I love all books that have a foodie setting, so I was automatically drawn to this book and its colorful cover!!  I’ve never read any books by Rachel Linden, so I was excited to find a new-to-me author!!

“Trying to change the past is pointless.  We can only change our future by the choices we make today.”

- So, if, like me, you enjoy a “foodie” book setting, you’ll enjoy this story with a family diner storyline and a great Lemon Meringue Pie recipe at the end!

- If you have visited Seattle or have always wanted to, like me, you will enjoy that the storyline takes place in a cute little town called Magnolia, near Seattle. 

- This is a sweet, clean, second chance romance which alternates between the past and the present and is full of likeable strong female characters (especially Aunt Gert, Daphne and Eve).  I found the embedded life lessons throughout were very refreshing.

- I loved the premise of the book.....what if I could go back and make a different decision?  I mean, honestly, who hasn’t thought about the “what if’s” in life....What if I would have chosen that career path instead of this one?  What if I would have married my high school/college sweetheart?  What if I would have been (insert a profession) instead of whatever you are today?  So many what if’s in life and this book let’s Lolly (and us) live out some of her “what if’” moments to see how they would have turned out had she made a different decision.

- When Lolly decided to use one of her magical lemon drops to go back in time and spend another day with her Mother who passed away, it really struck home for me.  My Mom passed away three years ago and I’d give anything to be able to spend just one more day with her.  Yes, I got a little teary-eyed in this section.

- There were many hopeful messages throughout the book, but the two I especially liked were..Be honest. Pay attention. Seek Joy and the other message was Follow Your Bliss!

- I don’t read many books in the fantasy genre, but I found myself really enjoying the bit of magic realism used for this storyline.

- I wasn’t expecting this book to have a twist in it since it was a romance novel, but was pleasantly surprised towards the end of the book when it took a different turn than I was expecting.  Rachel Linden is a superb storyteller and creative writer that I am now very fond of and I plan on going back to read some of her previously published books.

-Heartfelt, uplifting, and genuine....what more can you ask for in a good book?

Thoughts

What would you do if you could relive three moments of your past over again? For Lolly it’s a no brainer. She would see her mother who died in an accident, she let the love of her life go and never achieved the dream of opening her own restaurant. When her great-aunt gives Lolly three magic lemon drops on her birthday she tells her to choose wisely because what we want the most in the world may not be what's best for us.

Wow! This book opened up all the feelings for me. I think the biggest emotion for me was sadness because she only gets 24 hours with each moment she chooses. For a while there I thought I knew how Lolly’s story was going to end, and I wasn’t going to be happy about it! Thankfully I was wrong.

Did you eat lemon drops as a kid? That brought memories back for me because either my grandparents or my aunts always had lemon drops at their house.

I love "what-if" and alternative ending books. This was no exception. Even with what was learned, give me some lemon drops! Seeing the character development, history, and future all in one was a wonderful treat!

Charming, hopeful, and tender!

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is a touching, uplifting tale that takes you into the life of Lolly Blanchard, a young woman who gave up her own dreams ten years ago to come home and run the family diner and help take care of her younger sister after her mother died, as she embarks on a journey to complete at least one of her teenage goals before her upcoming thirty-third birthday of living in another country, owning her own restaurant, falling in love, helping her family be happy forever, or owning her own horse with a little help from three magic lemon drops courtesy of her Aunt Gert which will transport her to another time and place and allow her to live another life for one day.

The prose is heartfelt and smooth. The characters are multilayered, genuine, and conflicted. And the plot is an absorbing tale about life, loss, love, grief, family, friendship, relationship dynamics, introspection, heartbreak, and hope, all interwoven with a thread of magical realism.

Overall, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is a beautifully written, must-read book that tugs at the heartstrings, makes you think of all those what ifs, and reminds you that life is complicated, love is powerful and everlasting, and things often happen for a reason.

This book was perfect for me! I love a book that involves baking and a sweet story about what could have been. I had not read a book by Rachel Linden before but will be reading more in the future.

