Sanna has been working hard to perfect her hard ciders in the attic of the orchard barn. Her family has lived here for generations and some of the trees only found here give off a unique flavor. Sanna is desperate to capture that flavor in her ciders, but her brother thinks it’s just a waste of time and money. When their dad is injured in a fall and can’t work on the farm for several weeks, the family take on a single dad and his young son to help out. But as the newcomers edge into Sanna’s life, her past and her brother are determined to destroy the orchard. Will Sanna be able to save the farm, or will her distractions mean the end of the family’s legacy?
Amy E. Reichert delivers a small-town romance meets cozy mystery in The Simplicity of Cider. With glimpses of life running an orchard, Reichert’s writing brings readers to the intimate life on the farm with her main characters. Add in family betrayal and the mystery of sabotage, and this book has something for everyone!
I give The Simplicity of Cider 4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the relationship between Sanna and the single father character, but felt like it was out of place given the recent loss of the man’s wife. I also found some of the sabotage to be a bit too far fetched and unrealistic. With that being said, I enjoyed the descriptive writing and what felt like behind the scenes glimpses into Sanna’s life.
If you are looking for a quirky and fun cozy mystery with a heavy hand of romance, this is the book for you. With discussions of drug use and criminal actions, this book would be best directed to audiences over 16. I do think this would be a great book club choice with so much to unpack around the actions of Sanna and her family members!
I chose The Simplicity of Cider for the Read With Lindsey Reading Challenge prompt “featuring apples or leaves”. Given this is the first week of Fall, this is a great prompt for the week. The cover is a gorgeous take on a ladder against an apple tree and the storyline keeps the reader in the world of apple orchards throughout the book. What books are you reading this week?
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: The Book of Lost Names, Kristin Harmel
- Current audio book: Hour Glass, Michelle Rene
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew Perry
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