Ami's Hoard

3.5 stars

Simon moves to the small town of Canmore, Alberta, to help his sister-in-law after his older brother (her husband) passed away. A week after he arrives, he receives a welcome gift from Benji works at a café down the street: the welcome gift is a package of vegan donuts. Apparently Benji hears from Simon’s sister-in-law about him (and him being a vegan) and he wants to try out some vegan recipes. Simon then visits Benji to say thanks and well, there is attraction and friendship soon follows.

I must admit that the word “Vegan Donuts” on the title was what caught my eyes. It was intriguing. Then I thought the blurb promised a sweet story to go along with it. And I totally got what I expected. The tone of this story was laid-back – there wasn’t huge drama looming over it. Both Simon and Benji were likeable characters. Simon was a bit shy; he loved his books and his tea. While Benji was more outgoing (he said that he used to be one of the jocks in school); he loved his adventure and sports. But the two of them clicked and they enjoyed each other's company. We also had secondary characters in form of Simon’s sister-in-law and his niece, which added to the realistic day-to-day feel to it.

I loved reading the backdrop of a Canadian small town. We had the men hiking the mountain and staring out at the beautiful Lake Louise. I could imagine the beautiful scenery – definitely looked like a postcard in my head – and I wish I could be there myself.

Bottom line, I think By Way of Vegan Donuts is a sweet, light-angst, conflict-free, and low-steam story with two likeable characters. Bonus for the vegan character, although it would be nice to see more vegan-related food or menu (*grin*).