LOST COAST LITERARY (2021) - Review

Lost Coast Literary by Ellie Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: March 29, 2022

Besides the glowing reader reviews, I was curious about a book set on the Lost Coast of California. My college roommate and her family have lived there since the 1970s and I have been lucky to visit several times. It is a magical place.

FIRST SENTENCE: "Jane Eyre? Jane Austin? Eyre or Austin?"

THE STORY: Emily has finally scored a job in a New York Publishing House when she is called back to Cascata on the West Coast. Her estranged grandmother has left her an amazing Victorian House, The Ballad, as well as Left Coast Literary, but there are strings attached. She must edit a number of "forsaken" manuscripts before she can inherit. Emily is torn between her new job and finding the answer to why her family has not spoken in years. Undecided about how to proceed, she begins editing the manuscripts and altering endings, something she did as a child when the conclusion was sad. To her surprise, her edits begin changing things and not always in a positive way.

WHAT I THOUGHT: This is a charming cozy with a clever premise. Unfortunately the tension in the story seems rather static. On the other hand, the author does a wonderful job creating interesting characters and describing the town while sprinkling references to other worthy literature. There are questions at the end of the story that are not dealt with but the book held my attention throughout.

BOTTOM LINE: If you want to day dream about a charming town filled with people who love books, pour a cup of tea and cuddle up for a delightful visit to Cascata. Definitely RECOMMENDED for Cozy Readers.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Independent Book Publishers, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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