Member Reviews
I've always loved Reichert's books and this one was no different. This author writes with humor that is hard to find. I was a bit unsure about the spirit but it was so fun and funny that I just fell right in. Great book by a very talented author
5 out of 5 stars - I'll tell you to read it without even asking!
I really enjoyed the latest book by Amy Reichert. I've read them all since The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, and each has been more fun than the last. This latest book, I wasn't too sure about, but I ended up loving it!
Sabrina and her family have a curse.... or a blessing, depending on who you talk to. The women of the family can see ghosts, but only those who have some unfinished business. As soon as possible, Sabrina escaped the small town life of Wisconsin Dells, as the ghosts couldn't follow her. Now she's back in town and seeing the ghosts.
Sabrina meets Ray, new to town and owner of a local restaurant. Ray makes Sabrina finally feel comfortable in her own skin, even as she tries to keep her secret. Who can say no to a kind, caring, and CUTE guy?
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this Advanced Readers Copy.
Utterly delightful, as expected. Reichert is a perennial first purchase author for collections where women's fiction is popular.
Sabrina Monroe has moved back to her home town where the women in her family have been know to help ghosts find peace and rest. Now, it seems to be Sabrina's turn to help ghosts. Sabrina has met Roy, a restauranteur, and they have mutual feelings for each other. However, Sabrina doesn't want Roy to be put off by her involvement with ghosts. A delightful, funny story that kept my interest throughout.
What drew me to this book was the setting. As a girl who grew up in Minnesota, I remember driving to The Dells for some family time usually during fall break. I’ve even rode on the ducks before which is also referenced in the book. It was fun and brought back memories. There is also mentions of cheese curds and I am a sucker for those!
As far as uniqueness goes, this book has it! I’ve never read a romance where there is paranormal added for more flare. It was interesting and I liked getting to know the main ghost, Molly.
Sabrina Monroe is a little down in her dumps and it doesn’t get much better when she has to deal with people from her past. She even has to work for one of the worst ones. It’s easy to understand her feelings because a lot of the things she had to deal with would be too much for anyone. Even though I understood most of her actions, I still didn’t fully connect with her but it didn’t stop me from liking what I read.
When it comes to the romance, I thought it was cute at first. Ray wanted to get her attention so badly and he would do anything for it, especially agree to be her fake boyfriend. To be honest, I didn’t think the plot needed that and it just came off as too much since it didn’t play a really huge role. I did however like that he was always there for her in her times of need, especially after a hard day. Although, sometimes she would get mad at him for the smallest things and it kind of irked me.
I did like a lot of the plot but at times it felt too full and then would get really dramatic real fast. It just wasn’t always my cup of tea.
Overall, I liked this one for the most part. I would still recommend it if you are looking for a lighter romance with quirky vibes.
The Kindred Spirits Supper was such a sweet and fun read. I am a huge fan of Amy E Reichert’s work and this was definitely another wonderful book of hers!
Sabrina was such an honest character who battled anxiety and introversion and tough times while remaining kind and quirky and funny. Ray was the perfect foil for her- seemingly perfect but honest and nerdy underneath it all. I loved all of the characters in this book, although Sabrina was truly my favorite.
Amy E Reichert’s greatest gift is her ability to transport you to the setting- I always feel like I am there, I see the sights, I taste the food, I can smell the air. She is unbelievable at setting development and during this pandemic, her books have been a gift. I am so grateful that I was able to read this book and cannot recommend it enough.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review and thank you to Amy E Reichert for writing this lovely book!
I’m a huge fan of Amy E Reichert, and this delightful book lived up to my expectations.
A rom-com with a touch of magical realism, delightful, complicated but relatable characters, and a colorful setting, I loved everything about this book. Sabrina is quirky and frustrated and kind. Her ancient was palpable (and as someone who suffers from anxiety to a lesser degree than Sabrina, thank goodness, Reichert nailed her inner thought process.
Ray is, to me, the perfect love interest, just dorky and quirky enough on his own to take some of the perfection and polish off of his gilded background Erika is the perfect hometown high school enemy. And Molly...I fell in love with Molly.
A wonderful escape - The Kindred Spirits book club gets five stars from me.
I loved it! This book has it all. It was funny, romantic, emotional. Overall a great entertaining read. Definitely Recommend.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
What a delightful and absolutely charming rom-com!
Meet our heroine, Sabrina Monroe: quirky, yet adorable introvert. She is (reluctantly) back in her hometown in the winsome Wisconsin Dells and the territory of her high school bullies. The head mean girl being her new boss. Sabrina is just trying to keep her head down and get by until she can find the means to escape again.
Then comes Ray Jasper to shake her life up and help her find confidence in who she is.
The Kindred Spirits Supper Club has it all: a family secret, a sweet romance, a super cozy setting, whimsical storytelling, and a cast of endearing characters . This was the epitome of a feel-good, pick-me-up read. I honestly had such a huge grin on my face reading the final chapter.
Sabrina Monroe's life hasn't been easy, but she managed to escape her small Wisconsin town and move to the east coast to pursue a career in journalism. However, after losing her job and straddled with student loan debt for a career that does not fit her, Sabrina is forced to move back home with her parents and take a summer job at her former bully's tourist business. To make matters worse, returning home means returning to her family's unique talent - helping ghosts with their unfinished business so that they can move on from this world. Sabrina is determined to keep her head down, grind out the summer, and find a new job out east so that she can leave once again. Life has a different plan for her, as she finds herself constantly running into Ray - a handsome and kind newcomer who happens to be the new owner of a local supper club - and she starts to question her life plans. The rest of the story unfolds as a quirky and enjoyable love story complete with ghosts, well developed characters, Wisconsin food, and a wonderful setting.
This book had me from the first chapter - Amy E. Reichert painted the perfect picture of Wisconsin that both highlighted its quirks and beauty, while also creating a perfect setting for this story that almost feels like it's own character. Sabrina herself is lovable and kind, and her very realistic struggles with anxiety make it easy to become invested in her grown and story. Ray is so nearly perfect that it's hard not to audibly cheer for the pair as the summer progresses. The best character might actually be Molly the ghost, a young women who died in the early 30s, loves rom-coms, and is Sabrina's best friend. I was both slightly excited and skeptical of the ghost part of this story, but it works so very well to create a multigenerational story as well as creating lighthearted and truly laugh out loud moments. The whole story is heartwarmingly perfect.
Perfect for fans who like a little magical realism as well as those who like rom-coms and food fiction. Sabrina returns home after losing her journalism job and refuses to participate in the very odd family business (helping ghosts crossover). She also struggles with anxiety and has some trauma from bullying all through school. Enter Ray, the new owner of the local supper club. He's handsome and attentive and very interested in Sabrina. Filled with humor, good food, ghosts, family secrets and relationships. What more could you ask for?
Give me a rom-com with a ghost twist any time you want! I adored this book and it gave me Meg Cabot "Mediator" vibes in the best possible way. It's funny, sweet, and just downright adorable.
Wow, what a delight! I'm quickly becoming a big fan of Amy E. Reichert's work.
Sabrina Monroe is the main gal in The Kindred Spirits Supper Club and she's harboring a family secret: the women in her family can see ghosts. The spirits of the recently deceased in their town come to them to get help with unfinished business. Sabrina has recently moved back to Wisconsin from Washington DC after getting fired from her job. She's trying to figure out her career, her ever-persistent anxiety, and herself. In the process, she meets Ray Jasper, newly transplanted to town from NYC to take over his great-uncle's supper club restaurant. What ensues is a very cute romance with lots of good food, a cozy setting, and some really loveable characters.
I loved Sabrina's character -- how she navigated her anxiety, her introversion, and her kind acts for others. She puts up with a lot of crap from some of the other main characters and I admired how she navigated them. I also loved the dynamic between Sabrina and Ray -- they both had their own insecurities and were a little nerdy -- and I found that really charming.
As usual, Reichert's book was full of delicious food and a cozy setting in a small(ish) town in Wisconsin with an ensemble of quirky, supporting characters. I was unsure about the addition of a bit of supernatural with the ghost plotline but it ended up working for me.
I have enjoyed all of Amy Reichert's books in the past and was super excited to be able to read an ARC of this one!
I adored Ray and how he brought out the best in Sabrina and helped her just be herself.
I loved the spirits, Molly especially, she was so fun and I loved the descriptions of her outfits.
I liked all the talk of food and the supper club! Sabrina reminded me a little bit of my self always doing her best to help others.
