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A review by bzliz
The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson
funny
lighthearted
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
4.5
This was the cutest book I’ve read in a while. It’s sweet without being saccharine and has just the right amount of gentle twists. It’s proof that sincere romcoms need to make a comeback because this would be a perfect movie.
Maggie has always struggled to find her place in the world and is taking a break from disappointing her parents to help her friend Rochelle with her bookshop while she’s on maternity leave. The town of Bell River charms Maggie right away but that takes a turn when she sees how behind the times the bookshop is. She butts heads with Ralph Bell- the busybody micromanager who makes sure all his investments in the town in the name of his grandfather (author Edward Bell) stay under his thumb and revolve around the Bell Society- but Maggie managed to build a community but hosting a secret book club where authors put a modern twist on the classics. This also gives her the chance to secretly sell modern books (a fiendish practice explicitly banned by Ralph, who only wants the shop to sell classics and books by Edward Bell). All of this must also remain hidden from Ralph’s little spy, Malcolm, who keeps an eye on Maggie and the bookshop per his boss’s directions and harbors a secret love of sci-fi books. And of course, he’s cute.
The characters were all fun, though I think a few too many were named when they played little to no part in the plot. I love the relationship Maggie fosters with all the people in the town. She has a gift for bringing fun sprinkled with chaos wherever she goes and is full of excellent ideas for community events. She can win over anyone, even the local curmudgeon. My only disappointment was that we didn’t get to see more of her friendship with Rochelle.
Additionally, I appreciate the resolution of the book. It’s so easy to make a cartoonish villain out of someone like Ralph but the author humanized him in a very realistic way.
Shauna Robinson gave me faith in TikTok recommendations again. As soon as I finished this book, I immediately borrowed Must Love Books and I’m looking forward to her new book next year.
Content warnings:
Alcohol:Lots of drinking throughout, not important to the plot.
Infidelity:Edward Bell cheated on his wife. This is denied by Ralph and the Bell Society who basically gaslight everyone into believing the man was perfect. The evidence of this affair becomes important to the plot and is not there just for shock value.
Sexual content:pretty glossed over, not explicit at all. Easy to skip if you’re not interested.
Sexism: (big spoiler for the end of the book)Ralph tries to gaslight everyone into thinking Edward Bell was perfect when in reality he cheated on his wife with her cousin, Louise, then tried to forbid Louise from getting married despite being married himself, and then he plagiarized her manuscript and basically threatened her to stay quiet or he’s tell his wife about their affair. Ralph semi-attempts this in the present day but Maggie comes out on top.
Maggie has always struggled to find her place in the world and is taking a break from disappointing her parents to help her friend Rochelle with her bookshop while she’s on maternity leave. The town of Bell River charms Maggie right away but that takes a turn when she sees how behind the times the bookshop is. She butts heads with Ralph Bell- the busybody micromanager who makes sure all his investments in the town in the name of his grandfather (author Edward Bell) stay under his thumb and revolve around the Bell Society- but Maggie managed to build a community but hosting a secret book club where authors put a modern twist on the classics. This also gives her the chance to secretly sell modern books (a fiendish practice explicitly banned by Ralph, who only wants the shop to sell classics and books by Edward Bell). All of this must also remain hidden from Ralph’s little spy, Malcolm, who keeps an eye on Maggie and the bookshop per his boss’s directions and harbors a secret love of sci-fi books. And of course, he’s cute.
The characters were all fun, though I think a few too many were named when they played little to no part in the plot. I love the relationship Maggie fosters with all the people in the town. She has a gift for bringing fun sprinkled with chaos wherever she goes and is full of excellent ideas for community events. She can win over anyone, even the local curmudgeon. My only disappointment was that we didn’t get to see more of her friendship with Rochelle.
Additionally, I appreciate the resolution of the book. It’s so easy to make a cartoonish villain out of someone like Ralph but the author humanized him in a very realistic way.
Shauna Robinson gave me faith in TikTok recommendations again. As soon as I finished this book, I immediately borrowed Must Love Books and I’m looking forward to her new book next year.
Content warnings:
Alcohol:
Infidelity:
Sexual content:
Sexism: (big spoiler for the end of the book)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Infidelity, and Sexism