Emma is a young woman, fresh out of college, that wants to have her novel punished. It should be easy for her, since her parents own their own publishing business, but they don’t usually publish the type of book she wrote. They are “book snobs” and she wants it punished in her own. There’s a lot of talk in this book about different types of stories and what is considered better and whether or not a novel is written by a man or a woman really matters. It also talks about ghost writers and writers riding on their own coattails. This novel takes place on the shores of Lake Michigan during the summer, but don’t consider it a “beach read!
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC!

This is a book for people who love books and words.
It was beautifully written - a family that is a literary powerhouse between a writer, publisher, book influencer and then their black sheep, who is a newly graduated writer who is mourning her grandmother and trying to decide where she's going to fit in her family legacy. Unfortunately, she can also see where here family is making some disastrous deals that they seem blind to and she has to find a way to fix the problem without them knowing. While a lot of the conversations are very literary people talking to each other and it almost doesn't seem real, the unraveling of family mysteries, and unburying the buried acorns (it'll make sense when you read it!), it was absolutely a wonderful tribute to the original Viola Shipman.

Viola Shipman never fails to disappoint. Immediately you are drawn into Emma’s world as a college student, until she quickly graduates and gets involved in some high level drama within her family’s publishing house. While she endures all of the regular trials and tribulations that come with post-grad life - looking for a job, dealing with parents, moving away from friends - she is also trying to save her parents’ business. What it comes down to, though, is her strong desire to do right by the writing world in regards to women. As always, Shipman’s characters are well thought out, strongly connected to each other and easily relatable. The underlying message is clear - family is family.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

This story is so touching! It gives you such a behind the scenes look at all that goes into the publishing process while also spending its time exploring family relationships and history. When you finish, be sure to read the author letter for all the extra feels.

First and foremost as always thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! Definitely worth the read!

Viola Shipman is a new to me author. I had heard so much about him and was so excited to finally be reading one of his books. The hopes I had for this book were so high. I started this book, got about 15% into it and had to stop. I had no clue what was happening and just could not follow the book. About 1 month later, I picked up the book again and I devoured it. I could not wait to have time to read, I stayed up late, got up early, and read at every chance I could.

I love Emma. She respects her parents and sister but still wants to be her own person, her own author. She understands that there are different types of books and readers. What her parents write is not what she wants to write. Emma stands up for herself while being respectful of those around her, unless they are named Marcus. I love her grit, her fearlessness, her strong opinions, her belief in herself, and most of all her love of family.

The Page Turner is a wonderful book. I am excited to continue reading Viola Shipman’s books.

When I first started this book I thought I was about to hit a book slump. But in true Viola fashion…I was pulled into this tale.

Emma is kind of the black sheep of the Page Family. Her family has been in the book publishing business for years but Emma just can’t seem to do anything right. And when her family signs a deal to help save the family business, but Emma has first hand knowledge that this is going to blow up in their faces, she has a big decision to make.

Emma is a character that my heart went out to. She is pushed around a bit by her family….but don’t worry…she comes into her own. And yes, she discovers a secret or two or three!

I love how this author can take a dysfunctional family and create a tale that is heartwarming.

I also loved the author’s note! If you don’t read anything else…READ THAT. Especially if you have loved books your whole life, it will give you strength and acceptance.


The narrator, Katharine Chin, could not have been better. I loved her as Jess!

Need a tale about power and family…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book. I am certain from the other reviews that plenty of people will enjoy The Page Turner but for me it was a miss. I just could not get pulled into this story.

The beautiful cover immediately caught my attention, and the words within were a wonderful companion. This story gives an inside look at the many struggles writers can face, especially when you have parents who are authors and publishers. I truly felt for Emma, as I grew up feeling like a black sheep in my family as well. This story gives us a taste of a beautiful relationship between a girl and her grandmother, the feud of sisters, the fear of disappointing your parents, how to deal with entitled scumbags, and a touch of uncovering a family mystery. This was my second book by this author, the first being The Heirloom Garden, and I will be reading more.

Ordinarily I would have been all about this book about a romance loving writer trying to defend her chosen profession and genre but ever since I learned the author is actually a man, reading about his feminist romance books just doesn't ring the same. Good on audio and okay overall, I liked but didn't love this one. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and Graydon House for the advanced reader's copy of The Page Turner by Viola Shipman.

I really enjoyed this engaging story of a romance writer who is the daughter of parents who run a publishing company but only publish high brow type books. She discovers her parent's business is in trouble and they've gotten in bed with this sleazy author who is popular and they think is going to help bail them out. Our main character finds something off about him. And she's right. I wasn't initially keen on the dynamics between the sisters. The sister of our main character was not likeable in the beginning however half way through the book that dynamic turned around.

Overall, I loved this story and found our main character really admirable.

