Finally, a proper romance with meaningful soul-searching, something I usually miss in this kind of story. I must say I absolutely loved it, and it moved me emotionally several times throughout the book. I smiled, and, yes, I cried–more than once.
This is the story of Bay Bookshop co-owner, Lily, who’s had a couple of bad romantic experiences and is fed up with the men in her life. Now, she’s facing a different problem: her stepfather and business partner needs surgery, and they need to fill in his position during the 4-month recovery period.
On the other hand, there is Lars–a half-English half-Icelandic guy who has just sold his company and has nothing to occupy his time and mind. Now lost, he finds himself looking for his next professional adventure. A book lover, he’s drawn to the vacancy at Lily's Bay Bookshop, but he suffered all throughout his youth because of his accent, his family and at school… and he unleashed that anger on Lily, his schoolmate, back then.
Will they be able to overcome their past and find a way to work together? Could something new spark between them—something powerful enough to heal wounds both old and new?
→ SPOILER ALERT (jump to next part if you haven't read it yet).
There are a couple of things that slightly pissed me off and they are the reason I am not giving it the full 5 stars: first, Lily’s attitude about the boy who “needs to be fixed”, and second, the idea that after two disastrous relationships, one date with a new guy and she’s already thinking about her wedding dress? Seriously, girl? Didn't we learn? I think that's all for the negatives...
→ You are safe again.
Again, this is a heartfelt story of loss, love, and rediscovery—but above all, about family bonds and finding the right person.
There was a point in the story where I thought there was something about this street and its traders that I should know about but didn’t. I found out in the final acknowledgments that this is Redland’s 27th book, and I believe that some of the previous ones are set in this area. It was a vague feeling, though, and it didn’t really affect my reading experience.
However, I wanted to comment on this to praise Jessica Redland for achieving that. It’s not easy, especially after writing so many books, as I mentioned in this cozy mystery review or yet in this one and this other one. Although there are writers who really do a good job in this area too.
Ms. Redland had an advantage, though, as the characters do change from one story to the next.
Special quotes (beware of vague spoilers):
- “From now on, only books were allowed to reduce me to tears.” (Lily, chapter 5).
- “I’m sure those happy memories will keep coming back to you when you’re ready for them.” (Lily, chapter 50).
Rating: ★★★★⯪
If you're interested in romance, you'll find more reviews following this link.
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