I COULD NOT get into this story. I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them, so I was looking forward to this one. tried and tried, but I just couldn't make it happen.

“The Page Turner is a novel about how books save us, whether we are writers or readers.”

The Page Turner had a much deeper, empowering message than just the fictional story. It was intriguing, reflective, and thought provoking with the sweetest dedication, an adorable cover, and an author’s note that gives the story a whole new meaning. A story of standing up for yourself and not letting anyone keep you from following your dreams.

A book about books and the ins and outs of the publishing world with so many literary references and quotes! I loved hearing big name publisher names inside the story. The MC, Emma Page, is telling her family's story of being the daughter in a famous literary family, whose parents are both NYT best selling authors and own a publicist business. Being a nepo baby, Emma feels like she has to live up to her pretentious parent’s fame even though her passion /dream is different from their expectations. But when she discovers a long lived family secret, cue the chaos, drama, threats, blackmail, and revenge.

I adored the strong bond Emma had with her Gigi and their alliance against her parents. Emma and Gigi were both sassy and sarcastic which I enjoyed and laughed multiple times while reading. I also loved hearing the literary/pop culture references. The first 20% of the book was a little slow and confusing, but the last 80% was so good.

I read this book in tandem with the audiobook. The narrator, Katharine Chin, did a fabulous job bringing the quirky, pretentious family and their story to life. Chin delivered a flawless performance from start to finish.

Thank you @htpbooks, @htp_hive, @harlequinaudio, @graydonhouse, and @netgalley for the #gifted ARC & ALC. All thoughts/opinions are my own.

I was excited to read the newest book by author, Viola Shipman, but this story just fell flat for me. I didn’t identify with any of the characters and found myself not even caring about the storyline. It wasn’t for me, but some people may love it! I find that sometimes I’m just not in the mood for a particular theme in a book.

This book was a great story to read. Viola Shipman has penned a true testament to authors and the publishing industry. The characters in this book have many facets, some you love and some you hate but inevitably the good win out. I love multi generational books and this one has a wonderful close relationship between grandchild and grandmother. There are some twists and turns in this book that keep you wanting to read more. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Graydon House for the ARC! Emma Page is the black sheep of her family. She's an aspiring romance auther, but her parents own a publishing house known for deep literary fiction. The only person who encouraged her to pursue her own path was her grandmother, but she is now gone and Emma is still reeling from that loss. As her parents decide to team up with a shady author on a new publishing imprint, and begin pushing Emma toward letting go of their summer home (once the home of her grandmother), Emma begins to search for a way to cut ties with the author and begin her own career, but what she uncovers is an amazing family secret that could just be the colution to everything. This is a moving family story and a perfect summer read.

2.5 stars. I was really hoping to like The Page Turner a lot more than I did. I had a really close relationship with my own grandmother so the description really intrigued me. Emma's relationship with GiGi was the only thing I enjoyed in this book. I almost DNF at the 20% mark but kept going for Emma/GiGi's sake. Nothing really happens in the plot until 70% in and after that it is pretty predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced copy. The Page Turner hits shelves on April 8, 2025.

I really enjoyed this book. Loved the Michigan setting as I lived there for many years and it isn’t a common setting for books. Loved the relationship between Emma and her sister . (Hated Marcus). Loved the behind the scenes look at writing and publishing. Love the beautiful cover. A few quotes from the book that really spoke to me:

“I also want readers to realize that there should be no limits placed on women, there should be no genres placed on books. Women should be who they dream. Women should live without having to hide any part of their true selves.”

“We call novels like mine ‘beach reads’, ‘rom-coms’, ‘chick lit’, ‘women’s fiction,’ which diminishes their value. As a result, people believe such books are merely fizzy and frivolous.”

“There’s no right time to fall in love, there’s no right time to die, there’s no right time to write a book, there’s no right time to let your baby bird test its wings and fly into this very scary world .”

Also loved the author’s Personal Note to Readers which begins with “The Page Turner is a novel about how books save us, whether we are writers or readers.” I know I have definitely felt saved by books. I love how the author tells us about his grandma and how she inspired parts of this book and how her name, Viola Shipman, is his pen name.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was...fine. I'm a woman and have often loved so-called women's fiction and romance novels alike. I get that Viola Shipman was trying to drive home the importance of that genre but the book didn't have any emotional punch for me. Maybe if I'd recently lost a close grandparent, or struggled with my mother or had a sister. Idk, they were all rich and kept mentioning it. Very Lauren Weisberger.

Industry insider books can be fun, but this wasn't even on the same level as the show "Younger". The story just kept telling us about the struggles that publishing is going through and how hard it is for authors. But then we only see a wealthy young woman with connections and a finished book just coast in. We learn more about book influencers than anything!

