Finding Love at the Magical Curiosity Shop is the latest installment in the 'Ever After Street' series of books, and like the other books, can totally be read as a standalone.

Mickey runs a mermaid themed Curiosity Shop in Ever After Street. Recently bereaved, Mickey has let standards and quality slip in the shop, the clutter and chaos eventually causing an injury to a customer who enters the shop at speed.

Ren - the injured customer - is searching for his thirteen year old daughter Ava, who is hiding out in Mickey's shop. Ren is gruff and rude, and wastes no time before berating Mickey about the state of her shop and the quality of her 'curiosities'.

After Ava discovers a hidden diary in an old chest, the trio embark on a quest to learn more about the author - and if mermaids really existed!

Overall, this book is perfect for fans of the series, it is witty and the diary is like a side story running throughout. I definitely didn't see one of the plot lines coming which was an interesting twist.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the review copy.

𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝖺 𝖿𝗎𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝖿𝗎𝗅 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗀𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗆𝖾 𝖺 𝗐𝖺𝗋𝗆 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗓𝗒 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝖨 𝖿𝖾𝗅𝗍 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝖺 𝗄𝗂𝖽 𝖺𝗀𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖿𝖺𝗂𝗋𝗒𝗍𝖺𝗅𝖾𝗌 𝖺𝗍 𝖻𝖾𝖽𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾.

𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗎𝖾𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗈𝗇 𝖤𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖠𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖲𝗍𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗍 𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗱'𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗈𝗐𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝖬𝗂𝖼𝗄𝖾𝗒 𝖳𝗂𝗌𝖽𝖺𝗅𝖾. 𝖶𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝖠𝗏𝖺 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗀𝗋𝗎𝗆𝗉𝗒 𝖽𝖺𝖽 𝖱𝖾𝗇 𝖾𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗉 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗇𝗈 𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖺 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖺𝗇 𝗈𝗅𝖽 𝖽𝗂𝖺𝗋𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖺 𝗆𝗒𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝗈𝗅𝗏𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗐𝗋𝗈𝗍𝖾 𝗂𝗍.

𝖨 𝖺𝖻𝗌𝗈𝗅𝗎𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗒 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗊𝗎𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗉 𝗈𝖿𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝖺𝗀𝖾.
𝖠𝖽𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖺 𝖻𝗂𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗆𝖺𝗀𝗂𝖼 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗐𝗇 𝖺𝗌 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝗈 𝖻𝖾𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗂𝖿𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝗆𝗌𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍.

𝖬𝖾𝗋𝗆𝖺𝗂𝖽𝗌
𝖲𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗅𝖾 𝖽𝖺𝖽
𝖳𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗀𝗀𝗅𝖾𝗌
𝖦𝗋𝗎𝗆𝗉𝗒 𝗑 𝗌𝗎𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗇𝖾
𝖳𝗁𝗋𝗂𝖿𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝖾

𝖨 𝗁𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗅𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖿𝗂𝗅𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗆𝖺𝗀𝗂𝖼, 𝗆𝗒𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗋𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾.

Jaimie Admans has fast become one of my favourite authors. I love her books, which are full of quirky characters, romance and with a little bit of magic. That being said, this isn’t one of my favourites of her stories, as it took me a little while to settle into the characters.

When 13 year old Ava comes into Mickey’s shop on Ever After Street to get away from her father she falls in love with the shop and is completely under the spell of the outgoing and gregarious owner, who is in complete contrast to her father, Ren, who is a very closed, and guarded history teacher at Ava’s school. When Ren comes into the shop, looking for his daughter, he immediately bangs his head on a birdcage, and proceeds to tell Mickey what he thinks of the shop – which is not great. Ren’s relationship with Mickey swings alternately from falling out to making up, and along the way they find a very old diary hidden in a chest. This binds the 3 of them together in order to find out more of the mystery of the diary.

From about 25% in I couldn’t put it down, and loved it so much. I can’t wait to re-visit Ever After Street once again.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7564279843

https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/finding-love-at-magical-curiosity-shop.html

