Family Secrets

When Hope arrives at Orchard House in the middle of the night with her daughter, Tink, she’s at the end of her rope. It doesn’t help that her aunt Peg meets them at the door with a shotgun. Peg isn’t sure she wants these relatives at the Orchard House, but they have no place to go. She agrees to let them stay if they help with cherry picking.

In addition to the three generations of women, two men are important to the story. Hank is an old friend of Peg’s. Although she’s standoffish to most people, she lets Hank into her confidence. Abel is a young man who left the Army with PTSD. He bought some land from Peg, and now he’s helping with cherry picking. As the summer progresses, he and Hope find they like each other and Tink accepts him.

This is a lovely story of people coming to terms with past hurts. Although Hope is a good character, I found Peg the more impressive. She’s been withdrawn for many years from the things she cares about most. Will she be able to take a chance and regain some goodness from life?

The story is told from three viewpoints, Hope, Peg and Tink. At first I didn’t care for Tink’s chapters. She’s very self-centered and devious, but in the end I was glad her point of view was included. Each generation had their problems to overcome.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

This is an almost tender look at the pitfalls of life exploring addiction, family and regret.
Hope returns to a place she isn’t sure she has actually ben. The Orchard House has been in her family for some time and it’s the only link to family she has left. With her mother dead and her boyfriend abusive, Hope is praying that her estranged aunt will take her and her daughter in. It is at the Orchard House Hope learns what family truly is and that you can’t run away from the past.
This is an easy read. Molly Fader doesn’t use overly fancy language or sentence structure and this keeps the story moving. But the flow is blocked when the author halts aspect of the plotting unnecessarily drawing the twist until the end. It becomes frustrating to almost get the story and then get dashed again. It does give the reader time to guess to what might be happening ad lets the read’s mind wander. In the end, the mystery is heartfelt and emotional; but is idea wrapped up in a couple of chapters without much true emotional exploration.
And that’s what disappoints me most. The book’s tone is too light for the material included. The book never gets really deep into the ideas. The author tells us that the characters feel guilt and shame but we really don’t see how it has affected them. The only exception is the daughter Tink. Fader does a wonderful job showing how violence can affect children and how love can be the answer to many an issue.
Over all, the story is interesting but written without a true depth of emotion. I didn’t really feel the characters; I was just told how they feel. The Bitter and Sweet of Cheery Season is sweet in tone without truly examining the bitter.

I love generational stories where women come together, sometimes with tragedy and secrets between them. As they get to know each other and become close, the issues are brought to a head and worked out in a way that bond the women forever. The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season is just such a story.

I loved this story—loved the characters and loved the process of all of them becoming a family. I even loved the drama that the author inserted into the story to keep me turning the pages. Molly is a new-to-me author but after reading this book, I want more!

You will definitely want to add this to your summer reading list. I know you'll fall in love with Hope, Tink, and Peg, just like I did.

A lyrical magical book full of hope and secrets. A wonderful family drama that will happily have you turning the pages as you cheer for characters that will stay with you long after you finish the last page. Pick up this must read and prepare to be dazzled. Happy reading!

A huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

The newest novel by Molly Fader was such a lovely read. It is about confronting your past, finding a soft place to land and new beginnings.

When Hope lands on the doorstep of the Orchard House, and begs sanctuary from an aunt she has never met, her life has spiraled out of control and is governed by fear. Her ten year old daughter Tink has retreated behind a wall of silence and refuses to speak. She has no home and no compass. Her nerves and her freedom have been shattered into a million jagged pieces.

Aunt Peg is a keeper of secrets that have wrapped her in a cocoon of brusque behavior. She keeps everyone at arms length, so her heart won't break all over again. But Tink and Hope creep under her defenses. They work hard, and bring laughter and company to her empty house.

Tink's narrative is a glimpse into the mind of a frightened, yet belligerent, pre-teen. She feels safe at Orchard House, for the first time in a long time. She learns to stand up for herself, and her determination will ensure they all have a happy ending.

I loved this multi-perspective from three generations of women.

The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season is a heartfelt story of family once thought lost to one another. Molly Fader is a new to me author and I will look forward to her next book!

I read The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season in one sitting. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is told through three points of view: Peg, Hope and Tink. They are 2 woman and one child who find healing in the power of friendship and family. The story is also about how forgiveness can help you to look toward the future and stop regretting the past.

I loved all three main characters. I was rooting for them all. The story is gut wrenching at times but there are also sweet moments between the three. I loved the budding romance between Hope and Abel. It was a slow burn and super sweet. My favorite point of view was Tink's. I loved seeing the events through the eyes of a ten-year-old. She was innocent, yet older than her years. I highly recommend this book!

A wonderful story of a family who grew up apart, found each other in a time of need, and grew into the true meaning of family.

The three main characters are made up of three generations of women in the family. Peg grew up at the Orchard House and very rarely leaves the Orchard if she doesn't have to as her neighbor Abel assist with local deliveries from the Cherry Orchard. Hope, Peg's niece, ends up at the family's Orchard House after her mother's death and some struggles in her own life. Tink, Hope's daughter is brought along for the ride.

