The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane

( 29 )

Overview

www.SheilasPlace.com

When it comes to men, sisters don't share!

After a fake food poisoning incident in L.A., Bailey Sterling's dreams of becoming a caterer to the stars collapse faster than a soufflé. Now Bailey's face is in all the gossip rags and her business is in ruins. But the Sterling women close ranks and bring her back to Icicle Falls, where she'll stay with her sister Cecily.

All goes well between ...

See more details below
Paperback (Mass Market Paperback)
$7.99
BN.com price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up In Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Other sellers (Paperback)
  • All (57) from $1.99   
  • New (18) from $1.99   
  • Used (39) from $1.99   
The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane

Available on NOOK devices and apps  
  • NOOK Devices
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK
  • NOOK HD/HD+ Tablet
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for Windows 8 Tablet
  • NOOK for iOS
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK for Windows 8
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac
  • NOOK for Web

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

NOOK Book (eBook - Original)
$7.49
BN.com price
(Save 6%)$7.99 List Price

More About This Book

Overview

www.SheilasPlace.com

When it comes to men, sisters don't share!

After a fake food poisoning incident in L.A., Bailey Sterling's dreams of becoming a caterer to the stars collapse faster than a soufflé. Now Bailey's face is in all the gossip rags and her business is in ruins. But the Sterling women close ranks and bring her back to Icicle Falls, where she'll stay with her sister Cecily.

All goes well between the sisters until Bailey comes up with a new business idea—a tea shop on a charming street called Lavender Lane. She's going into partnership with Todd Black, who—it turns out—is the man Cecily's started dating. It looks to Cecily as if there's more than tea brewing in that cute little shop. And she's not pleased.

Wait! Isn't Cecily seeing Luke Goodman? He's a widower with an adorable little girl, and yes, Cecily does care about him. But Todd's the one who sends her zing-o-meter off the charts. So now what? Should you have to choose between your sister and the man you love (or think you love)?

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
"Sheila Roberts makes me laugh. I read her books and come away inspired, hopeful and happy."--#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

"An engrossing story with strong characters."-Booklist on Better than Chocolate

"Her characters are warm and engaging, and their interactions are full of humor." –RT Book Reviews on Bikini Season

"An uplifting, charming, feel-good story from the author of Bikini Season (2008)."–

Booklist on Angel Lane

"...will doubtless warm more than a few hearts." –Publishers Weekly on Angel Lane

"A congenial cast of subsidiary characters ... meet Hope at a community garden plot and share their stories there. Roberts effectively knits these troubled but kindly characters together in a story line that throws the reader a few unexpected twists." –The Seattle Times on Love in Bloom

"Love in Bloom is a wonderful story with characters so real and defined I feel like I am personally acquainted with them. ... There is humor and emotion in large quantities in this fantastic book that is next to impossible to put down. Kudos and a large bouquet of flowers to Sheila Roberts for giving us one of the best books of the year." –Fresh Fiction

From the Publisher
"Sheila Roberts makes me laugh. I read her books and come away inspired, hopeful and happy."—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

"An engrossing story with strong characters."-Booklist on Better than Chocolate

"Her characters are warm and engaging, and their interactions are full of humor." –RT Book Reviews on Bikini Season

"An uplifting, charming, feel-good story from the author of Bikini Season (2008)."–

Booklist on Angel Lane

"...will doubtless warm more than a few hearts." –Publishers Weekly on Angel Lane

"A congenial cast of subsidiary characters ... meet Hope at a community garden plot and share their stories there. Roberts effectively knits these troubled but kindly characters together in a story line that throws the reader a few unexpected twists." –The Seattle Times on Love in Bloom

"Love in Bloom is a wonderful story with characters so real and defined I feel like I am personally acquainted with them. ... There is humor and emotion in large quantities in this fantastic book that is next to impossible to put down. Kudos and a large bouquet of flowers to Sheila Roberts for giving us one of the best books of the year." –Fresh Fiction

Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780778316183
  • Publisher: Harlequin
  • Publication date: 6/24/2014
  • Series: Life in Icicle Falls Series , #5
  • Format: Mass Market Paperback
  • Pages: 352
  • Sales rank: 48033
  • Product dimensions: 4.19 (w) x 6.63 (h) x 0.97 (d)

Meet the Author

Sheila Roberts
Sheila Roberts lives on a lake in the Pacific Northwest. Her novels have appeared in Readers Digest Condensed Books and have been published in several languages. Her book Angel Lane, was an Amazon Top Ten Romance pick for 2009 and her holiday perennial, On Strike for Christmas was made into a movie for the Lifetime Movie Network. You can visit Sheila on Twitter and Facebook or at her website (http://www.sheilasplace.com).
Read More Show Less

Read an Excerpt

The party was going perfectly until the hostess clutched her stomach with an agonized cry and crumpled to the floor.

