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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sweet and charming.
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Emma Rini has been left to run the family bookstore while her sister and her husband get ready for the birth of the first child and her parents celebrate another vow renewal and travel while planning to retire from the bookshop soon. These changes won’t change anything for Emma because her entire life has been the bookstore. No vacations, no romantic relationships, just shelving and selling books. After she sees her family all having fun without her and assumes she will keep the store going after their retirement Emma hits a breaking point. If she ever has a chance of any “me time”, it is now.
Emma’s favorite poet is Emily Dickinson and she has the chance to stay in a deteriorating manor house in Amherst, Dickinson’s hometown, and find her inner Emily. She quickly books a six-week stay. But living a reclusive life isn’t as easy as she thought. The manor is cold and can’t build a fire. She planted a garden but the rabbits decided it was planted as their lunch. The handyman’s visits to help her are contentious. Plus she keeps receiving flowers with unsigned cards. Did she have a secret admirer?
She finds herself pulled in several directions. She has some big decisions to make. Does she finally put herself first? or will she return to what she had hoped to leave behind?
I have read several of Emily Dickinson’s poems over the years so the theme of this story made me excited to read this book.
I immediately felt for Emma. Family businesses are hard when everyone is on the same page but horrendous when one person is left responsible for everything. Emma is just like I was, not wanting to make waves, so she holds everything in but I was still upset with her family for making assumptions and decisions and not including her in the conversations. The people she met in Amherst were interesting and felt true to life. She met several at a letter-writing class at the local bookstore and I love the whole idea of the class. Davis, first known as the “handyman” turned out to be her landlord and an architect with a plan to renovate the manor as soon as possible. He is also very easy on the eyes. Plus, he has an adorable dog.
Emma tries so hard to do things Emily Dickson did but she does start to open up slowly. She is unsure about a lot of things, putting more pressure on herself every day. Davis also deals with pressure and strife within these pages. I had fun watching them grow right up to the final page. One mystery in the story was evident to me quickly but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of this story. Another was a mystery until it was revealed.
Not Quite by the Book is a fun entertaining read. I was drawn in more with each chapter. The pacing was perfect. The world-building created great imagery and loved that the wi-fi was nonexistent in the manor. For me, it was A Perfect Escape.
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes