Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Ana Hartnett Reichardt is now one of my favorite authors and I was very excited for this book after reading Catching Feelings. Set in the same college with some of the same cast, Chasing Cypress made me just as happy to read. With a classic miscommunication that set the two MCs apart, they were able to come back together in the greenhouse. Overall an excellent read!

This is the third installment in the Alder series but can be read as a standalone.

The characters were full fletched, flawed but ready to grow. And grow they did. I enjoyed all the interactions, the conversations, the side characters and the scenery.

Maggie thinks her future is set in stone, or in apples as she is hopeful to one day take over her father's orchard that's been in the family for ages. She knows her brother isn't interested and that she would do a good job and make the business thrive. But then she meets Olivia. She is everything Maggie is not, or more importantly doesn't wanna be. She's flighty, a dreamer, forgetful, distracted but most of all intoxicating.

Great journey for Maggie. I enjoyed every second of it.

An ARC was provided to me via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

I missed the first two books in Ana Hartnett Reichardt's The Alder Series, but had no trouble reading Chasing Cypress as a standalone. I found Reichardt's writing to be most compelling, the characters are genuine and real, and the whole book is beautifully executed.

I'll definitely be going back to look for the first two books in this series, and I'm anxiously awaiting anything new from Ana Hartnett Reichardt. Lovely!

This book revolves around Maggie and Olivia.
Maggie is set to graduate from the School of Agriculture and take over her family's farm that has been theirs for generation. At least this is what she has told her family. She feels she needs to do this since her brother does not want to take it over.
Olivia is taking one of Maggie's classes. They clash on how they feel things in agriculture should go and despite everything, there is a spark between them that refuses to go away.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ana Hartnett Reichardt's Alder University series just keeps getting better and better. I was thoroughly enthralled by Maggie's journey to love and Self-Discovery. She read as a living, flawed character who truly opens up.

Reichardt knows the aches and pains of young adulthood. I can't wait for senior year.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

Chasing cypress is the 3rd book of the Alder series- you don't need to read the first 2 books, but i’d have a look, they are really worth a read.
The book is down to earth, sensible and is realistic. Easy to follow, a little bit of angst, full of family life, drama, secrets and about growing up and seeing what's directly in front of you. The characters are loveable, engaging and ‘real’.

I’ve given chasing cypress a 4 out of 5.

It's junior year at Alder College in the third book of Ana Hartnett Reichardt's Alder series. Maggie and Olivia are opposites, Maggie, is focused on taking over her family orchard and finding someone to love. Olivia is carefree and sees no reason to settle down. Naturally, they clash but behind the bickering, is simmering chemistry.
I adore the way Reichardt writes. She has a wonderful ability to write charming, realistic characters. And for a new author, her writing has the polish of someone who has been writing for decades. This is a wonderful series and I can't wait for senior year.

An ARC was received from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for an honest review.

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to the publisher and author for this opportunity.

I overall liked the book. I really enjoyed the relationship between Maggie and Olivia, however struggled at some points with the other content of the book. Although I love YA, there were points where it was difficult to be able to your characters due to the political views being brought into the conversation so frequently. I will say I love seeing LQBTQIA+ representation in small town romances.

Total Rating: 2.5 Stars

The book wasn’t as bad, I think the author has a bit too much political reviews in this and I was not a big fan of it

