There is something so comforting about apples. They are beautiful as well as nourishing, colorful, tart, sweet, and give you something enjoyable to take a big bite of. And just like a good, ripe apple, Amy E. Reichert's new novel The Simplicity of Cider is completely tempting. The author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and Luck, Love, and Lemon Pie offers up this new novel of family, sacrifice, and home. 

Sanna Lund and her father run their family orchard in Door County, Wisconsin. It's been in the family for generations, and Sanna feels like the trees run in her blood. Gifted with a way to see apples and their juices, she is trying to blend hard apple cider to help renew their business, but so far it's just not taking off. She knows that the right recipe is in her reach, but time is running out. 

Her father Einars has cared for the trees all his life. A man always in motion, his life is the orchard and his children. But an accident leaves him unable to work the apple trees, leaving Sanna to depend on hired help for the summer. 

Single father Isaac Banks has taken his son Sebastian ("Bass") on the summer trip of a lifetime as a way to protect him from the heartbreak of his mother's chaotic life choices. After traveling halfway across the country, Isaac found himself with a job offer at the Lund's orchard, and he grabs at the chance to spend some time in a beautiful part of the country. 

But when Einars' accident puts him out of commission for awhile and greedy real estate developers come sniffing around, will Isaac and Bass's help be enough for Sanna to save the family business? Or will her stubborn self-sufficiency keep her from accepting the help she needs to save her family farm?

Alternatively heart-wrenching and heartwarming, The Simplicity of Cider is a sweet story of renewal and hope that reminds us that our roots are just a important as our fruits, and that while the answers we seek are in front of us, sometimes it just takes longer than we expect to see what they are. 



Galleys for The Simplicity of Cider were provided by the publisher through NetGalley.com.

This is such a sweet book about relationships, the many forms of family, love, and learning to open your heart. There is even just a little bit of magic.
We meet Sanna and her father as they trudge along on the family orchard in Door County. We also meet Issac and his son, Bass, as they navigate a summer adventure. The real fun begins when these to sets come together with Issac and Bass working for the Lund's over the summer.
While there is an undercurrent of a romantic story between Sanna and Issac, the real focus of this book is how we deal with change and the relationships that make up the fabric of our lives. Sanna is at the core of things- she at times comes across as cold, but it's impossible not to like her as you get to know her.
This is a well written, heart warming story with great characters. The issues dealt with have the potential to be heavy, but the author has a light enough touch that they aren't. Reading this book reminded me of slipping into a warm bath - everything was just right and at the end of the day there was a peaceful feeling.

Loved this book! Such a great story incorporating many different facets of life.

The Simplicity of Cider by Amy Reichert is a tale of a family tied to and torn apart by its long, strong ties to their land.

Ms. Reichert chose the idyllic Door County, Wisconsin as the setting for her latest book. Door County is known throughout the state for its beauty. It is a popular, rural escape for urban and suburban dwellers from all over the state. The descriptions of the Lund farm and its operations are as crisp and delicious as any apply you’d find at a farm stand. The detailed account of daily life transported me to the farm. From tending trees to pressing cider, I felt that I was a part of the action. The few magical aspects of the story were cute little spot lights on the secondary love story.

The Simplicity of Cider is primarily about the hardships of making a living as a farmer and how that can impact a family. Patriarch Einers has sacrificed a lot because of his strong ties to his apple orchards. His daughter, Sanna, has the same connection to the land and its heritage. However, she seems to use the daily demands of the farm as a way to avoid people. After all, people can abandon you and break your heart, and apple trees cannot. Enter Isaac Banks and his son, Bass, whose summer adventure lands them on the Lund’s farm. The interactions between the Banks and the Lunds renew all their interest in life, love, and overcoming life’s challenges and disappointments. They transform from sad and complacent to joyful and hopeful. Like and orchard in spring time, Sanna blossoms. She opens up to change and help from friends, family and new acquaintances.

From the daily grind of making a living off the land, to devilish dealings with money-hungry neighbors and relatives, The Simplicity of Cider relates that it takes an open mind, the help of good people, and a little magic to find love and follow your dream.

3.5 stars

Oh, I am Really Into The Simplicity of Cider. I just finished it & I am ready to read it again. There are so many fantastic parts & I don’t want to spoil the story, but I want to tell you all about it.

