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ecp2115's review against another edition
3.0
This one was just alright for me. Not bad but not great.
kellyconboy's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn’t finish it. The narrator was insufferable, the author has obviously never interacted with a teacher in June but still tried to write one, the original romance was deemed to fail due to god awful characters and who even knows if the whining heroine will find love with the love interest directly dumped in front of her because I couldn’t finish the book.
Only gave it two stars because the premise had potential.
Only gave it two stars because the premise had potential.
uraveragemuggle's review against another edition
3.0
If I could give it a 3.5 starts I would. Definitely a well written novel. I loved the theme of the book. Personally it was a little slow for me.
sbn42's review against another edition
4.0
A scavenger hunt wrapped around an anachronism.
A history teacher in her late 20s is just starting to figure out what she wants for a future. Her boyfriend has invited her to move in, when she finds out her uncle has died. Fortunately it is during summer break, so she has time to go out and pay her condolences, when she finds out he has left his bookstore to her. She has no desire to keep it, but he has seeded literary clues for her to follow in an effort to make her understand why she should keep it going.
Some readers considered her whiny, but I don't believe she is any different from many people in her circumstance trying to plan out her life. Why would any young person find value in a dusty old bookstore that is no longer earning enough to keep it going? While I surmised the steps that played out along the way, it was still entertaining enough that I wanted to see how it got resolved.
A history teacher in her late 20s is just starting to figure out what she wants for a future. Her boyfriend has invited her to move in, when she finds out her uncle has died. Fortunately it is during summer break, so she has time to go out and pay her condolences, when she finds out he has left his bookstore to her. She has no desire to keep it, but he has seeded literary clues for her to follow in an effort to make her understand why she should keep it going.
Some readers considered her whiny, but I don't believe she is any different from many people in her circumstance trying to plan out her life. Why would any young person find value in a dusty old bookstore that is no longer earning enough to keep it going? While I surmised the steps that played out along the way, it was still entertaining enough that I wanted to see how it got resolved.
brandidean's review against another edition
4.0
Quality-wise, this is more of a 3 star, but I enjoyed it 4-stars worth.
I knew from the first or second scene what the big reveal was going to be, and even after some clunky misdirection in the middle I was still trying to figure out how it could still work. So, low grade for that.
And you know from almost as soon as the boyfriend is introduced that there’s no way that will last. (I didn’t think the new love was a very compelling replacement, though.)
But I liked Miranda and Billy (and thought the author did a fair job of showing his faults alongside Miranda’s hero worship) and the piece by piece reveal structure (though some of it did seem like a stretch, and Miranda’s mom was hard to swallow as believable). And of course, I liked it being set in a bookshop. Plus, it feels like the first book I’ve really enjoyed in a while, so it gets 4 stars.
I knew from the first or second scene what the big reveal was going to be, and even after some clunky misdirection in the middle I was still trying to figure out how it could still work. So, low grade for that.
And you know from almost as soon as the boyfriend is introduced that there’s no way that will last. (I didn’t think the new love was a very compelling replacement, though.)
But I liked Miranda and Billy (and thought the author did a fair job of showing his faults alongside Miranda’s hero worship) and the piece by piece reveal structure (though some of it did seem like a stretch, and Miranda’s mom was hard to swallow as believable). And of course, I liked it being set in a bookshop. Plus, it feels like the first book I’ve really enjoyed in a while, so it gets 4 stars.
deltadawn5's review against another edition
5.0
I liked the storyline, enjoyed the scavenger hunt aspect, and enjoyed my hometown of Big Bear featured. Loved the mystery and surprises.
book_vibes8's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
romyschnaiberg's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ami114's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jessversteeg's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
How did I not love a book about bookstores? In many ways it was a 3* book for me: the plot was interesting and the scavenger-hunt aspect was fun. But I found halfway-through that I was really *not* liking the narrator and the whole plot with her boyfriend. Why was that even there?! That part of the plot gave me the ick, though I was also like… am I supposed to not like her? Is that whole plot supposed to mirror Billy’s supposed self-absorbedness?
I think this is also one of the first books where the found-family was not the ending I actually hoped for or wanted.🤷🏼♀️
Other books with the save-the-unprofitable-bookstore plot that were much better: “Christmas Bookshop” by Jenny Colgan and “Christmas by the Book” by Anne Marie Ryan though clearly both Christmas books
I think this is also one of the first books where the found-family was not the ending I actually hoped for or wanted.🤷🏼♀️
Other books with the save-the-unprofitable-bookstore plot that were much better: “Christmas Bookshop” by Jenny Colgan and “Christmas by the Book” by Anne Marie Ryan though clearly both Christmas books
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism