How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry: a completely bewitching, uplifting and touching story, linking books and love. What more could you possibly want?

The plot:

Everyone has a story, but will they get the happy ending they deserve?

Emilia has just returned to her idyllic Cotswold hometown to rescue the family business. Nightingale Books is a dream come true for book lovers, but the best stories aren’t just within the pages of the books she sells – Emilia’s customers have their own stories to tell.

There’s the lady of the manor who is hiding a secret close to her heart; the single dad looking for books to share with his son but who isn’t quite who he seems; and the desperately shy chef trying to find the courage to talk to her crush…

And as for Emilia’s story, can she keep the promise she made to her father and save Nightingale Books?

How to Find Love takes you on a moving journey, not to be forgotten

First things first, I’d like to say that as a book lover, it is so nice to read a book which is so focused on books and love – I’ve read something slightly similar recently which was about a café, but How to Find Love definitely upped the romance game for me.

I went into this having had read quite a lot of thrillers and sad books, so I was really hoping for something that would keep me engaged but not having plot twists and not leave me heartbroken. The beginning of the book is actually quite sad, and I’d only set out to read 50 pages, but ended up reading 120 in the first sitting. But I loved it from start to finish, and the sadness at the beginning only made me appreciate the characters and story more.

For me, the book just came to life through the way Henry makes you feel – I wanted to be transported to Nightingale Books, and the author did not disappoint. It felt like she had taken what books mean to her and written about a passion, dragging in what every book lover feels when stepping into a bookshop.

It’s a very easy read, with quite big font and lots of conversation, but there were moments Henry went into so much detail and I could envision everything. At times, there are quite a lot of characters and they don’t necessarily have a distinctive voice, but it’s easy to follow their stories.

I loved how all the stories cross over, and shows the true impact of what books, friendship and love can do to each person and the overall impact. The characters were fab, and the protagonist just felt like a real person who is trying to find her way through the world; with relatable characters and a wonderful concept, How to Find Love takes you on a moving journey, not to be forgotten.

I did cry at the last 20 pages, and definitely got goose bumps. I found myself laughing and crying, for all the right reasons.

If this book didn’t feel like it was already giving me a hug, I genuinely hugged the book after finishing it. It was just so warming and pure; I loved everything about it.

P.S I added lots of books to my TBR, so this book gets a big thumbs up from me just for that!

How to Find Love in a Bookshop, Veronica Henry, RRP £8.99 (paperback); Book Depository 

Pages: 367

Publisher: Orion Books

Genre: Romance/ Contemporary Fiction