Midnight at the Blackbird Café offers a gentle blend of magical realism, romance, and Southern small-town charm. Set in the shadowy mountains of Wicklow, Alabama, the story follows Anna Kate Callow as she returns to bury her Granny Zee and close the beloved Blackbird Café. What was to be a quick visit turns into a deeper connection to the town her mother fled years ago.
The café is famous for its blackbird pie, rumored to allow the dead to send messages to the living. However, Granny Zee took the secret ingredient to her grave, leaving Anna Kate to serve delicious but non-magical pies. Along the way, Anna Kate encounters Natalie Linden Walker, who is also back in town, searching for reconciliation after a family tragedy.
With lighthearted magic and a cast of quirky, endearing characters, Webber weaves a feel-good story about family, forgiveness, and finding your place in the world. For me, the book felt like a Hallmark movie—sweet and corny, but a pleasant diversion from real life. It’s not my usual genre, but it was a book club pick, so I gave it a shot. The average score in my book club was 3.3 stars, and I rated it 3 stars—an enjoyable enough read, though a bit too sugary for my taste.