An addition to the novella series, Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories, told with Alice Hoffman’s earnest tone, continues the saga of the Bookshop Sisters. A short read, but filled with love, encouragement,sadness….all the emotions a family experiences.

I thought this would be more about the events surrounding a bookstore and there were some children's literature references as well as plenty of food but it was more about family and love.
As a short story, characters don't get developed as thoroughly as I would like and the plot doesn't unravel in a smooth way but if you are looking for a sweet, cozy,clean short story about the importance of love and relationships you will not have wasted the 35 minutes of your time to read this one.
It does include death and cancer so be aware of that as a possible trigger.

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this one in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is part of Hoffman’s Once Upon a Bookstores short story series. You can check out my thoughts about the previous one at https://www.instagram.com/p/DFsb5PbI1Xc/?img_index=1. This continues the story of the family through the point of view of Violet, the daughter and niece, who moves to Paris to discover what it is that she wants from her life, only to have to return home to Maine, and to unexpected passions and discoveries despite a season of loss. This fourth story is apparently the final one, but I’ll read another if the author writes it. Her writing style and choices don’t always work for me, and yet, there is something about this series that prevents me from looking away.

This was a simple, short book which I did not mind at all. I finished it in one sitting, which was great but it just didn’t feel like it flowed with the rest of the series.

The Bookstore Family is a welcome addition to Alice Hoffman’s Bookstore Series. I enjoyed following Violet’s search for something missing in her life, and meeting up again with her family along her journey.

"The Bookshop Family" is the fourth novella Alice Hoffman has written in the Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories series. This time, we meet Violet, who has left the island in Maine for a life in Paris. But it’s lonely there, and when she is called back home by her family, it’s to say a difficult goodbye to someone she loves dearly.

Reading these novellas feels like coming home. Full of Hoffman's beautiful descriptions and dialogue, good character development, and, most importantly, atmosphere—her writing is always a sure winner for me. This part of the story includes new love, loneliness, and the loss of a beloved family member. Alice Hoffman manages to write about all of this in a beautiful way that engages me in the story and makes me feel all the feels. I will always return to Hoffman's work, and I will always return to Brinkley’s Island, Maine whenever I have a chance.

My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to review this book.

This is the fourth of Alice Hoffman’s heartwarming ‘Once Upon a Time Bookshop’ series. Like the others, this novella is basically a fable about love—of family, of friends, of lovers—and of books. Unlike the others, the bookstore in Maine is not the main setting, but the characters reappear. This is Violet’s story. Now 30, she has the Brinkley’s Island of her childhood to study culinary arts in Paris. She has a dream job for any aspiring young chef: she is a pastry chef in an arty restaurant, where she replicates her grandmother’s homespun recipes, lovingly passed on, with a French twist.

Violet tells herself that she is on her way to getting all she hoped for, and in many ways she is. But she is also very alone. When her Aunt Isabel visits, she is made to see the that the loss of her father when she was a young teenager is a factor in her flight to Paris, and her current melancholy. Her aunt, who runs the family bookstore with her sister (Violet’s mother) encourages her to read the stories she grew up with, both to find her lost self and to find new meaning in them as an adult. I love the way Hoffman makes books and reading a healing process as much as an educational or entertaining one. What does she want? Do geographic and emotional distance allow her to become herself, or do they make her less so? And what about the charming poetry-loving chef she is suddenly drawn to?

It’s hard to say more because Violet’s story unfolds in about 40 pages, as did the others. This novella is really another chapter in a beautiful larger work about the quiet lives of ordinary people. It can stand alone, but I’m betting those who haven’t read the others will very much want to do so. It’s incredible how much Hoffman reveals about her characters, their sorrows and their striving, their losses and victories, in such a small space and in such spare prose. I just hope this isn’t the final installment!

I love Alice Hoffman!! I love this series, The Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories, they make me smile, they make me happy, they make me sad, they make me cry, I have all the emotions in one book., one story, but yet I get pure excitement each and every time I see a new installment. Alice Hoffman makes my heart happy with this series even when there is sadness. The writing is pure bliss. I will not give a synopsis because I just can't, its Alice at her best in my opinion. Please take the time to read and enjoy these stories, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I have and feel all the emotions as I did.

A beautiful short story, that got me feeling emotional! This story captures the joy of family, and valuing the time we have with the ones that we love. Time is limited, and death is imminent. This book touched upon cancer, and experiencing loss and grief. I have lost someone I love to cancer, and the void of that loss never truly goes away. But you hold on to the memories with them, their love, and cherish the time you had in those final months.

Some of the thematic takeaways for me:
⭐ Sometimes we can feel stuck in life - we forget who we are because we're trying to be someone we're not, and nothing feels quite right. We go through the paces, but we're missing an intrinsic joy.
⭐ There's an ache of loneliness, when we haven't found the right person to share our life with, or haven't discovered our true purpose. We have to be patient, and not give up trying.
⭐Experiencing loss or heartbreak in any capacity can result in us being guarded with our hearts. We have to have the courage to open up again, with acceptance and hope.
⭐Change is inevitable. We all need to make difficult choices at key junctures in our lives, and that can set us down beautiful unexpected paths that help us discover our unique purpose.

This book captured the charm of chance encounters, love for books, feeling inspired by that childhood magic, and redsicovering meaning in our lives. The postcard exchange was really cute. It was short, but gave a glimpse into various characters, and was a lovely read.

Apparently this is the fourth short story in this series - I'm definitely going to check out the first three!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon for providing an Advance Reader Copy to review. All opinions are my own.

