Favorite Quotes:

Hank had been able to throw around compliments and kindness like he had them coming out his ears. But Peg was always so stingy with hers, like she only had a tiny, meager supply to get her through life and she meant to take some with her to her grave.

Tink was glaring at her like she would start a fire in her hair, if she could.

She did not like this one bit. She liked all her emotions separate. Her anger with her anger. Her guilt with her guilt. Nothing touching.

It was like when your ears pop, and everything goes from distant and removed to loud and present. Life, right there in the kitchen.

My Review:


This was superbly written and exceptionally well-crafted. How have I never read this talented wordsmith before? I was consumed by this maddeningly paced and striking tale and well and truly sucked into a compelling vortex of tautly held family secrets that were tucked away on a fruit farm in rural Michigan. The original storylines were shrewdly constructed and sneakily emotive with stealthy and unexpected hits of the feels. This underhanded author was wily and cunning in ruthlessly plucking, squeezing, and pulling on my overworked coronary muscle. This sly she-devil was also guilty of stinging my eyes and putting hot rocks in my throat more than once. The nerve! I was stunned and loved it; her word voodoo is strong! I most do further research on this phenomenon by amassing and perusing all her clever words.

The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader is a beautiful story about family, and my first book by this author. I really liked this book. Hope and her ten-year-old daughter flee an abusive man and head to Orchard House in Michigan to hide. Hope's mother's family have owned Orchard House for generations, and her aunt Peg still lives there. Aunt Peg offers a place for the girls to live if they help her with the cherry harvest. This book was well written, and I will be reading more books by this author. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a family drama with love and beauty.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Hope faces a lot of uncertainty in her future but the one thing she does know is that she and her ten year old daughter Tink need a safe place to stay and the other place she can think of is the family orchard her mom told her about even if it means staying with Peg, the aunt she doesn’t know.

Except for Abel, her partner, in the orchard Peg leads a solitary life and she had no intention of changing that but when Hope and Tink show up at her door needing help they agree to an arrangement where they can stay if they agree to help on the farm.

As Hope and Tink become more comfortable with their new surroundings they begin to open up with not only with Peg, but a romantic relationship starts to develop between Hope and Abel as well. Between Hope’s past and the family secrets yet to be revealed can the orchard be anything more than a reprieve before she has to escape once again?

This is a heartwarming story about love, family and new beginnings which is told from the perspectives of all three generations of women.

Wow! Is all I can say about this book. Again another book that I would not normally pick up on my own. But this may be the best book I have read so far in 2020. Really left an impression.

Hope (the main character) is in need of a safe place and some love. Peg, Hope’s Aunt, has let the past rule her life and she too is in need of some love. Tink, Hope’s daughter needs extra love and to get her childhood back. Three generations of woman and one cherry season maybe just what is needed to move forward from the past and find love and happiness.

This book was the perfect mix of seriousness and entertainment. For me it was a real eye opener. I may have to try a few more books by the author. Great find if 2020.

A beautiful book which made me feel all the emotions. 3 women each flawed with hidden secrets. One author who linked them lovingly in the bonds of a relationship but keeping friendship and respect at the core.

Hope and daughter Tink came to Peg's home in the middle of the night with a battered face and shattered soul. It was the middle of the cherry season. Able was the co-owner who provided the love interest.

My second book by the author, I found the writing so vivid and enchanting. The words used were simple, but they conveyed heart wrenching emotions. Violence dogged the characters as moments of impending danger. The author managed the social issues quite sensitively.

Secrets brought a wedge between the characters, but that made me all the more interested in them. The story soon revealed all that it was hiding. And I was blown away.

A lovely read over a lazy Sunday afternoon

There are many secrets in this engrossing story.  Why do Hope and Tink arrive in the middle of the night?  Why is Tink silent?  What is Peg, Hope's relative, not telling?  Find out as you read this novel that is set in Northern Michigan and features protagonists that readers will like.  It is an enjoyable read.  Try it with a bowl of sweet summer fruit by your side.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an hoenst review.

