“Corner Booth” by gifted storyteller extraordinaire,author Chautona Havig, is a contemporary Christian romance. This unique tale is another offering from an author that has a brilliant imagination and produces engaging, page-turning stories. This book is absolutely delightful. I was immediately invested in the story and marvelous characters. My interest was piqued and held captive throughout the entire book.
This is the story of Carlie and Dean. They meet in a very unusual manner that is intriguing to say the least. She works in a women’s clothing store. Dean is a college professor. Each have some emotional baggage. I loved both of these characters and most of their secondary supporting cast.
Based on the Bible scripture James 1:19, “…You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry,” this book teaches readers to really listen to others. Many times we hear people when talking, but we are preparing our response instead of letting their words sink in. When we listen, things might turn out differently.
I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet romance. It had drama, action, sweet romance, and surprises. A few parts of the story seemed a bit slow, and the end was a bit abrupt. I wanted a longer epilogue, but I am satisfied with the ending.
Contemporary fans should give this unique novel a read. It would be a nice book club selection because it would provide so much to discuss. I highly recommend this book and give it a rating of 5 stars. A copy was provided by Celebrate, but these are my honest words.
About the Book
Book: Corner Booth
Author: Chautona Havig
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Release date: March 17, 2015

A daring move forges the love of a lifetime
A rushed lunch and a bold move introduce Carlie to a stranger—one who hardly acknowledges her existence as he sits across from her, sharing his booth to save her a wait in a long line.
What began as a random encounter becomes a weekly date in which Carlie chatters about her life to a silent lunchmate. Much about him interests her–his slightly Euro fashion sense, his commitment to the work he does as he eats his lunch week after week, and his evident attention to the running monologue she shares between bites of meals that he inevitably pays for.
Dean gets to know the woman across from him–looks forward to their lunches each week, learns valuable lessons about himself—but when the cafe is threatened, and then when she doesn’t show up one day, he suspects their unusual friendship means more to him than he imagined.
Settle into the booth with Carlie and Dean and learn just how eloquent silence really is.
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author of Aggie and Past Forwardseries, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.
More from Chautona
You know, originally, I had Dean as a guy who was too wrapped up in his own little world to care about anyone else—the stereotypical academic. I pictured him buried deep in original Biblical manuscripts, annoyed that anyone would dare to invade his study time.
But you know what? That’s the easy character.
When I went back to edit the book, I had this thought. What if Dean weren’t reclusive at all? What if he were kind of a know-it-all who couldn’t keep his thoughts to himself. Maybe a child prodigy who was used to people thinking him rather brilliant and looking for his insights.
Yeah… I could get into that.
There was just one small problem. I’d written the entire book without him talking much at all on those Wednesdays. Now what?
After much deliberation, even more prayer, and a bit of fudging, I came up with the solution. What if he just challenged himself for “one lunch?” Just one hour or so of not talking to prove to himself (and his peers) that he could do it.
How could he possibly know he’d set things up for months of wordless lunches—on his part? And what would a person learn in a situation like that?
I’ve never admitted this before, but I tested it a bit. At situations where I could, I forced myself to listen to people’s stories, their questions, their opinions. The hard part was not spending my listening time formulating my response (how rude anyway!). I really had to focus on exactly what they said, how their voice altered based on their emotions, and what others around us had to say to encourage (or not—too often not, I’ll admit).
I learned a lot with the experiment, and I’ll be honest. I still catch myself listening with an ear to how I’ll respond instead of really listening. No, I don’t expect to find some café romance for myself. My guy is amazing, and he’s probably the only person on the planet who could put up with me, so… I think I’ll keep him. But I do expect to keep learning how to really hear people. You know… kind of like Jesus did. Imagine that.
Blog Stops
Pause for Tales, May 9
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 9
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, May 10
Lots of Helpers, May 11
Miriam Jacob, May 11
Texas Book-aholic, May 12
By the Book, May 13
Inklings and notions, May 14
Spoken from the Heart, May 15
For Him and My Family, May 15
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 16
deb’s Book Review, May 17
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 18
Mary Hake, May 18
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 19
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 20
Blogging With Carol, May 21
A Good Book and Cup of Tea, May 21
Simple Harvest Reads, May 22 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/1d735/corner-booth-celebration-tour-giveaway
Sounds like a book I will enjoy.
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Thank you for sharing your wonderful review of Corner Booth, this sounds like a must read for me
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Corner Booth sounds like a great book to read and I am looking forward to reading it, thanks for sharing it with me! Thanks. Abba, for sharing your review! Have a terrific day!
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This is really good! I enjoyed it even more the second time I read it.
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Thank you for sharing your excellent review! Corner Booth sounds like one not to miss.
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