Additionally, the dialogue was over-written and repetitive. I get that these are the well-educated NYC literati but every character (except the underused Gin & Juice, dumb names) describes their point, makes their point, and then sums up their statement. This isn't Speech 1001.

The Page Turner had a really cute premise and intrigued me enough to pick it up, but somewhere along the way it fell very flat for me. It just felt a bit slow and forced. It was a nice story, but just didn’t work for me.

Not my favorite Viola Shipman book - this one has a really bitter tone and it seemed like the author wasn't that into the story either. It's really slow starting, with a really strange beginning, and an obvious "mystery". Set in the book publishing world, it's a look into setting I'm not familiar with, but didn't enjoy.

Emma is a recent U of M grad and is trying to figure out her future - become a writer, something she's hidden from her family, or join the family publishing firm. She has gone back to the family cottage to mourn the loss of her grandmother, GiGi, and there she finds a family secret and hopes to use it to save her family's struggling book publishing firm. Her social media maven sister has other ideas.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Emma Page, daughter of a literary powerhouse couple from publishing longs to publish her own book. Emma's parents publish highbrow books but, Emma wants to write romance. Her parents would be aghast!
This book is a departure from many Viola Shipman romances. It's not a romance at all and it has an honest-to-goodness villain. Will this villain with a grudge to bear ruin Emma and her family's lives or will Emma be able to save her family and be able to write a happily ever after for herself and her family?

In Page Turner, Emma finds herself entangled in family drama, secrets, and unexpected revelations as she fights to save her family’s legacy. With themes of love, resilience, and the complexities of relationships, this story is an emotional rollercoaster that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

I read this book in one sitting—I simply couldn’t put it down! It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Emma’s journey, her relationship with Gigi, and the powerful family dynamics made this story truly unforgettable. I loved how the book explored how perception, lack of communication, and past wounds can hold us back from truly connecting—especially with family. The ending sealed it for me—watching Emma and her sister, Jess, finally come together and fight for their family’s future was so satisfying. This book touches on so much: love, resilience, and how hatred can eat away at us if we let it. It makes you feel seen, heard, and empowered—I’m sure every reader will find a character to connect with. I can’t recommend this one enough!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to be an ARC reader for this incredible book!

Publication Date: April 8,2025

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. I love the cover of this book and love books based off writing or books themselves. This book was everything I was looking for. Such a lovely read.

This book was a fun quick read that stayed true to the name “page turner”. Emma comes from a family of book loving elites who are renowned in their own field of interest in the book community but don’t appreciate Emma’s tastes in books. Her mother and father run a company, the Mighty Book, and her sister was one of the OG booktokers who can make or break the release of a book with her reviews. This book is all about self discovery and staying true to your own passions even in the face of judgement from others. It was filled with family drama and personal character development that keeps readers engaged. Definitely worth the read!

Seeing the back end of the industry as a reader/reviewer was so interesting! This was my first Viola Shipman book, and I will definitely be reading other works!

"Emma Page grew up the black sheep in a bookish household, raised to believe that 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."

The description had me hooked and didn't disappoint!

Viola Shipman’s The Page Turner is an engaging mix of family drama, literary intrigue, and self-discovery. At its heart, it’s a novel about embracing one’s passions despite external judgment, wrapped in a compelling, multi-layered story.

Emma Page has always felt like an outsider in her book-obsessed family. Her parents run The Mighty Pages, a struggling publishing house that values only highbrow literature, while her sister, Jess, is a powerful book influencer. Emma, however, secretly writes romance—the very genre her family dismisses. When she uncovers her late grandmother’s hidden legacy as a beloved romance author, she finds both inspiration and a shocking secret that could shatter her family’s reputation.

As Emma wrestles with her identity as a writer, she must also face a vengeful industry insider threatening to expose her family’s hypocrisy. What follows is a thought-provoking exploration of ambition, integrity, and the divide between literary prestige and popular fiction.

One of the novel’s standout elements is its behind-the-scenes look at publishing. Shipman delves into how books are chosen, marketed, and judged, shedding light on the lingering bias against commercial fiction. Many readers will relate to Emma’s frustration with literary snobbery and the undervaluing of books that bring joy to millions.

The characters are well-developed and authentic. Emma is witty, self-aware, and relatable as she navigates family expectations and her own creative dreams. Jess is a fascinating mix of confidence and insecurity, while their parents, though pretentious, are not without complexity. Their rigid ideals create tension, but their love for their work and family remains evident.

Shipman’s writing balances humor, warmth, and insight, making The Page Turner more than just a novel about books—it’s about self-acceptance, resilience, and the power of storytelling in all its forms. Whether you love romance, literary fiction, or simply a great story about following your dreams, this book is a must-read.

