Cover Image: The Simplicity of Cider

The Simplicity of Cider

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Member Reviews

Sanna's family has lived in Door County, Wisconsin, for generations. Now, she and her father are the only ones left, trying to keep the family's apple orchard afloat. A single father and his young son, passing through the area while trying to escape a tragedy at home in California, become an integral part of the orchard family in a very short time, and Isaac becomes invaluable to Sanna after Einars' accident. While trying to keep the orchard out of the hands of a developer who wants to acquire the land to build a money-making indoor water park, Sanna also finds herself trying to ignore the attraction to Isaac ... and to young Bass as well.

I loved this author's previous two books, and was equally enchanted by this one. While there were several story lines going throughout the book, it wasn't hard to keep track of them, and they all seemed to work together into one overall story by the end of the book. I loved the touch of magic that Sanna used to develop her unique cider blends, and am fascinated by the idea of seeing colors associated with flavors. The characters seemed to fit the setting and the circumstances, and it was fun to watch them grow and change as events progressed. The descriptions almost seemed to come out of a "Visit Wisconsin!" travel brochure, and made me want to book a trip to Door County during the next apple season :) I will most definitely look for the next book by this author.

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Reading this book will leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed.The beautiful smells if the orchard, the colors, the tastes, even the roughness of the bark. It is like going on vacation without leaving the pages. You get that happy after glow just from the words. Pick up a nice glass of cider curl up under a beautiful tree and enjoy this beautiful book. This author has such a talent for spreading simple joy with her words.
The story is about family, one family with a strong history to the land and trees. One family set a drift by a terrible death. Both families have skeletons that are pulled out and dusted off leaving that closest a cleaner happier place. The romance is slow and gentle, patient and just right for the characters. The drama is light, never so tense that you feel uncomfortable or stressed. Strong good people, doing their best, living the best way they know.
Great relaxing read

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From the author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and Luck, Love & Lemon Pie, Amy E. Reichert brings us another magical story of family, love, and complex relationships. Set in Wisconsin and full of delicious food and characters.
Sanna Lund loves making cider. Her family has been on this land for generations and while her brother has moved away, she has stayed, tending the heirloom apple trees that are just right for cider making. Sanna has a gift for knowing which apples go together to make the best ciders.

When Isaac and his son show up at the orchard, not quite sure how they got there, Sanna's father hires Isaac and more than the apple trees are blossoming! Love is in the air but is Sanna ready for it?

In between trying to save the farm from being sold, Sanna doesn't have time for relationships, and isn't sure she wants one. But will Isaac and Sebastian change her mind?

This was such a charming and magical story. The characters are well developed and the apple desserts had me drooling!

If you haven't tried one of her luscious stories, you really should.

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For Sanna and her father Einars, Idun's Orchard is not only their home, but their source of income and biggest source of joy. Set in a Sarah Addison Allen - esque charming town where everyone knows everyone and has a history with one another, that is until newcomers Isaac and his son Bass arrive in Door County, Wisconsin. Not only does this book have a lot of depictions of love, it also takes readers on a journey of family strife and the welcome surprises that can come out of new circumstances. Readers who enjoy the way Nicholas Sparks explains the attraction between his protagonists shines through in Reichart's The Simplicity of Cider. If you binge Hallmark movies on Netflix in the middle of the night and have ever enjoyed a trip to a local apple orchard, grab this book immediately!

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What a delightful book! It's a slice-of-life story that takes place at an apple orchard in Wisconsin, where two unhappy people end up finding each other. The characters are likable and believable, and in this world, where every day we are bombarded with bad or upsetting news, it's nice sometimes to just read a sweet story. I enjoyed this author's previous book, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, and I liked this one just as much.

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This book was a bit slow to start but, once I got into it, I remembered by I love Ms. Reicherts' writing. This story is about Sanna and her father, who are trying to desperately keep the family apple orchard. Sanna's brother wants to sell the land but,, Sanna and her dad refuse. Along comes Banks and his son Bass,. Banks is looking for a short-time job to get he and his son away from the painful reality of what happened in LA before they left.This book is about family, responsibility, forgiveness and, ultimately, opening your heart back up to love.

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Amy E. Reichert has done it again! This is another fantastic read, every bit as good as The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and Luck, Love & Lemon Pie. I don't know what anyone else calls this type of novel, but I consider it magical realism and rank this author right up there with Sarah Addison Allen's work.

From her beautifully simple descriptions to her way with dialogue and character development, I was pulled into the story of Sanna Lund and her father's apple farm and lives immediately. Add in Isaac and son Sebastian, and the story got even better.

The "whodunit" aspect was fairly laid back, not really being a large part of the story, but was no less interesting. What absolutely had me on the seat of my chair though, was Sanna's cider making skills. Even though I dislike anything made with apples except applesauce, I wanted to try some of her cider so badly! The descriptions of both color and flavor had me salivating and I so wanted her to be successful.

This is very much a story of a farm and lives, that harken back to simpler times, when neighbor helped neighbor and families did the same for each other. If you're looking to get lost in a story this is definitely the book for you. I just finished reading this and can't wait for the author's next novel!

