A women's fiction novel that completely challenges both the ideas of what makes good literature and the assumptions given to Romance novels and ChickLit and all those other monikers that belittle the genre. While slower and more reflective than action packed at times, the story of Emma navigating family secrets and threats to her connections with her family - both internal and external - brings new life to these conversations and proves that every story has its place and that every genre has value. That publishing to the average reader isn't a literary sin and that enjoying a romance novel does not rot your brain...

I am a Viola Shipman fan and this book was another great read! I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Emma and her grandmother. Even though Gigi had passed away, I feel that we still get a strong understanding of their unbreakable bond. As a Michigan resident, I loved the references to various places in our great state.

The insight to a family business and the publishing industry was also interestingly woven in throughout the book. I did find the start to this book slower than I would have liked, but a little later on, the plot picked up and I became hooked.

Thank you for this ARC.

I really disliked the writing for this one. I think it was a mixture of the pacing or the way things were worded. I think the story had potential, but I couldn’t get past the actual writing to enjoy it.

The best part of this book for me was Emma’s relationship with her grandmother who has passed away. There is nothing more special than a relationship between a grandchild and their grandparent(s). I felt like I almost know Gigi.

However, for whatever reason this family drama and the mystery that unfolds among writers and publishers was just ok. It wasn’t my favorite book by this author, but I’ll definitely ready more future works by Viola Shipman.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I always enjoy Viola Shipman's novels. They are cozy and provide a gorgeous armchair adventure in various parts of Michigan. The Page Turner takes us to a cottage in South Haven, right by the beach, and immerses us in a world of books and writing.

Emma is a sympathetic and compelling character. Just out of college, she's expected to join her family's publishing business even though she doesn't like the kinds of books they work with. They (the books) are snobby and elitist, compared to the stories she grew up reading with her beloved GiGi. Her parents also have connected with an author Emma completely hates. And she has a good reason to! He reminds me of a certain person who took over a social media outlet and changed its name to a single letter, if you get my drift. I don't want to say anything else as to not spoil what happens next or anything beyond that, but just know that you will be rooting for Emma the entire time!

I could relate to Emma over being different from others in my family. I usually feel like an outlier, but for different reasons. At least I share similar book interests with my mom and sister. I love that this novel had a villain, as it added a whole new layer to the story. I don't remember many of Viola's novels having villains, although I think there was one in The Secret of Snow. I also loved that this wasn't a typical romance, but was instead about family and following one's passion. There's even a mystery aspect that kept me turning the pages, so to speak!

Overall, another treat from Viola Shipman and I already can't wait for whatever she writes next.

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Emma: Jane Widdop
Jess: Olivia Holt
Phillip: Justin Theroux
Piper: Jessalyn Gilsig
Marcus: Christian Bale
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TW: Death of grandparent, emotional abuse, sexual harassment

I expected to love this book as I have really enjoyed other Viola Shipman books but it was just ok!
Had it not been for the audiobook narrator being great I might have DNF this book. While I enjoyed the main character but not her chauvinistic pig boss, I felt that she wasn't perceptive in seeing what was laid out right in front of her. I figured out how this book would end in the 2nd or 3rd chapter from what was revealed to her.
I did appreciate how she was trying to help her author and publisher parents save their business from a terrible person. I just wish the author hadn't made everything quite so obvious from the beginning.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arcs for both the book and audiobook.

This was a complicated read for me. The whole first half I was going to give it three stars, it was slow to start. It was cute and good, but I didn't love it. Then somewhere half way though it turned for me. I had to know what happened next. I had to know right now!

The characters were complicated. I did not like the parents, or the villain at all. The parents turned around for me. I enjoyed the relationship between the sisters. I loved watching Emmy's dream of publishing a book come true. What I loved the most was the setting of the book, on the shores of Lake Michigan. I could almost see it in my mind.

Overall, a really good book, a good mystery!

I think this was a good book but the beginning was a little slow. As the story progressed, it got so much better. It wasn't a favorite but I do enjoy reading Viola Shipman books.

This book is half 5 stars, half 1 star, and unfortunately it's as if they were mixed in a blender and you get portions of 5 then a chunk of 1. First the 1 stars.... The plot is okay, but there's not much of a surprise it's more like, "When will this character figure out something that is obvious?" and then "When will this character do the obvious thing to do?" The "bad" guy is just bad - no complexity. The banging you over the head constantly with how women are harmed by men is just too much for something that is supposed to be a fun read. (And this from someone who champions women's rights and hosted book clubs just for that reason.)

The "5 stars" comes from some of the writing that is tender and introspective. The author writes women pretty well for being a man, but there are a few times it felt inauthentic (he uses his grandmother's name as his pen name.)

