A heartbreaking book that our mc learns to navigate grief, loss, and having to rebuild herself again after the loss of her mother and recently divorced her husband. The ending did feel like a hallmark movie which is ok. I think it's a good read revolving around love and the mc rekindling her meaning of home.

As an international educator, I'm always looking for books that explore different countries. In With Love from London, Eloise has to go to London and find herself. She connects with locals and discovers tidbits about the local culture, so it's definitely a book I can recommend to my students, especially with London being the top study abroad location for US students. Beyond the educational value, this book is beautiful and heartwarming.

Seattle-based librarian/bookstagrammer Valentina Baker’s marriage falls apart when her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Amid a painful divorce, she is notified of her estranged mother’s death and her inheritance of her mother's bookstore in London.

This story alternates between two timelines and is weaved beautifully together. Any book lover will appreciate the journey of Valentina as she tries to keep the bookshop going and her journey through family, friendship, and second chances.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for this early copy in exchange for a honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. I felt a strong connection with the main character that made me so excited to see what was going to happen next!

As a librarian who dreams of owning a bookstore and a person who use to have a bookstagram account, I connected so deeply with this Valentina! She was charming, kind, and had so much growth as a character; is was endearing! This story was well written with the dual plots from mother and daughter, and I enjoyed getting to know them alongside each other which was something they weren't able to accomplish in their stories. The characters were wonderful, and the story was beautifully told! I only gave it 3 stars because it was a bit predictable, and I didn't quite miss the story once I put it down. With that being said, I would still recommend this book!

This one had the makings of a book I would LOVE (and I've loved some of Jio's past books, particularly Violets of March). A librarian who inherits a bookstore?! Yes, please. Sadly, this one fell a little flat for me. It was a bit predictable, a bit unbelievable, but still a fun, lighthearted read.

Eu não posso ver um bom drama familiar que logo quero ler. With Love From London conta a história de duas mulheres que são pegas nas circunstâncias da vida e na teia de mentira de homens que deveriam amá-las.

Eloise é uma jovem Londrina típica do final dos anos 1960. De classe baixa, trabalhadora e que sonha em encontrar seu príncipe encantado. Em uma noite ela encontra Edward, um herdeiro que a deixa encantada, mas que some. Enquanto é cortejada por Frank, um americano que promete o sonho a ela. Anos depois conhecemos Valentina, uma mulher na casa dos trinta anos que acabou de se divorciar depois que o marido a traiu com uma mulher muito mais jovem. Acontece que Val é filha de Eloise, que acabou abandonando o marido e a filha e voltando para Londres. Agora Val recebe um comunicado que a mãe faleceu de câncer e que deixou um prédio com apartamentos e uma livraria para ela. Val então decide embarcar nessa viagem e talvez descobrir o motivo da mãe nunca ter retornado.



Sarah Jio entrega uma chocante e emocionante história de duas mulheres vítimas da sociedade e da manipulação de homens inescrupulosos. Minha única ressalva é que faltou e muito ódio por parte da Val, o pai dela foi um completo idiota com a mãe e no final ela nem mesmo xinga ele.



No mais foi bem legal acompanhar como Eloise se esforçou para estar perto da filha mesmo depois de sua morte, o que me rasgou o coração, pois ela merecia muito ter vivido um amor com o Edward e ter reencontrado a filha.



Val, por sua vez, fica completamente confusa em como a mãe pode dar tanto amor a crianças estranhas, mas não a ela. Isso é algo que me chamou muita atenção no livro, ela segurava certa animosidade que não teve com o pai quando a verdade foi revelada.



Há um romance em curso nessa história para mãe e filha, mas confesso que esse livro é na verdade sobre o relacionamento das duas e sobre como uma mãe pode amar uma filha mesmo depois de deixar esse plano terrestre.



Eu recomendo demais para quem ama um bom drama familiar.

Sarah Jio was one of the first authors I read while transitioning from young adult novels in high school to adult novels. To this day, she remains one I look fondly upon. I've recommended her to library patrons no less than 20 times and no one has returned with bad things to say.
With Love from London is a book that plays on every book lovers fantasy: being gifted a bookshop. While Val might have been estranged with her mother (through no fault of her own), she dives deep into her mother's world and learns more about her than she ever thought she would.
Jio is able to write stories that are heartfelt, warm, and yummy. She entices readers in the first sentence, and holds them captive until the end. This book was a delight, which was no surprise.

Valentina has just broke up with her fiancee Nick when a letter arrives; her estranged mother Eloise, who lived in London, has passed away and Valentina has inherited her bookstore. Valentina, takes a flight to London and leaves her broken (love) live in Seattle behind. Valentina always wondered why her mother, when Valentina was young, left her and her father all of a sudden without saying goodbye, and without any explanation. She hopes to get some of these long awaited answers in London, where she meets Millie, who was Eloise's best friend and who runs the bookstore since Eloise passed away. Eloise has left letters for Valentina, and this is the start of a treasure hunt about Eloise's past, which gives Valentina answers about her mother and her own past..