Thank yous to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC.

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The Simplicity of Cider is a sweet and charming read. Being new to the author, I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of how she delivers her stories so I was quite surprised to see that she does, in fact, deliver. I am so glad I was able to read a copy prior to publication! Now, while I did feel like there was a little too much going on within the story, I did appreciate how Reichert was able to make her characters relatable to many people. This is truly an added bonus to a wonderful novel.

If your looking for a heartwarming read to get lost in for a few hours I would definitely recommend this book. After reading it, I am going to have to go back and pick up her other books based on this one.

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This book did not disappoint! She writes the nicest romance stories. The women she crates are strong and independent. The guys are also strong, smart and super sweet. Oh and she writes in the underrepresented mid west.

This book is fully worth the price of admission!

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Great garden read!! Loved the descriptions of the orchard and Door County...makes me want to visit.

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I knew I wanted to read this when I read that it took place in Door county Wisconsin. It did not disappoint in the place descriptions, I could close my eyes and see myself there. I had a little trouble with the characters, they sometimes felt contrived and out of place, but the story moved along well as her stories do. All in all it was an enjoyable read.

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I read this book in one day. It was a quick very enjoyable read that drew me in right away and had me thinking about the book during the minutes I had to adult before I finished it. I enjoyed learning about the cider making and the love the family had for the orchard. It brought me back to fond memories of apple picking trips with my family as a child.

There were four characters I loved. Sanna and her father and Isaac and his son. The names were a little hard for me at the beginning but I mostly got over it by the end. These characters had heart and warmth and faults, made mistakes and grew during the course of the story. I cheered for them to succeed and found the ending a satisfying one.

Now for a few nit-picky criticisms!
My biggest criticism with the book was that there were a lot of things going on outside of the main story line to cause conflict. It just felt like too much. To name a few...the drug use, the mom issues, the fall from the ladder, the financial problems, the buyout offer, the vandalism, the ex boyfriend, the brother and his family. I guess what I'm saying is the story was good enough that it didn't need all of those things.

There was a bit of magic involved with the story. I wasn't a fan, but it didn't negatively impact the story for me. It was more of a case where I wasn't sure how the magic fit into this contemporary world.

There was another story line with another pov of a potential buyer of the property. This was probably my least favorite part of the story. I didn't want to get invested with that character and didn't react positively when she turned from villain of sorts to savior.

Overall very enjoyable. I would recommend this to other readers and look for future books from the author

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I requested this title because I LOVE Sarah Addison Allen, and I really enjoy magical realism. This one promised both, but sadly, it didn't quite deliver. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could, because it wasn't all bad, but it just didn't captivate me as much as 4 stars demands.

The pitfalls were that the relationship between the two main characters felt a bit contrived...there was a lack of foundation and just a general "attraction" that, while it might happen in real life, didn't have enough support for fiction. Also, I found the POV chapters of Eva, a somewhat minor character, a bit distracting overall. The names were a tad hard to wrap my head around, especially the constantly changing nicknames of the child, Sebastian. It was just overdone. The "magical realism" elements were just a tad underdone, and I felt that they didn't carry enough zing to propel the story into the magical realism arena.

On the upside, I did finish the story because I did care enough about the characters, and I also enjoyed learning more about the care of an apple orchard (which is central to the book). So, overall, not bad but not a favorite. May or may not pick up another by this author.

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My review can be seen on RT Book Reviews.com

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The Simplicity Of Cider
By
Amy E. Reichert




What it's all about...

Sanna and her father Einers...I still have no clue how to pronounce these names...are the only members of their family who still live and work on their family's apple farm. Anders...the brother...only wants to sell it and Susanna...the mother...left this family years ago. Sanna is scarred by this abandonment which has left her a bit removed, icy, cold. Her love is for her trees, her apples and her ciders. Isaac and his son Bass are supposed to be traveling and having a fun summer but somehow they end up working at this orchard. Isaac's ex wife...a drug addict...has just died and for some unknown reason he doesn't want to tell his son...this seems ridiculous and ends up biting him you know where.

Why I wanted to read it...

I loved this author's first book...loved it!

What made me truly enjoy this book...

This author knows how to pull in "stuff" that makes a reader...this reader anyway...unable to put a book down. The irritating casserole making neighbor, the villain who wants to turn the orchard into a water park and the irritating ex of Sanna's who is sabotaging the orchard all make this book yummy! Of course it's up to Isaac to save everyone...if he can...and...of course there are sparks between surly Sanna and ever patient Isaac. There are tremendous food descriptions, too, so much so that I need apple pie now! And lasagna...and PB and J!

Why you should read it, too...

I loved this book even though at times I was irritated by everyone in it! Readers who love this kind of "good" irritation and Door County and fish boils and tense relationships and apples...will love this book!

