Stacey Ballis and Jenny Colgan fans have a new author to love--Veronica Henry. She's got a pretty good backlist of novels, but they're not available in the U.S., which I hope changes soon.
Emilia Nightingale returns to Peasebrook, a lovely little town in the English countryside, to take over her father's bookstore, Nightingale Books. Emilia's father was a beloved figure in town, and his death leaves not only Emilia lost and grieving, but quite a few of the townspeople, as well. Emilia plans on taking over the bookstore, but has a slimy businessman angling to buy the store so he can gain access to much needed parking space for an apartment building behind the shop. She also finds out her father wasn't the best businessman, and the bookshop is in danger of closing.
The cast of characters rounds out this novel and keeps it from being all focused on Emilia and the bookshop. Ms. Henry cleverly weaves books, reading, and the bookshop into multiple storylines--from the local wealthy married woman who had a affair with Julius Nightingale; to Thomasina, the very shy yet talented chef who has a crush on the local cheesemonger; and Alice, engaged to a sophisticated city man, but not realizing her heart lies with someone else in Peasebrook. There are even more storylines; Emilia's got her own chance at love, too. I was happy reading about all of the people and their situations, and felt completely at home in the English countryside.
A HUGE thank you to Viking/Penguin Books for the opportunity to read this before publication. I'm afraid I wouldn't have found this book otherwise, and that would have been such a shame.
Rating: 5/6 for the perfect read to take me away from everyday life and into a bookshop that I hope exists somewhere in this world. Wherever it is, I'd like to visit it sometime.
Available on Tuesday, August 15th in hardcover and ebook in the U.S.
Oooh, looks like a good one. Hope you share your review with everyone over at Books You Loved August. Cheers from Carole's chatter
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