Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Fiction / Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Rachel Linden
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: August 2nd, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An uplifting novel about a heartbroken young pie maker who is granted a magical second chance to live the life she didn’t choose. . . . from the bestselling author of The Enlightenment of Bees.

Lolly Blanchard’s life only seems to give her lemons. Ten years ago, after her mother’s tragic death, 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. Now, a decade later, she dutifully whips up the diner’s famous lemon meringue pies each morning while still pining for all she’s lost.

As Lolly’s thirty-third birthday approaches, her quirky great-aunt gives her a mysterious gift–three lemon drops, each of which allows her to live a single day in a life that might have been hers. What if her mom hadn’t passed away? What if she had opened her own restaurant in England? What if she hadn’t broken up with the only man she’s ever loved? Surprising and empowering, each experience helps Lolly let go of her regrets and realize the key to transforming her life lies not in redoing her past but in having the courage to embrace her present.

MY HEART.

I’ve been reading a lot of heavier contemporaries lately and they are squeezing my heart for all its worth. This wasn’t initially on my radar and I’m glad I gave it a go because DANG Y’ALL. IT’S SO GOOD.

I loved the magical realism concept. It worked well within the story and allowed for those much needed glimpses into Lolly’s life and history. Each memory sent me into a puddle of emotions and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I loved the exploration of grief, finding your path, choosing love and the hard decisions that can stand in your way.

I did get minorly frustrated with a small aspect (hence the 1/2 star deduction) otherwise. I really have no notes. I usually struggle with books that lean towards fiction over romance and that was absolutely not the case here. I wanted both Lolly’s story and her romantic life to have that happy and satisfying conclusion (which does happen!!). It was beautiful. Highly recommend the audiobook too.

Overall audience notes:

• Contemporary Fiction / Romance
• Language: light
• Romance: make-outs
• Trigger/Content Warnings: parental death (car accident), stroke

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