Sabrina Monroe (like all of the women in her family) can see ghosts, who come to her for help before they are able to rest in eternal peace; but most of the time, due to her extreme social anxiety, Sabrina just points the needy ghosts to her mother. After Sabrina meets Ray, a charming local restaurant owner, a certain ghost, who happens to be Ray's uncle, is determined to be helped by Sabrina and Sabrina alone. Life gets complicated for Sabrina, as she tries to help the ghost, find a new job, and definitely not fall in love with Ray.

This book was.... a lot. I really wanted to like it, but everything was just over the top. Sabrina's anxiety was so over played, and despite saying she used to see a therapist multiple times, she does nothing to help herself in that way. Ray falls for Sabrina after a random run in, where Sabrina does not talk to him and spends the next few chapters actively avoiding him, so their relationship was on a weird foundation for me altogether. Ray seemed nice enough, but I just didn't find their relationship believable or one I would root for. Sabrina needs to work on herself, not let a man come in and "fix" everything.

The ghost part of the story was actually really cute. I probably would have really enjoyed a book about a woman who helps ghosts fulfill a certain pressing need before they are able to rest. But because of everything else going on in the book, I felt like this fun storyline was not focused on enough.

One of the worst and most unnecessary subplots was the high school mean girl and ex boyfriend tormenting a 30 year old Sabrina. There was so much conflict in the story without a literal villain adding to the stress.

All in all, I was sadly disappointed in this book. But I notice I am in the gross minority and many people enjoyed it immensely, so take this with a grain of salt, because obviously it's just me.

Thank you Netgalley, Berkley, and the author for the eARC in exchange for my review.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!! The only complaint I have is that the book is over, I wanted it to go on forever! It is so sweet and quirky and I’m about to reread it again because I loved it that much! Sabrina, Ray, and Molly have my heart. Reichert can write a dang book! Everyone needs to read this!

Looking for a sweet summer romance with a supernatural twist? The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert is a romantic magical story that blends fantastical abilities with a delightful hometown love story.

When Sabrina is forced to come home to Dell, Wisconsin, she will do anything she can to get out of there. On top of dealing with an unfulfilling summer job, old bullies, and ex-boyfriends, she has to deal with her family curse. All the women in her family can see ghosts in her town and help them fulfil their unfinished business so they can cross over to the other side. The upside is Molly, who is a ghost that has been around her family for generations and a steadfast friend and romcom enthusiast. The downside is the constant pestering of ghosts interrupting her life and asking her to do some pretty conspicuous final wishes.

The last thing that Sabrina wants is to jump into a new relationship while she searches for an out-of-town job. However, an adorably awkward meet-cute at a water park with the attractive local restauranteur Ray might cause her to rethink things. Ray is an incredibly sweet and passionate man that came to Dells to help his dying Uncle Henry with the town staple, “The Otter Club” even though his parents want to sell the place and make him come back to New York City. But how can he leave when he has a huge family secret to discover and a legacy to protect?

After the charming water park fiasco, Sabrina and Ray’s paths keep crossing and while she is charmed by him but hesitant, he is quickly smitten. He invites her to his supper club and they start to grow closer, despite her insistence that she will be leaving soon and shouldn’t date anyone. As she continues to figure out her life and he attempts to win her over before she leaves for good, the two begin to discover more about themselves, their families, and each other and combat the ghosts of their past.

I enjoyed every page and may have even audibly squealed a couple of times, which is rare for me. It was extremely fun, which made for a fast and enthralling read. Sabrina and Ray’s relationship is the heart of the novel and is developed organically and softly. Although he makes his interest in her clear from the start, he never pressures her into anything and is a complete gentleman. Their goals are very different but they clearly fit each other so well. You really get a sense of how their minds work and the way they view the world and each other. Sabrina is the kind of woman that has money problems yet still hides $5 bills in library books for people to find. Ray is the type of man to spend hours perfecting a cheese curds recipe to make someone he cares about happy. Their dynamic is sometimes awkward and messy but feels so real and endearing. They are both so easy to fall in love with.

Sabrina is a deeply relatable protagonist who struggles with anxiety, trauma from her past, and insecurities about the future. The way that Reichert addresses mental health felt very nuanced and real, not reduced to stereotypes or generalisations which I greatly appreciated. It is a driving factor in the story but doesn’t feel forced in any way. Sabrina is at a crossroads in her life while forced to live in a place where she is surrounded by nostalgia and trauma. Not only is that relatable in the general day to day, but especially in a time where so many people have been forced to uproot their lives, rearrange priorities and figure out what the future holds (Thanks COVID!).

