Book Review: Brew: A Love Story by Tracy Ewens

Brew: A Love Story by Tracy Ewens is a contemporary romance. Boyd McNaughton is working on balance. He is a father, a brewmaster, and the oldest brother of four. When he’s not running Foghorn Brewery with two of his brothers, his days are packed with carpools, teenage angst, and well-intentioned school moms determined to send him on the perfect blind date. After a simple argument ends with a visit to the emergency room, Boyd discovers the one thing he’s been neglecting, his life. Ella Walters is working on connection. Having grown up in a less-than-affectionate family of overachievers, she moved to Petaluma for a slower pace and to escape her past. She has friends now instead of accolades, chooses chocolate croissants over super foods, and cherishes the peace that’s replaced the drama. Sure, she occasionally misses the buzz of the San Francisco General Hospital ER, but Ella is learning that navigating a fuller life can be just as exciting. When Boyd’s son, Mason, seeks out Dr. Ella for “advice” and Boyd stumbles all over her newly healed heart, she finds herself longing for something she never knew existed. But families are messy, and they’ll both need to let go of the past if they want to find a future that’s more than by the book.

Brew: A Love Story is a modern romance full of the trials of connection and letting go. None of us come into a new relationship without our past shaping how we see things and react, this is particularly true with the main players of this story. Ella comes to the story with a less than pleasant family, and something that sent her running from her perfectly ordered life. She is just starting to let people in, and start feeling with the help of great friends. Boyd is a dad first, and everything else second. When he took charge of raising his son he did everything he could o give Mason the best life he could, but things are changing, because Mason is growing up (as they tend to) faster than he is really prepared for. Neither Boyd or Ella is quite ready to jump on in, but their attraction and the support of those around them urge them in the right direction. Now they each just need to get out of their own heads and pasts, and work on figuring out what they want and need. I love the reality of this story, because none of use are in a vacuum. Family, past troubles, friends, and everything around us effects how we interact with others and perceive he world. I love that there was movement in the relationships and characters around them as well, showing just how fluid and changeable life really is. Boyd and Ella each have things to work out, and those that support them and give them the straight talk that they occasionally need to open their eyes. The honesty and heart break her was very well done, and while there were moments when I wanted to kick one or both of them, I was glad to see them find their way.

Brew: A Love Story is a heart warming story of two people finding each other, and themselves. I enjoyed the read, and hope to explore more from this author in the near future.