Running a curiosity shop is something that Mickey loves, although not everyone shares her passion for everyday objects that people either love or hate, as she finds out when she meets Ren and his daughter Ava. Her shop is situated in a small street in the Wye Valley and all the other shops nearby are also themed after a different fairytale, but unfortunately for Mickey all the other shops are busy except hers. But she loves her shop and it gives her a place to escape to, she knows what it's like to be separated from sentimental things after losing her mum at the young age of five and then losing her dad more recently. She realises that life doesn't always have happy endings like in a fairytale, but she's wants there to be people who still believe that they do. She wants a stall at the local antiques fair to hopefully turn things around, she can't make things work financially as they are at the moment. But when an old diary is found inside an unusual table, could this be the item to turn both her life and business around? Not only that but is the new friendship with Ava and her dad Ren too good to be true, Ava certainly appreciates Mickeys friendship and Ava has great enthusiasm for the items in her shop but is Ren going to be won round with what he calls "a load of junk". When they discovered this letter from long ago, could this be the answer to her dreams and prove that dreams and miracles do come true?
Can she make her shop life which is by no means tidy and organised, work and make money for her? But one thing it definitely is above all else is magical, full of love and hope and thats something that Mickey has been wanting for such a long time. But will things work out for the trio?

This is a lovely magical story about finding friendship and discovering your true self in a lovely location with great friends who value your opinion. I know myself and many others would love to have a rummage through Mickey's shop and discover those little treasures that meant so much to their previous owner. A book to lose yourself in and find friendship in this little curiosity shop, a five-star read from me.

#netgalley
#jamieadmans
#Boldwoodbooks
#findingloveatthemagicalcuriosityshop

Her father always stocked the Curiosity Shop with treasures he found – always with stories and histories attached – but, since losing him, Mickey has lost her way a little. The many items – some might call them junk – she’s continued to add sometimes don’t have their own stories so she makes them up, trying to add her own touch of magic. A lot of them are inspired by The Little Mermaid – there’s a statue outside the shop that means a lot to her, she’s dyed her hair red to look like Ariel, and she’s a believer in all the myths and legends. But she can now barely move inside the shop without knocking things over, all her attempts at stock control are failing, the customers are put off by the mess that now extends onto the pavement outside, and she’s no longer feeling the joy of people discovering their perfect find.

Teenage Ava loves it though – her excitement when she finds the shop, digging into its depths for treasures, is something it’s easy to share. But her father Ren certainly doesn’t – he’s horrified by the mess, makes his feelings clear, and even more forcibly when he cuts his head on a poorly positioned ornamental birdcage. But, like his daughter, he’s rather taken with Mickey, and – rather surprisingly for them both – offers to help her create some order out of the chaos. And he can see his daughter – abandoned by her mother, and inclined to be a bit off a handful – is enchanted, both by the shop and its owner, and even more so when she finds an old diary hidden inside a wooden box. A few pages in, it seems it was written by a real-life mermaid – and together they all set about trying to find out more about its history.

I’ll admit that I’m not very familiar with the story of The Little Mermaid, and I thought that might make the whole story less engaging – but it certainly didn’t. As the diary’s story slowly unfolds – the shipwreck, a rescued mariner, a developing romance – I became increasingly caught up in the lovely relationship between Ren, Mickey and Ava. And their friendship – often tested, sometimes uneasy, with so many obstacles in its way (and not just the overflowing stock that Mickey’s reluctant to part with) – gradually turns into an unlikely romance, and it was one I really believed in. All the emotional touches are simply perfect – both Ren and Mickey (and she knows they’ve turned a corner when he starts to call her Mick) have experienced pain in their former lives, and it was so moving to see them opening up and letting each other in.

The whole story is enchanting – nicely counterpointed by the discoveries in the diary – and I found it both heartwarming and a complete delight from beginning to end. Of course, the wonderful community in Ever After Street plays its part in helping bring about the much hoped for happy ending – beautifully done, as always. I’m sad there will only be one more visit – one last book in this lovely series – but every single book, full of fairy tale magic and romance that’s never failed to touch my heart, has been so very special. And this one is no exception – I really loved it.

