The perfect summer book. I loved this story - it's delightful. It takes a while to get going, but once it does, well, I was hooked. It;s so beautiful and the backstories are so rich and honestly it's everything I want for a balmy summer evening of reading. And now I want to go to Broken Wheel, Iowa, please. Books about books. I love them, and I loved this even more for the Guernsey feel it had to it. My Mum would LOVE this book...

I am working through and clearing out my list of galleys and unfortunately not interested in reading this any more.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a charmingly engaging story about Sara, a Swedish 'tourist' visiting a tiny, no-hope town hidden deep in rural Iowa. It's a journey of discovery for both Sara and her newly-adopted town, Broken Wheel, not to mention the local residents. In fact, almost everyone in the book must overcome a set of obstacles and a personal barrier in order to make Broken Wheel into the once-prosperous town it once was. From love and confidence to dealing with loss, hopelessness and changing times, when you dig beneath the surface, you will discover all these issues and more.

As we follow Sara's journey, we begin to unravel more and more about the lives of Broken Wheel's residents. We learn about their lives, discover their motivation, inspiration, and the driving force behind their actions, yet for most, we find ourselves inexplicably drawn into their lives. Although they are initially introduced as little more than your stereotypical range of small-town inhabitants, Bivald ensures every character has a purpose and every purpose contributes to the overall story arc in some small way. This clever use of characters helps to guarantee a watertight story with a whole cast of brilliant supporting characters.

When it comes to Sara herself, it won't be long before you end up rooting for her to succeed. Sara is an unashamed bibliophile, yet even if you aren't interested in that aspect of her life, there is still plenty more to keep readers turning page after page - much like Sara herself.

Although the characters undoubtedly stole the show, the plot is what lets the book down. The ending is clear from a very early stage in the book but although it is entirely predictable, it still possesses a unique charm that almost helps me forgive the plot's lack of originality.

Overall, though, this book is a great read and it would certainly make the perfect accompaniment to a lazy weekend spot of relaxation.

A beautiful, beautiful book! A must read for all the people in the world with even a teeny-tiny mount of love for books!

I love books about books, book clubs, bookstores, etc. This was no exception. The writing was intriguing and the plot kept my turning pages!

Broken Wheel, Iowa population 637 is a town where everyone not only knows you but knows all about your parents and grandparents. People don't move to Broken Wheel, they move away from it. That's the way it's always been until Sara Linqvist arrives. Sara and longtime Broken Wheel resident, Amy Harris, have been writing to one another for years. Amy invites Sara to leave Sweden and come to Broken Wheel for an extended visit. All the arrangements are in place. Unfortunately,the day Sara arrived is the day the town buried Amy. The rest of the book is about how Sara and Broken Wheel change each other.The characters are interesting and their relationships are complex. I enjoyed reading this delightful story.

Due to unexpected circumstances, I was unable to finish this selection. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity.

I’m a sucker for books about books. Reminiscent of The Storied Like of A.J. Fikry and The Bookshop on the Corner, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a sweet, refreshing read that anyone who loves books will enjoy.

Sara, a quiet young woman from Sweden, visits Broken Wheel, Iowa to visit her pen pal, Amy. Unfortunate timing of her trip leaves her stranded far from home on the very day of Amy’s funeral.

Broken Wheel is a small town filled with oddballs and eccentrics, and the cast of characters adds humor and liveliness to the story. They urge Sara to stay awhile, and she opens a bookstore in a town of people who don’t read.

As Sara begins to get involved in the lives of the townspeople, she seeks to connect each person with a book that they will enjoy. Will she win over the town, or will she go back to her lonely life in Sweden?

Broken Wheel was charming and heartwarming. I loved Sara’s spirit, her compassion for those around her, and the touching connections made in the town. The sweet love story is just icing on the cake.

If you believe everyone can be a reader, and that there’s a book for everyone, then check out The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. It’s a light, touching read that will warm your heart.

I loved the small town characters and “feel” of the story. There was a genuineness to the writing and storytelling.

I have loved this book ever since I read it--it is such a great story! I have recommended it to all of my friends.

