The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert (2021)
Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars
My sister first discovered this book and I had to read it. It’s set in the Wisconsin Dells, one of my favorite places (and the Waterpark Capital of the World) and features the uniquely Midwestern concept of supper clubs. For your viewing pleasure, I’ve included photos from some Wisconsin supper clubs I’ve visited recently, including one in the Dells!
Wisconsin Supper Clubs pictured:
🥃The Copper Dock in Hubertus @copper.dock
🫒Ishnala Supper Club at Mirror Lake in Wisconsin Dells @ishnalasupperclub
🧀The English Inn in Fish Creek, Door County
The Analysis:
Fired from yet another journalism job, Sabrina Monroe must move back home to the Wisconsin Dells, where she is both figuratively and literally haunted by the past. Bullies from high school and old embarrassments are bad enough, but Sabrina and her mother can literally talk to ghosts, which makes everything more complicated. Sabrina already has enough to worry about between finding a new job and avoiding Ray, the cute guy that just moved to town who she can’t help but run into everywhere…
I absolutely LOVE the Wisconsin Dells with all of its touristy glory and dairy state traditions. I had a great time reading this book and it would be fun for anyone familiar with the Dells, as there are references to all the popular spots. There’s Wisconsin references in general, from Spotted Cow beer and squeaky cheese curds to bubblers (water fountains for those of you uninformed) but I will say that the niche references may go over the heads of most readers. I think the audience that would fully appreciate this book is rather limited, although I hope it may expose readers to some unknown Wisconsin traditions.
The Kindred Spirits Supper Club could easily exist as a romance without a ghost aspect, although I didn’t mind it. Considering this is a cheesy romance set in a cheesy tourist town, there were less cringey moments than I expected, but that’s not to say there weren’t a few lines of dialogue that made me wince. Supper club owner Ray is cute, charming, and thoughtful: the perfect leading man. Unfortunately, I have no idea what he sees in Sabrina, who constantly complains about her life while being so dramatic at times that she creates problems out of literally nothing (causing me to roll my eyes more than once.) Despite this, fans of romance novels would likely enjoy this book but I’d recommend it specifically to people familiar with the Wisconsin Dells.
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