Good morning, friends!
I look forward to sharing this read with you.
Blurb:
What happens when a
high-powered attorney inherits a small-town bookshop that seems to have a mind
of its own?
Charlie Whitmore has her
life perfectly planned out. As a rising star at a prestigious Manhattan law
firm, she's on the fast track to partnership, with spreadsheets for everything
and a five-year plan that doesn't include any surprises.
Until her beloved Aunt
Beth dies and leaves her a small-town bookshop in Vermont.
Oak & Ink Bookshop
has stood in the heart of Leafwood Falls for nearly a century, beloved by
locals for its uncanny ability to match readers with exactly the right book at
exactly the right time. Charlie's plan is simple: assess the shop's value, list
it for sale, and return to Manhattan before her corporate career derails.
But Leafwood Falls has
other ideas.
Between a cantankerous
orange cat named Hemingway with very specific literary opinions, a shop
assistant whose organizational system defies all logic, and a community that
instantly adopts her as one of their own, Charlie's quick business trip
stretches into weeks. And then there's the bookshop itself—with its creaky
floors, mysteriously moving books, and secrets hidden within its walls.
As Charlie dives deeper
into her aunt's legacy, she finds herself torn between two worlds and two men:
Lawrence, a sophisticated developer with plans to transform the town while
preserving its charm, and Ethan, the rugged local contractor whose quiet demeanor
hides unexpected depths. One represents the safe, successful future she's
always worked toward; the other embodies the authentic connection she didn't
know she was missing.
With her carefully
constructed life unraveling, Charlie must decide whether she's just passing
through—or finally finding her way home. Because in a bookshop where stories
have a habit of finding the readers who need them most, perhaps the most
surprising story of all is her own.
Perfect for readers who
loved THE BOOKSHOP ON THE CORNER, THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP, and THE STORIED
LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY. A heartwarming story about second chances, finding your
authentic self, and the magic that happens when you open yourself to possibility.
This is
Book 1 in the
Leafwood Fall series.
I loved the characters - all of them. Each brought their own bit of quirkiness and charm to the story. Charlie was exactly as I knew she'd be. She had family history to immerse herself in; most of which she already knew and helped her to settle in to the challenges facing her. Sometimes we have to return to the life we thought we wanted to know, that wasn't the case at all.
I knew instantly I would Love Ethan. He reminds me of my husband. Quiet, handy, ready to jump in and help. While Lawrence may seem the perfect gentleman, be ware of a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Harley was my favorite of them all. Never mind I have a ginger cat with a full-blown attitude but cats and book stores just go together. They do make great sleuths, too?
Let's not forget the best character in the entire story- The Next Chapter Book Shop is indeed it's own character, with a little spirited guidance. ;-)
Do you think maybe Harley is connected to Great Aunt Eleanor, or maybe Aunt Beth in some way? Let me know if the comments what you think.
I am doing something unprecedented here. I've given books five quills in the past but none of them measure up to The Next Chapter Book Shop. I'd give the book at least eight, but alas we don't do more than five here, but I can push the envelope a bit.
I hope you'll read The Next Chapter Book Shop and the other four books in the series. In the mean time, remember to check out Brooke Skie on the two links below:
All my best!
~ Angela
