3.5 stars. This was a different Romcom with a paranormal aspect in it. In the Wisconsin Dells, Sabrina and the women in her family are able to see and help ghosts. A new guy, Ray, arrives in town to takeover The Supper Club. They had a meet cute and sparks flew. However, they have reasons to pretend to be in a fake relationship. Sabrina’s family secret of seeing ghosts holds her back from romance. Will they have their HEA? ( )

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert is a 2021 Berkley publication.

I’ve read several books by this author and absolutely loved them! I’m going to go so far as to say she’s a bit underrated, in my opinion. While her stories have never been heavy, they do have a certain amount of emotional depth and are often very touching- just good for the soul stories. This one is a bit different, though.

The title is a little play on words and is cute and fitting-but it clicks for me especially, because Sabrina and I could really be kindred spirits. Sabrina is an introvert of the first order and suffers from social anxiety. If that weren’t enough, her family has been singled out as ‘odd’ because they have a special gift-

They see dead people-

Sabrina has returned home to Wisconsin after losing her job. She doesn’t intend for this to be a long-term situation, but then she meets Ray- the new owner of a supper club. The two have a strong chemistry between them, but Sabrina is trying to find a job that will stick and besides- what would Ray do when he learned of her family secret?

I wasn’t sure I’d be the audience for this in the beginning. Thankfully, the story settled down, phasing out the number of characters and the initial OTT silliness, and focused on Sabrina and Ray and Sabrina’s best friend, Molly, who happens to be a ghost trying to discover what happened to the love of her life so she can move on to her eternal rest.

This story is super light, very funny at times. Ray was a tiny bit bland, but I loved how Sabrina and Ray both develop as the story progresses, and the way they came together as a couple after a few stops and starts. Paranormal elements are not a favorite of mine in this context, but in this case, it was a lovely part of the story and the threads all tied in together beautifully.

Though I wasn’t overjoyed by some of the elements and content in the novel, I was grateful the plot was so unexpectedly light. While I have been deliberately looking for books that are more comforting, and certainly could use an escape from the depressing situation in our country this week, if I had known the book was so funny, I might have passed on it because I most assuredly do not feel like laughing right now- and wouldn’t have thought I would be able to fully appreciate it under the circumstances. Yet, despite my somber mood, this story still coaxed a few chuckles out of me- which is saying something.

Overall, this was not my favorite from this author. It lacked some of the emotional depth I was looking for, but it was still enjoyable and a much-needed distraction.

3.5 ( )

Once again Sabrina has been fired from her job. She has to move back to Wisconsion to her parents' home. The best paying job in town is driving a Ducky boat whose company is owned by the classmate who bullied her all through school. Ray is in town because his uncle is dying, and he is there to help him as well as put distance between him and his parents and their expectations. They meet at a water park where she has just been hit in the face with a frozen margarita, glass included. They meet again at his restaurant. Sabrina keeps trying to stay away from him while Ray wants to see where their attraction will lead. She agrees to work with him on the Goodbye Gala, a yearly fundraiser for their town's charitable organizations. Their attraction grows but can Ray get past Sabrina's shyness?

I loved this book! Sabrina has a lot of baggage especially since she has massive debt, a family secret, and a desire to leave Wisconsin and go back to D. C. She hates journalism because she does not like talking to people especially those she does not know. She loves the writing and researching but nothing else. Ray hates real estate and New York City because of the competition and cut throatness of it even though he is good at it. When he comes to live with his uncle, he knows he wants to stay and work the night club he and his uncle owned. When he meets Sabrina and finally learns her family's secret, he is fine with it. Sabrina has a harder time coming to grips with him knowing.

I liked the second story arc that involves the family secret (I don't want to ruin it) and Ray's ancestors. When it comes out, it is beautiful. The ending to that arc brought tears to my eyes. I got two happy endings with this book.

The secondary characters were wonderful. I liked Sabrina's parents and niece and nephews. They clearly loved and supported her. There were villains who got what they deserved. I liked Lucy, Ray's sister. She was a buffer between Ray and his parents especially his mother. She was a bit intense as was his great-grandmother who we only meet through flashbacks.

The story made me feel so good as Sabrina and Ray fell in love. It took courage for Sabrina to let herself love Ray and say it. Their lives turned out different from their expectations as well as others. I liked how Ray built her confidence up when he explained how she stood up to her nemesis without losing her dignity. It was great when Sabrina realized that and took the higher road.

This is a feel-good book and a keeper from one of my favorite authors. ( )

Sabrina Monroe doesn't enjoy being part of a family living in the Wisconsin Dells in which the women can see ghosts who need help moving on after they die. She also lives with constant anxiety and feels like a failure due to her gift and many incidents that have happened in the past. Currently she is between jobs but wants to leave Wisconsin so she can escape the burden of her gift. Ray's family owns most of the town including the local supper club. He wants to break away from his family and take over their local real estate holdings rather than go back to his previous job in New York, but his family wants him to come back home. Sabrina and Ray have an instant connection and they find out that their lives may be more connected than either one of them might have imagined.

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club is a sweet story that asks questions about what gives life meaning. Sabrina and Ray are very likable characters, each with their own baggage, but the ghosts of Molly, Harry, and Belle almost steal the show. Sabrina's anxiety creates an opportunity to show better ways of dealing with it. This book is not great literature, but it does make for an enjoyable read. Overall, The Kindred Spirits Supper Club is a fun story with a few poignant moments. ( )

I’m a huge fan of Amy E Reichert, and this delightful book lived up to my expectations.

A rom-com with a touch of paranormal/magical realism, delightful, complicated but relatable characters, and a colorful setting, I loved everything about this book. Sabrina is quirky and frustrated and kind. Her anxiety was palpable (and as someone who suffers from anxiety to a lesser degree than Sabrina, thank goodness, Reichert nailed her inner thought process.

Ray is, to me, the perfect love interest, just dorky and quirky enough on his own to take some of the perfection and polish off of his gilded background Erika is the perfect hometown high school enemy. And Molly...I fell in love with Molly.

A wonderful escape - The Kindred Spirits book club gets five stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me an e-Arc. All opinions are my own.

( )