This book was fantastic! Easy five-star read. It is a cozy magic realism story about Lolly who is given three magical lemon drops that allow her to see how her life could have turned out. I love books with magical elements that the story still feel extremely real. This book was so soothing and thought-provoking. I loved seeing Lolly grow throughout the book and the lesson that life is the way it is and longing for some what-if will only make us miss what's going on in our real lives. I loved the multiple time lines, and the characters were so stinkin' cute. OBSSESSED. Highly recommend.
I listened to it on audio and it was phenomenal. The narrator's voice was lovely and soothing.

Three magical lemon drop candies.
One women.
A world of regrets.
An opportunity to see your life and live the "what ifs."
Would you select one of these magical moments over the one your living right now?

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is magical realism, foodie and a second - chance romance prepared into a beautifully told story. It has many wonderful wise life comments that simply give you all the feels. These endearing characters will lead you down the path not taken to see what could've been. This is truly a lovely read and the ending was perfect.

Thank you UplitReads and Berkley for the advance reader copy of this novel.

So, this book was a great mix of magical realism and self-discovery, and I really enjoyed it! I loved traveling with Lolly to see what her life could have been as well as learning about what she truly wants and already has.

This story took just a bit to get into. There is some backstory between Lolly and Rory to really get into the “relationship that could have been”. Once you start to see that story playing out, it’s hard to put this one down!

Lolly’s growth through this story was the most magical part for me. I loved seeing how she learns about herself and her truly what she does or doesn’t regret in life. I think there’s a great learning moment in there for her, and for the reader! I would recommend this one for readers who enjoy a bit of magic in their women’s fiction.

4.5 ⭐️ for The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie @rachellinden_writer

Thank you so much for @rachellinden_writer, @berkleypub, @letstalkbookspromo, & @netgalley for allowing me to read this one & be a part of the tour!

@goodreads blurb: Lolly Blanchard's life only seems to give her lemons. Ten years ago, after her mother's tragic death, she broke up with her first love and abandoned her dream of opening a restaurant in order to keep her family's struggling Seattle diner afloat and care for her younger sister and grieving father. Now, a decade later, she dutifully whips up the diner's famous lemon meringue pies each morning while still pining for all she's lost. As Lolly's thirty third birthday approaches, her quirky great-aunt gives her a mysterious gift- three lemon drops, each of which allows her to live a single day in a life that might 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? Surprising and empowering, each experience helps Lolly let go of her regrets and realize the key to transforming her life lies not in redoing her past but in having the courage to embrace her present.

This book was such a sweet read. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it from the first few pages, but I got sucked in quickly. I wasn’t expecting the magical element, but I loved it. Lolly was at a crossroads in life & didn’t know where to go. She was stuck, not sure if she wanted to move on or stay. She needed guidance. Her great aunt was just the guidance she needed. Mixed in the story was a second chance love story, & I almost wish we got more of that, but I did love what we did get. I loved seeing Lolly truly becoming who she was meant to become. I’m also really curious to see how flowers taste in popsicles.

Thank you again to the above mentioned! This one is out now so make sure to go get it!

Lolly feels stuck in a rut as she goes through life holding on to the promise she made her dying mother to keep their family together and keep they family’s dying off diner open. As she goes through things found at her parents place as she faces her 33rd birthday, Lolly and her sister Daphne find a list of dreams that Lolly had made when she was 13. She is crushed to realize she hasn’t accomplished anything on the list and not only that, she is still reeling from the breakup with the love of her life, Rory. But when Lolly’s favorite great aunt offers her some magic lemon drops that allow her to go back for one day and face her regrets and do things differs she chooses, knowing that the choices she makes that day will affect her life even when she is back in the present day (ie. the butterfly effect)
As Lolly is faced with deciding which regret to right and goes back to see what different choices would have made for her, she is forced to face the fact that maybe she can’t keep the promise she made to her mother and make herself happy too. Which will she choose?
Perfect for fans of the second (or third) chance trope and who like a touch of magic.
Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

This was a really sweet and heartwarming story. The cover of this book is so beautiful I wanted it specifically for that at first. The magical realism was subtle and a perfect touch to this story also. I also read this one really quickly as it was a really easy book to read and connect with. I could relate quite a bit with Lilly’s character and I think that helped me get into this story.

