I have been on a Five Star roll and I’m loving it!
I adored this friends to lovers story. It’s good, it’s sad, it’s got the feels. The author takes you along Esme’s journey of a devastating loss that changed her plans and the course of her life. When she finally, after a few years gets a job in NYC. During this time she has a closet full of shoes at her disposal and lots to figure out about who she is and what she wants, making lovely friendships on the way to becoming her.
This book snuck up on me, I had no clue I’d love it this much!

https://www.tiktok.com/@bettysbooklist/video/7088023113476246830?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en

My first novel from Jane L. Rosen was a delightful fast-paced and smart read.

Esme Nash is forced to put her exciting future in New York City on hold when her parents are in a tragic car crash. After her mother’s death, she must return home to care for her ailing father. Seven years later, she is able to pursue her initial dream when offered a month-long dog sitting job in Manhattan. Much to her delight, the apartment includes a closet full of amazing shoes and the owner gives her permission to “dive into the stash”. Trying to find herself again, Esme makes new friends and reconnects with her old boyfriend all while wearing one pair of fabulous shoes at a time.

I loved the New York City setting and the fun use of different designer shoes to reflect the events in each chapter. This romance has added depth with the relationships between Esme and her new older friend, Sy. Her own journey to rediscover herself is told with honesty and realism. The result is a captivating tale that’s hard to put down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for ARC in return for an honest review.

A Shoe Story by Jane Rosen

Oh I’m so torn here! I love shoes, so I enjoyed the aspect of the MC, Esme, wearing fabulous shoes for all of the different occasions/events in her life. I also loved the setting of Manhattan and a New York lifestyle. I’ve never been, but want to visit badly! Lastly, I loved the crap out of Sy and his love story 🥰 Best part of the book in my opinion.

What I didn’t like…Esme is obviously going through the process of trying to find herself again after putting her life on hold and being the caretaker of her father for seven years, and her mother’s passing, which was a very important topic to focus on. However, Esme went about this by flip-flopping between trying to win over a married man she just met, and her ex-boyfriend she dropped when she went to take care of her father, who is in a committed relationship now. WHY? That made me dislike her so much even though she had other redeeming qualities. Watching her REPEATEDLY, and I mean within the span of five minutes sometimes, deciding she was going to go for one over the other for different reasons…those typically being that they were already taken. Good reason, Esme…but then you immediately change your mind!! I hated that aspect of the book so much.

Overall, I would say read this for the other attributes of this book, but don’t if you dislike cheating tropes.

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to Elin Hilderbrand for the rec (she never misses!) and NetGalley for the advance e-copy. I thoroughly enjoyed this quick but smart read. I was thoroughly invested in Esme's story and the cast of characters was delightful. Will definitely recommend widely.

A Shoe Story by Jane L. Rosen was a really cute read!

This book follows Esme as she starts a new chapter in her life and goes off on her own following the death of her father. Ready for a new perspective, Esme takes a job dog sitting for a shoe-aholic in New York City to get a glimpse of the life she was supposed to have fresh out of college (while also wearing some pretty amazing shoes).

Esme does have a couple of love interests in this book, Liam, her college boyfriend who had a new, wealthy girlfriend and Zach, married bartender who steps in to be her fake boyfriend.

I have to say I’m a sucker for second-chance romance, so I was a little disappointed when the story didn’t go that route, but given the characters, I was with satisfied with how things turned out.

Esme also does befriend an older gentleman named Sy, who has his own second chance love story, so I was appreciative of that.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and admired Esme’s personal growth and opportunity to find herself and embrace her new dreams.

shockingly, I did not connect with the main character and I had high expectations after the author's last book.

I loved it, and bought another book by this author five minutes after finishing.

The structure of the story, around the different shoes, the way the back story is revealed, were all very well executed. The characters were engaging - especially Sy - and I felt as if I had visited New York myself.

A very satisfying read, well contructed and difficult to put down.

This is a keeper! The layers of the story are well organized. I loved reading about the different pasts and choices that the characters revealed. Felt like I didn't want it to end. Thanks for letting me read it! Will definitely recommend!

I enjoyed both Nine Women, One Dress and Eliza Starts a Rumor so was very excited to read A Shoe Story! Jane Rosen has been added to my must read list now after 3 wonderful books!

