The Page Turner by Viola Shipman is a delightful and heartwarming novel that expertly navigates the world of family dynamics, the publishing industry, and the charm of summer romance. Emma Page has long felt like an outsider in her literary-minded family, where her "serious" parents hold highbrow standards and look down on anything deemed popular or lighthearted. As Emma secretly writes her own romance manuscript, she draws inspiration from the beloved, yet often disparaged, novels her late grandmother cherished.

The story takes a twist when Emma uncovers a long-buried secret in her grandmother’s belongings—a secret that could destroy her parents’ business, The Mighty Pages, and shatter their carefully cultivated reputation in the literary world. As Emma grapples with the choice of exposing the truth and potentially ruining her family's legacy, readers are taken on a journey that explores themes of authenticity, self-acceptance, and the power of storytelling.

Shipman’s writing is a treat, weaving together humor and emotional depth, and the vibrant setting—from the quaint family cottage to the glamorous Hamptons—adds a touch of escapism to the story. The Page Turner is a celebration of finding one’s voice, the complexities of family, and the sometimes surprising power of “fluff” fiction. This novel will resonate with readers who appreciate a good blend of romance, family drama, and a dash of mystery, making it a perfect summer read.

I did not expect this book to be what it was about. Once I got into it it was a bit predictable. Overall it was an okay book but nothing that I would highly recommend or read again. A good combination of women's fiction and mystery. I just think this was not a book for me.

I'm sorry, but I really hated this book. The main character was insufferable, the writing itself was awful, and the dialogue was completely unbelievable. Apologies to Shipman fans, but I won't be reading any more of his work.

I wanted to like it. I tried to like it. But ultimately I had to bail. DNF.

The characters were too one-dimensional and I couldn’t get into the story.

I think I may be an outlier, though, so if the premise intrigues you, give it a try…

Emma Page has just written a novel but she’s afraid to let her family read it. Her parents own a struggling publishing business and are writers themselves. This gives an inside look at some of the behind the scenes workings of the business. There are secrets, revenge seekers, and threats that are exposed as Emma tries to help her family while navigating getting her own book published.

“The Page Turner” is by Viola Shipman, a pen name for Wade Rouse. I had a huge difficulty with this book. On the positive side, because I think beginning with the good is always best, Michigan gets some recognition! There are twists and family dynamics are explored - even if sometimes family dynamics are dysfunctional. The ending was a feel good one, so I’ll add that as a positive. The negatives - the odd direction of the plot in the first half or so of the book. I should note that the plot in the second half of the book does become evident. Emma whinges a lot - about her class, about her unsupportive family, the way men treat women in books and all of this combined with the strident feminist stance made it so that I couldn’t engage with Emma, the main character. I found some of this book rather one dimensional (the main villain character). This book’s plot sounded interesting, but this book wasn’t the page turner I hoped it would be for me. I’d suggest reading others reviews of this book for a more balanced idea of the book. This book wasn’t terrible, but I didn’t really enjoy it.

THE PAGE TURNER by Viola Shipman 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"The beauty of a book is not to hide from the world but rather our second chance to make it right. We can reimagine and reinvent, see the world in an entirely new way simply by turning a page. Or, can just escape from our lives."

That quote encapsulates the essence of The Page Turner by Viola Shipman.  What I initially thought was going to be just another light-hearted, feel good story, turned into a deep, thought-provoking journey for me. 

This book has everything from family drama, lies and secrets, behind-the-scenes look at  the literary world, beautiful settings and the reminder that familial bonds of love and forgiveness can be mended once broken.

It truly touched my heart and soul. 

Emma is such a strong, loyal to a fault woman and I absolutely adored her chatacter.
GiGi, what a beautiful soul she has/had. I think everyone deserves a grandmother like her.
Marcus, ugh, I do not like him.  

I had never read a Viola Shipman novel before receiving The Page Turner as an ARC from Netgalley, but I can honestly say that it will not be my last and I highly, highly recommend everyone read this book.

I really enjoyed this book and even felt like I learned some things about the publishing industry. I liked Emma and her entire family. It was a quick, fun read.

The Page Turner enlightens readers about the importance of books and reading for every individual, and also reiterates the declining publishing industry because fewer people read print. I think the book would have been better without about 50 pages in the first half that were less interesting. The last half of the book is a page turner. The information Viola Shipman adds at the end is super.

