Thank-you to Netgalley and Ballantine/Penguin Random House for the chance to review this arc.

With Love from London was such a cozy read.
I was hooked from the start.
This was an emotional read for me, and although heartbreaking it was also inspirational.
Valentina is such a wonderful character.
The setting for the book was also great and I fell in love with the little town.
This was my first book by Sarah Jio but it won't be my last she has a gift!

4.5/5

There is something about this book that makes it very special, something I wish I had the skill with words to convey in this review. What I can say is that With Love from London is my new favorite comfort book. It says something that I was hooked from the author's note itself.

I LOVED the dual POV between Valentina and Eloise and appreciated that Eloise's story reached back in time to when she was the same age as present day Valentina. This book tells a story about mother/daughter relationships, self-discovery, grief, friendship, and so much more in a very intentional manner. I don't annotate my books, but I want to reread this and annotate it because of all the connections I saw while reading. I loved all of the main characters, and I am now booking the next flight out to London immediately. I know The Book Garden wouldn't be there for me to visit, but at least I could wander on cobblestone streets, have picnics at the park, and have all the English desserts while reading this book again.

Some things that kept me from rating it five stars was that I wish some parts of the book were explored more and there was one (albeit smaller) part that was in direct contradiction with something that was said previously that took away from the reveal at the end for me. Aside from these things, this book was amazing. I look forward to rereading this book in the years to come. Another reviewer (whatstephreads) said that this is a love letter to books and a love letter to reading, and that is the perfect way to put it.

<i>ARC kindly provided by the publisher (Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC!*

I enjoyed this story of a mother and daughter, reaching out to one another through books and a scavenger hunt and connecting with the community around them. In alternating chapters and moving between the past and present day, we hear from Eloise and her daughter Valentina, estranged unwillingly when Valentina was a child. In the present day Valentina has moved back to her mother’s hometown of London, taking over her bookstore on the brink of closing following Eloise’s death. As the book progresses, we uncover more of what happened to separate the two, and how both women healed their hearts.

There was certainly an undercurrent of sadness throughout, but it was a warm, comforting kind of sadness if that makes sense? Regrets over what could have been, while also knowing that love prevails. Valentina’s London friendships were lovely, and while the romantic subplot could be spotted a mile away, it was handled nicely. This is the first I’ve read by Sarah Jio, and I’ll plan to check out her other stuff, because this was a lovely cozy read for the wintertime.

With Love From London by Sarah Jio ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I haven't ugly cried while finishing a book in so long. The way the plot wraps up is perfect. There are no plot points left unsettled and it's a truly satisfying end.

There are additional fun references to classic books throughout and you'll especially enjoy it because the main character is a Bookstagrammer.

This story is about Valentina and her mother, Eloise. Their point of views alternate and we see how both characters grow as they age.

The absolute heartbreak you'll feel as you read through this story is a great reminder about going after what makes our heart happy, even if there are great struggles and compromises.

I don't want to give away too much, but if you love reading books about bookstores, then you'll need to add this to your list.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the Advance Reader Copy. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did.

Through dual timelines and perspectives, we learned about the life of a beloved women and the daughter she left behind. One timeline follows present day Val—a librarian from Seattle who has been blindsided by a breakup and news of her estranged mother's death. As a child, her mother meant everything to her until one day she returns home from school to her mother gone, never to be heard from again. Val is summoned to London to care of her mother's bookshop, where she begins to uncover the life of the woman who willingly walked away from her only daughter, or so she thinks. The other timeline takes us to 1960's London where Val's mother Eloise meets the love of her life, Edward. Through a series of misunderstandings she believes he doesn't return the feelings. Only when she has moved on and accepts the proposal of an American businessman, does she learn that Edward truly did love her. However, it's too late and Eloise is off to Los Angeles to start a new life.

I don't know what it was about this book, but I absolutely love it. Val is constantly wrestling with these complicated feelings about her mother. As she goes on this scavenger hunt that her mother left for her, she is learning more about her mother through the people of the neighborhood. People keep talking about how great her mother was, but all Val has is her experience with having an absent mother who never called or answered her letters—how can she be such a great and wonderful person if she left her only kid? Val learns that everything is not what it seems when it comes to her mother and father's lives. Val and Eloise were victims of bad timing: with each other as well as Eloise and her love Edward.

In a story that could have felt extremely cliche and corny, this was very sweet. Beautifully written with so much feeling, this was a joy to read.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Happy publishing day!
4 ⭐️
This book is not your typical romance book and it was emotional emotional but not like heavy heavy emotional 😭
The timeline going back an forth of is usually a pet peeve of mine but Sarah honestly did a great job with this! The writing in this book was on point and did a fantastic job in weaving the different time line of Eloise and Val and forming into one towards the end. The complexity of the daughter and mother relationship was well portrayed and the grief that Val was going through really hit me. I could related to Val how books has helped her cope through life because as a bookstagrammar, books has helped me improve my mental state :) The characters were well written with a realistic sense and there are some tear jerking scenes so get a box of tissues ready.
This book has a mix of mystery, friendship, love, heart break, and family!

Want to read where the characters love books and the people around them like books? Then this book is for you!

Thank you so much for this ARC @randomhouse and #Netgalley

With Love from London takes on a journey of newly single 30 something year old, working her way through the passing of her estranged mother. Based on that description, I was expecting more oomph from the story, but it often times felt very fluffy and *too* picture perfect. There were definitely elements of this story that I enjoyed (MC is a bookstagrammer, cute little independent bookstore setting, dual POV timelines, all of the London references..)
However, this book was just okay for me. Most of the storyline was not fleshed out enough and *spoiler alert * I’m so over stories using the “you never received my letters??? via The Notebook” trope. It’s just such an overused gimmick and when it comes to a mother being separated from her child?? I couldn’t buy it.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a longtime fan of Sarah Jio's and With Love From London didn't disappoint! I love her writing.

With Love from London by Sarah Jio is a new family drama/romance novel releasing today. In this story, we follow a dual timeline. In present day, Valentina travels from Seattle to London after her estranged mother dies and leaves her house and bookstore to her. Not only is Valentina dealing with grief, unresolved resentment towards her mother and a looming sky high estate tax bill, she is also going through a painful divorce. The second timeline takes us to the 1960s London and 1970s Los Angeles, as we follow Valentina's mother Eloise and her troubled romantic and family life.

Sarah Jio does a great job ending almost every chapter on a bit of cliffhanger, and because the points of view change with every chapter, the reader can't help but continue compulsively reading. In the beginning, what intrigued me the most was why Eloise left her family and completely disappeared from Valentina's life when the teenage girl needed her most. As we unravel family secrets and delve into the past, we discover that everything is not as simple as it seems to be. In Valentina's timeline, we along with the main character discover the mother she did not know, go to Eloise's favorite places and meet the people she loved.

The story is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. At the core of it all is the greatest love of all: that of a mother towards her daughter. There are of course plenty of romantic interests as well. So the release date just in time for Valentine's day is quite perfect. I really enjoyed this novel. 4 out of 5 stars.

An e-ARC was provided by NetGalley.com

Happy pub day to With Love from London by @sarahjio

This book, y’all! You need to read it. I love when a book lives up to the hype. The way the story of Eloise’s past unfolded was heartbreakingly beautiful. I was destroyed by all of the years Valentina and Eloise lost. As a mother, it’s just unfathomable.

My favorite aspect was Valentina learning who her mother was and reconnecting with her through everyone’s memories they shared. It was beautifully written. And even though the love stories were secondary for me, I still adored the ways both Eloise and Valentina’s love journeys played out.

And is there a better setting than a bookstore in London? I think not. I kept picturing myself curled up in a chair with a book and a coffee. What a dream!

I was so enraptured by every piece of this novel and will be picking up more of Sarah Jio’s novels for sure!

Thank you so much to @randomhouse and @netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this contemporary fiction book! I was easily drawn in by the second or third chapter and especially loved the writing style. This story is about loss, love, and lots of grief. The story starts out with Valentina, who is newly divorced and finds out her estranged mother has recently passed away. Val quickly learns her mother left the estate for her to manage, which includes a bookstore. The book is written in alternate timelines from Valentina’s POV and her mother’s, Eloise. As Valentina travels to London and tends to the book store, we learn a lot about Eloise and the choices she was forced to make when she left Valentina as a child. This was a beautiful story which emphasized the importance of books and how they bring people together

As a book lover I have to say I absolutely love books about books, books about libraries, books about bookstores, I just have to read every single one of them. With Love from London is beautiful, cozy, heartbreaking, a story about love and finding yourself and to top it off it takes place in some of the most beautiful places in London AND! there is a bookstore!

Our main character is Valentina, a 35 year old (finally and adult!) librarian facing divorce when she suddenly get hit by the news her mother died and left her a bookstore in London. Victoria heads to London with hopes of selling her estate but instead she finds so much more.

With Love from London is being published today! If you love to read under your blanket with a cup of coffee by your side I absolutely recommend you give it a try.

Thank you netgalley for the advance reading copy.

This is a beautiful story written in dual pov of a mother and daughter, one from the past and the other from present day. Both women seeking a place to call home and seeking a real love. We get to see how their choices shaped them both and how a scavenger hunt brings them together. A great cast of side characters and a magical bookstore round out the story. Absolutely enjoyed every minute of this journey.

They say you can't judge a book by its cover but I was immediately intrigued by the setting, style and subject matter. From the first chapter, I was drawn into the story. Booklovers will find themselves both eagerly flipping through to discover the truth while at the same time, forcing themselves to slow down, not wanting the tale to end.

"With Love from London" affords armchair traveling along with Val to discover clues. Finding letters hidden in books reveal chapters in her mother's life penned a page at a time. A charming quote that Eloise tells a young bookshop patron captures the magic of Sarah Jio's writing "books have feelings and only you can unlock them."

Thank you to #NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this beautiful novel in exchange for an honest review. After living in London, this story holds a special place in my heart and allowed me to revisit fond memories from my years abroad. I rarely give books a 5-starred review but I would encourage anyone that's been missing a feeling of connectedness during the pandemic that #WithLovefromLondon serves a cup of cheer that's needed this year.