The Page Turner by Viola Shipman is absolutely a "page-turner"! This book features a peek inside the publishing of the books we love to read. It also takes place in my home state of Michigan where Shipman's books are frequently set. But this is not your typical Lake Michigan cozy cottage chick lit beach read, this is next level up for Shipman and I absolutely enjoyed it! I see peaks of the author in the characters of this book (the running for one) and I can really identify with Emma's character. This book is about family and friendships, secrets, trust, revenge, forgiveness, and the power of women. A beautiful story so beautifully written, touching and definitely a page-turner! 4.5 ⭐s

Thank you first and foremost to net galley and viola shipman for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review! I gave it a 3.5

This was a big miss for me. The plot is fine and I was very drawn in by the title and cover. But the substance is lacking and downright infuriating. Every character is over the top and so stereotypical. The villain literally lurks in corners sneering and mouthing threats and making lecherous comments, the snobby parents are apparently so snobby they can’t even listen to their adult children and only care about Botox and expensive property to a point of ridiculousness. The main character, who is meant to be the antithesis of her parents and the champion of the story, is utterly annoying and frustrating. This was almost a DNF and I unfortunately cannot recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is full of pretentious caricatures that at no point did I want to root for. Emma is what someone who has never been a 22 year old woman thinks 22 year old women are. She is naive, full of herself, and believes she is the savior of publishing and her entire family. Every other family member is given one trait and that’s it. Her mother: narcissistic snob. Her father: just give of there. Jess: bitchy older sister. Gigi: doting grandmother who only speaks in feminist rants and book quotes. Marcus: cartoon villain and misogynist.

The letter to readers at the end made all of this make sense when you find out Viola Shipman is a pen name and this is written by a man.

Also, why is the author obsessed with the Bechdel test? It’s referenced 15 separate times. I thought we left that behind in the 2010s.

This book can’t decide what it wants to be. Is it contemporary fiction? Is it a mystery thriller? The whole thing is repetitive and does more telling than showing.

This book is about a recent college graduate trying to save her parents' publishing company. There are so many implausible situations in this book that I can't begin to list them all. Additionally, I'm a big believer in "show, don't tell" writing, and all this book does is tell. I felt like the author was completely dismissive of his readers' intelligence (yes, Viola Shipman is a pseudonym for a male author.) Just when I thought I couldn't dislike this book more than I did, I got to the "Personal Letter to Readers" at the end of the book. The very long, unnecessary letter continued the "telling."

2.75 stars.

This one was not for me. I thought the first half was very pretentious with an unlikable main character who whined a lot. The second half got a bit better. There was a lot of commentary in the form of dialogue on the publishing industry which came across heavy-handed to me. The main character’s parents were one-dimensional as was the villiam of the piece, an unscrupulous author. I found the book lacked charm. Overall, this book just did not work for me but others may well like it.

Thanks to the publisher for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Emma is still in the depths of grief following her grandmother's passing when she finds herself at her family's cottage. She wants to sink into the familiar: the comfort of her grandmother's enormous romance novel collection. Her elitist family, famous for their own "serious author" press, The Mighty Pages, can't understand why Emma won't grow up and get on board. Emma can't understand why they can't simply live within their means, fearing that they will soon lose The Mighty Pages due to their carelessness. When she discovers an enemy trying to destroy her family from within, and uncovers secrets from her Grandmother's past hidden within the cottage, she is more determined than ever to save her family...even if that means telling her family that she wrote [and is seeking to publish] a romance novel of her own.

This was such a fun read. While some of the characters downright annoyed me, they were all absolutely necessary to the telling of the story. I loved how relatable Emma and her whole family were; so real and flawed. Also loved the Michigan setting...I feel like I haven't read a book set there before. Or if I have, it wasn't described well enough for me to remember it and this had me swooning for a state I never even wanted to visit before.

I would love a prequel and a sequel, if I am being perfectly honest. I am dying to know more about what happens with her family next, but also more about the generations before Emma.

The Page Turner by Viola Shipman is a sharp and refreshingly contemporary novel, full to the brim of Michigan references that the author is known for. One again, Viola Shipman has delivered a heartwarming tale that masterfully blends family drama with literary intrigue.

At its center is Emma Page, a young romance writer whose success in her chosen genre becomes the catalyst for upheaval in her intellectually elitist family. The story follows Emma, a recent college graduate who has secretly written an entire novel, as she navigates the complex dynamics of being the black sheep in a family of literary snobs. What makes this novel particularly engaging is its timely nature, peppered with relevant pop culture references that ground the narrative firmly in our present moment.

Shipman's greatest triumph lies in the authentic exploration of family relationships, particularly the touching bond between Emma and her grandmother, Gigi. The novel serves as both a love letter to complicated families and a reminder that books themselves can be family too, creating a multi-layered narrative that resonates on several levels. The author's wit shines through in the clever dialogue and situational humor, making what could have been a heavy family drama into something more digestible and entertaining. The plot, described as "sharp, witty and entirely delightful," delivers on its promise, offering readers a perfect blend of humor and heart. What's particularly noteworthy is how Shipman tackles the often-fraught subject of artistic legitimacy in the literary world. Through Emma's journey as a romance writer in a family that prizes traditional literary fiction, the novel raises interesting questions about the validity of different genres and the often arbitrary nature of literary elitism.

For me, a Shipman completist, this has proven to be one of Shipman's strongest work to date - serving not only as an ode to the written word but also as a powerful testament to female strength and the courage to follow one's passion despite familial expectations. I recommend The Page Turner to readers who enjoy family dramas with a contemporary edge, fans of books about books, and anyone who has ever felt like an outsider in their own family.

The Page Turner offers a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience that will likely leave you reflecting on your own family dynamics and the books that have shaped your life.

Something was…off about this book. It had all the makings of a good story, but it fell flat and felt hollow. I pushed through, hoping the ending would redeem it, but upon reading the author’s note at the end, it all made sense. This entire book is centered on women and their struggles, and yet it always missed the mark. Well, imagine my surprise when I realized the author was a man posing as a woman! No wonder it didn’t resonate. The very last thing we need right now is more men pretending to be women and acting as if they have any idea what the struggles are that we face. Wish I could unread, but instead I’ll give it one star.