A review by melinda
The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler

4.0

Esme Garland is a young expatriate from Britain studying Art in New York City. She’s pursuing her dream in a city she loves, has an adorable apartment and a used Bookstore with quirky workers that she visits often. Esme also has a boyfriend, Mitchell, she loves who has “old money” and doesn’t always say the nicest things. He dumps her right before she can tell him that she’s pregnant and from there she is completely unsure what to do.

Esme is quirky and witty and I loved this character from the beginning. Her observations on things throughout the book from the city to the people she meets were amusingly spot on with her outsider’s view on everything. I wanted to slap Mitchell on at least 15 different occasions, but I could also picture him vividly as a real person.

However, the best part of this book is The Bookstore. The Owl is full of fun characters, both entertaining and touching at different turns. The various people at the store are the heart of this novel, which feels like the point of it to me. From the nurturing store owner to the homeless guy everyone cares about and the patrons that come and go, these are where Esme gets the friends and caring that everyone needs in any situation.

I love books about books or books with bookstores as a characters. As a debut novel, or as whatever number of novel, this was a great book and I recommend it to anyone who loves books.

I received this ARC from Netgally in return for an honest review.