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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
This book was both wonderful and heartbreaking. It made me feel mad, sad, happy, and more. I enjoyed the relationship that Val developed with Millie and Liza. I loved how Val learned about her mom through the people her mom knew. A truly good story.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Sarah Jio is a new-to-me author, so I didn’t go in with any expectations and definitely didn’t imagine I’d be immediately sucked into Valentina and Eloise’s story. WITH LOVE FROM LONDON is bittersweet, but so incredibly lovely. Valentina is a recent divorcee who, on the same day her husband leaves her, finds out that her estranged mother, Eloise, who abandoned her when she was 12, has passed away and left her a bookstore in Eloise’s native London. I absolutely loved the parallel between the two women’s lives and was heartbroken that they were separated and never reunited in person. The story was full of not only those, again, bittersweet moments, but also moments of lightheartedness, love (though I would characterize WITH LOVE FROM LONDON as fiction with elements of romance, rather than straight romance), and forgiveness.
Sarah Jio is a new-to-me author, so I didn’t go in with any expectations and definitely didn’t imagine I’d be immediately sucked into Valentina and Eloise’s story. WITH LOVE FROM LONDON is bittersweet, but so incredibly lovely.
Valentina is a recent divorcee who, on the same day her husband leaves her, finds out that her estranged mother, Eloise, who abandoned her when she was 12, has passed away and left her a bookstore in Eloise’s native London.
I absolutely loved the parallel between the two women’s lives and was heartbroken that they were separated and never reunited in person. The story was full of not only those, again, bittersweet moments, but also moments of lightheartedness, love (though I would characterize WITH LOVE FROM LONDON as fiction with elements of romance, rather than straight romance), and forgiveness.
Valentina is a recent divorcee who, on the same day her husband leaves her, finds out that her estranged mother, Eloise, who abandoned her when she was 12, has passed away and left her a bookstore in Eloise’s native London.
I absolutely loved the parallel between the two women’s lives and was heartbroken that they were separated and never reunited in person. The story was full of not only those, again, bittersweet moments, but also moments of lightheartedness, love (though I would characterize WITH LOVE FROM LONDON as fiction with elements of romance, rather than straight romance), and forgiveness.
I really enjoyed this sweet story about a woman at a crossroads in her personal life, family life, and career. The description of the settings made me want to jump straight into the cozy, quaint London bookshop - an excellent escapist read in that respect!
I also loved the way the mother's story unfolded - I don't always love the dual stories in different time periods mechanism, but I enjoyed the way the reader learns alongside Valentina what happened over 20 years ago when her mom left LA for London.
There's some romance woven in, but it's more about Valentina, her mom, and a cute corner of London.
I also loved the way the mother's story unfolded - I don't always love the dual stories in different time periods mechanism, but I enjoyed the way the reader learns alongside Valentina what happened over 20 years ago when her mom left LA for London.
There's some romance woven in, but it's more about Valentina, her mom, and a cute corner of London.
As a mother, this book wrecked me. Utterly beautiful.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book felt like a warm hug. It is a love song to books and their power as well as to all book lovers. It's a very well crafted insight into very strong female characters and the weird routes life sometimes takes to get us to where we are supposed to be. It's no masterpiece but it is a good time with a cozy feeling throughout every page.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I needed an easy read after being emotionally destroyed by my last two books. This was a sweet story that served that purpose.
I wanted to love this book because it was cozy and sweet and emotional, but honestly, something was missing for me. It was like a puzzle that fit too neatly together. There was nothing really left to the imagination and I think, while sweet, there wasn't anything overly unique about this story.
I will give this book the positive remarks it's due as well. The story takes place mostly in London, so that's automatic brownie points. And I did love that the story centers around a mother's love for her daughter. I also loved the bookstore setting and the found family. But outside of that, the story was predictable and the character development was minimal.
All in all, it was a nice pallet cleaynlser, but I don't think I would recommend this to be prioritized over all the other books you may have on your TBR. Read if and when you have time and nothing else of interest on your list.