Michelle Lindo-Rice’s The Bookshop Sisterhood is a heartwarming celebration of friendship, resilience, and the shared love of books. The story follows four best friends—Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni, and Leslie—who pool their talents and dreams to open a bookshop together. Their journey highlights the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, personal growth, and the unbreakable bond of sisterhood.

The strength of this novel lies in its relatable portrayal of friendship. The women’s unwavering support for one another, even as life throws them curveballs, is both inspiring and realistic. Lindo-Rice excels in crafting distinct and memorable characters, each with their own strengths and struggles, making it easy to root for their collective success.

However, while the book’s foundation is solid, certain elements felt overdone. The frequent mention of book titles and authors, while a nice nod to bibliophiles, became excessive and occasionally detracted from the flow of the narrative. Similarly, some of the drama felt over-the-top, pulling focus away from the bookshop, which could have been more central to the story.

Despite these minor drawbacks, the novel shines in its attention to detail, such as the chapter titles providing time clues—a thoughtful touch that enhances the storytelling. The themes of friendship, perseverance, and teamwork are beautifully interwoven, and Lindo-Rice’s engaging writing style ensures the reader remains invested in the characters’ journey.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A perfect read for bookclubs and girls' girls buddy reads. It's giving cozy Waiting to Exhale. Readers are sure to see themselves and their friends.

DNF. This book was letdown. I thought it was going to be heartwarming and empowering and a more representative piece of fiction, but it was toxic and dramatic and hard to get invested in.

*Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for providing me with copy via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review *

A heartwarming story about friendships.

Friendships and books are two of my favorite things. It was one of the reasons that drew my attention to this story. As a book lover, how could you not be interested in reading a book about four best friends who want to open their own bookstore? I expected an easy read about friends who bonded over their love of books. It did start off like way. I didn't expect the level of drama that each of the friends experienced throughout the novel. I prefer reading books with drama because there is always something unexpected that keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next. I don't mind drama; but I felt that this novel had a little too much drama. More than half of the novel was loaded with drama. None of the friends appeared to get a break; as soon as they got over one issue, another one occurred, making it difficult to keep up at times. Despite this, I enjoyed reading each of the friends' experiences and their bond, and I kept turning the pages to see how it would end for them, if the friends would ever open their bookstore.

I enjoyed reading various perspectives; it helped me get to know each of the friends better. Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni, and Leslie seemed like friends to me after only a few pages of reading the novel. Despite their busy schedules, they were always there for each other when they needed it. However, there were times when I felt their connection was toxic based on their acts, and I worried if one of them would finally have had enough, bringing an end to their friendship. I enjoyed how each of the feelings were portrayed; it made me feel as if I was experiencing everything they were. The character growth was fantastic for each of the characters; at the end of the novel, they appeared to be completely different people. Part of me didn't want to turn the last page because it meant saying goodbye to them. I was curious to see what would happen to them afterward.

I felt that the end was rushed. It did not seem reasonable to me. Even though they all had so much going on, they were tough and persevered; I admired how powerful they were presented. Throughout the novel, I felt myself rooting for them, hoping things would improve for them. I got the impression that if they had each other, they would get through it together. If you love books about books, friendship with drama, I would check this book out!

A lovely, warm book that felt like hanging out with your best girlfriends.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bookshop Sisterhood is about 4 women who have been friends since college. Just as their dream of opening a bookstore is becoming a reality, all four of them find themselves in tricky situations. Unless they can find a way to be honest with themselves and one another, the store may never open.

I loved this story about 4 very different women who are strong, encouraging, and support each other well. A great read written in alternating points of view of each woman.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A beautiful book about the ups and downs of life and friendships. These 4 longtime friends are about to take a big step and open a bookstore together, yet as they get closer to the end of that road, crisises arise unexpectedly in each of their lives causing them to have to fight for their friendship and their plan to go as planned.
A wonderful story told in 4 perspectives.

This book kept me engaged from the very beginning. I love storylines revolving about each of the women from the book including the opening of the bookstore, and the looks into their personal lives.

I usually love books about books and I really enjoyed this one, too. Four good friends, Yasmeen, Leslie, Celeste, and Toni all love books. They also all belong to a book club. Of course, they also have problems and secrets they others don't know about. The secrets threaten their friendships as they're discovered which is often the case.

I would love to belong to a book club with friends but I don't. I guess Goodreads comes the closest to that. I loved reading about the hopes and dreams for their bookstore. I fell in love with the idea of opening one with one of my daughters and/or a friend. I was engaged in the plot throughout. I liked the characters overall, but Celeste was my least favorite. I didn't feel like they were as supportive of each other as friends should be. There was a lot of drama as well.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I DNF this book as I could not connect to it.

I had great hopes for this book. I found it scattered and a bit confusing.

The women were all different, which is usually a positive, but I felt they didn't blend and were at odds with each other.

Did not finish.

