Review: "Zoey and the Moment of Zen" by Cat Lavoie

When Zoey Everwood, owner of Everwood coffee shop, lover of all things coffee, takes her obsession with ex-boyfriend Braden too far, her closest friends and her adoring aunt decide that Zoey needs a break. They send her to the Moment of Zen Wellness Resort, a place where caffeine and alcohol are out and yoga at sunrise and freshly-squuezed juice are in. Zoey isn't loving being away from it all but meeting Shane, the handsome guy in the cabin next to hers who is also getting over his ex, suddenly makes it all worth it.

While sharing a contraband coffee Zoey and Shane realize that they have developed feelings for each other and, not wanting to lose these feelings, they hastily tie the knot before returning home. When Zoey comes back with a husband instead of souvenirs, she has some explaining to do! Although Zoey's friends and family want to be supportive, they can't be just yet, and as Zoey and Shane re-enter reality they question if they can keep the magic alive outside of the resort.

I loved Cat Lavoie's debut novel, Breaking the Rules, and I loved Zoey and the Moment of Zen just as much! I am always drawn to books that have great characters, and this book had lots of them! I was drawn to Zoey's character from the beginning- she had so much going for her but was hung up on an ex-boyfriend whom everyone could see was not the guy for her anyways! Zoey's friends are a lot of fun, especially her best friend, and I loved the character of Zoey's aunt, who has been raising Zoey from birth. Zoey finds out some interesting things about her Aunt Nessa while she is away at the resort and I thought that this addition to the plot made things even more interesting! I especially loved Nate, Shane's grumpy friend, who tried to deter Shane at every turn from marrying Zoey but who really had everyone's best interests at heart the whole time.

The plot was a lot of fun as well. I loved that Zoey was caught up in the romance of it all at the resort and married Shane on a whim (so romantic!) but I loved it even more when they returned home and reality set in for them. That's certainly when the conflicts begin, and Cat Lavoie made sure that things did not run smoothly!

This was a fast and fun read, and if you haven't picked up a Cat Lavoie book yet I can recommend both of her reads. If you're someone who hesitates to pick up a book published by a small, independent publisher, don't. Zoey and the Moment of Zen is very well written as well as very well edited, and it was a pleasure to read from beginning to end. My thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy!