This is a sleeper of a book. For me, it started out slow, and a little confusingly, but eventually I got hooked by this small-town romance with a paranormal edge.

Bullied throughout high school due largely to a family secret, Sabrina fled Wisconsin with dreams of becoming a journalist, but plagued by anxiety, she can't hold a job and returns to Wisconsin with huge student loan debt and unresolved anxiety issues. Worse still, she finds herself working for her nemesis, Erika, who is now engaged to Sabrina's high school boyfriend.

Ray left his high-powered New York life to help out at his uncle's restaurant, and despite pressure from his wealthy parents, would prefer to stay in Wisconsin. He is immediately drawn to Sabrina and determines to help her.

This book is enjoyable, even if its premise is far-fetched--and by that, I don't mean the paranormal angle, which makes it fun. Ray is not convincing as a successful, urban businessperson, and Sabrina seems like too much of a hot mess for anyone to really be interested in. And it's difficult to believe that a person could be as evil as Erika in her single-minded determination to torture Sabrina. Still, suspend disbelief for a few hours and enjoy this unique romance. #TheKindredSpiritsSupperClub #NetGalley

When Sabrina loses her job and moves home to the Wisconsin Dells, she is forced into the “family business” helping spirits with their unfinished business. Planning to get a job and hightail it out of town as fast as possible, her plans change when she ends up planning the party of the year with Ray. Ray is a former big city real estate agent and current supper club owner perfecting his Brandy Old-Fashioneds. Will Sabrina and Ray fall in love and stay in the Waterpark capital of the world? Or will the ghosts of Sabrina’s past run her out of town for good?

I thought this was super quirky and quaint. It is definitely not my usual type of book - I’m not really into ghosts and all that. However, this was a super fun rom com read, and I’d recommend it!

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley for my ARC!

This was a really sweet, uplifting story that I ended up loving. It took me a little bit to really get into the story but I soon fell in love with the characters and I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story. I also loved the paranormal aspect. This story featured some great character development, quite a bit of humor and a lot of heart. I definitely recommend this one.

The saying goes that “home is the place that when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” Sabrina Monroe, unemployed and in student loan debt hell way over her head, has to go there – no matter how much she really, really doesn’t want to.

Her parents are more than willing to take her in. The rest of the town, not so much. Or, at least not so much in the person of her lifelong arch-nemesis, who is happy to have Sabrina back in the Dells just so that she can continue her literally lifelong torture of the one girl in school who never begged to be part of her inner circle of bitches.

I have to say that part of the story was not my favorite.

What was lovely, however, was the relationship that Sabrina reluctantly develops, one-step-forward and two-steps-back, with Ray Harper, the new owner of The Otter Club, a restaurant and supper club that has been in his family – and in the Dells – so long that both are institutions.

A relationship that is pushed and pulled and connived at and encouraged, not just by Sabrina’s mother who wants her oldest daughter to come home, but by the Monroe family’s resident ghost, Molly.

The Monroe women see dead people. It’s their duty to help the recently deceased with unfinished business finish that business so they can actually rest in peace. Or in the light. Or wherever they go when they shuffle off this mortal coil and all the worries and responsibilities that go along with it.

Molly, dead since Prohibition, is an exception. Whatever unfinished business she has can’t seem to be resolved, so she sticks around and helps the Monroes do the work that only they can do.

So far, at least, it hasn’t been a terrible afterlife. Molly loves movies – especially romantic comedies. She wants her friend Sabrina to get her own happy ending – no matter how much baggage Sabrina has piled in the way. Little do either Sabrina or Molly know that helping Sabrina get out of her own way with Ray Harper will lead Molly to her own, long delayed but seemingly literal, happy ever after.

Escape Rating B: This is one of those books that drove me absolutely crazy, both in a good way AND in a bad way at the same time.

The good way took me on a bit of a search, because as I read I kept having that “I’ve read this before” kind of deja vu. The trip down reading memory lane was a whole lot of fun, as I managed to latch onto what this reminded me of so strongly.

For most of this story, Molly reads very much like Colleen, the genius loci of Stella Maris Island in Susan M. Boyer’s cozy mystery series that begins with Lowcountry Boil. Both Molly and Colleen are ghosts that protect their respective families, have limited ability to act in the real world, and do one heck of a lot of spying for their favorite people. Both also died young with unfinished business.

