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Whole Latte Life

by Joanne DeMaio (Goodreads Author)

3.5 of 5 stars 3.50 · rating details · 257 ratings · 80 reviews

Sara Beth and Rachel have been wishing on stars for as long as they've been friends. Sara Beth dreams of her own antique shop, with lace curtains hanging in the windows. For Rachel, a little beach cottage will do, where sea breezes and salt water might inspire her sketches. From sharing wishes to cups of coffee at a cherished cafe, they've stitched pieces of their lives to...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published March 12th 2012

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Mar 23, 2013 Julie Barrett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Whole Latte Life by Joanne DeMaio
This story is about 2 women who are friends and in the present day they agree to spend a few days in NY. After shopping and a lunch Sara Beth leaves a note and takes off. Rachel is handed the note and does as she's asked, not to alert anyone but she needs a few days to find herself.
They've just turned 40 and Sara Beth has recently lost her mother and is at wits end what to do with her life and remembers the past, romances and life choices.
Rachel has lost her husb...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Mason rated it 5 of 5 stars

There aren’t many among us who hasn’t wondered ‘what if’ about one situation or another at least one time in our life.

If given the chance to go a different road, would it make life better or worse? How would the change affect family and friends? Author Joanne DeMaio expands on this concept to create an inspiring tale of friendship, love, family, loyalty and hope in WHOLE LATTE LIFE.

DeMaio pulls the reader in quickly on the first page and holds them spellbound till the end. The story moves at a s...more There aren’t many among us who hasn’t wondered ‘what if’ about one situation or another at least one time in our life.

If given the chance to go a different road, would it make life better or worse? How would the change affect family and friends? Author Joanne DeMaio expands on this concept to create an inspiring tale of friendship, love, family, loyalty and hope in WHOLE LATTE LIFE.

DeMaio pulls the reader in quickly on the first page and holds them spellbound till the end. The story moves at a steady pace with plausible, well-developed characters.

Rachel DeMartino and Sara Beth Riley have been friends since childhood sharing each other’s ups and downs throughout the years. To celebrate their 40th birthday, the two plan a Girls Weekend in New York City.

When Sara Beth disappears before their first meal arrives, Rachel doesn’t know what to think or do. The note Sara Beth leaves for Rachel doesn’t answer any questions, only creates more.

Sara Beth has recently lost her mother, has put a new business venture on hold, and appears to be losing her grasp on her marriage. As pressures of life mount, Sara Beth begins to wonder ’what if’ her life had taken a different route. She has to have some times to herself to ‘find herself’ even if it leads to her friendship ending.

Rachel is dealing with her own grief over the death of her husband several years earlier. In addition, her daughter is away at college and she is alone. She also wonders ‘what if’.

DeMaio weaves the lives of the two friends into an intriguing story of longing, new beginnings, and the road not taken. WHOLE LATTE LIFE is a delightful story to be shared with friends and will have readers reconsidering their own ‘what ifs.’

Author Joanne Demaio’s website is www.joannedemaio.com

Whole Latte Life by Joanne Demaio, CreateSpace, @2012, ISBN: 978-1619149663, Kindle Edition, 519 KB (325 Pages)

FTC Full Disclosure - A copy of this eBook was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. (less)

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Sep 27, 2012 Eileen Granfors rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: families, friendship, grief, local-color, love-story, marriage, men, women

Whole Latte Life by Joanne DeMaio is a sweet book filled with moments of realization, thoughtfulness, and big pictures where the right stars align. I loved visiting a world in full color with romance aplenty, not one in fifty shades of gray that takes romance and turns it into soft porn.