Main Characters:
-- Emma Page – recent college graduate with a major in English, inherited her love of reading from her grandmother GiGi, has her sights set on being a writer and wrote her first novel in college, enjoys more popular fiction versus the “pretentious” literary fiction her parents publish
-- Jess Page – Emma’s older sister, one of the original BookTokers, works as the social media influencer for their parents publishing house, her influence can make or break a new release
-- Phillip and Piper Page – Jess and Emma’s parents, authors who own and run the publishing house The Mighty Pages, refuse to publish “popular” fiction and think GiGi and Emma’s love of romance novels is a waste of time, they discourage Emma from reading GiGi’s favorite author
-- Marcus Flare – considered the world’s most preeminent romance novelist, Emma is disgusted by him and his writing and sees him as a sexist and misogynist
-- Vivian Vandeventer – goes by VV, head of her own literary agency VV Lit, rivals of Phillip and Piper
-- GiGi Page – recently passed away, Phillip’s mother, left the family her home in Michigan where Emma and Jess always spent their summers

I really wanted to love this book. It has everything a book nerd would want—people reading all the time, people who love to write, beaches, sunshine, romance novels, beach reads, and a peek behind the curtain of the world of professional publishing. What more could a book girlie want?

Shortly after Emma graduates from the University of Michigan, her parents host a book launch for Phillip’s latest novel at GiGi’s home in Michigan. All of their literary elite friends and colleagues are in attendance, including Marcus Flare, who Emma knows but doesn’t like at all. At the event, Emma picks up on some hints that her parents have something going on with Marcus that makes her suspicious, but she has no idea what it is.

Phillip, Piper, and Jess fully expect Emma to work with them at the publishing house, but Emma is determined to be a writer. When she discovers a plan to destroy her parents’ business, she has to choose between following her own dream or trying to take down the person who wants to take down her family.

The plot itself intrigued me, but the story fell down pretty quickly. Emma claims that her parents’ tastes are pretentious, but she acts exactly the way she claims to dislike. Phillip, Piper, and Jess look down on both Emma and GiGi’s tastes in reading material. They dismiss Emma’s desire to write, despite the fact that Phillip himself is an author and they have never actually read anything she’s written to know whether she has talent. Marcus Flare is comically evil, practically a caricature villain. All he needs is Snidely Whiplash’s handlebar mustache. The only character I really liked was VV—a strong, confident businesswoman who oozes personality.

There’s a secret that Emma and Jess discover in GiGi’s belongings almost 70% of the way through the book that I saw coming less than 20% in. For someone who was so close to her grandmother, Emma is awfully out of touch with her grandmother’s life. At one point, we learn that no one was ever allowed in GiGi’s home office, but when Emma is left alone in the house for two weeks, she doesn’t sneak into the office despite indicating that she had always been curious. Seriously, that’s the first thing I would have done with two weeks to myself. And Phillip and Piper tell Emma that they know she has written a book because they talk to her friends, but they keep discouraging her from being a writer. It just doesn’t make sense.

To top it all off, Emma went on and on about the romances that GiGi loved. Even the publisher’s description says Emma’s manuscript is a romance, but based on how it’s described in the book, it’s not a romance at all. “An ode to sisterhood, family, first love and first loss, a tribute to all the ways family shatters us and yet protects us.” That’s not romance.

The wrap-up at the end provided some nice closure, but it was a struggle to get there. I appreciated the author’s note at the end a lot more than I appreciated the book itself. I was so excited to read this one, and I left so disappointed. It was a miss for me.

The Page Turner takes you to Emma's summer home to Michigan, and during this book it did feel like home. This is the signature of Viola Shipman. They draw you in and you are immersed in the setting and the character's lives. Emma and the reader are taken back to some of her best memories with her grandmother. Emma is a writer and does not fit with her publishing family there in lies one of the conflicts in this book.

I really enjoyed most of the characters and how the plot and characters were developed. I did not enjoy Marcus' character but I do not think I was supposed to. I would love to meet Emma and Gigi in real life though as they were characters that I could connect easily with.

I feel this book is a commentary on the publishing business, the power of relationships and women.

Thank you Net Galley, Viola Shipman and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to preview this novel and the opinion shared are my own.
The Page Turner is expected to be released April 8, 2025.

While it started with an interesting premise - a recent college graduate aspires to be a romance novelist, but she feels perpetually stuck under the clouds of her pretentious literary parents. Unfortunately, the story is slow to take off (like there is very little movement in the story until you hit the 60% mark). I never really connected with any of the characters and therefore struggled to get through this. At least the cover was really cute!