The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader has Hope and her daughter, Tink arriving at The Orchard House in the middle of the night. They have nowhere else to go and danger could follow them to the farm. Peg is surprised to see Hope after so many years and especially in her condition. Hope and Tink need a place to stay which Peg is willing to provide. She can use their assistance with the cherry harvest. Peg has lived on the farm her whole life and she cannot imagine living anywhere else. She is alone, though, through choices she made. As Hope helps with the harvest, she spends time with Abel who co-owns the cherry orchard with Peg. As time passes, Hope begins to dream of a happy future for herself and Tink. Unfortunately, trouble is not far away and soon the women will find themselves in a difficult situation. The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season is a novel of secrets, drama, and romance. It has strong female characters who have made mistakes and have secrets. Hope’s face tells Peg all she needs to know as to why Hope and Tink arrived in the middle of the night looking frightened. Tink refuses to talk and does not want to be touched. Peg has a room that is off limits to Hope and Tink. I liked getting to know the three women. I thought the characters were realistic and I enjoyed the descriptions of the farm. It was interesting learning how cherries are harvested. There is drama and excitement later in the story that will have readers on the edge of their seats. I do want to warn you that there is violence that can be upsetting. I did feel that the romance with Hope was too soon considering her recent trauma. I did not appreciate the foul language in the book (not everyone uses that type of language). The point-of-view alternates between Hope, Peg and Tink. It does allow a reader to see what each female is thinking and feeling. However, I did find it confusing and it messed with the flow of the book. I was happy with the epilogue and how this sweet story ended. My favorite line was, “It was surprising how sharp happiness was. Bitter and sweet all at once.” The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season is a story about finding forgiveness, surprising secrets, missing memories, female relationships, succulent cherries, and family.

A heartwarming and poignant family story that made me smile and root for the characters.
I liked the three female MC: they are damaged, faulty, full of secrets and well written.
The plot flows and kept me hooked, the setting is lovely and I found this story engrossing and entertaining.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Hope Wright is desperate. She arrives at her aunt’s home in Northern Michigan late at night sporting a black eye with her 10-year old daughter Tink in tow, who has stopped talking. She’s never met Aunt Peg but is counting on her to let them stay with her for awhile, at least for the night. After a frosty reception, Peg agrees to let them stay but as long as they do, both have to help harvest the cherries from her orchard.

It’s clear Hope is hiding something and soon it’s just as clear that Peg is, too. Hope’s is sort of easy to figure out and we’re just missing the details. But Peg’s secrets are more elusive and tied to her deceased sister, Hope’s mother. Though she’s lived on the property all of her life, she is a recluse, except for Abel, her neighbor who also helps with the harvest. I easily settled in, ready to learn more about these women and their stories and it didn’t disappoint. We get the points of view from not only Hope and Peg but Tink, too. Even though it took most of the book for everything to be revealed, I was in no hurry for that aspect to be resolved because the characterizations were so strong and I loved the journey.

I’m a long-time fan of the author, most of the books written under her pseudonym, Molly O’Keefe. It’s a guarantee that her characters will get under your skin and tug on your emotions and the Wright women certainly captured my mind and heart. Hope doesn’t even try to hide her vulnerability and Peg covers hers with a toughness that’s real to a large extent. My heart ached for her after discovering her truths. This was a wonderful story of three people who found each other at the right time in their lives and created family, a messy one but it works. I only wish I could have had more of them.

This was a thoroughly delightful and heartwarming family drama with characters that I absolutely loved despite their flaws – or maybe, because of their flaws.

My heart totally went out to the three main female characters of the story. Hope is fleeing from an abusive situation. Her precocious ten-year-old daughter Tink isn’t speaking to anyone. Peg, Hope’s aunt, is harboring a secret, and the resulting guilt is so great it has driven her into becoming a recluse, pushing everyone in their small town away.

Three broken females. Secrets. Regrets. Romance. Danger. A small town full of warm and loving people. I enjoyed the story as it unfolded before me. Hope, Tink, and Peg must learn to trust, but trust doesn’t come easy for them.

This is a story of family dynamics and second chances. I rejoiced as Hope and Peg took those first small steps in trusting and exposing their vulnerabilities. This is a beautiful feel-good story of redemption and reestablishing family bonds. Warning: You may need tissues.

This is the first book that I have read by Molly Fader. I loved her writing style so now I need to get some of her older books.

I received a digital ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Fans of Susan Wiggs and Robyn Carr will want to add Molly Fader and her latest novel, The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season to the very top of their must-buy list. Witty, warm-hearted and poignant, The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season ticks all the right boxes.

