The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden Published by Penguin on August 2, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Magical Realism, Fiction / Romance / General, Fiction / Women
Pages: 352
Format: eBook
Source: Library
NOW THE HALLMARK CHANNEL FILM THE MAGIC OF LEMON DROPS STARRING LYNDSY FONESCA AND IAN HARDING!
“Heartfelt, heartwarming, joyful, and uplifting. You can't go wrong with a Rachel Linden book.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber
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 Review
This book came to my attention because of a friend. I had never heard of this author, let alone this book, but I am so glad that I took a chance on it. I absolutely loved this story, and I truly believe it would make a great Hallmark-type movie. I will say that this book had me thinking a lot about my past and all the what-ifs that I often come back to in life. Reader, if you are someone who also thinks about the what-ifs in your life, then beware; this story may make you think more about them. Honestly, though, I thought it was a great read, and I loved every minute of it. I also believe that it had some good life lessons, and I marked up a number of the pages because of all the great lines. So, without further ado, let me get into the review.
This is the story of Lolly and Rory and the unexpected turns that life makes, whether you want them or not. To her shock, Lolly will be turning thirty-three soon, and she has managed to stumble upon one of her childhood diaries. This diary contains a list of things that she hopes to accomplish by the time her thirty-third birthday rolls around. She discovers that she has not accomplished really anything on this list, which makes her feel a bit like a failure. The knowledge of this really makes her struggle, which in turn makes her want to accomplish at least one of the tasks. The problem is she has no idea how to go about this or even which goal to work toward. I mean, really, there isn’t much time, especially for some of the bigger items on the list. Lucky for Lolly, Aunt Gert comes to the rescue with three magical lemon drops that can take her back to three different times in her life. These lemon drops allow her to see what would have happened if she had actually managed to accomplish some of these things. Really, it is a chance for Lolly to go back to her biggest sorrows and regrets in life. Reader, is this something that you would do? Would you take the chance to go back to three different moments in your life to see how things would have played out if your what-ifs never happened? I am going to be honest here: I struggled with what I would do. You see, Reader, I am someone who thinks a lot, maybe even too much, and I am just not sure how I would handle not having the what-ifs. Remember, by not having the what-ifs, you may not have something or someone in your life that you have now. Is it worth it, even if it is only for a day? This is what we get to see as Lolly goes through each lemon drop and the feeling that she is left with once she returns to her own time and place.
You must always follow your bliss, even in this, Lolly. Things feel dark, it’s true, but there will always be a spark of light. Follow that. It will show you where you need to go. (pg. 266)
I really loved seeing how Lolly took care of her family after her mother’s tragic and unexpected passing. I thought that she really stepped it up when it came to taking care of her little sister and working in the restaurant with her dad. Lolly really put her life on hold for her family and missed out on some things that she had desperately wanted. I found this to be a very honorable thing to do. Reader, if you have lost a parental figure in your life at an early age, you understand how it can shape your life into something that you were not expecting, and that is exactly what happened with Lolly and her dreams. I loved watching her interactions with the people in her life, such as her sister, father, mother, Rory, and her Aunt Gert, who, by the way, I loved. She is such an eccentric character, and I love the wisdom that she shares throughout the book. I can only hope to be as fantastic as she is when I am in my eighties.
I know that I have already said this, but I really do believe that this would make a fantastic Hallmark movie. Reader, if you love stories that are about families and lifes what-ifs then I think that this story will make you very happy. It is not a story full of fluff; there are some difficult times in this story and hard decisions that need to be made, much like in real life. I think that the author did a great job portraying these matters and the characters who are forced to live them. As Aunt Gert says on page 289, Follow your bliss, every glimmer of light, and it will guide you on your true path. Please tell me if you have read anything by this author. If you have, what is it that you read, and did you enjoy it? I am always curious to know what others are reading. Until Next Time, Reader, Happy Reading.
Trying to change the past is pointless. We can only change our future by the choices we make today. (pg. 315)
Trigger Warnings:
- Unexpected Death
- Parental Death
- Grief
- Loss
- Stroke
- Aneurysm
- Relationship Break Up
- Broken Dreams
- Car Accident