But there's DeMaio's story too, one that is timeless and suspenseful. Two women go to New York to celebrate their 40th birthdays. Sara Beth runs out on her friend, leaving a note "not to worry" (as if that would...more

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May 02, 2012 Vicki rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a story of two friends. Rachel is a widow and Sara Beth is married with kids, and she recently lost her mother. To celebrate their 40th birthdays, they plan a weekend trip to New York. Sitting in a restaurant, Sara Beth excuses herself to take a potty break. Rachel gets worried after Sara Beth doesn’t return to the table and goes looking for her. She can’t find her, but a waiter hands her a note from Sara Beth. The note says she needs to take a few days alone so she can decide what she w...more This is a story of two friends. Rachel is a widow and Sara Beth is married with kids, and she recently lost her mother. To celebrate their 40th birthdays, they plan a weekend trip to New York. Sitting in a restaurant, Sara Beth excuses herself to take a potty break. Rachel gets worried after Sara Beth doesn’t return to the table and goes looking for her. She can’t find her, but a waiter hands her a note from Sara Beth. The note says she needs to take a few days alone so she can decide what she wants, she’s unhappy with her life and wants to make some changes.

In searching for Sara Beth, Rachel meets a NYC police man, on horseback no less, and they start a relationship. Finally Sara Beth shows back up at the hotel where she and Rachel are staying, but she still isn’t sure what she wants to do. They go back home to Conneticut, but their friendship suffered from what happened and will never be the same.

I loved Rachel. Without spoilers, she was true to herself, was kind, loving and thankful for what and who she had in her life. The friendship between the two seemed to be more important to her than it was to Sara Beth.

As far as Sara Beth, I didn’t like her much. She seemed lost without her mother, but who wouldn’t feel that way. The thing is, I just couldn’t understand why she would walk away from her husband and children, even if just for a few days, because of it. And what was up with her past. The past is the past for a reason. Because it didn’t work out. What she should have done was gotten some help, not walk out on her life. It seemed at times she was a little off her rocker and big time selfish. The way she treats her family and lifetime friend Rachel was not good, to say the least.

All that being said, I really enjoyed this book. It had so many elements that kept me turning page after page. Even though I didn’t like Sara Beth much, I loved that she was written the way she was. Sometimes it’s good to have a character like that. It gives another element to the book.(less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Sara Palacios rated it 5 of 5 stars

Whole Latte Life by Joanne DeMaio is a poignant novel that examines life and the unbreakable bonds of love and friendship. The story follows Sara Beth Riley who suddenly and unexpectedly leaves a note to her best friend at a restaurant one night and takes a break from her own life. In the beginning, all Sara Beth really wants is a few days of freedom, but she doesn’t realize just how close she is to completely losing it all. Her marriage, her family, her life, her forgotten dreams, and the loss...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Sheila DeChantal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Long time friends Sarah Beth and Rachel decide to go into New York to celebrate their fortieth birthdays together, kind of a girls weekend. They had charted out plans of things to see and do together, and over a lunch in a Manhattan restaurant, Sarah Beth takes this opportunity to excuse herself to use the restroom and then...

disappears.

Well, not exactly disappears as a frantic Rachel soon finds out. She did leave a note:

Please don't tell Tom about this. I really need some time alone Rachel to s...more Long time friends Sarah Beth and Rachel decide to go into New York to celebrate their fortieth birthdays together, kind of a girls weekend. They had charted out plans of things to see and do together, and over a lunch in a Manhattan restaurant, Sarah Beth takes this opportunity to excuse herself to use the restroom and then...

disappears.

Well, not exactly disappears as a frantic Rachel soon finds out. She did leave a note:

Please don't tell Tom about this. I really need some time alone Rachel to sort things out. I am so sorry to do this now on our fortieth birthdays. I know it means a lot to you and I promise you another celebration. We go back a long way and you are the only one who will understand and let me do this. Let me walk away from it all for a little while. It sounds crazy I know. Please give me these couple of days alone to try to figure it out, to figure me out.

~page 5, Whole Latte Life

In Whole Latte Life, Sarah Beth takes that step that most of us have day dreamed about, and then push the thought aside as we get ready for our jobs, or cook supper. As a character, I honestly can't say I liked her. Sarah Beth's choices from the very beginning came off to me as selfish, and she never really redeemed herself in my eyes until the very end. I understand in this book she has had a major loss in her life that contributes to much of her "fight or flight", but I am thinking get yourself some help sister... see someone you can talk too.

