I think this was the best one in the series. 4.5 ⭐️s. ( )

Another coffee book winner! Claire wakes up on a park bench thinking it is 15 years prior. She thinks Joy is a little girl and her divorce from Matteo is fresh. And more importantly she has no recollection of her fiancé Mike. When Claire disappeared , Hotel Heiress, Annette Brewster was also abducted. Dr. Lorca is more than willing to help Claire recover her memories, but wants to move her upstate away from her friends. Claire's friends do not trust the doctor and a plan is hatched to save Claire. Bit by bit Claire's memories return. One memory emerges about Annette's asking Claire to look into the death of her husband. When the finger is pointed at Claire concerning Annette's abduction, Mike and Claire have to hurry to find Annette before the police catch Claire. ( )

One of the WORST books I have read in a long time. The idea does not fly with Clare having amnesia. She is waaaay too passive throughout the book. Are we sure this book wasn't written in 2020??? ( )

The Coffeehouse Mystery series has been one of my favorites for years now. I like the main characters and the setting in and around a popular coffee shop in NYC. The plots are always good, and the coffee is always hot (or iced, or latte, or whatever new drink is all the rage at the Village Blend). I like the discussions the characters have about coffee -- preparing, roasting, buying beans, brewing, etc. Each book also includes recipes.

This newest book I devoured in one awesome bout of binge reading, only taking breaks to refill my coffee cup. This time the authors went for something a bit different. Loved it! Clare Cosi wakes up in Washington Square Park. She has no idea how she got there....and she's lost 15 years of memories. She thinks her daughter is still a child....that her ex is still a supreme rat.....and that she no longer works at Village Blend. Her disappearance and subsequent reappearance with memory loss coincide with another crime. The police start to suspect her....is her memory loss real, or a put on? And....she has no memory of her fiance. Will she regain her memories and help solve the disappearance of a wealthy heiress.....or will she be arrested and charged with the crime?

There are several yummy recipes at the back of this book, as usual. I can't wait to try the recipe for KFC-style chicken...I've always wanted to try making a homemade version!

Brewed Awakening is the 18th book in the Coffeehouse series. I highly recommend these books to coffee and cozy lovers. Even if you don't care for coffee, the mysteries are entertaining and the characters are interesting. This series always provides an enjoyable mystery!

**I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book from Berkley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )

This is pretty far into a long running series about Clare Cosi, her coffee shop The Village Blend and all the coffee roasting, brewing and barista fun. I didn't realize she was going to be the victim for the amnesia trope, but it was very well done as the mystery and solution played out. This is a good series with a bit more heft than a cozy, but not too gritty either. ( )