Lolly has taken over her family's diner and seems to be losing the best part of herself. With the help of some "magic" lemon drops, she is able to find her bliss. However, keeping that bliss may not be what she thinks it will be.

THE MAGIC OF LEMON DROP PIE by Rachel Linden is an enchanting and heartwarming story of lost love and second chances at happiness. As Lolly Blanchard nears her thirty-third birthday, she reflects on the fact that she has not accomplished a single thing on the goals list she created as a teen. When her mother died ten years earlier, Lolly gave up the love of her life and her dream of opening her own restaurant to care for her grief-stricken father and younger sister and to help keep their family’s struggling diner in business. With little possibility for things to change, Lolly can’t help being discouraged about her future. Her quirky great-aunt offers her an unusual gift – three lemon drops that when eaten, will allow her to live a single day in a different life she might have had. As Lolly sees what her life course might have been, can she leave her regrets behind and find her bliss in her present life? The characters captured my heart and I couldn’t help rooting for a happy ending for all of them. I so enjoyed this magical and heartfelt story and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Short synopsis: When Lolly finds her childhood list of goals, she quickly realizes she hasn’t accomplished any. When her aunt gives her “magical” lemon drops, she’s able to see what her life would be if she’d made different choices.

My thoughts: We’ve all heard the old saying “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” well I’m really tempted to make Lolly’s lemon meringue pie!

I adored Lolly and her desire to care for her family, and I loved the growth she experienced through this book. Even though I saw the ending coming, I loved it watching it unfold.

This book made my heart hurt and totally made me smile all at the same time.

Read if you’re a sucker for:
* Family businesses
* Second chance romances
* Character growth
* Lemon drops and lemon meringue pie

Pub date for this one is tomorrow Aug 2, 2022. For a feel good story with a hint of magical realism pick this one up!

Heartwarming coming-of-age novel. Absolutely enjoyed and loved the touches of magical realism ! I loved how this story had a big emphasis on living and chasing after your dreams !!!

Magical realism isn’t always for me, but this one was subtle and I loved it. What if you had a chance to see what your life could have been. Lolly has been holding the family together since her Mother passed 10 years ago. As her 33rd birthday quickly approaches she reads a childhood list of her life goals and decides to achieve one before her birthday.

This reminded me a little of the lessons of the Midnight Library in that you cannot always correctly interpret the events of your life. This quote caught my attention early on, “Continue to look for the light in your life - it is always present somewhere, some small thing to be grateful for, something to celebrate, a way to give joy to others, a new way to grow.” I think this is something we can all strive for no matter if you’re at the beginning of your life or much further along.

As Lolly saw some what ifs in her life, I grew very fond of her and her supporting cast. Her aunt Gert is great. I aspire to be her when I’m 80. I enjoyed the journey of the read and the lessons she learned as she saw her what ifs and pursued her bliss.

This was definitely the right book at the right time and was quite the uplifting read.

Romance | Adult
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As her 33rd birthday nears, Lolly Blanchard is feeling trapped and melancholic. A childhood list of goals serves a painful reminder that her life has not gone as she’d planned. Rather than owning her own trendy restaurant in another country, she runs the struggling family diner in rainy Seattle, keeping things going in memory of her mother, and to help fund her sister’s dance degree. She’s not married to the love of her life, having had to give up that romance when she took over the diner some ten years before. And she never did get a horse. (That particular goal is not lamented.) So when her eccentric great-aunt Gert offers her a chance to spend one day living three what-if scenarios (what if she’d opened her own restaurant? what if her mother had lived? what if she did not break up with her fiancé?), she takes the plunge. Magical realism alert, by the way. The science of how she does this doesn’t matter, according to Gert, it’s the what that counts. What is Lolly going to do with this knowledge? How can it help her find her true joy and bliss, regardless of the obstacles the life delivers? It’s an interesting premise, though the science did matter to me. Life is all about the obstacles and how we navigate them, how we adjust, and how we respond. Linden’s creation offers the reader a chance to reflect on our own lives, our disappointments, and how we react to challenges, and lead us to the realization that happiness isn’t a thing or even a situation, it’s a state of being that results from your outlook. It’s pretty sweet, as lemon pie often is, so prepare for a big dollop of it in this novel. I loved Aunt Gert and Eve, Lolly’s bestie who chucked a career in favour of a goat farm, more than Lolly, actually, who irritated me occasionally with her martyr-like approach to life. Still, I enjoyed it and always looked forward to getting back to my book. That says a lot. While the ending is a bit predictable, it’s neatly done with all the loose ends tied up, and all in all a better than average romance. There’s a recipe for lemon drop pie as well as a list of book club discussion questions. My thanks to Berkley Publishing for the digital reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59576013