Rory Rourke, her boyfriend and star of the new TV series Man Handled, knelt by the woman's side and barked, "Someone, call 911."

"Call her doctor," said someone else.

"Call the Star Reporter" the victim said faintly.

And that was when Bailey Sterling knew she was in trouble.

She'd been so excited to land this gig catering Samba Barrett's party. Samba wasn't an Emma Stone or Kristen Stewart, but she was…someone. Sort of. And with her catlike green eyes and red hair, she was on her way up, like the rest of her party guests. It was what everyone said. And surely that had meant Bailey was on her way up, too. The West Hollywood apartment had been packed with hot young actors and actresses. As she'd slipped among them bearing trays of goodies, she'd heard more than one person rave about the food and had envisioned a whole string of catering gigs after this one.

The shrimp salsa in phyllo cups had been an especially big hit. "Oh, my God, this is to die for," Angelica Winston (from the new reality show Hard Ass) had raved. Bailey had smiled modestly and kept circulating, while her assistant Giorgio served up stuffed mushrooms. She'd been working for the past three years to earn a reputation as caterer to the stars, and things were finally starting to happen.

Except here was Samba Barrett, writhing on her living room floor, groaning in agony. Twenty minutes ago she'd been eating those shrimp cups and laughing. Did she have food allergies she hadn't told Bailey about? Samba had gone over the menu with her, approved everything. How could this have happened? Was Bailey going to be known as killer of the stars?

Thirty people gathered around the actress, some offering advice, some taking pictures with their cell phones, others texting wildly. Bailey stood on the fringe and nervously downed one of her own appetizers.

"You'll be okay, baby," Rory Rourke assured Samba.

"I think I ate something bad," she whimpered.

"Oh, no, that's not possible," Bailey protested, and everyone turned to look at her. One woman aimed her cell phone at Bailey, capturing her miserable expression. This couldn't be happening.

But it could. And it was. Now Bailey felt sick. She lost her grip on the tray of canapés she was carrying and down they went, the tray landing on the Jimmy Choos of one of the party guests busily recording her hostess's misery on her cell phone.

The woman next to her let out a yelp and jumped back, then glared at Bailey.

"Sorry," Bailey muttered and bent to scoop the mess onto the tray. In the process she managed to get in the way of another guest, nearly tripping him.

He didn't settle for glaring. He swore at her.

Catering hell—that was what this was. Bailey made a dash for the kitchen and hid out, watching the drama unfold from behind the counter.

The ambulance arrived, and the EMTs showed up to take Samba's vitals and load her onto a stretcher. Then away she went, a pitiful—but gorgeous—victim of Sterling Catering.

The guests switched from eating to drinking. Rory told Bailey she could clean up and leave, and not in the kindest tone of voice. He didn't offer to pay her, and she didn't ask. All she wanted to do was get out of that cramped apartment full of the young and the beautiful.

By the time she left, the media was waiting. Photographers snapped her picture, and reporters stuck microphones in her face. "Have you catered for Samba before?"… "Has Samba threatened to sue?"… "What's your relationship with Rory Rourke?"

Bailey stood there like Bambi staring at the headlights of a Mack truck, her toque askew, offering quotable quotes such as, "What?"

She quickly realized that it was time to scram and bolted for the van where Giorgio was loading up boxes of supplies…and telling a reporter that he wasn't involved with any of the food prep. "I'm only doing this while I wait to hear from my agent. We've got something big in the works. Giorgio Romano. R-o-m…"

Bailey tossed in the last of her serving equipment, then tugged on his double-breasted white jacket and growled, "Get in the van," even as the vultures who'd been talking to him now turned their attention to her.

He scowled at her but got moving.