I would also say, as I write this, that Sarah Beth is going through a bit of a mid-life crisis, and maybe saying "a bit" is not strong enough.... I would say it is a big time mid-life crisis. She dwells on the path not taken, she wonders if an old flame may still be out there waiting for her... she has kids and a husband, but she seems to not think of them first, but instead herself. (Which again makes me think get this girl a hotline to some therapy!)

Rachel on the other hand, I liked. Widowed with a daughter, she is a good and patient friend to Sarah Beth, at least as much as she could be. Her story line I found carried the book, even though the synopsis on the back of the book is all about Sarah Beth and Rachel's name is not even mentioned.

My final thoughts: What I had hoped to get out of this book was a story of strong female friendship against all odds. In a way that happened, but much differently than I thought. I feel Rachel takes the leading role here not only as a true friend but as the story line I was most interested in. I felt Sarah Beth got away with way too much for her family to endure as they did... and maybe that is just me being me.

The book is well written, and my ability to like or not like a character - is most likely, my issue.

I recommend this book to anyone who ever felt their life was crumbling around them and survived through a supportive family or a great friend. (less)

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Apr 24, 2012 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Whole Lotta Life
By
Joanne DeMaio

Abrief summary...

Rachel and Sara Beth have a long standing tradition of going to NYC for their birthdays. Sara Beth leaves Rachel a short mysterious message and abruptly disappears.

My thoughts about this book...

This was an interesting book to read because it took a different path than the one I anticipated it to take. Both women were amazing friends and both women were suffering from the loss of a loved one. Sara Beth seemed to need to toss her life away while Rach...more

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Apr 11, 2012 McGuffy Morris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Whole Latte Life

By Joanne DeMaio

Joanne DeMaio is a notable author having penned music essays. This is her debut novel, combining her passion for both friendship and coffee. She is also an active blogger.

“Whole Latte Life” tells the story of Sara Beth Riley and her summer of self- discovery. With the help and wisdom of her best friend Rachel, Sara Beth re-evaluates everything about herself and her life.

As they meet for lunch to celebrate their 40th birthdays, they suddenly find themselves on a li...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Valerie Hartman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Valerie by: Joanne Demaio

"Wishes are a mystery to me. It's like putting your hope out there, opening a part of your heart to the constellations."

Friends since childhood, Sara Beth Riley and Rachel DeMartino meet regularly over coffee in their picturesque Connecticut hometown. They plan a Girls Weekend in New York City to spend their fortieth birthdays together. Complete with stops at the Empire State Building, Tiffany's and The Today Show, the four-day celebration promises lasting memories. When Sara Beth walks out of a...more "Wishes are a mystery to me. It's like putting your hope out there, opening a part of your heart to the constellations."

Friends since childhood, Sara Beth Riley and Rachel DeMartino meet regularly over coffee in their picturesque Connecticut hometown. They plan a Girls Weekend in New York City to spend their fortieth birthdays together. Complete with stops at the Empire State Building, Tiffany's and The Today Show, the four-day celebration promises lasting memories. When Sara Beth walks out of a restaurant leaving behind only a note, the perplexed and overwrought Rachel searches Manhattan for her missing friend.

Sara Beth seeks a few days of freedom. She tries to cope with an unplanned child, the unexpected death of her mother and the indefinite postponement of her antique shop dreams. Struggling to reclaim her sense of self in a seemingly idyllic life, she runs away. She loses grip on her marriage, her three kids, and her best friend in a desperate attempt to regain balance and clarity.

Rachel also hopes the weekend will heal old wounds. The outing replaces the birthday trip her husband planned before his death two years ago. Widowed and her daughter away at college, her friend's desertion leaves Rachel worried, confused and alone. When a mounted officer offers her company in the city, she faces more uncharted territory.

