothing happens until the last 50 pages or so. The first 350 are just following a woman around while she shops and eats.

I picked up the book because it piqued my interest as I grew up in the area and am a quilter. The references to the local tourist attractions are just too much. I was hoping for more depth and dimensionality to the main characters, but it just wasn’t there.

I’m disappointed as the ratings on her books seem to be decent and now need to figure out if I want to give the series one more try by reading the second one. I’m sure I’ll be debating it for a while. Like I said, I really am trying to like it. Bummer.

I will say that the author did convey the politics and personalities common to quilting groups. It was hard for me to root for the protagonist however as I found her to be meddlesome and dependent to the point of frustration.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read about a quarter of this book. I picked it up because I visited Door County last fall and thought it would be fun to re-visit with the quilters. It was fun for awhile, although it was hard to believe that Claire could buy pie and/or pastries every day, taking them home and then going out to eat again the next day. When did she eat all of those treats, and why didn't she have a weight problem! By page 78 I was just tired of the spare writing style and over-use of the word "amazing."

[Mindy Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tough one to rate. Loved reading about a character moving to Door County and starting over. The writing is a bit awkward, especially the conversations. I don’t think anybody talks like this. And the way the book ended … you might as well end it in the middle of a sentence. But am I going to read the next one in the series? Yeah, probably. Because I want to find out what happens with everyone. 🤷‍♀️

[Jen Wehr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to give this book 3 stars when I like it enough to continue on with the series but, it is what it is. The Claire-Bear/Cher-Bear Nick names for adults was obnoxious. In the audio book the music played between chapters was annoying and unnecessary. The story, very predictable but will continue because I do like quilts and door county.

[Ruth Voelker]

Incredibly poorly written; I couldn't get past that to read the book.

[Karen Treadwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a good book to read if you are going to visit Door County, Wisconsin. Claire, from Missouri, is new to Door County and is living in her best friend's log cabin. Her friend, Cher, had to go back to Missouri to help take care of her mother. Claire needed to get away from Missouri because she had abruptly left a 5 year relationship with a local pediatrician. The switch came at the right time for both friends. Another switch that was made was with the local Door County quilters group. Cher had been a member of the quilt group and convinced the closed group to accept Claire as her replacement while she was back in Missouri. The quilt group is an odd assortment of characters and usually you can only join if one of its members has died. It's run with a iron hand by Greta. Throughout the story, Claire navigates being the newcomer in town. The girl loves her sweets and she is always picking up desserts to take home with her when she is out to eat. Claire goes to the Chamber of Commerce meeting to see if it's something she wants to join for her quilt business. There she meets Grayson who she has noticed in the local coffee shop. Will sparks fly with Grayson? Will the quilt group bend their ways and make a quilt to raffle off to help one of the quilt members who has lost her husband? It's a pleasant read, but not much happens. It ends with a cliff hanger of sorts that may compel you to read the next book in the series. I don't think I'll be reading it any time soon.

[Sherryann · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a huge disappointment and certainly not worth the money. In the first 30+ chapters, I kept waiting for a plot line, but none seemed to develop. The first 1/2 of the book was nothing but a poorly-written tour guide of the places in Door County, particularly in Fish Creek. The whole book gushed with reports about every restaurant having excellent food, every person being welcoming and super-friendly, and everything else being boringly good. Yet amidst all of the restaurant and attraction name-dropping, the author still totally fails to capture the magic and the charm that is the culture of Door County.
A true "mystery" never really develops, leaving this far from being a page-turner book. The author also fails miserably at character development. Conversations are stilted, and relationships seem both awkward and superficial. By the end, I failed to cheer for even the main character of the story, and the "cliff-hanger" at the end of the book was not enough to compel me to read any more in this series.
Readers who really want to read about a part of Door County (Washington Island) might want to try J. F. Riordan's North of the Tension Line Series.

[Georgia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's odd. Lately, I have been experiencing books solely through audio format, but an interest in Door County motivated me to drag my Kindle out to experience this ebook.
I mention this because I found myself glad I could re-read sentences to making mental revisions to repair awkward phrases.
At first I wondered whether I was hyper aware/critical due to getting reacquainted to the visual aspect of reading. But other readers' reviews assure me, this book lacks literary finesse. I admit the setting and characters intrigued me. However, her use of dialogue is challenged, descriptions grew tedious, and sentence structure was amateur.
Nostalgia for Door County enticed me to read it - yet no descriptive justice was given, just gratuitous name dropping of local haunts. Change the restaurant names and this could have been anywhere.
Plot inconsistency: help me sort this out--
She packs up in the fall to move from Missouri, settles in Cher's cabin, returns home for the funeral at Thanksgiving, then states she's been in Door County for a year.
How does an error like that get past the proofreader?
The ending was rudely abrupt and contained a cliffhanger that I frankly don't care about!

[TAMMY · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this book (series) because my mother suggested it. In the beginning, I had a difficult time getting into it. I found the chapter lengths distracting and choppy, and at first felt I was reading an advertisement for Door County with all of the minute details of the businesses, restaurants, foods, etc. It was a bit much. In addition . . . Clair Bear and Cher Bear . . . come on! That got so annoying. I'm puzzled a bit by the writing, too, as I know this author has written a lot of books. But, I'm sorry to say, it read very amateurish. But, once I got into the story itself I did enjoy it. I like the fact that the first book set us up for some "mysteries" to be solved or at least questions to be answered in future books (i.e. Greta and her strict rules for the quilt club, Dr. Austen, the financial problems of Rachael & Charlie, the boating accident, etc.) It will be interesting to see what happens next and I do look forward to the next book. So although I gave it 3 stars, I will continue with book #2.

[Sue Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book that mostly goes nowhere. There is no plot. It just follows the quotidian details of the life of a woman who moves far away to get away from her ex lover. I never quite figured out why her Cherbear would just "give" Clairbear a cabin. The only reason Cherbear moved back home from Door County was to take care of a mother with dementia. Wouldn't she want to return to the cabin when her mother died? Oh no, she buys a condo and Cairbear remains in the cabin. Clairbear takes Cherbear's place in some highly limited membership quilting guild that doesn't do anything except show and tell. Everybody is so friendly and there's always a parking spot available close to where she wants to go. Is this Lake Woebegone or Stepford? Then the book ends on a cliffhanger when the ex shows up on her porch—the ex who hasn't tried to contact her for over a year. Sorry, if the next book is going to be all about Clairbear being stalked, I'm out!

[Christine Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book intrigued me because of the story location - Door County. We love Door County! That's why I gave this two stars. Our family has owned a home in Sister Bay for over 30 years. I wanted to see what Ms. Hazelwood had to say about it and how she would develop a story about quilters. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of a story. The writing was pretty poor; very stilted. Most people who know each other don't have conversations like the ones in this book. They were awkward and uncomfortable. Character development barely present. The most real and believable character was Harry. He doesn't have any idea that Claire has no interest in him other than using him to push her fundraising plan forward. Not unusual in real life either. I hated the ending! There is no point for me in continuing this series of travelogues.

[GreenBayTina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book #1 in the Door County Quilt Series. I’d seen the book on shelves at the quilt stores I visit, and knew I’d eventually read this book. When a friend mentioned she’d borrowed and read it, and really enjoyed it, it went to the top of my list. I bought it that week. Door County is the Wisconsin peninsula surrounded by Lake Michigan (the thumb if you look at a map). Claire -a quilt artist - moves from Missouri to a small log cabin in Door County. The story evolves as she gets to know people in the community, begins to establish herself in the wonderful art community of Door County, is accepted into a small, select quilt group, meets a handsome man and . . . I really enjoyed the story and look forward to continuing the series. I’m from Wisconsin and frequently get up to Door County, so really appreciated the descriptions of towns, restaurants, food, stores and community.