Molly was one of my favourite characters and often a great foil to Sabrina. She had a tragic life and hasn’t been able to complete her unfinished business since, but she remains optimistic, bubbly, and a hopeless romantic. She helped Sabrina during her lonely childhood, almost like a sister, and continues to help her, especially when it comes to Ray. Her relationship with Molly is dynamic and complicated, but they balance each other so well. Despite being dead for so long, Molly appears so modern and young. We also learn a lot about the ghosts through her experience, expanding the world in a fun way. Perhaps there could have been more of her perspective, but even in Sabrina’s point of view, she is a powerful force.

Overall, the pacing was perfect, and Reichert leaves a lot of breadcrumbs throughout for the audience to put together things before the characters. There are lots of lightbulb moments that are woven seamlessly together with a satisfying payoff. I don’t usually live multiple POV switches in a novel but it works really well here without bogging down the narrative or making it confusing. I enjoyed each of their points of view greatly, especially as they interpret events very differently. This creates a lot of fun misunderstandings as we are given access to information that they are not. But it also is a great way to show how each of them falls in love, and what stands out to each of them.

This is definitely a novel that I could reread over and over and still have a fresh experience. With endearing characters, slow-burn romance, and supernatural fun, Reichert has created the perfect book for dreamers. She blends the grounded family and romantic drama with fantastical elements without overwhelming the story or making it trite. On top of the charming relationship, there is a hopeful reminder to us all that it is ok to not always stick with the plan and to look for someone who will accept you and all your quirks.

tw: death of a family member

I had high hopes for this, as it takes place in the Wisconsin Dells and if you are Midwestern you know the nostalgic pull of that location. Having never read a book set there, plus this being mixed with a paranormal element of our main character seeing ghosts, I thought this would be kitschy fun. Unfortunately, this didn't land for me. Firstly, the characters meet right away in the first chapter and Ray is already very enamored with Sabrina. But he really has no reason to be. He doesn't know her, barely talks to her because she is so socially anxious that she basically runs from him, and yet he still feels drawn to her for no obvious reason. So their relationship already started off on shaky ground for me. Then, there were a lot of plot points, particularly around the ghosts, that were so obvious that I was left waiting for most of the book for them to be revealed because I knew where it was going. This isn't always a bad thing but in this case those reveals had no payoff. Also, Sabrina has pretty severe anxiety and while some of the things she did and how she described anxiety were spot on, it didn't feel real to me. I'm not sure if the author has anxiety herself but this felt like someone writing about something they've heard about and so it didn't feel genuine. Lastly, we have a theme that I hate and that;s the mean girl. Sabrina has a bully that has bullied her since they were children and they are now adults. While I'm sure that some people are that awful, the bullying still felt like middle school bullying when adult bullies have totally different tactics so this felt so flat. All of these elements kept me from being very invested. I still liked the backdrop of The Dells because so many places mentioned were places I've been but I do wish this had more of a pull for me than it did.

This was a really cute read. I loved the magical realism and constant food references. There was a lot going on here that maybe could've been simplified. It would make a fun, quirky rom com for sure.

A wonderful novel about family forgiveness and second chances. I also loved the whole supernatural effect of being able to talk to ghosts. Every life has a purpose, and the author made an interesting approach about spirits sticking around until they finish the job they were meant to do before they died, whether it was to get revenge or find their loved one. A beautiful story indeed :)

Are you looking for a book to take on vacation once we’re all vaccinated and you can leave your house again? If yes, I definitely recommend The Kindred Spirits Supper Club as a prime candidate for cute, lighthearted summer read.

Being from Wisconsin, I generally can’t pass up a book set there, and having previously read Reichert’s The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, which was like a love story to Milwaukee, I was excited to read this newest novel of hers. And the Wisconsin flavor was certainly there in this one as well, especially in the food - beer battered cheese curds, Brandy old fashioneds, brats, and Spotted Cow beer all make appearances. Multiple characters bring up Wisconsin trivia facts (something that feels so relatable) and the opening scene takes place at a waterpark.

Though there is a happily ever after at the end of The Kindred Spirits Supper Club, it reads more like women’s fiction than romance. Sabrina struggles with a lot during the book - she lost her job, had to move back in with her parents and is dealing with her sometimes crippling anxiety, and I feel her arc of discovery is just as important as the romance arc. There are other stories interwoven as well, including the ghosts’ stories (the women in Sabrina’s families help ghosts move on by completing their last wish) and this gives the book some flavor but I feel that it is somewhat surface level. For example, though this story does deal with death in some capacity, as there are literal ghosts, I never felt like it was overpowering or too intense.

I am typically not one who can predict where a book is going, but I could tell where the ghost story was going to end up when I was 37% in. It felt like a secondary romance arc, and is really a sweet addition, even if it is predictable. As for romance between Sabrina and Ray, we have the “fake dating” trope, and a very slow burn. The one sex scene is somewhat fade to black. But Ray is an adorable, slightly awkward sweetheart who just wants to love Sabrina and that warmed my heart.

Even with Sabrina trying to make relatively big life decisions over the course of the book, and struggles with anxiety, there isn’t much angst in this book. It didn’t stress me out while I was reading it. And at the end of the day, that’s likely why I enjoyed The Kindred Spirits Supper Club - it’s a perfect book to escape in for a few hours. Just make sure not to go in too hungry!

Content warnings: Sabrina has anxiety and has a panic attack, one character is implied to have had dementia before he died and struggles communicating as a ghost, one scene where Sabrina is unwillingly kissed by an ex-boyfriend, Sabrina has a few flashbacks to being bullied as a child because of her ability to see ghosts

Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for an advanced copy of The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert.

This book made me want to hop on a plane and go to Wisconsin. These supper clubs sound like fun and I love the idea of beer and cheese with everything!

I'm not usually a big supernatural fan, but I liked how The Kindred Spirits Supper Club mixed in Sabrina's family curse of seeing spirits with the book and it seemed so natural. Sabrina moves home to the Wisconsin Dells and is coming to terms with being back in the town she was bullied in growing up. Ray has moved to town to take over his uncle's Supper Club and is facing some family pressure to move back to NYC when he meets Sabrina.

I liked that this was different than your usual rom-com and the characters for the most part were great. I loved the small town and there were cute moments in this book. Also Sabrina's anxiety was a big part of the book.

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club is captivating and enchanting! I enjoyed every moment—the humor, the poignancy, the quirkiness, the romance—all of it touched my heart. I especially loved the characters, Ray and Sabrina foremost, but Molly, Harry, and even Belle were an unexpected delight! I cheered long and hard for Ray and Sabrina, and watching them grow and trust and find the acceptance and freedom they needed to be who they truly were was simply wonderful.

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert is a wonderful standalone novel. Sabrina Monroe, our heroine, has returned home to Wisconsin Dells, after losing her journalist job. Sabrina left home years before, as she could not handle the family curse, as well as the nasty mean girls who teased her as a psycho. The Monroe women have a curse, being able to see ghosts, those with unfinished business, with Sabrina having escaped when she left town. Now back home in Wisconsin Dells, she sees the ghosts again.

Sabrina has always had anxiety attacks, but manages to leaves the spirits to her mom, but suddenly they begin to appear to her too. Of course, the one ghost who has been with the family for years, is the delightful fun loving, Molly, who Sabrina has always loved since childhood. Sabrina gets a job to help save money, which she needs to eventually return to Washington again, but her boss is the evil Erika, one of the mean girls, who always brought her down.

Sabrina meets charming and hunky, Ray Jasper, who has started taking over the family-owned supper club, and he finds himself very attracted to her, though she has no interest in getting involved in any relationship. Soon Ray manages to convince Sabrina to help him prepare for the annual gala, and offers to pay her top dollar, which she decides to accept. Sabrina slowly begins to enjoy Ray’s company, especially when he starts defending her from Erika and her boyfriend’s constant rude comments.

What follows is a slow burn romance between Sabrina and Ray, with both falling for each other, but issues stand in the way. Sabrina sees ghosts, and occasionally she will accidently answer their call for help, another reason as a child that Erika and her friends called her a psycho. Ray begins to hear some of her sudden comments, which Sabrina fears will push him away from her. Will she tell Ray the truth, or leave Wisconsin Dells.

I really enjoy this lighthearted fun story, and love both Sabrina and Ray together, loved their comradery, as well as the delicious recipes he made for her to try. The wonderful family secondary characters were also great, such as the fantastic Molly. Most of all I did love Sabrina and how in time she was able to control her anxiety, continue to be caring to help the ghosts, and learn to deal with the insults from her enemies. Ray was also great, as he did everything to build up his business, and his love for Sabrina was instrumental in helping her move forward.

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club was a fun, heartwarming romance, wonderful family and great characters, lots of enjoyment of good food, with a dash of paranormal (ghosts). Amy E. Reichert did a wonderful job writing this fun story, and I suggest you read this book.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

This was super cute! I'm familiar with supper clubs and I loved the setting of both Wisconsin Dells and a supper club itself. Very fun.

Delightful. A nice breezy bit of fun that everyone needs once in awhile. Ghosts, supper clubs, romance, humor. What more could you want?

This was an interesting concept for a book. I wasn’t sure going into it, but after reading the first few chapters I was hooked. Sabrina is an extremely anxious, socially awkward woman, but then again her qualms are completely justified since she is constantly in the presence of ghosts. She broke my heart in the beginning. Her struggles with anxiety, both social and internal, spoke very true to real life. It pained me to see her in such an unhealthy environment where she couldn’t break away from or even seek any help.