‘Chasing Cypress’ is the third book in Reichardt’s Alder college series, I found the first two to be really well written with a fresh take on sapphic romance for a more YA audience; all can be read as standalone books.
This one really felt like Reichardt is hitting her stride in terms of getting under the skin of her characters. Personally I love really strong characters and I don’t think there are many who are defined as Maggie Hyde. Maggie is attending Alder as she prepares to take over her family’s apple orchard and has her life mapped out and doesn’t plan to change it for anything or anyone and then she meets Olivia Cypress. Olivia is frustrating and contradictory in so many ways to Maggie, a free spirit that she cannot help but be drawn to.
I loved the dynamic between them because the kind of sparring that occurred between them is what built up the chemistry in a way that kept me turning the pages. Maggie and Olivia are so different and from juxtaposing backgrounds with opposing views on countless topics but the fact that they grow because of one another really made my heart swell by the end of the novel. For me flawed women are far more interesting in sapphic fiction; I want them to make mistakes and change from them because I want to relate to them and how life is never linear even when you want it to be.
I will say there is a lot of detail in here about the farming industry in America and although there are some strong opinions in there I enjoyed the work that went into constructing a character and a plotline that is literally rooted in this community. The backstory felt full and comprehensive and for me that was needed to bring to life a MC as strong willed as Maggie Hyde. I adored Olivia’s wanderlust and optimism for what can be achieved, something that helped Maggie evolve by the end of their story.
I cannot wait for another instalment of the Alder series but also where Reichardt will go next because she is showing so much versatility for character building that will really take her YA and adult sapphic fiction to the next level.

Good book. I liked the relationship between Maggie and Olivia, but I didn't like all the political rants in this book could have done with out it in my opinion. As for the romance between the main characters it was cute and sweet. You could tell that this was more on the young adult side, because the characters are in college or going to college, and trying to figure out what they want to do in life when they graduate. Even though this is more about Maggie trying to figure out whether or not she wants to run the family farming business or travel the world first. I would definitely recommend this to the young adult crowd, and I look forward to what's next from this author.

This was an okay book. The romance was fine but it felt overshadowed by the political rants that the author would go on. I agreed with them but this romance book was not the place for them. It didn't fit it in the story I didn't like it.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Hyde Hill Orchard has been in Maggie’s family for generations and she is looking forward to taking over the reins when her father retires. This has been her main focus in life until she meets Olivia Cypress in one of her agricultural courses. Olivia is everything Maggie is not, carefree and living in the moment while Maggie has a ten year plan she is extremely focused on.

This is a thoughtful YA novel filled with all the second guessing, family drama and new love angst one can handle. Reichardt has a knack for writing realistic stories. Her characters come to life on the pages as we are skillfully brought into their lives. Chasing Cypress is an entertaining read in the Alder University series.

I received a free advance review copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the first book that I've read by Ana Harnett Reichardt. The book is set at Alder University about 45 minutes from the East Sparrow, Georgia, family farm of Maggie Hyde. She is getting her agricultural/horticultural education at the university in order to prepare herself to take over the family farm. She's also interested in making a connection with someone while she has time left at school before she settles down into her role.

Olivia Cypress is auditing Maggie’s horticulture class when they are fully introduced. Olivia is a bohemian personality who routinely forgets her keys, is time flexible, and loves to travel. Once Olivia and Maggie meet they can't seem to agree that the sky is blue amongst many other vital things.

The book comprised a lot of discussion about conventional farming versus organic farming, LGBTQIAP+ life in small towns, open relationships (Maggie's friends), and what young adults want out of life. Overall, I found it eye opening to consider other options and the characters seemed relatable. 3.5 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first two books in the Alder series, but this one fell a bit flat for me. The love interests were adorable together but then I realized I was more invested in another couple in the book and their relationship. The overall plot with the farm and the business aspects I just couldn't get into either. It didn't feel like there was a lot at stake. I still think it's worth reading and I hope more will be written in the series, hopefully capturing the magic from books one and two.

Reichardt continues her series set at Alder University, a fictional Catholic college in the hills of Georgia. Maggie Hyde is a local from the small town of East Sparrow. She is also a legacy as her ancestors helped start the School of Agriculture at Alder. Her dream is to take over her family apple orchards currently run by her dad. She is drawn to free-spirited Olivia Cypress when they meet on the first day of class. Olivia is a finance major and genius with numbers. She is vegan, earthy and wants to do everything she can to make the world better.

As in the other two books in the series there is a lot of layers to the characters. Maggie wants her family orchards and someone content to stay in a small town. And deep down she fears people leaving like her mother did. But she is also is trapped by her dream and wants other things too. The story is told from Maggie’s POV but I liked Olivia more. She forgets to charge her phone and looses her keys often but she is thoughtful, articulate and fiercely loyal.

