Delicious novel about second chances and fulfilling one's lifelong wishes. Heroine is given three chances to visit different versions of her life, as she tries to mend past regrets and figure out the best version of her life. She is also surrounded by supportive family members and amazing best friend. It was a delight to read.

While The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, in parts, gave me some really strong Peggy Sue Got Married (‘86 Francis Ford Coppola film) vibes, this is entirely its own story. And it’s an emotional rollercoaster of a story. The author captures emotion beautifully, writing it down and then gifting all the feelings to us. This one definitely made me tear up in places.

It also brought me back the very descriptive treat of life on a Washington island (our smaller-then family lived on Whidbey Island for a few years where I sold handmade herbal skincare products at the farmers markets there, so I loved Lolly’s connection to herbs,edible flowers, and markets.

This was a beautiful read and I strongly recommended this title.



eARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley. Opinions shared are my own.

What if we could go back in time and accomplish our long forgotten goals (or at least one of them)? This sweet and lighthearted story moves easily between present, past and possible futures, obligations and aspirations. The characters are likable and relatable and the book is well written. Definitely a favorite summer read.

On a hot, hot summer day, there is nothing better than staying indoors with a light, fun book. “The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie” is the perfect book to read indoors, or for sun lovers, lying on the beach or in a hammock.
Lolly Blanchard is in a rut. When her mother died ten years ago, she put all her dreams on hold. She took over her mother’s role at the family’s diner and acts as a mother to her thirteen-year-old sister, Daphne. She rises before dawn every day to make the lemon meringue pies for which the diner is famous. She takes care of the books and runs the front of the house. Dad is the chef, but he is still so lost in his grief that he can barely function.

One day, Daphne discovers one of Lolly’s high school journals where she listed her life goals. Much to her dismay, she has not completed any of them, and it’s even harder that there are only five. Four big goals and one smaller goal, but still.

Lolly sinks into a funk. Her thirty-third birthday is just around the corner. The diner is slowly losing business and bills are hard to pay.

Great-Aunt Gert, an eccentric old woman, gives Lolly a most unusual birthday present: three lemon drops. But these aren’t just any lemon drops; they are magical. Each one will give Lolly the opportunity to “live a single day in a life that might have been hers.”

Lolly uses the lemon drops to answer some of her biggest regrets. She decides to spend a day with her mother, open a restaurant overseas and made a life with the only man she has ever loved.

This was a sweet, sweet (no pun intended) story. The choices Lolly makes with the three lemon drops will open her eyes to see the new possibilities in her existing life. And on learning of a fourth lemon drop that will allow her to stay in one of those lives, Lolly discovers the strength and happiness she had no idea could be hers.
A light read for a sweltering day, “The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie” is the perfect beach read and receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is a delightful story of lost love and second chances. It asks the question, “What if I go could back and make a different decision?” The characters are endearing and the “road not taken” plot is one of my favorites. In this book, Lolly gets to explore some roads not taken. Will she choose one of them? Can she? The book transitions well between the past, the present, and possible futures. It is a fun dream–magic lemon drops that can change your life. Mix together a sweet romance with a few “what ifs” and some fairy dust in the form of lemon drops, and you have an entertaining read. I really enjoyed all of it, from the captivating cover to the lemon meringue pie.

I received a free copy of this book from Berkley Publishing via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

What a delightful and heartwarming book with memorable characters and a truly good feeling story! I loved this book and can’t wait to read more by this author….and to try the lemon pie recipe!!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet beach read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden.

Sometimes I need something a bit more PG and light rather than thrillers and R rated. The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie was a cute story about Lolly, who, at almost 33, received a very mysterious and interesting gift. Her great aunt gifts her three magical lemondrops that will give Lolly a day that may have been hers: What if her mom hadn't passed away? What if she had opened her own restaurant in England? What if she hadn't broken up with the only man she's ever loved?
This was 3 stars from me because it's not my typical read though I still enjoyed it a bit. I think book clubs are going to be over the moon with this booK!

What a fun book. Lolly Blanchard is a 33 year old woman who finds her childhood diary and a list of life goals and feels like a failure. This story is her exploration of her life and her goal to get at least one of her goals accomplished by her next birthday. It has a touch of magical realism which I love.Even though it’s a light romance book, I felt like it had many great word of wisdom that I honestly think make you think about your own life.

This book is my first five star read of the year and definitely my favorite book of 2022 so far.
The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie imaginatively explores the age old question of "what if I'd done X instead of Y?" Lolly gets the chance to revisit three of the turning points/biggest regrets of her life when her eccentric great aunt gives her mystical lemon drops. Each drop allows Lolly to spend a day in another version of her life to see how things turn out if she'd made a different choice.
The book is heartfelt, beautifully written, and emotional. It made me laugh, and cry, on multiple occasions. One of my favorite things about a well-written book is how details throughout the novel come back and tie together at the end in ways you'd never imagined. I had several 'OH YEAH!' moments at the end when some of those passing details came back. I LOVE that.
I have officially fallen in love with the way this author writes and have put all her other books on hold at my library.
This is an exceptional book that will stick with me for a long time.