I loved all of Sarah Jio's previous books, so I was thrilled and very curious for her new book. And it totally topped my expectations.The story of Valentina and Eloise is just breathtaking and moving, and absolutely beautiful. It is a story that surprises you on every page. It is charming and thrilling at the same time. I loved how the chapters alternated between Valentina in the present and Eloise in the past, and how they connected during the story and in the end. The bookstore on Primrose Square that she inherits plays a big part in the story. It was Eloise's dream and life and it is Valentina's task to keep it, altough the store is in danger because of redevelopment plans. But this is the perfect task for Valentina, who after reading Eloise's letter is determined to set on her mothers work for the future.

Overall this is a brand new jewel of a book by Sarah Jio, don't miss out on this one!!

This book definitely has its charm. I love it when a bookstore is part of a story. It thrills me. I also enjoyed that this was a little bit of feel-good mental fluff, which I kind of wanted right now. I will say, that like many good bits of mental fluff, there are moments that are corny and that stretch belief. But, I'll allow it. There's books and a little scavenger hunt. Newfound friendships and some self-growth, all of that good stuff. Is it all kind of predictable? Sure. But there's also some cozy comfort in that, which I think is what the author wanted for her readers. If so, mission accomplished.

I absolutely LOVED this book.

Such a light story with a great plot. I love the premise of the scavenger hunt way more than I feel I should. I feel like if I was left something like that, I would be so amused!

Definitely recommend this book.

🇬🇧 With Love From London 🇬🇧

I’ve been saving this photo from my honeymoon in Aruba for the perfect book and I finally it found it! I read With Love From London by @sarahjio this week and I adored it.

This story takes place between two points of view; Valentina, a woman recovering from a hard divorce when she hears her estranged mother has passed away and left her flat in London to Valentina. Her mom abandoned her when she was only 11 and she never heard from her again. The other POV is Eloise, Valentina’s mother who is in the past explaining how she returned to London. Valentina decides to impulsively fly to London to see if she can understand more about her mother and why she left her so many years ago.

The story goes on that Eloise has left a little scavenger hunt for Valentina. This was the best part of the book for me. I loved the clues she left and all the people and stories she heard while exploring her mother’s life. This is an incredibly emotional novel. There’s a lot of feelings involved between Valentina’s relationships with both of her parents and her ex husband. This is one of the author’s finest works and should not be missed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Jio and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for providing me with an ARC copy for review purposes. The views expressed are mine alone.

This five star read was my first by Sarah Jio and I promise it will not be my last. I devoured this book from the very first word to the very last. Handled with a lighthearted air and beautifully written this book focused on some very tough issues. Knitted together like a beautiful afghan, the story dealt with family especially mother-daughter relationships, lost love, emotional abuse, broken hearts and love lost, and abandonment. The cast of characters were lovely. Val inheriting from a dead mother she really didn't know too well and coming to England after a broken marriage to take over the book store and living in the flat above. The mother Eloise who left her husband and child behind in the USA and opened the store or her dreams with her best friend Millie. From the quirky tenant to each and every customer that came in the store the book spread delight and joy as deceased mother and daughter reconciled. With romance, a little drama and a tour of Primrose Hill in London this was an absolute delight and I would recommend it to lovers of romance, chick lit, Anglophiles, and for those who would like a feel good book to read.

4 stars. A heartbreaking, yet beautiful story of love from a mother to a daughter.

Val is a librarian and loves books, but her life is falling apart. When her estranged mother leaves her a bookshop and apartment in England, Val heeds the call to learn more of her mother and uncover the mystery of why she left and never returned/contacted her. She soon falls in love with the neighborhood, the people, and all those that knew her mother well. With clues her mother left behind, she uncovers the truth of her past that helps her find closure as well as hope for her future. Again, it was such a sweet, but also bittersweet story. I loved the characters and wanted to sit with them a little longer. I was sad when it ended. The one is clean and I would let my teens read this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

1) i can’t not sing london boy by taylor swift when i read the books title 2) books revolving around the mc being a reader or owning a bookstore are chefs kiss

Another great book by Sarah Jio. Valentina is left a bookstore in London after her estranged mother dies. Her marriage is over so she heads to London. Her intention is to sell it but as she spends time there she pieces together things about her mother she never knew. She meets the people in her mothers circle and as days go by she has a journey of healing. She grows to love 5e bookstore but it is not doing well. She finds a helping hand with her new friends and does everything she can to save the bookstore.

With Love from London is a heartwarming and at times, bittersweet book about a librarian that inherits a bookstore in the UK from her estranged mother. I loved how the book not only told the story of our main character, Valentina, but also the back story of her mom, Eloise. I absolutely love dual timeline books and this one was well done. The cast of supporting characters also made this book shine.

I was drawn by this cover and excited to dive in. However, I struggled to get into the story and I did not finish the book. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I love Sarah Jio and her books. I gave this 3.5 stars (but rounded up to 4 stars on Goodreads), as the story, albeit engaging, seemed to wander a bit at parts. I do like the way Jio brought the book all together at the end. Thank you for allowing me to read this book!

Thank you NetGalley for a advance copy in exchange for a review. I really enjoy this. A mother daughter saga written in past and present timelines. I love the London atmosphere. I do wish there was a bit more romance though