A few days before she graduates from college Esme is ready to take on the world. She is moving to NYC with her boyfriend and dream job at an art gallery. Until tragedy strikes and her mom is killed in a car accident and her dad is paralyzed. She moves back home to take care of her father for 7 years until he passes away. While she questions what to do with her life, she decides to dog sit in NYC for a month hoping that her dreams still fit. Will her month in NYC lead her on a path to her old dreams or will she surprise herself?

I'm not the biggest shoe person but I loved that each chapter was around a pair of shoes. I loved Sy and his dog Elvis. He was my favorite character in the book! While this can be a little heavier of a book at times I really enjoyed seeing Esme grow and the scenes with her ex-boyfriend were funny!

If you haven't read this yet add it to your TBR. It's out now and is perfect for any shoe lover!

I have never read from Jane L Rosen before so I was a bit curious when I started reading A Shoe Story. Just from reading the book summary, this book has the potential of being a good read.

I was in good spirits when I started reading A Show Story. But the longer I read this book, the more I got a bit bored with it. I’m not trying to be negative about it. It just felt too long for my taste in women's fiction reads. There are some parts of the book that just dragged on more than it should be. Just saying.

But if you like reading about slow paced women's fiction books set in New York City settings, then you should give it a try. You will get to read about Esme finding herself again after leaving her hometown for a short time. There are a lot of things that have changed in Esme's life. She may not have known it yet, but she soon will when she returns to NYC.

Esme returns to NYC, after being derailed from her post-college plans by an unthinkable tragedy. She's hoping to reclaim the life she lost, including a position in the art world and her lost college love. First, however, she has to work up courage to confront her past and the extensive designer shoe collection, courtesy of the woman she's dog sitting for during her stay, is hopefully going to give her the boost of confidence she needs to find a new future. Will she be able to finally experience the life she lost or will she find a new life entirely unexpected?

Jane Rosen writes characters with great insight and heart and has a way of subtlely crafting the perfect elements of a romance. A Shoe Story is a modern twist on a Cinderella tale that still manages to be wholly original, fresh, and fun.

Readers who love a great romance and eager to embrace a modern fairytale should definitely take note!

Esme Nash wants to move away from her small town. It took me awhile to like Esme, but she grew on me. This is a character driven story.

This one is for the Carrie Bradshaw in all of us, the ones who look for the perfect shoe to fit in every circumstance. For Esme, the perfect shoe is a Louboutin Pigalles, a gift from her mother on her graduation day before life takes an unexpected turn, and Esme's life changes forever. Fast forward to seven years later when Esme has to decide whether to try to recreate her past dreams or does try to create a new life for herself? She takes a job as a dog-sitter for a month in the city of her dreams, NYC giving herself time to decide what the future holds. Meanwhile, she meets some interesting people in her quest to become a real New Yorker, some of whom may see a future with her too....

This is a lovely story about a woman, Esme, who gave up 7 years of her life taking care of her invalid father, and finally decides to take steps to get her life back and find herself. It’s also a series of very different love stories that all made me smile.
Esme had her future planned out in NYC, down to the designer shoes she’d be wearing for different occasions and how her life with her longtime boyfriend, Liam, would look. She gets a call that her parents were in an accident, and has to take care of her father after her mother dies in the accident.

After her father’s death, 7 years later, she goes back to NYC for a month as a dog sitter. She meets Sy Katz (Katz’ Deli) at the dog park, and he gives her grandfatherly advice. She also meets a cute guy named Zach, who takes her around NYC. He’s married but his wife is in Cuba, and he rarely talks about her. When she finally sees her ex, Liam, he’s grown up since his college days. Their old attraction comes right back, but he’s got a girlfriend who’s his boss’ daughter.
Esme discovers parts of herself she’d forgotten. Will she end up back in the city, and will there be a guy to greet her?
This was an excellent read, 4.5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

A book that talks about shoes, Klimt and New York City, three of my favorite things, what is there not to like? I binged read this book in one sitting, loved the way the author used different brands of shoes to introduced each chapter and tied the subject and plot of each one.

The story flowed seamlessly and used NYC as not only the background of the story but as one of the main characters in it.

And oh, forgot to mentioned food, and specifically what one can referred as "jewish food" such as herring, which also takes center stage in the story.

This isn't one rom-com book but a story that brings front and center the importance of second chances in life and in love.

I truly enjoyed reading this book.

I binge read this in one sitting and haven’t stopped thinking about it!

