I've never read anything by this author before, but the book premise sounded interesting. Sadly, it missed the mark for me. Overall, it felt like the author was trying to do too many things with this story, but not fully developing them. Conversations/dialogue, along with the romance angle, felt forced. There were more magical elements than I expected. I never felt a connection to Veronica or Caitlin. Some scenes just felt thrown in to meet the word count. And there were too many loose ends. Perhaps there will be a sequel. If so, I don't believe I would check it out. However, there were nice details, particularly in relation to small towns in Europe.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this digital ARC.

This book's description really appealed to me - travel, food, a little mystery/magic, a little romance. I had really enjoyed the last book I read by this author, too.

However, this novel missed the mark a bit for me. I think a tighter editing would have helped. Restaurant consultant Veronica, the main character, is gifted a DNA kit after confirming with her family that she was adopted. She is then gifted a trip to Europe to the cities where her ancestors lived. Along the way she finds love..."and herself."

While in Europe, Veronica has "visions" of women from centuries ago who we find out are her relatives. She isn't sure if they are dreams or hallucinations and neither are we. I would have liked her visions to have started before her trip, or perhaps they weren't visions at all; just alternating chapters that tie up neatly at the end. Certain descriptions were also used repeatedly, such as Veronica's tight muscles in her neck.

I enjoyed the foodie and travel passages but never really got a sense of who Veronica is. She seems pressured into opening her own restaurant at the conclusion and I didn't find her romance particularly compelling. Three stars.

The Wandering Season by Aimie K. Runyan is a delightful novel telling the story of Veronica, who through a DNA test, confirmed what she believed, that she is adopted. She decides to travel to the different places on her DNA results which was an interesting way to travel. As she went from place to place finding herself, she had 'dreams' of the distant past which were the part of the novel I didn't like as they pulled me completely out of Veronica's story and we're quite a distraction. Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed her adventures, descriptions of food and scenery, it felt like I was there with her. The love story was a wonderful addition to the story. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I loved getting to take this journey with Veronica! Fantastic sights, delicious food, handsome tour guides, and honest and authentic conversations and characters...this book had it all! Would recommend to anyone who enjoys travel, food, a romantic subplot, and/or women's fiction!

"The Wandering Season" was a very enjoyable story. I liked how the author had Veronica experience "echoes" of past inhabitants of the places she visited, with the places and inhabitants having hitherto unknown connections to her ancestry. I also liked the discussion of sourcing ingredients to make culinary delights, with the emphasis on quality ingredients produced by individuals or families with a deep connection to the relevant animals, plants or land.

How amazing would it be if we could all trace our ancestry and visit the countries that our families originate from? Would we feel a strong connection?

Life is a complicated puzzle for Veronica, with overwhelming feelings of self doubt and a lack of direction. When she receives some insight into her DNA, with a little nudge, she takes a little time off and sets out on a journey of discovery. This takes her to Ireland, France, Italy and Denmark, all countries that her DNA reveals a connection to. With a passion for all things culinary, she absorbs every opportunity to explore and enjoy each destinations food offerings. And as travel often does, she has a chance to learn a little more about herself along the way. Perhaps a season to wander is exactly what Veronica needs.

As a whole, I found the characters relatable and likeable, and I really enjoyed all of the food references. However, the story has a touch of magical realism that threw me off at times, as I struggled to relate the significance to the overall story. I'm just not convinced that it was needed.

Thank you to HarperCollins Focus/Harper Muse for the opportunity to read an advanced copy via NetGalley.in exchange for my honest review. This is an endearing story that even provides bonus recipes at the end of the book. I can't wait to have a go at making Irish soda bread!