All in all I am sorry that I can't highly recommend this book, because it has some amazing parts. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC #sponsored

Emma Page has recently graduated from the University of Michigan. Her father, Phillip, is an author and he and his wife, Piper, own an independent book press called The Mighty Pages. Although the man has never been extremely successful, he still manages to impress people. Emma’s sister is a book influencer pushing her family’s books and authors of The Mighty Press. No one really knows that their money has come from his mother, GiGi, now deceased. Emma loved her grandmother and misses her dearly.

The Page family likes to boast the books they write are literature. Emma thinks that they are rich, entitled, driven and obsessed with their lives, careers and personas. So, Emma is hiding the fact that she is writing a romance novel like those that GiGi loved. She knows that if she shared this with her parents, they would scoff at her.

At a reception to celebrate Phillip’s new novel, author Marcus Flare, who claims to write love stories and not romance novels appears and pushes his oily personality. Only Emma is not impressed with him and lets him know it which infuriates him.

When both Emma and her sister, Jess realize that The Mighty Pages is not doing as well finally as their parents make it out to be, they know they have to do something to save it.

I found this story to be somewhat different than I thought it would be but I did enjoy learning even more secrets about the publishing industry that I did not know before. It was strange to find a man writing a book under a woman’s name. However, he did seem to have an understanding of women and their emotions. The lazy days at the cottage on Lake Michigan sounded delightful. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book hit me like a breath of fresh air. The last few books I read were fine, in the best and worst ways. Ways where the settings were interesting and the plots intriguing, I never engaged with any of the characters. Within a few pages, I was hooked on Emma's voice. Perhaps she's a tad entitled or a bit juvenile in her fights with her mother, but she is authentic. And, in reality, this book is an extended love letter to reading and the power of words to take us out of ourselves and into the community of the world. Read the summary above for the storyline. It's a good story with misunderstandings, a true villain and a redemption arc. Don't miss the author's notes at the end of the magic of reading. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fifth book by Viola Shipman (Wade Rouse using his grandmother's name as a pen name) I have had the pleasure of reading, and I enjoyed them all. Every time I see this author has a new book out, I pick it up and dive in. I haven't been disappointed yet.

Description:
Emma Page grew up the black sheep in a bookish household, raised to believe fine literature is the only worthy type of fiction. Her parents, self-proclaimed “serious” authors who run their own vanity press, The Mighty Pages, mingle in highbrow social circles that look down on anything too popular or mainstream, while her sister, Jess, is a powerful social-media influencer whose stylish reviews can make or break a novel.

Hiding her own romance manuscript from her disapproving parents, Emma finds inspiration at the family cottage among the “fluff” they despise: the juicy summer romances that belonged to her late grandmother. But a chance discovery unearthed from her Gigi’s belongings reveals a secret that has the power to ruin her parents’ business and destroy their reputation in the industry—a secret that has already fallen into the hands of an unscrupulous publishing insider with a grudge to settle. Now Emma must decide: As much as she’s dreamed of the day her parents are forced to confront their own egos, can she really just sit back and watch The Mighty Pages be exposed and their legacy destroyed?

My Thoughts:
I loved Emma's close relationshp with her grandmother and all her memories of their time together. I felt bad that her parents made her feel she wasn't good enough and had to hide her romance writing from them. Marcus is certainly a piece of work and it was easy to hate him - and I'm sure everyone reading the book will feel the same. The surprise at the end was something I had figured out early on, so it wasn't a big surprise to me, but certainly made a satisfying ending. I enjoyed the book and think anyone who likes books about family relationships will enjoy.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House through Netgalley for an advance copy.

The Page Turner was an unexpected treat. The author wove a tale that showed the true dynamics in family relationships. She showed how people can be conflicted and loving at the same time. The theme of the differences between the old and new highlighted the uphill battle still face to be taken seriously in the world today. I enjoyed the clues that lead you to uncover the secrets in the story. The pseudonym S.I. Quaeris’s latin translation sums up how I feel about reading in general. This one is worth the read and I look forward to future books by Shipman.

The Page Turner is unlike any other book that I have read, and I'll explain why.
Although there are some common tropes from literary fiction, such as sibling rivalries, hostile parent, family secrets, etc., in this book the author delivered the promised content without dragging the story. There was tension, and I'm glad there wasn't too much to the point that the book could be called "dramatic." I feared there would be some unnecessary romance, but thankfully, things work out for the best on that area. The issues are solved in a timely manner, once the character grows up and takes the time to think better about their actions. That's another thing that I loved in this book; there was so much character development! The characters were not likable, although I found myself rooting for the protagonist regardless, because while she is not a perfect character, she is well written and I saw her arc through the story.
On the other side, the antagonist was written very much like a cartoon villain; he reminded me of someone that makes an appearance in the Powerpuff girls and reveals the plans right away as if there is a need for him to say all his monologues as soon as they entered his head. Additionally, while I am fully aware that the story is centered on Emma, the protagonist, her parents were very flat characters and rather than having believable character growth, their minds changed as if a switch was pressed.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book more than I thought I would. I finished it in a matter of two days because of how engrossed I was. The writer is truly talented and I hope to read more of what they share with the world in the future.

