Lost Coast Literary is a book lovers delight! Can I please take a vacation to Cascata? Set on the Lost Coast of California, author Ellie Alexander creates a realistic town that could only be found in a book, including an old house with books in every literary themed room and a publishing business. Emily is a fledgling book editor who inherits the house and business from her estranged grandmother. The mystery of Emily's family, her grandmother's gift, her father's silence on the past, and the changing lives of the residents of Cascata is a story worth reading. My only disappointment is that for a book about rewritten ending, this story needs a new ending too. While satisfying, it is rushed and the author does not take the time to give the reader a believable moment between Emily and her father. Alexander proves she can be raw with the emotions of her characters, but the confontation between Emily and her father is flat and disappointing, a little to deus ex machina.

This book had my attention from the first chapter. It was well written and had a unique interesting storyline. The setting is vividly described and transports the reader to Cascade and the Ballad. I highly recommend.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

How many conflicting emotions I don't usually read books like this because it's a strong emotional trigger for me but it was worth the pain. beautiful

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book!
This book was super sweet, super cozy and super cute! The characters were enjoyable and it was a fast, fun read - I definitely recommend!

The author’s dedication of …

"For every reader who has found themselves transported to magical places through the pages of a book and in the process discovered who they were always meant to be."

begins the beautiful magic of the book and the magic never stops.

Emily Bryant has worked very hard to achieve her dream job as an assistant editor at a publishing house in New York. A day that begins brimming with excitement for her scheduled pitch of a manuscript to the sales team has an unexpected result far different from the days of anticipation. As if that’s not enough she inadvertently answers a phone call from her Uncle Danny simply because she missed looking at her phone screen. Hasn’t he gotten the message from his unanswered voicemails and texts? Emily’s grandmother abandoned her over 20 years ago so why would Emily inherit the exquisite family property in Lost Coast, California? Why should she complete the unique stipulation in the will to edit old manuscripts to inherit a property on the opposite coast when her life is in New York?

The book is rich with multi-dimensional layers with family secrets and relationships, the many different forms of grieving, childhood memories, forgiveness, trusting, and loving. There are many novels about an individual inheriting property at a transitional time in his/her life but none as mesmerizing. It is one of the loveliest books I have ever read that truly captured the joy of reading, the adventure of reading, the reflection on character experiences, and the insight reading brings through the words of another perspective. As a reader that loves books my heart was woven into the fabric of the lyrical storytelling. I found it simply extraordinary and highly recommend this novel.

It was fascinating to read the author’s "Acknowledgments" and learn the catalyst for the novel’s creation. I loved that Jennifer Anne Nelson was given credit for the evocative watercolor cover art.

It was a wonderful introduction for me to the writing of Ellie Alexander and I look forward to reading more of her novels.

My sincere thanks to Ellie Alexander, and Sweet Lemon Press, LLC for my complimentary digital copy of this title, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

#LostCoastLiterary #NetGalley

When I saw that Ellie Alexander had a new book out obviously I jumped at the chance to read it. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. Emily is facing what many her age come to deal with, burnout in the face of a company that doesn't respect its employees, their lives, or any personal boundaries. And that's pushed to the limit when her grandmother passes away and Emily is left to deal with the estate.

This book is absolutely fantastic! I loved the exploration of family dynamics, the gorgeous imagery of the small town of Cascata, and obviously, I loved the magical realism (something I didn't expect from Ellie Alexander!). This book really takes you on a journey through the lives of those in Cascata and I hope that we'll get to see a lot more from this lovely town.

5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Sweet Lemon Press for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Emily was a likable character- especially for someone who also enjoys reading, editing, and drinking coffee! I’m not often someone who finds interest in reading stories with magical realism- but I loved it in this story. The characterization of each person and the vivid descriptions of Cascata kept me captivated as well. I really had a longing to visit the town! The plot made me think about endings- and how maybe a happy ending isn’t always the best choice— even though we are conditioned to think it is. I was grateful for the opportunity to have this Net Galley copy provided to me. It was my first Ellie Alexander book and I’m looking forward to reading another!

Thanks to Sweet Lemon Press, LLC for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I just finished reading Lost Coast Literary by Ellie Alexander. The book is about Emily, a book editor, who has a dilemma between focusing on her dream job in New York and finding herself on the Lost Coast of California. The book brings you into her dilemma at the beginning. Along the journey, she discovers the family she had lost and the backbone to do what she is destined to do. The story is well written, provides beautiful prose on the stunning Lost Coast landscape and well developed descriptions of the characters you meet along the journey. The book had me laughing, crying and feeling the angst that Emily feels. I highly recommend you read this book! I hope it is the beginning of a new series by Ellie Alexander.

Lost Coast Literary was a wonderful story. I love the idea of being able to change the ending of a book. Cascata seems like a place anyone would enjoy visiting, let alone living.
Ms. Alexander certainly has a way with words. Her descriptions of people and places brings them to life for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

So no surprise, I loved the book! It’s a standalone so it’s ideal for everyone. The way Alexander describes the home Emily has inherited is rich & magical. It’s a grown up fairy tale, with a touch of classic literature vibe, like Jane Eyre or The Secret Garden, only lighter. I loved that Emily wasn’t caught up in romance but rather figuring herself out & where she fits in with her estranged family. I’ve been mentally rewriting books my whole life so it was a complete delight to have Emily do the same, obviously I’m not the only one! I’m struggling to describe the book as well as I’d want to but it’s absolutely wonderful, some of Alexander’s strongest writing to date. This is definitely a book written for readers & book lovers, it will wrap you up in a world that feels both comfortably familiar & completely original.

The northern coast of California is the setting for this story. Emily has her dream job as an editor at a NYC firm. When she finds out she has to return to her hometown because she has inherited her Grandmother's home. Emily arrives to her long lost uncle and family and a place she begins to remember. Her memories are colored by what she has always believed, but those are not real. Emily also must edit some manuscripts and once she has ' fixed' the story, she sees her story played out before her eyes.. This gift begins to shape her time and her experiences in her hometown. A story of finding your own voice and being willing to face the past you thought you knew. A good read, interesting characters and a desire to see what comes next for Emily helps make this a book you cannot put down!

Lost Coast Literary by Ellie Alexander is likely the most bookish book out there, which admittedly was the reason that I jumped at the chance to read an ARC of it when it was offered on NetGalley.
The book, centred around aspiring book editor Emily who inherits a mansion and an editing company, as well as a magical skill, from her grandmother, is well written and full of bookish references. The characters are interesting and for the most part relatable, and the repeating theme of the need for communication within relationships hits home.
I did find the descriptions to often be overly wordy, as though the author were attempting to sound profound at all costs. I ended merely scanning many of the descriptive sections, because they were keeping me from the story itself. As well, the idea that classic books ended 'wrong' and that readers should just end them any way they wanted, suggesting that others know better than the actual author who ended them the way they did for a reason, seems arrogant.
I also found that, ironically in a book that focusses on the need of an editor to complete manuscripts, this book left two central things hanging. What decision did Emily ultimately reach as far as the mansion goes, and did she ever make peace with her cousin Arty, and if so, how? The lack of resolution made me frustrated with the book as a whole.
Perhaps a rewrite by an editor is in order. And yes, I see the irony in my saying that after complaining that the main character says the same thing about endings. The difference being, this isn't a classic.
#LostCoastLiterary #NetGalley

What a lovely, magical world Ellie Alexander has created for readers to escape into!
Emily finally has her foot in the door with a job at a publisher in New York City after quitting her secure, high paying tech job in California and returning to school. Then her world is turned upside down by a text from her estranged uncle, her grandmother she barely remembers has left her a Victorian manor in a Northern California coastal town, she needs to return there and compete some tasks before she can inherit. Once she arrives the author takes us on a journey of self discovery, grief, family, and finding your way forward. As Emily begins to question the path she wants her life to take, she finds the editing she’s doing to manuscripts her grandmother left her are changing the paths of people in town. The story of this gift and how Emily begins to learn about it makes for a charming read.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and am happy to offer my unbiased review.

Ellie Alexander's new stand alone novel is a gem. She has created a world I yearn to enter. In this novel, the setting is as important a character as its inhabitants are. Colors, scents, sounds, all of the reader's senses are invited to participate as Ellie creates her fictional world of Cascata, California. Serendipitous, delicious descriptive phrases scattered throughout the novel delighted this reader. One that especially struck me was "Dusk filled the skyline with a marmalade sheen." A marmalade sheen! Who writes like that! Ellie does. Cascata evokes an other-worldly. fairytale quality - a modern Shangri-La - if you will - and yet is firmly grounded in reality.
Emily, the protagonist, is on a journey to uncover her forgotten childhood past and to map her future. Her struggles are real, as she navigates her path of discovery. Ellie uses magical elements to steer Emily's life in Cascata, but the results are real. Ellie writes grief like no one else I know, and I felt invited to remember my own past grief along with Emily's. I had quite the cathartic cry, let me tell you.
I found this book to be a joy to read, and I believe it will be one which I will continue to dip into periodically the rest of my life.

