This book, by description, author, and title, is everything I wanted. But.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a review. The opinions herein are my own.
We all want to know who we are and where we come from. In this newish age of DNA and the accessibility of results and matches, this dream is in reach for most of us. Especially if someone is adopted or doesn’t know their parentage for some reason, DNA can be a treasure trove, a disappointment, or shocking.
Runyan simply tries to do too much in this book. It has the best elements from other books I’ve read. She clearly enjoys that ancestral connection, cooking, and small towns in Europe. These elements were on glorious display and richly detailed.
But. I found the story really forced. It, to me, felt like the author was under deadline and was throwing things at her book to fill the pages. With more time and attention, it could have been set in one location, (or like Memory of Lavender and Sage, the American moving overseas). It didn’t need 5.
I didn’t feel connected to Veronica and downright loathed her sister and Caitlin. I was way more connected to the people she met along the way: the humble hard working people and not the rich spoiled, daddy dependent ones.
Setting aside reality for the magical elements was fine, but again over and over in the different settings was really all just the same old thing. And who finds out they have ancestry in several countries only to accidentally land in the exact spots to have that feeling of connection?
Maybe I am way off here. It gives the reader a false impression of what DNA kits do and the reception you get in different countries when you’re on such a pilgrimage.
2 stars because it was meh for me. Moving on.

Review coming soon!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Opinions are mine.

thank you netgalley for allowing me to arc read this book.
unfortunately i couldn’t connect with the characters or the story, even though the synopsis had sparked my interest at first. that’s why i have decided to dnf this book for the time being.

i only read up to the point of veronica’s first destination and i could tell that this book was going to be very descriptive and beautifully written. i think i picked this up at the wrong time. maybe i’ll give it a go in the future.

The Wandering Season by Aimie K. Runyan is a remarkable story of family and friendship with a touch of 'magic' and mystery. I've read many of her other books, most recently Mademoiselle Eiffel which I absolutely loved.
We are introduced to Avery who finds out her sister, Veronica, is adopted. So Avery and her best friend Stephanie send Veronica on a trip to the places where her family roots are and in each place Veronica has visions or “echoes” of her past ancestors. This journey of self discovery helps Avery to follow her dreams.
I loved following along in her journey.
The author does an incredible job of making everything seem so real. A favorite part of the book was her visit to Ireland. The food and that culture were fascinating to me. I was excited to see a few recipes at the end especially Crème Brûlée. I also really liked the love interest storyline.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

it's been awhile since i read a women's fic book, but once i settled in and started reading, i was hooked. finished in one sitting - i couldn't help but connect to veronica and everything she's been through. i won't say much more, because going in blind was so fulfilling. thank you netgalley for the arc!!

If you are looking for a lovely novel with family and friendship at the heart while throwing in a dash of mystery and even a bit of magic, then The Wandering Season will be the perfect pick for you! This is the ideal armchair travel book as our main character sets out on a journey of self-discovery. While I wouldn't shelve this in the romance section of a bookstore or library, I will say that the romance subplot was very enjoyable and makes it worth the read for all the romance readers out there!

A DNA kit confirms Veronica’s suspicions that she was adopted. It also points at four places where her ancestors likely came from, so she travels to Europe to find her roots and to process the news.

The way Veronica connected with her ancestors was way too paranormal for my taste, and not particularly well done. There were so many loose ends that the whole thing just annoyed me. What exactly was her connection to these people? What’s happened to them? What about Denmark? What was even the point in including the Danish roots? Besides, how did she manage to understand nineteenth century French and Italian? Part of the magic I guess, but even magic should be explained somehow.

The romance was also bland. I understood why Niall and Veronica were a perfect match, but I didn’t feel it. I loved that they connected over food, I enjoyed the food scene, the discoveries, the cooking and the food chats, and but there was barely any chemistry between them.

I also hated that everyone was pushing Veronica to open her own restaurant and that she eventually did it. Was it really her dream or did she just cave? Unfortunately it felt like the latter.

Despite all that, I’m still rating this book three stars. This author is definitely skilled and it was a pleasant enough story. Unfortunately not nearly as enjoyable as The Memory of Lavender and Sage.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book has a fabulous premise, wherein Veronica gets a DNA kit as a gift and learns she is adopted. Wanting to know more about her past, she sets off to Europe to venture to the places listed on her DNA report: Ireland, France, Denmark, and Italy. It is in Ireland where she meets a potential future self, in the form of Niall. This book is mostly about Veronica's journey to understand who she is, deeper than just "finding" herself.

Probably the only thing I could have done without in this book were the visions, as it just didn't jive with the contemporary story at hand for me. I did enjoy the incorporation of food and its role in Veronica's life, and I was really appreciative of the relationship between Veronica and Niall - this was written well and they both came across as adults who interacted with each other like adults.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus/Harper Muse for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this to about 15% and DNFed I’m sorry to say. The whole reaction to telling her family she knows she’s adopted seemed so anticlimactic and was covered in 3-4 pages while seemingly being brushed off. I’d just think a family secret like that would garner a bigger reaction and a more appropriate setting than continually tossing a pillow at your sister. The conversation with her dad just felt awkward and poorly written. When Veronica gets the results of her DNA test I was hoping for some big surprises about where she was from, but it again was just a let down. While the results were probably the most realistic of any white person with red hair you meet on the street, it just didn’t add anything to the story. I was also bored with the storyline of Veronica having culinary experience and describing in such detail the vanilla over and over again. That seemed to have more research and planning put into the writing than the adoption and DNA reveal. I could just tell I wasn’t going to enjoy reading any more of this.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. The premise caught my attention as I am interested in travel. I'm not a foodie, but the description of the pastries in France made me want to travel more and eat more. I wasn't as into the romance side of the book, but I found the idea of visiting all of the adoptive person's countries of origin interesting.

Veronica Stratton works as a specialty food broker in the Denver area. When her sister gets the family DNA tests for Christmas, her long-held suspicions of being adopted are realized and now a part of the family conversations. Facing her down-season for work, she takes off on a four week trip to Europe to see some parts of the world that her DNA test shows that she has connections to. This story is less of a fact-finding mission of Veronica's birth family, but more of a trip to identify her personal vision for her future.

Romance, Travel Fiction, Little bit of mystery. This book was cozy and heart-warming. The protagonist is a specialty food broker and her love interest, who works as a caretaker in an old castle, is also enthusiastic about food. Which means the book is full of long discussions about mouth-watering dishes and dining spots.

"I'd find the best marbled filet mignon in the region, aged and tender, broiled to medium rare in cast iron. I'd top the steak with fresh butter infused with black truffle oil. And that beautiful fresh truffle there? I'd just barely warm it in a skillet to release the flavors before arranging them on top of the whole thing. Id pair it with duchesse potatoes and sautéed Brussels sprouts. To drink, I'd go for a low- acid red to avoid undermining the truffle. Maybe a Châteauneuf-du-Pape or a Côtes du Rhône if the vintage is right." - The novel is full of conversations like this.


If you love travelling, this book is a going to a very amazing read for you

Thanking Netgalley and Harper Muse for the e-ARC

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Muse for the ARC of this delightful book by Aimee K. Runyon. After taking a DNA test, that she receives as a gift, and being confirmed that she is adopted, Veronica embarks on a research holiday to discover her ancestors, and their origins. She encounters some interesting characters tied to her past, and that discovery allows her to move on with her life.

Veronica is a kitchen muse who can barely pay her bills. She tells herself she loves it though. Suddenly her boyfriend of 4 years breaks up with her and she finds out she's adopted. Her sister and best friend design a trip for her where she's to spend a week in Ireland, France, Italy and Denmark. Her ancestry report she is ties to these places. She starts on her adventure and has visions while she is there, visions of her ancestors. A great read!

This is a sweet novel that I will recommend for fans of women's fiction. Veronica is adopted and goes on a search for her birth mother. It's a familiar premise but Runyan executes the story beautifully. She sets each scene with just the right amount of detail so that the reader feels they are there with the character. I especially enjoy her descriptions. Veronica's journey kept me interested all the way through. The delicious food is another bonus! Ultimately, this is a feel-good read with cozy vibes. The message - don't settle for less than you deserve - is an honorable one.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It had a great amount of travel stories, and I love a book that has the character discovering themselves and their past through travel. It is always fun to read and see a character in a book grow that way and see how different cultures and perspectives will alter them. It was a beautifully written book!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

This book had the power to take me on a grand adventure.

