How To Find Love In A Bookshop - Veronica Henry
My Review - 3 Stars
How To Find Love In A Bookshop was off to a promising start. I can usually tell fairly early on what my rating will be, barring any unexpected changes, and this was going to be a pretty solid 4 stars.
It had book-lovers and a bookstore and romance. What else did my book nerd heart need?
Unfortunately, the story also included two of my big pet peeves. Pet peeve might not be the right way to put it. When I run into either of these things in a novel, I kind of shrivel up inside because I just can't handle it. The elements at least partially kill my enjoyment of the story. This is 100% my personal preference. Plenty of people have read this novel and not been bothered by these elements and there's no judgment on my part.
This is a delightful novel in so many ways and I'm glad I read it. I loved the story of how Julian came to open the bookstore and what it means to the community. I loved how Emilia essentially grew up in the bookshop and how this formed her, even though she went away. Deciding to take the bookshop on after her father's death was no small task and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how she handled the challenges.
In addition to flashbacks with Julian's story and Emilia's perspective as the novel's glue, we also get to know some of the villager's stories and how Julian and the bookstore figures into their lives. Of those, my favorite story belonged to Thomasina, an extremely shy cook who meets a man while browsing the cookbooks at Nightingale Books. Of course, it's possible that was my favorite story because it's essentially my dream to fall in love while at a bookstore. It's a pity this novel didn't come with a how to manual. ;)
So that's all well and good but then along came my pet peeves. I'm going to say what they are but not the particulars so as not to spoil the story. Like I said, this is my personal preference. We all read books through the lens of our own experiences and beliefs.
I can read about people behaving very badly and not be overly bothered by it but these things do bother me and mar my reading experience. The first is infidelity, especially when we are essentially supposed to root for the lovers to be together. I just can't do it. If someone is in an unhappy marriage, then either fix it or leave. I couldn't understand the characters' decisions in this novel and had a very hard time extending any sympathy.
The second thing is when someone is dating an awful person and everyone knows it but them...and everyone decides not to say anything. Even when the person is going to marry the jackhole! I strongly believe if you see red flags in a person's character, you owe it to your friend or loved one to say something. You can be gracious in how you say it and then it's up to your friend as to what they do with the information. So for characters to not say something in this instance about killed me and I did not care for how the storyline was resolved. Nor do I think it reflected well on the character who dated the awful person.
Aside from these two instances, this was an enjoyable and cozy read, a great pick for a chilly winter day. It's hard to resist an ode to book lovers, just as it's hard not to dream about working at a bookstore again someday.
Synopsis
Everyone has a story . . . but will they get the happy ending they deserve?
Emilia has just returned to her idyllic Cotswold hometown to rescue the family business. Nightingale Books is a dream come true for book-lovers, but the best stories aren't just within the pages of the books she sells - Emilia's customers have their own tales to tell.
There's the lady of the manor who is hiding a secret close to her heart; the single dad looking for books to share with his son but who isn't quite what he seems; and the desperately shy chef trying to find the courage to talk to her crush . . .
And as for Emilia's story, can she keep the promise she made to her father and save Nightingale Books?
Buy The Book Here:
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Disclosure: I received a free copy from Pamela Dorman Books via Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links included in this post.