Sweet story, brought tears to my eyes. One really has to feel for Loveday, what a tough hand she was dealt. I found it a shame that she had such difficulty trusting. It was hard to hear her twist things against herself. Glad to have her grow out of it, though it sort of begs a sequel to see how things really work out. I have a hard time trusting that life will be smooth sailing for her from here on out. Some great characters. The writing really caught me up, I was anxious to get back to it when I had to put it down.

Loveday Cardew works at a used bookstore, Lost for Words, in York, England. A bit prickly on the outside, Loveday has a deep love for books and feels at home in the bookshop. In spite of her troubled past, she learns to love and trust others and grows a lot as a person, but she feels like all of that is in danger when the past she’s tried to keep hidden threatens to come to light.

This was a lovely book! Even though she’s rather prickly and antisocial on the outside, and she’s not terrible remarkable, you just fall in love with Loveday. I was so proud of the character growth she experienced throughout the book, how well she managed her life in spite of her past trauma, and I just about cried when she had a big breakthrough near the end of the book. As a fellow book lover, I appreciated her love of books and understood the escape they provided her. I liked her stream of consciousness style narration, sometimes snarky and sometimes heartbreaking. The book was beautifully written, and there is so much action in the final chapters! I couldn’t put it down!

I would give this a 4 1/2 (or even a 5), but there was a fair amount of f-words and other strong language, so we’ll say a 4. Also, TW for domestic violence. Thanks to NetGalley for the free ebook.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. I enjoyed the bookshop and the book references. The main characters were mostly fun to follow, and I liked seeing how important books were in their lives. It made the characters relatable. Some of the book fell a little flat for me though. I recommend this read though, most people enjoyed it more than I did.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

A lovely gentle book about a girl called Loveday Cardew who runs a bookshop, perfect for book lovers to dive into. A great character who you cannot fail to fall in love with and wait to see how the rest of the book unfolds. A great winter's evening read.

The main character Loveday tries hard to forget all the bad in her past - but the past has the way to catch up with you. And Loveday needs to face her trauma, build up her trust in people and maybe even forgive THAT (formerly beloved) person.

I find the topic being very important and I was sold on the premise. But...the execution is not so strong and I find it movie-like - there is an utterly adorable young man in Loveday’s present life to carry her and all her suffering, a charming boss...and even THAT person has their reasons. Like - trauma is real, but the way of recovery is a bit of fairytale. A pity, I think, because people does not to be ideal to be lovable and - loved, actually.

I was really hoping for more from this book. I had a hard time getting into it, and a hard time finishing it. I'm not sure what exactly it was about it that I didn't like, but I found that it was simply too slow, and the characters were very boring for me to read. I had no interest in the outcome of their story.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I truly appreciate it!

This is a book that seems to be light and carefree, but we soon see how deceptive that is. As we become immersed in Loveday's world, we find issues of mental illness, abusive relationships, foster care, and chosen families. I loved this - the characters, the setting, the world built around books.... It was poignant, complex and heartwarming.

Stephanie Butland’s The Lost for Words Bookshop is not another bookshop book, where somebody gets bookshop as an inheritance, while they themselve want to be somewhere else and do something else.
Loveday loves books, she works in a bookshop and this is the place she feels most secure, doing what she likes best and even if she is not the most friendly person, she is good at what she does and her boss is ok with it, if she is a bit grumpy at times. But there was once a time when she was a happy kid, loving her parents, loving the school, and then one day it all ended. She has a secret, she keeps close to her, even if she has “relationships” they don’t last long for the partner to ask too many questions.
But then one lost/found book brings somebody into her life, who brings her out from her shell, a bit at least, but it also brings out the worst in other persons in her life and at the same time some things from her past turn up out of the blue.
I’m not a poetry person, so at the beginning I thought it might not be my book, but the deeper I got into it, into the past and present, the story evolved and became more thrilling, and the poetry helped say things, so I enjoyed the story very much. It’s not easy to read about domestic violence and children in the middle of it, but it was very cleverly written.

Good read.

The premise of the book is great and the author really delivers. Great read. Highly recommended. .

Lost for Words is one of those rare books that surprise me. It was nothing like I expected (which to be honest was a sweet English rom com with some heartache but a quirky love story). I see that it's been compared to both The Storied Life of AJ Fikry and Eleanor Oliphant, which is fair, but I don't think that really covers it. Loveday is a unique character- at first, it was hard to like her, but as I continued to read and see her life and learn her history, everything made sense. A lot of authors try to write broken characters, but Stephanie Butland really captured Loveday in a way that made her so real for me. That is a rare talent. This is one of those books I may need to read a few times to truly appreciate it.

I absolutely adored this book, from the creative format (each section tied in with a book genre) to the flawed and endearing characters (Archie!). I loved learning about Loveday's childhood and how it shaped her into a cautious yet brave woman. This is a book that will stay with me for quite some time.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland.

Loveday (her actual name, I'm obsessed) is an introverted and tattooed employee of the local bookshop. Taken under the wing of Archie, Loveday finds comfort and solace at her job more than many other places she has been. She considers books and her employer as a sort of reform or rescue. Loveday's past has not been easy, but her life at the bookshop is quiet and content.

So when Loveday finds a book of poetry discarded on the ground on her way to work, she has no idea just how much her life is about to be stirred up, and that her ghosts may have caught up to her.

I do adore a book about books. Especially when books and authors are quoted and mentioned often. I love that Loveday is covered in literary tattoos and that she's found her soft landing in reading.

This was not quite the sappy bookish romance that I was expecting. It smacks a bit of The Rose Project, where the protagonist struggles to communicate and tap into her emotions. But the unexpectedness was also appreciated. My only complaint is that there are pockets throughout that tend to drag.

This novel was wonderful! I enjoyed the way it was a book world full of literary references. And set around a bookshop! And in London! It is a book lover’s dream world. Loveday works in a bookshop in London for Archie. Archie is full of life and endearingly kind. Loveday has been working there since she was a teenager. She has a childhood where something painful happened to her. She stays distant from others except for Archie and her beloved books. She meets a poet who takes an interest in her. And she stumbles upon something from her past in the bookshop. She has to decide if she can face her past, let others know what happened, and if she will let others in to her life.

This book is so firmly in my niche of favored books. I love anything written about books or bookish people, and this was very much one of those texts. The characters were lovable; you wanted them to succeed and rooted for them. There's also a compelling element of mystery that didn't kill or overwhelm the plot at any point. Loveday is complex and memorable. I'm a fan.

When I opened The Lost for Words Bookshop, I connected with the book immediately. Everything was just right...the writing, the characters, the dialogue. It’s a love story to the written word. The main character has gone through great amounts of pain in her life and we see how it affects her decisions and personality. The story will tug at your heartstrings. A heartwarming story.

This is the book for my book club at work this month or else I don't think I would have finished it. It seems to be a well-done character sketch of a survivor of domestic violence, and while I liked that the main character had a strong storytelling voice, the content is much darker than what I was looking to read right now. That said, there is interest in this book and my library has purchased a copy.

Oh my goodness I mean, to market to a bookworm this way lol such good marketing. I loooooved it! With a cozy setting and a spunky protagonist who reminded me of all my favorite characters, such a good read!

This is a book to curl up with, forget the world, a book about books. I’m all there for it, cover to cover, thankyouverymuch! the Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland is a love letter to books and readers, with surprising depth without becoming too heavy. For this reader it’s a Goldilocks find, just right. Our protagonist, Loveday, is quick, witty, and rarely trusts anyone. Working at a bookshop since she was a troubled teen, full of quirky characters, she finds herself presented with her past in the form of a mysterious delivery. How, why, and who? She’s incredibly private. This is where our mystery unfolds, as does Loveday’s past...and future. I highly recommend to readers who enjoyed The Storied Life of AJ Fikry.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press who provided an advanced reader copy. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinions.

I wanted to go out and purchased this book as soon as I finished. I want to read it again and make notes that would only ever be read by me because so many parts of it felt personal. I wanted the time to just read it and not have to go to work or sleep because I just wanted to continue learning more about Loveday and uncover all the things from her childhood that made her who she was as an adult.

I loved this book and I really wish I had read and reviewed it earlier in the year when I was first approved for the ARC because I would have told everybody about it. Who knows - I probably still will. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with the ARC.