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bunnyb11's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kmthomas06's review
4.0
Delightful romantic comedy about a woman who (luckily) inherits a house in middle of nowhere Scotland right as her perfectly nice life falls apart and she needs a place to run to. Of course, the new town is full of quirky, delightful neighbors and a grumpy bookstore owner who is just want the doctor ordered for Thea. I will say, this isn't as light as some rom-coms; there is some heaviness to it and the amount of poor romantic relationship/life choices can be a bit much but Thea is a rock at the center of the story and I loved her and rooted for her the whole way.
charlotte1602's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
tinybibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
My Review:⭐️⭐⭐ / 5 stars
Thea Moltram is having the worst month - she was laid off from her job and her husband of 20 years is leaving her for her friend Susanna. In her 40s, she is at a loss of where she needs to be in her life. Feeling hurt, betrayed, and lonely, she finds her escape in a small town in Scotland. Her uncle Andrew had sadly passed away and she conveniently inherited his home and collection of first edition books. After meeting the local bookseller Edward (to sell off her uncle’s books) , she also gets a job there as a sales clerk while she is living in town. Also learning that Edward used to be a Lord until he gave it all up to his younger brother, Charles, Lord Hollinshaw. The two brothers have famously not gotten along since their teens, each going after other’s wives/ex gfs as a way to hurt the other’s feelings.
The story was cute and I wish this town really existed! I loved that story was about a middle aged couple trying to find love again - and having more complex problems in their relationship. However, I found the dialogue could have been more witty. Sometimes, Thea’s inner dialogue was annoying and she was probably the most oblivious one in the book. I also found it hard to see how she could fully trust Edward after knowing he readily steals his brother’s gfs/wives because he simply could. I wanted to like Edward more, but he had so many red flags.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
US Pub Date: May 4, 2021 on paperback!
drj_reads's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was a hard book to finish. It was the slow and the main character is SOO hard on herself. The male character kind of sucks, which the book is fairly open about. I was excited to read a romance book with a middle aged main character but this painted her in this terrible, desperate, self-hating light. I’m disappointed.
tidoublegarrr's review
3.0
Another fun beach read. The story followed a predictable path, but it was sweet and enjoyable especially being in the bookshop setting.
anne4discworld's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
librarydancer's review
DNF.
Author clearly did NOT do the research necessary on used books before writing this novel.
I was iffy on the book, but 12% of the way through the book, a used book owner dons white gloves to handle an old first edition book.
White gloves are NOT recommended for old books according to the latest work by booksellers and archivists. Lazy research.
Author clearly did NOT do the research necessary on used books before writing this novel.
I was iffy on the book, but 12% of the way through the book, a used book owner dons white gloves to handle an old first edition book.
White gloves are NOT recommended for old books according to the latest work by booksellers and archivists. Lazy research.
parshy13's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75