"A delightful tour with a variety of characters sketched in detail so you feel you know them, that you have met them, that you want to join whichever episode they are experiencing. Very relatable and captivating, each and every tale has its own reason to turn the page and be delighted to meet the next and the next."—Sue Katein, co-author of Cakewalks

"A Gritty Little Tourist Town is a rich tapestry of small-town stories that transports readers to a little corner of the world and into a family of travelers. A truly immersive experience, this heartfelt memoir will make you laugh, wonder, and immediately book a flight!

Willa Goodfellow's A Gritty Little Tourist Town made me feel right at home in a far-away place and reminds us that this big world of ours isn't so big after all."—Kim Danielson, author of Piece by Piece: A Life Remembered through Things Lost

"Finished reading Bar Tales at warp speed because I couldn’t wait to laugh and see what the characters were up to. Most readers may have a whisper of unbelief as they follow the story lines, but you can’t make this stuff up. The author did a magnificent job of giving readers insight to people who’ve forged lives and experiences in out-of-the-way beach communities in Costa Rica. Well done Willa/Lila!"—Rose Alston, CTC, Owner of Rose Alston Travel, & Platinum Agency Affiliate of Travel Planners International, Inc.

"Start making reservations to visit Playa del Coco in Costa Rica! This book’s colorful stories will set you packing with a desire to meet the cast of colorful characters who inhabit or just drop by the Pato Loco bar. With humor and pathos, the author gives detailed descriptions of the human and animal residents, food, and locale, that at first, make one yearn for a laid-back lifestyle. However, it soon becomes clear that making a living in these Pacific coastal towns isn't all fun in the sun. Besides humidity, the reality of the population's life cycles envelope the readers and pulls at their heartstrings. A good read."—Evelyn LaTorre, author of Between Inca Walls and Love in Any Language

"Every place has a story—but add cold beer, eccentric expats, and eavesdropping howler monkeys, and you might just buy a one-way ticket to this gritty little tourist town in Costa Rica."—Nadine Hays Pisani, author of Happier Than a Billionaire

". . .Willa Goodfellow shares her stories of Coco, a chaotic Costa Rican beach town. Her tales, vibrating with color and detail, introduce us to Mama, Mary, Lenny and his hotdogs, Pato Loco, Smiley and Bruce, as well as howler monkeys, tarantulas and more. Through the local Ticos, the expats and tourists, we begin to see the appeal of the life Goodfellow and her wife are creating here. The couple’s motto, “stop and smell the mirto,” guides them as they navigate the traffic jams, banks, bars and funerals, the effects of developers and realtors, depression and dengue fever. It reminds them (and us) to savor the fruity cocktails and coconut shrimp, as well as the friendships forged in this tiny community."—Barbara Boyle, author of Pinch Me: Waking Up in a 300-year-old Italian Farmhouse