Book Review: The Kindred Spirits Supper Club | Amy E. Reichert

Charming, adorable romcom with one of the most beloved heroines ever—this is your perfect summer read!

About the Book

Jobless and forced home to Wisconsin, journalist Sabrina Monroe can tolerate reunions with frenemies and kisses from old boyfriends, but not the literal ghosts that greet her in this heartwarming tale of the power of love and connection from acclaimed author Amy E. Reichert.

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.

Reflection

Set in the heat of a summer in the Wisconsin Dells, Amy E. Reichert’s The Kindred Spirits Supper Club is not your typical summer romance. Sabrina is an incredibly dynamic lead, and in addition the stress she feels from losing her job, moving back home, and having to deal with some high school bullies that haven’t grown up in their time away from college, Sabrina Monroe also has the at-times unfortunate but ultimately sweet gift of being able to see and speak with ghosts.

If you’re wondering how exactly ghosts will figure into a romcom, don’t! Just trust me when I say that what I thought would be the weirdest part of the book actually ended up being the most charming.

Sabrina meets a handsome and sweet restauranteur at a water park while she is with her family, and what begins as an awkward encounter quickly turns adorable as their paths continue to cross, both recently moved home to the Dells. As Sabrina tries to sort out her life, she’s convinced that this is the wrong time to begin dating someone. But Ray is determined to win her over as the two discover more about eachother, their families, their pasts, and work to make Ray’s re-imagined supper club a success.

I just absolutely loved Ray and Sabrina so much! Sabrina’s in the unfortunate position of working for one of the wealthiest and meanest girls in town, who also used to be her former classmate and is engaged to Sabrina’s ex. On paper, Ray is from the same type of world as Sabrina’s rival, not Sabrina herself. But Ray couldn’t be more different than those in the privileged class he was raised in. He’s kind, a bit awkward, and would rather spend his days testing cheese curd recipes out than being part of the society scene.

Sabrina is the type of person who is working a job she hates for a woman who bullies her, just so she can pay off her loans, but will still leave cash in library books to brighten someone’s day who finds it. Sabrina also does everything she can to help the ghosts she can see find closure and happiness, even when it means facing adversity herself.

It’s impossible to read this and not completely fall under the spell of the beautiful characters and story Amy E. Reichert has crafted! The story is paced to perfection, with lots of threads that you pick up along the way that ultimately weave together by the end. A book with a strong message of loving yourself, putting kindness into the world, and learning to appreciate your quirks as blessings rather than shortcomings!

Thank you Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.