Gives me a little bit of a cozy mystery vibe. I love that this focuses on Emma’s growth and her new look in life.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This book wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was interesting. While I feel like the whole situation wasn’t all that realistic, and I figured out the one twist pretty early, the overall family dynamic and sister sleuthing was fun. I, at times, was irritated at Emma and needed her to tin down her angst and moodiness, but she need up growing on me. The antagonist gave me the ick, which I’m sure is what the author was going for, so success in that one! I think my favorite character in here was actually a minor one in the library agent VV; I could just picture her and loved her vibe. Overall, the world of publishing snd her love of her grandmother were cool to see, but it felt like some parts of the book were a stretch to make it work. Profanity and ick level harassment from the male antagonist

I enjoy Viola Shipman's books. This novel is a little bit different as it is about the publishing of books.

Emma Page just graduated from college and her parents are authors and publishers. Her parents are picky about what genre they publish. Emma has secretly written a novel that she knows her parents won't like the style. Emma's sister is an influencer and works for her parents. Trouble comes in the form of Marcus, an unscrupulous publisher with a grudge. This all culminates at Gigi (grandmother)'s cabin on Lake Michigan.

It's a great story, and I highly recommend.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was a little bit slow to start and took a minute to get into. But, once it did, I was able to recognize the book's merits and impressive writing style. That being said, it isn't one I would go back to or impressed me personally. I just found that plot twists to be predictable and obvious. In short, for me, there was nothing that was overwhelmingly compelling that made me obsessed to know what would happen next. A fine attempt at women's fiction and literary fiction but that's all. It was just meh.

This is a story of a slightly dysfunctional family who have to face some truths about their business and each other. And the universal truth that, while I can criticize my family, woe to you if you dare say a word against them. An ode to the power of unconditional love, The Page Turner is a lovely story with well-written characters. I appreciated the very realistic relationships depicted in the story, especially between the women. They felt like people who I might encounter or know. I wish, though, that the reader was allowed to draw more of the conclusions ourselves instead of having them spelled out. I was able to guess the twists long before they were revealed. While this didn't detract from the story, it did lessen my enjoyment. It also felt like I was being lectured on how women "should" be represented or behave with one another.

This is a good story for anyone who wants to get insight into the publishing industry from publishers to agents to writers. It is very interesting to get the "inside" scoop.

The Page Turner by Viola Shipman ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What an eye opening book . Voila describes all aspects from writing a book, editing it, publishing, printing, putting in what stores. Its a long process that us reads don't know or think about.
He even tells us why many including the author uses pen names. And why the name Viola was chosen. I will never take a book for granted again.

A great book to read by readers as well as those interested in writing.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

This was an interesting read and I enjoyed that this was a story about finding your voice, sisterhood and family. I liked that there was no romance and it was about Emma’s relationship with her parents and her sister in contrast to her amazing relationship with her grandmother who she adored. That she didn’t know everything about her grandmother and what she did to support the family and keep them safe. I did figure out pretty much both of the reveal pretty early on which I really dislike since I have to wait for the characters to catch up. The story was good and it was a fast read.

Thanks to Graydon House and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC for this book. This was a fun read that gave me a glimpse of the publishing world. There were times when the story seemed a bit far-fetched, but I was entertained. The

Oh, did I love this book! It was a perfect combination of finding your own voice as a female while protecting your family and finding your relationships with them again. Emma is the disappointment, the lover of romance novels in a house where literature is valued. When secrets come out, Emma realizes she will have to do what it takes to protect her loved ones.

I thought Emma was a likeable character albeit a brat sometimes. There were times when I laughed aloud or smiled based on the dialogue. It isn’t the perfect read, but like all Shipman books, to me, it was very enjoyable.

The Page Turner is an extraordinary novel. Set behind the scenes of the publishing industry, it takes you to places you never knew about.

Emma Page, a recent graduate, has written a romance novel. Her parents own an boutique publishing house, The Mighty Pages. She doesn't feel confident that it would meet her parents high standards. This book is about family and secrets. A bit of a mystery. Emma sets out to save her families business, her grandmothers legacy and eventually publish her novel.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade and Net Galley for the advanced e-copy.

What do you do if your parents own a niche publishing house? Emma Page’s parents are book snobs of the highest degree and own The Mighty Press which publishes literature outside the mainstream. Emma has a secret- she has written a romance novel that she knows her parents would disapprove of greatly. When her parents sign a less than scrupulous deal with Marcus, an author, she turns to her sister. This novel of change and acceptance is a heartwarming reminder that family bonds can bend, but it takes a great deal to break.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Graydon House for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.