Cover Image: With Love from London

With Love from London

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Member Reviews

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. I have every book written by Sarah Jio. I have loved them all. Her creative way of taking difficult situations and making them relatable and thought provoking is so incredible. The magical settings of London are on full display. Great read.

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Gracias a NetGalley y Random House por permitirme una copia de lector avanzado de este libro.
With Love from London es una lectura rápida y entretenida en el Género de ficción femenina. Valentina se está recuperando de su reciente
divorcio y la muerte de su madre, abandonada por su madre cuando ella era una niña, se entera de que ha heredado una pequeña librería en
Primose Hill en Londres. Este libro tiene dos líneas de tiempo e interruptores desde la hija Valentina hasta su madre, Eloise. Disfruté del tono del libro, Sarah Jio construye un mundo acogedor para sus personajes para vivir. Es casi como una película de Hallmark con
algunos conflictos pero nada demasiado pesado.

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"I might always carry deep pain, but I didn't have to let it rule me."

This was my favorite Sarah Jio book (and I've read all of them). You could really feel how much love the author had for this story and I definitely recommend it! I do give it 4 out of 5 stars for two reasons. The first, sometimes, Jio's books are a little "neat" in terms of how easily things fall into place for the main character. This was true for Valentina (not a spoiler!!). Second, as someone with Celiac who has to eat gluten free, I'm never appreciate "fussy" characters being annoying by eating gluten free. That is certainly a personal thing, but it always makes me love even the best book a little less!

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC copy of Jio's newest book! Truly, I recommend it to readers who love a good, classic story!

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Sarah Jio has been a favorite of mine since I read her first novel in 2011. I have read and enjoyed all of her books and was excited when I found out that she has a new book coming out in February, 2022. I can tell you unequivocally that this is a book you don't want to miss. Along with some great characters and a London setting much of this story takes place in a bookstore - a book about the love of books.

Valentina and her mother had always been close until her mother left without a word when Val was a teenager. She was heartbroken when her mother left and has never really gotten over it. Now she's in her 30s and coming out of a bad marriage and finds out that her mother has died and left her apartment and bookstore in London to Val. Val decides to go to London to see if she can find out more about the mother who deserted her and why she never tried to get in touch with her. When Val learns that the bookstore is in trouble of going under, she is determined to save her mother's legacy. As Val began to find out more about her mother - from the people she meets and the letters that her mother has left for her in books - she begins to understand that her mother always loved her. As she learns more about her mother, she also learns more about herself and her love of books.

This is a dual-time line novel with Eloise's story from the time she left her family until the time she died and Val's time line is present day. Sometimes in dual time line novels, one story is more interesting than the other but in this book, the dual time line is done so well that both women's stories are equally interesting.

This beautiful novel is the story of love, friendship, family and forgiveness with lots of books in the midst. Both of the main characters are so well written that I laughed with them and cried a few tears with them too. The supporting characters are also well written and add a bit of quirkiness to the story line.

This is one of my favorite books of this year. Thanks Sarah Jio for giving your readers a fantastic book about connecting with other people through love during this unsettling time of pandemic. I can't wait until this book is published so that it can be enjoyed and loved by even more readers. I predict this book will be one of the top books in 2022.

Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review.

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This novel drew me in with rich imagery and intrigue and it kept me here with emotional depth and beauty. A cosy escape that makes emotions feel tangible. One of my favourite reads of 2021.

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Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I have read many books in the past by this author and always enjoy her style of writing. This book did not disappoint. Very interesting tale of Valentina and her mother Eloise. Told in both of their stories from current when Val is in her thirties and just inheriting her mother's bookstore in London to back in the late sixties when Eloise is starting out as a newlywed. Val has the opportunity to learn about her mother's life and how it was not all it seemed. Beautiful story with a happy ending. A feel good read.

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This charming book tells the story of a mother and daughter, at similar points in time. It's a clever plot device while being romance adjacent. I was captivated by the characters and the rich description of locations.

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I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

With Love from London was such a great read. A book about friendship and love for books, Sarah Jio takes you to London in this novel as we follow Eloise on her journey. While there is not much romance in the book, I found that I enjoyed Eloise's journey more.

Charming, lyrical, heartbreaking and heartwarming. This book is sure to catch all book lovers hearts.

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I really loved this book. The dual timelines and perspectives and the main setting in London felt magical and worked very well together. I really loved Valentina's perspective and how we got to learn things about her mom and how things came to be. The romance aspects of it were perfect too. This really was just a great read that brought a lot of joy. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

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With Love From London is such a beautiful book from page one. The narrative style hooked me in and I found myself wanting to read it both as quickly and as slowly as I could. This is a love story on so many levels and an absolute must read!

5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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When a recently divorced American woman inherits her estranged mother's bookstore in London, her life begins to change. Valentina Baker has always struggled with her mother's abandonment when she was eleven, so she was surprised to receive the new of her inheritance. On the heels of her failing marriage, she jets across the Atlantic to find herself growing to love the Book Garden and the apartment above it. Her mother also leaves her a scavenger hunt in an old beloved book. She tries to find the previous owner of the book. She learns about her mother's life, and faces the challenge of saving the book store..

With Love from London, by Sarah Jio, was an enjoyable read. It is about healing and loss and learning to love again.

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I was able to read this novel via NetGalley as an ARC.

