3.5 Stars
* * * 1/2
This has so much going for it...the serious but fun look at the concept of how your life would be different if you made different choices.
Yes, that is something we all know, however, if we do not let go of what might have been and let go of that choice, we will be stuck, and never truly appreciate all the other choices we made in our Real life....and what else could be around the corner.
Sweet with a side of Real.

4.5 stars
{Huge thank you to @uplitreads and @rachellinden_writer for this free book to read and review!}

“It takes faith and courage to let things fall apart, not knowing what will happen after you do. But you’re strong. You can do this. There is more for you, my girl. More life and love and good things…”

Don’t let this beautiful cover fool you, this is a great romance with some depth and all the feels! It took me a little to get into this one but once I did I was hooked. A great story where I felt for this character, rooted for her, cried with her, and felt the weight of her struggles like I was right there with her. A great book about the big “what if’s” in life and how all those things we wanted but didn’t get in life might have been the best thing to happen to us.

Lolly’s life hasn’t exactly gone as planned. She seems too just keep getting lemons. Her mother passed away ten years unexpectedly. Freya made Lolly promise to keep The Eatery open and the family together….a promise that crushed all of Lolly’s life plans. No longer able to live abroad, open her own restaurant, or even stay with the love of her life; Lolly gives it all up to run the family business and her family together.

A month before her 33 birthday she comes across her 12 year old diary and goals list. Realizing she hasn’t accomplished anything on her list, Lolly starts to rethink her life choices. With the help of her Aunt Gert and some magic lemon drops, Lolly can catch a glimpse at her life if she had made different choices. Will she choose an alternate life, or will she make the best out of her current situation and find her bliss?

My thoughts:

Even though this one took me a bit to get into, I ended up having a hard time putting it down. I loved Rory from the start. I didn’t give full stars because it took me about 40% to get completely immersed in the story and there were a few minor issues for me. This was a fun and quick read. Perfect for people that like second or third chances, a touch of magic, and grasping life fully.

Such a refreshing story. I loved the themes and characters. Well written and just a beautiful story of our path in life.

Lolly and Rory were perfect for each other, but life circumstances interfered with them being together. Rory moved on, married, and had a child, while Lolly looked after her younger sister, and helped the family business limp along. But after her Dad's stroke, and a huge increase in taxes, Lolly decides it’s time to let the restaurant go.
With a touch of magic and a lot of grit, Linden has crafted a moving testament to following one's bliss.

This was the perfect read for me at the perfect time! The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is a heartwarming story of second chances, grief and what ifs. I loved the characters and the time travel. I can’t wait to see what author Rachel Linden writes next.

She’s been in love with the same man since she was thirteen years old. Twenty years later, her affection hasn’t waned. Even though she hasn’t seen him in years and he’s dwelling in wedded bliss in the torrid heat of Florida. She told Rory they were done when her mother passed unexpectedly. Because Lolly had to step into those shoes and care for her sister and father, and make sure the family diner was sustainable. She broke his heart and her own when she ended it.

This was a sweet, lovely, fade to black romance. It tackled delicate family issues and personal disappointment with finesse and aplomb.

Highly recommended for readers of Sarah Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman.

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is an uplifting novel about a heartbroken young pie maker who is granted a magical second chance to live the life she didn't choose.... I thought this whimsical and heartwarming book was sooo cute! I really loved Lolly and appreciated how much she cared for those around her. I loved how her story ended up!

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮:
• magical realism
• engaging storyline
• alternative life
• second chances
• baking / recipes
• multiple timelines
• family business

🍋 Thank you @berkleyromance & @uplitreads for my #gifted copy and the opportunity to share this book! I definitely recommend it.

What do you do when life gives you lemons? Personally I make margaritas, our main character, Lilly, makes pies because her mother taught her to.
⠀
In The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden, I became fully immersed in the choices Lilly makes, the magical realism of the lemon drops, and the very real feeling that the grass is greener on the other side.
⠀
This was a great read for #BerkleyBuddyReads this month and I enjoyed it a lot. It was a quick, hopeful read that shows how different life’s paths can be.
⠀

I absolutely LOVED The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie! It has an engaging style, foodie elements (including the restaurant world, which Linden gets spot-on), tangible pacific northwest setting, plus a touch of wistful magical realism to explore life’s “what ifs” and regrets. I really enjoyed watching the heroine grow and learn through some introspective moments. I’d call this women’s fiction, but it does have a strong thread of a love story told through memories and a few chapters which flash back in the timeline. Of course this part made my romance-loving heart happy.

The deeper themes of the novel are explored with a good balance of hopefulness. I was rooting for Lolly’s happiness and closure through a rollercoaster of events and emotions she endured. Her plucky and inspiring Aunt Gert was a vivid side character whose influence made Lolly’s story happen in many ways. I was delighted each time she was on the page!

My favorite story element was the way Lolly’s experiences draw attention to the joys in the mundane of everyday life. Now I want to reread the novel, make a lemon pie, and grow a flower garden 🙂

Content note for my blog readers: this is a general fiction title (Linden has released previous books with inspirational publishers). The story does have a handful of very mild expletives and a vague mythical element which works as a plot device.