I loved getting to know & understand Sanna. A 6 foot 3 inch tall hermit that makes cider flavors based on colors she sees in her mind & lets her dad cut her hair. She is surely one of a kind.

I could picture Sanna’s dad, Einar, so easily. A hard working, dependable man who is dedicated to his work & his family. I loved when he sent Sanna, Isaac & Bass to the fish boil to have some fun.

We learn very early on that Isaac and his son, Sebastian ‘Bass’ arrive in Door County for the summer after Bass’s mother Paige dies. Isaac can’t face telling Bass, so he whisks him away to a new city & here they slowly become art of the Lund family. They work on the farm, Bass helps Sanna with the tress & with the cider, Isaac shares his ideas to make the orchard profitable & they just settle in so nicely.

Now, I loved The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, & two of my favorites characters, Lou & Al make an appearance in The Simplicity of Cider. I was so happy, I squealed. The two stories were similar in that they revolved around the main characters doing what they loved; for Lou it was cooking & for Sanna its making cider. Amy also gave us so many wonderful smaller characters in both novels. In The Coincidence of Coconut Cake it was the older couple who believed in Lou & in The Simplicity of Cider we met Mrs. Dibble, her son & Bass & Isaac. To be honest, I wasn’t Really Into Luck, Love & Lemon Pie because I had a hard time connecting with the characters, which made it harder for me to root for MJ & Chris to fall back in love. As soon as I started reading The Simplicity of Cider, I instantly felt connected to Sanna, the Looms, the Lund family in general & I loved meeting Bass, he’s ‘baller’. I’m Really Into The Simplicity of Cider & check out the video review after you’ve read the book. I’m talking all about my favorite parts! The one I forgot to mention in the video was Isaac giving Sanna a haircut. It was so sweet, seductive & romantic- I’ve never heard of a sexier haircut.

What a marvelous cast of characters! This novel made me want to hop in my car and head straight for Wisconsin until I landed in a family-run apple orchard.

Sanna and her father Einars have a simple life. Their days take place in the orchards passed down to them for generations. Everything revolves around the apples, whether trying to figure out how to continue the heirloom trees or coming up with the perfect cider blend. Sanna hides in her work and hides from the townspeople. She's convinced herself that this is enough but the particular ache of never being chosen emanates from each page.

Isaac has taken his son Bass (also nicknamed Minnow, Wahoo, etc.) on a road trip across the country for the summer. It is an adventure but it is also a way for Isaac to postpone telling his son that his mother (and Isaac's ex-wife) died. This is a terrible idea but Isaac doesn't see a way forward and he wants to protect his son from grief. When they wind up in Door County, Einars hires Isaac to help out for the season. This disrupts Sanna's quiet life and she has no idea of the ways knowing Isaac will change her.

Isaac and Sanna have to find a way to work together once Einars has an accident. Between Einars' recovery and outside forces threatening the farm, this would be enough to move the plot along but Reichert has imbued her characters with unique gifts and opportunities and I was fascinated by the results.

Sanna has synesthesia in the form of tasting colors in the apples she uses to make cider. I loved learning more about the process of blending cider and the particular types of apples she used. It's a beautiful art and I only wished I could taste the results. The orchard reminded me of our family farm (my mom's side of the family). While ours was a dairy farm, there's something special about a family working together on the land but with today's generation, it's no longer a given this will continue on. Indeed, it was interesting to see how Sanna's brother Anders chose a different profession and the ways this splintered their relationship.

Sanna's character arc was the most compelling to me. Learning about the ways she'd been hurt over the years deeply resonated with me, even though I haven't had the same experiences. I could understand her compulsion to drill her life down the essentials no matter how isolating, to keep her expectations low, to let her work be enough. Watching her take a chance on Isaac and begin to make peace with her past was lovely to see, particularly in how this plays out with her estranged mother.

I loved how we got to see Isaac's perspective and how he was immediately drawn toward Sanna in spite of all the reasons why he should not pursue her. I loved how tender he was with her and how he recognized that while she'd been hurt, she was not incomplete and that her independence would make her choosing him that much more special. The scene with the dancing tree was incredible.

While Sanna and Isaac's relationship is compelling, it's not the thrust of the novel and I found the family elements, as well as the orchard operations and the efforts to save it, made for such a great reading experience. This would make a great summer (or fall) read. I had a hard time putting it down, even as I wanted to luxuriate over the well-paced story.

