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A review by samanthakreads
The Memory of Lavender and Sage by Aimie K. Runyan
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ-๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ, ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐, ๐ณ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐, ๐ณ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ, & ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ.๐
Synopsis:
Food critic Tempรจsta Luddington lost her beloved mother at the age of thirteen and always felt like the odd one in her family with the treatment she received from her father and grandmother. When her father passes fifteen years later, Tempรจsta is left a small inheritance from her mother.
With a little push, she decides to visit a small town in France where her mother grew up and decides to place her roots in the community when she purchases a rundown manor with her inheritance. Her greeting and welcome are not at all what she anticipated, with the mayor of the townโs dislike for her. But she doesnโt let it scare her off as she begins to connect with the community, discover her abilities and strengths with food and herbs, and unravel questions and answers about her motherโs past including the magical gifts she inherited from the generations of women before her.
Thoughts:
This was such a beautiful and charming story! The authorโs writing makes you feel as if you are completely immersed in the story with the descriptions of France, the food, and the small community. I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook read by Caroline Hewitt who did a fantastic job and made you feel as if you were in France yourself. I liked the characters and watching Tempรจsta progression as she learns more about her mother, her family, and herself.
I donโt usually read books like this with magical realism elements (this is my first!). I wasnโt sure if I would like it or if it would take away from the story, but I didnโt mind it at all. This book is also marketed as romance but I wouldnโt consider it that, itโs a small subplot which I think fits the story as a whole really well.
I highly recommend this book & will be checking out more of Amie K. Runyanโs work in the future!
Thank you so much Netgalley and HarperCollins Focus for sending me an advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
My review and others can be found at the links below (let's connect + discuss books!):
https://www.instagram.com/literaryreader_/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/22397377-samantha-literaryreader
Synopsis:
Food critic Tempรจsta Luddington lost her beloved mother at the age of thirteen and always felt like the odd one in her family with the treatment she received from her father and grandmother. When her father passes fifteen years later, Tempรจsta is left a small inheritance from her mother.
With a little push, she decides to visit a small town in France where her mother grew up and decides to place her roots in the community when she purchases a rundown manor with her inheritance. Her greeting and welcome are not at all what she anticipated, with the mayor of the townโs dislike for her. But she doesnโt let it scare her off as she begins to connect with the community, discover her abilities and strengths with food and herbs, and unravel questions and answers about her motherโs past including the magical gifts she inherited from the generations of women before her.
Thoughts:
This was such a beautiful and charming story! The authorโs writing makes you feel as if you are completely immersed in the story with the descriptions of France, the food, and the small community. I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook read by Caroline Hewitt who did a fantastic job and made you feel as if you were in France yourself. I liked the characters and watching Tempรจsta progression as she learns more about her mother, her family, and herself.
I donโt usually read books like this with magical realism elements (this is my first!). I wasnโt sure if I would like it or if it would take away from the story, but I didnโt mind it at all. This book is also marketed as romance but I wouldnโt consider it that, itโs a small subplot which I think fits the story as a whole really well.
I highly recommend this book & will be checking out more of Amie K. Runyanโs work in the future!
Thank you so much Netgalley and HarperCollins Focus for sending me an advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
My review and others can be found at the links below (let's connect + discuss books!):
https://www.instagram.com/literaryreader_/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/22397377-samantha-literaryreader