Veronica Stratton is at a bit of a life crossroads with her culinary consulting business and after a breakup. That Christmas, her sister gives the family DNA tests and Veronica has it confirmed she's adopted. Her family sends her to the four countries she is from (Ireland, France, Italy, and Denmark) to try and discover her roots and along the way she finds some romance and unexpected answers about her past.

This book was an absolute delight to read. I loved how the book had Veronica process the new information by traveling and embracing and trying to understand new cultures. The characters were down to earth and relatable and Veronica's slow processing of a momentous life change seemed very realistic. The romance was slightly cheesy in the beginning as Veronica and the love interest fell head over heels pretty quickly, but this did even out. I was sad that minimal time was spent in Denmark, but that's just because I love the country.

I loved everything about “The Wandering Season” by Aimie K. Runyan, and I highly recommend this memorable and captivating novel. Pack your imagination and off we go on an incredible journey in this well- written and mesmerizing story. The genres for this novel are Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Travel, Magical Realism, Sister’s Fiction, Women’s Domestic Life Fiction, and Romance. The locations for this story are set in Estes Park, Ireland, France,Denmark, Italy and New York. I love how the author vividly describes the scenery, and her colorful and dramatic characters. As a side bonus, the author describes foods in such a sensory and delightful way, and offers some recipes in the back of the book.

Veronica Stratton searches for specialty foods as her business, and has been an asset to her customers, and often is asked why she doesn’t run a restaurant. Veronica is on a journey to find herself. She has been going with a boyfriend for a long time and questions her feelings about a commitment. Veronica often wonders why she doesn’t look like her parents or sister. For Christmas, Veronica’s sister gives Her a DNA test. When the results of the DNA test comes back, Veronica takes a chance and decides to both escape and explore the countries listed on the DNA report. She is eager to find her ancestors, and possible answers. With the emotional support from her best friend and sister, Veronica is encouraged to go. She does meet some intriguing and exceptional people, and has some “visions” of her ancestors.

I appreciate that the author discusses issues as the importance of family, friends, sisterhood, honesty, communication, self-discovery, hope and love. Some of Veronica’s ancestors were courageous and determined to survive and make a better life. I hope there is a sequel to this book.

The Wandering Season is a charming and heartfelt story of identity, heritage and belonging. It had a bit of a feel of the Seven Sisters series, with the gentle romance, the journey to discover oneself through the past, and the magical realism/slight suspension of disbelief.

I thoroughly enjoyed Veronica’s ‘wandering’. The desire to experience the places of her ancestors was both relatable and interesting, and I loved the way she experienced each country through their food. The visions felt a little disconnected from the story and seemed to break the flow, though I did enjoy the perspectives they provided. I also liked the way that Veronica’s world expanded through travel, to a satisfying and heartwarming conclusion.

I enjoyed this both as an ebook and audiobook, and would recommend both. The narrator did a wonderful job of capturing quite a large and varied cast of characters, with a wide range of accents. The production beautifully captures the meandering pace and flow of the writing, creating a sense of relaxation and adventure that was delightfully immersive.

Overall, this is a light, heartfelt, cosy, and whimsical read, perfect for anyone looking to do a little ‘wandering’.

Thank you HarperCollins Focus for an advance copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Veronica Stratton, a specialty food broker with a business riding close to the margins, visits her parents in idyllic Estes Park for Christmas, only to discover that her long-held belief that she is adopted is true. Having recently broken up with her longtime boyfriend, she realises that she was not committed to him as she had thought. When Veronica decides to go to Europe to escape and to find the four places listed on her DNA ancestry report, she finds herself visiting County Mayo, the Dordogne region of France, Copenhagen, Denmark, and Tuscany. Veronica hopes that in visiting each place, she will uncover more of her ancestry, but all she finds are more questions than answers. Top of the list is how the brooding Irish restauranteur Niall Callaghan will fit into her visions for the future.
The romance between Niall and Veronica was almost second to Veronica discovering her ancestry. I enjoyed seeing how she uncovered a bit more of herself in each location that she visited. The connection to food was cleverly interwoven into the story—the descriptions were very vivid.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a lush story to match the stunning cover. Filled with detailed descriptions of food and scenery and history. Our protagonist experiences all of this as she wanders the globe in search of insights into her ancestry. The author explores themes of family and love with a unique twist. There were some magical realism components that didn’t quite align with the tale for me, but it didn’t take away from the overall beauty of the story. Thank you to the author, publisher and Uplit Reads for the opportunity to read an early copy-all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Wandering Season is the perfect title for this book. We follow a young woman who discovers she is adopted on her quest in Europe to discover a bit of where she came from. She has an amazing support group with her family and best friend who encourages all along the way. And a wonderful love interest she met as well.

This is my first book that I have read by this author. I felt her writing was easy to read and she included as I mentioned above some wonderful characters. I was a bit caught off guard by the whole ghost thing, which I was not expecting. It kind of gave off a bit of a fantasy vibe. And, I was overjoyed that there was a happy ending. Also, if you enjoy wine and dining, then you will love this novel.
3.75 stars
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher, and this is my honest opinion

I really liked this book and the characters, but if you aren't prepared for some visions from the past or a few plot points that seem really unlikely then this book isn't for you. However, if you enjoy happy coincidences and echo visions from ancestors this book is for you.

I loved that the book starts right out in the first chapter with the catalyst for the entire book and then continues that speed through out. I looked forward every evening to reading more of this book and seeing where the story went.

The book wraps itself up nicely in the end and I wasn't left with any questions. It's a lovely story with good characters and just enough information to keep things interesting. This would make a fantastic beach read this summer! Especially if you aren't getting to travel far and want to indulge in someone else's trip.

4.25 stars. The Wandering Season is my first read by Aimie K. Runyan and I really enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for the chance to read this via gifted eARC. All thoughts are my own and honest.

Wow, I’m not sure where to start. Veronica’s journey was so different from other stories I’ve read. I felt fully immersed in each place she visited in her travels, and I really liked that she went to small towns and not large, touristy areas, connecting more with her heritage and her love of cooking. The visions of the women who came before her were unique and they worked really well in this story.

The supporting characters were top notch! Avery, Stephanie, and Niall were so supportive of Veronica in her travels and learning about her heritage and encouraging her to pursue her dreams.

This is definitely one of the most under the radar books I’ve read this year (I haven’t seen anyone I follow posting about it). It definitely deserves the hype. If contemporary fiction is your thing, I definitely recommend picking this one up!

If you are a fan of Under the Tuscan Sun, you will certainly enjoy this gastric journey! Thank you @harpermusebooks @uplitreads for an early finished copy of @bookishaimie ‘s new release, THE WANDERING SEASON, out April 1, 2025.

This novel is a gastric tour of my favorite countries: Ireland, Italy, France, Denmark. We travel along as Veronica seeks to discover her heritage and ancestry after an awkward holiday DNA test moment with her family. [anyone think about 23andMe as soon as you read that?? Talk about TIMING! ha!]

I liked that the novel moves at a slower pace, as Vero discovers the beautiful nuances of each country, including the local people. I really liked Niall Callahan as a character- perfectly written. There's a touch of magical realism, as Vero has vivid, realistic dreams about historical figures having lived where she is visiting.

I actually really enjoyed this novel, and this is one you could grab and slowly enjoy during the spring season- watching Vero unfold into who she truly is, while the spring trees and flowers bloom into their new season.

Didn't thrill me: not what I expected🤔

The idea of the plot summed up in the blurb seemed something I'd really like. Travelling around Europe to discover more about the countries Veronica's ancestors came from: drew me in. But the execution left me unsatisfied. The story is very foodcentric, which is logical considering the female lead's backstory and profession. I was not so drawn into the cooking and food shopping aspects of the story, but they were at least expected and not too OTT. And I liked the idea of Veronica unexpectedly finding romance (though it did come off lightning fast).

The family dynamics when the big secret of her birth is uncovered in a family Christmas celebration and then the aftermath effect on her relationship with her parents seemed realistic and worked pretty well.

But the magical realism just did not work for me. Some of the visions Veronica had were scenery-chewing melodrama, left major questions never answered, and there were unexplained elements (plot holes for me) like how did Veronica understand the people in these visions; she wasn't a linguist that I knew of. The women in these looks into the past seemed too modern, especially Carlotta's own control of her fortune in the early 1800s and attitude toward her husband. Just didn't make the realism cut. The coincidence of Veronica's sister Avery booking accommodations in just the right places: just no! And the romance seemed a bit tepid for me. A nice, happy ending, but I almost didn't get there.

