The Fortune Cafe (Tangerine Street Romance, #1) by Julie Wright

The Fortune Cafe (Tangerine Street Romance, #1) Reviews

• 
  Carol She's So Novel ꧁꧂

  I had a discussion with
  Jacob about this title that had me keen enough to read it. Did each author write a short story or did they work on them together? I don't know if I have much to add to Jacob's conclusions but anyway....
  
  

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  MIS-FORTUNE
  
  As Jacob also said, by far the strongest story. The idea was a brilliant one, all the characters, including the staff at The Fortune Cafe, were well realised. I think this could have been an excellent novel, but short story format, the ending felt rushed & forced. & while Emma's career choices were well drawn, saying Harrison did "design" just felt lazy & showed a lack of research. But the story carried me along well enough for 4.5★
  
  

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  LOVE, NOT LUCK
  
  A great premise & it started quite well, but tailed off badly - & right when it shouldn't, when the love interest entered the story. Felt a bit drawn out & I couldn't believe in this romance 2★
  
  

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  TAKEOUT
  
  This story was really poor. The initial meeting was weak & poorly handled. The lead author seemed to have difficulty fitting the link (The Fortune Cafe) into this story & I actually felt Our Heroine was overly intrusive in Love not Luck as well. So bored I managed to put the book down with only 2 pages to go (very unlike me) & completed reading this morning. 1.5★
  
  

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  It doesn't quite average up to this but for the concept, first story & beautiful cover art I'm going to round up to 3★
• 
  Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽

  Kindle freebie, Oct. 10, 2017, for clean contemporary romance fans, three interrelated novellas by three authors, with a touch of fantasy: fortune cookies with individualized, true fortunes.
  
  I was on the fence about whether to download this or not (my Kindle account seriously needs some dejunking) until I noticed that one of the three authors is Melanie Jacobson, who writes funny, delightful, articulate contemporary romances. Sold!
• 
  Jacob Proffitt

  Unlike most short story collaborations with multiple authors, I couldn't find any attribution on a per-story basis. Even the copyright notice is an aggregate one instead of broken out for each author. It's an odd choice because most authors want clear attribution, both to attach fans and to prompt follow-on purchases. This is significant in this case because one of these stories is good enough I'd be interested in more and the other two are merely serviceable.
  
  The first, Mis-Fortune is by far the best. Emma's story was engaging and with a well-earned emotional payoff. I kind of hated Emma's mother and that Emma was so hesitant to deal with a clearly abusive situation. Yeah, it's the result of a mental disorder, but that doesn't mean you have to be a target and just take it. Add a late-game wobble and this is still a solid four stars. I really wish I knew which author wrote this one because I'd love to sample more of her work.
  
  The second, Love, Not Luck was mostly formulaic and I didn't really attach to either protagonist. Carter was awesome, for sure, but too ideal to really engage with. Lucy had a maturation arc that I'm not sure worked very well and I think the author was trying to say something about the feedback loop between perception and emotion but it was all in generalities and would have been tons more effective if we had watched Lucy actually work through the differences in detail. And the emotional arc wasn't mapped very well all the way to the end with poor Carter at sea far too long. So this is a low three-star story that needed a lot of shoring up to work on the emotional level it needed.
  
  The third story, Takeout didn't really work at all. Stella and Evan form an attachment, but I can't really see why. I mean sure, they had a fun date or two and it looked like they might be compatible, but both had way bigger issues than could comfortably be contained in the shortest story of the bunch. By the end I was kind of thinking this deserved three stars because nothing sucked, but I'm rethinking that on after-analysis. Two, maybe 2½ stars? It was okay, so lets leave it at that.
  
  So three stars for the collection both as an average of the above ratings and my honest feeling of the work as a whole. I really wish I could follow-up with something by whoever wrote Mis-Fortune. Ah, well.
• 
  Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...)

  I just read this collection again and I think I enjoyed it even more the second time! Sweet, fun stories set in a small beach town with a common thread of the characters receiving a "special" fortune from their fortune cookie at The Fortune Cafe- known for custom fortunes that really come true.
• 
  Jessie

  The Fortune Cafe includes three novellas, all set in the same town in coastal California. The stories all integrate the Fortune Cafe where the fortunes received in the fortune cookies all come true (but only on your first time).
  The first story is about a waitress, Emma, who works at the Fortune Cafe. She has avoided the cookie's on principle, despite her boss' attempts to get her to open one. Then one night she serves an old friend from high school on a date. When Harrison can't seem to take his eyes off of Emma, his date goes crazy, throwing food and the tray of cookies. When Emma tries to block the tray from hitting her boss, she breaks a cookie in her hand. Should she believe what the fortune told?
  The second story involves Lucky Lucy. Everything has gone her way since her grandfather gave her a jade pendant when she was twelve. Now, while at the Fortune Cafe with her parents, fiancé, and future in-laws, everything seems to be going wrong, especially when her necklace breaks. How will Lucy handle it when her luck runs out?
  The last story is about Stella who runs a jewelry store right down the street from the Fortune Cafe. When an ex-boyfriend comes into town and won't take no for an answer, she pulls an aquaintence, Evan, in for a kiss, and the role of her pretend boyfriend. Afterwards, she wonders if it should be more than a momentary arrangement. Does she have room in her life for a boyfriend and taking care of her diabetic mother? Is he even interested?
  All three stories were sweet, and funny, with a small hint of magic in them. Despite the book being broken up into three stories, I still felt like I had enough time to get to now the characters, and I loved seeing the story thread continue from one story to the next. Like how the couple Emma almost dropped food on in the first story, were the protagonists in the second story.
  I loved getting a glimpse into the Fortune Cafe. It looks like there are supposed to be more Tangerine Street Novels, and I look forward to visiting this eclectic tourist town again. Even though the other books are supposed to be about other businesses in town, I hope we still see more of the Fortune Cafe.
  Content: clean, some minor language, and some kissing
• 
  Kathy * Bookworm Nation

  I really enjoyed this anthology, it was cute! I liked how all three stories are kind of interrelated, the characters are all connected through the Fortune Café, where your first fortune cookie will always come true.
  
  Mis-Fortune
  Emma works as a waitress part-time at the Fortune Café, in her spare time she has her own website and is launching her first comic book. She doesn't really believe the whole fortune myth and has avoided opening any fortunes while she's worked at the café. One night she is reunited with a guy she went to high school with and sparks fly. Much to the dismay of the date he was with. Harrison and Emma were really cute together. I'm glad they were able to get a second chance and I just loved both characters. Emma has had it hard and it was nice to see her get something good out of life.
  
  Love, Not Luck
  Lucky Lucy has been on a lucky street since she received a lucky necklace from her grandpa as a kid. Things start to change when she visits the Fortune Café with her fiancé and her necklace breaks. I really enjoyed Lucy's story and the lessons she learns along the way. I really liked her love interest and thought they were perfect together. I'm happy with how everything works out for them.
  
  Takeout
  I liked Stella, she owns a cute jewelry store where I wish I could visit and get some of her handmade necklaces. Stella gave up on college to come home and take care of her sick mom. One day Evan enters the story and their lives are changed forever. I thought they were cute together and I enjoyed their story.
  
  Overall, a great book! I look forward to reading more from this series.
  
  Content
  Romance: Clean
  Language: Mild
• 
  Tiffany

  What happens when you put an awesome premise together with three amazing authors? You get an incredible book titled The Fortune Cafe! It's no secret that I love Melanie Jacobson. Pretty much anything that has her name on the cover is gold to me. Julie Wright is another one of my favorites, but combine those to with Heather Moore and you have one serious writing powerhouse! I fully recommend it!
• 
  Melanie Jacobson

  It's out! It's out! The Fortune Cafe is here and it will have you dreaming of beaches and summer. Get it on your e-reader and enjoy a mini-vacation, friends. It's fun!
• 
  Christina

  A fun section of books!
  
