Book Review for The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden

 The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden 

Genre:  Magical Realism, Romance, Fiction

Paperback, 352 pages

Publication: August 2nd 2022 by Berkley Books

 

Taken from Goodreads:  "Heartfelt, heartwarming, joyful, and uplifting. You can't go wrong with a Rachel Linden book."--#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

An uplifting novel about a heartbroken young pie maker who is granted a magical second chance to live the life she didn't choose. . . . from the bestselling author of The Enlightenment of Bees.

Lolly Blanchard's life only seems to give her lemons. Ten years ago, after her mother's tragic death, she broke up with her first love and abandoned her dream of opening a restaurant in order to keep her family's struggling Seattle diner afloat and care for her younger sister and grieving father. Now, a decade later, she dutifully whips up the diner's famous lemon meringue pies each morning while still pining for all she's lost.

As Lolly's thirty-third birthday approaches, her quirky great-aunt gives her a mysterious gift--three lemon drops, each of which allows her to live a single day in a life that might have been hers. What if her mom hadn't passed away? What if she had opened her own restaurant in England? What if she hadn't broken up with the only man she's ever loved? Surprising and empowering, each experience helps Lolly let go of her regrets and realize the key to transforming her life lies not in redoing her past but in having the courage to embrace her present.

My Thoughts:  I almost passed on this book, I was not sure this was what I was in the mood for but I got past all that and started reading…I could not put it down.   I love the family diner.  I love the small-town setting.  I love the quirky characters. I love Lolly and her diary of wishes. 

Lolly felt like she was not accomplishing what she dreamed for herself in my current life.  She was stuck working in her struggling family diner, she lost the man of her dreams, and she wanted so much more.   Enter her aunt and her lemon drops.   Each lemon drop gives her the chance to see what-if.  I love love love this.   The idea that you can see what if, only for a day.   I felt like the perspective of what if brought her closures, brought her hope for what could be coming, and help her realize that she has options for her future. 

The Magic of Lemon Drop is a story of hope, grief, second chances, and family responsibility.  I truly enjoyed all of this story.  I found it easy to read and entertaining.   

Thank you Berkley for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet Rachel Linden  (Taken from her website):  Rachel Linden is the bestselling author of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, The Enlightenment of Bees, Becoming the Talbot Sisters, and Ascension of Larks.

Rachel’s taste for adventure and interest in people first led her to a career as an international worker with a faith-based aid organization, and her experiences living and traveling in more than fifty countries around the globe continue to provide excellent grist for her stories. She loves writing novels that combine so many of her favorite things – strong women facing big challenges, food, travel, and second chances at love. Rachel enjoys crafting bittersweet stories of struggles and triumphs infused with a touch of magical realism and with ultimately happy, or at least very hopeful, endings.

Currently Rachel lives with her husband and children on a sweet little island near Seattle. When she’s not dreaming up a new story, she enjoys camping with her family in their pop top campervan, exploring the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, eating sushi, and having grand adventures in far flung places.