With Love From London by Sarah Jio. Around the same time as Valentina's marriage breaks up, she receives word that the mother who abandoned her when she was 12 has died and left her an apartment and a book shop in London. She moves there to settle her mother's affairs, and through a book-related scavenger hunt left by her mother, she meets the people that were a part of her mother's life and learns that there was much more to her mother than she ever knew. The use of alternating chapters gives the reader a deeper insight into her mother's life and keeps her a sympathetic character even before Valentina has completed her own journey of discovery. This is a book about grief and loss and about healing and moving forward. It is also, however, a book that truly celebrates the joy of reading. The characters don't just love books, they really cherish them. If you love books too, you will really enjoy this book.

Valentina is newly divorced and her mom has just passed away. She goes goes to London from America only to find out that she has inherited her mom's bookstore. She has grown up having ill feelings of her mom.

This book did not pull at my heart strings. It YANKED at my heart strings. The writing style is perfection. The character development, the setting descriptions, the flow, everything. I can not say enough good things about this book. No way will my review properly portray how much I loved it. The way that the story unfolded was perfect. I cried so much.

We go back and forth between Valentina in the present and her mom in the past. Valentina is lead on a journey that opens her eyes to everything incredible about her mom. We meet so many amazing characters.

This book came out today. Highly recommend picking it up!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for the ARC.

I have read and loved every single one of Sarah Jio's books. I have been a huge fan ever since her very first book and am always so excited when she has a new one out. Each and every one of them is a form of escape for me, with her wonderful settings and characters that I come to love.

Well, With Love from London has now captured a special place in my book-loving heart, with a librarian as the main character and the setting, a bookstore in London. Sigh!

I loved experiencing a new life right along with Valentina, as she learns about her mom's past and why she abandoned her daughter all those years ago. The route to her discoveries was all part of the fun, as Val comes to know and love all of her mom's somewhat eccentric friends.

I'm not usually a re-reader of books, but this one just may be one that I savor again. There is just so much to love about it and I can't wait to enjoy it again. I highly recommend With Love from London, especially if you are a book-lover like me.

Valentina inherits a London bookstore in the Primrose Hill district from her mother, Eloise, who had abandoned her when she was a child. Even as an adult, Valentina doesn’t understand how a woman could desert her child and then never even try to contact her – and she can’t let go of the anger and pain her mother caused. Eloise’s actions have left a huge hole in Valentina, a chasm that Valentina is sure can never be filled. Valentina arrives in London determined to sell the bookstore, pocket the proceeds, and return to the States to begin her life again. However, Eloise has left her written clues that she always ended, “Come Find Me.” As Valentina finds each clue, she finds something she hadn’t known about her mother – and she finds herself falling in love with the bookstore, its patrons, and the neighborhood surrounding it.

Jio has written a book that is filled with unexpected twists and turns that will have her readers wanting her to find the next clue and then the next. She also takes us into Eloise’s life in alternating chapters. She has, essentially, written two novels, and her skills as a writer are on full display here. Eloise and Valentina both come alive to the reader who will find she wants to know more and more about the two women.

Readers will smile a lot and maybe even shed a few tears along the way to an ending that makes sense.

If you like character-driven books, put this must-read at the top of your TBR list.

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an eARC.

First things first, I cannot say enough good things about this book. From page one, my interest was piqued, and I simply could not put it down. We join Valentina, newly divorced, as she travels to London to her estranged, late mother’s apartment.

As Val meets people within her mother’s world, she becomes perplexed from the stories of others about how the woman who bore her life differed so much from her own experience. The book continues in 2 POVs in different time periods – both Val and her mother.

The reader is given a lens into her mother’s dating life, Val’s childhood, moving forward in time. Most unexpectedly, we find that Val is sent on a scavenger hunt upon her arrival in London, unraveling mysteries about her mother along the way.

I truly connected with the characters and recommend this if you’re in the mood for a read featuring an older, female MC, complex familial relationships, and the power of community.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book because I hadn’t read the author before. So, when I read the blurb and saw bookshop, London, second chances, I thought “yes, this is for me.” But this is so much more than I expected. Valentina is dealing with a lot: a divorce, and inheriting a bookshop from her estranged mother. Valentina is a librarian whose love of books and desire to know more about her mother’s life prompts her to head to London where she meets lovely and interesting side characters. I’m a sucker for a second chance/starting fresh after a tragedy story but this is somehow even more than that. We begin to understand Eloise (Valentina’s mother) through her pov chapters and flashbacks even as Valentina tries to find out about her mother and the life she led and decisions made but also heal the trauma of her mother’s absence. It’s such a beautiful and compelling story. There’s a cozy vibe but also a deeply moving story. I feel that the cover makes it appear like a whimsical story but I found it to be complex and meaningful. It isn’t heavy though it deals with heavy topics and there are so many great London bookshop moments. I highly recommend picking this up if you’re in the mood for really rooting for a main character as she searches for answers. Though not everything is resolved and there’s some predictability in spots, I really liked this story and the world in Primrose Hill. 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️