  I loved how this book took a specific place and created three different stories from three different authors, all intertwined. They each build off each other, ending in three completely unique romances. I enjoyed all of them :)
• 
  Melanie

  I loved it!! This novel contains three novellas written by three different authors and The Fortune Cafe is the link between them. When you get a fortune cookie there, the fortunes magically come true. Cai, the owner of The Fortune Cafe, believes that the first fortune carries the magic and is the most important.
  
  Each story is unique yet they all blend together nicely. It was easy to figure out where the stories were headed but they were still lots of fun to read. I enjoyed reading about each of their relationships and how they came to realize who they should be with. Their fortunes were also fun. None of them took much stock at first in their fortunes coming true, so I liked seeing how that would happen.
  
  Once I started reading this, it was almost impossible to put down. These are three authors I have just found within the last year and they are all quickly becoming favorites! I'm looking forward to reading more from each of them and hope there are more Tangerine Street Romances to come!
  
  Content: Clean! The second story has a couple of mild swear words.
  
  
  Mel's Shelves
• 
  Charissa

  This is the first book of its kind that I’ve read...a novel written in three parts by three different authors. How cool is that? I didn’t know what to expect, but just like the characters in this book have their fortunes turn after breaking open a fortune cookie from the Fortune Cafe, I feel that my fortune changed for the better from reading this. It was like breaking open my very own magical fortune cookie and seeing dreams come true. Fun, fun, fun. I highly recommend this little gem and give it a 5 because it was unique and so well written and executed by the 3 authors that I couldn't tell it wasn't written by just one person.
  
  Each author wrote a part with different characters and a different fortune in each, yet the characters intertwine throughout the book, weaving together a satisfying whole. You'll feel that you've actually walked along Tangerine Street and can hear the ocean waves; you'll crave Chinese food and never take for granted those cardboard tasting fortune cookies again. I know I won't.
• 
  Erin Reed

  I loved how these stories tied together, it was a fantastic glimpse into the lives of three wonderfully complex characters, and the ones that love them. I struggle sometimes with novellas, because I like having a full story. But these were long enough that you got a full story in one book. I also loved guessing what the next story was going to be about just from the little clue they gave you in the first and second book. It was great and I recommend this to everyone!
• 
  Critterbee❇

  The Fortune Cafe (A Tangerine Street Romance, #1) consists of three contemporary romance novellas by three authors who were new to me. They all are inter-connected through a magical restaurant/cafe where the fortunes seem to come true.
  The premise is interesting, but the execution of the stories was not to my taste. The stories seemed a little disjointed to me, and I did not enjoy them very much.
  
• 
  Heather

  This book was a blast to write. I teamed up with contemporary romance writers, Melanie Jacobson and Julie Wright to create a fresh approach to romance. As a 3-part novel, you read about three woman who all get fortunes from The Fortune Cafe... these fortunes all come true, and of course they are all about love.
• 
  Kathy

  So cute!
  
  Review to come.
  
  Content: The 2nd story has 3 mild expletives but otherwise clean.
• 
  Amy S

  Three novellas in one book. They are vaguely connected by the setting but aren’t interdependent.
  I liked the second story the best of the three.
  All of the love stories were clean, sweet, contemporary romances.
• 
  Katie (hiding in the pages)

  I have a love-hate relationships with these types of books--I enjoy every minute of them and love each story, but I hate that they come to an end. I can't choose a favorite either! Bringing together three fabulous authors, who each write a fantastic story that stands all on its own, yet has some common threads to the other stories in the book is a fabulous concept!
  
  The Fortune Cafe is a Chinese restaurant in a beach town in CA where the first fortune read comes true. In the first story, Mis-Fortune, Emma is a waitress at the restaurant and is reunited with an old high school friend--one of her best friends, Harrison. Emma has a lot on her plate because she's trying to follow her dreams, take care of a very ill mother, and work to make ends meet. I love the way Emma knows what she wants and where her duty lies. She works hard to be successful in all aspects of her life and tries to hold everything together. My favorite part was the crazy lady throwing food...and a tantrum. I love how hard Harrison works to help out. His family is so kind and accepting and he's the same way.
  