This book tells a heartwarming and inspirational tale of two people, and how they help each other discover their true selves.

Sanna grew up on the apple orchard she now helps run with her father. She has a special gift that helps her make spectacular cider. She lives for the trees on the land. They are her life, her livelihood, and they're rooted deep in her heart. She lives a simple life, but is content with it.

Isaac comes to Idun’s orchard with his son Bass. He’s trying to escape his past, and a devastating truth he has to share with his son. He is delaying the inevitable, but feels a pull towards Idun’s the minute he arrives. He is hired on as temporary help, and he and Bass help Sanna and her father tend to the orchard.

As weeks go by, Sanna and Isaac slowly open up to each other. You could feel the connection these two had right from the beginning. It practically jumped off the page. While Sanna was closed off to begin with, and Isaac was hesitant to let his true feelings build, their friendship blossomed into something even more special, as they pushed each other to be their best selves. I really love the progression of their friendship and subsequent relationship. It felt real, and true, and honest.

Standout supporting character was definitely Bass. What a sweet observant boy. He was such a cool kid, and I absolutely loved how close and connected he and Sanna became.

This was a story full of love. Romantic love, yes. But also love for your family, love for others, and love for your past and heritage. This book left me feeling warm and happy. I also want to visit an apple orchard, stat!

First of all, how much do you love the title? It has this lovely ease to it, a very homey feeling. This book is a lot about home because as we know, home is where the heart is. It definitely is where Sanna’s heart is. The apple orchard has been in her family for generations. She spends her days with her father, keeping up the orchard, and perfecting her ciders. Sanna has this unique ability to see colors in what she tastes. This is all written with such beautiful clarity that you will be seeing colors too. The orchard is struggling and as she tries to make her cider profitable, a real estate developer is trying to buy the land from under them. Sanna and her father don’t want to sell but her brother Anders is eager to get it out from under.

Isaac and his son Sebastian “Bass” enter the picture and things might just look up. Isaac and Sanna have an instant attraction but Isaac has his own secrets. He has taken Bass away from home for a reason, reasons unknown to the others. Isaac and Sanna have more in common than they realize. Can they all find what it is they need?

This is such a lovely book. I had a hard time understanding Sanna at first but Ms. Reichert had such a way of opening her up for me. And speaking of Ms. Reichert, what a wonderful writer! Her way of describing the orchard was so vivid, I felt as if I was there. I wish I was there and I don’t even like apples! I have this weird thing with them. I don’t eat apples or drink apple juice but I love apple pie. There were some desserts in this story that had me salivating! I do have her other two books and I must dive into those because if they are anything like this one, I will not be disappointed!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Gallery in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

“Holding you in my arms right now is like holding a wish. You are magic to me.”


Image result for tangled lanterns gif

“You make my heart reckless.”


I had the pleasure of reading my first Amy Reichert book with The Coincidence of Coconut Cake. I fell in love with Lou and Al and with Amy’s writing then. I mean, I love food. And what’s better than reading about romance and food? Nothing! It’s a no-brainer for me.

The Simplicity of Cider take readers on another journey through Wisconsin’s charming apple orchards.

Sanna Lund is a daughter, hermit, and talented cider maker whose life was scarred by a family betrayal. She’s content with her life making cider and helping her father tend to their family orchard. Things aren’t going well for Sanna and her father though. She’s failing to sell her cider and her family might lose the orchard to developers.

Help came in the form of two strangers, Isaac and his son, Bass. Father and son are running from their own heartbreak at home and found solace and respite in the Lund orchard bringing Sanna and Isaac together. The attraction that sparked between them took Sanna and Isaac by surprise. But Sanna has no time for love especially one that could leave her at any moment.

“She couldn’t tell if he was the storm or the rescue boat.”


Love, loyalty, family and betrayal are just some of the themes that are at the heart of this book. Amy Reichert did a phenomenal job with these characters. Sanna was an amazing character. She’s awkward but sure of herself. Confident in her skill but also shows vulnerability which made her such a joy to read.