Hope has spent all of her life listening to her late mother’s stories about the Orchard House. Hope could tell from her mother’s tales that the Orchard House meant a lot to her, so when she finds herself with nowhere else to go, she heads to the family estate in Northern Michigan with her ten year old daughter and a terrible secret weighing heavily on her shoulders. Hope isn’t sure what sort of welcome she will get from her Aunt Peg. Will she be welcomed into the family fold with open arms? Or will she be shown the door?

Peg doesn’t bring out the shotgun when she sees Hope. Hope can stay – but only if she agrees to help out with the cherry harvest. Although she had spent a lifetime listening to her mother’s tales about Orchard House, Hope knows next to nothing about cherry picking, but she is willing to lend a helping hand and she rolls up her sleeves and gets to work with Peg, her daughter and a kind-hearted man Hope simply cannot stop herself from thinking about…

As the weeks go by, Hope begins to feel settled at Orchard House, but before she can move forward and forge any kind of relationship with the only family she has left, she first needs to face up to mistakes of the past if she is to truly know true happiness ever again. Will Hope manage to make a go of this second chance? Or is she destined for further heartache and disappointment?

I’ve long been a fan of Molly Fader’s contemporary romances written under a pseudonym, so I pounced upon this women’s fiction title with eager anticipation and I was not disappointed. A wonderful story about letting go of the past, moving on, healing, hope, love and second chances, The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season will keep readers hooked and entertained until the very last chapter.

Written straight from the heart and sure to make readers laugh and cry, The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season is an addictive and emotional tale that is impossible to put down.

The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader is ultimately a sweet story of family - the one we are born into and the one we create out of love. The book is marketed as a summer read, and it fits that bill. It deals with serious issues of abuse in a relationship and substance abuse. However, it does so in the context of a heartwarming, small town, feel good story. Food, friendship, and family - the perfect ingredients of a summer read.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/06/the-bitter-and-sweet-of-cherry-season.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and the Harlequin Trade Publishing 2020 Summer Reads Blog Tour.

The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season is a meaningful look at reuniting loved ones torn apart by secrets. It's touching without being sappy and progresses steadily toward an inevitable end. Fader's experience hasn't failed her with this novel, and I gladly recommend it as a perfect summer (or fall, winter, spring) read!

I absolutely loved Molly Fader's last book!!

The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season was nothing short of her talent. Another set of characters that just leaves you heart melting.

Molly Fader explores a charming story about new beginnings, growth, and learning to forgive yourself for the past mistakes.

I loved the setting of this one and the homey feel with the growing of the cherry fields. This was definitely a feel good book with strong female characters and gives you that feeling of love and warmth upon finishing the last page. I loved Hope's aunt Peg!!! I couldn't get enough of her!

I have really become a huge fan of Molly Fader and can't wait to see what she comes out with next!!

4 stars!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harlequin/Graydon Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 6/9/20
Published to GR: 6/14/20

In Molly Fader's latest book, The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season (and may I add her 50th book), the gorgeous state of Michigan is part of the spectacular backdrop of this heart warming family drama. Fader's book stars three generations of women...Peg, Hope and Tink. Each one of these gals won me over with their courage, strength and willingness to start again. When Hope and her daughter Tink surprise Aunt Peg in the middle of the night on her doorstep, family secrets are slowly revealed, the taste of of new life is sampled and love is just a barn door away. There is nothing like cherry season to bring a family together. This homey and sweet tale was the perfect lazy afternoon treat!

Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was sucked into this story in the first couple chapters alone and couldn't put it down, which is always a quick sign of a great read. There were so many different facets of emotions, secrets, family relationships and more in this book and it was not a simple story in any way. I absolutely loved the setting and the way it was crafted by Fader. We get perspectives from Hope, Peg and Tink, who are all so different and yet, so very alike in some ways.

This story surprised me in so many ways, all of them good. It wasn't completely what I was expecting, but I loved it. It was full of raw emotion and beautifully written.

4.5 stars

This is a very emotional and beautiful story. But beware, it will make you want to eat all the cherries, so have some available.

The cast of characters in this book are varied and quirky and real. While the main character, Hope, was not my favorite, she’s trying her best to be a good mom. She’s had many roadblocks in her life and didn’t get the emotional or physical help she needed. The key thing is, I think she’s learned from her mistakes and is realizing that just because she’s on a certain path doesn’t mean she can’t veer off onto another path. And boy, she raised an amazing daughter.