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing for the review copy. This is my honest review.

This was such a cute, uplifting book, exactly what I needed after a couple of darker reads. I /love/ a magical realism/time travel story so I went in excited to see how it played out and it was very enjoyable. I mean, don't we all sometimes wish we could see how different our life would be if we had made a different choice at a pivotal moment in our lives?

At times I found the writing a little too obvious, but I thought the relationships between Lolly and her family and friends were very well done and realistic.

I loved how the author delivered one of many sayings we often receive into the warmth of family, baking and the magic of lemon drops.

Without giving too much away, the daughter of a bakery shop ran by her widowed father has the feeling she is stuck and will never be loved again. Until her aunt, gives her magical lemon drops that give her a chance to take a peak to see how her life would be different if she would have made different decisions.

As it turns out, she chooses the path she is on and realizes it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden was a beautifully written book. In this uplifting novel, we meet a heartbroken young pie maker who is granted a magical second chance to live the life she didn't choose. I thought this book was so cute, whimsical, and heartwarming! The end of the story was perfect with how she ended up.

I wanted to love everything about this book but I just could not get into it. It may have been a case of wrong place and wrong time.

What a sweet, feel good story. I really loved how it gave a different perspective on regret and created a different life for Lolly. Lolly, herself was magical and the fantastical feeling of this book gave just the right amount of whimsy. Highly recommend!

3.5 stars.

This was a heartwarming story with a bit of magical realism. Lolly is questioning all of her life decisions when her great-aunt gifts her three lemon drops that allow her to live a single day in a life that might have been hers. I enjoyed watching her let go of her regrets and find the courage to face and embrace her present. This book will have you looking at your own life decisions and the ripple effect they can have on your future self.

It was a bit slow or repetitive at times, but overall a sweet story of self-discovery and second-chance romance.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and PRH Audio for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful story of magical realism. I did struggle to connect with the main character for the first half, but I felt like it all came together pretty well. Lolly is going to be 33 soon and she is saddened to realize she hasn’t achieved any of her big dreams for herself. when her mother died 10 years before she gave up her engagement to the man she loved and her dreams of opening her own restaurant to take care of her little sister, grieving father, and their struggling diner in Seattle. Lolly is given a chance to see what she might have have had if she’d made different choices when her great aunt gives her some magical lemon drops. The story was sweet and a fun read even though it dealt with some pretty serious topics.

🍋This was so sweet and cute and reminded me of a Hallmark movie meets a Katherine Center book. 🍋

The main character finds her diary from when she was 13 and realizes she hasn't accomplished anything on her "life goals" lists and begins a journey to see how life could be different had she chosen different paths. I got some It's A Wonderful Life vibes from this one too 💜

This book would be perfect for a book club read as the author really makes you ponder some big life questions and if the grass is truly greener on the other side. The book includes discussion questions and also a lemon pie recipe that looks absolutely delicious!

I'd highly recommend picking this one up for a light but meaningful read.

Thank you so much Berkley Publishing for the chance to read and review this book prior to release. It is available now!

Thank you, Berkley Publishing and Uplit Reads, for the gifted copy of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie. {partner}

Genre: Romance/Magical Realism
Trope: Second Chase
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 8.2.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

"Life doesn't work that way. If you cling so tight to something that's already broken, to a life and a dream that can never come true, you don't have space in your life for anything else."

I started my reading month with the Magic of Lemon Drop pie by Rachel Linden, and it was just what I needed to set August off on the right foot. It took me about 100 pages to get into the story, but then I didn't want to put it down.

You all know that I love magical realism, but I also love second-chance life stories. At some point in time, we have all been in Lolly's shoes, and reading Magic of Lemon Drop Pie had me thinking about the pieces of my life I would like to do over. This book looked at our decisions, where they lead us, and the repercussions our choices can have on our future selves.

I'm so pleased with how the ending of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie turned out. It was a charming story that made me happy and left me smiling as I closed the book.

⏰ Past & Present
✌🏼Dual Timeline - glimpses at young romance
📖 Slow to start, but I was fully invested by page 100
💗 Second chance at love
🥰 Story of self-discovery

I recommend you read The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie if you enjoyed reading One Italian Summer.

5/5

Trigger Warnings: sexual assault, death of a parent

I absolutely adored this book!

I finished this book right before bed because I couldn't sleep without finding out what happened. At first I didn't know what to rate this book but after sitting on it for a bit, I realized this is definitely a 5 start book for me. It was a story with lots of growth, incredible characters, beautifully written and had me reflecting on my life, regrets and how situations and decisions shape us.

You'd enjoy this book if you like:
-lots of character growth
-hits of magical realism
-a wholesome story
-small town and bakery vibes
-second chance romance

Now I want to bake something with lemons (maybe I'll even try to make lemon drop pie). I also want to check out Rachel Linden's backlist books!