SUMMARY
Since the death of her fiancé Jack Lund ten years ago in the Great War, Marjorie Corrigan has remained in her small town, working in her father’s dry-goods store, letting life pass her by. Although she is now engaged to a great catch, she doesn’t love him like she did Jack. With grave doubts about marrying the most sought after bachelor in town, Marjie heads off to the big city of Chicago for a brief stay.
But Chicago makes her feel truly alive for the first time in forever. And when she bumps into a stranger who looks exactly like Jack, she knows she can’t return home. With the help of her new friend Dot, Marjie secures an apartment and a job with Marshall Fields where the familiar looking stranger is also employed.
While trying to reconcile the fact that Peter Bachmann looks exactly like her lost love Jack, Marjie is also experiencing a personal emotional journey of discovery. As she grows and changes so too does her desire for her current fiancé and her life back home. With her wedding quickly approaching and Chicago feeling more and more like home, Marjie has some big decisions to make.
MY THOUGHTS
I purchased You’re the Cream in My Coffee several years ago after the synopsis caught my eye. But then it languished on my TBR pile for a while. Suddenly, I started reading reviews of this book by bloggers I trust raving about how much they enjoyed this little Jazz Age story.
Well, after starting this book twice, I finally finished it. And I have to say those bloggers were right!
I thoroughly enjoyed this coming of age tale of a young woman who goes on a journey of self-discovery. Of course, romance is always a hook for me to read any book and there is a bit of that in You’re the Cream in My Coffee. But it’s more than just a romance, there is adventure, and a little mystery too.
Marjorie is a heroine I can relate to. One who is trying to let go of her past and determine what she wants her future to look like. In one small change at a time she takes steps to transform her life, building courage along the way. The mystery of co-worker Peter Bachmann who looks uncannily like her deceased fiance Jack Lund, kept me wondering the whole time. Is he? Or isn’t he?
One of the best things about You’re the Cream in My Coffee is how completely it reflects a time of history long past. From the fashion, to the lingo, to the current events of the twenties as they affect the book’s characters, I became immersed in a world I’ve only experience in classic films. The author clearly did her research and also did a great job of portraying the Chicago of that time period.
After having read You’re the Cream in My Coffee, I’m really kicking myself for waiting so long to get to it. It’s intriguing, historically accurate, and just downright fun. If you are fascinated with the twenties era or if you like journeys of self-discovery then this book is just the ticket.
