It took a while for me to get into the story as there are a lot of characters involved. Later though, you do start to root for some of them, especially for Alice and Emilia.

I found some of the relationships rather unsatisfactory and unconvincing, especially the romanization of the adulterous relationship between one couple and the way it developed between another two.

Charming and sweet in some ways, best of all being the bookshop setting which appeals to my book loving heart.

While well written, I felt the author tried to cram too many story lines into this novel with people having way too many awful things happening around them. Although they all got their hea it didn't feel very satisfying.

Veronica Henry's How to Find Love in a Book Shop follows main character Emilia Nightingale's journey to self-discovery in the aftermath of her father, Julius,' death. Emilia, named so because her father could not choose between his two favorite names Emily and Amelia, inherits her father, Julius Nightingale's book shop, Nightingale books, upon his death and struggles to deal with the grief of losing her father while trying to manage the bookshop that meant so much to him and the people in their town. With a cast of colorful characters, Henry's charming book is a must-read. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and felt that twinge of sadness that all book lovers feel when our latest adventure comes to an end. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

One of the things that drew me to this story was the title. For book lovers and those who are addicted to reading, the best place in the world is a bookstore. Especially one that is unique, and offers hours of escape. So it would only be fitting that one could and would find love in a bookstore.

This story is a delightful read. It is a story about a secret love but also family love and finding love when you least expect it. Most of the story is set in a small town and the characters revolve around the bookstore and those involved in the small community. A place where everyone knows and supports you.

The author structured the story in a unique manner and there are many characters that we are introduced to and follow throughout their quest for companionship and ultimately love.

Quaint, quirky, and beautifully written and developed, this women’s fiction is a deep look at the fact that you never know when you find the person meant for you or even where. Just be open to all possibilities.

How to Find Love in a Book Shop had the perfect premise for fans of book lovers and love stories. I was really looking forward to picking this one up as a cozy read during the winter months. Unfortunately, I wish I loved this book more than I did. The book had the perfect premise and set up, but its execution felt choppy and I failed to connect to the large cast of characters.
Emilia Nightingale is called back to her hometown of Peasebrook in Cotswold, England, where her father, Julius, is dying. After his death, she is determined to keep his beloved shop, Nightingale Books, open and thriving. Due to the lack of tracking finances and steep debt, Nightingale Books is on its last legs. Waiting in the wings is a developer ready to snap up the property if Emilia would give him an opening. As she struggles with her grief and to make sense of what her father left her, Emilia finds help from the townspeople. Julius was a beloved figure in the community, and many of the locals' lives are entwined with the fate and fortunes of the bookstore.
How to Find Love in a Book Shop is a slice of life book where we get segments of different characters' lives as they visit Nightingale Books and have multiple happy endings. The author jumps too quickly between the large cast of characters that we don't fully get to see their love stories play out and their happy endings are anticlimactic. There were a few supporting characters that I did love such as the shy chef and the adorable fromager, the second chance love story of the single dad, and lastly the soon to be bride who was going to marry the wrong guy. The very fact that I can't recall any of these characters' names is a testament to how the story was unmemorable. It also annoyed me that there is no diversity in the book. All of the romances are those of heterosexuals and none of the characters are people of color. Overall, this was an okay read to past the time but the not of the top books that I read that featured a bookstore.

This book started with such a beautiful description of the moments after the loss of a loved one. Unfortunately, that was the high point and I found that the rest of the book plodded along and I ended up feeling that it was just 'fine.'

Emilia returns to her hometown to say goodbye to her father, Julius Nightingale. She cannot imagine her life without him and Nightingale Books without the comforting presence of her father but he’s ill and doesn’t have much time. The only thing she assures him is that she will be there to continue to bring joy to the village’s residents.

Nightingale Books is the bookshop every bibliophile dreams about. A bit of disarray, lots of books, and an owner who truly cares about helping one find the right book, but the shop is not in the best of shape. Julius was most concerned with bringing up his daughter on his own and being the owner of something more than just a shop but creating an atmosphere that encouraged readers to come in and browse. Buying was kind of optional.