Read this if you enjoy:
✔️ Pretty covers
✔️ A hint of magical realism
✔️ Wholesome self discovery stories

Many thanks to the publisher for approving me to read The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie early! I rated the book with 4/5 stars. ✨

The Magic Of Lemon Drop Pie completely swept me away with the themes of magical realism, a charming village setting, fascinating characters, and an engaging storyline. Let's be real. We have all thought about the what if's at some point in our life. In TMOLDP, the main character Lolly gets a 2nd chance, through 3 magical lemon drops from her great-aunt; to live a day in a way she wished for without the barrier of real-life expectations. Sounds really cool, right? I felt the same way too. I wanted to start reading the book as soon as I read the blurb and I am so, so glad that I enjoyed reading the story with my whole heart!

I am going to keep my review short as I don't want to spoil anything in order to keep a bit of mystery about the book, hehe. The story made me reflect a lot on my life choices - especially my regrets, and where I would have been if I had made a different choice. I liked the twist and turns the story took. Some of the reveals felt a bit anti-climatic at times, but other parts were really compelling!

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie was a truly engrossing read. Please do me a favor and buy a copy of TMOLDP! You'll be smitten.

I almost passed on this book, I was not sure this was what I was in the mood for but I got past all that and started reading…I could not put it down. I love the family diner. I love the small-town setting. I love the quirky characters. I love Lolly and her diary of wishes.

Lolly felt like she was not accomplishing what she dreamed for herself in my current life. She was stuck working in her struggling family diner, she lost the man of her dreams, and she wanted so much more. Enter her aunt and her lemon drops. Each lemon drop gives her the chance to see what-if. I love love love this. The idea that you can see what if, only for a day. I felt like the perspective of what if brought her closures, brought her hope for what could be coming, and help her realize that she has options for her future.

The Magic of Lemon Drop is a story of hope, grief, second chances, and family responsibility. I truly enjoyed all of this story. I found it easy to read and entertaining.

"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺."

I've read a lot of books with a time travel/magical realism element lately and I was worried 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗚𝗜𝗖 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗥𝗢𝗣 𝗣𝗜𝗘 would be more of the same but Rachel Linden manages to turn the trope on its head with this charming and emotional story.

When Lolly finds an old diary, she realizes she's achieved none of the goals her 13-year-old self made (one of which includes getting a horse) almost 10 years prior. Her mother died tragically, she had to give up her dreams of opening a restaurant and living in another country and broke up with her first love in order to help support her family. When she gets the chance to live a day in other versions of her life that might have been hers, she can't refuse.

I was so touched by Lolly's journey and surprised by the twists of the book. I loved its hopeful message and the wonderful characters and world Linden created. It's no wonder Hallmark has already snapped up the movie rights! Plus there's a recipe for the titular pie at the end. What more could you want?

Thanks to Berkley Publishing for a copy to review.

Heartfelt,heartwarming, this is one of those books that when you're finished with it it won't just quickly leave your mind.
Lolly Blanchard is the stability in her family. After her mother passed away she is sticking to the promise she made to her mother shortly before her passing, take care of your sister and father.
She's been raising her younger sister and also is the lemon pie maker in her family's restaurant baking her delicacies daily from her mother's secret pie recipe.
Her great-Aunt has come to help run the restaurant as well. Into her eighties she is strict and no nonsense but at times Lolly does see a milder side to her.
Coulda,shoulda,woulda we all have thoughts of what we could have done differently in the past including Lolly especially when her sister finds and old notebook of Lolly's with a list she made in middle school of what she wanted to accomplish as an adult. Looking at the list she can laugh at some of the items but some she still wants to accomplish.
The book has magical realism as Lolly is able to experience the things she had wished for for only one day for each item. Not all is fine and dandy though there are the positives and negatives of each of the days she's experiencing. She comes to realize what she has is so much better than she thought and all she thought she really wanted is not better than what she already has.
Beautifully written and definitely worth a reread in the future.

Pub Date 02 Aug 2022 |
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 stars, rounded up
"'You can't keep holding on to the vision of the future you imagined you'd have, the way you thought things would turn out. You have to let the present be what it is--broken, flawed, painful, but real.'"

This latest book by Linden is filled with magical realism and has a lot to say about regrets and learning how to let go of dreams that don't fit anymore.

Lolly Blanchard is about to turn thirty-three and she has many regrets about how her life has progressed so far. As she looks back at a list of life goals she wrote when she was thirteen, she realizes that she hasn't accomplished any of them. She hasn't opened up her own restaurant in England, she hasn't kept her family together, and she doesn't have romantic love in her life. Many things were upset for her when her mother unexpectedly died, and Lolly has spent her adult life helping her father keep their struggling family restaurant open. When her great aunt gives her some magical lemon drops, Lolly has the opportunity to go live three different days of lives that "might have been."

This novel moves between the past and the present, with the reader learning what happened in the past that has led to Lolly being so stuck in the present. I didn't really connect with Lolly at first, I felt like she was living in the past in her head, like she was trying to achieve someone else's dreams rather than her own. When I finally got to the sections that showed the why of all of those things, it made me like her and identify with her struggles more. I wishes those reveals could have been a bit sooner.

There's a great deal of food for thought here, and when Lolly goes to visit her mom, the wisdom she imparts is universal and I connected deeply with it as a reader. "'If you cling so tight to something that's already broken, to a life and dream that can never come true, you don't have space in your life for anything else, for the good and real plan Bs.'"

This is a meaningful tale that readers will connect with, especially if you have wondered what would happen if you had taken another path in life.

"Some things aren't meant to be mended. Sometimes it's in the breaking that the light can finally shine through."

This is the first book by Rachel Linden that I have read, but she's been on my radar ever since she published her first book with Thomas Nelson. Though I rarely read general market fiction (my preference is Christian fiction), I decided to read this book anyway because I wanted to finally experience a Rachel Linden book and the premise sounded interesting. She writes with a beautifully lyrical voice and I enjoyed getting to know Lolly through her first person narrative. Her loss, grief, heartbreak, and regret are as tangible as her lemon meringue pies and those magical lemon drops. There are quite a few surprises along the way as Lolly experiences alternate realities with the lemon drops. I enjoyed the themes of living life to the fullest and living without regrets. The love between Rory and Lolly is tender and all-encompassing.

There were parts in the story that contained some language and scenes that I didn't particularly care for. New age concepts and mysticism woven throughout the story felt a bit over the top. But, overall, I enjoyed the book and how Lolly overcame her regrets of broken dreams and learned to let go.

I received the book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

What if you had the chance to do over three major events in your life? Would you?

I loved this book so much! It had a highly predictable ending, but I didn't even care because it was the ending I wanted. This author drew so much out of me that I was bawling my face off for probably 5% of the book, all told.

I'd call this book A Christmas Carol, but with lemon drops instead of ghosts. The MC got a look at three major events in her life with the guidance of lemon drops. That was so clever. I mean, I've got such a book hangover that I want to just turn right around and read it again to see if I missed anything.

This is the first time I've read anything from this author, and I'll definitely be seeking more. I feel smarter having looked up a few of the words she used. I had that good, healthy cry. This author is fantastic. Much thanks to Berkley for the review copy.

This is the 3rd book I’ve read that weaves magical realism into the story and I really love this element. I’m a dreamer so I often drift off thinking about the what ifs and let my mind wander. It’s a fun escape even though I wouldn’t change much about my life. This story is uplifting and makes you appreciate what’s most important. I really enjoyed the characters and the story line about family.

This is the story of 32-year-old Lolly Blanchard who's at a crossroads in her life when she is given the chance to relive three separate days.

I really enjoyed this story! It's not a romance but does have some romance in it. It's a story about parents and children, sisters, best friends. But most of all it's a book that shows life is full of second chances and it's not too late to find your path. There's an element of magical realism in the story plus great quotes of advice from Lolly's aunt Gert. I appreciated all the character growth in Lolly and loved the epilogue.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my e-copy of this book.