This was my first time reading Michelle Lindo-Rice, and I received The Bookshop Sisterhood as an ARC from NetGalley. The novel presents a heartwarming narrative that celebrates friendship and resilience. The plot is engaging, with each character facing significant personal challenges that add depth to the story. The Bookshop Sisterhood follows four best friends—Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni, and Leslie—who are on the verge of opening the bookstore of their dreams after years of hard work. Their bookstore is envisioned as a community haven, offering intriguing reads, comforting beverages, and a place for book lovers to gather. However, just before the grand opening, their lives are thrown into turmoil. Toni receives devastating news just months before her wedding, Celeste's marriage is on the brink of collapse, Leslie discovers a shocking family secret, and a lottery win brings unexpected challenges for Yasmeen. As they navigate these personal crises, the friends must rely on each other more than ever to find their way through the chaos and towards new beginnings. The character development is a mixed bag. While the main characters—Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni, and Leslie—are well-drawn and relatable, some of their storylines felt a bit rushed and could have benefited from more detailed exploration. The dynamics between the friends are a highlight, showcasing the strength and support they provide each other.
The pacing of the novel is generally good, but there are moments where the transitions between the different storylines feel abrupt. The resolution of some plot points felt a bit too convenient, which slightly diminished the overall impact of the story. Overall, The Bookshop Sisterhood is a charming read with a positive message about the power of friendship and community. Despite its flaws, it shows promise for Michelle Lindo-Rice as a writer. I'm interested to see how her storytelling evolves in future works. #netgalley #thebookshopsisterhood

I could not get into this. I hated the narrative voice and the character interactions felt stilted and weird.

I thought this was going to be more lighthearted than it was. There was too much drama between the characters for my taste.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my ARC copy! This review contains my personal thoughts and opinions.

I picked up The Bookshop Sisterhood expecting a book-centered story, especially as someone who loves stories about bookstores and the world of books. However, it didn't quite deliver on that front. The bookshop setting played a very minimal role, and instead, the story leaned heavily into more drama than I expected. While this wasn't quite what I had hoped for, the drama kept me intrigued, especially after election day when I needed a good escape. It almost felt like an episode of Real Housewives, which I love, but if you're going in expecting a bookish, literary vibe, you might feel a bit let down. There were some mentions of books and authors, but again, there were fewer than I had expected based on the book's title. The ending also felt very, very rushed. If you're in the mood for drama, this could be a good pick!

Rating: 3/5

Four friends—Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni, and Leslie—decide to open their dream bookstore. But each woman faces a significant challenge that could affect the ribbon cutting. Toni receives a diagnosis that could affect her upcoming wedding. Celeste's marriage suffers because of her unhealed trauma. Leslie learns a shocking secret about her family. Yasmeen's life is changed by a lotto ticket. Individually, the women must decide who they are and how they want to be. Together, they must decide if their friendship can withstand their challenges and pesonal changes.
I enjoyed the fast-paced flow of this story. And the book includes dozens of book recommendations!
Switching between characters became confusing at times. Also, I didn't care for the graphic sexual content. I missed the fact that this book is a Harlequin Romance with soft porn.
And why does the cover only feature one of the four friends? The strong friendships inspired me. I want to cultivate such amazing friendships and see this theme celebrated on the cover!
I also was inspired by a reminder to tell the truth: “The truth always comes out. Years could go by. Years. And it rears its ugly head, hurting everyone in its path.” Likewise, "The more people you tell about something, the more chance of it spreading like a red spill on a white gown. But if she kept it to herself, the truth would be buried with her. Contained. Or would it?"
I liked these quotes too:
"'I’ve lost everyone I loved.' Therese leaned forward, her voice stern. 'You have you. Start with you. Love you. Accept you.'"
And about trauma: “'We can stop whenever you need,' Therese said. 'But if you don’t face that day, it is going to continue to dictate how you live your life.'”
The ending is tidy and unrealistic. But also entertaining. I spent a few fun hours escaping reality while reading.

Premise was great but it fell flat in character development. It was entertaining but the characters were a bit more whiny than I expected for the type of book I was expecting.

I feel like the "drama packed" part of this novel is what hurt it. It was a fun read but WOW the characters went through it! I think this has the great potential for future reads and it was enjoyable.

Books about books is one of my absolute favorite sub-genres. I loved the found family aspects of this book. Such a fun read.

Four friends decide to open a bookstore together. Each brings their own strengths to the business and each from a different upbringing. Throughout the story each one is faced with a hardship that could potentially squash the bookstore dream and their friendships are put to the test.

We get POVs from each of the four characters throughout the book. The story is written in journal form, so it makes is easy to follow a timeline and the transition among the characters.

This book wasn't the lighthearted read I was expecting it to be. I do recommend reading it. It was well written and a wonderful story about the importance of friendships.

Check TW. This book deals with heavy topics such as an abortion, gambling addiction, racist comments and a child's illness.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.