The novel centers around two characters in two different time periods. Eloise in the 1960’s onward and Valentina, her daughter, living in modern day London. The novel has lots of things to like, and this is ultimately why I gave it 4 stars. As a reader, I really didn’t like Eloise at first. I didn’t understand why she left her daughter and went to London. I judged her choices from a lens of 2021.
Valentina is working to save her mother’s bookshop which sounds completely charming and a place I’d love to visit. In the Valentina story line…I don’t love plot twists based around not asking a character a simple question, but I can let that pass because everything else was pretty good.
Ultimately, it IS a romantic story with will or won’t Valentina find love…but it is really a bittersweet story of a mother’s love for her daughter and a daughter coming to terms with a version of her mother she didn’t get to know. Much deeper than I thought it would be when I read the description!

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This bookstore person always enjoys a "book about books" and who better than the amazing Sarah Jio to pen one! I have read several of her best, and would easily put this up with "Always", my personal fav. Loved this bittersweet tale of Valentina, who inherits a quirky London bookshop from her long-estranged Mother - who leaves her clues about her identity in a literary manner. A secondary cast of quirky folk (and a cat) are also present, as in the very best of books about books. This is not really a romance, it's more of a family story/women's fiction, and I enjoyed it a lot. RECOMMEND to all who love books and stories about the places we find them. My sincere thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the complimentary DRC in exchange for my honest opinion, which was not affected by the exchange.

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Sarah Jio is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her writing is absolutely beautiful and the way she builds characters is stunning. You always feel a real connection with them and want to know more of the story.

With Love from London follows Valentina Baker who was just a teenager when her mother fled from America and made a new home in London. Valentina is recently divorced and her mother has recently passed away. She inherits a bookstore from her mother in the small town and she decides to travel there to figure out what actually happened 20 years ago when her mother left.

This book has two separate timelines; Valentina in 2013 and her mother from 1968 until 2013. The way the two timelines flow together is remarkable and didn't take away from the story to me. It was sweet, heartbreaking, cozy and full of grief all at the same time. I highly recommend this book.

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I loved this story. First, I love that it was set in London as I could recognize all the places that the characters went to. Second, this is just a great love story of lost love and second chances in finding love again. Third, it’s all about the power and loyalty of friendship. Fourth, it takes place in a bookshop and has so many literary references that are heartwarming.

Valentina, a librarian, is going through a divorce who travels to London when her long lost mother Eloise passes and she inherits a failing bookstore. She seeks to find why her mother Eloise left her all those years ago when she was only 11. Through a series of mysterious clues in a scavenger hunt and with the help of those around her, she discovers her mother’s love, her mother’s story, and how really connected she is to her still. Valentina discovers The Book Garden bookstore is the key, her new home, and fights to keep it open to make a new life for herself.

Told as a dual storyline of Eloise and Valentina, this is a feel-good story that once you start reading, you don’t want to put down. The characters are well developed, the relationships grow and expand. As a reader, you become involved in the characters life and root for her to find success and happiness. This is a story that I would read again just to visit with these friends. I’ve already recommended it to friends to read and I recommend it to you too.

Many thanks to #netgalley #withlovefromlondon #sarahjio for the opportunity to rad and review this book.

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Valentina finds herself newly divorced and learns that her estranged mother has passed away. She travels to London to follow up on her inheritance from her mother, a bookstore in the Primrose Hill neighborhood of London. As she embarks in the scavenger hunt that her mother, Eloise, has set up for her, she meets important people from her mother’s life in London. In 2 timelines, Eloise’s past and Valentina’s present are revealed. This was another excellent book by Sarah Jim. Especially perfect for the book lover and London loving reader .
I received an ARC via NetGalley.

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Thank you @netgalley & @sarahjio for allowing me to read and review this incredible book!

I honestly don’t even know where to start. I have been typing and retyping this review because I’m at a loss of words. This book was gut-wrenching, heart warming, emotional, and so relatable.
I honestly can’t pinpoint anything I didn’t like or agree with while reading. I loved the split timeline between mother and daughter. Eloise’s life made me cry sad and happy tears. I kept thinking, “life isn’t fair.” I don’t want to give too much away because I loved finding the answers throughout.

This story was everything I had hoped it would be! You have to mark your calendars for Feb. 8th because you NEED this book. I will most definitely be buying a physical copy for my shelves.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 obviously

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Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

With Love from London
Sarah Jio Publication: February 8, 2022

With Love from London has two alternating stories. One is in the present with Valentina (the daughter) and the other is a past timeline with Eloise (the mother)… both will absolutely pull you into their world—break you in a million pieces and put you back together.

Valentina was abandoned as a child by her mother. A mother who has passed away, leaving her a bookstore in London. There is so much more, however, to the story and Eloise “beyond her grave” has left a scavenger hunt for Valentina…each clue brings Valentina a piece of Eloise and showing her love for her daughter.
This book is charming and wistful—magical and lyrical—heartbreaking and heartwarming! A definite must read!!

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I loved this book from the very beginning and was delighted to enjoy it all the way through to the end. I found myself reflecting on Laila Lailani’s book, Conditional Citizens where she talks about groups whose rights are not guaranteed, one of those groups being women. Frank was powerful and wealthy and against him, Eloise was powerless to defend herself or her rights.

The story is a result of Frank’s actions told in alternating voices of Eloise and Valentina, with some romance here and there. Eloise willed her interest in her book store to Valentina and prepared a treasure hunt to help her daughter get to know her. I just finished reading on this snowy day, perfect reading weather. Valentina would approve.

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Thank you netgalley and publisher for allowing !e to read before its release.




Really great story.I enjoyed reading both the mothers story as well.

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