They drove away with photographers pointing their cameras and shooting. "What were you thinking?" she demanded, swerving to avoid one.

"I wasn't thinking anything. I was just answering questions."

"Well, thanks a lot," she snapped.

He held out both hands. "What did you want me to do?"

"How about saying that Sterling Catering was not responsible for Samba Barrett's illness?" she suggested, her voice rising.

"I can't be sure of that," Giorgio said sullenly.

"You've been working for me for six months now, Giorgio. You know how good I am. You could have said something." Was there no loyalty in the world? She brushed away a tear.

"I told you, I'm only here until I get my break."

"And I suppose that was it," she said in disgust. "Getting your name in the paper as a caterer?"

"Every little bit helps," he retorted. "Publicity is great, even if it's bad."

Not for a caterer. She had a small liability policy, but it didn't cover bad press. Overwhelmed with misery, Bailey pulled off the road and began to cry in earnest.

Giorgio sat there in what she thought was silent sympathy. Until he said, "Here, let me drive. I've got a date."

She raised her tearstained face from the steering wheel. "A date? You were working the party."

"Yeah. But when it ended early…" He shrugged. "Sorry."

Sorry about summed it up.

After a long day of work punctuated hourly by texts from her miserable little sister, Cecily Sterling was standing in line at the Icicle Falls Safeway with her recharge essentials—a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream and a bag of Cheetos. It seemed everyone else in Icicle Falls had had a long day at work, too, and the store was packed.

She'd already run into Dot Morrison, who'd eyed her purchases and said, "Now, that's my kind of dinner."

She'd planned on adding more to her "dinner," but she'd spotted Luke Goodman, the production manager at her family's chocolate company, in the cookie department with his daughter, Serena, and had decided to skip the cookies.

Not that she didn't want to see little Serena or, as Serena would insist, Big Serena now that she'd "graduated" from kindergarten. Serena's visits to the Sweet Dreams Chocolates office with her grandma gave Cecily her kid fix on a regular basis.

But Serena's daddy was another matter.

Luke Goodman was a nice guy. He had the husky build of a wrestler (which he'd been in high school), kind blue eyes and a great smile. He was a widower, and he'd been interested in Cecily ever since she'd moved back home to Icicle Falls. The only problem was that she wasn't interested in him as anything more than a friend.

She should have been. What was wrong with her, anyway? She had such a gift for matching up other people. She'd brought together friends in high school and in college; thanks to her, a lot of weddings had taken place. She'd even been in the matchmaking business, for crying out loud. She could size people up and instinctively know who should be with whom. But when it came to herself she knew nothing. She'd been engaged twice, and each man had turned out to be a loser and a user. Pathetic.

Luke was neither of those, and he wanted her. So why did her stupid hormones do the happy dance every time she got anywhere near Todd Black?

Todd had also been after her ever since she'd moved home. He owned The Man Cave, a seedy tavern at the edge of town, and he was no Luke Goodman. He looked like Johnny Depp's kid brother, and he was a heartbreak waiting to happen. He had bad boy written all over him, from the double entendre s he was so good at throwing Cecily's way to how he looked at her, as if she were a chocolate bar he'd like to unwrap. Slowly. Luke Goodman was the kind of man who married a girl, but Todd Black was the kind who slept with her and then conveniently forgot to call the next day.

She should have no interest whatsoever in Todd Black. And she certainly should never have agreed to stop by his tavern on Friday night to play pinball when she'd run into him earlier that day at Bavarian Brews.

But he'd caught her in a weak moment. She'd been worried about her younger sister, Bailey, and she'd said yes without thinking. At least that was her excuse. She really couldn't blame her moment of weakness on preoccupation, though. Insanity was the true culprit. Anytime she was around that man he heated up her hormones and fried her brain. Now she was going to go home and rewire the synapses with junk food and a long bubble bath. She enjoyed making bath salts and bubble bath and could hardly wait to indulge in her latest creation—lavender-vanilla.

She'd barely gotten in line when Cass Wilkes walked up behind her and said hi. "Ice cream—food of the gods."

Cass was Cecily's sister Samantha's BFF, but she'd opened the door of friendship to Cecily, too, and they saw each other every Sunday at Cass's chick-flick nights and during their monthly book-club meetings.