I really had high hopes for reading this book, but it just fell flat for me. I felt that there was too much that this book tried to cover in a rather quick read. I feel like in one part, it's Veronica trying to find herself, then it's focused on her travels, then a relationship with Niall that we're reminded all throughout the book can't be a relationship, to her finally wanting to meet her biological mother in the last 85%. All the while, she is somehow magically visited with visions of her foremothers at each of her stays across Italy, France, and Ireland where she somehow happens to stay at each of the places these people originally lived. To be honest, the visions got so annoyingly frequent and detailed that I ended up just skipping past most of those scenes. They just felt ridiculously irrelevant and impossible. Like the scene at the end where her apparition-mom leads her into a penthouse apartment to learn the story of why she was given up for adoption?? These additions made absolutely no sense to me. The characters felt very surface-level as well. Where Veronica does finally admit her dream and pursue it, it didn't feel like it took much effort or thought. She traveled, saw apparitions, met her birth mom and then said, yes, everyone is right I do want to open a restaurant and move to Ireland. I finished this book to see how it would all come together, but overall I was disinterested in the characters and storyline as it was too predictable.

Veronica Stratton, a food muse and excellent chef herself, is coming off a break up and goes home to Colorado for Christmas. While there, her sister gives her a DNA test kit which confirms that Veronica is adopted. Her sister and best friend plan a trip for her to visit the regions that her DNA kit show that she’s from. She visits Ireland, France, Italy, and Denmark. While in Ireland she meets Niall Callahan, the caretaker of a castle-like bed & breakfast and foodie as well. Veronica learns about her past while figuring out her future.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Wandering Season is a lovely escape book full of self reflection, travels through Europe and mouth watering food experiences. Veronica is a woman struggling with the courage to change her career and life after a break up. Through a DNA test she discovers the truth about her adoption and is sent by her adoptive family to Europe to find her roots. She encounters visions of her ancestors and meets a new friend who encourage her to take chances to start over and build a new life.
I couldn’t stop reading this book and Veronica’s journey to find herself. I found the ending a bit rushed and tied up a bit too neatly for my taste but overall an enjoyable read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for an advanced reader copy.

I didn’t connect to any of the characters and the visions just felt so jarring and strange. A fun premise that was really lacking in substance.

Thank you to HarperCollins Focus and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved the premise of this book: a young woman who feels stalled in her adult life finds out that she is adopted and takes off the visit the locations identified in an ancestry DNA report in hopes of gaining a greater understanding of herself. I am in. I am also a very big fan of magical realism and the supernatural. A "magical" look into the past to help explain events of the future? Yes, please.

However, I feel the execution of this premise in this novel left something to be desired. The "flashbacks" to the past in each location felt clunky and disjointed. The pacing of the novel felt off. We abandoned Denmark with a nod to unappealing winter weather and no flashback at all. I also never felt the spark between Niall and Veronica and without it felt their romance was a rush at best. In the end, this was one I wanted to love but just didn't.

This was a pleasant read, part travel, part foodie, and a little romance.Slightly predictable. How nice that adoption was successful, daddy shares his platinum card happily, and everyone has the money to do all the things.

A fan of Aimie Runyan, I was happy to read her newest novel. It took me a bit to get into this one. However, once I did, I decided that I enjoyed it overall. There were some parts that I had to get in the right frame of mind for but once I did, I settled into the story.

Likes:

I enjoyed that this is a pretty original storyline- one that I don’t feel I’ve heard before.

Imagery: The description of Ireland, including some phrases they would use helps you feel as if you’re there exploring with Veronica.

The food references were very descriptive- they made my mouth water! As with her previous novel “A Bakery in Paris”, which I also enjoyed, Aimie Runyan even includes recipes at the end of some of the beloved dishes mentioned in the book! Now, if I can get her to make them for me….

What I needed to get in the right mindset for:

A bit of fantasy/sci-fi: Veronica had visions of “ghosts” of the past at in almost every country she visited. So, if you can open your mind to a bit of supernatural, you might enjoy the link between Veronica and her ancestors told in this way. (Similarly it could have been told with multiple timelines but with several it could have gotten to confusing). The author chose to do this in a unique way. It was a little like time travel in reverse.