Isaac and his son Bass straight up stole my heart. Their interaction and banter was given a substantial amount of page time, which I really enjoyed and the tragedy that they both went through tugged at my heart. Isaac was the perfect foil for Sanna. He’s exactly what she needed.
Image result for fireflies gif
Despite its somber theme, there was such a joy to this book. Sanna’s love for cider making, Isaac’s love for Bass, Einar’s patience, Ms. Dibble’s matchmaking—these things saved the book from being depressing. Not to mention, the romance was really strong in this book. Isaac and Sanna’s chemistry sizzled throughout the book.

The toe-curling romance combined with strong family dynamics made this book a winner for me. Simplicity of Cider was simply lovely. And I couldn’t have asked for a better book from Amy Reichert.

Sanna and her father run an apple orchard. It is a hard job but both of them love it and are tied to the land and the trees. The orchard is in financial trouble. They are also being sabotaged. Issac and Bass are really running away from home. They end up at the orchard and sparks fly.

Sanna is a hard working, rough and tough gal. She is not one of the best characters though. I love strong female leads but I am not a fan of her rudeness and her temper. Issac and Bass make up for Sanna, especially Bass. Bass is Issac’s 10 year old son and BOY is he a mess!

The setting of an apple orchard is certainly unique. I enjoyed reading about the apple trees and the making of cider. However, the story is not as fast-paced as I like. But, it is a good read, especially for travel. It is simple. I know this sounds like a bad thing, but it is not. Sometimes you need a book like this. It does not take too much focus but keeps you immersed in the story.
I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

The Simplicity of Cider is a story about family and legacy. It's about the prickly often isolated Sanna trying to save her family's farm and the art of cider making, despite her aging father and the marching of time. It's about Isaac and Bass, father and son, going on a road trip with no specific destination. When they all meet, it's not all roses but instead what develops is a sweet and poignant story.
Ms. Reichert has an ability to bring to life characters who seem ordinary but have their own special story to tell and The Simplicity of Cider is no exception. This book drives home the importance of family and human connection and it's truly wonderful and captivating read.

I have heard nothing but amazing things about Amy E Reichert books so when I got the chance to read The Simplicity of Cider early I was thrilled and I dived into this story as soon as I possible could and it was fantastic .

In this story we mainly follow Sanna and Issac. Sanna is a cider maker who really just wants to live a simple life and make her cider, however there business is not doing so well right now and the her father is getting older and her brother is pushing her & her father to think about selling the Orchard, however despite everything she hold her ground and is determined to save the orchard in whatever way she can . Issac on the other hand is in Wisconsin for the summer with is his son and gets a job at the orchards . I loved watching the relationship between Sanna and Issac develop over the course of this book, in a lot of ways I felt like they both brought out the best sides in each other , the book does not heavily focused on the romance but the slow burn romance in this book was perfect .I love bass ( also know as Sebastian but his name is shorten down to bass in this story ) . This adorable little kid was just fantastic and is apart of a lot of scenes in this book that made me laugh. There was so much going on in this story , between whats happening at the orchard , the family relationships , figuring out who is trying to sabotage the orchard, what is going on with the people who are trying to buy the land . There was just so much going on and the way Amy E Reichert is able to weave all of this together into one fantastic story just show how much of an amazing writer she is .

The Simplicity of Cider is delightful funny ,authentic , addicting story with a slow burn romance that is filled with the swoons . I also just want to take this moment to say this book makes me want to drink cider so much lol . If you all love all of these things in your stories you should definitely pick up a copy as soon as you can .

Pros:
~ The setting was pretty and very small town cozy
~ The emphasis on family was much appreciated
~ I liked the brother-sister dichotomy between Sanna and Anders
~ Sanna is an interesting character
~ Plus she reminds me of Brienne of Tarth

Cons:
~ The romance was just so/so
~ I found some of Isaac’s actions p inexcusable
~ The writing is the real problem for me. It was unnatural, especially in
dialogue
~ Nooooobody talks like this. sry babe
~ The cutesy nicknames for Bass were annoying. Please call your child by
his name. On what planet is Sebastian more of a mouthful than trout, minnow,
or wahoo.
~ If you decide calling your child Wahoo is a good idea, pLEASE LEAVE MY SIGHT

In Door County, Wisconsin, Sanna Lund runs a failing cidery. She’s extremely talented—she even has an unexplained rare family gift: she can see and taste a rainbow of colors in her ciders. It’d be fine and dandy, expect she doesn’t know the first thing about advertising or selling her wares. The Lund orchard is thousands of dollars in debt thanks to her ventures, and they’ll lose their farm if it keeps up like this.

