The Union Street Bakery is such a charming story that explores the power of family, food, and second chances. I loved the mix of family drama with a touch of history and the culinary charm.

Such a cozy novel with it's great story of the History of a bakery and what makes a family, family.
The main Character Daisy it turns out is adopted but the way her family and friends treat her you would think she was born into the family. Makes my heart smile when I read books where everyone is accepted no matter where they come from or how they got there. Daisy receives a journal that will shed light on where she comes from and many other mysteries in the town. Such a lovely and enjoyable book. While this is the 1st book in the series I already have the 2nd book geared up to read as I enjoyed this one so much.

I listened to the Audiobook arc and the narrator was fantastic and perfect for this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc audiobook.

I appreciated The Union Street Bakery for its warm and nuanced portrayal of family ties. This novel centers on a protagonist rediscovering her heritage through the lens of a beloved bakery, blending Southern charm with emotional resonance. Mary Ellen Taylor’s evocative storytelling makes this a delightful and introspective experience.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance copy!

A slow-paced story of family, found family and belonging. The sisters are particularly compelling, and it's poignant that no one felt like Daisy wasn't a "real" McCrae, forgetting that she hasn't been there her whole life, while Daisy can't stop thinking of all that is missing. It made me think about adopted children and their perspective, even in a perfect family, and all the missing pieces and questions they must carry. The romance wasn't great, I'd have preferred the story without that, but it was acceptable.

enjoyed this title well enough. Our fmc Daisy is relatable and likeable, we are given her character arc fairly early in and it was nice to see her growth throughout. I enjoyed the relationships with her sisters and even the bakery itself it was really nice to see a character settle into a role that was less than their dreams yet fit them so well. I enjoyed the mystery that carried through the story and the little snippets of paranormal activity were fun.

I note this seems to be a third time publication, which obviously means old reviews, from the old reviews I see lots of comments about strong language, I’m not offended by profanity so it could be that I missed some of it, but it seemed there were only a handful of swear words so I’m making the assumption that the language has been cleaned up a little for this release, which made me even more baffled about one line in particular along the lines of some days Rachel loves her children, other days she’s happily sell thorn to the Gypsy’s, this is far more offensive than any strong language, it’s a racist statement that I’d strongly recommend be removed or replaced. I’d like to give the author the benefit of the doubt in that perhaps it’s a saying she’s heard, I’ve heard it myself. I just feel strongly that if the book is being cleaned up this should be part of the process 2.5 🌟 rounded up only for this reason.
Nice audio narration.

Thanks to Brilliance publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

I listened to the audiobook for this one. The author had me hooked from the first page. I liked how it explored the complexity of emotions the main character experience due to being adopted and how it shaped her adult life.
I also liked the historical part of the story. There were a few holes in the plot but overall it was a great read.

This one was a cozy read about identity, family, and second chances. I loved the introduction of the journal and how the characters worked together to find the answers about Daisy's birth family. The little bits of magical realism added a nice touch. The narrator of the audio version did a good job bringing the story to life.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book was just not for me. It felt dark and dreary and depressing, and I could not get into it.

"But I didn't do any of those things. I kept my head down, basically obsessed with trimming trees while the forest burned." If this doesn't feel like the current mission statement of my life, I don't know what does.

It's almost spooky (period, am I right?) how the timing of this audiobook was granted and ended up in my reading queue. I just found out from a coworker yesterday that they were part of a closed adoption and didn't know where they were from, their family's medical history, etc., but they were able to locate their biological family accidentally through the discovery of an old document. Following a trail of breadcrumbs, they were able to trace their family tree to a plantation, and learn so much more about their past than they ever thought possible. The parallels are heartbreaking and encouraging and sickening, and I think having a friend experience similar situations made this a much more emotional "read" for me.

That being said, the family histories mentioned in the book were a bit hard to keep track of by audiobook, but it all came together so perfectly in the end. It is probably easier to follow along and keep the characters straight when reading yourself. Moniqua Plante did a phenomenal job with the audio. So good, in fact, I do not recommend listening to the story late at night if you are easily spooked and jumpy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for this audio ARC!

The Union Street Bakery is one of those rare novels that quietly nestles into your heart while unraveling a deeply layered story about identity, family, and the invisible threads that tie the past to the present.
The audiobook narrator is so soothing to listen to and captures the cast of characters well.
At the center is Daisy McCrae, a woman grappling with the collapse of her career and personal life, who returns to her adoptive family’s bakery — not out of desire, but out of necessity.
Daisy’s journey isn’t straightforward. She's emotionally guarded, out of sync with her sisters, and unsure of her place in a family she feels only partially connected to. And just when the story could settle into familiar territory, it takes an unexpected turn: Daisy begins to encounter ghosts. These aren’t terrifying apparitions but quiet reminders that the past is still very much alive within the bakery’s walls.
When Daisy discovers a journal written by Susie, a young enslaved girl from the 1800s, the novel deepens in resonance. Through Susie’s voice, history is not just remembered — it’s felt. Daisy’s search for meaning, closure, and self-understanding begins to parallel the unfinished story woven into the foundations of the bakery itself.
What makes this novel especially compelling is how it embraces emotional complexity. Healing isn’t easy, and the relationships — particularly between the McCrae sisters — are messy, fractured, and tender. The story doesn’t force quick resolutions; instead, it allows time and vulnerability to do the work.
Taylor’s writing is inviting and heartfelt, making the book an absorbing, nearly unputdownable read. The setting is warm and evocative, the plot quietly gripping, and the characters linger in your mind long after the final page.
In the end, The Union Street Bakery is more than a tale of personal redemption — it’s a reminder that family is often defined not by blood, but by love, forgiveness, and the courage to face the truth. It’s a book that feels like comfort food with a sharp emotional edge — satisfying, surprising, and rich with meaning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the advanced copy.

I’ll be extremely honest since I was given an eARC (well.. audiobook more like it) but I knew within the first 5 minutes that somehow the narrator didn’t felt like a voice match (to me) for the story. It was read too slow (sure, you can speed but it does alter the tone) and it had me DNF’g at around 40%. Made me wonder if I would’ve stuck to it had i had the physical copy /:

This started off slow for me and then there was a lot going on. Daisy had a mother who left her as a young child and is still dealing with that as an adult. Her found family and the bakery they all run together has many issues. Her losing her job and ending a relationship. Her getting a journal and finding out a lot of information from that. I will say listening on audio all the people in the journal were a bit confusing. I wanted to know the story of Susie but there were a lot of extra characters for me in the journal. This story was about a woman finding herself and I enjoyed it.

4.25⭐️
It’s always interesting when a book is republished and you can look back at reviews from the original.
This book was initially published in 2013 and one of the biggest criticisms was the casual use of swear words. It makes me want to get an old copy to see the differences to see how much the book was updated and edited (which it was).

I expect it may have used the feedback and reduced the amount of using the swear words because while they were present it wasn’t gratuitous or in excess. But I do wonder how much was reduced or if most was kept but looking at it with 2025 sensibilities that it’s not a big deal? I mention that because reading reviews can seem strange on a republished book since some folks may look to compare pub dates.

Anyway… I consumed the audiobook and the narrator Moniqua Plante did a good job with her performance. It was a touch slow at the 1x speed where it didn’t come off as natural speech. Sort of drawn out a bit and sleepy. But thankfully you can adjust the speed and doing so made it quite enjoyable. It could easily be listened to at 2x and was perfectly understandable and allowed it to be consumed in under 5 hours. She also did a good job with the different characters voices. She was consistent in the characters as did a great job with children’s voices.

The story was a mix of uplifting and heartbreaking depending on how you looked at things. While there was a romance component, I would definitely describe this book as a Women’s Fiction as it explores the FMCs life as she learns about herself, her family and comes to terms with her place in life. This book would make for a great book club read as there is a lot that could be discussed. I also loved the historical parts by the way of letters and research and how things connected to the present.

This book rereleases on June 24th, 2025. It’ll make for a great summer read!


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from Brilliance Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Very heartfelt and precious!
Started off a bit slow but it understandable because it covers a lot back story from why her mother left, finding herself and fitting in to her new found family after so many years. It gives you hope of no matter what your past circumstances were or how your life falls apart you can always find where you belong!