This means that when Julius passes away and Emilia starts to immerse herself in the business of running the shop she realizes that she needs a lot of help to keep the business afloat. She’s got bills to pay, she needs to find more shoppers and how does she not fall into a business trap.

Emilia had been gone for quite a while from Peasebrook but she realizes that her father had truly built a community and she is willing to make some changes to the shop but never losing the essence of what her father built. Along the way she reconnects with many of the town residents and maybe even finds that she doesn’t have to leave home to find what she’s always been looking for.

A charming story with a nice cast of characters. I think if you are in need of a comfort read then this is the book for you. I just wish I could find my own Nightingale books in my town.

Taking over her father’s Cotswolds bookshop after his death, Emilia Nightingale discovers that it’s in the red. With the help of her dad’s friends and customers, including a Goth sales assistant and shoplifting art director, Emilie sets out to save the store. Don’t miss this absolutely delightful and heartfelt celebration of books, love and community.

Everyone finds their match. Harlequin romance.
Goodreads

This book brought back memories of stories by Maeve Binchy. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters: Julius, Emelia the whole group and how their lives intersected with each other. I did not want the story to end!!

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer jerjen

Emilia has inherited her father’s book store after his death. She has made a promise to him to keep the bookstore open and thriving. But she has no idea how to do that, the bookstore is losing money. There is a contracter lurking in the background, eager to buy the bookstore for the land. She has to decide if she should just sell and be done with it or keep it open and make it the success her dad had dreamed of. What will she decide and can she live with that decision?

This book is not only about Emilia and the bookstore, but also about some of the townspeople who frequent the store. There is Jackson, a dad who is hoping the bookstore can be the link to a better relationship with his son. There is Thomasina, a cooking teacher who somehow has to find the courage to go for romance. And there is Sarah, owner of the Peasebrook Manor, who loves the bookstore because it is the one place she can go to get away from all the demands of the Manor. These are only a few of the townspeople mentioned, and at times, I thought there were too many characters introduced. I had trouble keeping so many of them straight in my mind. That is only my opinion and other readers may not agree with me.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. I really loved the bookstore setting and I think the author did a good job of bringing it alive in my mind. I really liked how the community was ready, willing and able to help Emilia work out her problems and find a solution to make the bookstore a success. The community had heart and they were very willing to give it to Emilia when she needed it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted women’s contemporary. This is a feel good book that revolves around a bookstore, a community and a daughter that wants to honor her father’s wishes.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Beautiful stories woven in and out of one another, all leading back to a charming bookshop outside of London. Vividly full and vibrant characters. This is one that I will absolutely revisit and gift! It is a treasure!

How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 5/5 stars
My Review:

Emilia never once suspected her father’s beloved bookstore, Nightingale Books wasn’t and isn’t a smashing success. Given the number of people who come through on a daily and weekly basis and her father’s lack of communication on the topic, Emilia is as shocked by the state of the bookstore as she is by her beloved father’s death.

For Emilia, it wasn’t supposed to be this way. Oh, sure, Nightingale Books is her inheritance and some day she fully intended to return home and run the shop in her father’s stead, but not this early, not this soon. As we well know, Fate is a fickle b*tch and when Emilia is forced to return home to her dying father’s bedside, she is shocked to find just how much of a mess he has left her. With nothing to do, but get on with the living and the working, Emilia doggedly decides to right the ship and make Nightingale Books her father’s legacy more than just her inheritance.

The instant she is back in the shop, Emilia is surrounded by love and support from the long-time customers who were also her father’s friends. The men and women of her small hometown are thoughtful and kind, willing to lend a hand, and encouraging of Emilia’s efforts to get the bookshop back on track. There’s her best-friend and accountant whose efforts are geared toward the numbers, there’s the wizened old woman who retired quite well-off and is more than willing to donate financially to the cause, and there’s the wasting her talents stay at home mom who’s perfectly situated to help Emilia re-launch Nightingale Books. In her personal life, there’s the return of the beautiful musician whose interest at first seems totally professional (his group needs a new cellist!) and there’s the married woman/manor owner whose life was, unbeknownst to all, intimately linked to Emilia’s father and the bookstore.