Enter Isaac Banks and his son, Bass. (For the purposes of this review, I will be henceforth referring to Bass as his full name, Sebastian. Because.)

Isaac's ex-wife, Sebastian’s mother, has just passed away . . . and Isaac hasn’t told his son yet. He runs from California, son in tow, and has little plan of telling him what’s happened to his mother. When they arrive at the Lund Farm, it’s almost entirely out the window.

Sanna Lund is very prickly. She keeps to herself, she doesn’t like children, she speaks her mind and gets in fights. Of course, it’s only natural that she ends up in close proximity to Sebastian, who is a cute kid (albeit an idealized one). And of course, as she makes friends with him, she grows close to Isaac.

Their relationship is kind of bland. It wasn’t that I didn’t like that they communicated, or anything (I love a good, healthy relationship built on a mutual bond!) but they just seemed so ?? I don’t know how to describe it. On sight, they’re attracted to each other. Isaac finds her sexy even after she’s just been yelling at his son. I just couldn’t get into them. They liked each other too much from the start and it felt like insta-love, and their overly romantic dates just emphasized that imo. I can’t get into the fluffy romance unless they’ve had to grow and rely on each other and BE HONEST with each other, and the major turning point in that area for me was the end of the book. A little bit too late.

And since I bring up honesty, Isaac bugged the shit out of me. I get it, the whole point is that he doesn’t know how to tell his son that his mother died, and that has to be contrasted with Sanna’s family issues. (Many of which were immature. She calls her mother “The Donor”. What the fuck. Grow up.) But his actions were just so WRONG. Keeping something like that from his child, who is like ten or eleven, is just unfair. And selfish. He kept on about how he wanted Sebastian to have one more summer as a child, but that was what HE wanted, and he didn’t want to deal with his grief or his child’s. UGH if I were Sebastian, and my dad did that to me, I would hate him forever. I would not be able to forgive him for choosing to take my MOTHER’S DEATH, and grieving over it, away from me for any amount of time. I’m just the reader and I can’t forgive him!

Oh, and these aren’t spoilers. This is all revealed in the first few chapters.

All of these issues were too easily resolved in my opinion. Sanna’s problems with her family, including her mother, the lies her father has told her, her brother who “left” to get married, her sister-in-law, her bratty nieces.... and then adding into the easy resolution with Isaac and Sebastian, it felt very much like these weren’t that big of problems to begin with.

Despite my issues with the resolution/handling, I did appreciate how much emphasis this book has on family. Family dynamics, especially set in rural small towns, are one my favorite things to read about. Sanna is central in all of this, and a lot of the issues in the family stem from her stubbornness and hurt. Did I think she was too immature concerning certain things? Yes. She took to namecalling her mother, and that was just stupid of her, she threw fits because her brother moved away to get married. BUT... I did think she had some decent rounding out. Sanna definitely had to grow in this story, and had to address what she’s done wrong in these relationships and not just blame her family. For that alone, I like her and her growth.

Also, the atmosphere is really, really nice? I loved the summery, orchard-y feeling. I learned so much about keeping apple trees and making cider from this book. The apple-cider-in-a-mason-jar feeling is really quaint and cozy.

However, the writing itself needed work. The dialogue especially was unnatural and slightly stilted. The fact the writing was weak made the story suffer for me.

This is a story about family and forgiveness, and I like that, I really do. It’s true, I’m not as forgiving as some of these characters learn to be. But I like to be presented with facts and then weigh the forgiveness scales, and some people fared better than others.

To sum up, I think if you’ve read and enjoyed Amy E. Reichert’s other books of similar ilk, you’ll enjoy this. If you are new to romantic-y books especially, I think you could give this one a go . . . but if you think the actions of the characters or the writing might turn you off, maybe pass on this.