Dislikes (parts I wasn’t exactly thrilled about but didn’t feel they ruined the book!):

Niall and Veronica becoming so close so quickly felt a bit unbelievable. Veronica wanting him to accompany her to France after only knowing each other for less than a week was a stretch.

Ireland was talked about extensively, which I loved. However, each location visited after that got a little less attention and detail. I would have enjoyed hearing more about the other countries as well.

All in all, I enjoyed the telling of the story of Veronica deciding her next steps in life after coming to a crossroads. She has the support of her family and best friend and gains the support of Niall, who she meets on her journey through Europe. It wrapped up nicely at the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Muse.

Veronica receives a DNA kit for Christmas from her younger sister. She's known for some time that she was adopted, but the kit proves it beyond a doubt. Avery and her parents gift her a trip to Europe to visit the four countries her ancestors are from; a week in each place. So Veronica is off to Ireland, France, Italy and Denmark. But will Niall, the handsome Irish caretaker, change her mind?
I enjoyed this book very much. I loved traveling with Veronica, reading about the wonderful places she stayed, and delicious food that she ate, and made. The recipes in the back of the book were a welcome addition. Highly recommended.

Thanks in advance to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

thanks to harper muse and netgalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book prior to publication. opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. i read runyan's "the memory of lavender and sage" last year and really loved it so was looking forward to "the wandering season". runyan writes about women in the most lovely ways. veronica stratton is a smart, talented and warm hearted soul. she finds herself on a trip to ireland that changes the course of both her professional and personal life. there is plenty of food, scenery, romance, friendship, family and inner contemplation in this book. and a bit of historical fiction, too. a lovely read. thanks again.

The Wandering Season is the story of Veronica, a young woman who is the "odd duck" of her family. Her unique coloring and shorter stature contrast with that of her family members. When an ancestry test reveals that she's adopted, she embarks on a month-long visit to the four countries of her ancestry. Although I'd never heard of her occupation as a "specialty food broker", that background enhanced the vivid, mouth-watering descriptions of food throughout the story. The author introduced an interesting supernatural element to reveal aspects of Veronica's heritage, adding to the mystery. There is a bit of romance that isn't fully developed. Veronica is a likable character, and a protagonist for whom we wish the best.

I really enjoyed Veronica's journey to Ireland, Italy, France and Denmark in search of her birthmother. It's a tale about travel, food, self-identity and with some romance, as well. (I never knew one could have a career as a food broker) Highly recommended.

What fun! I loved reading about Veronica’s job as a culinary matchmaker and the recipes she concocts. This was a highlight of the story for me, along with her journey of discovering her roots and meeting a charming castle keeper with baking skills.

I did not enjoy the visions Veronica had of her ancestors and how everyone she told about them thought it was completely understandable. I also would have love more relationship development and chemistry between Veronica and Niall. Veronica and Niall were in their mid-20s but I was convinced they were in their mid-30s until their ages were revealed. I do think they seem older than they actually are. Overall, I appreciated the plot and reading about beautiful places and delicious dishes! The ending was charming. Can’t wait to make the truffle crème brûlée!

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Travel, romance, delicious food, and a compelling journey to find FMC Veronica's birth mother make the author's latest tale a delightful read. The descriptions of place and food are glorious and the endearing story lifted my spirit. Highly recommended for fans of women's fiction and fabulous writing!

A life is meant to have seasons

Veronica is adopted and gets a DNA kit as a gift, she finds out the places her family roots are.
Her sister and best friend send her on a trip to Ireland, France, Italy and Denmark so she can learn more.
Veronica’s journey becomes a way to find herself.
The Wandering Season is a story of friendship, family, mystery and magic.
I loved taking the trip with Veronica to experience all the beautiful places and adventures as she discovered what was truly important to her. The food descriptions were making me hungry.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for the opportunity to read this book.