A multi-layered story, full of twists and turns, beautifully read. Especially for book lovers! ( )

So good, great characters, a little different from the typical "book shop" centered book ( )

An enjoyable read, set in a bookshop, though Loveday Cardew’s big secret wasn’t so secret to me. I easily worked out what was coming, although other elements were more of a surprise at the end. I’m not a fan of first person, so this, together with the way the book is structured, meant it took me over 100 pages to truly drop into Loveday’s world. Once I did, I found this more enjoyable. I liked the characters, good and bad, and in-between — like people, characters aren’t always perfect citizens; that would be boring. I struggled a little with why Loveday found it so hard to confess her story to ‘anyone’, even a single soul — I would hope we’d be more understanding these days — but then she’s worked so hard to cut herself off from any form of risk. She says one horrible thing towards the end that jarred, though it’s so small it didn’t put me off the book — that ‘people are imperfect’ thing again, and we all have an uncharitable or selfish thought occasionally. I liked the locations in the book. The plot and conclusion were satisfying. Archie was a fun addition to the cast. ( )

{stand alone; fiction}(2017)

I picked this up thinking it would be a fluffy 'chick lit rom com set around a bookshop' type of book but it's actually about the protagonist coming to terms with her life. I admit it was not one of my usual genres, but it was nicely written.

This story is told in the first person from Loveday's point of view. She's had a traumatic childhood and has a huge chip on her shoulder because of it; in fact, she's quite a prickly character. Despite this Archie, the proprietor of the 'Lost for Words' second hand bookshop, not only employs her but keeps a guardian angel's eye on her. As the story begins, Loveday finds a book of poems on the pavement as she's going to work one day and puts a notice in the window. As a result she meets Nathan, a magician and poet and a gentle soul, who (in spite of her resistance) courts her.

The narrative is split between three timelines in Loveday's life: now (2016), the past (2013) and even further back (1999) with her parents. She is a very introverted personality who has difficulty relating to other people. We realise that she had a loving childhood but something went wrong at some point, which has affected her whole life since then, and this is slowly revealed in the chapters with her parents.

The story is set in York and other parts of Yorkshire, which I appreciated because we spent a couple of weeks there - coincidentally in 2016. Loveday works in a bookshop - so of course there are lots of book references, for those bookaholics among us. There are also a lot of (original) poems written (purportedly) by Nathan and Loveday for the monthly poetry slam meetings which Nathan runs.

Initially, until her story unfolded further, I thought Loveday was on the ASD spectrum but when I realised she wasn't I didn't feel that her childhood - traumatic as it must have been - was enough of an excuse for her to be as emotionally removed as she was; something, in fact, that she came to realise herself at the end of the book. And I thought that she got a bit of a fairytale ending.

As I said before, not quite my cup of tea but interesting enough nevertheless.

(August 2023)
3-3.5 stars ( )

A most lovely book in its own right, but especially if you like books about book shops. If you do like books about book shops then this ones a good 'un, it's like a mix between 'The Little Paris Bookshop' and 'The Keeper of Lost Things'.

But as well as being a lovely book in its own right, it really spoke to those of us who have been through the 'Care of the Local Authority' system (or at least it did to this one of those 'us').

And then there's the added bonus that was all the Whitby stuff. I used to go there a fair bit in my teenage years and if, like me, you remember Whitby from your childhood, then that's another reason to read this book.

Did i mention the mystery thing? Yeah, there's the usual mystery going on for you mystery readers -- will it be solved or won't it, what's it all about, etc., etc..

Oh, and before i forget, there's even a love story thing as well? Yeah, one of those, but, don't worry, it won't distract you from the best bits.

So it's pretty much got a bit of everything going on in it, and it's got it going on really well, so it's definitely a keeper. One day i plan to get around to reading it again. ( )