Emma is fresh out of college trying to figure out what she wants to do with life. She's at odds with her family who sees her as naive and unlike them. She doesn't understand why they've collaborated with a misogynistic writer. She gets sucked into his nefarious plot to destroy her family while at the same time discovering a secret about her deceased grandmother. Can she find a way to save her family and honor her grandmother's legacy?

I struggled to relate to the protagonist. She was unlikable at times, seeming too obtuse even for her young age. The plotline was somewhat predictable and the ending wrapped up believably but not inspirationally or satisfactorily. Just an okay read that wasn't really for me.

If you love books about books (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?), The Page Turner is an absolute must-read! This one’s got everything: family drama, publishing industry intrigue, and a main character you can’t help but root for.

Emma Page is the odd one out in her literary-obsessed family—her parents are pretentious "serious" authors, her sister is a book influencer with major clout, and Emma? Well, she secretly writes romance, the very genre her family snubs. But when she stumbles upon a buried family secret that could shatter her parents' reputation, she’s faced with an impossible choice: let their publishing empire crumble or protect the very people who’ve never respected her passion.

Shipman takes us from the Hamptons to Lake Michigan, serving up a juicy insider’s look at the publishing world while wrapping it all in wit, heart, and a touch of scandal. Think Elinor Lipman meets Jennifer Weiner—sharp, charming, and just the right amount of drama. Plus, the themes of book snobbery and following your creative dreams will resonate with anyone who’s ever been told their favorite genre isn’t “real” literature (which, as librarians, we know is nonsense!).

This one’s perfect for fans of smart, layered family stories with a dash of romance. And fair warning—you’ll be wishing for a sequel by the last page!

A florid piece of crap featuring one dimensional villains and a tiresome heroine who goes around declaiming all the time.

It’s deeply unshocking that this book, featuring a misogynistic author writing women’s fiction under a pen name, is actually the work of a male author using a female pseudonym. He clearly has a terrible opinion of women — they’re all either vapid and shallow and spend most of their time screaming at each other, or bound by an equally shallow “girl power” type code rooted in their own sense of youthful superiority.

And he must particularly hate young women, since his “heroine” can apparently be bribed into putting up with continued sexual harassment and stalking from a dude because he sends her …. stickers and a Taylor Swift t-shirt.?

While at first I couldn't relate much to Emma Page, this book came around and turned into one of the most delightful surprises for a reader. Funny at times, The Page Turner is a small glimpse into the world we don't often see: the journey behind the book. I appreciate the commentary in this novel and how Shipman draws on their own experiences to bring everyone to life. The secrets unfold slowly, with a good use of flashbacks to tell the story. I do find the puzzle pieces all coming together tough to believe, especially surrounding Emma.

By the end I was engrossed, and finding plenty to relate to. Shipman's letter to readers at the end of the novel was one of my favourite parts. THAT I was all in on. A true celebration of books.


"Books are a chance to right the wrong in our wold, an opportunity to rewrite ourselves". (quote from the author's letter to readers).

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Shipman, and Graydon House for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I love a book with a strong female character who remains true to her voice throughout the novel. Emma is a recent Univ. of Michigan graduate who wants to be a writer but is being pushed into following her parents’ and sister’s footsteps by working in publishing. Emma thinks her parents are elitist sell-outs who have forgotten their roots and she is all too happy to remind them at every opportunity. Along the way, Emma uncovers a plot to destroy her parents and she’s forced to make some decisions. I’m not sure it was all that realistic but all in all, I loved the biting and quick dialogue as well as the clear love of all things bookish the author conveys with this story.

From the author: This novel is about overcoming fear and rediscovering your voice. As I write: Every voice is important. Every story needs to be heard.

Emma Page is a recent college graduate with dreams of writing romance novels. She has written a novel that she thinks is good but knows that her snobby parents will not approve. Her parents own the ‘Mighty Pages' publishing group and they do not dally with books that would be considered mainstream, or popular. Rather they give their attention to books that they con
sider to be “fine literature”.

Emma is surprised to learn that Mighty Pages, is in trouble financially at the same time that she learns that their company is forming a partnership with Marcus Flare who, in her opinion, is a “snake”. Emma has no use for Marcus, whom she believes, does not love or support women but in actuality he belittles romance, fiction and character driven books and is a total sexist and chauvinist. He is also self-fish and greedy.

Believing that working with a company such as her parents is not really his style, Emma seeks out the reason that Marcus has suddenly become so friendly. with her family. After confiding what she has learned, Emma and Jess decide to flip the story. They must come up with a way to save the family business from an unscrupulous partner.
A captivating story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Books aren’t just books. Books are family. Authors are friends. The stories we read are timestamps in our memories. They bookmark important chapters in our lives and growth. Books are a chance to right the wrong in the world, an opportunity to rewrite ourselves. We can reimagine and reinvent, see the world in an entirely new way simply by turning a page. Or, sometimes, we can just escape from our own lives."

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Thanks to Viola Shipman, NetGalley and Graydon House for this Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for a fair review. Publication Date: April 8, 3035

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.