Read/Listen If You Like:
❤️ Magical Plots
❤️ Alternate Reality
❤️ Baking
❤️ Finding your Bliss

Book Review:
First and foremost I have to say that this will be one of my favorites from this year. Throughout the book my heart was breaking for Lolly and feeling everything alongside her as she tried to figure out what she needed to do to find her bliss in life.

This story follows Lolly who is unhappy in her life. And this is brought to light when her sister finds an old notebook where she has written goals for her life when she was 13 as a class assignment and finds that none of those things she hoped for had come true even though she so desperately wanted 4 of the 5 twenty years later but had none of them.

Her kooky aunt then provides her with a chance of a lifetime to have three chances to see how life would be different if she went after those goals. She goes through living one day in alternate realities and finally finds one where she is happy and wants with her whole being to have that version of her life be hers, but when an option to make that jump and have that life becomes an option, what will she choose? The path of happiness being handed to her, or trying to find bliss with the decisions and path she has already taken?

This one made me feel all the feels and I ended up crying as I finished the book, this one definitely has some wonderful messages about the decisions we make and feelings of regret for life choices we wished we had taken but didn’t and the sacrifices that can come with those seemingly like good things that passed us by.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC of this book! I am so grateful to obtain a copy to read in advance of its release in exchange for my honest feedback!

A delicious and delightful story spiced with the right amount of magic, lovable characters, and heart. I loved how Linden stirs everything together into a beautiful creation.

Sidebar: I loved Aunt Gert--who reminded me a bit of Auntie Mame-- Live! Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!

This book is all about living life to the fullest without regret. As Lolly questions 'what if?'...she learns to follow her bliss! A feel-good story that you want to hug!

Thank you Penguin Random House International for my e-ARC in exchange for the honest review.

✨ℙ𝕒𝕤𝕥✨
Nineteen years ago Lolly wasn’t interested in boys but there was something about Rory’s face she was drawn to instantly. Rory was so sweet, friendly and protective. Lolly and Rory was truly become friends but she didn’t realize that she was starting to fall to him.

✨ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕥✨
Lolly wrote a list on her diary but never done anything on that list for twenty years. Before lemons are giving brightest summer sunshine but when her mother suddenly died, lemons never give her positive light anymore and she broke up with her first love and abandoned her dream of opening a restaurant in order to keep her family’s struggling Seattle diner afloat and care for her younger sister and grieving father. Because of Aunt Gert lemon she can go to her happy moments where she can meet her mother and live her happy life with Rory. But that was all a dream or else you choose to go back in there and live your life permanently in that dream you love.

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden is a stand-alone novel. This is a wonderful story that took me by surprise, as the concept was different and very good. We meet Lolly Blanchard, our heroine, who helps run the family diner, which is coming on hard times; she makes her own lemon meringue pies very early each morning. 10 years ago, after her mother’s death, Lolly abandoned her dream of opening up her own restaurant in Europe, determined to care for her young sister and grieving father. As her 33rd birthday approaches, her sister (Daphne) reminds her of a list she made years ago, which she never had the time to explore; she thinks about what she lost over the years, including her restaurant dream and the loss of the love of her life, Rory Shaw.

