Saturday, April 3, 2021

Review: Bookshop by the Sea

Title: Bookshop by the Sea
Author: Denise Hunter

Publisher: 13th April 2021 by Thomas Nelson

Pages: 336 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: romance

My Rating: 3 cups


Synopsis:


Sophie Lawson should be enjoying her sister’s wedding day. But nothing could have prepared her to see the best man again.


After her mother became bedridden and her father bailed on the family, Sophie found herself serving as a second mother to her twin brother, Seth, and younger sister, Jenna. Sophie supported her siblings through their college years, putting aside her own dream of opening a bookshop in Piper’s Cove—the quaint North Carolina beach town they frequented as children.


Now it’s finally time for Sophie to follow her own pursuits. Seth has a new job, and Jenna is set to marry her college beau in Piper’s Cove. But the destination wedding reunites Sophie with best man Aiden Maddox, her high school sweetheart who left her without a backward glance.


When an advancing hurricane strands Aiden in Piper’s Cove after the wedding, he finds the hotels booked to capacity and has to ask Sophie to put him up until the storm passes. As the two ride out the weather, old feelings rise to the surface. The delay also leaves Sophie with mere days to get her bookshop up and running. Can she trust Aiden to stick around? And will he find the courage to risk his heart?

My Thoughts

Anything with books and the beach will catch my attention - this is such an appealing cover. I mean, who would not want to escape with a book to the sea? So if you are after a light, sweet story with romance then reading this book is sure to fit the bill. 


Readers must note that this is a ‘Christian’ read and there are references to Church, prayer and God - not overly so - yet it does set the tone. A light romance centring around a second chance at love with themes of hope and fortitude. The read will be predictable, as books of this genre often are. 


Whilst I found the read light and easy I did struggle to connect with the leads of Sophie and Aiden. Without enough real background detail of their first time round, I found the great resentment to be overwrought, the anger unwarranted and therefore fell a bit flat in my opinion. I also felt the relationship Sophie had with her father and siblings - whilst highly likely for some people in certain circumstances - was a little too over the top with how far she went to accommodate them. In many ways it proved rather frustrating. 


So if you are in the mood for a quick read with a book store set up (about halfway into it) and a love reconnection romance, this might be the one for you. 


“I’ve always been an avid reader, and I worked at a library in Raleigh. I love how books can transport you to another place. You get caught up in the characters’ lives, and they become your friends. I guess I want to share my love of reading with others.”





This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

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