Enjoyed it and would give the book 3.5 stars. The book is a cute and fun read, especially if you love all things surrounding Disney and fairy tales. The series continues on with another store on Ever After Street. This time we are at The Mermaid's Treasure Trove shop. Treasure hardly describes what's inside Mickey's shop. Mickey wants it to feel like Ariel's cave of wonders, but it's more a junk shop. Good luck finding something or not being buried alive by a bunch of stuff falling on you. The shop is pretty much a disaster. Did she even sell anything? Ava loves Mickey's shop, while her dad, Ren, has no problem telling Mickey how horrible her shop is and much of it needs to be thrown out. From the start I knew Mickey and Ren would be perfect together even though Ren doesn't make the best first impression. He insults Mickey's shop from the start. My favorite part of the book was the mystery behind the mermaid diary. Is the author really a mermaid? Ren, Mickey and Ava get invested in the diary and want to find out the truth. They even travel to where they think the shipwreck occurred. Eventually the truth about the diary is finally revealed. Ava's full on tantrum on having to return the diary was an extreme overreaction. She's thirteen, not five. A lot of her anger should be directed toward her dreadful and absent mom. Ren's anger at Mickey, blaming her and justifying Ava's poor behavior was also over the top. The dragon fruit side table brings everyone back together. I loved seeing a few of the characters from the previous books and getting updates about them. All around I enjoyed the book. It made me laugh, smile and maybe a few sniffles at the end.

Definitely recommend the book and the previous ones in the series. Enjoyed the story, characters and writing style. Naturally, I want to visit Ever After Street, go into all the stores and become friends with all the shopkeepers. The town sounds like a magical place to live. Really it's a mini-Disney World without the rides. Look forward to reading more books by the author. I can't wait to see what's happening next on Ever After Street and which will be featured. Love the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Boldwood Books, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love this series so much. It's fun to see characters from past installments show up again and to meet characters who will probably have their own book soon. Can't wait for the next one! I'm truly grateful to Jaimie Admans, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a delightful read that has endearing characters, a quirky shop and a mystery to solve. Mickey Teasdale runs her mermaid themed curiosity shop but it is a bit full and cluttered. When Ren Montague and his daughter Ava walk in things initially don’t go too well! However single dad Ren, who dislikes clutter, will do anything to put a smile on 13year old Ava’s face even if that means entering the cluttered shop. Ava instantly connects with Mickey and there is also the start of an attraction between Ren and Mickey too……. When a hidden diary is found in the shop, and seems to be written by a real life mermaid, the trio work together to unravel the mystery of who the diary belonged to. I loved being back on Ever After Street and some of the characters from previous books in the series were mentioned. Grief, divorce, self discovery and self belief are all covered in this lovely story as well as new beginnings and romance. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

Such a sweet story and a really unique premise. I loved Mickey's shop of curiosities!
When teenager Ava and her grumpy dad, Ren visit Mickey's shop they have no idea that it will change both of their lives.
Ava finds a secret diary and, believing it to be written by a mermaid, takes Mickey and ren on an adventure full of love and magic!

firstly Mickey, what a cool name. and goes with our unique character owner of the Curiosity shop in which we meet her. she sells all sorts and alongside them makes up stories to go with them. her shop is her own but lately its felt, well, a little bit too chaotic.
this isnt help when the miserable, straight laced Ren bangs(literally) into her shop. he doesnt like mess. which means he doesnt like what he sees. hes also been hurt before so this woman before him isnt going to do anything...anything...oh darn it seems like she is.
his daughter Ava seems more interested when she comes across a secret book which both woman are convinced is th secret diary of a mermaid. Ren is of course skeptical but cant help being pulled along in the adventure to find out more about this story. and its not just a magical feeling from the story they find but something magical in eachother.
but Ren has been hurt before. and he cant allow himself to do so again. and Mickey has her own things going on. can these two help eachother or go along by each others side to make this all have a splashing good ending...?
i really enjoyed this book. Jamie has a way of writing that brings such warmth to the pages that spreads from the plot, characters and right into the readers heart. you just feel settled and content reading these books.
i liked how these two interacted. they both seems to show and shine in their own way but brought much to eachother too.
the added whimsy is always a risk and one im never sure of. but i should have trusted Jamie with it as once again its handled perfectly.
this is part of a series but id happily tell anyone they could read it as a standalone. but id also happily tell anyone to go back and read the others too!

This is book 5 in the ever after street series and explores the story of the little mermaid it could be read as a stand alone but recommend starting at the beginning for an enjoyable journey through the other fairytales.

This was the perfect read to switch off and escape life’s pressures with. I loved the characters and the storyline and how there was a little mystery thrown in for good measure. This was the perfect blend of whimsical magic with the added delight of mermaids and romance thrown in. The perfect pick me up read.

I can’t wait for the next instalment of this series.

Another fantastic book by Jamie Adman’s.

When Ava, a 13 yr old girl runs into Mickey’s Shop of hidden treasures to get away from Ren, her father; who would’ve known the adventures they would have over a mysterious diary written in 1899 found in a hidden compartment of a treasure chest. The story leads them to a place in Wales after spending hours looking for information in articles of shipwrecks and having no luck, but when Ava reads of a destination they decide to take a trip there to find out more - who would’ve though a long walk along the beach at dusk would have such an impact…..

The storytelling was lovely, the way it linked with The Little Mermaid theme was perfect. The mystery of the diary had me gripped hoping for a happy ending which I definitely received after some heartache.

Will there be another instalment of Ren & Mickey? Let’s hope so

Have you ever wondered if mermaids were real? Truth be told that Animal Planet “documentary” tricked me for a bit back in 2012. This book had me questioning things all over again.
Do you like…
*Mermaids?
*Fairytale references?
*grumpy + sunshine?
*single dad?
*thrift stores?
*stories in a story?
Then this is a good one, filled with laughs and warm cozy feelings. Even with all the lighthearted and fun themes running around we still explore deep feelings like loss and loneliness. When two unexpected customers find an old diary in our main character’s shop they set out on a quest to find out if it’s really written by a mermaid. Then find much more along the way. “Finding Love at the Magical Curiosity Shop” by Jaimie Admans is a very sweet read.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the digital ARC, all opinions are my own.

I loved this story of Mickey Teasdale, who owns a shop selling curiosities on the wonderfully named Ever After Street.
She's determined to match her wonderfully odd collection of stock with the right person, and she always has a story behind each item, whether truth or fiction.
Teenager Ava tumbles into her shop one day, followed by her father, Ren. An initial clash of personalities gives way to a friendship and the possibility of something more, especially as they discover a secret in one item that Mickey sells to Ren.
A possible real diary of a mermaid piques their curiosity, as one person is desperate for it to be true, and the other is determined to disprove any thoughts of sea people being real. And the third, well, she's just excited to be there for the ride!
I loved that we met all three characters right from the beginning, and it was wonderful to read how their relationships developed, with all the ups and downs accompanying two damaged souls.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and then I realised it was a part of a series. This did not detract from my enjoyment of the book whatsoever.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

3.7 Stars
One Liner: Sweet!

Mickey Teasdale loves her quaint curiosity shop on Ever After Street. It’s magical and full of treasures waiting to be found by customers. Lately, the magic has dimmed, and the charming shop feels cluttered.
Ren Montague, single dad to a teen daughter, Ava, doesn’t believe in magic and nonsense. But he will do anything to see his sulking daughter smile again. Meeting Mickey makes him cautiously hopeful.
When Ava finds a secret diary that may have belonged to a mermaid and tries to investigate it with Mickey, Ren is torn between supporting his daughter and shielding her from disappointment.
Soon, Ren and Mickey realize that real life and magic can co-exist, but if they are brave enough to take the step.
The story comes in Mickey’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
This is the fifth book in the standalone Ever After Street Series. Though we see some couples from the previous books, this works well as a standalone read. Of course, I recommend reading the other books because they are all beautiful.
As a fan of the author, I tend to have high expectations of her works. Why not? I know she can write!
Like the other books, this one also deals with important topics. Here we have parental death, broken marriage, being a single dad, a young teen’s struggle with the changes in her life, a woman’s desire to surround herself with material things to avoid reality, etc.
I could empathize with the FMC even when I knew her shop was a high-risk accident zone. No matter how much I de-clutter, the shelves tend to look the same, so yeah, it happens! She is a sweetheart, and I love her optimism and hope. Her determination to believe in magic is noteworthy. I try too, though my cynical side doesn’t stay silent for long!
Naturally, I could easily understand the MMC’s perspective too. Yeah, he was rude and prickly, but he could be just as sweet if he allowed himself to be. Then, he had to go and make a mess of it (more on this later).
Ava, the MMC’s thirteen-year-old, was a delight most of the book. She is a teen, through and through, so I could see her outburst making sense to her. I didn’t mind it much as it aligned with her arc until then.
We get snippets from the diary, which read like actual diary entries – thoughts, frantic scribbling, raw emotions, and random bits of information. Yay for this! However, the dialogues in this book felt lengthier somehow. Not a big deal, though.
As always, it’s heartwarming to read the lovey-dovey scenes between the main characters. It seems like the author thought much about Rosh’s reactions to the touchy-feely scenes that she used the same term twice in the book! Haha… :P Of course, I loveeee these scenes the best, and those hugs! Find a partner who hugs you like you are their everything!
Now, we come to the dreaded third-act breakup. I knew it would happen, but man, if I could punch him, I would have. I was rather rooting for Lissa to do it for me… didn’t she? Read to find out.
The resolution came a bit too quickly, I think. While it still made me teary-eyed, I wanted a little more groveling. The FMC doesn’t make it easy, which I appreciate. Still, make him repent more (I hold grudges for a long time, if you haven’t figured out by now, lol).
The ending is sweet, of course. There’s no epilogue, but there will be another (last… sniffle) book in the series, so we are likely to get a wee update on them if nothing else.

