Cool Beans: a Maya Davis novel (The Maya Davis Series)

This book is just like coffee and chocolate, it's sweet and addicting. And there is of course of lot of each in this book. I could not put this book down and finished it in 2 days. Maya Davis is a sweet, quirky coffee-chocoholic 24 year old working in a coffee shop. She lives with her best friend Jen and works with her other best friend Jack. Maya and Jen have a great relationship. They tell each other everything, stay up late watching chick flicks, support each other through thick and thin. But drama brews between them as Jen starts dating Maya's ex-boyfriend Travis. When Travis doesn't recognize Maya, she decides to keep the truth from Jen. This creates and lot of funny antics and stress for Maya as she decides how she is going to tell Jen and at the same time accept her dating Travis. Meanwhile Jack, a lovable future zookeeper, has a secret of his own...Erynn Magnum is a wonderfully talented writer. Her books are refreshing and uplifting. She writes about characters who you can relate to and would want to know in real life. She also has a special ability to weave Biblical truth in her stories that delve into the heart. It seems like this book is targeted toward teens but I think Cool Beans is a delightful read for girls of all ages. Trust me, you won't be able to stop at Cool Beans, you will want to read ALL of her books.

I was not disappointed in this new book from Erynn Mangum. She's got a great writing style that's easy to read. Her characters are so enjoyable and quirky. Mangum is definitely one of my favorite authors. The only problem is that her plot is a little bit similar to her last series...I would hope that she can change it up a little bit and not write stories that are close in their plotlines. She's very talented and I hope to see many more books from her. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed her previous ones.

A cute read from the first page! Maya had me laughing throughout, I soooo enjoyed her quirky sense of humor. One of the characters in the story even comments on how her sense of humor is a gift and it really is!! Whenever she is faced with a decision, she writes down pros and cons on sticky notepad paper. She loves God, coffee, her best friend/roommate, and her dog Calvin. Maya works hard as a barista at Cool Beans, but she also knows how to have a good time and the girl can eat junk food like a pro! It gets annoying in the story how everyone tells her to eat healthier and drink less coffee, but it's obvious that she's loved from her family and friends. It was frustrating that she constantly found reasons for NOT telling her best friend about Travis, but it keeps the plot interesting :) It kind of ends at a cliffhanger so I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. I have already read the entire Miss Match series and it's safe to say that if you're looking for an unconventionally light and laugh out loud book that speaks about faith in volumes and how to trust God more without preaching, Erynn Mangum is the author to seek out. *taking a breath* Mangum's books are a breath of fresh air, filled with chick flicks, cute animals, friendship, church, falling in love with the Word, and learning to be obedient to God with unexpectedly favorable results.

This was a light, quick, sometimes humorous, christian fiction read. Teens, younger adults, or those just wanting a fluff read are those who will most likely enjoy this book.The theme of the book is centered around the main character Maya and her relationships, which include relationships with best friends, past loves, future loves, parents, and siblings. Maya, is a likable, realistic character trying to navigate her way through the aforementioned relationships with God as her guiding force.Aside from Maya, there are several supporting characters, but do not expect too much development of the supporting characters, as the development of the character Maya is somewhat limited itself.The entire premise of the book rests on the idea that a guy, Travis, does not recognize a girl, Maya, that he dated for four years because of a few non-surgical, physical appearance changes (a little weight loss, hair color, makeup, etc.). This idea was unbelievable for me. However, if you can get past that idea and just accept it for the purpose of enjoying the book, then it is a fun, cute read, although somewhat predictable. This was a free read from the Kindle store.Note: This review was originally posted on Goodreads.com

I absolutely loved this story of Maya. The short Bible lesson from Andrew were good, to the point and helpful. Can't wait to read the next one!