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caslater83's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first Deborah Meyler novel. I'm quite pleased with her writing skills. Esme Garland sounds like a lovely young woman, someone that I think I could be friends with, even with our cultural differences. However, her taste in boyfriends makes me cringe. Mitchell is a selfish stuck-up snob who only thinks of his sexual needs, his public image, and his family fortune.
I sense that the author (Ms. Meyler) wanted us to develop an early approval/like for Luke. Naturally, it worked for me. Luke is the type of guy that seems to quietly like Esme, even though she doesn't really want to admit that Mitchell is all wrong for her. He's not really pushing the "Mitchell is not the guy you need in your life" envelope. He's letting her figure it out for herself, even though it does take some heartache on both sides. Love isn't just a feeling. It's action. What are you willing to do for love? Luke was willing to let the relationship between Mitchell and Esme fizzle out. He was still there for Esme while Mitchell was off doing his own thing. Luke's got heart. Mitchell doesn't even know what a heart is.
I hope that the next book I read will be as good as this one. It only got 4 stars instead of 5 because of the sexual content. Aside from that, I was perfectly happy with the book.
I sense that the author (Ms. Meyler) wanted us to develop an early approval/like for Luke. Naturally, it worked for me. Luke is the type of guy that seems to quietly like Esme, even though she doesn't really want to admit that Mitchell is all wrong for her. He's not really pushing the "Mitchell is not the guy you need in your life" envelope. He's letting her figure it out for herself, even though it does take some heartache on both sides. Love isn't just a feeling. It's action. What are you willing to do for love? Luke was willing to let the relationship between Mitchell and Esme fizzle out. He was still there for Esme while Mitchell was off doing his own thing. Luke's got heart. Mitchell doesn't even know what a heart is.
I hope that the next book I read will be as good as this one. It only got 4 stars instead of 5 because of the sexual content. Aside from that, I was perfectly happy with the book.
sjj169's review against another edition
1.0
I have no clue why I finished this book. I did it though. I always feel guilty if I don't make it through an ARC so I guess that prodded me on.
The main character Esme..good grief. The woman is living in New York working on her PHD for Gawd's sake. You think she would have a brain in her head. She does not even come close. Let that man walk all over you sister..while you whine that you love him. Make me sick.
I so wanted to just say walk away from his ass. You can raise a baby. Quit giving women a bad name!
Then there is Mitchell. This asshole has got to be one of my all time hates in a love interest. I can't even say he was the love interest. He was the sperm donor. That is all. He dumps her, finds out she is pregnant, comes back to try and make her choose between him or having the baby. Then Mr. Charming decides he wants to marry her. What does she do?? Frigging agrees.
She should have been saying this to him instead.
This book was supposed to be about a bookstore. There is some bookstore in it but it takes a backseat to this excuse of a love story. I may puke.
Then while Esme is pregnant she constantly whines about not being able to have a drink.
I hope that I have better sense next time and just slam the kindle shut if I pick up a book as bad as this.
I recieved an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm guessing this is about as honest as it gets.
The main character Esme..good grief. The woman is living in New York working on her PHD for Gawd's sake. You think she would have a brain in her head. She does not even come close. Let that man walk all over you sister..while you whine that you love him. Make me sick.
I so wanted to just say walk away from his ass. You can raise a baby. Quit giving women a bad name!
Then there is Mitchell. This asshole has got to be one of my all time hates in a love interest. I can't even say he was the love interest. He was the sperm donor. That is all. He dumps her, finds out she is pregnant, comes back to try and make her choose between him or having the baby. Then Mr. Charming decides he wants to marry her. What does she do?? Frigging agrees.
She should have been saying this to him instead.
This book was supposed to be about a bookstore. There is some bookstore in it but it takes a backseat to this excuse of a love story. I may puke.
Then while Esme is pregnant she constantly whines about not being able to have a drink.
I hope that I have better sense next time and just slam the kindle shut if I pick up a book as bad as this.
I recieved an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm guessing this is about as honest as it gets.
abbyistrying's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
booksnaturemagic's review against another edition
1.0
I wanted to like this book! I love bookstores and books, used to live in NYC and enjoy stories about the city, and I was intrigued by the plot about a single mom deciding to have a baby on her own. But ick. The main character, Esme, is so weak and, honestly, unbelievable. It is totally not plausible to me that a grown woman who traveled across the world to get her PhD at Columbia and is living on her own in NYC, studying art history and well versed in feminist theory and literature - that she would stay with a man who was so blatantly awful - belittling, controlling, perhaps even abusive. There was nothing at all plausible about their relationship - it was so obviously WRONG and she kept making dumb decisions that I couldn't stomach someone who was in her shoes would continue to make! And it was also blatantly obvious that the reader is supposed to yearn for her to end up with some other guy who works in the bookstore - predictable. The other thing that bugged me was how the author's snotty, hipster or perhaps intellectual bias kept slipping out. Disappointing - couldn't even finish it. Too frustrating.
nolsreadsbooks's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This book was shit
hsimonton's review against another edition
2.0
Couldn't finish this. I don't think Esme could have made a worse decision if she had tried - maybe she was trying
adrienneambo's review against another edition
3.0
Listened to this debut in the audio format. The narrator brought Esme Garland to life, so much so that I wanted to strangle some sense into her!!! On a PhD fellowship to Columbia for art history, Esme becomes involved with upper crust New Yorker, Mitchell van Leuven. Not all that glitters is gold and Esme discovers after becoming pregnant that Mitchell is not what he seems. Needing extra funds, Esme takes a position at the Owl, a small independent bookstore. I really enjoyed the story and thought the characters were well rounded, but at times a little pompous for my liking.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
4.0
Recommended by Andrea, who calls it "chick lit at its most intelligent.'' Read her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/815862743?book_show_action=false
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sbookstore%20meyler__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=pearl
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sbookstore%20meyler__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=pearl
cayceosborne's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good read, but I did get quite frustrated with the main character, which diminished my overall enjoyment. It never quite went in the directions I expected, which I do like, and it kept me up late last night, reading until the end to find out what would happen.
lola425's review against another edition
3.0
Cute book, especially if you love quirky, offbeat characters and musty old bookstores.