AudioBook Review
Stars: Overall 5 Narration 5 Story 5

My first introduction to Amy E. Reichert’s writing was a favorite story also set in Wisconsin and focusing on a life surrounded by food and friends (The Coincidence of Coconut Cake). I was so excited to have the opportunity to both read and listen to this story, I could hardly contain myself. And, fortunately for us both, I can say that BOTH versions kept me moving forward and engaged, wanting to know what was next, and imagining the scenes so aptly described that the scents nearly wafted through the house. The story is built around Sanna, a fifth-generation cider maker, and quite content in her rather solitary life of tending the orchard and the press, much to the dismay of her brother who would prefer it all be sold. The orchard is again functioning at a loss, and while the orchard and the business are Sanna’s refuge, away from people who may ask more of her than she is willing to share, it is a burden on their aging father Einar, and his health isn’t the best.

Enter Isaac and his son Bass: on a retreat from their home in California as Isaac wants to shelter Bass from his rather extreme and troubled mother and the fallout from her actions. While he’s intrigued with Wisconsin, this is simply a pit stop until Einar offers him a job, helping he and Sanna in the orchard and with the press. While their first introduction doesn’t go quite as smoothly as planned, surprisingly Sanna warms to Bass far sooner than Isaac. She’s got walls surrounding walls, and is near single-minded in her determination to keep the orchard alive, despite threats from vandals, her brother’s pushing to sell and her own self-doubts.

Throughout the story, even as some threads do meander to nowhere, the gradual connection between Isaac and Sanna, influenced by their friendship and her relationship with Bass the importance of family ties and histories comes to the fore: with good and bad secrets and issues revealed and worked through, Gently winding to a conclusion with atmosphere, emotion and a sense of honest appreciation of the life lived on the orchard allow readers to curl up as if with a warm blanket and warm cider (or an apple cider donut), enjoying every moment.

Narration is provided by Rachel Dulude and she brings Sanna to life clearly and simply – a brusque no-nonsense approach to her conversations that gradually softens in tone to show her own growth and comfort in the evolving story. Isaac and Bass also are clearly defined, as were the host of characters that appeared, never losing that sense of intention that the author wrote into the story, but never overworking an accent, affectation or emotion to the negative. Another wonderful story that demands you shut away the world and engage fully with it.

I received both an eArc copy of the title from Gallery Books via NetGalley as well as an AudioBook copy from Tantor audio, for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” http://wp.me/p3OmRo-92g/ “> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I honestly did not think I was going to like this book. The first couple of chapters about Sanna, who seemed like an unhappy spinster content only to work with her apples, just wasn’t intriguing.

Until the story broadened with a company who wanted to buy the orchard and turn the land into a waterpark. Then lots of shenanigans begin to occur. Also, Issac and his son Bass come to work at the orchard and it’s clear that Issac and Sanna are made for each other.

I loved how Sanna’s character grew throughout the story. I loved the story, itself and felt really happy for Eva. Eva, the woman from WWW who was in charge of the purchase of the orchard, worked for her father along with her brother. They were unkind to her and always treated her as if she was less than. I loved that Sanna saw her business sense and hired her to market the orchard.

This is a good book. If you don’t like Sanna to start with, you will by the end! 🙂

I really enjoyed this book, the author spun a story that made you feel like you were running between the apple trees. The simpler life of running a family business that feeds your soul. Sanna hasn't known anything other than apples, and she is determined to make cider from those apple trees. When a man and his young son arrive on their doorstep it shakes up her routine life. She says she hates kids but the little boy gets her to open up.

While the family farm is struggling and her brother wants to sell to a big business Sanna is determined to make it work. Down home family values, a little mischief, and a lot of love and laughs.

I have to start by giving credit to that cover, it’s gorgeous and something about it speaks to my soul! I also just realized how much I’m adoring books from the imprint of Gallery Books, they publish strong, fresh, unique novels and I’ve especially loved their women’s fiction. If you haven’t checked them out yet I can highly recommend this book and I haven’t read any books by them that I haven’t really enjoyed.

This was my first Reichert book, but it most certainly will not be my last! She combined a modern day, swoon worthy romance with an incredible setting and she totally captured my heart with her lovely writing style. Sanna has a simple, quiet life but she’s content. Her whole life revolves around her families orchard and she especially enjoys making cider. Issac and Bass show up at the farm looking for a place to spend the summer and she’s not exactly pleased when her father hires them.

I loved Sanna’s cantankerous personality because I just knew underneath her prickly exterior there was a heart of gold. Isaac was hot AND an amazing father, this is where I swoon. His son, Bass is one of those kids that wiggle their way into your life whether you want them to or not and the blossoming relationship between him and Sanna was one of my favorite things about this book.

Besides the lovely romance you have an idyllic setting, it was so enchanting. Learning about cider making was surprisingly fascinating and had me wanting to book a trip to an orchard in the fall. There was also just a hint of magic to the plot that added something truly special, who doesn’t like a little magic in their everyday life? I recommend this one to anyone wanting to make an escape from reality and enter a charming, quaint new place.

The Simplicity of Cider, Amy Reichert, Tall Poppy author

I received an advance copy from Netgalley and the review is my own.

I loved this story and was transported to a scene out of a Lands End catalog! Think apple orchards and flannel and beautiful scenes of rural Wisconsin. Writing good romance is very tricky, but Amy Reichert does it beautifully. I loved all the details she adds to her characters like the fish nicknames for the 10 year old boy, and his endearing and honest outlook, and his fart jokes. The main characters Sanna and Issac were complex and I loved them both. Issac must do what's best for his son and Sanna must learn to move on from her past and allow herself some grace. The secondary characters were so memorable and dear, I will remember Mrs Dibble fondly! I love when characters are redeemed, and this author does that well. Lastly, the cider. I'm not a big drinker but I want to try each and every one that's mentioned! The detailed and complex flavors made my mouth water. And where's the recipe for Caramel Apple Bread Pudding?!

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Sanna Lund, who lives with her father at their family orchard. The orchard has been their family’s land for generations, with their normally large family all living together in the large farm house. It’s narrowed down to just Sanna and her father, Einars, now though and they rattle around the house and the land, trying to keep their orchard afloat. Sanna has a talent for making cider and her father decided to invest in a great renovation of their barn to install more cider machinery. Unfortunately neither of them know how to get the word out though so the orchard is now pretty deep in debt. Despite that, when father and son Isaac and Sebastian roll into town Einars decides to hire them to help out. Isaac feels an immediate attraction to Sanna, but his life is complicated enough with what he’s running from. With all their complications, is there really any chance for them to have a happy ending?
Overall I really just loved this book. There was just a touch of magic in the book and it really made it come alive for me. I loved Sanna’s character, she was strong and proud but also so loving and generous. And the cidery and orchard added such an interesting aspect to the story. The author really did such a wonderful job too of weaving this romantic and touching love story, Sanna and Isaac’s story really reached into my chest and just squeezed my heart tight. And I loved the ending and how creatively the author made a happy ending not only for Sanna but also for so many of the other characters in the story as well. This was such a great read and I would really recommend it!

Summary:
     Sanna Lund is committed to her simple life on her family orchard.  Though the business end is failing, she knows she has the key to getting it back up.  Her cider will be a hit.  She just has to keep things going for a while longer. 
     Single father Issac Banks is trying his best to give his son Bass one more summer before he has to face a hard truth.  The secret eats at him, but he just isn't ready.  Coming to Door County seems ideal- fresh air, open space for Bass to play, and best of all work to keep them busy.  The Lund's farm needs help, and he needs a place to stay.  Win-win right?
     As time marches forward and Issac and Sanna begin to trust and care for one another, it becomes apparent that someone is trying to sabotage the orchard.  Can everyone band together and save the orchard.  And what happens after vacation when real life in California calls for Issac and Bass?
My Thoughts:
       I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgally and Gallery books.  My thanks. 
    I loved this book.  It was well paced, charming and funny in parts.  I think what I loved best was the play between characters, though.  The relationship between Issac and Bass of warmth and easy comradery really touched my heart.  I also loved how Sanna and her father interacted.  Sanna was a tough character at times, very guarded and unsure of her place with others.  I enjoyed watching her warm to Bass especially.  The book really  showcased different facets of certain characters too.  I liked that.  I didn't feel like any of these were just "throw away" characters, which is always nice to see.
    I liked the little bit of magical realism here as well.  The trees doing better with love at the orchard was a charming touch.  Plus there wasn't so much that it muddied the rest of the story, as I have found in the past.  All in all the book was charming, refreshing, and had the ability to transport me from town into a charming orchard.  I give it five stars. 
      As far as the adult content goes, there is some sexual content, and language but neither are so graphic that I would say this was an adults only book if a teen were interested.  I give it a three.  Oh, there is talk about drug addiction, but it is done well.