Cecily smiled, feeling slightly embarrassed. That was both the beauty and the curse of living in a small town. Everyone knew your business. "Not exactly the diet special, is it?"

"No, but I can't exactly say anything." Cass held up her shopping basket, which contained a pizza and a two-liter bottle of root beer. "You can see we're eating well tonight."

The basket also held a bag of ready-made salad. "It's not all bad," Cecily said, pointing to the salad. "And pizza has good things on it."

"That's what I keep telling myself. I also keep telling myself that I'm only going to eat the salad and leave the pizza for the kids. But I'm lying."

"Life's too short not to eat pizza," Cecily said with a smile. The smile fell away when her cell phone started singing Bailey's ringtone, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

Bailey's life had been anything but fun the past couple of days. She had called Cecily the evening of the disastrous party, practically hysterical. They'd pulled in Samantha, who had found Bailey a tough L.A. lawyer, but no legal shark could save her from bad publicity. Of course, the story had made the papers, and all the TV stations had repeatedly run the footage of her van driving away, leaving the scene of the "crime." Naturally, they'd zoomed in on Sterling Catering painted on the side of the van. Word of mouth had added to the avalanche of bad press. People who'd booked her for their events had been calling right and left and canceling.

Cecily answered, bracing herself for more bad news.

Sure enough. "Have you seen the Star Reporter?"

Oh, no. What now? Cecily turned to the magazine rack near the cash register. There, on the front of the latest popular celebrity news rag, was a picture of Bailey in her white caterer's coat, standing outside Samba Barrett's apartment building. She was wearing an expression of shock, along with her chef's toque, her big hazel eyes wide and her mouth dangling open. She looked more confused than crazy. In fact, she looked like the village idiot. The bold print above the picture proclaimed, Samba Barrett Poisoned? Crazy Caterer Tries to Take Out the Competition.

"Oh, no." Cecily dropped her junk food on the checkout conveyor belt and grabbed the magazine.

Cass, standing right next to her, took one, too, muttering, "Those creeps."

"This is the worst yet. I'm ruined!" Bailey wailed.

"That headline doesn't make sense. What competition are they talking about?" Cecily asked, trying to balance her cell phone, calm her sister and turn to the article all at the same time.

"They're saying I had a thing for Rory Rourke, which is ridiculous. I don't even know Rory Rourke. I didn't know any of those people!"

During the past forty-eight hours, Bailey's moods had swung between grim resignation and wild hysteria. It wasn't hard to tell what mode she was in now. "This is a gossip rag," Cecily reminded her. "You can't believe what you read in papers like this. Nobody takes this stuff seriously."

"My business is trashed. My life is trashed. I don't even have money to pay for the lawyer."

"Samantha and I told you not to worry about that," Cecily told her. "It's being taken care of." News had traveled as fast around Icicle Falls as it had in L.A., and Dot Morrison and Pat Wilder, two of the town's older businesswomen, had already set up a special bank account for Bailey's defense fund.

Not that she was going to need it. Anyone with eyes could see the actress had pulled a cheap publicity stunt. The lawyer was on top of things, and Cecily was sure that before the month was over, Bailey would be out from under this. She said as much, hoping to calm her sister.

"It's just…this article," Bailey said between sobs. "I'm nothing like that. And I worked so hard to build my business. Now it's…gone."

Cecily wished she could reassure her, but in Hollywood, where making an impression was everything, well, it didn't look good for Sterling Catering. "Come home," she said.

"I can't."

Cecily knew how hard it was to give up a dream. She also knew how hard it was to come full circle, right back to where you started. She'd done it herself. It had turned out to be exactly what she needed, and she was much happier working in the family business than she'd been trying to match up gold diggers with shallow men who wanted Playboy bunnies.

"Think about it," she urged. "Everyone here loves you."

"That's for sure," Cass said over her shoulder.

"I can't even leave my apartment. There are reporters hiding in the bushes."

"They won't hide there forever. And I can guarantee they won't follow you here," Cecily said. At least she hoped they wouldn't. "The story will die down as soon as the next manufactured scandal hits. Which, I predict, will be sometime within the next seventy-two hours."

"I asked her if she had any allergies," Bailey said. "I have all kinds of menus to choose from, and she chose that one."

"Don't worry. This will all work out," Cecily promised.