Synopsis: “Suck on one of the lemon drops before bed and say aloud a thing you wish you could change, a regret from your life. Then go to bed, and when you wake up, you will live one day of your life as it might have been…” Lolly Blanchard has several regrets, but a few stand out to her more than anything else: not living abroad, not opening her own restaurant, and breaking Rory Shaw’s heart. At thirty-three years old, Lolly finds herself with a surprising opportunity to see how her life might be different. Given the chance, she explores the options and finds herself faced with a choice: will she stay in the life she has or change her future forever?

Analysis: Looking for a light, easy read to close out your summer? Look no further! The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is the perfect combination of love, loss, and adventure. This second-chance romance between the lovable Lolly and the dreamy Rory will have you turning the pages for more. I was sucked in by Lolly and her family and friends. Her life and discoveries leave you feeling hopeful and thoughtful all throughout the book. Short chapters and an flowing plot make this book easy and enjoyable to read. Plus you get a recipe for the delicious lemon drop pie at the end! This is a delightful summer read you don’t want to miss!
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Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a Women's Fiction with Magical Realism. I did not love this book, but I did not hate it. I found that I did not connect to the characters in this book. I think the main character did not know where her life was going, so I did not know what to want for the character. I also feel we did not get a lot of feelings from the characters until closer to the end of the book. I just wanted to get more of the characters feelings or a connection to the characters. I did like the storyline/plot. The ending was good, but I saw it ending like that way before the ending. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Berkley Books) or author (Rachel Linden) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

After her mother died ten years ago, Lolly Blanchard put her life on hold and held her father and sister together while running the family’s struggling diner. As Lolly approaches her thirty-third birthday, her Aunt Gert gives her three magical lemon drops, each of which will allow her to live out one day in a life that might have been. Lolly struggles as she faces her regrets of the past, and embracing the present.

First off, is this not one of the most gorgeous covers?! Beyond the beautiful cover is an equally beautiful story! I absolutely love books that ponder the “what ifs” of a character’s life and decisions, and this was such a fun take on that concept with the magical element of the lemon drops. This is a *sweet as pie* story—a perfect recipe of family, second chances, love, and life, and it’s one of those books that just makes you feel good while reading. If you need an inspiring, heart-warming pick-me-up, then you should pick up this book!

Thank you so much to Uplit Reads, NetGalley, and Berkley Books for my gifted copy!

Promise me a story about a lonely pie-maker searching for love and happiness, and I will hang upon your every word — especially if it's told as beautifully as The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie. After putting her life and dreams aside to help raise her sister and run the family business when her mother died ten years ago, Lolly can't find her way out of the regret and hopelessness that haunt her. But when a little magic lets her see what might have been, will she choose to keep living in the past or finally break free to embrace the future? An achingly tender exploration of how our choices shape not just our lives but our very souls, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie weaves a spell of enduring love and second chances. Recommended to fans of Waitress and Pushing Daisies.

My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie
by Rachel Linden
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
Pub Date: Aug 2

What a compelling novel about second and third chances, granted to Lolly on her 33rd birthday. She still grieves her Mom who died 10 years ago. Rues the missed opportunity to start her own restaurant, foiled by coming home to Seattle to care for her grieving family and to help keep their diner going.

As she makes lemon meringue pies every morning à la Groundhog Day, she still longs for the man she loved but lost and wishes she could recover everything that's passed her by.

Only the gift from her great-aunt of three lemon drops, each granting her a day to live what she still yearns for, does Lolly receive the greatest gift of all: Knowledge that to realize her dreams, she must let go of the past and open her heart to what's possible now.

Highly recommended for lovers of second chances and compelling romance stories.

Thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.

#TheMagicofLemonDropPie #RachelLinden #berkleypublishinggroup #NetGalley #romancefiction #restaurantfiction #secondchancenovels #grieffiction #lostlovenovels #bookstagramcommunity