Rachel and Sara Beth are highly relatable and complex women facing unforeseen and life-altering challenges. Told from the perspective of four characters, their stories wind through their small town, Manhattan, and a seaside retreat on Long Island.

DeMaio's lyrical language, combined with her exploration of the lingering power of our expectations and our choices, create an inspiring novel of love and loyalty--loyalty to mothers, to spouses, to traditions, and to friends. Whole Latte Life is a beautifully articulated story of loss and redemption, lasting connections and unconditional love. Whole Latte Life offers beach lovers, stargazers and girlfriends a warm story to share at a favorite café. (less)

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Nov 02, 2012 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Whole Latte Life is the poignant story about the bonds of friendship, love and self-discovery. Lifelong friends Sara Beth Riley and Rachel DeMartino plan a girls getaway weekend in New York City to celebrate their fortieth birthday. While having lunch in a restaurant, Sara Beth leaves their table for the restroom and never returns. Frantic, Rachel is handed a note by the waiter, in which Sara Beth tells her that she is sorry to cause her worry, but that she needs a few days alone to think and so...more Whole Latte Life is the poignant story about the bonds of friendship, love and self-discovery. Lifelong friends Sara Beth Riley and Rachel DeMartino plan a girls getaway weekend in New York City to celebrate their fortieth birthday. While having lunch in a restaurant, Sara Beth leaves their table for the restroom and never returns. Frantic, Rachel is handed a note by the waiter, in which Sara Beth tells her that she is sorry to cause her worry, but that she needs a few days alone to think and sort her life out. While searching the streets of Manhattan, Rachel meets a NYC mounted police officer, Michael Micelli, who helps her in the search of Sara Beth. This is a story of two women's journey of self-discovery that will have a life-changing affect on their bond of friendship and family relationships through the choices and decisions that they make.

In her debut novel, author Joanne DeMaio weaves an emotional tale about the bonds of friendship, personal growth and discovery, loss, love and forgiveness. Told in the third person narrative with alternating perspectives of Sara Beth and Rachel, the reader is drawn into these two women's journey of self-discovery. Both women have suffered losses in their lives: Sara Beth's recent loss of her mother throws her life into a tailspin and plunges her into a mid-life crisis where she second-guesses the lifetime of choices she has made. Rachel is a widow with a daughter away in college, who has managed to keep her life together and wonders if she will get a second chance at love. Rachel and Sara Beth are both realistic and complex women, who are confronting life-altering issues and challenges in their lives. Their journey will transport the reader through their small hometown of Addison, Connecticut; to the bright lights of the city that never sleeps of Manhattan (NYC); to a little summer beach cottage on Anchor Beach, Long Island.

Whole Latte Life is a beautiful exploration into the bonds of friendship, loss, life choices and redemption. It is a multi-layered story that will draw the reader into these two women's quest to find themselves, while exploring the life choices that they have made, the what-ifs and the roads not taken. It is a poignant story that will take the reader down a long winding emotional path of finding oneself through the introspection of loss, grief, longings, healing and new beginnings. Rich in detail and vivid descriptions of picturesque settings; with intriguing characters who are realistic, complex and easy for the reader to relate to and connect with; and a storyline that will tug at your heartstrings; Whole Latte Life is a powerful and compelling story that will remind the reader about the importance of family and friendship, while at the same time leave you pondering about the choices, decisions, what-ifs and roads not taken in your own life.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...(less)

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Nov 08, 2012 Beth Peninger rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay I confess, I first looked at this book because of the cover. It has a coffee cup! Of course it caught my eye! And in the case of books I actually hold to the theory that you should judge a book by its cover. All that said,I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The writing was good but wasn't super spectacular, it was the the story line that drew me in.
Sara Beth's "mid-life crisis" was relate-able to me. After losing her mother unexpectedly and a late life pregnancy sur...more

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Apr 06, 2012 LORI CASWELL rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

Would you leave everything behind to know who you are?

That’s exactly what Sara Beth Riley does, she leaves her friend alone in New York while she goes off to find herself. Her best friend Rachel plans a Girl’s Weekend to celebrate their 40th birthdays and Sara Beth is there one minute and gone the next. Sara Beth’s journey to find who she really is or change into the person she thinks she needs to be leaves a lot of collateral damage touching both her best friend and her own family. It sets off...more

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May 19, 2012 Carol Kilgore rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story of two friends, A Whole Latte Life is filled with flowing prose and beautiful description. The friends, Sara Beth and Rachel, have maintained a solid relationship since elementary school, yet we know from the first sentence that both of their worlds are about to change.

The characters are alike in many ways, yet their differences soon become apparent. Sara Beth made me a little crazy for a time, just as she would have in real life. So did her husband, Tom. They were a good match for eac...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Ana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: women, 2013

”Whole Latte Life” is the story of Rachel and Sara Beth, best friend since forever who will have to rebuild their friendship after Sara Beth walks out of a restaurant (and her life) disappearing without a word during their 40th birthday weekend celebration in New York. In the months following the birthday fiasco, Rachel and Sara Beth will go their separate ways in order to find themselves – Sara Beth in her antiquing, Rachel in a beach cottage alongside Michael – only to reconcile over several c...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Tracy rated it 2 of 5 stars

It took me three tries to get through this book. I felt very detached through the entire thing - not sure if this was because of the third-person voice, the writing style, or if it just wasn't my sort of story. The characters were all very selfish and a bit whiny. Tom is the only one I noticed that was actually trying to help the situation and doing the best he could with what was going on. All the others were more worried about how THEY were being affected. I wanted to like this book, which is...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars

I'm glad that I got this book for free from the amazon prime lending library because it was really bad. The premise is that two best friends go to NYC to celebrate their 40th birthdays and one of them decides to run away for the weekend because she's having trouble dealing with her mother's death. She comes back and is fine and I thought end of story. Oh no! That was just the first 1/3 of the book! The rest of the book is dealing with the fallout from this horrible act. Huh? Really? Can't we jus...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Scarlett rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed Joanne DeMaio's, "Whole Latte Life"! She has written a wonderful story of friendship and forgiveness. The relaxing landscape of cottage life on the east coast intermingled with the hectic streets of NYC are so perfectly woven into the fabric of two family's lives. Rachel and Sara Beth, best friends, are both at the precipice of great change. Their journey, and that of those who love them are fantastically genuine portrayals on the page. REAL words. REAL life. REAL change, in...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Teri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Despite my trepidation over the somewhat chick lit-sounding title, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sara Beth's journey to rediscover her dream and her identity and to come to terms with her mother's death was compelling in ways I didn't anticipate. Her love of antiques was a wonderful metaphor for her life and I found the ending quite satisfying. Her best friend, Rachel, who feels betrayed and let down by some of Sara Beth's actions, ultimately demonstrates what true friendship is. I found Rach...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Betsy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, 2013-apr

Whole Latte Life is the first book I have read by Joanne DeMaio. I was very excited when I received the book in the mail because it really is a beautiful book. The cover is gorgeous, and the inside is just as pretty.....don't judge a book by its cover though. At first, I could not relate to the characters, and the plot was just plain boring. (view spoiler)...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

A real bargain as ebook, a very pleasant surprise. It caught my interest right away. Found that I always wanted to see what was next. It is told through the perspective of four characters. I bonded with each one of them. The settings have good descriptions and add to the enjoyment of the story. Many bittersweet and exciting moments in the process of letting go, moving forward....taking a breathe and making life changing decisions. The author is one of the gifted that I describe as a "storyteller...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, chick-lit-beach-reads

Who hasn't wanted to stop the world for a bit and just try to figure things out?? (I have!) That's the premise of the book, but it wanders away from that idea pretty quickly, given that once BethAnn checks out, we spend chapters and chapters with Rachel and the aftermath - not with BethAnn, trying to figure out who she is/what she wants/etc, which is what the dustcover led me to believe I'd get.

