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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Solid 3 star book. It was exactly like a Tyler Perry movie; 4 friends working together to create something while dealing with individual relationship issues. Easy read, easy to relate to, easy to feel the feels.
You know how, sometimes, watching stupid people can be fun? Yeah, this wasn't one of those times.
Look: I get it. There needs to be conflict or there is no story. But this was absolutely painful to read. I kept pushing myself to read so it would be over quicker. Nearly every character was annoying and grated on my nerves. It reminded me of my experience reading Katharine McGee's Rivals; all the characters lack brain cells. And the characters in The Bookshop Sisterhood are meant to be at least (if not over) ten years older than those in Rivals.
Kent was the only character I truly liked. Which, honestly, wasn't that high of a bar to start with.
Celeste's opposition to therapy made me want to tear my hair out. Toni not telling her fiancé
she couldn't conceive almost made me throw my phone at the wall. Yasmeen I absolutely couldn't take, especially when she ignored the walking red flag that was Cashmere. (Has she never heard the horror stories of people winning the lottery?) I hate "you were adopted and we didn't tell you until now" and the "I feel betrayed you didn't tell me I was adopted; you aren't my real parent(s)" plot lines with a burning passion.
Wade should grow a spine (and also should have told his wife that he was going to therapy as soon as he started? This is common sense, I fear. If Celeste had known he was going, I think she might have considered it since they were doing it together). Edwin should have told Leslie she was adopted ASAP, Aaron's plain stupid, and Julie and Henry need to be slapped back from whatever fantasy they were living in. (I mean, asking their adult daughter—who they put up for adoption when they were teens and did not raise—to call them mom and dad?)
Some lines I highlighted:
"Celeste wanted to take a picture but refrained because the Amish didn't like photographs."
The reason you didn't take a picture of a stranger shopping is because they are Amish and don't like photographs? Not because it's weird to photograph strangers just going about their business?
And this gem from Wade who wanted a divorce from Celeste and moved into his own apartment but, at the end of the novel when they reunite, says, "Girl, I left to get your attention."
DNF at 30%. The writing wasn't very good and all four of the main characters are insufferable. These grown women are so immature with no conflict resolution skills, all dealing with their problems by pretending they aren't happening.
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While the premise of this book was compelling, I just found the execution of it lacking. I found myself disliking every single one of the main characters at some point-some more than others. There was far too much petty and catty remarks from 30-something year old women for it to make sense to me. These women are grown!!
I like how they brought attention to some core issues, however, it just fell flat for me :(
I like how they brought attention to some core issues, however, it just fell flat for me :(
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was hoping for a book about four friends opening a bookstore together. Instead, it was 93% women making terrible, terrible financial decisions and suffering almost no consequences for them. (The most egregious moment: (moderate spoilers) a character has lost money in the stock market, but then she sits down and "studies the numbers" and just magically earns all the money back, plus some. Hey, poor people: have you considered just studying the numbers and becoming rich? Offensive is a strong word to use, but these privileged characters put me on edge.
The events of the book overall felt incredibly contrived (multiple major life events happen to all four friends in the span of a few weeks?!). The longer the book went on, the less I liked the characters. And the bookstore itself is pretty much an afterthought.
Finally, look, I love that the author wanted to lift up other authors. That's really nice. But it leads to all of these unnatural passages where it reads things like "Leslie picked up her cell phone, which was sitting on top of Danielle Smith's book Strangers Meeting. She walked down the hall, thinking that she might want to sit down and read Emilia Rogers' Free Fall for a while before bed."
The cute cover was the best thing about this book.
The events of the book overall felt incredibly contrived (multiple major life events happen to all four friends in the span of a few weeks?!). The longer the book went on, the less I liked the characters. And the bookstore itself is pretty much an afterthought.
Finally, look, I love that the author wanted to lift up other authors. That's really nice. But it leads to all of these unnatural passages where it reads things like "Leslie picked up her cell phone, which was sitting on top of Danielle Smith's book Strangers Meeting. She walked down the hall, thinking that she might want to sit down and read Emilia Rogers' Free Fall for a while before bed."
The cute cover was the best thing about this book.
emotional
medium-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
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes