What's not to like? Characters who love books, a quaint coastal town in northern California, unique small businesses, a mansion that might hold secrets. And maybe a touch a magic?

Ellie is finally achieving her goal in life - to be an editor who is sought out. Then, out of the blue, she receives a text telling her that her estranged grandmother has died and she must come to this town to settle the estate. That is a stipulation and there is no way out of it. So Ellie packs a bag and goes. Grandmother has indeed left her the estate - but with a couple of tasks which must be completed before the estate can be settled. Grandmother Gertrude is a renowned editor and has left some unedited manuscripts. Ellie wants to get on with the task, get out and get gone back to the job she left in New York. However, rarely is life that simple.

Besides the glowing reader reviews, I was curious about a book set on the Lost Coast of California. My college roommate and her family have lived there since the 1970s and I have been lucky to visit several times. It is a magical place.

FIRST SENTENCE: "Jane Eyre? Jane Austin? Eyre or Austin?"

THE STORY: Emily has finally scored a job in a New York Publishing House when she is called back to Cascata on the West Coast. Her estranged grandmother has left her an amazing Victorian House, The Ballad, as well as Left Coast Literary, but there are strings attached. She must edit a number of "forsaken" manuscripts before she can inherit. Emily is torn between her new job and finding the answer to why her family has not spoken in years. Undecided about how to proceed, she begins editing the manuscripts and altering endings, something she did as a child when the conclusion was sad. To her surprise, her edits begin changing things and not always in a positive way.

WHAT I THOUGHT: This is a charming cozy with a clever premise. Unfortunately the tension in the story seems rather static. On the other hand, the author does a wonderful job creating interesting characters and describing the town while sprinkling references to other worthy literature. There are questions at the end of the story that are not dealt with but the book held my attention throughout.

BOTTOM LINE: if you want to day dream about a charming town filled with people who love books, pour a cup of tea and cuddle up for a delightful visit to Cascata. Definitely RECOMMENDED for Cozy Readers.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Independent Book Publishers, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book blew me away! This was my first Ellie Alexander book and it definitely will not be my last! What I loved most about this book was Ellie's writing. How her words captivated you. I can relate to the character Emily in the sense that I too am a total book nerd! Reading, writing, editing, anything to do with books really. Thank you, NetGalley for the gifted early copy. This was a five star read for me!

Lost Coast Literary is a wonderful book. It captivated me from the beginning and keep me enchanted until the very satisfying conclusion.

The story was so many things that worked well together: mystery, family drama and a path to self discovery. I throughly enjoyed reading about all the ups and downs as Emily learned about herself and her family. The best part was learning about how her discoveries made both her past and her future more fulfilling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sweet Lemon Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Bryant is living her dream life, even if she’s the oldest in her group of employees at the publishing house. When she receives an unexpected call from her estranged uncle, telling her that her grandmother has passed away and left her something in the will, but it requires her to come to Cascata, California to settle the will. This is the. last. thing. that Emily wants to do, but she heads there since she’s told there is no way to settle the estate remotely. WHY would a grandmother who abandoned her so long ago leave her the family home and her business.

As Emily works to meet the stipulations laid out for her in the will, she finds that the edits she is making to the manuscripts left for her to edit are coming to life, right in front of her eyes…and are not quite working out the way she thought they would to boot. How can Emily fix the mistakes, or is she losing her marbles? But can she create the perfect ending for not just these manuscripts, but for herself and her family too?

Ellie Alexander is the queen of cozies, and I read ALL of her books, so I had to read her first foray into Women’s Fiction and WOW! She knocks it out of the ballpark, not matter what genre she’s writing. I can see the plants, I can smell the rain and the ocean breezes, and I can envision the story as it comes to life with her written words. She’s a wonderful author and I hope that this book becomes a series of its own…with Emily working her magic to edit manuscripts both regular and “Forsaken”.

January 21, 2022
This was a charming introduction to a new-for-me author. I haven't read any of Ellie Alexander's cozy mysteries, but Lost Coast Literary is nothing if not cozy. This is the story of a young woman and the adventure that follows a text from her estranged uncle about her recently deceased grandmother's will. Leaving NYC for Cascasta, a small, picturesque town on California's Lost Coast, editorial assistant Emily discovers she has inherited a large Victorian house and a box labeled "Forsaken Manuscripts." The story that follows is full of ups and downs, twists and turns, but all's well that ends well in Cascata. I would recommend this cute and cozy book for bibliophiles who like stories that end tied up neatly with ribbon. 3.5 stars
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Sweet Lemon Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this digital Advanced Copy. And I really appreciate the opportunity to read this new standalone novel by Ellie Alexander.

The protagonist, Emily, t had not seen her grandmother since her family moved away just before her mother died. Her father, for some reason, decided to cut off contact with his family. To Emily's surprise, she inherits the House from her grandmother and she can inherit only if she moves back to Cascata, in far northern California. This fictional town is a wonderful mash of real towns, Eureka and Arcata.

The diverse characters were wonderful. I loved the descriptions of the characters. The story was well structured. For me, the reading was fast. I would say the book is a page turner.

Ironically this book could really use a better editor. This book was a huge disappointment. The real life edit sounded intriguing but it turned out to be the worst part of the book that sent Emily on awful tangents. Each edit seemed worse than the last, with a long spiel on race and privilege in one, and in another a meet cute she arranged that turned out to include a married man who is never taken to task for what he did. Unfortunately there was nothing fun or humorous to be found in this book. The writing and very thin plot were exceptionally juvenile. It was all set against Emily’s backstory of a family feud that played out in far too emotional yearning on her part. This book was boring and a chore to get through. The ending was not worth getting to and just feels like a waste. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Lost Coast Literary by Ellie Alexander in exchange for an honest review. Emily Bryant gets an editing job in New York, moving from Silicone Valley in California. She loves being around books. She finds out her grandmother has died and left her an estate, but with stipulations. She heads off to Humboldt County. In the will, Emily needs to edit a pile of manuscripts. This was an interesting and quirky story. I found myself so caught up in the story, I was crying. Very excited to see if there will be more in the series.

I will start off by saying that the concept of this book is absolutely genius in my opinion! I was drawn in immediately when I read the initial description. I love that there is subtle magical components and I appreciate the development of the main character throughout the story. The setting and description of the surroundings was beautiful and captivating. The author did an amazing job with this one and I would highly recommend!

This book blew me away a little. I’ve been reading Ellie Alexander’s various series for a long time now and always enjoy her stories, but this one just goes so much deeper than a cozy mystery. Emily was a good protagonist who worked through a lot of conflict in a way that inspired sympathy. The other characters were interesting, especially Shay. The location was fabulous and really made me want to go visit. But it was the concept of the story that really grabbed me. It’s such a fascinating idea to think of the possibility of rewriting events and what sort of butterfly effect that would have. I thought Ellie handled the implications and responsibilities really well. An interesting, thought-provoking read.

Pure Magic! Lost Coast Literary is a standalone novel by Ellie Alexander but one that I hope she finds a way to convert to a series. Emily Bryant is focused on building her career as a book editor when she receives a call from her estranged uncle that her grandmother has passed away. In order to settle the estate, Emily must come in person to Cascata on California’s Lost Coast.

In order to receive her inheritance, Emily must edit the “foresaken” manuscripts. In the course of doing so and getting to know her uncle and his family, she learns that things are not always as they seem in life or in fiction. The story is poignant at times yet uplifting and quirky as well, with true-to-life characters and a lesson about life choices that applies to all of us. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) I absolutely adored this novel and have my fingers crossed that there will be more to come.

"Does every book need a happy ending? No, but every book needs resolution." - Gertrude

Emily walked away from her high-paying tech-job to become an editor, her ultimate dream job! Little did she know that her life will change with just one message from her Uncle Danny. Next thing she knew, she's on a plane going to Cascata where she enherited a multi-million dollar estate, the Ballad, and the Lost Coast Literary Agency. And she thought she can easily get rid of the estate because she has no attachment to her grandmother who abandoned her.

Upon arriving at Cascata, she found out that she also inherited her grandmother's forsaken manuscripts. She must edit them before she can finally do anything she wants with the Ballad. But these are no ordinary manuscripts. She can see her edits come to life! It is like playing God! She can rewrite endings and stories of real people! Now that she knows the real magic behind the Lost Coast Literary agency, will she takeover and continue editing the forsaken manuscripts? Can she finally reconcile with her past and with her grandmother's memories?

I enjoyed reading this book because I can relate to Emily as a die-hard booknerd as she is. It is like reading stories within the story tinged with magic realism. Behind the magical element of the story, the story has a lot of snippets of wisdom we can apply in real life.

It might be beyond our understanding to understand or prove the existence of parallel universes where we have different realities, we have the power to re-write our own stories. We just have to listen to the Universe as it gives us the nudge to 'edit' our stories.

If you are into magic realism or fantasy but not a fan of deep and heavy philosophical discussions in fiction narrative, give this book a try because you will enjoy it as a light read. On the other hand, if you are seeking mind boggling plot twists, this book might not meet your high expectations but still this book will be worth your reading time. This book is also good for read-alouds and book discussions for intermediate to middle school children.

This is the first book I've read written by Ellie Alexander but definitely won't be my last. The magic never stops here at Lost Coast Literary agency

What a great story! It will especially be appreciated by those who love to read and those who love to write. I do a lot of editing/proofreading, so it really my piece of cake. Emily and her father have been estranged from his family for many years, and Emily was always under the impression that it was because she and her daddy had been discarded and ignored by his family. Hence, more than a little bitterness on her part.

So imagine her surprise when her dad's estranged brother contacted her to tell her that her grandmother had died and left a mansion and a business to Emily, who didn't think she even knew the woman. The rest of the story is awesome and heart-warming, and you will, especially, enjoy reading about the gift Emily discovered she had, which her grandma also possessed.