My inner leprechaun REALLY wanted to love it; I was emotionally packed and ready!

It ended up being a road trip, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, it wasn’t what I was psyched up for (knowing the author’s fantastic historical fiction) and I ended up slightly disappointed.

Why?

Two reasons.

One, I’m not a fantasy lover and the ‘visions’ that emerged in her first destination turned me off. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for leprechauns. Perhaps it was ‘how’ the thread played out that lead to my disinterest in the plot. Does my panache for facts and historical fiction hamper my ability to make room for fantasy elements? Perhaps.

Two, I didn’t connect to the characters. I liked Veronica’s motivation, but her backstory had no emotional resonance for me and her drive wasn’t active enough for me to become emotionally invested. I couldn’t imagine myself being friends with her despite acknowledging how she sees the world through food and how she uses it as a form of self-care.

Things I did enjoy:
☘️ the gorgeous cover and the itinerary
☘️ the idea of wandering Europe
☘️ the focus on self-discovery
☘️ I was intrigued with the DNA and adoption thread
☘️ the foodie references and the visceral reaction to them
☘️ sensory detail
☘️ a foodie character
☘️ unravelling secrets of the past

Keep in mind that I don’t read fantasy and am not drawn to contemporary novels when you give weight to my opinion!

I was gifted this copy by Harper Collins Focus and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I really enjoyed this book! If only we all could experience a trip like this one! It includes really wonderful relationship dynamics, between family members, friends, and a romantic interest, that are both relatable and inspiring. I can’t say too much without spoiling something, but the stories of the women in this novel really showcase the strength and tenacity of women and remind you not to settle for anything less than what you deserve (which is the absolute best there is) which I really needed a reminder of. If you’re a foodie, there’s plenty of mouthwatering food descriptions that will definitely inspire you in the kitchen. Overall, a very cozy, feel good read.

Such a lovely story of family and friendship with a touch of mystery and magic! Unbeknownst to Avery that her sister, Veronica, is adopted, she gives her family DNA kits for Christmas. Avery feels dreadful she’s brought this family secret out in the open. So with the help of Veronica’s best friend, Stephanie (both amazing supports to Veronica throughout the book) they send Veronica on a trip to the places where her family roots are strongest. In each place, she has visions or “echoes” of her past ancestors which leave her full of questions. This journey of self discovery helps her to follow the dreams she has been suppressing. My favorite part of the whole book was her visit to Ireland where she meets Niall, the caretaker of a castle she stays in. Feelings soon develop as they discover they have much in common. I love this quote from him, “I refuse to believe we live in a world where happily ever after doesn’t happen. Sure, it’s not wrapped up pretty in a bow. And it takes a bloody lot of work to keep it up. Every day you have to wake up and choose to make that a reality over and over again.” The descriptions of the food throughout left me feeling famished and wanting to taste each dish, and I was excited to see a few recipes at the end. I also loved the tie in to the shop, which she visits at the very beginning of her journey, at the end of the book which left me with a happy sigh of contentment. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book has a little bit of everything I like in a satisfying story – a foodie theme, a likeable protagonist, a realistic romance between two mature adults, and a travelogue with evocative descriptions of interesting places. What it did not have I also appreciated – no enemies-to-lovers trope and no overwrought drama.

Veronica Stratton surmised she was adopted when she was a young teen but never mentioned it in fear she would lose her close relationship with her parents and sibling. Despite her seeming adjustment to this unspoken reality, it undermined her self-worth and her willingness to risk fulfilling her dreams. Veronica, now in her late twenties, and her family are confronted by the truth in a most innocent way, upsetting the balance in all their relationships. When her sister and best friend take the reins and plan a month-long “sabbatical” for Veronica, she sets off to visit the four countries she is genetically linked to by her biological roots. The result is a transformational journey that includes a bit of paranormal inspiration as well as a deepening of her sense of self.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable read and one I strongly recommend.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.