Tink is precocious and smart and funny and sarcastic and just all around wonderful, but she’s no ray of sunshine. The author really captured the voice (or, in Tink’s case, mostly the thoughts) of a young girl. My life didn’t play out as Tink’s, but I can recall having some of the same thoughts and feelings. Tink may sometimes be devious and get into things she should leave alone, but the girl has a heart of gold and has no ill will toward her family. She’s just hurt and confused and scared.

And then there’s Aunt Peg. Stubborn as they come, but with a soft gooey center that she keeps hidden from everyone. Who can blame her? As this story plays out you sense the woe Peg has had in her life before you even know the whole story. The compassion and love she even thought had been stamped out in her soul is still there, it just needs a nudge to come to the surface again.

I wouldn’t consider this a romance, but there is definitely some romantic relationships happening along the way that gave me warm-fuzzies. They’re not the main plotline, but they add some depth and richness to this already wonderful tale.

Watching the three generations of women in the Orchard House learn how to love and trust one another was touching and took me through every emotion. This is a new-to-me author who I had actually thought was new to writing, but realized that she’s actually quite well known as romance writer Molly O’Keefe. Well, if those stories are as wonderful as this story then she has amazing range in her writing. I’m definitely going to be digging into her back library since it seems her books will be right up my romance loving alley.

RATING: 4 STARS
2020; Graydon House/Harlequin

I have been having a few tough days, and just couldn't read much. Nothing seemed to keep my attention, and even the audiobook I was listening to felt painful. On Monday, when I went to check my reading journal, I noticed I was supposed to do a review for The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season on Tuesday. I started this one early in the evening, so I figured I would not be finished in time for reviewing. The characters and story just hooked me in the beginning, that I read until my eyes closed at 71% read. After work today, I had a few Zoom book launches, but decided to skip one and went back to this engaging novel. Thank you, Molly for getting me out of my reading funk and giving me an escape for awhile. What drew me to this novel was the delicious cover, but it was the characters that kept me reading. This novel does not shy away from difficult issues, yet it keeps it from getting too dark. Like other great contemporary fiction/romance, this is a story that is has realistic characters and stories, but doesn't go to the dark place. It gives the reader a happily ever after, but makes the characters work for it. I really want to read Molly's previous novel, The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets now, and take a look at her books written under Molly O'Keefe. I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a distraction, especially during the hard times of 2020. I do have to say that Molly is great with characterizations, that I wouldn't mind if this became a series/trilogy, and find out what happens to Janice and the other gals of Friday Nights.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss and NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader is a journey of discovery; discovery of family, of one’s self, of strength, of forgiveness, of trust, and of love. Warning: keep tissue nearby as you read this amazing story.

Hope and her ten-year-old daughter are on the run from an unstable and slightly abusive man who wiggled his way into their lives. Hope is trying to find Orchard House where an aunt she never met lives. Her only knowledge of the place comes from the stories her late mother shared of the family farm in northern Michigan. Aunt Peg has lived in the Orchard House her entire life and Hope is unsure of their welcome; turned away with a shotgun or accepted. Peg agrees to take them in as long as Hope helps with the cherry harvest. As Hope works the orchard alongside her aunt, daughter, and a kind, gentle man she is finding difficult to ignore. In cherry season, anything is possible, and a new life begins to bloom for these people. As the mistakes of the past are seldom far behind, or hidden, these amazing women find themselves fighting for their family roots and for each other. I loved watching the growth, confidence, and love that evolved in these women as the story occurred.

I totally and absolutely loved how Ms. Fader utilized alternating POVs in order to tell this wonderful and amazing, three generational story; a tale that was emotional, tragic, filled with wonderful dialogue, endearing characters, and a community of support and friends, that is definitely must read. I highly recommend The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Hope is running from an abusive relationship with her ten year old daughter Tink. She has no where to go but to the one place she hopes he will never find her, the Orchard House, the home of her aunt Peg, in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Can she keep herself and her daughter out of danger and stop running once and for all? Can they heal the physical and emotional bruises of their lives?

Peg is getting ready for cherry season on her little farm when all of a sudden, in the middle of the night, her long lost niece Hope and her frightened daughter who won’t speak show up on her doorstep. Peg takes them in without asking questions and she soon finds herself willing to do anything to keep them safe. Will Hope stay once she finds out Peg’s long buried secret?

Three women, all carrying scars come together in this heartwarming novel by Molly Fader. Alone they cannot face the past, but together they learn how to heal with the love of family and friends. The book was brilliantly written and I can’t wait to pick up the authors next book. Thank you so much to the author Molly Fader, Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to read and review.