With so much love, support, and enthusiasm, it’s hard for Emilia to turn her back on the old bookstore, but there are so many obstacles to overcome and grief is a powerful thing. With every gain/victory, Emilia also experiences a setback, whether it be personally or professionally. Some days the setbacks are manageable and others, well, giving up just seems like the best option. What’s more, Emilia’s life isn’t the only life tied to Nightingale Books, and as she experiences the roller coaster ride, so do her customers/friends. Each experience and each event that occurs in every character’s life is somehow tied to Nightingale Books and losing the store would mean losing a piece of their own lives for everyone in town.

The Bottom Line: This is one of those books where I can’t quite wrap my head around the lower star rating on Goodreads. I absolutely adored this book, it’s intricate relationships, it’s complicated design, and its ultimately triumphant message about managing grief. Emilia is young to be carrying such a heavy burden, but because of her location, and her history with the people of the town, she has a built-in support system and that system comes shining through in this read! As all the help is rolling in for Emilia, there’s also a great deal going on in the background with those same characters who are helping the young woman. I love how intricately tied together the plot, sub-plot, major and minor characters are. Though not everyone knows and/or interacts with each other, they are all tied to the book store and Emilia which makes for a much deeper, more involved, and thoroughly enjoyable read. I’m adding this one to my highly recommend list and hope y’all enjoy this one as much as I did!

I do love my mysteries, but every so often I crave a sweet, feel-good read with a happy ending. How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry was all of the above and the perfect read for a lazy Sunday.

Nightingale Books has been a fixture in the village of Peasedale for almost thirty years. "After all, a town without a bookshop was a town without a heart." Julius, the owner, is just as beloved by the residents. When he passes away, his daughter Emilia returns home to take over the shop she grew up in.

"Millions - there must be so many millions - of words. All those words, and the pleasure they had provided for people over the years: escape, entertainment, education...He had changed minds. He had changed lives. It was up to her to carry on his works so he would live on...."

Well, starting off with a bookshop at the heart of a tale had me hooked without turning a page! And then I met the inhabitants of Peasedale and became totally immersed in Henry's imaginings. Her characters were so warm and real. They're people you would like to have in your circle of friends. Many of them are holding on to secrets, running from or wishing for love and happiness - and some of them don't even realize it....

Henry's emotional descriptions of her characters and their wants and wishes was very well done. The memories of Julius had me reaching for a tissue more than once. I could only hope that they all would find what they needed by the end of the book. There are lots of miscommunications, missed cues and missteps along the way. But, this being a chick lit type of book, we know we can expect some happy endings by the final pages....and the journey there was so very enjoyable.

There were so many great book quotes and references throughout the novel. Bibliophiles will appreciate them all. "There's a book for everyone, even if they don't think there is. A book that reaches in a grabs your soul."

I really enjoyed How to Find Love in a Bookshop - it was charming, sweet and a lovely read. Five stars for pure escapist enjoyment reading. I'll be checking out what else Henry has written. Read an excerpt of How to Find Love in a Bookshop.

Fans of Jenny Colgan would enjoy Veronica Henry. You can connect with Veronica on her website, like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Writing
In spite of the chick lit cover (which, to be honest, I kind of love), this one keeps up just fine with works that received a more literary slant, like The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. I loved the cast of characters Henry creates and the way she brings them to life on the page. She has quite a bit going on here, but she manages to keep it all running smoothly and integrates each part into the whole in a clever way.

Entertainment Value
I loved, loved, loved reading this one. It's got everything I could ask for - a little bit of romance, the charm of an English village, cozy autumn nights, and loads of books and book references. Add in the food and music descriptions and the whole thing is just perfection. It's perfect for book lovers of all sorts.

Overall
I highly recommend this, particularly to those who loved A.J. Fikry, but also to anyone who loves happy endings and cozy nights by the fire. This is an absolutely perfect fall read and it's got all sorts of warm fuzzies to boot. Read it wrapped up in a snuggly blanket and fall in love with the whole village of Peasebrook.

How could I resist this title? Well, obviously I didn't, lol. Books set in bookstores are like catnip; add in some family saga and romance and I was sold.