To summarize, Finding Love at the Magical Curiosity Shop is as magical as the other books in the series and creates a lovely, cozy feeling in the heart. The romance is clean, comforting, warm, and like a hearty cup of hot chocolate with extra sprinkles.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley

I absolutely loved this book, the 5th in a brilliant series. Ever After Street is somewhere I’d love to visit! This story is based around Mickey and her mermaid theme shop of curiosities and single dad Ren and his teenage daughter Ava. It has the usual lovely, sweet and whimsical feel to the other books in the series along with a diary from the 1900s thrown in and some teenage angst with grumpy dad. The story flows in a really pleasant way, the diary readings are a real good addition to the story and the development of all the characters along the way is great. Plus mentions of other characters from previous books reminds you of those stories and makes you want to read them again! Overall I think is my favourite of the series, I’d absolutely love to find a shop like Mickey’s and I thought the story fitted the location really well x please let there be more stories like this!

A lost diary, a quirky curiosity shop, and a grumpy/sunshine vibe? Once again, I absolutely loved the newest book in the Ever After Street series ! I so wish I could visit this street in real life and Mickey's shop sounds like it would be so much fun to explore. I really enjoyed the mysterious diary and found myself glued to the pages just as much as Mickey, Ren, and Ava, dying to know what happened next. I loved how they all helped each other in different ways and this was just the heartwarming story I needed. And also, Mickey was definitely onto something with the dragon fruit table, as I saw exactly that in Home Goods last week! If you only listen to one of my recommendations, pick up any book by this author! I promise you won't be disappointed!

Finding Love at the Magical Curiosity Shop hits shelves May 26. I was lucky enough to get to read it a little early thanks to @netgalley and @theboldbookclub
Mickey has been trying to run her Little Mermaid themed curiosity shop on Ever After Street alone after her beloved father’s death. And sales have not been great lately. When teenager Ava stumbles into her store, Mickey knows she is a kindred spirit, Ava’s grumpy father Ren, not so much. When the three discover an old diary, seemingly written by a mermaid, hidden in Mickey’s shop, they set out to find the truth behind it.
Another sweet and cute love story by @jaimieadmans1 that takes place on the shopping street I really wish was real.
#bookstagram #bookreview #books #readersofinstagram #readmore #reading

This series is my favorite! It is so whimsical, escapist, and charming. It makes my heart swoon! It is clean, so well written, and it plays like a movie in my mind. Jaimie is the absolute queen of adult fairy tales. This book made me feel like a kid again. It kept me intrigued throughout and was absolutely delightful….i just hope the series never ends! If only I could visit the ever after street in real life….

Another cute fairy tale inspired story on the beloved Ever After Street.
Are mermaids real? Were they ever? When shop owner, Micky, finds what appears to be a mermaid's journal, a quest for answers begins. Ava, a thirteen year old dealing with a MIA mom, and her dad get caught up in the hunt for the truth. Together they embark on the summer of their lives.
Lots of fun, simple romance, and good friends. Love this series!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really like this authors writing and this was so cute!
I enjoyed the whimsical feel of it!
I can't wait to see what friends think when it comes out!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

I love books by Jaimie Admans (I’ve read them all) and so I was delighted to be approved to read her newest release via netgalley. Here is my honest review in exchange for a free advance copy.

This book is part of Jaimie’s Ever After series - modern love stories loosely based on fairytales/ Disney. This time it’s based on The Little Mermaid. Shop owner Mickey finds a diary from 1900 describing a shipwreck and seemingly written by a mermaid - it couldn’t have been, could it?! That’s the magical element of the story which you’re either gonna love and be all in for or it’s gonna grate on you. Personally, I loved it. Throw in a love story for Mickey involving a single dad and his teenage daughter and I am in rom com heaven.

This series is a must read for me. They are whimsical and easy to read, yet draw you in and give you all the feels. You don’t need to read them in publication order, although if you start with this one I bet you’ll go back and read all the others straight away afterwards!

I highly recommend both this book and this series to fans of romance novels. Out at the end of May in the UK. One of my favourite reads of April!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.75 stars)