A fun, sweet romance with a little magic thrown in. I’ve always loved the sound of Ever After Street and this is another wonderful instalment in the series.
Both Mickey and Ren have been hurt and need the magic of the street to do its thing.
I loved Ava and Mickey - their zest for all things magical and mermaid was so refreshing and added that beautiful warmth to the story.

The premise for this set of books is gorgeous and heartwarming. This is my first read of Ever After Street and it certainly won't be my last. This book is loosely Little Mermaid themed with a lot of character development and a lot of cheer.

I loved Micky's character and immensely enjoyed the banter with Ren. I appreciated that the characters had each loved and lost and lost hope at some stage in their lives and it made for a stronger bonding experience for them both when they found each other.

Single parent new starts are often tricky to write but this one came with an enormous amount of sensitive handling and a great grip of reality vs just fairytale...except for...you know...the whole street thing!

Overall I really loved it and hope I can read more.
A big thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Finding Love at the Magical Curiosity Shop is an amazing book! I loved the story, the characters, the romance, well...everything. This story is so much more than a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Loosely based on a childhood favorite fairytale, the author magnificently modernized the story. My love for this book was so strong I read it in one sitting, unable to put it down. I had to know what happened between Ava and Ren and the story in the secret diary. I was hooked by the end of the first page.

Mickey is a dynamic character but her life has been filled by loss. Her curiosity shop, The Mermaid's Treasure Trove, keeps her balanced and her mind off of distressing things. However, she's lost her way with the shop but didn't realize it until one rude customer shakes the cobwebs loose. Ren and his daughter Ava suddenly appear in her shop one day. One typical 13-year-old and one typical uncool parent who are trying their best to navigate their own losses. Mickey and Ren hit if off even with their disastrous first encounter.

Two broken souls, desperate, and unknowingly drawn to one another, unite in the most fantastic romance.

Another installment in the Happy Ever After series, this time loosely based on The Little Mermaid.

I loved Mickey and her outlook, all whimsical and colourful, although deep down she doesn't always feel like that.

Ren was an interesting character. A single father but so up tight and not much fun, I wanted to give him a shake at times. Ava, on the other hand is your typical teenager and brought so much laughter to the book.

When Mickey and Ren realise they are attracted to each other I was rooting for them, however, I wasn't sure how it would end.

I enjoyed the addition of the diary entries that helped all of them along the way as well the surprise that was in store.

Another great read in this series of books that you can really lose yourself in. Full of fun, heartbreak, love and friendship, I would recommend it.

Thank to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a copy of this book for my review. This is the latest in a series of books featuring the location of Ever After Street, which is a magical and joyful sounding place full of wonderful characters. A beautiful and imaginative story with mermaids, mystery and a touch of magic, throw in a grumpy single dad, his awkward teenage daughter and a story telling shopkeeper, then you have an enjoyable read.

Mickey runs the Mermaid's Treasure Trove curiosity shop in Ever After Street. It has started to become cluttered and overwhelming, but it takes a chaotic meeting with single dad, Ren, and his teenage daughter, Ava, for Mickey to see just how bad things have got.
While sorting through items in the shop they stumble across an old diary that seems to have been written by a mermaid. Together they embark on a quest to find out the truth.
This was a sweet and cute romance story with a hint of mystery. There are lots of references to Disney films/fairy tales. I mostly liked the characters, apart from a few times where Ren stepped over the line from being grumpy to just plain mean!
Lighthearted, fun read. I really enjoyed this.

