Reviews - The Boardwalk Bookshop

330 reviews for:

The Boardwalk Bookshop

Susan Mallery

3.59 AVERAGE

okiecozyreader's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

I loved her book The Vineyard at Painted Moon and was glad this is the Brenda Novak book for June. I like most books that have Bookshop or Library in the title. I loved this book about female friendship, family relationships and was glad to see a good therapist!

Three strangers meet at a boardwalk rental space and not having the money to rent it independently, they decide to go in together. Bree owns a bookshop that she relocated there, that she inherited from her deceased husband. Mikki has been divorced three years, with grown children and a new desire to have her own gift shop; and Ashley is young, in love, and has a muffin bakery. Friday nights, they sit on the beach with a bottle of champagne from Ladies Know Wine reviews and discussed the week.

“This moment, this laughter, this friendship. It was unexpected, but she liked it. These women had, in a short period of time, become important to her. Their weekly ritual grounded her and made her feel she belonged.” P153

In the heaviness of the world, it’s nice to read a book of three women, who are very different, who can become like family to each other. I even had a few tears in my eyes at the end (and I’m not a crier.)

I loved Bree and her bookstore that didn’t carry literary fiction, because her parents are famous literary writers who didn’t have time for her.

“You’re a bookstore owner who loves books but hates writers?” P74

—- more quotes

“Hiding doesn’t help. Hiding gives the problem more power. Every time you hide, it grows until you’re overwhelmed.” P157

I loved some of the banter, like this:
“You make me insane.”
“I know it’s hard when I’m reasonable. You’re going to have to learn to live with that.” P230-231

“But her friend was unable to change, despite being loved by a great man.
Because love didn’t transform a person into someone else, she thought as she parked in her spot. Love wasn’t a cute or a solution. Love might make a person want to be their best self , but it didn’t fundamentally alter beliefs.” P317-318

“I used to think you were some amazing woman - elusive and beautiful. That if I could just figure you out, I could make you fall in love with me. But after what happened that night, I’ve realized you’re an empty shell pretending to be a person. I can’t believe how much time I wasted wanting something that turned out to be nothing.” P331-332

vshah's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 14%

Too much exposition, the characters felt flat and unlikeable

crafalsk264's review against another edition

3.75

emotional funny inspiring reflective slow-paced

Three women are hoping to rent a desirable shop on the local Boardwalk but it is too big for any one of their businesses. They begin to talk and some one suggests they go in together to rent and share the space. So Bree, owner of Boardwalk Bookshop, Mikki, owner of The Gift Shop, and Ashley, owner of Muffins to the Max, become partial space holders in the large retail space. Bree has been married to and is now widowed by a man who schemed to take advantage of her. She also comes from a childhood of parental neglect. Now she has vowed that no one else will ever get close enough to hurt her. Mikki has been divorced for 3 years and she is just beginning to venture out with a date. She is facing an empty nest when her leaves for college. Ashley has a long term relationship with a “significant other.” But Ashley wants a commitment. Each woman and each of their life situations is completely different, but they are determined to face them together.

There is no major plot action, instead this book is an exploration of the characters of the women and those around them—parents, children, employees and customers. The “action” is how day-to-day circumstances and the emotions impact them and how they deal with life as it happens. The characters are well developed and, at the end of the book, all are better than when they started. The story is about friendships, relationships and family. I liked all of the characters except one or two not so nice guys. I will seek out other books by this author. I recommend to readers of romance, family dramas and books about books.