A SHOE STORY follows Esme Nash as she navigates the life she thought she was supposed to have after graduating and living in NYC, versus the life she ends up having, when she makes the decision to give up her dream of working in a New York City art gallery after her Mom dies in a tragic car accident that her parents are involved in.

Years later, Esme takes a job working as a dog sitter in NYC, and the owner just so happens to have a shoe obsession.

I connected with Esme right away and loved that each chapter featured a different shoe that connects to Esme’s life, whether past or present. I loved how open and vulnerable she was, and the theme of friendship and found family woven throughout.

It left me with all the feels when I finished reading, and I loved it so much.

*many thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

am raising my hand high! So when I was offered the opportunity to read A Shoe Story by Jane L. Rosen with #BerkleyBuddyReads I jumped at the chance.

Each chapter is titled with a specific shoe that relates to what happens in the chapter.

This isn’t just a romance, for shoes or the main couple. It is a book about making the best when life throws you a curve ball, finding yourself, and second chances.

I really enjoyed it!

A SHOE STORY is a modern-day, entertaining story by the author of Nine Women, One Dress, Jane L. Rosen. In her latest, Rosen introduces Esme Nash who is about to move to New York City with her boyfriend, Liam Beck, after they both graduate from Dartmouth. Fate intervenes and Esme spends the next seven years in Honeoye Falls (upstate New York) instead. I enjoyed the references to local color (e.g., shopping at Wegmans, paddle boarding on Lake Ontario or Irondequoit Bay), but Esme's story jumps forward and centers primarily around the month she then spends in New York City as a dog walker for Catherine Wallace who has an amazing shoe collection. With chapter titles like "The Baby-Blue Satin Jimmy Choo Slingback Pumps" or "Brand-New White Converse Chuck Taylors," Rosen sets the mood and moves the story along. Supporting characters, especially Sy Katz, a fellow dog walker and World War II veteran, are wonderful caricatures who add warmth and adventure. Despite its romantic, "fluffy" nature, A SHOE STORY raises questions about how to recognize and become the person each of us was meant to be: "You don't necessarily have to stick to the life plan you started out with. Look at cauliflower... for centuries it was just a vegetable. Now it's rice, pretzels, even pizza. If cauliflower can be pizza, you could be just about anything."

A Shoe Story by Jane Rosen is another book I was drawn to initially because of its adorable and whimsical cover. I loved the shoes scattered across the page and as someone who loves stories set in New York City, just seeing the NYC skyline on the cover was enough to further entice me. I dove in and was immediately captivated by this beautiful story of second chances.

The story centers on Esme Nash, a young woman who dreamed of moving to New York as soon as she graduated from college and securing a job at a prestigious art gallery. Esme’s boyfriend Liam also shares her dream of moving to New York and so they make plans together, until tragedy strikes. Esme’s parents are involved in a car accident that kills her mother and leaves her father paralyzed. Esme knows she has to stay and take care of her dad but she doesn’t want to hold Liam back from his dreams, so she breaks up with him so that he will go on to New York without her. Seven years later, Esme’s dad dies and Esme decides it’s time to get her life back and so, after securing temporary employment as a live-in dog sitter, she heads to New York.

Esme had my heart right away, just seeing how much she was willing to sacrifice to take care of her father. I also loved the resilience she displays when she decides to head to New York to try to get her life back on track. She hopes to cross paths with Liam to see if there are still sparks between them, but she is also very focused on reentering the art world and securing her dream job. I really admired her sense of determination and was immediately hoping she would get all the second chances she was hoping for.

What Esme finds along the way though is what really made this such a special read for me. The first thing she discovers is that the dog owner she is sitting for has an enormous closet filled to the brim with designer shoes that just happen to be in Esme’s size. Esme, a shoe fiend herself, is entranced by this and decides to borrow a new pair of them every day to give her a much needed boost of confidence as she heads out into the city to reclaim her dreams and hopefully find her lost love. Esme’s journey ends up being a special one filled with new friends, new experiences, and she discovers sides to her personality that she never really knew existed. I really enjoyed watching her grow and embrace the second chances she has been given.

While most of the story focuses on Esme’s journey to find those second chances, what really struck me as I was reading was that every new friend she meets is also looking for a second chance of sorts. I enjoyed Esme’s interactions with each of these characters as they helped each other find their way.

A Shoe Story tackles some tough topics like alcoholism, loss and grief, but overall it’s just such a smart and delightful read about finding oneself. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more of Jane Rosen’s novels.