The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer

Best friends Annie, Genna, and Zoe have done everything together since forever, or at least, they used to. But now that they’re almost graduating middle school, the Teashop Girls seem to be growing apart since Zoe is always at tennis and Genna is busy with theatrical productions. Feeling a little left out, Annie decides to start working at her grandmother’s teashop, The Steeping Leaf, the old hangout of the Teashop Girls. But happiness over her newfound independence and proximity to her super cute coworker-slash-crush is short lived when it becomes apparent that The Steeping Leaf is in financial trouble—if business doesn’t pick up, the teashop will have to permanently close its doors. Annie refuses to give up on the teashop and enlists all the help she can find to embark on a crusade to save the quaint teashop and her beloved childhood hangout.

The Teashop Girls is a cute and sweet story about friendship and perseverance. Interspaced with interesting fun facts about the history of tea, cute stories involving tea, and yummy sounding recipes, this novel reminds me a bit of a scrapbook in the best possible way; the story is solid and enjoyable but the extras are the icing on the cake. Readers won’t be able to resist Annie’s determination to save The Steeping Leaf and her no-nonsense if sometimes immature attitude. Schaefer includes some of the difficulties that accompany the transition between childhood and the teen years, such as boy drama and personality changes that can potentially tear friendships apart, but it isn’t overdone by piling too many of these problems on Annie. I really liked the innocence and sweetness of the Teashop Girls, and their niceness and positivity kept a smile on my face. The Teashop Girls made for a fun and satisfying read with plenty of youthful joy and an adorable happy ending.

The Teashop Girls is likely aimed at the middle grade audience but older teens can still enjoy this cute read. Readers who liked 3 Willows by Ann Brashares and The Curse of Addy McMahon by Katie Davis will also like The Teashop Girls.

Rating: 4.0

Review copy from Amazon Vine