Lost Coast Literary by Ellie Alexander is the story of editor Emily Bryant who finds herself in the town of Cascata, obtaining the keys to her grandmother’s mansion. Whilst looking through her grandmother’s things, she learns that she must edit old manuscripts to inherit her estate. However, there is something in these manuscripts. Any changes she makes come true and at first she relishes in this. Things go wrong and Emily must resolve the issues she has created. If Emily can fix this, maybe she can create a new narrative for herself and those around her.

This was a charming fiction with little romance that focuses on tragedy and some mystery that is balanced very well. This is a short read that was thoroughly satisfying but could have benefited from being a few pages longer in a trip to expand more. The ending was very neatly but abruptly wrapped up and whilst this was great, it was a little over-the-top and a tad unrealistic. Ellie Alexander did a great job at descriptive prose, especially in the way she describes Cascata. The plot was engaging and uplifting and would be a great addition to any book lover who enjoys this type of story.

It’s not often I read such a charming, small-town fiction with no romance…because there are none! This was a refreshing book that focuses on family, mending from tragedy, and a little bit of magic.

Emily, a beginner editor in New York, has to leave the city and head home to Cascata, California to deal with her grandmother’s strange will she left before her death. She has to face a family she hasn’t seen in decades and figure out how to wrap up her time in Cascata as quickly as possible so she can get back to her new job.

Things don’t go as planned as she figures out a bit of magic has landed in her lap, per her grandmother’s will. Emily stays and with her pen, she tries to organize the manuscripts of the real lives of the people around her in the small town. As she spends more time there, she learns more about her family’s past, why her and her father left, and what secret the Ballad house is hiding within its walls.

Ellie Alexander balanced this mystery and magic very well in the book. Her descriptions play out inside the reader’s head and it’s very easy to follow. The only things I did not like about the book was the overdramatization of characters Shay and Kenzie. Shay is obsessed with the word “goddess” and it’s manifestation in her life. Kenzie, an antagonist of the book, is very over-the-top. As much as I know the author was trying to prove a point with this character, the way Kenzie was written makes her seem very fabricated and unrealistic.

I received this books thanks to NetGalley and Sweet Lemon Press for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC! Super loved this book!

A book on books is always a favorite read. But on editing? Granted, that I am biased as Ellie Alexander is a favorite author, I found this stand-alone refreshingly different and engrossing. I didnt know editing can be... powerful. I felt connected at once and was rooting for Emily Bryant, our protagonist as she had to sift through her discoveries, choices, and decisions. This book had all of the usual plots - drama, magic, small town, mystery, family angles that I like but it was also not about those either. There was still an overall, laissez faire tell that made this novel distinct. For me, the best part was the ending chapter and epilogue. The conclusion was left up to me and as usual, I chose Happy :) Well written, well researched -I felt I was really in Cascata, engaging, and a light read. Thumbs, thumbs up :)

For a book whose protagonist has an obsession with rewriting endings of classics and her favourite books, this one has a poor ending in my opinion. It’s not that the ending sucked, it was a bit too abrupt for my liking. The story was rather good initially, I liked the beginning and the setting but somewhere around the middle, I started to lose my interest. But it was not too bad, I would have given 3.5 stars if only the ending was not that abrupt. I mean, I totally agree with Emily when she says that every book need not have a happy ending but every book should have a resolution. This one could have spelled out things a bit more- does she turn The Ballad into a bookworm’s dream retreat or does she simply live there? If so, what about Arty? So many unanswered questions for a book that deals with editing and all. But I wasn’t too involved to be bothered for long.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a wonderfully written example of magical realism. The characters are complex, realistic, relatable, and interesting. There are touches of magic in the storyline that almost seem believable. I was completely pulled in front the start, I felt for Emily. You want Emily to find happiness. I fell in love with the story. I hope the author Ellie Alexander writes more books in this style, maybe another book about Emily. Great book for fans of women’s fiction or magical realism.


All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

I really loved this book. It dod such an amazing job of creating a whole feeling and environment, in this case, Northern CA's Lost Coast. It looks to be kind of modeled on Arcata, CA and Humboldt State U.

Cascata, CA is where Ellie spent her childhood, before moving with her dad down to Santa Clara, CA. After her grandmother dies, Ellie has to leave her life and publishing job in NYC return to Cascata to deal with her grandmother's estate.

What follows is a charming, book-loving story that includes a lot of magical realism. It reminded me a lot of the books by Sarah Addison Allen, except a bit meatier and with more depth. Especially if you love books, this is a wonderful read.