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A review by thebookishnarwhal
Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello
5.0
Are you looking for a gift-wrapped escape, perfect for curling up by the fire during the holiday season? Or at any time of the year, really. Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello transports readers into the enchanting world of a London Black-owned bookshop called Wonderland.
Meet Trey Anderson. Charming and handsome, he juggles the pressures of school popularity with his job at the beloved local bookstore. Meet Ariel Spencer. Quirky and creative, she dreams of attending the prestigious art program but lacks the necessary tuition. When an opportunity arises at Wonderland, Ariel sees it as her chance to make her dreams come true.
However, there's a twist: Wonderland faces imminent closure due to neighbourhood gentrification. Trey and Ariel join forces to prevent the doors from shutting forever before the Christmas Eve deadline. As they work together, will their relationship evolves from animosity to something deeper?
The cozy London bookshop, with its shelves of stories and secrets, becomes a character in itself. Bello weaves in critical topics such as the importance of indie bookstores, the impact of gentrification, body diversity, and grief over losing a parent. This story perfectly captures the magic of love, community, and the power of a good book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Press for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Meet Trey Anderson. Charming and handsome, he juggles the pressures of school popularity with his job at the beloved local bookstore. Meet Ariel Spencer. Quirky and creative, she dreams of attending the prestigious art program but lacks the necessary tuition. When an opportunity arises at Wonderland, Ariel sees it as her chance to make her dreams come true.
However, there's a twist: Wonderland faces imminent closure due to neighbourhood gentrification. Trey and Ariel join forces to prevent the doors from shutting forever before the Christmas Eve deadline. As they work together, will their relationship evolves from animosity to something deeper?
The cozy London bookshop, with its shelves of stories and secrets, becomes a character in itself. Bello weaves in critical topics such as the importance of indie bookstores, the impact of gentrification, body diversity, and grief over losing a parent. This story perfectly captures the magic of love, community, and the power of a good book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Press for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.