But the heart of the ghostly interactions in The Kindred Spirits Supper Club echoes the way that the paranormal talent that Clare Cermak the protagonist of Robin D. Owens’ Ghost Seer series finds herself inheriting a family gift for interacting with the spirit world and helping the recently and not-so-recently dead finish their unfinished business and “go towards the light”. Clare and Sabrina would have a lot to talk about, especially about the negative impact that “seeing dead people’ has on their social life, professional reputation, and opportunities for romance.

In the not so good way of driving me bonkers, while I know that Erika is supposed to serve as the villain of the piece, her behavior, especially the way it continued to the present day, read as much too far over the top. The amount of humiliation that she has put Sabrina through since grade school – and continues into adulthood – made for an uncomfortable read. As did the way that Ray’s parents treated him over his desire to stay in the Dells and continue to operate his late uncle’s supper club. The way that relationship resolved worked out for the best, but it middled in a way that was pretty damn nasty.

And it still made more sense than Erika’s crazy. I detested Erika’s crazy and it colored my feelings about the entire book, which is a real shame because I wanted to love this book and expected to love this book but the Erika plotline made that impossible.

Your reading mileage may vary.

Even though I guessed the resolution of Molly’s story fairly early on, I still liked that part of the story and Molly as a character. I also enjoyed the strong sense of place that imbues this book – another similarity to the Lowcountry Boil series, BTW. In spite of living in Chicago for 20 years, I never visited the Dells as so many Chicagoans do. This story both made me wish I had and made me feel like I almost but not quite did.

I also felt for Sabrina, her love of her family combined with her conflicting desires both to be with them and to be as far away from the Dells as possible. Her retreats into herself, her panic attacks and her anxieties made her feel real and I liked her a lot. I wanted to see her happy as much as Molly did.

In the end, while there was one character/situation to hate, there was a LOT to love about The Kindred Spirits Supper Club.

“Two days, twenty-three hours, and thirty-two minutes. Almost three full days since Sabrina Monroe had last spoken to someone who wasn’t a relative.”

Introvert extraordinaire, Sabrina’s goal in life is simple: avoid human interaction as much as possible. Her evasion tactics have succeeded up until the point when she finds herself in the middle of a fight at the water park covered in strawberry margarita slush. It’s there that she meets a human named Ray that she actually wants to speak to, but her severe anxiety and her insistence that her stay in Wisconsin is only temporary keep her from thinking that there could actually be something between them. Sabrina’s need to leave Wisconsin and to get back to her real-life centers around her inability to be a part of what makes the females in her family special: they can see spirits. And Ray has moved back to Wisconsin to uncover a long-buried family secret and Sabrina and her abilities may be able to finally bring them to light.

Even though that seems like enough plot for an entire novel, there were (too?) many other facets to this story. Ray has his own complete backstory surrounding the aforementioned family secret, Sabrina has a bully from her school days that still terrorizes her and is the root cause of her debilitating anxiety, and Molly, one of the spirits that Sabrina sees which has become something of a best friend to her, has her own backstory as well. As a result, the plot felt a little busy at times and turned this potentially light-hearted and quirky tale into something unexpectedly heavy. One of my favorite aspects of Reichert’s novels is her delicious depictions of the most mouth-watering sounding foods. Cheese curds took center stage in Kindred Spirits.

‘In a line, he had the curds, flour, and a beer batter – a simple mixture of Spotted Cow beer, flour, salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne – each in its own tray.”

Reichert posted a cheese curd recipe inspired by the delicious ones mentioned in the novel and if you’re the drinking type, there’s a recipe for a Wisconsin-Style Brandy Old-Fashioned. Both recipes sound to die for.

Fans of small town romance/women’s fiction will enjoy this one. I found it to be a little bit slow paced at times and I wanted more romance. Well written, fun and quirky - I think many who like a slower romance will enjoy.

This is a charming, sweet romance set in the Midwest about Sabrina, an anxiety-ridden woman feeling a little lost. She returns home after getting let go from her journalism job in NYC and has to deal with the ghosts of her past (both figurative and literal). Sabrina comes from a family whose women can see spirits and help them find resolutions in order to move on. When she meets Ray, a new to town business owner, a slow-burn romance develops between the two and they are drawn into solving the lost love story between Ray's great uncle and Molly, the ghost Sabrina has known her whole life. A heartwarming, hallmark-movie esque story for fans of Kitchens of the great Midwest.

