I have been a fan of Amy Reichert’s beautifully told stories for years, starting with The Coincidence of Coconut Cake , followed by Luck, Love & Lemon Pie, The Simplicity of Cider, and The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go. I was thrilled to see that she had a new book out in 2021 and was excited to have an opportunity to read and review it.
The Kindred Spirits Supper Club is an April 2021 release from Berkley Publishing
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, see disclosures for more detail.
About the Book:
For Sabrina Monroe, moving back home to the Wisconsin Dells–the self-described Waterpark Capital of the World–means returning to the Monroe family curse: the women in her family can see spirits who come to them for help with unfinished business. But Sabrina’s always redirected the needy spirits to her mom, who’s much better suited for the job. The one exception has always been Molly, a bubbly rom-com loving ghost, who stuck by Sabrina’s side all through her lonely childhood.
Her personal life starts looking up when Ray, the new local restaurateur, invites Sabrina to his supper club, where he flirts with her over his famous Brandy Old-Fashioneds. He’s charming and handsome, but Sabrina tells herself she doesn’t have time for romance–she needs to focus on finding a job. Except the longer she’s in the Dells, the harder it is to resist her feelings for Ray. Who can turn down a cute guy with a fondness for rescue dogs and an obsession with perfecting his fried cheese curds recipe?
When the Dells starts to feel like home for the first time and with Ray in her corner, Sabrina begins to realize that she can make a difference and help others wherever she is.
My Thoughts:
I gave this book 4.5 stars
This book is like getting a big comfortable hug.
I love Amy Reichert’s writing, her food descriptions and sense of location and place are absolutely delightful, drawing the reader in and making us want to stay.
I could relate so well to Sabrina and her anxiety. At first, her personality was kind of grating until I discovered the reasons behind her actions and reactions. Ray makes the perfect compliment to Sabrina and the progression of their romance is swoon-worthy. The mystery isn’t a big surprise, but the mysterious element adds another layer of interest. I’ll admit to shedding a couple of tears at the end when things all come together.
I also love that the narrative gives full attention to the tropes it embodies–from the meet cute at the beginning to the fake dating to the high school nemesis–there are some tongue-in-cheek chuckles when the characters acknowledge the cheesiness of them, yet somehow it just all works to create such a fun story.