Viola Shipman’s The Page Turner is packed with intrigue, drama, and complex family dynamics. Emma’s journey from black sheep to bold storyteller is both compelling and emotionally satisfying. I really liked how her love for her late grandmother was woven into the whole book.

With a juicy insider’s look at the publishing world and a celebration of the stories we’re told not to love, this book is a must-read for anyone who’s ever felt underestimated—or fallen in love with a so-called “fluffy” book. I adored this story.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

3.5

I had the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook.

I wanted to love this story because of the plot, but something was missing for me.. The main character is just out of grad school, but I believe having a character in her late 20's struggling in the real world and trying to write her story would have connected more for me in this story. The main character still has so much to learn and in some ways it seemed like she was given what she wanted.

The characters were well developed and added to the story.

This story has wonderful elements to is such as bridging generations. Throughout this story we see how the actions of a grandmother changed the course of a family, which is also noted in the author's notes (worth reading by the way). This story doesn't have a romance storyline to it, which I liked. It was more about about falling in love with your passion than a person, and fighting for that. Overall this is a cute read for writers and it may bring hope for them to keep going to get their story heard.

Thank you Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook.

Always, always love Viola Shipman's book.
This one is a little different than his others, but still a great story.
The story follows Emma's journey as her family is fractured. She writes a novel and ends up solving an old mystery.
There was lots of publishing terminology that I had to Google, but overall a great book!!

I loved the premise of this book way more than the delivery.

Emma Page is a recent college grad and aspiring writer, trying to find her way. She comes from a literary family, with her parents owning a publishing house and her sister dominating book related social media. Her family shares an idea of what “good literature” is - in a pretentious kind of way - and Emma doesn’t share their perspective on books or how she wants to approach her life.

There’s a secret in the book that I figured out nearly as soon as it was hinted at. It was very strange to me that this wasn’t more obvious to the characters sooner. There is a villain who is truly one dimensional. I remained hopeful that he would have some substance eventually, but that never happened. Even Emma’s parents were a bit one note. Her sister Jess nearly suffered the same fate, but takes a turn about halfway through the book. Their sisterly connection was sweet.

Some of the family dynamics were interesting to explore, as was the peek behind the curtain into the world of publishing, auctions and advances.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Page Turner, by Viola Shipman, is a generational story of the literary Page family. Pauline Page, Gigi to her granddaughters Emma and Jess, was left a very young widow with young son Phillip. Through careful planning and hard work, Pauline turned them family home into a boarding house, listening to the stories of the boarders becoming a charming pastime. As Pauline got ahead, she made real estate investments, then stock market investments, accumulating a good deal of wealth. With Gigi’s recent passing, the family wealth is now in Philip’s hands.

Youngest granddaughter Emma is a mini Pauline. She is an avid reader and wants to be an author. In fact, she wrote a book while in college. Now a recent graduate, Emma is trying to find her way. Her parents want her to come work for their publishing company, the Mighty Pages. Her sister Jess already works for the company in PR as well as running her own influencer business.

As the family gets together at Gigi’s home on the shores of Lake Michigan to celebrate Emma’s father’s birthday as well as the debut of his latest book, author Marcus Flare is there. He is a menacing man yet a best seller of romance that always centers around the male lead. This is the night Marcus threatens, even blackmails Emma with his intention of destroying their family, financially and otherwise. Emma now makes it her business to thwart his efforts and save her family.

This is an interesting story. Part family dynamics, part family history, and a whole lot of intrigue,. The story has so many twists as the plot unfolds bringing the family through securely but with some surprises along the way. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

Flipping Through Memories: A Heartfelt Homage to Stories and Second Chances!

Viola Shipman’s The Page Turner is a poignant, heartfelt celebration of the power of literature, the resilience of women, and the enduring bonds of family. Told with warmth and nostalgia, the novel follows the journey of a woman rediscovering her roots, dreams, and voice through the pages of her past and the people who shaped her.

At its core, The Page Turner is a love letter to books and book lovers. Shipman seamlessly weaves together the past and present as the protagonist navigates a pivotal moment in her life, returning to the library where her love for stories first took flight. Through richly drawn characters and emotional depth, the novel explores themes of self-discovery, second chances, and the quiet strength passed down through generations.

Shipman’s signature storytelling—filled with heart, generational wisdom, and a dash of Michigan charm—shines throughout. Fans of her previous work will find comfort in her familiar blend of sentimental reflection and inspirational uplift. New readers will be drawn into the warmth of her prose and the universal truths that bind us all.

The Page Turner is more than just a title—it’s an invitation. To reflect on your own story. To reconnect with your passions. And to remember that it’s never too late to write the next chapter.

Rating: 4.0