  Love, Not Luck is a darling story about Lucy who is lucky in everything, until her necklace breaks while she was in The Fortune Cafe. She finds Stella, who is a jeweler, to fix it. Carter, her neighbor, is truly someone who sees life as a glass half full. I loved how he was able to find something good and to be grateful for in everything. Lucy comes to realize a few things about herself with his help.
  
  Takeout is the story of Stella, the jeweler. With a diabetic mom, she often gets takeout for dinner at work and The Fortune Cafe makes the list. Stella is willing to sacrifice to do what she loves and be with who matters most. I love her aunt and Evan is so charming.
  
  These are all great, clean romances and are so much fun! I can't wait to see what comes next on Tangerine Street.
  
  Content: the 2nd story had a few mild expletives; no violence; clean romance.
• 
  Lisa Paskins

  The Fortune Café
  A Tangerine Street Romance
  A Novel in three parts by Julie Wright, Melanie Jacobson and
  Heather B. Moore
  
  Part One; MisFortune
  Reclusive Emma Armstrong has waitressed for four years at The Fortune Café avoiding the magical fortune cookies until in an effort to stop a food fight one is launched at her head and it cracks open. Denying the fortune, “look around, love is trying to catch you”, does Emma no good as she is pursued by Harrison, a friend from her past. Emma has little time or interest in a relationship as she juggles the responsibilities of pursuing her drawing, making ends meet and caring for her mother.
  Part Two: Love not Luck
  Lucy Dalton makes a cameo appearance in part one where she shares a lunch date with her parents, fiancé, Blake Sefton and her future in-laws. Lucy has always relied on her “magic” jade necklace and is devastated when it is broken at the Fortune Café. Leaving the necklace in Seashell Beach for repairs has her life spiraling out of control. Leaning on the unluckiest person she knows, Carter, her next door neighbor changes Lucy’s perspective. You will find yourself laughing out loud when you read Carter’s take on the perks of his bad luck. “I meet new people almost every time I leave the house. Granted they’re paramedics.”
  Part Three; Take-out
  Stella Novak makes her living as a jeweler in Seashell Beach where she frequently gets take-out from you guessed it, the Fortune Café. When her ex-boyfriend seems intent on rekindling a relationship that Stella is trying to avoid, she kisses Evan Rockham, the new chef at the Mariposa. While that may end one story line it does open up all kinds of new possibilities.
  The beauty of this book lies in the fact that you can find a common thread throughout all of the stories but each one is complete on it’s own. The characters are well written and seem like people you would like getting to know. So get yourself a copy and one for a friend.
  
• 
  Mela

  I always tell a short story (a novella) isn't just a shortened novel. Writing a short story isn't easy. Unfortunately, Julie Wright, Melanie Jacobson and Heather B. Moore seem to need a lesson. I recommend them to read e.g.
  Waking Kate,
  Sleep it Off Lady: Stories by Jean Rhys,
  Aurelia's Unfortunate Young Man,
  The Human Ambit,
  Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm,
  Pistols For Two.
  
  The ideas they had for the plots were quite nice, worse with realization.
  
  'Mis-Fortune' was the best of them. It was almost 3 stars. A sweet love story with a bit family drama.
  
  'Love, not luck' deserves 2 stars only thank's to Evan. I love such heroes in romances ;-) If it was not for him I would be bored so much, I wouldn't have finished it.
  
  'Takeout' was the worst (more like 1 than 2 stars). I have skipped almost the whole. There were a few cute paragraphs, but that was all.
  
  So, I agree with
  Carol ꧁꧂'s Reviews and I'd recommend reading only the 1st story. And only if you get it for free (like I did). The two other - you read at your own risk.
• 
  Rachelle

  Here is a terrific new book with three authors that I love--seriously, you can't go wrong when you read anything by Julie Wright, Melanie Jacobson, or Heather Moore!
  
  This book was a quick read because it's like three short stories blended into one book. Each story stands on its own but is loosely connected by The Fortune Cafe' where the fortune cookies have a bit of magic because the fortunes all come true!
  
  Mis-Fortune by Julie Wright features Emma, and her great voice and quirky characteristics make her easy to relate to and root for. Each of the characters are vivid and Wright's style shines through in this witty romance.
  