I'm a bit under weather due to family issues and this book was a sort of magical carpet that brought in a different reality, relax, moved, and have fun.
There's a lovely shop, one of those shop that are a sort of economical disaster for me. There's Mickey, the owner and the sunny side of the story. There's Ren that I hated with all my heart at the beginning as I found him a bit too entitled and arrogant. There's Ava a lovely and rebel teen and a sort of deus ex machina that makes our guys meet.
Ren grew slowly on me as I got to discover him and appreciate how he support his daughter.
There's magic, there's romance, and there's more layers that makes you appreciate the story and the characters' evolution.
I thoroughly appreciated it, highly recommended.
Many thanks to Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random REsources for this digital copy, all opinions are mine.

Such a charming whimsical story!
From the first moment when Ava walked into the curiosity shop I was hooked. Ren’s blundering arrival and attitude clashed with Mickey’s calm and considerate nature - definitely two very different personalities clashing together that produced some unexpected sparks.
Ava was the perfect bridge between them, her desire to find out more about the mysterious mermaid discovered in a hidden diary allowed the adults an opportunity to discover each other.
Ren was still recovering from his heartbreaking past, desperate to care for his daughter but not allowing himself to live a happy life too. Mickey also was struggling, life was becoming overwhelming and having the mystery to solve gave her a reason to change things and to embrace new opportunities.
Such an uplifting story that was utterly magical to read. Another wonderful spin on a fantastic fairytale. This series is so adorable!

Being on Ever After Street is always a joy. That said this time round we actually spent quite a bit of time away from Ever After Street which was also joyful.

This time round we are learning about Mickey who runs the Curiosity shop. Ava and her father Ren happen upon the shop and from there we follow their rollercoaster ride, getting to know each other, discovering long buried secrets of their own and potentially of mermaids, and just maybe falling in love.

It is a story of family, loss, love, heartbreak, healing and fun.

A brilliant tale.

With a mermaid twist, I read this one because of a Netgalley eArc, and have since read 2 more of this series. This are whimsical, heartfelt, kind stories that feel like a warm hug!

Finding Love at the Magical Curiosity Shop is the latest instalment of the Ever After Street series, although each book can be enjoyed as a standalone. Jaimie Admans is an auto-read Author for me, l've read almost all of her books so far so I was thrilled to be able to able to join the blog tour and receive an early copy.

Micky is an interesting character that conveys confidence on the outside but inside she's feeling distinctly doubtful about her capabilities when it comes to running the business left to her by her beloved Father.

I love the fact that she attaches stories to every item in the shop, she's definitely a romantic at heart and very sentimental. Unfortunately this means that she finds it hard to let go of things which results in a huge mass of clutter.

Thankfully help arrives in the unlikely form of Ren, a grumpy single dad with a huge dislike for clutter and disorder. I loved the relationship between Micky and Ren because on paper they are complete opposites, but we all know that opposites attract! There's definitely a battle between pragmatism and optimism in this story.

I really loved the mystery of the diary that they find, the extracts adding an air of mystery to the story. Ren's practical and analytical brain comes into play again but even he can't deny the magical element of the diary and I thoroughly enjoyed the back and forth between them as more diary entries are revealed.

Overall this was a brilliant instalment in an already amazing series and I'm already looking forward to book six! I highly recommend this series if you like relaxing romantic reads with a touch of magic.

Finding Love at the Magical Curiosity Shop by Jaimie Admans

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Mickey Teasdale loves her quaint curiosity shop, where every item feels magical to her. She loves imagining the past owners of her knick-knacks and telling her made-up tales to customers, but lately, the magic has dimmed; the shop feels cluttered, and even her stories seem as worn as the items she sells.

Everything changes when the grumpiest customer Mickey’s ever met—single dad Ren Montague—walks in with his surly teen daughter, Ava. Ren hates mess and clutter and prefers order and calm, but he'll do anything to see Ava smile. Yet, something shifts in him when he meets Mickey, who seems like she stepped out of her very own fairy tale.

When Ava discovers a secret diary, hidden from years long ago, she and Mickey believe it must have once belonged to a real-life mermaid! Ever sceptical, Ren tries to protect Ava from disappointment, but as they unravel the mystery together, something special happens…

Ren learns that happy ever afters still exist if you're brave enough to look for them, and Mickey discovers that real-life can sometimes be way more magical than anything she could have ever imagined.