I guess I was expecting more travelogue and actual history with a stronger love component.

Thanks to HarperCollins Focus/Harper Muse and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 3/27/25 on Waterstones, Goodreads and Bookbub, and with Barnes & Noble. To be shared with kobo and Google Play upon publication.

Thanks to Harper Muse for an advanced copy of The Wandering Season by Aimie K. Runyan.

This book combined two things I love - travel and food in a book of self-discovery and connecting to your roots.

Veronica has a unique business as a specialty food broker and when she takes a DNA test and confirms she is adopted and her background is from Ireland, France, Italy and Denmark. Her family surprises her with a 4 week trip to explore her roots.

I loved the travel aspect with the small towns and food elements. This tied in so well together and seeing Veronica immersed in the mostly small towns she visited. I didn't like the visions as much for that connection to her ancestors, but I could see the way the author used that to tie the story together.

I enjoyed this book and escaping into this story.

The Wandering Season comes out April 1st.

Aimie Runyan takes us on a fun filled journey across Europe filled with excellent food, new friends and some ancestral connections in the form of “dreams”. When Veronica’s sister Avery gave her family gifts of a DNA kit to determine their ancestry, it was not taken well by their parents. We find out that they adopted Veronica as a newborn and had never told her. The family purchases and plans a trip for her to see the countries where she had ancestors.
Veronica is a high quality food broker and uses the trip as a way to gain connections as well as find out more about each country. While visiting each country, she has visions of an ancestral scene showing strong women. The descriptions of food and the countries are written well enough to make me visualize both. I enjoyed this book.

Thank you to Harper Collins Focus/Harper Muse, Aimie K. Runyan and NetGalley for this advanced read. The opinion expressed is my own. Release date is April 1, 2025.

Wow…..what an incredible journey this book has taken me on! I have been transported around Europe with Veronica and now feel rather bereft that the journey is over. I have come to really savour Aimie K. Runyan’s novels. Her writing is beautifully descriptive - I felt fully immersed in Veronica’s wanderings; I could vividly picture each location; I could taste and smell the culinary experiences. Veronica and her parents in particular, felt very ‘human’ with feelings, thoughts and emotions that are real and valid in relation to the adoption circumstances.

Whilst Veronica’s journey is a physical one to several European locations, her journey is also one of self-discovery and personal growth. This book has left me in no doubt that “a bit of wandering is good for the soul.” Oh and the ending is absolutely perfect! 5 stars and more!

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins Focus for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Wandering Season is to an avid reader what fine dining is to a foodie-perfection on every level! This culinary experience begins with an introduction to Veronica’s situation and family dynamics on Christmas Eve in snow covered Estes Park, Colorado. The wait staff is comprised of fabulous characters: Veronica’s darling, bubbly fashionista sister, Avery, her best friend Stephanie, and the loving, always supportive parents.
The main course or plot is driven by the findings of the DNA test kits given as presents from Avery. Veronica embarks on a journey planned by Avery, through four countries that correlate with her ancestors. Thank goodness for dad’s American Express and Avery’s two steps ahead planning savvy! Food sourcing vendors and new products was Veronica’s mission but visions of generations before helped guide and reveal her family background and history. Runyan’s transitions between reality and dreams fade in and out seamlessly like an adroit waiter anticipating your dining needs at every turn.
Every menu is capped with a fine dessert and so it is in The Wandering Season. Thoughts of the romantic possibility of an alluring Irish castle and its keeper will linger as Veronica explores her roots and finally realizes her own self-worth. The “close your eyes and savor” moment comes when Veronica reveals her new life plan- and the pièce de résistance- her favorite recipes from each country visited!
Aimie K. Runyan’s The Wandering Season is a delicious literary and culinary experience worthy of five Michelin stars.