[Marilee Freshley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cozy, sweet winter read. I love to quilt and I dabble in watercolor painting. I also traveled to and stayed in Fish Creek, WI last summer while visiting Door County. The book takes place there, and describes restaurants we ate in and places we visited! So, I was hooked.

A quilt artist finds a new home—in Fish Creek, WI—on the shores of Lake Michigan, in Door County (the Cape Cod of the midwest) in this series debut.

"At fifty-five, Claire Stewart has left her Missouri home for the charming community of Door County, Wisconsin. A watercolor and quilt artist, she soon joins a small quilting club in town. The beauty of Door County offers boundless inspiration for new quilt projects, new ideas, and new friendships. But it is the man with the red scarf who intrigues her most of all . . ."

[Crystal Rau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this entire book series up while visiting family outside of Sturgeon Bay, WI and I can honestly say Ann Hazelwood does well at portraying Door County as the beautiful place it is. The generosity and kindness displayed by the characters in this story stood out as being all too true as well. Quilters of the Door was sort of a slow listen/read for me (I listened to the audible version while I made jam). However, I found myself getting attached to the characters midway through and by the end was completely invested in their lives. It helped that Claire was written to be very lovable and there was a cliffhanger in the last few chapters! Overall, I did really enjoy this book and am starting Door to Door Quilts (Door County Quilts #2) today!

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

My library only had an audio version of this book, so I listened to it. I enjoyed hearing mention of so many of the places in Door County that I know and love. That's about all I enjoyed. The characters are shallow, and the dialog is stiff and unnatural. And no self-respecting Wisconsinite would pronounce Brat (like the kind you eat on a bun) like brat (like a naughty child). It is billed as a mystery, but I was not really sure what the mystery was. The abrupt ending left many issues unresolved, probably to encourage you to keep reading the others in the series. No thanks. I don't think I will bother with the rest of them.

[Sandra Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up at a garage sale, because it it set in Door County, Wisconsin. My home area. If you haven't been to Door County you will get a nice flavor of what it is like there. If you have been to Door County it is fun to be able to picture in your mind the places she is describing in her narrative.
As for the book it was an easy reading, simple diversion. I think it is self published or published without much editing. It's a cute enough story, women leaves a bad relationship behind, moves to Door County, inherited a cat, meets the locals-one very interesting local-and works at becoming a part of the community. It did have a twist at the end. This is a series.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It read like a travelogue of Door County and it certainly made me want to visit. I enjoyed the quilting aspect and the relationships that developed - however, it seemed to end abruptly and without closure on a death, and an old boyfriend. Too abrupt, I had to look to be sure it wasn’t a poor recording - I listened. I prefer series books to be a bit more cohesive and able to stand alone. That being said, I will, most likely read the second book to see how the author handles everything that was just dropped - hopefully those story lines will be picked up to make some sense of it.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story, particularly because I'm a quilter and appreciate quilts I see and the work that goes into them. it's a very quick and light read. it reminds me of a Hallmark movie. There's not a lot of drama or suspense in it. It does leave you hanging at the end and you will need to read in the series to see what happens. there are 3 books so I'm guessing that the 2nd book will leave you hanging til the 3rd book. One thing that bugged me was the pet names the main characters had for each other... Claire Bear and Cher Bear. I cringed whenever I read those. overall it was a nice story.

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I looked to see if this was self published because I could not believe anyone would publish it!

I don't like leaving a really bad review but this book was awful and I paid for it thinking it would at least discuss quilting a bit. However I found she discussed food more than anything.

The use of Cher Bear and Claire Bear got on my nerves. These are grown women. In contrast she used Mr. Wills when dating him. It was all very juvenile. I felt I was reading a diary of a high school girl

I have the second book already so I will read it. I hope it gets better