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mdevlin923's review against another edition
3.0
After her library is closed due to budget cuts, Nina Redmond is jobless...and soon to be homeless because her roommate refuses to store any more of Nina's many, many books. So, Nina decides to do the unthinkable: she buys a van and she moves to a small village in Scotland to start her own business: Little Shop of Happy-Ever-After. At first, Nina is miserable; but she quickly adjusts to rural life and falls in love with the small village...as well as her attractive landlord, Lennox.
A quick and easy read that feels very cozy. Sometimes it was difficult to figure out how much time had elapsed during jumps in narrative, but it didn't really affect the story.
A quick and easy read that feels very cozy. Sometimes it was difficult to figure out how much time had elapsed during jumps in narrative, but it didn't really affect the story.
fezzik's review against another edition
hopeful
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
5.0
thenovelbook's review against another edition
Not sure how to rate this one, as I loved the beginning but not so much the latter part. The plot is perfect: a 30-ish librarian out of a job takes to selling books out of a van in rural Scotland. The descriptions of the scenery and the people in the village are delightful.
But somewhere along the way, Nina's romantic entanglements take center stage and they're rather seedy by my standards, and, near the end, a little too PG-13. I generally recognize that this happens with modern books (and often prefer to avoid them) but the premise, reviews and beginning of this one were so sweet that I had higher expectations for it. Oh well!
But somewhere along the way, Nina's romantic entanglements take center stage and they're rather seedy by my standards, and, near the end, a little too PG-13. I generally recognize that this happens with modern books (and often prefer to avoid them) but the premise, reviews and beginning of this one were so sweet that I had higher expectations for it. Oh well!
katie_samsock's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I heard about this one on my favorite book podcast, Currently Reading, and then book serendipity kicked in when this popped into my line of sight at a used bookstore. A character driven but very propulsive story, especially for those of us who love books about books.
roxnn2000's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to this book and absolutely adored it!
I connected with the main character Nina almost instantly. Her love of books hit me in a way that I understood completely. I wanted to go on that journey with her. Where would her love of books take her?
I also really loved all the other characters and how they all interacted with each other. Nina's friends were unique instead of being almost carbon copies of her. Their relationships seemed organic rather than forced.
Not once during the listening of this story did I feel like an element was forced. The way Nina interacted with new characters made sense with all that was going on in her life. Losing her job that she loved, unable to deal with the way libraries were changing, starting a new business in a new place. All those factors brought Nina to where she was in each moment.
I loved the romantic elements because they were downplayed until the 2nd half of the story. I found that made the most sense as the first half Nina was still trying to figure things out. Once she did, she was able to open herself up to new emotions and experiences. Even when they did come in, it wasn't so over the top that it seemed forced or unnecessary.
I laughed, I gasped, I yelled at Nina that she was being stupid sometimes, my heart raced. Overall, I loved this book.
I connected with the main character Nina almost instantly. Her love of books hit me in a way that I understood completely. I wanted to go on that journey with her. Where would her love of books take her?
I also really loved all the other characters and how they all interacted with each other. Nina's friends were unique instead of being almost carbon copies of her. Their relationships seemed organic rather than forced.
Not once during the listening of this story did I feel like an element was forced. The way Nina interacted with new characters made sense with all that was going on in her life. Losing her job that she loved, unable to deal with the way libraries were changing, starting a new business in a new place. All those factors brought Nina to where she was in each moment.
I loved the romantic elements because they were downplayed until the 2nd half of the story. I found that made the most sense as the first half Nina was still trying to figure things out. Once she did, she was able to open herself up to new emotions and experiences. Even when they did come in, it wasn't so over the top that it seemed forced or unnecessary.
I laughed, I gasped, I yelled at Nina that she was being stupid sometimes, my heart raced. Overall, I loved this book.
artyabd's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0