Cozy and sweet story of friendship, loneliness and mistaken identity. Sometimes funny and sometimes endearing. Set in a Seattle bookstore, the story had a lot of characters all interconnected by the store with vastly different back stories.

The story has a slow story introducing each of the characters and did not pick up the pace for me until the last 20+ pages.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you’re looking for a cozy read with flowing, descriptive writing, this book is for you! I would recommend to a friend who loves books and is up for a contemplative fall afternoon.

Such a lovely, cozy story to get lost in. Loved the setting and the wholesome vibes. Found friendship, girlhood, joy, sorrow. Great story with beautiful descriptive writing

What’s not to like about a cozy romance. I love the friendships and the way I could settle in to this book without effort. The imagery was spectacular. Got me hooked and read through in one sitting.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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

A woman leaves a note for her crush in a book, only for a single mother to find it instead. What follows is a sweet, simple story about how friendships can form in the most unexpected ways. While the pacing felt a bit slow at times, I really enjoyed watching April and Laura’s bond grow, which added so much heart to the story. I’m a sucker for books about womanhood and the power of female friendship, and this one delivered. The characters are relatable, and I think most readers will see a bit of themselves in all three.

Here’s the setup – a lonely woman (April) has been watching a handsome man (Westley) at her local neighborhood bookstore, but she can’t quite get up the courage to approach him. She writes him an anonymous note and puts it in a stack of books she will donate. What could go wrong?

Laura is a single mom who also happens to frequent this bookstore, and she’s also noticed Westley. She happens to buy the book with the note.

We also get Westley’s point of view, including his work at the bookstore and why he loves his flannel shirts. He’s somewhat clueless about all the women flirting with him. We also get chapters from all the bookstore employees.

When a Hollywood studio comes calling, wanting to film for a few days in the bookstore, things are thrown off kilter. Westley is good-looking enough to get a small part in the filming!

There are lots of notes exchanged in this tale of mistaken identity. I did enjoy the second half more of this debut novel. This one ends up being much more of a story about friendship and combatting loneliness than a love story.

This was paced very slow. Once I got the rhythm I was okay, but it definitely took a minute. It was such a cozy little story and I had a blast reading!

This story is a charming, feel-good rom-com set in a Seattle bookstore, where an anonymous note sparks an unexpected connection between two women—while the man it was meant for remains unaware. With lovable characters and a sweet, bookish atmosphere, it’s a heartwarming tale of mistaken identities and finding love in surprising places. Tts warmth and wit make it a delightful read on a cozy day!

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinions!

I thought this was a cute read, but ultimately it wasn’t for me. I didn’t enjoy any of the characters and each time o went to pick this book up, it felt like a slog.

Absolutely beautiful. Poignant, thought provoking. It made me cry and stayed with me long after it was over. This is a beautiful story of loneliness and how the most random encounters can change us. I loved this!

Cute story and the title ties in nicely if you're a Princess Bride fan. It's interesting that you don't realize the build and connections until it all comes together, which does match the ways friendships and relationships can develop organically until one day you see what's been in front of you the whole time. I received this ARC from Penguin Group Dutton via Netgalley.

This book is the perfect rainy day read! It's a bit slow paced and very character driven, but you will fall in love with everyone in this quaint novel. I loved all the characters and the way their story intertwined seamlessly. This book follows the story of three separate characters whose paths cross because they all go to the same bookstore in their small town. Each person struggles with loneliness in a different capacity and eventually falls into an unconventional love triangle. I would say the romance really takes the back burner and it's more so an ode to friendship. My only issue with this book was the pacing. I found myself wanting to put it down, and then it was very hard to get back into it. It's not very heavy on plot, it really does focus on each character and their personal growth so if that’s what you’re looking for, this is the perfect book for you!

I loved Moira Macdonald's wistful novel about book lovers, mistaken identities and longing for connection.

The protagonist, April, works from home and misses human interaction. Westley, who handles the secondhand books at her favorite bookstore, catches her eye. April decides to write him an anonymous note and slip it into a book she's reselling. Naturally, the note falls into someone else's hands, and complications ensue.

Storybook Ending: A Novel reminded me of a favorite book from years ago, The Love Letter by Cathleen Schine. Read the pair back to back when you need a break from the miseries of the world.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early review copy.

I read Moira Macdonald’s debut novel, “Storybook Ending” as a palate cleanser. Set in Seattle, Washington, this book alternates chapters between April, Laura, and Westley.

April works remotely, Laura is a widow with a young daughter, and Westley works for the bookstore April and Laura visit. The bookstore, Read the Room, becomes the main setting of an indie movie being filmed. April has decided to liven up her life a little and take a chance so she leaves a note in a book for Westley. Unfortunately, Laura finds the note instead and convinces herself that Westley left the note for her.

The first part of the book was on the slow side for me. I understand it was meant to let the readers get to know the three main characters. However, it felt like they thought and questioned the same things over and over again. The pace and storyline picked up towards the end. I enjoyed how the author resolved things, but it felt a little rushed to me.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

This was such a lovely little cozy read. I love a romance book about books, and this one didn't disappoint!

This was sweet, quirky, and had a lot of heart. The premise was clever and charming, with characters you root for even when the plot gets a bit tangled. I liked the themes of connection, hope, and the magic of books, though the pacing occasionally dragged. Still, it was an enjoyable and unique read with a cozy vibe.

This book has very cozy vibes with sort of a separate worlds colliding storyline to it. I thought it was an enjoyable read, I enjoyed the addition of the mixed media from emails, texts, the little character essays. It was definitely a uniquely told story. I definitely got a bit frustrated with the characters at times and wish I’d felt more chemistry but really liked it overall.

Storybook Ending is a cozy story following the lives of many in Seattle. The main focus is on the trio of April, Laura, and Westley. April is stuck in a rut working a remote job, searching for human interaction. Laura is raising her daughter alone after her husband passed away five years ago, weaning on the decision to get back out there! And Westley, well, he's lost in his own head sorting books at the main setting, a used bookstore, Read the Room. Both of these women end up in a secret correspondence through hidden notes at the Read the Room. Sounds fun right? It would be, if both women believed they were speaking to Westley (the super hot bookstore employee) which is exactly what happened.

Initially, I was not very excited to jump into this book because personally, a love triangle between two women and one man sounds yuck. But it was so untraditional and unique that I found it really amusing! All of the main characters are past college age and have settled into adulthood, which as a 24 year old reader, I found really refreshing. You don't have to deal with any irrational early twenties thoughts and events, instead everyone is level headed and just trying to do their best with the circumstances they have. Because of this, there really isn't much on screen drama. The story runs slow and steady, but if you approach this novel as a relaxing contemporary read where you get a glimpse of everyone's heads, then it's really a warm and enjoyable read. Perfect to read in May, when the story takes place, and the world around us is warming up too.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald!

This was a sweet book of finding love and friendship in unconventional ways.

This book was so cozy and perfect for a rainy day. Set in Seattle and in a bookstore? Say less. The concept to the book was interesting, with notes being left behind and you wanting to scream at them because if they would only just communicate, they would have figured out everything sooner. 🤣

At times, I found myself a little bored because not much was happening but overall, I enjoyed the last 20% of the book. It was really sweet and I’m glad everyone got their HEA.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Dutton and Moira Macdonald for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.