  Love, Not Luck by Melanie Jacobson features Lucky Lucy who suddenly isn't so lucky. She has a fire and determination that shines with Jacobson's usual talent of giving each of her characters a distinct voice.
  
  Takeout by Heather Moore is about the charming Stella who is willing to sacrifice everything for others and finally gets a chance to find out what her heart needs and wants. Some great kissing and romantic tension going on in this one with a beautiful setting and perfect ending.
  
  I highly recommend this book, and guess what? There's another book coming soon by these three authors. Can't wait!
• 
  Lisa (Bookworm Lisa)

  **4.5**
  
  This book contains three stories that all have a Chinese Restaurant, The Fortune Cafe, in common. The fortune cookies are magic. The first cookie that you crack gives you a TRUE fortune.
  
  I loved each and every one of the stories. My only complaint is that they were short! I think that every story could have (or should have) had a full length novel about them. The stories are related by the cafe and the main character in each story was mentioned in the story before it.
  
  One more person that I would have loved to see in all of the stories was the Cafe owner, Cai. He was in the first story and I thought he was great. His enthusiasm for his cookies was fun.
  
  At the end of the book there is an advertisement for another book featuring a store on Tangerine Street to be written by the three author's. I am looking forward to it. They do a good job working together. The stories complimented each other and were well written.
• 
  Aimee (Getting Your Read On)

  This is the kind of book that just makes me happy. It's light, romantic reading that can take you away for awhile. In this book I got a three for one deal. :)
  
  I liked that the stories sort of had a cross over connection with the Fortune Cafe and we see the characters from the other stories in each one, if only briefly. Each story had it's own feel because obviously there are different people writing them, but they were still connected. This book also made me hungry. All that talk of yummy food and fortune cookies? Don't read this book while hungry.
  
  Each story involves a fortune cookie with something magically special inside. Each story has a romance to root for. Each story delivers a happily ever after that my heart just loves. I can't wait to read more books along these lines. Yay for romance!
  
  Content: There were a few instances of mild swearing.
• 
  Valerie Waters

  Huh. Not sure what to rate this one. I loved part 1. I wish it could be a full length novel. But I was glad it wasn't a novella. Part 2 surprised me. There was some swearing and I felt like it walked the line of inappropriate in some parts. I liked how it ended. I wish part 3 was also a full length novel because it moved a little fast for me. "In love" after meeting like 2 times?!?! Nope. You don't know the person yet.
• 
  Nari

  This was 3 novellas that had a link to each other because each romance start with a fortune from a fortune cookie from the same Chinese restaurant. They were sweet and clean romances. I enjoyed reading them one at a time and not having to stay up all night doing it. I enjoyed this book and look forward to more from these authors.
• 
  Lucy McConnell

  Though each story is individual and different, they all have a connection to the fortune cookies that have an uncanny way of matching up with the person who reads it. Whether it's fate, a self-fulfilling prophesy, or just getting a shot of courage, the cookies seem to have enough magic to reveal love.
  If you'd like a wonderful, light-hearted read then this is the book for you.
• 
  Kathy Jo

  It's so hard to rate a book with 3 short stories. I LOVED part 1 and 3 and wished they were full length novels! Part 2 kinda dragged and got on my nerves. Maybe because I have an ex-fiance and I looked at it as a blessing in disguise. Go out and enjoy life! It's too short to not live it to the fullest! :)
• 
  Rachael Anderson

  LOVED these! So darling--the best $5 I've spent in a while. Each story was filled humor, touching scenes, sigh-worthy romance, and wonderful characters. This is my kind of read, and I'm really looking forward to the next one.
• 
  Chrissy

  So cute. Just clean, fluffy romance! Three short stories but all related. My favorite was the first one but the others were cute too.
• 
  Ipshita

  MIS-FORTUNE: ★★★★½
  
  LOVE, NOT LUCK: ★★★★★
  
  TAKEOUT: ★★★★
• 
  NaDell

  Loved this story. Very fun and imaginative and clean and fresh and I wanted it to keep on going. The trio of authors for this book did a great job.