Lolly’s great Aunt Gert offers her a chance to revisit some of her regrets; to go back in time and see if she would take a different path. Her aunt gives her three magical lemon drops, allowing her to live a single day in her life to see what would have been. Lolly will choose three different situations, such as opening her restaurant in England; visiting her mom, if she didn’t pass away; and seeing her life with Rory, if she never broke up with him. This was amazing to see how Lolly was able to look at what her life could have been. To say too much more would be spoilers, and you need to read this from start to finish.

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie was a delightful, lighthearted, fun and charming story of family, love, second chances, with a wonderful heroine in Lolly. This was so very well written by Rachel Linden, which was also emotional. I wholly suggest you read The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, as it was a great read that pulled on many emotions.

This book was such a delight. I adore books with magical realism sadly there just arent many in the womens fiction genre. I thought this book was so cute i read it slow hoping it wouldnt end too soon. Now i want to read more from this author.

Every now and then, I need to be reminded to live in the present, embrace my current life and stop overthinking and books like these serve exactly that purpose. In this book, Lolly gets a chance to live out three possible different life paths and sees firsthand what could have happened? This helps her understand if her current real life is truly her path or not. It makes you ponder and pushes you into reflective mode.

Overall, it is an emotional read and definitely made me crave for all the food described so beautifully!

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie reminded me of Sliding Doors with a touch of metaphysics. As Lolly Blanchard's thirty-third birthday approaches, she realizes she hasn't achieved any of her childhood dreams and goals. Lolly is stuck running her family's struggling diner, her family hasn't recovered from her mother's untimely death, and the man she has been in love with for years is married to another woman. She also had to give up her dream of living in another country and running her own restaurant. Unexpectedly, Lolly gets a chance to explore what-ifs when her great aunt gives her three magical lemon drops that can show Lolly three different versions of her life.

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is a well-written and heartwarming story about second chances, learning to let go of regrets, and embracing the life you have. I am a fan of the "Sliding Doors" trope, and I enjoyed this book very much.

I received a complimentary advanced copy of THE MAGIC OF LEMONDROP PIE by Rachel Linden. Thank you to Berkley Publishing and PRH Audio for the chance to provide an honest review.

THE MAGIC OF LEMONDROP PIE is a unique blend of romance and magical realism. Lolly is working in her family’s restaurant, trying to help the business survive day to day. Every morning she gets up to make the lemon pies using her mother’s secret recipe given only to her on her mother’s death bed. This was never her dream future, but when her mother died ten years ago, she stepped in to help her father, act as mother to her younger sister, and keep the family dream alive.

Things keep piling on and Lolly is starting to wonder how much longer they can keep things going. When her great-aunt offers her three magical lemon drops which will grant her the opportunity to see how life could have gone with different choices, she is beyond skeptical. Still, what is the harm in trying?

While there is a romance at the heart of this story, there is a lot more more than that as well. I would say this book is even more so about Lolly finding herself. Having the chance to see how a different decision would impact things really was an interesting approach to considering how happy she is in her current life. It really kept me wondering for quite a while what the ultimate payoff was going to be!

While I did figure out a big part of the final twist partway through, that did not in any way diminish my enjoyment of Lolly’s story. This is a book that definitely had me craving all of the summery lemon treats!

Part magical realism, part romance–part story of a woman who needed to learn what she really wants out of life.

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie started out really strong for me… But then it kind of stopped holding my interest.

I managed to stick with it until the end–and I’m glad I did, because I really did enjoy the ending.

However, I just wished the bulk of the story had captured my interest just a little bit more. But that’s probably just a personal preference thing.

All-in-all the author is fantastic and her story made me feel pretty happy by the end. A definite cozy, romantic book!

Pure Magic… Rachel has wrote a book that I will never forget. I hugged it when I finished. Always a sign of a heartfelt book. This one is for anyone that has ever wondered what would happen if they picked a different path in life. It has family, love, grief, self discovery and hope. One of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Each setting painted a picture of the location and I truly felt transported. I have a couple of Rachel’s books on my backlist and I’m beyond excited to read them!!! I’m also exited to she is a local author! Alright I’ll be shouting about this one from the rooftops!