Thanks to NetGalley and the editors for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love me a bakery or coffee shop story, this was turning very cozy until they began to trace their lineage and was difficult to follow, I got lost a few times and the ghost? I didnt understand where they came from, they were very uncessesary

This book is so delightful! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Originally published back in 2013, it was recently updated in print and audiobook. Following along with Daisy’s struggle after her life takes a turn toward the unexpected - it is so easy to find yourself relating to her feelings of helplessness as she journeys through this new and unexpected phase of her life. Read along to see how Daisy’s look back at her past takes her on a journey of self discovery and healing. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

Thank you to Montlake and Net Galley for the advance copy.

3.5 stars rounded up.
Sweet (rereleased) story of Daisy - a fast paced career woman avoiding the complications of her family history - who loses her job and returns home to work at the family bakery with her sisters. A customer leaves a journal for her with clues about Virginia’s slave history and connections to her own past. In the process, Daisy does some reckoning with her own story of identity and belonging. The baking all sounds delicious and the story is sweet enough for a fairly low stakes read with romantic and emotional “coming of age” themes.

This is a novel that I received from NetGalley and Montlake Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion. This is the first of a two book series that involves a bakery and a character who was adopted. Both of those things are sure ways to get me to read a book. Daisy loses her job and her boyfriend and moves back home where her parents own a bakery. The bakery is having financial trouble and her two sisters are relying upon Daisy to fix it. Her relationship with her sisters is in need of repair and she receives a journal from a customer of the bakery who died about a slave girl. This causes her to dig into the girl's past as well as her own, finding ghosts (literally). It was an engaging read but there were a few points at which I asked myself, all right now what. But I will go on to read the sequel that was written over a decade later.

The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor was a gripping and engaging novel which I really loved.
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor.

Daisy McCrae is still reeling from losing her boyfriend and her job. She returns to a world she walked away from, working with her adoptive family at their bakery. The feeling that she has never belonged feels even more apparent this time around.

Things take a strange turn when an elderly woman gives her an old diary. The action seems out of place and Daisy is visited by ghosts, one that is determined to stop her from discovering the diary’s secrets.

There is a lot of information contained in this book. If you are a person who enjoys history and genealogies, this one is for you! I found myself flying through the last hundred pages to see what would happen next. This is a good read for teens to adult due to adult situations.

This is editorial updates to an older book.

At age three, Daisy was abandoned by her mother at a bakery. Thirty years later, her career in finance has imploded, and she returns home to that very bakery to help her (adopted) sister manage the bakery. When a run-in with an old customer prompts Daisy to explore the past, both hers and that of the owner of a nineteenth-century journalist, there are secrets that Daisy must uncover. Ghosts, relationships, and mysteries keep the readers trying to figure out exactly what to make of this story!

This is not a bad book, but it kept going in unexpected directions. I ended with more questions than the book answered. I want a nice, neat little bow!

Thank you to Net Galley and Montlake for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I did not find this book interesting in the slightest, he style is just not for me, I wouldn’t recommend this book to my friends and family.

The book centres around three sisters, Rachel, Margaret and Daisy McCrae with the latter of the three being the main character. Daisy is a successful and determined woman but when she loses her high powered job in finance, and separates from her fiance, she moves back home to her family in Virginia. There she finds the family bakery business close to financial ruin and she steps in to help save it.

Daisy is also the only one of the sisters to be adopted and has always struggled with feeling like 'a real McCrae' and finding her place in the family. When Daisy inherits a 19th century journal from an elderly customer she couldn't be more surprised. At first appearance, the journal seems to have been written by a literate slave girl called Susie.

Susie is someone that Daisy has known all her life. Her ghostly form has appeared to her since her childhood and now she is back at the bakery, Daisy still hears her... along with another ghostly presence who makes it clear he wants her gone.

The bakery itself is every bit as important as the characters. I thought it was a lovely touch to include some of the recipes at the back of the book.

This was a gripping and engaging novel which I really loved. It is a multi-faceted story and the author does a fabulous job in bringing together the present and the past, and with a paranormal aspect thrown in.

The book is about love, belonging and identity. It is about second chances and having sufficient faith and trust to start again, not just for the people but for the bakery itself.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delightful cozy read that I'm rating 3.5/5 stars. The pacing struck the perfect balance - never rushed but never dragging. What really stood out was the character development; each person felt genuine with believable strengths and weaknesses that made them relatable.

The Old Town Alexandria setting was atmospheric and well-researched, adding authentic charm to the story. My only critique is that the narrative felt somewhat incomplete by the end, leaving several threads unresolved.

That said, knowing this is the first in a series makes the open ending more acceptable, and I'm definitely interested in continuing with the next book. Recommended for readers who enjoy character-driven fiction with family drama elements.

Found this book hard to start and continue. I didn't enjoy the author's style and could not get into the story, my personal view point.
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.

A novel about identity, family, and the village we create. Daisy, who has always felt like an outsider because she was adopted has come back to town and is working with her sister in the family bakery when she's given the diary of an enslaved woman. There are family secrets and lies here but the focus is very much on how Daisy comes to appreciate herself. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. And- recipes.

I received another of her books - After Paris - as a free ARC and ADORED that. So when I saw this was available, too, I knew I had to request it.

Daisy’s story is wonderful. It reminds us of the importance of chosen family, and that the people who we are born to tragically don’t always have the right to be in our lives if their behaviour is damaging.

The cozy hygge of the bakery had me wanting to experiment in the kitchen with my babies.

Also interwoven with historical references to the Underground Railroad and the American slave trade, I love that Mary Ellen’s books are always inclusive and find a way to highlight past atrocities in a compassionate and respectful way.

Whilst some of her other books have romance as one of the main storylines, it wasn’t prevalent in this one. I found this refreshing and instead adored that the focus remained solely on family and friends.

And this story is a beautiful allegory that sometimes chosen family can be the most important.

Once I finished this I immediately checked (and was immensely excited) that NetGalley has the sequel, which I’ve also been approved for and can’t wait to review. A beautiful series peppered with the perfect dose of suspense and mystery.

**Trigger warnings** Sudden death of a family member leaving behind a wife and young children, and abandonment of a child that resulted in a (happy and loving) adoption.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor!

The Union Street Bakery is one of those quietly powerful reads that hits you right in the feels. Daisy’s life is a total mess—no job, no fiancé, no clue what’s next—so she ends up crashing in the attic above her family’s bakery, feeling like she doesn’t really belong. But then she finds a journal from Susie, a young enslaved girl from the 1800s, and everything changes. The past and present start to blur in the best way, and Daisy’s journey of figuring out who she is (and where she fits) is messy, emotional, and so real. Throw in some family drama, ghostly vibes, and a whole lot of heart, and you’ve got a story that’s as warm and layered as a fresh loaf of bread (get it?). Loved it.

This was a wonderful read indeed, I’ld highly recommend it for cozy mystery lovers!!
Engaging, thrilling and touching plot and characters that will keep you interested throughout reading the book
Full detailed review :
https://www.instagram.com/p/DKe-zs7I2sr/?igsh=N3ltb3gyc2YyNXhy

The Union Street Bakery is a heartfelt and emotional story about family, identity, and starting over. I really enjoyed Daisy’s journey, after losing her job and relationship, she returns home to help with her family's bakery. At first, she struggles to fit in, but as she reconnects with her sisters and discovers an old journal written by a girl named Susie, her past starts to come into focus.

The story was fast paced and filled with emotion. I liked the mix of past and present through Susie’s journal, which added a deeper layer to the plot. Some parts, like the ghostly elements, didn’t really work for me and felt a little out of place, but overall, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

The characters were bold, the writing was strong, and the message of healing and belonging really stood out.

3.5/5 - rounded up

I enjoyed the writing of this book and will likely look at other books by this author. I don't know if this was the one for me.

I appreciated Daisy's search for her birth mom and feeling like something was missing. I did not quite understand her apparent hostility towards her adoptive family. I understood the history and exploring the generations via a deceased neighbor's attic papers, I did not understand the need for ghosts. They seemed like a pointless feature when there were no other supernatural elements involved. It added a distraction that kept the plot from feeling grounded.

I was happy and fulfilled by the ending, but some of the elements didn't work for me.

Daisy comes home begrudgingly to help run her family's bakery. But as she starts over, she learns more about her family and about herself.
I enjoyed this book. It moves fast and the characters are bright and bold.
I am looking forward to the next book..

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

“The Union Street Bakery” by Mary Ellen Taylor is a heartwarming and deep story.

I liked the dynamics between the characters and the smooth writing style.

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

This story absolutely tugged at my heartstrings in the best way. Daisy’s journey felt so raw and real. The writing is tender and evocative, and the family dynamics are messy but achingly honest. It isn’t just a story about loss or finding yourself; it’s about the messy, beautiful ways we heal, connect, and keep going. I couldn’t help but cheer for Daisy all the way.