Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was drawn to this book by the title and it being set in a bookstore, bookstores and book loving people are things I will never stop loving reading about. This book was such a delightfully charming and warm read for me with very likeable characters and interweaving of their story lines, it was one of those books that you don't ever want to end but they you also can't put down. April works from home and finds herself missing the camaraderie of an office setting and has been feeling quite lonely, the longer she has continued to work from home. She is drawn to the handsome Westley from her local bookstore and whilst she is too reserved to approach him and suggest a date she decides to leave an anonymous note on a book for him and hopes that he will respond and they can form a connection of sorts. We also have Laura, a widow for the past 5 years and a single mom she isn’t sure if she is ready to date yet. Laura also frequents the same bookshop with her young daughter and she is surprised to one day find an anonymous note in a book she has bought from the store. Laura begins to suspect that Westley from the bookstore has left the note in this particular book for her. Westley the bookstore clerk in question has no idea that notes are being left for him in books, nor that Laura has received a note and thinks he is the note writer. April and Laura’s anonymous correspondence continues, with both thinking they are in a “meet cute book situation" with Westley. I loved all 3 of these characters and found them all to be very engaging and I couldn't wait to see just how this anonymous note leaving saga would resolve itself. It was a magical read about love, books and friendships and it was an absolute delight to read from the very first to the very last page.
#storybookending #moiramacdonald #netgalley #bloomsbury #getlitsy #fable #thestorygraph #goodreads #contemporaryfiction #bookstore #friendship #bookqueen #bookstagram

This is a story about missed connections, anonymous notes, and the magic of second chances. April is stuck in a lonely rut, so she slips a flirty note into a book for the cute guy at her local bookstore. But it’s Laura, a frazzled single mum, who finds it instead and assumes the message is meant for her. One note turns into many, and a quiet flirtation unfolds between two women who don’t realise they’re not writing to who they think they are. Meanwhile, Westley, the original target, remains oblivious as a movie takes over the shop and chaos swirls around him. Storybook Ending is a warm, whimsical tale of romance, mistaken identity, and the little things left behind in books that can change everything.

◦: Tropes:◦
✧ Miscommunication
✧ Found Family

◦: My Thoughts :◦
I was enjoying the first 30% of this. I think it is hard as a reader knowing more than the characters in the book. It seemed like the plot was stationary for long duration of this book too.

▸ Overall
Loved the idea of this book. It was fun to read. I loved readings April’s point of view as a single mother. Her take on parenting was refreshing and relatable.

Congratulations on your debut novel.

The perfect kind of story for hopeless romantics and bookish people! Loved the characters and the misunderstanding at the root of the story.

A little slow to start but I did end up enjoying this. However I wouldn't really market this book as romance, as it is really the potential of a friendship blossoming than any romance. Wesley was a bit of a meh character in the whole thing, but I enjoyed Laura and April's notes

This was a sweet, cosy romance set in a charming bookshop, with an engaging and easy-to-follow writing style. The multiple POVs were initially a bit confusing but became a highlight once I got to know the characters, who each represent different stages of a woman’s life, something many readers will relate to. The miscommunication trope was occasionally frustrating (a personal preference), but the story overall was heartwarming and enjoyable. I especially loved the awkward, cringe-worthy moment when both characters thought they were messaging the attractive bookshop worker instead of each other. The character dynamics kept me guessing about the romantic outcome, and I was pleasantly surprised in the end. A delightful, feel-good read.

I really wanted to love this book so much, but I just felt like at the end, that I had read an entire story and not really felt much closer to any of the characters, and that nothing really happened?

The plot was so intriguing to me when I first saw it on Netgalley- with two women (both interested in a handsome bookstore clerk), thinking they are writing to him via secret notes left in books when in reality they are writing to each other. But it was lacking the 'romance' that it promised.

Firstly - I found Westley kinda bland? Even with all the story building, I felt like he was just really shy and mopey and it almost seemed like there was no romantic storyline for him except for right at the end when they decide he's going to date one of his co-workers. I almost hated his chapters because I'd rather read what was going on with April and Laura.

Speaking of, I feel like the ending was a bit disappointing for them both? I would've loved a romance between the two of them! Yeah, the whole 'found family' thing is cute but you can't call this a romance book and then just not have any romance.

I think it's still a great debut for Moira Macdonald, perhaps it just needs to be marketed differently?

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury ANZ and Netgalley for the eARC!

I found the multiple POV in this book really fun and interesting (once I got to know the characters). At first, this took me away from the story but I quickly adjusted. I thought that the characters were representative of different life stages of women and that this was a really accurate representation, which would cater to readers in different life stages.

The setting was cosy and writing style easy to follow and engaging.

I did find some frustrations with the miscommunication trope at times but that's more of a personal preference.

Overall, this was a really cute and cosy and sweet love story. I think this would translate well to an audiobook!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I do any book set in or around a bookshop.
Though I almost couldn't read it due to the secondhand awkwardness of the whole plot!
Post pandemic, the lovely, lonely April decides to hide a note inside a second hand book and donate it to her local bookstore.
She does this knowing that the very attractive male employee checks the books before they go on the shelf.
However, he gets distracted when checking this book and misses the note, only for the book to be picked up by single mum Laura.

The cringe and awkwardness I felt when I realised they both thought they were talking to the hot bookshop worker instead of each other.

The book follows their correspondence and the goings on at the bookshop.

I struggled to pick who I wanted the MMC to end up with as they are all such lovable characters and was pleasantly surpised by the result. Definitely enjoyable cosy romance in a bookshop.