Cover Image: With Love from London

With Love from London

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Member Reviews

With Love From London by Sarah Jio is a cozy, delight of a read that will pull at any book lovers heart strings.

Valentina is a librarian going through a divorce when she finds herself in London looking after the bookstore she’s just inherited after her estranged mother’s passing. But, it doesn’t come without its surprises. The story that unfolds is filled with both love and heart ache, bad timing and new beginnings. But most importantly, I enjoyed the focus on finding positivity despite living with difficult decisions and relationships - that’s something almost anyone can relate to.

This one’s for you if you like:
* Charming characters
* Something light
* All things London and books (🙋🏻‍♀️)
* Full circles

Get ready to fly through this one when it hits shelves on February 8, 2022! Big thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for an advanced copy of this ebook for my honest review. Oh how it put me in the holiday spirit!

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Wow! What a beautiful story. This book alternates between the mother's point of view in the past, and the daughters life currently. We get to experience both of their love stories and the love they have for each other. It's happy and sad and heartwarming. I loved every second of it. The story also centers itself around a love of books and a bookstore. If you like books about books check it out!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a digital arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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I just adore Sarah Jio and all of her novels. This book did not disappoint, when Valentina was only 11 years ago, her mother fled to London- never to be heard from again. Over 20 years later, when Valentina finds out her mother dies and was left her bookstore in London, everything will change. This book brought tears to my eyes and I loved every minute of it.

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I have found my new comfort novel.

Valentina spent the latter half of her child and all of her adult life without knowing her mother, who unexpectedly disappeared when she was 11. Upon being notified of her mother's death, she travels to London and is willed her mother's bookshop and loving community as well. The narrative also alternates between Valentina's narrative and that of of her mother, Eloise. Little by little, details are revealed as Valentina learns more about her mother's life.

I cannot adequately express how much I adored this book and I would give anything to read it again for the first time. It captured and enraptured me, and it both tore my heart to shreds and put it back together in the most tenderhearted way possible. I can't stop thinking about it and direly hope to purchase a hard copy once it is out. This is the first work I've read by Sarah Jio, but I will be avidly searching for more asap! This book touched my heart and made me reflect on my own relationships. It's not just a quick and easy romantic comedy -- there is much, much more depth here. But of course, a little bit of romance is always fun (: Sarah, you've now got me gnawing at the bit to move to London and open a bookshop of my own.

Many, many, many thanks to Sarah Jio, Random House Publishing Group -- Ballantine, and NetGalley for this ARC!

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I adored this book!! I was honestly hooked from the start. It is told from dual point of views and past/present. Valentina is going through a divorce and her mother (that she hasn’t talked to since she was 12) passed away leaving her estate to Valentina. Her life feels completely upside down and so she travels to London to manage her mother’s affairs. She thought she would be in and out after settling the estate affairs but while she is there she starts to learn this about her mother and start to see her side of the story. Meanwhile we are also reading Eloise’s (Val’s mother) past in chapters. We see her struggles that led to her leaving her daughter and as a reader my heart just broke but also cheered for Eloise in some ways. I felt so deeply connected to both characters and saw the similarities between mother and daughter. Very happy book to read!

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this book was superb. I love anything that Sarah Jio writes and this book did not disappoint. I loved the characters and they way they were described. You really felt for Eloise when she wasn't happy in the United States. The characters were all very well developed and kept you reading for more information. I really loved the scavengar hunt. It made me think of Goodnight June (which I loved). Thank you for the opportunity to read this book I really enjoyed it and will recommend to my friends.

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Like all of Sarah Jio’s books, I devoured this in one day. What a wonderful read. There are so many parallels between Valentina and myself..I’m a librarian..my dream is to own a bookstore. Without giving any spoilers away, this is a book that makes you feel happiness and sadness all at the same time. So good!

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Sarah Jio is one of my favorite authors! I’ve read every one of her books and have adored them all. When I found out that the publisher, Ballantine Books, had approved my NetGalley request for an ARC, I was thrilled. I can’t thank Ballantine and Sarah Jio enough for allowing me to have this opportunity.

This is the story of Valentina, a librarian, whose mother unexpectedly left her as a child. When her mother passed away, Valentina is surprised to find out that her mother has left her an apartment in Primose Hill along with a bookshop that she didn’t know her mother owned. Val is coming out of a marriage that didn’t work and is in her thirties. She is also grieving over her mother and the abandonment that took place when she left her when she was young. As a result, Val travels across the pond to discover more about her mother.

As Val spends more time in London, she begins to put the puzzle pieces together of her mother’s life. She soon discovers things not only about her mom, but also about herself.

This is a beautiful, heartwarming story!

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I really like Sarah Jio so I was happy to receive an ARC of this book! A cozy story about a bookstore in London told in dual timelines, I flew through it and really enjoyed it. There were some really memorable secondary characters, and I loved the descriptions of London, especially in the 60s. I rounded down from a 3.5 only because parts of it were so predictable, but I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, sweet story about book lovers and second chances. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this one early!