My Opinion

Finding Love at the Magical Curiosity Shop is the fifth book in the Ever After Street series and whilst each book can be read as standalone, this is a delightful series and I would recommend reading all of the books. I am a huge fan of Jaimie’s writing and I am always on the lookout for upcoming releases. An uplifting read and a great addition to the series. Once again Jaimie has written a brilliant novel with some great characters.

Rating 4/5

Mickey owns the Mermaids Treasure Trove curiosity shop on Ever After Street that she inherited from her dad, although now it's less curiosity and more...well crap. Then one day a teenager called Ava comes crashing into Mickey's shop and life, followed by her grumpy dad Ren who isn't afraid to tell Mickey exactly what he thinks of her junkyard shop. When they discover a diary that may have been written by an actual mermaid, the three of them are thrown together as they try to discover the truth (team mermaid!) without everything falling apart.

I loved it, It made me laugh. A fair bit of it made me cry. And I really want a dragon fruit table.

Review also shared on Goodreads but unable to link account.

If a modern fairy tale romance is what you're after
A story filled with love and laughter
This series and this book are what you should read
To find the happy ever after that you need!

Mickey Teasdale runs the Curiosity Shop now
But its not the same since her Dad dies somehow.
She loves making up stories about the things she stocked
But is starting to realise how the access is blocked.

A teen runs in hiding from her Dad
Finds it enthralling, making Mickey glad.
When the grumpy Dad entered, he bangs his head and muttered
About the disorganised accumulation how it's cluttered.

From these inauspicious beginnings develops a mystery
With a diary written back in history.
The clues within hint to it being by a mermaid but wow!!
Can they work together to find the truth somehow?

A story of a teen bringing these two together
With plenty of angst and more to weather.
All learn from each other along the way
Such a magical read, I have to say!

With community, dreams and so much more
This is a delightful read too good to ignore!
For my copy of this fabulous book I say thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.

Finding Love At The Magical Curiosity Shop by Jaime Admans, is book number five in the Ever After Street series.
We meet Mickey, whose father has passed away and has left her the curiosity shop in Ever After Street. Left to her own grief, it’s become more of a hoarders shop than anything else!!! Customers are getting less because it’s not safe and generally they struggle to find anything they might like to buy because of the clutter!!!
That’s when a young teenager dashes in and changes her life! With an overbearing father, Ava is trying to cheer her Dad up, while her father Ren is trying to cope with being a single dad to an emotional teenager, after his wife left, and they divorced.
They strike up a friendship and while tidying Mickey’s shop, they find a very old diary. Intrigued they all look through it, and start to piece together what happened to the two people while getting to know each other more. Are Mermaids real??
As usual, Jaime creates wonderful characters that the readers wants desperately to help. They are joined by past characters of previous books and it all makes a feeling of community and friendship. A lesson for all of us in the real world!!
Many thanks to Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this arc copy via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #TheBoldBookClub, #JaimieAdmans1.

A warm heart and a smile is what I had through out this lovely book. A great book in a fab series. I really enjoyed the characters and the storylines. I found it easy to picture the shop and the chaos.

Mickey loves her little shop that belonged to her father.
One day Ren and his daughter come through her doors and life changes.
This little shop sounded amazing and I so wanted to browse through it. Actually the whole street sounded great! It’s a nice romantic story with an added surprise.

Reading a book by Jaimie Admans always gives me such joy. We find ourselves back on Ever After Street for Finding Love at the Magical Curiosity Shop and it's like catching up with old friends. Mickey and Ren's story was treat to read about. Both characters were hugely likeable and had great depth. As they were both hurt in the past it made me root for them. The story of the diary also had my attention. I feel like Jaimie should consider writing some fairy tales. There's one more book in this series to go and I'll be sad to say goodbye to it but I'm sure Jaimie will have many more stories to tell.