Book Review: How To Find Love In A Bookshop {Veronica Henry}

This book was sitting on a shelf at the library with the front cover facing outward. I walked past, saw the title, and that alone was enough to make me want to read more! A title which contains both the words love AND bookshop?!  Sign me up!  I’d never heard of this book or of this author…but I was intrigued enough to take it home with me and I’m so glad that I did.  I read it and now I have so many thoughts.  There were definitely parts of it that I LOVED…aaaaaaaand then there were parts of it that I didn’t.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The enchanting story of a bookshop, its grieving owner, a supportive literary community, and the extraordinary power of books to heal the heart

Nightingale Books, nestled on the main street in an idyllic little village, is a dream come true for book lovers–a cozy haven and welcoming getaway for the literary-minded locals. But owner Emilia Nightingale is struggling to keep the shop open after her beloved father’s death, and the temptation to sell is getting stronger. The property developers are circling, yet Emilia’s loyal customers have become like family, and she can’t imagine breaking the promise she made to her father to keep the store alive.

There’s Sarah, owner of the stately Peasebrook Manor, who has used the bookshop as an escape in the past few years, but it now seems there’s a very specific reason for all those frequent visits. Next is roguish Jackson, who, after making a complete mess of his marriage, now looks to Emilia for advice on books for the son he misses so much. And the forever shy Thomasina, who runs a pop-up restaurant for two in her tiny cottage–she has a crush on a man she met in the cookbook section, but can hardly dream of working up the courage to admit her true feelings.

Enter the world of Nightingale Books for a serving of romance, long-held secrets, and unexpected hopes for the future–and not just within the pages on the shelves. How to Find Love in a Bookshop is the delightful story of Emilia, the unforgettable cast of customers whose lives she has touched, and the books they all cherish.

My Thoughts:

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

3.5 Stars

I’m conflicted with my review of this book.  I loved it…truly!  I thought it was sweet, charming, heartwarming, and lovely.

But I just never felt like picking it up to read it.  Ever.

In all fairness, I started reading this book as soon as I finished this one.  Now THAT book was one that I couldn’t put down and I read it over the course of a few days.  The genres of these 2 books are so completely different but it’s hard to dive right into a book like this one after just finishing a book like that one.  I usually love switching genres before starting a new read but I think this might have just been too great of a switch.  Does that make sense?  Has this ever happened to you?

Of course this lovely book wasn’t suspenseful…it wasn’t supposed to be!  But after just finishing one which quite literally had me on the edge of my seat, this one just felt…a bit…too calm.

The sheer amount of characters in this book were insane.  There were WAY too many characters, WAY too many story lines, and WAY too much jumping around from one to the other!  Just as I was really starting to fall into a story line, the story lines would change and honestly many of them were predictable and unrealistic.  I also didn’t love the endings of more than 1 story line.

HOWEVER…

Despite my issues with this book, it truly is a gem. It’s sweet, touching, and overall just lovely. I teared up quite a few times while reading!

Nightingale Books sounds so charming! If that store were in my neighborhood I would be in there everyday. If you are a book lover like I am, hearing all about Nightingale Books will be your favorite part of this book.  In fact, the entire town of Peasebrook sounds just lovely!  I Googled it and learned that it’s not a real town.  I wish it were, I would so love to visit such a cute and special little corner of the world. 🙂

If you are looking for an easy, lighthearted book…this is a good one!

I truly wonder if my review would have been different had I not just finished such an intense psychological thriller right before I picked this one up?

Bottom Line:

It’s got some issues…but overall I truly did enjoy it!  Also, any book which focuses on an charming independent bookstore is absolutely a book worth reading.

Xo,

Jenny

Did you read this book?  What did you think?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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