From the cover I was obsessed with this darling book. I loved the story line,the characters name and her job...it was just a vacation for my mind. I also loved that the author doesn't give you what you want but yet she does. ( read it, you'll see what I mean) Sometimes you just need a book that you know will make you feel all the warm fuzzies.
Lolly lost her mom after a tragic accident but she was lucky in a very unlucky situation to say her goodbyes. On her death bed her mom tells her family she loves them but also pulls Lolly close to share her recipe for her very special lemon pie. Lolly uses this recipe at her family restaurant and it helps her keep her mom close to her heart. The restuarnt is struggling and Lolly pleads with her father to allow her to make some changes, but he likes the things the way they are and insists things will work out.
One night right before her birthday her aunt gives a gift, three lemon drop candies. Yes, three lemon drop candies. She explains to Lolly that these candies have powers to transport her to anytime she wants for one full day. She can go back to to see how her life would have played out had she done something different. Lolly takes her time to decide what three things she wants. Time with her mother, the experience of owning her own restaurant abroad, and to rekindle the intense love she had for a childhood sweetheart. Lolly knows that these things will bring her a mix of joy and and then pain when she must say goodbye again, but what if she's given a chance to stay permanently in one of these wishes? Which would she pick, how will this affect her as well as her family,and does she even want to go back?
Sometimes we all wish we had the chance for a do-over, but maybe what we truly need is to change the things were doing right now.

3.5
I really enjoyed this book! It’s very reminiscent of Heather Webber books. Heart warming and beautifully written.
I’m looking forward to more by this author.

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden is an incredibility well written book. It had wonderful characters and setting. I loved the creativity of the story premise. However, about half way through it became extremely predictable and gave away the ending. I loved the first half of the book and was very emotionally invested but was so very disappointed at the ending. I recommend this book to anyone who wants an addicting and easy read.

When her younger sister Daphne reminds thirty-three-year-old Lolly Blanchard of a list of life goals she had written for a school assignment at age 13, Lolly recognizes she has not achieved any of them. She also feels she has no time for nostalgia or regret as she tries to keep a long ago promise to her dying mom. Her mom had died when Daphne was just ten and Lolly has tried to keep the family and the family diner going, but at the loss of the love of her life, Rory Shaw and her own career. Her Great-Aunt Gert tries to show her the way with three magical lemon drops that allow her to see what different decisions she could have made that would have drastically changed her life. The other characters in the story are all more enjoyable to follow as Lolly has a bit of the martyr about her but readers can still root for her and maybe make a reader reexamine their own decisions and maybe change their path. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lolly feels trapped in the life she has chosen as the pillar of her family after the untimely death of her mother. Upon finding a bucket list in an old journal from her teens, she realizes that 20 years of sacrifice have led her far from these dreams. A magical gift from her Aunt allows her to glimpse her alternative lives. In the end, she makes her own way based upon hope, happiness, and second chances.

I found this to be a charming and hopeful read. The relationships are lovely, and the story flows easily. It was a positive read with an ultimately uplifting message.

I’m grateful to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for access to the digital ARC.

3.5 stars

This is a story of magical realism, one of my favorite genres! Our main character, Lolly, works at her family's diner. After her mother's death, she gave up on her dream of opening her own restaurant, and now she wonders what her life would be like if she had gone that route. When her aunt gives her the chance to see what her life would be like after making different choices, she has to decide how to move forward.

This was overall solid. Lolly gave up her dreams to help her family, and I could relate to the feeling of resentment. Once she started taking the lemon drops, it was interesting to see how life wasn't what she'd thought it'd be. I think we could've benefited from more time in each "dream".

I didn't really see Rory as a love interest; he seemed more like a specter of the past than a real person. I also found the ending a little abrupt and would've liked to see more of Lolly and Rory's relationship.

I kept waiting for this to get better, but it didn't, at least for me. Forced, saccharine, mopey, and weirdly structured, this would be ok to suggest to Women's Fiction readers, but not a standout.

[It was strange to me how the main character is moping about her one great love, but their story starts when they are 13. Nothing creepy about that! Also, several times during their teen years, the main character waxes romance-novel-y about how he smells like boubon and oak; girl, I had brothers, I had crushes, and I currently have a 14yo. They don't smell like that... ever. It made the author and/or MC seem really out of touch really early on.

Both characters are supposedly fated to be together and they both know it, but the boy is happy enough to try to replace her on several occasions. Hard to paint him as the other half of a pair of star-crossed lovers when, oops, he's married.

The lemon drop magic will appeal to reader who like books like What Alice Forgot, but the story gets more and more predictable as it progresses.

Shortly before her 33rd birthday, Lolly Blanchard discovers an old journal from her teen years and is shocked and saddened to learn she hasn't accomplished any of the items on her bucket list. Struggling to keep her family's diner afloat and still pining for her only true love, she wonders what might have been. When her great aunt presents her with 3 magical lemon drops, she's allowed to live one day in an alternate version of her life. Will she return to one of those realities or stick it out where she is?
A more light-hearted take on the themes of The Midnight Library.

This is a really sweet story of second chances to find your true bliss in life. I loved the food in this book and the family diner. I definitely want to make this lemon drop pie! I really liked the relationship between Rory and Lolly. I liked the little bit of magical elements within. A sweet abs satisfying read.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

This is an absolute delight! Perfect for fans of Roselle Lim and Amy E Reichert. A recommended first purchase for adult fiction collections.