There is a lot of discussion about food sourcing and realities of farming. I liked the junior year (each book covers a different school year) but I didn’t’ enjoy the story as much as the first two books. The stories are usually more character growth than romance and I’m not sure Maggie changes much. I didn’t see much closure to the story either. The farm has hurdles to get over and I wanted dad to acknowledge Maggie’s role better in the future of the land. Olivia’s dreams seem bigger than a town like East Sparrow can fulfill. Plot lines about the roommate and brother were left open. So the ending feels more happy for now than HEA. I did like interactions with Bailey and Noelle from the first book. Each book can easily be read as a stand alone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. (3.5 Stars)

Coming of age as a farmer girl
This newest addition to Reichardt‘s Alder College series is in my opinion not as strong as the previous books.
The start: The story is off to a really great start with a conversation between Maggie and her brother at their farm orchard: We get the weight of Maggie‘s legacy and her yearning to take over the farm. At the same time she has a deep seated fear of being left alone in her very rural home and not being able to find a same-sex relation. We understand the beauty of the farm and living there.
The happenings: Enter Olivia, a fellow student albeit in finance who wants to branch into farming specifically organic farming. We get a vibe of opposites attracts. Olivia has ideas and Maggie has excellent arguments about sustainable (not organic) farming, arguments which somehow don‘t get as much traction - it riled me to see that the city slicker (as in real life) does not really want to listen to those who farm the land. There was a moment when I thought that organic only serves as a means to make more money. And don‘t get me started why in the opinion of city slicker urban gardening is an inferior approach to providing fresh food everywhere. Duh, it is not only about food but about the pride of producing food with your own hands. So I was not happy at all with the handling of this pivotal topic for the book. End of soap box.
The end: Maggie whose heart is set on the farm has some loosening up to do, Olivia needs to act more responsible. It is always good to have personal growth in a romance. Again I was quite unhappy how this unfolded: it takes two to tango in a relationship and as often in romance there comes a crucial point where drama unfolds. In the end only one party takes responsibility.
The sides: I loved the quirky characters and appreciated that coming-out, bullying and also the joys of college life were addressed.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🍎💻🥃🌈

Chasing Cypress is the third book in the Alder series by Ana Harnett Reichardt. Her books are an instant win for me because she rights with so much passion and has characters that make you want to protect them at all costs.

Chasing Cypress was no different. Set in Junior year, our main character is Maggie, who is in her third year of taking Agricultural classes at Alder University so she can take over her family's Apple Tree farm. She wants to branch out more this year and find love in her junior year. Then she meets Olivia Cypress, a girl who literally walks into her class late, and is everything Maggie isn't. Clumsy, losses her keys lots, flighty and vegan. The two may be different, but they connect right away and the chase is on.

Maggie is very insecure about people leaving her. It's the constant theme throughout the book, and she doesn't have much trust in Olivia when it comes to her not showing up to things. I'm glad that this book is about learning lessons and understanding it's okay to want your own things, that isn't always what you think it will be when you grow up a certain way.

I loved how this book incorporated characters from books one and two, and how everyone is so supportive and loving. I also loved Wyatt. He's an awesome dad with his two gay children. He is so proud. And Uncle Ward of course.

There’s young adults doing what YA do, drink, smoke, party and worry about their future. And fall in love. More or less. Oh and there’s a lot of farming farming talk, organic or otherwise. A decent addition to the series, albeit not my favourite. 3.5 stars

Free ARC via NetGalley.

I just couldn’t get into this one. I’ve read the previous books in the series and I had really enjoyed them, but this one missed the mark for me. I think the biggest issue I had with the book was the prolonged discussions between the characters involving food deserts, organic farming, etc. All topics of interest to me, but the way the characters would kind of drone on about it during their conversations kind of irked me. There seemed to be a paragraph or two during conversations that I would skim over just to move the book along because it seemed to be a repeat of the same conversation again and again. Besides that, I like the characters. I liked the writing, except the same argument over and over again. It was a nice addition to the series.