While what I got wasn't expected, it was still pretty ok. A little trite in places (did we need to kno...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Laurel-Rain rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rachel and Sara Beth have been best friends forever. Ever since their school days their lives have moved along parallel paths, wishing upon stars and celebrating birthdays together. Like their fortieth birthday, which they're celebrating in Manhattan: staying at The Plaza; planning outings, like breakfast at Tiffany's; climbing to the top of the Empire State Building; and just sharing the moments.

But something happens on their first day that changes the course of their lives for months to come....more

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Jun 23, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an okay book for a plane trip (it helped pass the time). I did not like the character of SaraBeth. Sometimes you need to take care of yourself, but I never really saw anything other than a selfish side. Also, the Rachel romance was just plain cheesy to me. The author should have spent more time focusing on the friendship between the women. Finally, and this is silly but, the women are supposed to always be drinking coffee - yet there are times they drink instant coffee! A coffee "snob"...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Casee Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, reviewed

Rachel DeMartino and Sara Beth Riley have shared a special friendship – as well as wishes, dreams, secrets, and plenty of coffee – for twenty-five years, and now they’re celebrating their fortieth birthdays with a weekend getaway in Manhattan. For Rachel, the perfect celebration takes a disturbing turn when Sara Beth excuses herself during lunch at a small café and doesn’t return. Leaving nothing but a note and a thousand questions, Sara Beth makes the decision to finally take her life into her...more Rachel DeMartino and Sara Beth Riley have shared a special friendship – as well as wishes, dreams, secrets, and plenty of coffee – for twenty-five years, and now they’re celebrating their fortieth birthdays with a weekend getaway in Manhattan. For Rachel, the perfect celebration takes a disturbing turn when Sara Beth excuses herself during lunch at a small café and doesn’t return. Leaving nothing but a note and a thousand questions, Sara Beth makes the decision to finally take her life into her own hands. Grieving over the loss of her mother, reeling from the tense state of her marriage, and mourning her shattered dreams for starting her own antique business, Sara Beth’s midlife celebration quickly escalates to crisis. But while Sara Beth indulges herself in a moment’s recklessness to salvage her life, Rachel is left with nothing but a note and a crack in an otherwise seamless friendship. Rachel’s own fortieth year is not what she anticipated: widowed, with a college-bound daughter, her strongest dream is for a little cottage by the beach, and plenty of inspiration to pursue her sketching. As she scours Manhattan to find Sara Beth she enlists the help of mounted police officer Michael, who helps her to realize that hope for a magical time in the city may not be lost after all. As Rachel and Sara Beth separately embrace this new chapter in their lives and eventually reunite to repair their shorn friendship, they discover the power of change and how some things – like conversation and coffee with a friend – are unwavering in the face of it.

Joanne DeMaio’s Whole Latte Life is a rich blend of poignancy and charm; the perfect recipe for a heartwarming debut novel. Bursting with memorable characters and thought-provoking commentary on the lives and feelings of modern women, the novel touches on all of the important pillars of the contemporary fiction genre, and DeMaio’s writing carries it beautifully. Whole Latte Life is a very full novel, moving at a pace that works wonderfully for it, but not caring to rush any faster; because DeMaio knows that if you move too fast, you risk not catching the light. And that, to me, is what much of the experience of Whole Latte Life is about: catching the light. For Rachel, discovering the secret stories of Manhattan’s history with her very own handsome guide, to Sara Beth, tapping into the fire of her own spirit and living life, finally, on her own terms; each woman’s struggles are vastly different, their journeys diverse, but both come to the same understanding: that life is beautiful, dreams are strong, and true friendships are vigorous, unstoppable things.

