How To Find Love In A Bookshop by Veronica Henry

"Absolutely delightful." --People

The enchanting story of a bookshop, its grieving owner, a supportive literary community, and the extraordinary power of books to heal the heart

Nightingale Books, nestled on the main street in an idyllic little village, is a dream come true for book lovers--a cozy haven and welcoming getaway for the literary-minded locals. But owner Emilia Nightingale is struggling to keep the shop open after her beloved father's death, and the temptation to sell is getting stronger. The property developers are circling, yet Emilia's loyal customers have become like family, and she can't imagine breaking the promise she made to her father to keep the store alive.

There's Sarah, owner of the stately Peasebrook Manor, who has used the bookshop as an escape in the past few years, but it now seems there's a very specific reason for all those frequent visits. Next is roguish Jackson, who, after making a complete mess of his marriage, now looks to Emilia for advice on books for the son he misses so much. And the forever shy Thomasina, who runs a pop-up restaurant for two in her tiny cottage--she has a crush on a man she met in the cookbook section, but can hardly dream of working up the courage to admit her true feelings.

Enter the world of Nightingale Books for a serving of romance, long-held secrets, and unexpected hopes for the future--and not just within the pages on the shelves. How to Find Love in a Bookshop is the delightful story of Emilia, the unforgettable cast of customers whose lives she has touched, and the books they all cherish. @goodreads 

I just finished the most wonderful story! 

The story of Emilia, her father Julius and their bookshop, Nightingale Books. 

The book starts with a prologue telling of Julius finding the bookstore with Emilia as a little babe in the pram. That was back in the 80's. Cut to 32 years later and Emilia is grown up and coming home because her father is dying. It was a bittersweet story and brought tears to my eyes. 

We get to read into the past of what happened in Julius life and where little Emilia came from. How he started the bookshop and we learned what a wonderful person Julius was. 

Excerpt: 

There would always be a half-full cup of coffee on the counter that he'd begun and never finished, because he would get into a conversation and forget about it and leave it to get cold. Because people dropping in to chat with Julius all the time. He was full of advice and knowledge and wisdom and , above all, kindness. 

As a result, the shop had become a mecca for all sections of society in and around Peasebrook. The townspeople were proud of their bookshop. It was a place of comfort and familiarity. And they had come to respect its owner. Adore him, even. For over thirty years he had fed their minds and their hearts, aided and abetted in recent years by his assistants; warm and bubbly Mel, who kept the place spick-and-span, and lanky Dave the Goth, who knew almost as much as Julian about books but rarely spoke--though once you got him going, it was impossible to stop him. 

Her father was still here, thought Emilia, in the thousands of pages. Millions--there must be many millions--of words. All those words, and the pleasure they had provided for people over the years: escape, entertainment, education . . . He had changed minds. He had changed lives. It was up to her to carry on his work so he would live on, she swore to herself. 

Julius Nightingale would live forever. 

End Excerpt. 

Emilia decided she was going to do everything possible to keep the bookstore open. She found out through her best friend, who happened to be an accountant, that things didn't look good but they could bring it back around. 

And with chance meetings with people that came into the shop, Emilia found a wonderful group of people to help with different things to make Nightingale Books rise and shine! 

I loved all of the characters that were in the book that added to the story and Emilia's and Julius life in many different ways. 

I loved the love interest that finally after so many years came to fruition. 

I loved everything about this book. It took me to my happy place. I would recommend this to anyone that wants to read a feel good book with a great cast of characters. Yes, there are sad times but that is life. I'm so glad I took this journey. 

Mel ♥

  Thank you to Blogging For Books for a print copy of this book.