It was as if Bailey hadn't heard. "I'm ruined," she said again.

"Only temporarily."

"Well, how long is temporary?" Bailey cried. That was something for which Cecily had no answer.

Ruined, Bailey thought miserably as she ended the call with her sister. She'd gone to the hospital to see Samba, thinking maybe they could talk, that she could explain why her food couldn't possibly have made the actress sick. She'd even brought flowers. She'd encountered a hired guard at the door of Samba's private room, and all he'd allowed in had been the flowers, along with the get-well card on which Bailey had written, I hope you feel better soon. But now she hoped Samba contracted terminal acne.

Well, okay, not really. She liked to think she was better than that.

Samba was out of the hospital the next day, shopping on Rodeo Drive, pretending to look annoyed when photographers took her picture. Of course, she'd given a quote to any paper that was interested. "I really don't know what happened."

Bailey knew what had happened. She'd been duped.

"All I want is to put this behind me," Samba said, posing like a tragic heroine.

Sure, now that she'd milked all the free publicity she could out of ruining Bailey. Rumor had it that Samba had been offered a part in a pilot for a new TV series, some sort of female detective show. (That was rich. Samba Barrett, who had just faked her own food poisoning, solving crimes.)

Meanwhile, Bailey couldn't even get a job catering to street people. She'd been dubbed "the party poisoner," and not only had she lost business, but she was also the butt of everyone's jokes. One late-night TV host had cracked that he'd planned to hire a caterer for his birthday party but changed his mind since he wanted to live to see his next birthday. Ha-ha.

She'd finally given a quote to the Star Reporter, a diplomatic but strongly worded quote, insisting, "I don't know what happened to Samba, but I know it wasn't my food that made her sick. No one else at that party got ill."

Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 29 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(24)

4 Star

(3)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(1)
See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 29 Customer Reviews

  • Posted Thu Jul 24 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    As with the rest of this series I absolutely loved this book. Wh

    As with the rest of this series I absolutely loved this book. When I start reading any of Sheila's book I want to savor each of them so I find myself reading even slower so that it will last me. I felt so bad for Bailey when the start faked the food poisoning - I don't know if I would have been as nice as Bailey was - I think I would have sued her for slander. It was so nice that the sisters stepped in and brought Bailey home to help her get through this tough time. As for Cecily - I also felt bad for her as it seems she just can't get a break when it comes to love. I don't want to spoil the story by telling you what happens but you will be happy with the ending. I would love to live in Icicle Falls as it is such a quaint little town with such good people. 

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Sun Aug 31 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    This book I could not put down, Sheila writes a book you will lo

    This book I could not put down, Sheila writes a book you will love. It is in a town you want to live in, with people you want as your friends. The sister`s got in an argument, but got back together and it was emotional while they did. I know you will enjoy the book and especially the series

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Sun Aug 17 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    more from this reviewer

    3.75 stars;  THE TEA SHOP ON LAVENDER LANE is the fifth instalme

    3.75 stars;  THE TEA SHOP ON LAVENDER LANE is the fifth instalment in Sheila Roberts’ adult, contemporary Life In Icicle Falls romance series. This is the fifth story in the series, and it can be read as a stand alone without too much difficulty but saying that there are many characters from previous storylines with a history in Icicle Falls that I would have like to have met before reading this book as they are mentioned or play a significant role in the story. 
    Told from several third person POVs, the focus of the story centers on sisters Bailey and Cecily Sterling-drama queens to the max with issues of self esteem. Bailey has returned to Icicle Falls following a PR disaster in LA where she was accused of serving tainted food to an upstart starlet. With her now defunct catering business to the stars all but destroyed Bailey returns home to wallow in self pity when an idea from an unlikely source has Bailey partnering with her sister Cecily’s wanna-be boyfriend Todd Black in a tea room business venture. 
    Cecily, ex-matchmaker and part owner of the family run chocolate shop, is attracted to two men-fellow employee (and widowed father) Luke Goodman, and bad boy Todd Black-tavern owner and hot sex on a stick. One man is safe and secure, while the other is every woman’s wet dream but Cecily wants both men for different reasons, and plays one against the other in a dangerous game of courtship and rivalry. While Cecily plays push and pull with both men, she doesn’t see that Todd is falling for his new business partner and in this, sibling jealousy, is taken to a whole new level. Todd is falling in love with Cecily’s sister Bailey while Cecily continues her game of cat and mouse. 
    To be honest, this was one of the most frustrating storylines I have read in a long time. Cecily played with both men’s emotions and hearts, and in  this the anxiety level rose exponentially. Her immature behavior amounted to nothing but a tease for the two men in her life and, the reader as well. It was difficult to understand Cecily’s behavior, as though she was the wounded party, especially when she blamed everything on her sister Bailey.