This was highly recommended by several friends. Thanks to a free download weekend I was able to enjoy it. It was everything they promised it would be.

It's a nice feelgood story, and it reasonated with me because it's a book about books & authentic connection and I love that. But it isn't for everyone. I really like it though.

It all starts with Sara arriving in Broken Wheel, Iowa from Sweden. She’s there to visit pen pal Amy Harris who unbeknownst to Sara, has just passed away.

And now I’ve now read this books 3+ times since downloading, and each time it gets better and better.

Why?

Because there are so many under-lying stories that address true-to-real-life problems. The brilliance is in HOW the problems are approached. The wry humor, understanding and acceptance of all is woven into each storyline and character in such a way that even the most hard-hearted can appreciate. There’s stories of race, religion, sexuality, immigration, relationships and age, loveless marriages and divorce – if you can think of it then this book probably touched on it.

While several of the characters are based off of stereotypes, the characters themselves are fully fleshed out and wonderful in their own right. There’s Caroline, the town’s moral compass and Christian Upholder; Andy, local boy who left to find himself and returned with gorgeous Carl and together they opened the local bar; ‘Poor George‘ who has had every knock life could dole out and I tend to think he stole the show, next to. . . . .Grace aka/Madeleine – Every town has one – the requisite strong female who proudly brings her shotgun to a wedding ‘to celebrate!’ Oh the characters were so much fun and quirky and real. I felt like I was sitting at the local diner. Or plopped right down into the middle of an old favorite show Men In Trees. Or maybe “the book equivalent of a Meg Ryan film.” Or even better, the book and movie-version of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe!

Overall, there’s no way I could fully express how much I think you should read this one. It’s got a little bit for everyone.

In trying to capture all of the authors and books mentioned in the book, I highlighted more sections than not! There’s a passage on Dewey the famous Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World; the back story of how Penguin Books began in 1935 by founder Allen Lane; and oh so many quotes and references to books, all kinds of books! One thing is clear – Katarina Bivald is a fan of the Brontë Sisters and Jane Austen! That’s got to count for something, right!

I loved this book even more than I thought I would when I first saw the cover! It took me much longer to read than I would of liked, and normally take, but I started a new job so that has sadly cut into my reading time.

Every character in this very special book is unique and wonderful in his/her own way. It's lovely how Sara and Amy connected over books, and how their friendship ended up bringing out the best in everyone in Broken Wheel and brought out the best in Sara once she found her home away from home.

I don't usually read books over-and-over again because I'd rather read something new, but I know that when time goes by, I will revisit Broken Wheel!

I hope there is more story to tell!

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to download this title before it was archived

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Broken Wheel, Iowa, has never seen anyone like Sara, who traveled all the way from Sweden just to meet her pen pal, Amy. When she arrives, however, she finds that Amy's funeral has just ended. Luckily, the townspeople are happy to look after their bewildered tourist—even if they don't understand her peculiar need for books. Marooned in a farm town that's almost beyond repair, Sara starts a bookstore in honor of her friend's memory. All she wants is to share the books she loves with the citizens of Broken Wheel and to convince them that reading is one of the great joys of life. But she makes some unconventional choices that could force a lot of secrets into the open and change things for everyone in town.

Well, this was one of the dullest books I have come across in quite a while. Rather than rant about how bad things were, I will just make a short, handy list:

* No character development;
* No plot (that I could find);
* Reading about people reading isn't fun;
* Spoilers for other books isn't clever - it's annoying;
* The romance stories were boring and predictable.

That should just about do it.
I gave this two stars cos I really hate to only leave one - but one star is truly what it deserves.


Paul
ARH

I absolutely loved this cute story. I think it will be a great addition to the books that I recommend for bookclubs. The characters are diverse and interesting. I think that the story appeals to anyone who loves books and is searching for somewhere to call home.

I love books about books. This novel was about "book love", had delightful characters and an interesting story. The image of people watching the main character read in the window was particularly memorable. I heartily recommend it.

Would recommend it a good story you feel like you are on a rollercoaster if emotions

A good book club title, great for fans of Fredrik Backman.