I was drawn to both Sara Beth and Rachel, comfortable in the shifts between their stories, and I found a piece of myself in each of them. I felt very strongly that their stories transcended age and reached to the core of femininity, to the impossible power and the unique blessing of womanhood. Deeply, the plights of each woman, their worries and trials, resonate with the reader, and their triumphs are felt with just as much substance. Whole Latte Life is at once breezy in its applicability and absorbing in its perception, weaving itself into a beautiful patchwork of life, love, friendship, and everything in between.

(Review © Casee Marie, originally published on March 22, 2013 at LiteraryInklings.com. I received a copy of the book for the purpose of review.)(less)

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Oct 22, 2012 Susan (The Book Bag) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-review, books-read-in-2012

If you know me at all, then you know I have to comment on this cover. This is such a yummy looking cover ~ can't you just smell the coffee? I read this as an e-book but I am sure if I had read the print version of it and had to look at that cover all the time, I would be on a caffeine high right now.

I love reading books about women friends and their relationships. This book has that and so much more. Sara Beth and Rachel are best friends and head to the big city to celebrate their fortieth birth...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

I won this from Goodreads first read giveaway. While I liked/understood the idea of this book, I thought the actual results were just okay. I understand needing to change/redefine your life, but the Sara Beth character was unlikeable and bratty. And really, she just kind of abandons her kids, forgets her responsibilities, ditches her best friend while they are on a vacation, and bullies her husband - all because she is struggling to deal with the death of her mom. While I understand what an eart...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A stone is thrown into the tranquil pond of Sara Beth and Rachel's friendship when what is planned to be a memorable birthday weekend in New York turns into an emotional fiasco. Sara Beth decides to disappear and leave Rachel at a loss questioning their friendship and her loyalty. There is moment after moment that the author captures the desperation of both characters while they are trying to over come their fears and hang on to a thread of hope and all the while their friendship is tested. The...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Kathy Altman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rachel DeMartino had high expectations for her 40th birthday celebration. After all, she and her best friend Sara Beth Riley had been planning their Manhattan weekend getaway for months. But what those expectations didn’t include was Sara Beth’s taking the “getaway” part so literally. During lunch on the first day of their weekend she sneaks a note to the maitre d’ and disappears from the restaurant.

Despite the written plea for Rachel to relax, and to grant Sara Beth the weekend to sort things o...more

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Jun 26, 2012 LAURA KAY A Novel Review rated it 4 of 5 stars

http://anovelreview.blogspot.com/2012...

Sarah Beth and Rachel, best friends since 8th grade, are in New York City to celebrate their 40th birthdays. Sitting at the restaurant table waiting to start lunch, Rachel is handed a note by the waiter. The note changes everything. Sarah Beth had simply disappeared. Rachel begins to search the city for her dear friend wanting to desperately to help her, while Sarah Beth was reaching out to her mother who’d passed away.

When Sarah Beth reenters the land of...more http://anovelreview.blogspot.com/2012...

Sarah Beth and Rachel, best friends since 8th grade, are in New York City to celebrate their 40th birthdays. Sitting at the restaurant table waiting to start lunch, Rachel is handed a note by the waiter. The note changes everything. Sarah Beth had simply disappeared. Rachel begins to search the city for her dear friend wanting to desperately to help her, while Sarah Beth was reaching out to her mother who’d passed away.

When Sarah Beth reenters the land of the living, she seems almost shocked that her disappearance had upset and confused those around her. She just wanted to rethink her life, maybe reinvent herself. Instead she has disturbed her children’s lives, shaken her marriage and violated her friendship. Once home, she seems to continue her downward spiral by calling an old boyfriend and hiding things from her husband.

While Sarah went looking for something new, Rachel found it. Rachel, a widow, finds a new man who came riding his horse right into her life. He is instrumental in helping Rachel see Sarah Beth’s side of things. Even though he and Rachel seem great together, there are so many obstacles in their way.

I’m trying really hard not to give too much of the story away, which is always hard when you want to sit with a couple of girlfriends and talk about the great book you just read! I think what I loved most about Whole Latte Life it could have gone in so many different directions. The characters were all imperfect.