"How to Find Love in a Bookshop" is a sweet, gentle, meandering story about a local bookstore and the people attached to it. It's a mix of romance and women's fiction, with a little bit of family drama.

Emilia is struggling with both her father's death and the inheritance of the bookshop. She has no experience running a store. Helping her through all this are the store's employees and customers. They provide emotional support and even practical advice. Her father was well-loved and well-liked and he was an expert at matching people with books but he wasn't very good at the business side of managing a store. Emilia struggles with how to keep the store open and even should she, although she promised her father that she would. In fact, much of the story has to do with her journey to becoming her own person. She spends much of the story doing things because that's how her father did them or because he did them or she thinks he'd want her to. Slowly though she starts to realize she can't live her life that way and she needs to do what she wants and what she thinks is right.

Helping on her journey, while on journeys of their own, are Sarah, local gentry with a personal tie to the store; Dillon, Sarah's employee who has a strong moral code; Jackson, a restless young man trying to be a better father who affects the store's future; Thomasina, a customer who also is learning to take charge of her life; and Bea, a lonely stay-at-home who becomes entwined with the store's future.

Nightingale Books is a book store that I would love. The focus is books, with a few other odds and ends. The sales staff are low key, low pressure, but knowledgable. It's a place where you can linger and browse to your heart's content. I wish I had a book store like that near me. It was interesting to see what part the store plays in the town and its importance to the residents. Anyway, the book is told from multiple perspectives but primarily from Emilia's. It's not a dramatic story, there's no major conflict apart from the store's future. While there are several love stories occurring in the book, perhaps the most important one was that concerning the store and the locals. They love the store and don't want to see it fail.

" How to Find Love in a Bookshop" is a slow-paced, slightly meandering but affectionate, sweet, warm story of people on journeys to figure out their life, tied together by a love of books and the store that sells them. And yes, there are happy endings for pretty much everyone.

Do you love books about books? Do you love exploring bookshops? I do! When I saw the cover of How To Find Love in a Bookshop and read the description, of course, I wanted to read and review it right away! And this bookshop--Nightingale Books--looked so inviting on the cover that I wished it was real and I could visit it, especially when I found out it was located in the idyllic village of Peasebrook ( fictional) in the Cotswolds--a particularly beautiful part of England that I had recently visited. One reason I have always loved visiting England and have returned many times in the course of over four decades was their bookshops and the fact that they always seemed to be a nation of readers. ( I used to love seeing adults with their noses buried in books on the Underground, and now those books have sadly been replaced by cell phones. I digress.). At any rate, this book was immediately inviting! And I was not disappointed. Reading it was many times predictable, but always heartwarming. It was a book that was not stunningly inventive, but full of characters that you became invested in because they warmed your heart. It was a happy book to read! As the book opens, thirty something Emilia has traveled back from the Far East, to be with her elderly father who is dying. Upon his death, the people in the village convey to Emilia how much the bookstore and her father meant to them, and she becomes determined to keep the store open despite the fact there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. As the story unfolds, you get to know the people of this little town, and, yes, books that they love are mentioned throughout. This book will not win any literary prizes, but it was one of the happiest I have read this year. Thank you Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for the ARC and for allowing me to review it!

Sometimes you don't want high drama, you just want to read a sweet touching story about ordinary people with ordinary issues and a happy ending. This is exactly what this book is! The characters are endearing and believable. The plot moves quickly, but at a reasonable pace for the storylines to reach fruition in a logical progression. This is a book you can share with your mother or grandmother, a book that's perfect for fans of the Mitford series or Fannie Flagg's or Maeve Binchy's books. Sweet, yet not too sappy. Perfect for a rainy day.

I'm always drawn to novels about about books or bookstores so I couldn't pass this one by. It's a sweet story about a variety of men and women whose relationships are affected by the bookstore or it's owners. The writing was okay thought containing a lot of cliches, but the dialogue was good and the characters endearing.

This book is about a woman who works to save her deceased father's bookstore and the people who are affected by the bookstore. At its best moments the different characters make it hard to put down the book because you have to find out what happens to this one character and then there is another character you have to find out about. However, it took me half the book to get emotionally invested in all of these characters. Their introductions left me confusing one character with another.