No one quite knows how to interact with each other at first, but through a full cherry season they truly learn who they are to each other.

This has been one of the few books that I have read in one sitting. The strong female characters drew me in. The story didn’t have a lot of twists and turns, but the solid storytelling kept me interested. This is a novel that I look forward to discussing with my book club and recommending to my patrons.

This was a cozy second chance story that was not lacking in depth or tough issues. I really enjoyed the main three characters, particularly Hope's daughter, as well as the characters around town. You can also expect a story with family secrets, small-town drama, female strength, and (warning) allusions to domestic violence and addiction.

Overall, the story is somewhat predictable. But it's a comforting contemporary fiction with a sprinkle of romance that makes a perfect summer read.

I will read almost anything Fader/O’Keefe writes. This book is under her pen name that she uses for Women’’s Fiction. I didn’t love it as much as I liked the previous one, The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets, but this one was still a good read.

CW: grief, depression, off page parental death, depictions of intimate partner violence, guns (learning to use them and violence)

Hope, one of the main protagonists, is 27 and has escaped a bad relationship. She packs up her ten-year daughter and they go to Hope’s aunt Peg’s farm. Hope needs a safe place and she believes she has found it at the farm. While there Hope and her daughter Tink help with the cherry season and build a family

Fader also gives us POV from Peg and Tink. Peg is a grumpy old woman who is living with her grief and shame. Tink is ten and although sad is also hopeful.

Some of it was a little predictable and I figured out the plot twists early on. Because of my own life experiences some of this book felt very real. It was emotional in the best ways. There is a romantic arc, but it is very light and not the focus of the book.

If you read Fader’s previous book and liked it, I think you would like this one too.

This was a wonderful story about the families we are born into and the ones we make for ourselves. This gentle read feels self-contained, taking place almost entirely on a cherry farm in northern Michigan. I generally enjoy books that take place in my home state, so if that's a draw for you, you'll probably like this one. The cast of characters were endearing and Hope's struggle to start over after leaving an abusive relationship felt very real.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Living just across the river from Detroit Michigan and having been to the Cherry Festival in Traverse City, I was immediately attracted to this story. What I was not expecting was this beautiful, heartbreaking story about three female relatives who had been though so much, and the men who loved them.

Hope is a mother who got into a bad situation with a man, that ended in violence. She fled with her 10 year old daughter, Tink (Jenny) to a place she had only heard of from her mother. The Orchard House is a cherry orchard where she hopes to hide out and maybe find refuge. Peg, her aunt, welcomes them begrudgingly and puts them to work helping with the cherry harvest. All three of these females have secrets and are holding them close to the breast. Can sharing their secrets help them heal and move forward instead of hiding and stagnating?

This was such an emotional story. I loved how strong they were, even though sometimes the strength came out because of fear. The other women in town slowly and unobrusively stole their way into their lives and hearts helping them to open up to others. This story was like being on a roller coaster with highs and lows. There was drama, emotion, friendship, forgiveness, love, self-reflection and acceptance. I loved how the men gave support and love, but did not push or force the women to accept their love. Of course the one villain from Hope's life makes an appearance and the results are wonderful. This was a very uplifting story about women supporting each other and helping them to find their path and follow their dreams with some angst and dram. I loved this story and read it from start to finish within the day, I could not stop. I definitely recommend this one to people who enjoy a well-written women's story.

The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season is just this side of fluffy, and in these troubling times, that is most definitely not a bad thing. The story does have its emotional side, but Molly Fader tempers the bitter with plenty of sweet to keep you smiling. These characters were an absolute delight to get to know, and the way this author writes them, it really felt like getting to know them. The book is very well done from the terrific characters to the secrets that it doesn't give up until it's ready, and if ever there were a story you can just fall into from the very first page, this one would be it. This really isn't the type of book I would normally pick up, but something about that lovely cover just called to me, and I'm certainly glad it did. If you need a bit of feel good to get lost in, I would suggest this book. It's a must read for summer.

Sometimes you read a book and the characters and storyline just touch your heart. Molly Fader's newest novel, The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season, is one of those.



As the novel opens, Hope is on the run with her 10 year-old daughter Tink, who refuses to speak. We know that something bad happened because Hope is hiding a black eye behind her sunglasses. She arrives unannounced at the orchard home of her late mother's sister Peg very late in the evening.



Peg greets the car that has pulled onto her property with her shotgun. She has no idea that Hope is coming. Peg is a taciturn, closed off woman. It's been many years since she has seen Hope, so long ago that Hope doesn't remember ever visiting.



Peg feeds Hope and Tink, and puts them up in her farmhouse. She can see that something happened to Hope, but she doesn't push Hope to tell her. Having Hope show up has undone something in Peg. It's clear that she too has a secret that she is hiding, something to do with the time that Hope was at her home years ago.



It's cherry season, so Peg has Hope and Tink help her harvest the cherries, along with Abel, a young man who left the army, came home and bought some of Peg's land. Abel suffered from PTSD and recognizes some of those same symptoms in Hope. He begins to have feelings for Hope, and enjoys Tink's company too.



As the four work together in the orchard, slowly Hope begins to trust Peg and Abel, and opens up a little about her reason for running. She also learns more about her mother's past life, things that may be painful for her and for Peg.



I loved watching Hope's journey to build something for her and Tink, and I found life on Peg's farm so interesting. But it is Peg who really stole my heart. She made a decision years ago that cost her everything she loved, and to see her open her heart back up was so rewarding.



When the world outside can seem so overwhelming, a book like The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season can bring much needed comfort. I highly recommend it, and if you like cherries (I do!), there are a few cherry recipes at the end to try. (The Chocolate Cherry Brioche is calling my name.)



Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Summer Reads Blog Tour.

The Bitter and sweet of Cherry Season had me hooked from the first word til the last. I adore plots about generations of families as I know there will be secrets hidden in there. And I was right.

Hope Orchard House from what her mother who recently passed away told her.
Life's circumstances lead her and her daughter Tink to the house and she's nervous as to the welcome she'll get.

Hope’s aunt, Peg, has lived in the now run- down Orchard House all her life.

The deal is that Hope and Tink can stay there if they help with the cherry harvest. They have a learning curve in front of them in more ways than one when they have to adjust to farm life while trying to hide from someone who is trying to find them. Tink is silent, traumatised by what happened but can she open up?

Tink is just 10 and Hope is all she has. And Abel seems to get on with Hope too.....

The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season is tender,full of suspense, homely atmospheres and family. Can Hope and Tink learn to trust again?

I was rooting for them, all the while scared they'd be found out.

A fast paced, engrossing and heartfelt homely,warm suspenseful novel of taking chances and doing what you have to do to be safe from harm.

Molly Fader is a new author to me and I definitely want to discover more of her books. Utterly gripping!

Thanks to Molly Fader and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars

I'll admit it. I'm a huge Fader fan. She always creates great characters, interesting stories and paces them perfectly. The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season is no exception. This story is so involved and you just have to keep turning the pages to see what the past and the future hold. The little bits of how Hope ends up at Aunt Peg's come out slowly but I was so intrigued in the story that all fell into place just as Fader, I'm sure, intended.

Hope may have hooked up with a stalking loser in her grief but she's not really a victim. She's done what is necessary to protect her daughter and maybe just heal them both. She's also a really hard worker and doesn't hesitate to jump into the cherry harvest. Peg isn't the cranky, unpleasant person she first appears to be and Tink has a lot to deal with but you can't help but love her.

This story isn't a romance though there is a nice happily every after. No, this story is about the women. Where they come from, who they are and how they can build something amazing. I laughed, I cried, I love it start to end.

In an act of desperation, Hope loads her 10 year old daughter, Tink, into the car and heads north in search of escaping an abusive boyfriend. With a few clothes and little cash, the only place that Hope can think to go is Orchard Farm, her mother's childhood home where her aunt Peg still lives. This is the story of three generations bonding over the cherry picking season, dealing with issues from their past and discovering their inner strength. The characters are complex, they drew me in and made me feel invested in their lives and emotions. Well worth diving into.

I feel like my words are wholly inadequate and don't give this book justice. But I ADORED this book! I was completely enamored by the women in this family. Hope might have been down, but she didn't give up. She had herself and a daughter to fight for. Aunt Peg was a surprise, but someone she found she needed. I enjoyed seeing the dynamics between these family members. They all had a trauma of some sort they had to move past in their lives and it weighed heavy on them. But these were strong women (and lady)! I liked how Hope was trying to get away from something bad and The Orchard House offered her solace and time out. She was able to regroup and work on herself and Tink. Other people who cared about them was something they had never had before. This book was a time of growth, family and the strength within. I couldn't put this book down and Molly gave me ALL THE FEELS. I felt everything these characters went through and often found myself holding my breath, waiting. I can't recommend this book enough! Be sure not to let this book pass you by!

I really had no idea what I expected when I picked up this book by Molly Fader. I was seduced by the very nice cover - I have always been a bit partial to cherries! It is such a charming story of small town America unfolding in a small farming community and the larger than life characters that live in this part of Michigan.

Hope knows very little about her remaining family who still live on the same north Michigan farm that her mother escaped from. The stories about Orchard House were from a lifetime ago. When she arrives on the doorstep late one night, looking battered and bruised with her young daughter at her side she isn't really sure what kind of welcome she can expect.

Aunt Peg is stunned to see Hope again but takes her in to help with the Cherry Harvest on the farm. It is tough physical work but sees the three generations working together and forging bonds between them all. <

If you like the Virgin River series it is that kind of small town America tale with strong ballsy women who seem to dominate life in this part of Michigan. It is all about learning to trust people again and becoming part of a supportive family unit and a collaborative community. And in these strange times who doesn't need a real feel-good story to boost your spirits.

Supplied by Net Galley and Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.