On Miranda’s twelfth birthday, she witnesses a fight between her mom and Uncle Billy. Eventually, their falling out causes Miranda to virtually forget her uncle, so she is surprised to learn of his death and that she inherited his failing bookshop, Prospero Books. Her parents refuse to answer her questions about the past, but her uncle has sent her on one last scavenger hunt to unravel the mystery that tore her family apart. As she searches for answers, she grows into the woman she was meant to become.
Meyerson wrote emotionally complex, perfectly imperfect characters. The employees of the bookstore charmed me into hoping they could all save the bookstore. The only one I could not grow to love was that awful boyfriend, Jay, and I badly wanted Miranda to dump him.
The literary reference clues blended into the story beautifully, never once feeling out of place. Books about books, libraries, or bookstores warm my heart, and this book was successfully executed within its setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review.

I received an advanced uncorrected copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
The Bookshop of Yesterdays is about Miranda, a history teacher on the east coast who's estranged uncle dies and leaves her not only his bookstore in LA but also the clues to a family mystery. The premise is interesting enough and I am always a fan of books about books. My two main problems with this story are the characters and the 'mystery' Miranda is solving . Beyond Miranda and her mother's character (somewhat) they all fall flat. No one feels like a fully fleshed out person. The people at the bookstore, both the workers and the regulars feel more like quirky character ideas of people than real people. They were funny ideas of people rather than whole fleshed out beings. The mystery was fairly easy to guess at. Which because this isn't a mystery novel wasn't bad just kinda boring. It again felt like drama for the sake of it. My main positive of this book is that you can tell the author loves books, reading and the culture that comes with it. I wish she had spent more time on the books she loves and the meaning they had to Miranda and her uncle. It might have helped give the story a denser flavor. Wouldn't recommend.

A terrific premise of a literary scavenger lifts this attention-grabbing story to a higher level. Miranda has returned home to California for her uncle Billy's funeral, mystified as to why her mother continues to refuse to discuss Billy and the reason for their long-ago estrangement. Billy leaves Miranda his failing bookstore, and one final literary scavenger hunt, which reveals the secrets her mother is still trying to hide. I figured out the mystery, but not until I was able to enjoy, and even participate in, the clever scavenger hunt. My only quibble is that the book is just a bit too long, but it is well worth the effort.

As a bibliophile, I like to check out any book that relates to bookstores, so I was excited to read an ARC of this book. It had more depth than I initially anticipated. The story follows Miranda as she tries to navigate life’s up and downs, particularly when she discovers clues that lead her to uncover a big secret. It was fun to try and unravel the clues with Miranda. The main twist wasn’t totally a surprise, but this is still an enjoyable tale, full of family drama, mystery, and books. Book lovers will truly love the literary references throughout the book.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

This novel was a dark horse for me. I requested it from NetGalley because I wanted a small respite from the more noir/darker mysteries that I've been reading lately. I expected it to be much fluffier than it was. THE BOOKSHOP OF YESTERDAYS is a lovely, smart novel that followed a young woman's journey to fulfill her purpose in life, and how we don't always know where that path will take us. After the death of her uncle, Miranda follows clues in an epic literary scavenger hunt to discover more about her past than she even thought possible. I loved the intricacies of the familial relationships in this debut, and even though I saw the "twist" coming, I still wanted to read about how Miranda was affected by the upheaval in her life. I recommend this novel to anyone who simply loves books, love people who love books, and especially those people who could spend their lives in book stores.
I received this novel through NetGalley, from Harlequin, in exchange for an honest review.
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A FEW SET UP DETAILS BUT NO SPOILERS.... THIS BOOK IS AS DELICIOUS AS HOMEMADE PEACH ICE CREAM!...with mystery-literary clues sprinkled on top!!!

“Every family has its unspoken stories. Billy was ours. It didn’t matter whether or not it was sad”.

Miranda grew up in Southern California as an only child. Her mother tells her that she was named after one of the main characters in Shakespeare’s play ‘The Tempest’. Miranda, the daughter of Prospero, was her mother’s favorite female literary character.

As a small child, Miranda thought of her Uncle Billy as her superhero. And when she was too old to believe in superheroes, she still believed in Billy. Billy made the world safer.
He was a seismologist. Miranda felt pride of his importance. He taught her almost everything she knew… giving her lessons in geology and biology and evolution disguised in adventures. He taught her about the world and how it collided and evolved, and how their lives were shaped by the movements at the earth.

Miranda had remembered the Northridge earthquake. It was one of those nights in Southern California that everyone remembered. Her best friend, Joanie was sleeping over. They were asleep when startled by books falling off the shelves. The night was chaotic. Mom and dad were screaming that they needed to get out of the house. There were aftershocks- broken glass on their hardwood floor - and the kids had bare feet. Joanie clung tightly to Miranda shaking and scared, but everyone was safe & sound.
Miranda said:
“ The earth had moved here, beneath my feet, and that meant Billy wouldn’t have to travel to sound distant land to study the damage. He would stay here with us. That was the best gift Billy gave me as a child. When ever the earth shack, I became excited once the confusion subsided. At some point, I’d stopped connecting that feeling to Billy, but it never went away. Even as an adult, I felt a guilty pleasure whenever the floor oscillated with the earth”.
Miranda thought the world of her Uncle— and he called her “my favorite girl”.

Besides being a seismologist, Billy owned a neighborhood bookstore on Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. “Prospero Books” was his ‘fun’ job he told Miranda. Miranda loved the teen books she discovered and the scavenger hunts Billy planned for her.
“Prospero Books, where books are prized above dukedom”.

AGE AGE 12..... Miranda’s heart was broken. Uncle Billy and her mother had an awful falling out. Billy went away.....and she never saw him again.
The last words Billy said to her were:
“Things with me and your mom, whatever happens, I just want you to know it isn’t your fault”.
It never occurred to Miranda that it was her fault.... but she went through grief - loss - and anger. He left her with no explanation.
Her mother wouldn’t talk about it. Her father’s lips were sealed. — Everyone had secrets and hurts.
Yet.......for the next 16 years ..... Billy slowly became non-existent.

Then one day.........
Miranda was 27 years old, living in Philadelphia, teaching 8th grade history, and living with her boyfriend Jay.....( “testing the waters of cohabitation for the first time).
Miranda receives a package in the mail - later a phone call - that will bring her back to Los Angeles filled with curiosity- thoughts of Uncle Billy - her parents - carrying a message with her that she knows she’s heard some place before:
“Understanding prepares us for the future”.

Uncle Billy left a non-traditional legacy of understanding, inviting forgiveness and love , with literary clues..and pizzazz! It’s easy to fall in love with the characters.

It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. Amy Meyerson is a terrific writer. I enjoyed many little details she created too. Miranda’s mother use to be a lead singer for a band called “Lady Loves”....her dad once owned 200 ties....
....and oh my gosh, the food that came out of this family’s kitchen made me hungry for good old fashion yummy foods before -gluten free - sugar free and no taste free....lol
Pancakes- French omelettes- steaming warm blueberry muffins- chocolate chip cookies- lasagna....even cool whip and strawberries!

Scrumptious-heavenly-and page turning heart-endearing reading!!!

Thank You Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley, and Amy Meyerson

What reader doesn't love a book about books? Or a book about bookstores? And they're going to love The Bookshop of Yesterdays just like I do! More please, Ms. Meyerson