The Page Turner is an easy, enjoyable read—perfect for fans of beach books. It follows Emma Page, a young college graduate who loves romance novels (who may have also written one herself). Although she was raised in a snobby literary family that looks down on anything “mainstream.” When Emma discovers a secret from her grandmother’s past that could ruin her parents' publishing business, she’s forced to decide between revenge and family. However, with a secret this big, it can only bring together those that you never knew would have your back.

It has a summery feel with some family drama and a dash of romance. It wasn’t life-changing, but it was entertaining enough. I’d probably recommend it to someone who enjoys feel-good stories with a little emotional depth and a literary twist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book just fine... but didn't love it. There was no connection to any of the characters (it was more of disinterest honestly) and although the pacing was perfect I just wasn't super intrigued or pulled into the story. I switched to audio and although I really enjoyed listening to the book over reading it on my kindle, I still struggled with staying focused.

The Page family is a publishing legend. Their company, the Mighty Pages, is known for its literary fiction. Their daughter Jess is a “book influencer” whose main purpose is to advertise the books released by her parents to her followers, called her “swans.” And then there’s Emma. Emma wants to be an author. To the dismay and ridicule of her parents, she wants to write romance novels. She believe that feeling and likable characters are what makes a story readable, not the depressing themes favored by her parents. Her grandmother Gigi, also a romance writer, was a major influence in her life. Gigi’s aphorisms guide Emma when she has to deal with a very unlikeable and borderline insulting romance writer who is blackmailing her and threatening to damage her family’s business.

Viola Shipman has delivered another “page turner.” She seamlessly blends romance, clever dialogue and well described locations into a very readable family drama. I hope Emma Page will be a recurring character! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Viola Shipman for this ARC.

In THE PAGE TURNER, Shipman again begins the story in beloved Michigan but then steps away from sun drenched breezes, touristy small towns, and sand dunes for the Big Apple as he opens the cover and flips over the pages on the world of publishing. I felt the first part of the book moved a bit slow, but as a life-long reader I wanted to discover Shipman's take on a young wanna-be writer and her publishing family, so I stuck with the book. Soon, it really picked up. Recent college graduate Emma loves the old Harlequin novels (by one particular author) that her grandmother kept lined up in her office and somewhat models her secret novel on them, while her parents fully embrace the life of the rich and famous, even when they shouldn't. And Emma's sister represents that latest entries into the world of publishing -- the influencers. Do they really have any value or are they as shallow as Emma believes? And when a best selling author begins to seek out Emma's attention as she tries to find a job, a man whose writing she detests, what will she do? Can she find out why he is so interested in her family before it is too late?

As someone who loves all things bookish, especially stories about writing and publishing, this one really hit a sweet spot for me. And the fact that it’s set around the University of Michigan made it even better—I grew up there, so I loved being able to picture the setting so clearly.

The story follows Emma Page, a recent U of M grad who’s chasing her dream of publishing her first novel—without relying on her family’s prestigious publishing house, which happens to specialize in genres completely opposite to hers. But just as she’s determined to do it on her own, her family’s company is suddenly thrown into crisis. Emma’s forced to step in, uncover long-buried secrets, and figure out how to help save everything she’s been trying to avoid.

The publishing world angle definitely kept me interested, and Emma’s journey felt especially relatable as someone who’s always loved stories about writers. There are a few over-the-top moments, and I saw some plot points coming, but overall it was an enjoyable, engaging read with just enough family drama, heart, and mystery to keep the pages turning.

The Page Turner is cute and entertaining, but also cartoonish in its characters and their motivations (and as a book reviewer, I felt it had quite a bizarre take on book reviewers/ influencers). It felt far more ya than adult, but if you enjoy light ya novels it may work for you.

Katharine Chin does a decent job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Viola Shipman, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

First, a big thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Viola Shipman’s novel “The Page Turner" – “A young romance writer makes a discovery that throws her elitist family into chaos.”