Another lovely book from Reichert!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I started out liking this book. It was cute and a little quirky. But then, it turned into a little too much Ghost Whisper for me. I started to feel I knew what was going to happen (which I was right) and got a little bored.
Another shiny, big and bold winner is coming out!
One of the most eccentric, quirkiest but also most adorable, relatable and kindest heroine you may ever met in romcom history: ladies and gentlemen, let’s make some noise for Sabrina Monroe!
This sensitive but also strong woman truly knows how to get through suffering as she reluctantly goes back to hometown Wisconsin-Dell ( waterpark capital of world! )
She needs to face her frenemies, people call her freak behind her back (or directly to her face) , be kissed by her notorious ex! That’s fine! Bring it on! But when her longtime friend Molly appears out of nowhere with bunch of her friends like her, she needs to put a stop and request them leave her alone!
Nope, she is not a mean or cruel person. She is grown up and female version of Haley Joel Osment: she sees ghosts and she reluctantly helps them to handle their unfinished businesses! That’s her family curse: only the women of the family can see and connect with supernatural entities!
She can only see them at her hometown so getting rid of the curse and moving on to her old life, she has to find a new job in D. C. and move back to big city where nobody notices her awkward antics or her troubled past ( when you’re a ghost whisperer, it could be challenging to grow up in small town where everybody knows everybody, prying each other’s lives! )
Her insecurities and lack of communication skills related to her connection with her paranormal skills. But her encounter with local restaurateur, extra hottie Ray at the water park results with invention to his supper club. She wants to resist his charm but he doesn’t accept no as an answer and guess what, this guy is extra sweet, passionate, checks all boxes for dreamt boyfriend qualifications!
Maybe she needs to rethink her decision to go back to the city! Maybe she finds her happiness by accepting who she is instead of hiding in the shadows, living under the radar! Maybe she can trust Ray to share her family curse, can’t she?
Overall: so entertaining, tempting, laugh out loud, sweet, emotional, my candidate for the best romances of 2021!
I’m rounding up 4.5 ( I lowered half star because at some chapters, Sabrina gave too much hard time to our sweet pie Ray) to 5 shiniest, ghostly, extra romantic, heartfelt, uplifting stars!
So many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing this digital reviewer copy in exchange my honest thoughts!
I loved it so much and I highly recommend it to the readers who enjoy a great feel good novel!
Received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.
This book was SO fun! See the bit below.
Was Sabrina in hell? Had her plane crashed last night and this whole day was part of her eternal torture? Would a person know if they had died and were in hell? Was there an orientation before the torture, or were you plopped right into it? Was there a last-chance feast with all your favorite foods that were a few days past their prime— three-day-old pizza left out on a coffee table in a frat house, melted ice cream, and well-done ribeye steaks?
I died laughing and then read it out loud to my co worker who laughed too. I wanted more when it was done. Is this going to be a series? I'll read it!
What did I love about this book? Small town connections, a strong sense of place, family secrets, anxiety and panic attacks represented respectfully, therapy normalized for men and women alike, consent celebrated, and love winning, even beyond death! I have read all of Reichert's previous books, and this is definitely her best so far.
This book will stay in my heart. Like the best comfort food. Loved it. Absolutely perfect characters and connecting stories. A great read
Sweet, gentle, cosy romance with paranormal aspect. Sabrina Monroe is 29, living with her parents and working as a duck boat tour guide after losing her job. She shares the ability of Monroe women in seeing ghosts and helping them with unfinished business (like the Ghost Whisperer). She is kind and introverted and would rather be anywhere else. Her closest friend is Molly a spirit who no one has been able to help.
Raymond Jasper iV (Ray) is in Wisconsin to be with his dying uncle. He loves the area and plans to run his uncle's supper club, leaving the family real estate business behind in NYC. Ray knows tons of fun facts about Wisconsin cheese. He meets up with Sabrina accidentally a few times. It's almost as if something is pushing them together.
The main characters are great and suit one another. There is drama from a mean girl bully who made Sabrina's life miserable growing up. And of course Molly's mystery adds to the mix. The book is a gentle read with minimal language and one fade to black scene. The only drawback for me was the predicability. At 30 percent I already knew how things would play out and I wasn't wrong. If there was a twist or surprise it could have gotten an extra star.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley, Penguin Random House for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.