Clean and fun!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4479409845

Emily is an aspiring book editor in New York when she gets the call, or text rather, that her estranged grandmother has passed away leaving Emily her beautiful coastal mansion in Northern California. The story circles around Emily's struggle to reunite with the extended family she believes abandoned her at the time she needed them most and a unique gift she has that allows her to edit forsaken manuscripts and change people's futures. This book was cozy, cute, and well written. I liked the characters and that everyone in this little town seems to adore books as much as I do. I gave it three stars mainly because the conflict seemed contrived to me. I won't say too much more for risk of spoiling the reveal, which comes in the final pages of the novel.

I do have one other little complaint with this book. The protagonist apparently enjoys editing the endings of books. I think this was done to show that this character has always been destined to be an editor. (I appreciated this twist instead of having Emily be a writer.) But when she changes endings, she seems to always remove the tragedy in novels and give everyone a happy ending. Tragedy makes stories wonderful. Even this book had tragedy. Maybe this is how Emily copes with the sadness in her own story. I don't know, but I'd be worried about any editor who believes nobody should ever die in books. Also, I just have to say it, Charlotte sacrificing herself for Wilbur in Charlotte's Webb is a brilliant ending and that book is E.B. White's masterpiece. Okay, I'll step off the soapbox now.

Overall, an entertaining read.

I love books about books! Emily inherits her late grandmother’s estate with the condition that she edits her grandmother’s manuscripts. She soon realizes there is something different about these manuscripts.

I’ve read Ellie’s other series and this book is completely different. I enjoyed the Lost Coast setting and Emily’s story.

If you are looking for coffee, bake shop or craft beer from Ellie Alexander in her newest novel, you will not find it. Lost Coast Literary is a totally different novel about a young woman who aspires to be a book editor in New York until she inherits her grandmother's home in California. Estranged from her grandmother and the rest of the family, Emily Bryant was raised by her father after her mother's death. She never saw her grandmother again, but now almost 25 years later, her grandmother's will leaves her a fabulous mansion with strings attached. Have you ever overheard a conversation and wished you could rewrite it? Emily has the ability to rewrite situations and change the direction of peoples lives.

Wading out into uncharted waters, I think Alexander has shown she is a versatile writer with a unique imagination. I very much enjoyed this book.

Both the cover and the title drew me to this book. Lost Coast seemed a mystery, and Literary calls to the book lover in me. The story is charming and drew me in quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the characters, especially Emily Bryant, the main character. There's also a paranormal theme running through the book that kept my interest.

Emily is faced with a life-changing choice when her grandmother dies and leaves her the beautiful Victorian family home. The will has stipulations that draw Emily from her book editing career in New York, to the lost coast in Cascata, California to a family she doesn't really know and has felt all her life had abandoned her. There's also a paranormal theme running through the book that kept my interest.

This is a short but very satisfying read that kept me absorbed. I enjoyed it so much that I will look for other books by Ellie Alexander.

Thanks to Sweet Lemon Press, LLC through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on March 29, 2022.

Ellie Alexander's Sloan Krause mysteries are a favorite series of mine, and I was delighted to see that the author is moving in yet another direction with this non-series novel set in a small college town in coastal Humboldt County, CA. In addition, I am thrilled to note that Alexander's signature emotional depth is one of this book's great strengths.

Emily has moved from Silicon Valley to NYC for her first job in publishing. But when she learns her grandmother has died and left her a huge home in Cascata, she has to travel there to fulfill the stipulations of the will. She can't sell the house until she edits a stack of her fellow book editor/bibliophile grandmother's "forsaken" manuscripts. This is in Emily's wheelhouse, as she has always loved to write alternative happy endings to book classics with endings she disliked. Now, however, she is shocked to see her manuscript edits playing out in real life, sometimes with near-disastrous results. At the same time, Emily is grappling with her lifelong feeling of abandonment by her grandmother and other close relatives after she and her parents left Cascata when she was 8 years old. And yet the picture she is getting of her grandmother from her cousins and others she meets as kind, intuitive, and much beloved doesn't mesh with the dire picture her father has drawn for her.

The author's detailed, lush descriptions of Emily's grandmother's mansion, the colorful houses of Cascata, buildings such as her uncle's pub and the local paper goods store, and the nature surrounding them are to die for. Her struggle to help the townspeople who are the subjects of the forsaken manuscripts is palpable, and her dawning realization of what she wants her life to be is ultimately satisfying. If you like an engaging and uplifting plot tinged with magic realism, this book is for you.

My thanks to NetGalley and Sweet Lemon Press for allowing me to read and provide an honest review of this book..

The story completely captivated me. Reading about Cascada felt like coming home. The plot combined everything I loved,reading, writing and books. The protagonist,Emily with a lot of loss and pain and acceptance of her literary gift. I felt like I was in her shoes.

Thank you Sweet Lemon Press and Netgalley for the Advance Reader Copy of this book. This was a honest review.