    The secondary characters are colorful and add to the already unstable personas of our leading heroines. The Sterling sisters make sibling rivalry and jealousy an art form.
    THE TEA SHOP ON LAVENDER LANE is an interesting story about four people pulled together by circumstance and family; where jealousy makes for an uncomfortable setting; and falling in love is a matter for the heart and not the mind. There is no sex, no graphic violence and no graphic language-a throw back to another time and place.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Sun Aug 03 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    more from this reviewer

    Icicle Falls is once again the place to be if hunky guys - spunk

    Icicle Falls is once again the place to be if hunky guys - spunky, smart AND beautiful women -
    gorgeous scenery - and plenty of romance in the air is what you're looking for. Sheila Roberts takes us
    back to the fictional town of Icicle Falls, WA where we get to check in on old friends (this is #5 in a series).
    When sister vs sister over a certain Mr. starts to involve the whole town, THE TEA SHOP ON LAVENDER LANE
    becomes a real page-turner, keeping the reader guessing until the end.

    The Icicle Falls series are all stand-alone books but you'll find yourself wanting to know each and every
    character even better. Luckily, you can do that in the rest of this romantic, funny, and heartwarming series
    set in everybody's favorite small town, Icicle Falls.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Thu Jul 31 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Welcome back to picturesque Icicle Falls, Washington! In the fif

    Welcome back to picturesque Icicle Falls, Washington! In the fifth installment of the Life in Icicle Falls series, author Sheila Roberts provides her readers with a tale of romance and sisterly bonds.




    In true Sheila Roberts fashion, The Tea Shop On Lavender Lane is told in the third person narrative that alternates between sisters Bailey and Cecily Sterling as they struggle to maintain their sisterly bonds when bad boy tavern owner Todd Black complicates their lives with a mixture of business and pleasure!




    The reader is transported back to the picturesque Bavarian style small mountain town of Icicle Falls, Washington, which is nestled in the Cascade Mountains, where they catch up with all the familiar townspeople from the previous books in the series, as well as meeting new lovable characters.




    This series is simply delightful, the storyline picks up where the last book left off, it flows seamlessly and is so entertaining that you can't help but become captivated and invested in the lives that inhabit Icicle Falls. The reader easily gets drawn into this story about family, friendship, support, and finding love. Through the laughter, smile, and tears, you'll find yourself cheering on Bailey and Cecily as they each overcome lifestyle obstacles, insecurities, family drama, and strive to find joy and love in their lives.




    With a wonderful cast of characters who are realistic and lovable, humorous dialogues and interactions, and a richly detailed description of the town of Icicle Falls, The Tea Shop On Lavender Lane is a lighthearted romance story full of love, laughter, friendship, family, and living a good life, that will leave you wanting to return to Icicle Falls for another enjoyable visit. I love, love, love this series!




    The Tea Shop On Lavender Lane is the fifth book in the Life in Icicle Falls series.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Sat Jul 26 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    more from this reviewer

    Nice little cozy book and wonderful characters!

    Nice little cozy book and wonderful characters!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Thu Jul 24 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    This was such a great story. It dealt with love and how do you k

    This was such a great story. It dealt with love and how do you know that you have found the right one. What happens when you think
    you have found the right one but the right one finds your sister? That is the problem Cecily is facing with her sister Bailey. Bailey has
    to come home to Icicle Falls after an incident in LA ruins her catering company. Things are great with the sisters until Bailey goes
    into business with the guy Cecily is dating, Todd Black, to open a Tea Shop.

    I really enjoyed the story and always love visiting Icicle Falls. Now I want a tea shop! I would recommend this story to anyone you
    enjoys a feel-good romance with small town appeal.