i really did enjoy this book. it held a place the serious points but without takin it down a dark and burdening plot like it could of. it managed to add the parts we needed. and perhaps sometimes we can believe that when hit with hard things, people do just keep moving and make things good. id like to believe that. and thats not to say our main character had it easy! oh no. having found out she is adopted she feel unmoored. unsettled with a sense of loss for so much of herself that wasnt ever true. i felt truly heartbroken for veronica at this point. i dont know how you would cope with such a revelation. well, in her case she has a sister, a sister who sends her out into the world to go and discover all those parts of her true self. she does so by visiting the places her DNA report informs her of. its is here where she meets many a place and people who will change and help her find her true self. and possibly finally find her true home even that home within herself.
the added romance element is of course a winner.
and for me the fact our veronica was a baker and so food was involved throughout just meant this book kept on getting better and better.
i enjoyed this book so much more than i thought i would. and id happily give it out to any of my friends or family to snuggle down to.
i also think sometimes we need absolute factual plot points. and sometimes we all need something that doesnt need to do this and in ourselves need to just enjoy a good fiction book and put judgment of how "real" it is aside. and once you do that you can really enjoy some top books for what they are.
this is one of those books. i think some people might not find certain incidences true to life. but who knows. stranger things have happened to a fair few people ive known in life. so maybe this is truer than we think. or truer than our cynical brains let us believe.

This book was a nice story and was enjoyable to read. If only we could all have a trip like this one. Makes me want to visit some of the places described in this story.

Veronica had an unsettled few years after discovering she was adopted and she doesn’t want to let her parents know what she has found out. Coasting through life for awhile before parts of her past come out into the open has made her relationships change. Veronica’s sister sends her on a trip of discovery which has interesting and unexpected results. After some discovering while traveling she figures out what direction she would like her life to take. With help from family and friends she works to make her dreams come true.

I would recommend this book to everyone. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus/Harper Muse for an advanced copy of this book. Opinions in this review are my own.

After the gift of a DNA kit from her sister leads to the revelation that she's adopted, Veronica sets off on a trip to discover her roots. From Ireland to France to Italy, she learns about her heritage, and comes to terms with the shifting in her own lifestory.
This book is sweet and uncomplicated. I feel like the ending wrapped everything up a little too easily, but isn't that what you want from a quasi-romance novel? Without having any spoilers, I was mixed on how Veronica discovers some of the information about her ancestors, but can accept the plot device without too many qualms. No regrets on reading this one but wouldn't necessarily recommend it to others.

I’ll start off with accolades: Thank you to author, Aimee K Runyan, publisher Harper Muse, and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are wholly my own. This novel is available to readers on April 1st, 2025.

This novel, told in first person, takes place in Colorado, New York, Ireland, France, Italy, and Denmark. It also incorporates modern travel with a bit of magic/fantasy rolled into the plot for a bit of interesting nuance. What I loved most about it was the culinary aspect of the plot line. The foods she indulged in during her travels were enticing and exquisite in nature, and I found the recipes at the end of the book to be a delight!!

For me, however, this book was rather trite and banal. It is filled with nauseating clichés, far too simplistic language, and its predictability factor was far too immense for me to truly enjoy it or rate it highly. Additionally, its ending wrap-up appeared to be far too rushed. My apologies for this rather harsh review, but it is, unfortunately, what it is.

Upon finally having her suspicions confirmed that she is adopted and some past family connections revealed through a DNA test, Veronica is sent on an overseas holiday by her sister to explore where her ancestors came from.
This is such a hard book to review as there are so many lines running through it. I thoroughly enjoyed the slight magical realism in the various places that Veronica visited. I did become slightly annoyed in some aspects, namely the money that was just seemingly splashed around, yet became frustrated at Veronica’s flat out refusal to accept any help from her family. Contradictory I know but I just didn’t know how I felt about it all.
Over all I did enjoy this book but I think it is one just to take as it is. A book about finding your roots, your family, biological and other and finally yourself.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy to read.

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it was amazing

I loved this story!! Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Publishing for an ARC to read and review.
A character driven story of a family living in Colorado. I enjoyed all the family members and especially Veronica who has just learned as an adult that she was adopted. Her sister who is the biological child of her parents gave her a DNA kit showing her ancestry. Her family convinces her to take a trip to find her roots.
I loved learning about Veronica’s job as a food specialty broker and all the descriptions of wonderful food throughout the book - even some great recipes.
I loved the romance and magical realism in the book as well.
But most of all I loved the travel descriptions in the book. Great promo for the concept of slow travel which I greatly enjoy.
Highly recommend this book for fans of romance novels with more depth, foodies and lovers of travel.
This book also provides insight into the idea of adoption and all the forms and consequences it may have. A sensitive look at the adoptees feelings as well as the loved ones around her!
Cannot wait to buy my own copy April 1. This feels like a signature book for me.