'How, God? How can I possibly trust You?'

This debut novel from Mollie Rushmeyer is so stunning and precious. I was immediately drawn in, something that just makes me so happy when I'm reading a book. Everything about this book was good. The characters were well thought out, the plot was really good, and the writing very well done. I totally loved it. The main female character, Hope Sparrow, has been through such an ordeal, it hurt to read parts of it, especially when she was remembering the bad parts, but I loved how God began the healing process. The other characters were also incredibly well done. Totally a wonderful debut and I look forward to more from this author.

My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinion in this review is my own.

This was such a fun read! Not my normal genre, but still a quick read with an enjoyable plot and I loved the characters! Plus, I adored the bookshop setting!

The Bookshop of Secrets was a nice read with themes of abuse, redemption, literature, faith, and found family. The characters are likeable—particularly Mags and Ulysses—and the setting is realistic. The heaviness of Hope’s past is lifted as she finds both friendship and faith, and her hunt for her family’s legacy unfolds nicely. Unfortunately, the pace of the story moves fairly slowly, which made it easy for me to put down. Nonetheless, this would be a nice fall read.

What a wonderful story. The characters were believable, relatable and lovable. I think Ulysses was my favorite character, even though his struggles with dementia really hit home for me. He knew his books, his history, he wasn’t afraid to do what it took to make people believe what he was telling them, and he orchestrated a great treasure hunt. This book has everything a bibliophile loves, adventure, treasure, pirates, family drama, small town history. Add in a search for faith, self, a few accidental dips in the cold water, and a slow burn romance to round out this story.
*Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC I voluntarily reviewed

Hope Sparrow arrives at Dusty Jackets bookshop seeking the books her late mother left her, with possible clues to a family treasure. After a traumatic past, she does not want to stay anywhere long, but soon realizes finding the volumes and information she needs will not be a quick task...
This story has it all! Of course, it's a book about book lovers, set in a bookshop, with liberal literary references. Plus, there are family histories and generational mysteries. Not to mention a slow-blooming romance, growth and pain after trauma, and authentic questions about God's love. Supporting characters round out the tale, especially the bookshop owner who struggles through the fog of dementia to help Hope on her quest for history and truth. Granted, the opening scenes are a little trite in introducing the new arrival to the tiny town, and rather over-the-top with her love of classic books. But the endearing characters and the central mystery quickly overcome the early stories, and the story is well-developed, faith-filled, and satisfying.

***Will publish on Amazon prior to publication.
***Plan to purchase for church library

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
A good, Christian based about healing and a little romance.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters and the adventures. It touched my heart and encouraged my soul. I have recommended it to my friends highly and am going to purchase a hard copy for a gift.

Hope’s story took my breath away. Set in a small town, we often think of the charm, the shops, the quirky characters, but something seldom revealed is the underside this author captured; the one where grudges are held and gossip is shared. Ronan’s family has caught the brunt of the rumors for years and paid the price. When Hope comes to town to search for the treasured books her mother left her, with plans to leave as quickly as she came, she discovers something she’s been missing for years, the possibility, if somewhat shaky, to put down roots. With Ronan’s lack of self-confidence and Hope’s fragile emotions, the two search with the help of friends for a treasure which may not exist and discover... well, you’ll need to read the book. The characters Rushmeyer created will stick with me for a long time. If you love stories with literary references, faith and hope, incredibly deep characters, and the prospect of love, you’ll want to read The Bookshop of Secrets. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was a lot different than I thought it was going to be, which is a good thing! I have read a lot of books lately about libraries, Matt Haig's the Midnight Library is what started my love of the topic. This book was up there with Haig's. I would definitely recommend!

The beautiful cover drew me in. Overall it was a good read. Touched on some heavy topics but did so with grace and I walked away learning something new. Faith was important to this story and I felt it was necessary and handled well.

This Christian fiction read is full of lighthearted topics such as bookish references, mystery, adventure, friendship and romance while also delicately tackling hard topics such as grief, trauma, abuse, mental decline and more. I found this book to be very enjoyable and couldn’t think of an unanswered question or thing I didn’t like about, so 5 stars it is!

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for this advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a good read about traumatic pasts and working to find what is left. Hope Sparrow works to find the books that her mother left for her before she passed away however they are not where they are said to be. This book is religious, emotional and good. Definitely a good fall read for all bookstore book fans!

This is a delightful blend of romance and suspense with a dollop of faith on top.

Hope has been hurt in the past and does her best to keep people at bay. However, the quest that brings her to Wanishin Falls is taking longer than expected. More time means ties to others start to form.

Overall, it was a fun read.

This story dealt with the difficult subject of a woman struggling with the aftermath of human traffic, so it wasn't a "fun" read, but I appreciated how the author incorporated faith, romance and a little mystery into the character's healing journey.

This book was hard to rate because I wasn't sure how I felt about it all the way through. And that's not bad. I felt my emotions changing throughout. From excitement at a mystery to empathy and all the despair Hope felt at times to the hope Hope tried so hard to feel as she got closer and closer to Ronin. It was an emotional roller coaster.

What made this 5 starts for me was the Christian content which is rare to find done so well. It wasn't too much that it overtook the story but yielded itself at the right times in all the right amounts. I could see Hope starting to cling to her faith in order to heal from her past. I also really liked how she found she could trust God and trust in romance. It was a nice marriage of the two.

There were a lot of tough subjects I felt the author handled very well.

Very well done!

This was a slow moving story from beginning to end. There are some hard pieces of Hope’s background but I felt it was handled well. A sort of cutesy tale mixed with tough times.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mollie Rushmeyer, and Harlequin-Romance/Love Inspired Trade for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a cute story with healing and romance. It was overall a happy story that I found myself smiling at while reading. The plot was interesting and it reads pretty fast. I would highly recommend this book!

This review will be posted to my Goodreads and Amazon accounts immediately and to my instagram account @ginganinja333 upon publication on 10/25/2022.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Great story, real characters. I was delighted by the focus on books and literature and how they provide the clues to the mystery -- that's not a spoiler. That was clear from the beginning. I appreciated the way belief/faith was woven in to the store and was the solution for the characters to come into themselves.

Saw the words Bookshop of Secrets and that was it for me. I had to read this book. Really enjoyed all parts of this book. Must read!!

I just reviewed The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer. #TheBookshopofSecrets #NetGalley

Hope Sparrow has mastered the art of outrunning her tragic past, learning never to stay anywhere too long and never to let anyone control her life again. Coming to Wanishin Falls in search of her family's history already feels too risky. But somewhere in the towering stacks of this dusty old bookshop are the books that hold Hope's last ties to her late mother—and to a rumored family treasure that could help her start over.

I was hooked from the moment I read the title. A book about books will always catch my eye, and Mollie Rushmeyer did not disappoint me. When I read the first few chapters, I was unsure how I felt, but then it picked up, and I found myself drawn to Hope and Ronan, their growth, and friendship. I experienced all the feelings during this story. The two main characters felt real and relatable as they struggle with demons from their past. This story has a little bit of everything, mystery, friendship, and love.

The only thing for me is I wish I had read this book in the winter next to the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa because I wanted nothing more than to be cozy while I read it. But that's a me problem, not a book problem.

Thank you, Harlequin Romance, for this ARC.