Lost Coast Literary by Ellie Alexander | Review | #Fiction #MagicalRealism
A book blog tour from Digital Reads Book Tours.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Shalini G. at Digital Reads Blog Tours for providing me with the information for this tour.
Book Details
Lost Coast Literary by Ellie Alexander Published by Sweet Lemon Press LLC on 03/29/2022
Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 282
Source: Digital Reads Book Tours, Received from the author or publisher for review.Book editor Emily Bryant finds herself unexpectedly in the charming town of Cascata on California’s Lost Coast, holding the keys to her grandmother’s rambling Victorian mansion. While sorting through her grandmother’s things, Emily learns that she must edit old manuscripts to inherit the estate. It’s a strange request from a family member who was basically a stranger.
Emily quickly realizes that there’s something different about these manuscripts. Any changes she makes come true. At first, she embraces the gift. She has a chance to help characters find true love or chart a new course for their future. But then things go terribly wrong. Her edits have the opposite effect. The sweet and funky seaside community of Cascata is reeling from the chaos Emily has created. Everything she thought she believed about her family and her past is in jeopardy, and no amount of editing can fix the damage she’s done.
Then she finds one last manuscript. If Emily can get this edit right, maybe she’ll have a chance to create a new narrative for herself and everyone around her.
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Excerpt from Lost Coast Literary
I unlocked The Ballad’s front door and took a slow, steady breath before stepping inside. The foyer was dark. I fumbled around for a light switch. When my hand finally connected with the switch light flooded into the room revealing exquisitely restored walnut hardwood floors. Stained glass windows in the curved entryway reflected twinkling butterscotch, plum, and sapphire beams onto the far wall. Two rooms adjoined the entrance hall. To my left was a parlor painted in muted beach tones with a built-in fireplace and bookcases filled with spines arranged by height and held together with chunky driftwood bookends.
Books. Oh my God, so many books. I let out an audible gasp, unable to tear my gaze from the parlor where an abundance of titles that rivaled that of any small library called to me. I could spend an entire day admiring Grandma Gertrude’s enchanting collection of books. Books are my addictive craze. Forget about ice cream, chocolate, pot, your drug of preference. Give me a stack of books anyway.
I felt like an over-enthusiastic puppy let outside for the first time.
Bone.
Squirrel.
Fire hydrant.
Books. Books. Books.
They aren’t going anywhere Emily, and you have a five-thousand square foot mansion to explore. I tugged my attention away from the captivating shelves for the moment.
An intricately carved circular staircase sat in front of me. The ceiling stretched at least twelve feet above me. Period details were evident in the weighty carved moldings and brass hardware. A sign hanging from the newel post at the base of the steps read: PRIVATE.
Odd. The upstairs was private?
A cream-colored hallway lined with framed watercolor paintings and floral geometric handwoven area rugs led to the back of the mansion. The entire house had a cohesive natural ocean color palette in milky greens, harbor blues, and soft grays and creams.
But it was the room to my right that caught my eye. The hand-carved door was shut. Another sign hung from it: LOST COAST LITERARY.
Lost Coast Literary, I repeated out loud. There was something oddly familiar about the name. Was it a memory? Something else?
I turned the handle, but the door was locked. Maybe one of the keys would open it. I tried the basic house key first with no success. The antique key didn’t work either.
There must be a key somewhere else, I thought as I ventured upstairs. The serene, soft lighting and gleaming redwood accents continued on the second floor. Ornate millwork, jeweled windows, and knotted spindles gave the space a spellbinding aura. I was completely caught up in its trance.
The house creaked and sighed as if readying itself for sleep as I wandered into a study with yet another fireplace and a bathroom with patterned tile floors and an attached sitting room. Farther down the hall there were five spacious bedrooms with carved oak fireplaces and three more bathrooms.
I fought back cloudy memories of running through the long hallway and pretending to put on lipstick in front of the antique mirror. Were they real or was I grasping?
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Purchase Links for Lost Coast Literary
Kobo AppleBooks/iTunes Google Play
Waterstones The Book Depository Walmart
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My thoughts on Lost Coast Literary
There is nothing I love more than a great book about books. Lost Coast Literary is just that. It has everything from New York Publishing houses to the northern California coast town dominated by connections to the book world. When you add in a family mystery and magical manuscripts that seem to change the future, I nearly swooned while reading it. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but I was sucked into the story, held riveted throughout, and thoroughly enjoyed all the bookish bits of the story.
Emily knows there was a mystery surrounding the estrangement of her family. But, she has no clue what caused the rift. She was just a child when her family moved away. With her mother passing shortly after, it was always Emily & her Dad against the world.
Due to the death of a grandmother she didn’t know, she is now the owner of The Ballad, a Victorian mansion that also houses her grandmother’s editing company, Lost Coast Literary. All she has to do is edit the Forsaken Manuscripts to gain full control of her inheritance. She needs to decide if it is worth upending her New York literary life to solve the magical mysteries surrounding her family and the enigmatic manuscripts.
The descriptive writing style puts the reader right in every scene. From the bite of the craft ale to the smell of the books, I lived every minute of this tale. The characters are so well-written you feel like you are sitting at the table or walking about town with them. I longed to visit the town of Cascata just to absorb the atmosphere.
The whimsical touch of the magic manuscripts adds another layer to this delightful story. Emily is quiet, clever, and intuitive. I enjoyed her story of grief, reconciliation, and life-changing circumstances.
I highly recommend this contemporary fiction tale to all lovers of books, family, mysteries, and great storytelling.
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
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About Ellie Alexander
ELLIE ALEXANDER is a Pacific Northwest native, a voracious storyteller, and a lover of words and all things bookish. She believes that stories have the ability to transport and transform us. With over twenty-six published novels and counting, her goal is to tell stories that provide points of connection, escape, and understanding.
She loves inhabiting someone else’s skin through the pages of a book and is passionate about helping writers find their unique storytelling lens. As a writing teacher and coach, she guides writers in crafting the story they’ve always wanted to tell while navigating the path to publication that’s right for them.
Find out more about Ellie, her books, and writing courses by visiting her online.
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Purchase Lost Coast Literary online from a local book store.
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Similar Reviews
Excellent review, Gina. I loved all the same things. This was somewhat different from her cozy series, but the wonderful, descriptive writing is still there.
Thank you so much Gina. This was a brilliant review. Loved every word written in it. Thank you for all your support