I never really connected to Sarah Beth. I would have guessed I would relate to her since I lost my own mother, married with kids (and large age gaps). I suppose had I lost my mom suddenly I would have had a really tough coping with the suddenness of it. I just didn’t understand the whole not opening up to her husband or to her best friend. I suppose both Rachel and Sarah Beth's husband Tom were dealing with other things in their lives.

Now the romance between Michael and Rachel, this was the story I was most interested in. I was surprised by Michael’s past. I really thought there story was just really sweet and seemed so natural.

I was surprised there wasn't more discussion about Rachel being a widow. I felt like she would have brought it up with both Michael and Sarah Beth because she also clearly understood how life can change fast and without warning. I would have also thought she would have had issues to deal with since this was her first relationship since her husband's death.

I know I just pointed out some negatives, but I think it’s because I felt really invested in this story (which I think is a really good thing). I would definitely recommend Whole Latte Life by Joanne Demaio, especially for a book club—lots to talk about!
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Oct 06, 2012 Carol rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

See that beautiful cup of latte on the cover? This book has even more to savor than that latte! It was easy slide into the two lives of women who had been longtime friends. The stories are rich with detail and full with characters that you can either identify with or ones that seem like your friends.

Joanne DeMaio’s book follows the lives of two close friends as one of them does something that may wreck their friendship forever. How would you feel if the best friend did something that you are no...more See that beautiful cup of latte on the cover? This book has even more to savor than that latte! It was easy slide into the two lives of women who had been longtime friends. The stories are rich with detail and full with characters that you can either identify with or ones that seem like your friends.

Joanne DeMaio’s book follows the lives of two close friends as one of them does something that may wreck their friendship forever. How would you feel if the best friend did something that you are not sure that you could ever forgive? The two of you had planned for a long time to celebrate your fortieth birthdays in a fancy restaurant in New York City. Your friend takes a break to powder her nose and doesn’t come back? What would you feel? Angry? Worried?

Sarah Beth is forty and her mother has died of a brain aneurism. People think that she should be over her grief by now but she was very close to her mother and can’t imagine not being able to pick up her cell phone and talk to her. She feels like she doesn’t know herself anymore, she dresses differently, she doesn’t have time for what she loves doing. She wonders if she should stay married to her husband Tom anymore.

Rachel is a widower who really values her friendship with Sarah Beth. She has a special haven in house called the Beach Room. Her house is full of memories made by her family. Her daughter is off to college now. Is she ready for a big change or is it too soon? Will she ever be able to forgive Sara Beth for leaving her at the restaurant?

In this book, I felt the closest to Rachel; think I just identify with her more. I enjoyed the story of these two women immensely. The story flowed so flawlessly and caused me to stop and think what I would do in that situation. I cannot think of anything that I would have changed.

I loved this book! I am definitely a fan of JoAnne Demaio now. I hope that everyone who loved contemporary fiction reads this book.

I received this book from the Digital Media Publicist for Whole Latte Life but that in no way influenced my review, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

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About Joanne DeMaio

Joanne DeMaio is the award-winning author of the bestselling novels BLUE JEANS AND COFFEE BEANS and WHOLE LATTE LIFE, which won First Place in the 2012 Discovery Awards and was named a Kirkus Reviews Critics' Pick. Her books have been featured in USA Today, The Huffington Post and other outlets. BLUE JEANS AND COFFEE BEANS is her second novel. Both stories explore the intricate relationships betwe...more

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Quotes from Whole Latte Life

“Wishes are a mystery to me. It's like putting your hope out there, opening a part of your heart to the constellations. Imagine if those stars could talk, and the new constellations they could make with the wishes they've heard.” — 5 people liked it

“Coffee cups will sit between them, there'll be a mess of those. Lattes or cappuccinos or straight up, whatever. They'll talk it out.” — 3 people liked it

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