The Page Turner is a Viola Shipman novel with biting social commentary on the ins and outs of the publishing world, the novel is a deeply personal exploration of not only the power of long held family secrets but also a think piece on how readers judge themselves for what we read, whether it be more literary or commercial fiction. It definitely has an interesting perspective.

It's a story of the true meaning of family that balances a love letter to books, with a reminder of the strength of women despite everything we have to fight against every single day. This book is a story of staying true to yourself, even when it's scary and the people around you aren't being supportive.

The main character, Emma, is an inspiring writer, who has long been working on a manuscript that she believes in, but she believes her parents, book publishers of highbrow literary novels would balk at her career choice if she ever discussed it with them. Still coping with the grief from her grandmother GiGi's passing, “The Page Turner” takes readers on Emma's journey of growing into her own strength and facing the challenges of life. There are various layers to Shipman's novel that deal with not only publishing's darker side, but the complexities of defining "home" when faced with family issues. Shipman balances it all very well in a still warm-hearted novel that will leave you longing for a vacation to Michigan.

And then there's the author's note at the end - amazing, I definitely cried.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Viola Shipman for allowing me to read this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I deeply appreciate it.

This novel follows Emma Page as she graduates U of M, ready to publish her first book. The only problem is finding a publisher, one who isn’t her family’s well known publishing company that specializes in exactly the opposite genres of her writing. Emma, instead of joining her family’s company, feels compelled to find a different publisher to work with, despite pressures to join the Page’s establishment—that is until an unbeknownst enemy plans to ruin her family and their business seemingly overnight. When that becomes evident, Emma has no choice but to figure out how to help save them all while uncovering family secrets she could only have dreamed existed.

Overall, the plot is interesting, especially for an ever aspiring writer! There are hidden secrets and big conflicts that seem impossible to overcome—great pieces to intrigue any reader! The character development is gradual, allowing for plot points to spring up in interesting and meaningful ways. In some moments, the story’s direction feels predictable and the interactions a bit over the top. While not quite keeping me on the edge of my seat, it was still an enjoyable story all in all!

There were many themes in this book, from the realities of the publishing world, the importance of family, the misogyny that exists in literature, the necessity of reading genres that can be seen as mere chick lit, however the story seemed to tell more about them rather than show, which would have made this book more appealing. Emma is a recent graduate, an English major anxious to make her own way as an author, despite her family legacy of writing and publishing. Emma was close to her grandmother, and feels a little removed from the rest of her family. When secrets come to light, and a villain enters the picture, the story picks up a bit. The novel just didn’t work for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an engaging read! I enjoyed the plot and would read it again.

The Page Turner by Viola Shipman,
The two main characters stood out in very different ways for me. Emma for some reason was unlikeable for me she was a little irritating, although this could be on purpose. Gigi was my favorite character in the book. I was having trouble with the pace of this book. I really wanted to love it as I've enjoyed other novels by this author. This was a miss for me even though the storyline was solid.
Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

Emma Page grew up in a family that owns a small publishing house. She is the only member of her family who likes genre fiction; she later went on to write a romance novel. She wants to publish but also wants to protect her family's reputation.

I wanted to read this novel because I enjoy Viola Shipman books. I loved the Lake Michigan setting. The idea of conflict based on literature was interesting.. I especially loved Emma's memories of her grandmother.

This is an enjoyable read, recommended for fans of cozy women's fiction.

Emma just wants to be a romance author, escaping to her family’s home in Michigan to write. The problem is that she’s expected to live up to her family’s legacy of her parents’ The Mighty Pages and their quest for vanity and status…while dealing with an influencer/publisher with a secret grudge against her family. While at her late grandmother’s cottage, she discovers tons of romance stories and a secret about her family that could make or break their future in the writing world.
This was a fun read and made me nostalgic for Michigan. I sometimes struggled with the family & sister (which was likely the point!) and some of the resolutions felt too quick or unrealistic, but otherwise really enjoyed the premise of the story.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Viola Shipman is a new author for me. I am so glad I found her. The Page Turner gives us a behind the scenes look at what all goes on behind the scenes and how a book truly comes to life. A book about books, perfection. We get a front row view of how a book comes to life ; the agents, publicists, authors, and publishers. They all have one goal: to create a great story. The world of reading is now heavily influenced by social media, Bookstagramers, Goodreads, Reese Witherspoon, Read with Jenna and Oprah all have book clubs. Influencers have really changed the dynamics of reading. The Mighty Page is where the story starts. The main characters are Marcus Flare, Gigi, Phillip, Piper, Jess, and Emma Page. Emma, a recent graduate of the University of Michigan, comes from a family in the literary world, her parents run a small press company, specializing in literary fiction. Emma's sister Jess, an influencer who all work together. Emma shared a special bond with her grandmother Gigi and holds fond memories of Gigi’s charming summer cottage on Lake Michigan, which holds unexpected secrets. When Emma’s parents enter a partnership with Marcus, a successful but shady author, Emma and her sister find out that Marcus had a connection to Gigi and a powerful motive that could destroy everything they love. Determined to protect their family's legacy and get Emma’s novel published, the sisters take matters into their own hands. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Emma Page has just graduated from Michigan with a degree in literature - her parents are run their own "vanity press," "The Mighty Pages," and her sister, Jess is a book-tok influencer. Emma seems to be the "Black Sheep" of the family, not worried about making money, but she is worried about publishing a book that she wrote while a student at Michigan. Emma desperately misses her grandmother, Gigi, who owned a house on Lake Michigan and died while Emma was a student. Emma felt closest to Gigi, who shared the love of literature with Emma.

Enter Marcus Flare, a popular writer who is entering into a collaboration with Emma's parents in a "vanity press" imprint, "Books with Flare." Emma doesn't trust Marcus, who seems to only want the collaboration with her parents to ruin them. How will Emma protect her parents when no one will believe that Marcus is up to no good?

I enjoyed this book - special thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the Advance Reader Copy of this title. "The Page Turner" is available now.

The Page Turner is a unique twist on the world of literature with a twist of feminism thrown in. However, a "page turner" it certainly was not. While the overarching theme of family and loyalty is positive, the plot is often lost through a slow, somewhat muddy journey through the main character's heroic quest of self actualization. While avoiding spoilers, the story has an ending that is simply too tidy and holds no true life lessons. I wish there was more struggle or more of a learning journey, but the characters fell flat with minimal growth. It was not a total miss for a novel, but it missed the mark for me.

Part rant about the publishing industry, part heart warming family drama. I’ve read Viola Shipman’s entire backlist, and typically adore Shipman’s tales. In this particular novel, Shipman prioritizes a critique of the publishing industry over plot and character development in the first quarter or so of content, While informative and at times interesting, this choice did not work well for me or, from my vantage point, serve the story well. The book eventually morphs into a more cohesive and entertaining story, more in line with Shipman’s talented works. I was glad I continued to read, and enjoyed the story that followed. Unfortunately, this wasn’t my favorite Shipman novel, however.

Two and a half stars, rounded up due to the apparent personal nature of the opening rants and rages and the ode to books relayed in the subsequent chapters.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

This is only the second Shipman book I have read, but I have so many on my TBR - I’m excited to get to them! This one was charming - great characters and a story that certainly kept me turning the pages. I withheld one star as there were some parts where the plot got a little fuzzy and I struggled a bit with what was going on, but it always came back around. Certainly worth the read!

I just could not get into this one. The cover led me to believe it would be a little more cutsey but it was a little more serious and based around publishing. I liked the story that Emma was writing more than the overall book.

This was a lovely book about books and the publishing industry. I loved how it was a little bit mystery, a little bit of a heist, but mostly it was about family and realizing the power of books and rediscovering your direction in life.