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Sarah Jio’s books never disappoint. I absolutely LOVED With Love from London. What a beautiful story about a mother, Eloise, and daughter, Valentina, who were untimely separated by a man’s anger and inability to communicate. I really found that this story in the past storyline was so hard to read - I was so angry with Frank for insisting Eloise leave and so sad for Valentina not being able to have her mother during years she needed her most.

But, I loved the current day storyline where Val gets to know her mother and the sweet town of Primrose Hill through a series of clues left behind before Eloise passes. The journey Val goes on to get to know her mom and find herself was just so well done.

5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

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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.

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Valentina learns that she has inherited a charming bookstore in London from her mother who abandoned her as a young child. Valentina is on the heels of a divorce and jumps at the opportunity to start anew. As she tries to reconcile the memories of a loving mother with the memories she has of being abandoned by the same mother, she unravels a story of love, forgiveness, and self-love.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were lovable and I liked watching their stories intertwine. There was a little bit of everything - love, loss, forgiveness, and even some mystery. I love books that tell the stories of avid book readers and this one was a light-hearted, feel-good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this book in exchange for an honest review. It was throughly enjoyable!

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Great premise and enjoyed bits and pieces of it. I found the characters interesting but not compelling.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was sucked in from the first chapter. Two viewpoints, one Eloise, one Valentina (daughter of Eloise). Newly divorced librarian Eloise receives a call that her estranged Mum has passed away and she must go to London to settle the Estate.
Turns out her Mum owns a bookstore, which is exactly the distraction Valetina needs in her life.
Great story lines, every character is colorful! Enjoy this one- thank you NG!

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Sarah Jio is a new-to-me author, so I didn’t go in with any expectations and definitely didn’t imagine I’d be immediately sucked into Valentina and Eloise’s story. WITH LOVE FROM LONDON is bittersweet, but so incredibly lovely. Valentina is a recent divorcee who, on the same day her husband leaves her, finds out that her estranged mother, Eloise, who abandoned her when she was 12, has passed away and left her a bookstore in Eloise’s native London. I absolutely loved the parallel between the two women’s lives and was heartbroken that they were separated and never reunited in person. The story was full of not only those, again, bittersweet moments, but also moments of lightheartedness, love (though I would characterize WITH LOVE FROM LONDON as fiction with elements of romance, rather than straight romance), and forgiveness.

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There is nothing like slipping in between the pages of a Sarah Jio book. Sarah Jio first came to my attention because she writes from a place near and dear to my heart, Seattle. This story doesn’t take place there but as always reading her characters always feels as if you’re meeting new friends.

The book is a love story, a story of heartbreak, misunderstanding, secrets and family. You will find yourself transported to London and will enjoy all the new friends you will meet along the way. Valentina has inherited a bookstore in London from a mother she hadn’t seen or heard from since she was 12. Going through a divorce, Valentina finds out the mystery of her mother, the life she lived and along the way she learns things about herself too. With wonderfully written characters to help you along the way, you will be transported to a story that will tug at your heart and brings happy tears to your eyes.

Sarah Jio in my opinion is one of the most talented writers at getting the reader to feel all the emotions each of her characters go through. She is a definite must read and the fact that I had the opportunity to read this one early I can’t tell you how thrilled I was.

Thank you to #netgalley, #randomhousepublishing, balantine and #sarahjio for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

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I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
This book was a fast read for me and hard to put down. It's about relationships between friends, between lovers, between mothers and daughters. I really think life is about relationships so that appealed to me greatly. The other great focus of this book is The Book Garden which is a delightful bookstore that I wish existed in real life. The characters and bookshop really came to life for me in this book and I enjoyed it wholeheartedly.

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Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

This is the story of Valentina Baker, whose mother left when she was eleven years old. Much to her surprise, Val inherits her mother's apartment and a lovely book shop called Book Garden when her mother dies. Out of curiosity and a need to find out why her mother left, Val decides to visit the apartment and book shop. This visit changes Val's life-she learns so many things about her mother and herself. Sarah Jio is one of my favorite authors, and I was so happy to read this book. Highly recommend!

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A charming dual timeline story... Valentina is hit nearly simultaneously with the death of her marriage and the death of her estranged mother. When she arrives in London to look after the bookstore bequeathed to her by her mother, she discovers that Eloise's life was more vibrant and complex than she had realized. While there is plenty of loss in this book, it's mostly glossed over in favor of daffodils and happy endings, and I didn't mind that at all.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc of this book. #WithLoveFromLondon

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I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I will definitely be giving this book 5/5 stars! This was such a heartfelt book about finding yourself again and getting a fresh start at life! I was drawn in from the first chapter and couldn’t put it down! Very much an uplifting “feel good book”! Will definitely be recommending this to my friends!

I have already posted my review on Goodreads and will post it on Amazon when it becomes available!

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