3.5 ⭐️

I love a story set somewhere I know, and if you’re from the Midwest, you have been to the Wisconsin Dell’s! I thought the characters were well developed and I actually enjoyed the magical/ghost aspect more than I thought I would! I loved Sabrina’s personal journey and where she ended up. I just wanted to feel a bit more chemistry between Sabrina and Ray. Definitely a book that fans women’s fiction will fall in love with!!

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club is a romantic comedy with a touch of magic. Sabrina Monroe has moved back home to the Wisconsin Dells, which means she now has to help her mom with the family secret. Sabrina and the women in her family can see ghosts and they are expected to help ghosts with their unfinished business so the spirits can move on to the next life. Sabrina has always had a hard time with this family secret. It caused her endless troubles during her childhood and adolescence. When a flirtation begins with Ray Jasper, a new local restaurateur, Sabrina is forced to keep this secret from him.

I thoroughly disliked Sabrina. She came across as a one dimensional whiny doormat. As for Ray, I really couldn't understand how or why he was instantly into Sabrina from the moment he set eyes on her. What was driving his attraction? Why was he so pushy in the beginning when Sabrina had made it clear she was not interested? Eventually, Sabrina got the courage to admit she felt a connection with Ray. And Ray did get better: he gave Sabrina space, he was supportive, and he was sweet. But their relationship development was lackluster in every single way.

I also could not deal with Erika, the mean girl from Sabrina's high school, who still bullies Sabrina. This aspect of the story was straight out of a cliché high school movie from the 90s. The pettiness and the bullying de-aged Sabrina and Erika, making them come across as teenagers instead of adults. Sabrina continuously allowed Erika to walk all over her. She did not stand up for herself, not even once. In my opinion, the whole Sabrina vs. Erika thing was completely unnecessary. I don't get why the author included it.

The only thing that kept me going was the ghostly business and Ray's family history. I was more invested in the ghostly aspect of the story than the romance. Unfortunately, the author barely fleshed out the supernatural element. Why is Sabrina's family the chosen one? Why is it only the women in Sabrina's family who can see ghosts? What about the other families who also bear this burden, but who live in other parts of the country? What about the rest of the world? I wanted to learn more about Sabrina's family backstory and how this "curse" began in her family. I also wanted the ghostly storyline to better executed, but it was instead underwhelming and anticlimactic.

Honestly, I love romance novels with a touch of magic, especially if ghosts are involved. But I couldn't for the life of me connect with this book at all. I was not invested in either Sabrina or Ray and I couldn't care less about their romance. I cared more about the ghostly business than the romance, but even the supernatural aspect was terribly executed. I also did not like the author's flashback technique at all - it was incredibly confusing and took me out of the story. I might have liked this book better if Sabrina was a well-written character, if Erika was not a part of the story, and if the author had added more depth to the ghostly supernatural element.

I adored this story. Sabrina has lost her job, drowning in student loan debt she is forced to move back home which she dreads. Seems Sabrina only sees ghosts that need help moving on in her home town. She has one best friend, Molly, a ghost from the 1930’s that has not been able to crossover. I loved Molly she was my favorite character.

Sabrina meets Ray who moved from NY to help his great uncle Harry with the supper club he runs. When Harry dies he leaves half of the supper club to Ray and the other half to his parents. Ray needs to prove to his parents that he can handle the running of the supper club so he hires Sabrina to help with organizing the annual Goodbye Gala. The attraction begins and what follows is a sweet humorous fun romance with the help of some interference from a couple of friendly ghosts.

A quick read with mystery, romance, heartbreak and some paranormal twists. I could not get enough of this book, highly recommend.

Being a fellow Wisconsinite I absolutely adored this book and it had all the feels!
Sabrina has lost her job and is back home in Wisconsin Dells, a tourist trap. What many people don’t know is that Sabrina has a secret, she can see ghosts.
Honestly this is my first paranormal book, but I enjoyed it. The book starts off with Sabrina at an indoor water park where she meets the attractive Ray who owns a supper club in town. This book has all the feels; old drama from high school, a slow burn romance.