I felt that both characters were guarded in the beginning marking it hard to connect with them, but once they took those barriers down and opened pieces of them to one another the story felt genuine. It became more heartfelt and intriguing. Together Ray and Sabrina are at ease. They complement each other in ways I haven’t seen between two main characters before. They bring a calm and serenity in the midst of chaos and expose vulnerabilities that made them feel real rather than just imaginary characters in a story.

It’s told in an interesting way where the author seamlessly ties both past and present point of views for Sabrina and Ray giving the reader a better understanding of each character. This book is imaginative with an in-depth look on mental health and the search to find your path in life. Though I did have a hard time connecting with the characters in the beginning, as the story progressed and more of their personalities shined, the story really opened up. Overall this is a unique story with a fun plot and characters that are interesting and diverse. Thank you to Berkley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I have been a long time face of Amy's. In fact I own and have read every book she has written. So of course I had been waiting eagerly for her newest release. As with her other books, Amy just has a way of putting together a story and its cast of characters. And as a midwest girl, I love being transported back to my home. I grew up going to the Wisconsin Dells so I was absolutely thrilled when I heard this book was set there. There were so many fun references, and I could so easily visualize the Dells as I read. Admittedly I was a little skeptical of the ghosts and supernatural element of this book, but they ended up being my favorite portion of the story. As with Amy's previous books, The Kindred Spirits Supper Club has it all - family, love, and of course food! I loved this book and can't wait for others to read it!

This book is such a fun rom-com! Sabrina sees ghosts. Her female family sees ghosts and helps them to finish something they need to do before moving on. Sabrina has terrible anxiety and seeing ghosts certainly doesn't help. She moves away from home to get away from the ghosts but moves back home after she loses her job. She meets Ray and she says she doesn't have time for dating as she needs to find a job. Their relationship has its ups and downs and was so fun to read! Molly the ghost is awesome and I loved her scenes! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Thank you for my review copy, all opinions are my own.
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Am I charmed? Yes, thank you for asking. This title came for me outta nowhere. I adored it.
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A sweet, fun and sometimes ghosted romance. I smiled the whole way through. The characters were absolutely delightful. I can't say enough good things.
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If you enjoy Romance with a side of paranormal....trust me.....it's the fun side. Pick this one up!

I really really enjoyed this one from Amy Reichert. After discovering her late then inhaling all her books I was excited to get more.

I loved seeing Sabrina and Ray’s relationship bloom. It was lovely to see a man really respect a woman and understand what she needed.

This story contains a fun element of magical realism with Sabrina and her mother seeing ghosts of the recently deceased. They help these people take care of one last thing so they can move on. One of Sabrina’s ghosts, Molly, has been around for a while, and helping her move on is harder.

Eventually Sabrina’s worlds merge. Of course some drama comes up, but this is a romance so there is a sweet HEA.

I appreciated how Sabrina’s anxiety was portrayed. I feel like Reichert did a lot to show how anxiety manifested for Sabrina rather than just stating she experienced it. It felt more genuine.

I would definitely recommend this one.

Now give me a beer and some cheese curds.

My little Wisconsin heart loved this book so much, and I couldn't get enough!

Kindred Spirits Supper Club follows Wisconsin girl Sabrina as she battled anxiety, wants to gtfo outta WI and is also dealing with her family secret of helping ghosts "move on". Enter Ray, a dude from NY who wants to give up his fancy life and continue running his great uncle's WI supper club.

This book was filled with so many Wisconsin things that made me happy: extremely nice people, bubblers, Spotted Cow, curds, crumbling aged cheddar, kringle, etc. I loved it! It was like a love letter to my home and I ate it up.

I also loved the quirkiness of the story surrounding the family secret of helping ghosts "move on". Fans of historical fiction might like this, as it ties back to history various times!

My only complain is that Ray didn't seem to click with me. I couldn't quite place him as a character.

All in all, cute book and if you're from Wisconsin READ THIS!

I couldn't love this novel more! "The Kindred Spirits Supper Club" was such an adorable novel with loveable characters. The added storyline of supernatural gave the book a fun twist along with additional moments of pure delight.

"The Kindred Spirtis Supper Club" gives readers a meet cute, 3 tropes in one book: fake dating, forced proximity and friends to lovers (all of which I love) and a slow burn closed door romance. I wouldn't think all of this would fit into one book, but it worked flawlessly with Reichert's novel.

Ray and Sabrina are equally loveable in their own way but together? They are perfection. Sabrina, awkward and uncomfortable in Wisconsin Dells, shines when Ray, a nerdy New York foodie, provides her with a job for the local end of Summer event. During their time together, both work through their own family secrets to discover they both can help each other in more ways than they ever imagined. Together they move through the awkward stages of finding your place while embracing who you are.

Honorable mention goes to Molly's character. She was just what Ray and Sabrina needed in their romance!

"The Kindred Spirits Supper Club" instantly made for love Reichert's writing style. I am eager to read more of her work!