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This book was simply charming! It tells the story of Sanna, a cider maker her at her family apple orchard. Sanna likes the solitary life she lives with her father but it is all thrown in to disarray when a widower shows up with his young son to work at the orchard. Her life is further complicated when a conglomerate tries to buy the orchard to turn it in to a waterpark. This book is about family, ambition, and risking your heart for love. It is beautifully written and the characters are complex and realistic. Looking forward to Reichert's next book. Fans of Sarah Addison Allen will really like this one

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In an orchard with apples, cider, grafting - I traveled.
Sanna's only focus in life is to make cider and run the orchard- no complications- only trees, apples, ciders.
Her father suffers a fall, so now both need help..."two strapping lads ready to do whatever is needed" come, both ready to help them. The brother is eager to sell the land, and make a profit.

I became a part of this family. I want more books with this family. I want to go back to the orchard with the apple trees, apples, and ciders.
I am thrilled that I was able to read an ARC...I highly recommend this book.

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Sanna had always appreciated the sanctuary of the orchard, and this revelation bonded Sanna like another root digging into the soil, finding nourishment. She’d never leave.



An apple orchard has been in Sanna Lund’s family for five generations. Much like the apple trees, she is rooted, nourished by the family land. There is a magic in her blood and there is no way she can give up and let her brother force her father’s hand in selling it. Time is against her, they are losing money and try as she might, she can’t get the cider just right. Cider that could be their salvation. This is her refuge, but when her father hires help her life is filled with more complications, especially her heart. A single father Isaac and his son Bass seem to worm their way into the core of her being. Sara has so much to focus on in order to save the orchard, the last thing she needs is a kid getting in the way. All she wants out of life is the orchard, hard work, the ‘simplicity of cider’ and certainly not a single dad no matter how much she is attracted to him. So what if his son’s goofy side is growing on her! Anyone can see Isaac is an attractive man, but so what? Who needs a man stealing time from her failing orchard?

Isaac and Bass have left their own painful lives behind in California, this is meant to be a reprieve from their own problems, certainly not meant to be a permanent stay. Against her better judgement and desires to keep her life contained, Sanna is losing pieces of herself to the two. Sanna keeps her distance from people for a reason, but hiding won’t fix the land nor heal her heart. She may have a special gift but sometimes what you need is to open yourself to others, even those you’ve spent time denying, because that is the true magic. It may take love to nourish the land. Bass has his own difficulties with his mother, in this he and Sanna are the same. Long ago, her own mother left, and she hasn’t dealt with the rupture in her life.

It’s a love story at heart, but not just romantic love. It’s about family, traditions and the running of an apple orchard. It’s fighting to keep a family business alive and how sometimes you have to learn to accept that you can’t do everything on your own and that maybe the changes fate brings are a new way of seeing. Sometimes change can be a gift. This novel was a nice break from heavy reading, a sweet love story. This is an advanced arc, and the novel will not be released until May.

Publication Date: May 16 2017

Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books

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The Simplicity of Cider is another fantastic book by Amy Reichert. I have read her previous books and enjoyed them all but this is my favorite. The characters are so well done that you feel like you know them and the descriptions of Wisconsin (on Lake Michigan) are so beautiful that you want to visit.

Sanna Lund and her father run an apple orchard that has been in their family for five generations. Along with growing apples, Sanna is trying to make cider that can help boost the profits of the orchard. She is happy with her uncomplicated life and her love of the land. Then along come the complications - her brother wants to sell the orchard to a company that wants to build a water park on it. Her brother is justified in wanting to sell because the orchard is losing money. Along with that, her father hires a single father Isaac who has a young son Bass and they are fleeing family issues in California. Once her father falls and breaks several bones, things really become complicated for Sanna. The reader doesn't know if she'll be able to save her beloved orchard until the end of the book but readers are in for a fantastic story to find out. This is the perfect book - a little suspense, a little romance and a lot of family love in a charming community. Read it - you'll love it!

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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I am currently reading The Simplicity of Cider by Amy E. Reichart and I have a sudden longing to visit a small town in the midwest and sit under the trees of an apple orchard, thanks Amy!

I loved her other two novels but this one is really pulling me in. It’s the story of Sanna, a woman who has grown up with her father tending to their apple orchard. She is a cider specialist whose world is disrupted by a seasonal worker named Isaac and his precocious son Sebastian.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Focused and unassuming fifth generation cider-maker Sanna Lund has one desire: to live a simple, quiet life on her family’s apple orchard in Door County, Wisconsin. Although her business is struggling, Sanna remains fiercely devoted to the orchard, despite her brother’s attempts to convince their aging father to sell the land.

Single dad Isaac Banks has spent years trying to shield his son Sebastian from his troubled mother. Fleeing heartbreak at home, Isaac packed up their lives and the two headed out on an adventure, driving across the country. Chance—or fate—led them straight to Sanna’s orchard.

Isaac’s helping hands are much appreciated at the apple farm, even more when Sanna’s father is injured in an accident. As Sanna’s formerly simple life becomes increasingly complicated, she finds solace in unexpected places—friendship with young Sebastian and something more deliciously complex with Isaac—until an outside threat infiltrates the farm.

This book is due out in May but you can read Amy’s other novels right now.

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