"The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie' is a magical realism novel about family issues and second chances. Lolly finds a list she wrote of 5 life goals. The list gets her to thinking about how her life could have been different. Gert, her eccentric aunt, gives Lolly three lemon drops. The three magical lemon drops allow Lolly to see what different decisions she could have made that would have changed her life. My favorite quote from the book is "Life is to short for second-guesses you make the best choice you can and stick with it and don't ever look back". Thanks NetGalley and Berkley publishing for the ARC. It was the first time I have read Rachel LInden and really enjoyed her writing.

a wonderful tale about life, love and regrets. Left me with a warm feeling and happy What would you do if you could change your past and your choices? Something to ponder.

Lolly Blanchard is dissatisfied with her life. She's about to turn 33 when her younger sister Daphne finds an old notebook of Lolly's. In it, Lolly had listed the goals she wanted to accomplish over the next 20 years. The goals included living abroad, owning her own restaurant, and falling in love. Lolly is disturbed to realize that she hasn't accomplished any of her goals. Just before she was going to graduate from college, Lolly's mother died. Lolly had to put her life on hold to take care of her family. Her parents ran a restaurant that had been in the family for several generations, and her younger sister was barely in her teens. Lolly was engaged to her childhood sweetheart, Rory, but he was getting ready to start a medical residency in another state. Due to her family responsibilities and the difficulties of a long-distance relationship, Lolly and Rory ended their engagement. Now, a decade later, Rory is married to someone else and the family restaurant is on the brink of bankruptcy. Lolly's aunt Gert, who helps out in the restaurant, decides to let Lolly see what she's been missing in life. She gives Lolly three lemon drops and instructs her to suck on one before bedtime and think about a situation she'd like to change in her life. In this way, Lolly has the opportunity to see how life would have turned out for her if she'd taken a different path in life. Lolly wakes up and gets to live one day in a different life. I enjoyed seeing the "what ifs" portrayed in the story and I thought it was quite interesting to see the alternative Lollys! At the same time, it was a bit frustrating that everyone else in the story just went on with their lives and did exactly as they pleased, while poor "Cinder-Lolly" put everyone else's needs ahead of her own for absolutely no thanks. Still, I liked the way all the alternative lives were tied up neatly at the end.

First off, if you are expecting this book to be a romance, it really isn't one. That's not a good or bad thing, it's just marketed as a romance more than a book that happens to contain romance which is really what it is. The style of writing reads like a rom-com, but it's really a morally driven story about a girl having a mid-life crisis and dealing with things like regrets and what-ifs. I have mixed feelings about this book. It has magic, but it's not a fantasy. It has romance, but it's not a romance. It's preachy, but it's not a self-help book. When rating a book I usually think— did the book become what it seemed like it was trying to be? Did it tell the story it appeared to be trying to tell? I did not enjoy this book 4 stars worth (for me it was more like 3 or 3.5 stars). It wasn't really for me. But I think in terms of those questions, in terms of did it achieve was it seemed to be trying to achieve, I think it hit that mark pretty close.

Adorable! Heartwarming! Uplifting. The book was a quick read. One you don’t want to put down but don’t want to finish. Leaves you thinking.

Just the kind of "magic realism" story I truly like, "The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie" is a charming & sweet story - full of family issues, second chances & cooking/food. Don't we all wonder "what if"?? Main character Lolly's chance to see is a good life lesson for all of us - especially these days. A feel-good story with heart. Recommend. My thanks to Net Galley, and the publisher for the complimentary DRC, the exchange of which did not affect my opinions.

This was a charming & heartwarming read! If you’re in a slump, this book will help you out of it.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

This book in 3 words: Adorable. Charismatic. Heartfelt. 

Lolly, feeling a bit unfulfilled after finding a diary entry of life goals (all unaccomplished), receives a gift from her eccentric aunt: 3 magic lemon drop candies. Each drop shows her the day in a life, stemming from a different path or decision made. Lolly uses each drop to find her true happiness. 

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is one of my favorite reads of 2022. Rachel Linden finds a way to deliver the most beautiful story with even better writing. Changing things up and just sharing a few of the things I really enjoyed... 

1. The characters. Relatable and fun. 
2. Lolly. Our main character is genuine and navigates some terribly difficult scenarios. I didn't find myself frustrated with her (rare during a book with so much family drama). 
3. Family drama that doesn't make you roll your eyes and exasperate as you get into the details. 
4. Hope. This book is full of hope, longing, and thinking about the things that actually make us happy. 
5. The writing. I already said it but MY GOD it's so good. 

I definitely recommend The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie... and also blame it for my new infatuation with wanting to bake pie.. all of the time. 

Big thanks to Rachel Linden, Berkley Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is a positive, heartwarming, and we'll told story. The characters are well developed and relatable. This would be a great book club selection as well as a fun beach read.

I loved this book! From the beautiful cover to the relatable characters this one really delves into human longing and disappointment. Loved the magical elements within the realism. I know what I will be baking this weekend. A huge thank you to Berkley and to NetGalley for the ARC. I highly recommend it and think book clubs will love this.