    I am looking forward to visiting Icicle Falls again!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Jul 23 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Cannot open on my Nook been to Barnes & Noble store also called customer service a couple of times !

    Would love to read . Customer service rep on phone says its in my account I still cannot open July 23,2014 . Was told on July11,2014 they were contacting publisher and I would hear within two weeks still nothing. HELP Resolve the problem please.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Tue Jul 22 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Sheila, your Icicle Falls series gets better and better. I truly

    Sheila, your Icicle Falls series gets better and better. I truly loved this one. The angst between the sisters just brought forth the angst between my sister and I as we have aged and how good it is now. And your depiction of Icicle Falls makes me wish I lived in that kind of town. I'm glad to know that this town actually exists though it's not named Icicle Falls. Thank you again for writing this one especially!!!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Sun Jul 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    more from this reviewer

    This was another amazing book by Sheila Roberts! I'd like to say

    This was another amazing book by Sheila Roberts! I'd like to say that this one is my favorite so far, but then I'd like to say that after every one of them. The truth is, I love them all and picking a favorite would be like trying to pick a favorite Icicle Falls resident. It's just not possible!

    The Teas Shop on Lavender Lane is especially good because it's all about starting over and coming home, finding love, and the power of family...especially that close bond that can only be held by sisters.

    I loved getting to know the Sterling girls a little bit better. I loved the mouth watering dishes. And I loved the awesome camaraderie and togetherness that somehow is unique to Icicle Falls.

    I can't wait to read Sheila's next book, The Lodge on Holly Road, I can't wait to try all of the yummy recipes that "Bailey" included for us at the end of the book, but most of all I can't wait to recommend this fabulous book to all of my bookworm buddies. So send the kids outside to play, make yourself a cup of chocolate mint tea, put your feet up, and read The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane for yourself. You won't regret it!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Jul 14 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Meghan

    Mmm that sounds really good right now. Are you an only child?

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Thu Jul 10 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane is Sheila Roberts¿ 5th highly succ

    The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane is Sheila Roberts’ 5th highly successful novel in the Life in Icicle Falls series, and can easily be read as a stand-alone story without reading prior books. Be prepared, though, because if this is the first one you read, you will want to read them all!
    Giving up her hopes and dreams to be a caterer to the stars in LA, Bailey Sterling moves back to Icicle Falls where her sisters and mother are. She tries to start again in her home town, but when she gets nervous, she gets clumsy – the kinds of days I thought I was the only one who had – and starting over becomes even more discouraging.
    Cecily Bailey works as the marketing expert extraordinaire at the family business, Sweet Dreams Chocolates. Luke Goodman is a stable, loving man who wants to have a chance to show Cecily that he is the right choice for her. A widower, his adorable daughter Serena and Luke seem like the perfect match for Cecily. But behind the scenes, she is torn in two, attracted to Todd Black, local bad boy and owner of the Man Cave.
    Todd has a new business venture that is perfect for Bailey, a lovely Victorian home with mature landscaping to turn into a tea shop on gorgeous Lavender Lane. Bailey and Todd begin a partnership and the sisters go to battle.
    First, I’d love to visit Icicle Falls, Washington. It sounds a bit like a little Bavarian town near where I grew up in the Midwest, except for the mountains and proximity to the ocean.
    It is hard to choose just one favorite character in this novel! I know who I would choose as the best man, and sympathize with Cecily’s dilemma regarding Luke. Conflicts, conversations, and descriptions are skillfully and creatively realistic for today’s woman (and sisters). Returning in this novel in a place of importance is Muriel, the girls’ widowed mother, who is a veritable treasury of wisdom and love.
    This is a delightfully well-written contemporary romance! If there was anything I was uncomfortable with, it is the change in the level of sensuality described in later novels in the series. The first two books in the series would have been acceptable for “younger” young adults, but I would definitely not want my granddaughter reading this book until she is a much older teen. There are, however, no R-rated seduction scenes, which makes this granny looking forward to the next in the series!
    By the way, very attractive cover! The colors, the Tea Time shop and surrounding lavender, mountains in the background – what gal in her right mind would rather be in the big city when this awaits? This cover invites one to buy the book and open it today!
    I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads contest. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Jul 08 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    I would highly recommend this book. It continues the story of th