Okay, I don't cry at books (except one other). This made me cry. This was so beautifully written and the emotions throughout this short story really hit home for me. There's something special about connecting with a character, flaws and all.

Violet is living in Paris as a pastry chef at a bakery where she feels like an outcast and doesn't allow herself to feel love (not literally, but she avoids it at all cost). She comes from a small island in Maine where her family still resides. She lost her dad at a young age and even though she's a grown woman and didn't really know her father well, she grieves his loss. Her mother remarried, her aunt upended the life she dreamed of for a life she loves, and Violet meets someone that becomes very special to her. This story follows Violet and her family as they all journey through emotions of loss and love and how, as the cliche goes, "love prevails."

I resonate a lot with Violet. Her beliefs at the beginning of the book are recognizable and relatable, no matter what stage of life you're in. Being a short story, this story ripped my heart out. I, too, live far from my mom. I, too, lost my dad and grieve his absence. I, too, struggled with the concept of love and whether it was worth it.

Combining themes of love and loss with books and food make this such a cozy and emotional read. Alice Hoffman does an amazing job at making you connect with each character...and she did that in 43 pages. She has two others in this series that I already had downloaded on my Kindle and I am not waiting to read them any longer. I absolutely loved this and honestly can't stop thinking about it.

I love all things Alice Hoffman, and this book fit right into that list! It was an easy read and very enjoyable. As always, I recommend this Hoffman book!

The Bookstore Family is a short story in Alice Hoffman's "Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories" universe. I wasn't familiar with the rest of the series before going in, and can confirm it works well as a standalone introduction, although returning readers will likely find references and recurring characters I might have missed.

Before I get into it, heads-up that the story goes into pretty heavy topics like serious illness and death. I was expecting a light, short read and was a bit surprised by the topics considering the lighthearted summary. I would have appreciated some indication ahead of time.

The story itself is a quick read and alternates between heartbreaking and hopeful, ending on a positive note. A tragedy strikes the family, leading Violet to leave her dream job and hopes of a new beginning in France to return to her island home. The family members are excellently portrayed even for newcomers to the series, and you'll find yourself rooting for each of them in turn as they navigate the difficult situation and their individual hopes and dreams.

Overall I enjoyed this short story as an introduction to the series, and it made me interested in picking up the rest of the books. If you're into strong family bonds or stories about following your dreams and finding connection, you'll likely enjoy this one.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

Oh how I loved this book so much! I enjoyed literally everything about it. It’s always amazing to watch “read” a story about someone living out their own dreams. I ate this book up.

Thanks for my free copy @netgalley

Thank you to Alice Hoffman, Amazon Original and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a beautiful ending to the series! Having followed Violet since she was young it was a pleasure to watch her story evolve and grow as she did. Seeing her find her happy ending after so much heartache and tragedy was the perfect little bow to tie this series up in a neat little package.

highly recommend this series of short stories!

Violet is a pastry chef living in Paris who is unfulfilled with the direction of her life. She doesn't have many friends and her job is not satisfying her. By chance, she meets Remy, another pastry chef and they begin to fall in love. When her mother's terminal cancer returns, she rushes home and her and Remy continue their relationship through letters.

I think this could have been a really great novel. As a (very) short story, it felt entirely too rushed. There were just too many things happening in the approximately 30 pages.

3⭐s from me because I love Alice Hoffman

Thank you, Netgalley for this Arc.

The bookstore family follows Violet on her journey to find love and happiness. This is a very short novella, about 30 pages long. So, the pacing had to be quick, overall, about halfway through my attention span finally kicked in and I was more intrigued. However, the beginning took some time.

This is the fourth book in the Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories, these short stories were all so wonderful to read. I am not sure if it is the last one, but it wrapped up the story of this family so well and I have to say, I loved these stories. This story was about Violet, who left what was expected of her and went to follow a dream, to be a pastry chef in France. Five years later she is working at a good job, but something is missing in her life. She seems to have lost her knack for adding something special to her cooking. After a vist from her Aunt, she starts to see things clearly. She is then suddenly called home and soon realizes that that is where she was meant to be after all.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publshing house, Amazon Original Stories and the amazing author Alice Hoffman for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this shortstory in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories via Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Growing up, Violet was so engrossed in helping others achieve their dreams that she barely had time for her own pursuits. However, five years ago, she seized an extraordinary opportunity by leaving her family bookshop on Brinkley’s Island, Maine, to enroll in culinary school in Paris. Today, she works her dream job as a pâtissière in an upscale Parisian restaurant, but all she can think about is her home. Does she go home to be with the family she loves and misses or does she stay in Paris and pursue her dreams?

I devoured this entire short story. I thoroughly enjoyed all four books and the journey of getting to know Violet as she grew up. This beautiful story is filled with both ups and downs that deeply resonate with you. I only wish it were a full-fledged novel so that we could delve deeper into the past and present. I also hope for another book that will allow us to witness Violet’s future and explore her family dynamics. I am an avid fan of this author and all her books. Her writing style is truly exceptional.

If you’re seeking a lighthearted and uplifting read or a palate cleanser between books, this is the perfect choice for you.

The Bookstore Family was a lovely story about family and love. If this is the last novella in the series, I think it would be a nice way to close the story. It was sad, though, and part of me feels like it wasn't necessary, but I also know that Violet's characters needed her story too.

The Bookstore Family is a short and cozy read. To be read in one sitting when you want a story that’s uplifting and beautiful. The prose is stunning and draws you in. I loved the characters and the setting. Most of all I loved the idea of chasing dreams and what’s really important in life. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.