4.5 stars = I loved it! Would re-read.

It took me a few days to finish this, just due to busyness, but every time I thought about getting to pick this back up, it made me smile. The whole book made me smile. The characters are excellent and engaging. I loved how Ray instinctively "got" Sabrina and worked to understand her better and to be a safe space for her. The ghostly piece gave this a fresh feel. I have read plenty of paranormal stories, and I can't put my finger on what made this one feel different, but whatever it is, it totally worked for me. I would read this one again. Highly recommend. (Language, sex, edible use for anxiety, TW: anxiety/panic attacks)

Sabrina is back at home after losing her job, a place that heightens her anxiety as it holds both bad memories and ghosts who try to appeal to her for help. For the most part over the years Sabrina has avoided talking to the ghosts, except for one, and had sent them onto her mother for assistance. However, there are things she does love about home: her family and Molly, a fun-loving ghost from the 1930’s, who stuck by her growing up. Another bright spot to her return is Ray, the new owner of The Otter Club. While Sabrina doesn’t want to start anything when she plans on leaving as soon as she can find another job, she can’t help the attraction she feels to Ray as they are thrown together over and over.

Sabrina struggled with crippling anxiety throughout the story which made run-ins with her childhood nemesis, Erika, and her ex-boyfriend disheartening and I eagerly awaited payback for all they put Sabrina through. Although, I do think just being a horrible person is payment in itself, and Erika was definitely that.

Ray was such a sweetheart and a breath of fresh air! I loved that he recognized he’d have to be patient with Sabrina to eventually win her heart completely. They shared fun, lighthearted moments together, and that along with the bits of humor balanced some of the heavier aspects of the story. I also enjoyed getting to the bottom of the mystery behind Molly the ghost sticking around for so many years.

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club Amy E. Reichert delivered a small-town romance that was sweet with touches of paranormal elements alongside small-town troubles and charm.

Sabrina Monroe, moves back home to the Dells of Wisconsin when she’s let go from another journalist’s job. Sabrina has social issues that can be awkward.

Sabrina and the women of her family can see ghosts and help them crossover by assisting them with their unfinished business. This sometimes makes blending into the woodwork difficult for Sabrina. She’s only ever told one person of her gift and that ended in disaster, but Ray, the new local restaurateur, sees Sabrina and may be just what Sabrina needs to find herself.

This was an interesting story with the Monroe family and their gift. Sabrina’s best friend is Molly, a ghost who has been around for more than a decade. When Sabrina returns home to find nothing has changed, including the mean spirited girl who made high school unbearable.

Ray loved the Dells and wants to make a go of it with his supper club and famous Brandy Old-Fashioneds. Sabrina intrigues him from their awkward first met to subsequent run-ins in town. Slowly they form a friendship and come to an arrangement. He helps her get the mean girl off her back and she helps him plan an upcoming gala event.

This was a slow building romance wrapped around Sabrina’s issues. We had a few side stories which added to the story from Molly the ghost to a ghost named Harry who couldn’t speak but followed Sabrina everywhere. We faceoff with the mean-girl, see character growth, and share some cute moments with Sabrina and Ray.

Reichert showed the lasting effect moments and bullying can have on someone even into adulthood. I cheered for Sabrina with each new challenge and fear she overcame. After all to be loved, one must love themselves and embrace who they are.

I found myself invested in the story and enjoyed the characters. I would travel to the Dells and dine at the Supper Club. Be on the lookout for cute pups, meddling parents, and ghosts.

I loved Amy Reichert's The Kindred Spirits Supper Club for all the reasons I expected to and more! Get an old fashioned ready (Wisconsin style, please), and settle in.
I fell hard for Amy Reichert's first book, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, and have looked forward to each book since. I was so excited for The Kindred Spirits Supper Club, and I'm so excited that everyone can get their hands on it tomorrow. This charming romantic, slightly ghostly story was so enjoyable. Main characters Sabrina and Ray are in very different places with their relationship to Wisconsin Dells- for Sabrina it's the stifling small town she's been running from since high school, for Ray, it's the place with family roots he's finally getting to settle into. A meet-cute truly made in the Dells brings them together, and life keeps throwing them back together, even as Sabrina fights it.
The ghost element is this is quite present, but I thought it was incorporated well, and as we get to know main ghost Molly, I really fell for her too. I'm not always into ghosts in stories but this works perfectly!
What I love most about the author's writing is that I feel like Amy Reichert loves Wisconsin the way I do. She knows the people and the quirks of this place and writes them in such a way that I hope readers from other places get a better glimpse of the ways this state is more than flyover country. I love that the great tradition of Wisconsin supper clubs is being shared with readers all over. I love that readers will see a side of Wisconsin Dells that's more than water parks and kitschy gift shops. This book felt like a hug and I hope you feel it too.