    I would highly recommend this book. It continues the story of the people from Icicle Falls and brings in familiar people from the other books in this series. I really enjoyed this book and anything that Shelia writes is an outstanding read. I highly recommend reading this book and the others in this series.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Jul 07 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    This is the latest installment of life in the fun fictional Paci

    This is the latest installment of life in the fun fictional Pacific Northwest town of Icicle Falls! Sheila's books make me want to move there. Her characters are funny, real, and entertaining. The stories are always interesting. Sheila weaves stories that are so much fun to read, and I can't wait for the next book in the series. This is book five, so be sure to read them all! Just waiting for the next one. ENJOY!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Jul 06 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    I love going back to the town of Icicle Falls especially when an

    I love going back to the town of Icicle Falls especially when an old friend that I've gotten to know in another of Sheila's stories makes an appearance. This is the case with Cecily Sterling and I like finding out what she has been up to. This book is a great summer read and should be in every persons beach bag!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Sun Jul 06 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    What a great book!  I so enjoy my visits to Icicle Falls!  This

    What a great book!  I so enjoy my visits to Icicle Falls!  This is the story of two sisters who fall for the same guy.  Cecily Sterling thinks that Todd Black could be "the one", despite some red flags & the attentions of Luke Goodman, who has had a crush on her since high school.  When her sister, Bailley, returns home, it's love at first sight between her & Todd Black, making for an interesting situation.  You'll love this story!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Sun Jul 06 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    more from this reviewer

    The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane once again takes us to Icicle Fal

    The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane once again takes us to Icicle Falls, an idyllic town in the mountains of Washington State. This is the fourth or fifth book that take takes place there, part of Sheila’s life in Icicle Falls series. I was first introduced to the town and it’s inhabitants after reading Better than Chocolate. This story is also about the Sterling sisters and Bailey’s return to life in Icicle Falls after a horrible publicity stunt left her practically bankrupt in Los Angeles.

    When Bailey returns, her and her sister Cecily, become interested in the same man for the different reasons. What is so wonderful about Sheila’s stories and writing is that Cecily and Bailey could be any two sisters, siblings, cousins, best friends, fighting over the same person. I think deep down inside we’re all looking for love and that’s what makes us so crazy in that dating stage. We’ve all been afraid someone was going to take our man. But the great thing about The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane is that it begs the question, so if someone did take your man, is he the one meant for me?

    Another thing I love about The Life in Icicle Falls series is the wisdom provided by town author and Sterling family matriarch, Muriel Sterling. The theme with this book is starting over, which is why Bailey returns to Icicle Falls to begin with.

    For writers: Every book I read, I always try to glean a lesson for my own writing. Sheila is the master of point of view, so if you’re trying to hone your POV skills, read Sheila’s books. She even wrote an m/f romance from the guy’s point of view, and did it beautifully. That’s what makes Tea Shop so good, you get to see the situation from everyone’s point of view and that creates tension and heightens the ebbs and flows of the plot.

    I am a member of Sheila’s street team, so I received a copy of the book well before it was released. But I still have one question for Sheila, when are we going to see Muriel Sterling’s books available????

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Sun Jul 06 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Another great book in the series Life in Icicle Falls. As alway

    Another great book in the series Life in Icicle Falls. As always this town is anything but boring. The sister relationship is top notch, and deliciously testy. You will read and be trying to figure out which guy is really right for poor Cecily and rooting Bailey on in her quest to find again all that she has lost. All the old characters and there too. You can easily start this book as your first in the series, but you are going to want to read all the books. So put on the kettle and settle in for a fun trip to Icicle falls. It's a great get-away!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Thu Jul 03 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Such a good book! I love reading about life in Icicle Falls, hav

    Such a good book! I love reading about life in Icicle Falls, have enjoyed every book in this series to date.  Loved how this book centered around sisters. You can really relate to the characters in Sheila's books. 

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Wed Jul 02 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Once again Sheila Roberts does not disappoint her readers in the

    Once again Sheila Roberts does not disappoint her readers in the next installment of Life in Icicle Falls. I was so excited to return to this town and catch up with all the town folk. I really enjoyed the story between the Sterling sisters. Does family rule out over love? Why can't love be easy? Once again lots of yummy food mentions in this book, along with recipes. I can't wait to return again to Icicle Falls.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 29 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)