A fun ghostly romcom! Sabrina sees dead people. Growing up in the Wisconsin Dells Sabrina was always considered somewhat of a freak. The women in her family can see ghosts, but they can only see them in their home town. As soon as she can Sabrina fleas town, she is tired of being different. But now she is home after losing her job as a journalist planning just to stay home as long as it takes to get a new job. Then she meets Ray, the handsome new restaurant owner. Could Ray be the guy that will accept her no matter what? Ghosts and all?

So much fun! Sabrina was a great character although admittedly she frustrated me sometimes with her insecurities. Ray was a great guy and I just love the two of them together! My favorite character however was Molly the ghost. Seriously this book made me want a ghost in my life someone who’s always there your best friend, your sister, your confidant, your Dear Abby! Also loved how close Sabrina was to her family. This book just had a little bit of everything romance, family, charm, food, and food. A romcom wrapped in a ghost with a bow made of cheese on top!

This book in emojis 🍹 👻 🧀 🎆

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

This may be one of my favorite reads so far this year. Sabrina is such a quirky, unique, likeable character and I love her interactions with Molly. Molly really is my favorite character in this book. Molly's story is just heartbreaking and it is handled gracefully. Tears may have been shed while reading. Ray is just a good guy and perfect for Sabrina.

I feel like it’s been forever since I read a cute and fun rom com and this one was so well done! I loved it. Not only did it have all the best parts of a rom com – it was funny and romantic plus the characters had well developed personalities – it also was unique in that Sabrina can talk to ghosts. But don’t let that scare you away! The ghosts are such a great part of the story, especially Molly, who serves as the side kick best friend even though she isn’t actually alive.

I loved the setting of the book – Wisconsin Dells. Sabrina and Ray even went to Wizard Quest – which we loved visiting when we were in the Dells 5 years ago! It was so fun remembering some of the locations mentioned in the book. I was unfamiliar with the concept of the supper clubs, which is also apparently a Dells staple. Ray wants to take over his great-uncle’s supper club and Sabrina helps him to plan an end of summer party that is traditionally held there. Sabrina feels socially awkward and while she loves to write and plan things, she doesn’t love interacting with people. I could really relate to her! Ray was the perfect rom com boyfriend with his understanding of Sabrina and the best ways to be there for her.

This was one of those books that I tried reading a few times and just couldn't get connected with the characters and couldn't get attached to the story. I ended up not finishing it which is rare for me and was sad not to enjoy it as I love this author. I will wait for her next release and hope to get into it nice and easy.

𝔹𝕆𝕆𝕂 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎
The Kindred Spirits Supper Club

? Do you believe in Ghosts? Have you ever interacted with one?

I want to thank @aereichert and @berkleypub for the digital @netgalley copy of The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert in exchange for an honest review. This book came out THIS WEEK, April, 20, 2021 and I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.

4/5
Synopsis: When Sabrina loses another reporting job, she decides to move back in with her parents for the summer until she can find something else. But her family is not the only family she connects with when she is home. Upon returning home she also returns to her family curse where the women in the family can see ghosts who come to them for help with their unfinished business before they fully cross over. Throughout the years they have managed to help all but one ghost, Molly, do so. During her time back home Sabrina faces old high school drama, remembers how much she enjoys having a friend in Molly and with an effort to set up a fake relationship ends up discovering that her hometown might have more to offer than she originally thought.

Thought: I was hesitant about this book at first because I'm not really into ghosts and spirits but it added depth to the book in a very creative way. In the beginning some of the spirit characters were confusing to keep up with who was who but after the first few chapters was easier to follow. I enjoyed how there were multiple stories lines that all connected together in a way that I am not used to reading. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a fun hometown read with additional romance added in.