How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry was just what I expected it to be: a sweet, warm and playful love letter to books, and to those who love them. Light and easy to read, it's the kind of book that can appeal to everyone.
I liked the style. It was simple yet evocative. It didn't stumble and meander around trying to show off how erudite and well-read the author was. No. There's no nonsense about Veronica Henry as she pleasantly describes houses, food, clothes, people, music. The style makes you feel like you're having a friendly chat with the author in a cozy café. You feel loved as you read this book.
I liked all the characters, and they were all complex, relatable and interesting in their own ways. In fact I grew so attached to each and every one that it seemed like 376 pages just wasn't enough. I wanted more. I felt their stories weren't, shouldn't be over yet. But then again, I suppose that's how life is. It's never really over. There's always gonna people you'll never meet, foods you'll never try, stories you'll never hear... *deep contented sigh*
You can tell the author herself is a great wine enthusiast. It's everywhere in her writing! The people of Peasebrook sure know how to live, that's for sure - they'll take any opportunity to whip out a bottle of Perrier-Jouet! 🍷😆
Another thing about the style is that the author herself is inescapably THERE. Nostalgic and sometimes mildly naughty, you practically hear her throughout.
One thing I didn't like was the using of the "big bad corporate asshole who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the struggling quaint little bookshop that the protagonist is sentimentally attached to" cliché. I mean, I understand that it's probably hard to think of any other dramatic situation that could possibly endanger a book shop. But still, I felt that it detracted just a little bit from the originality of this romantic summer yarn.
Of all the characters I felt especially attached to Julius himself. I was honestly so sad reading about his death. I enjoyed the fact that his story and person were more fleshed out in this book than the dead parent usually is in fiction. One actually gets to know him quite well. He's a wonderful and kind character and oh God, the chapters about him were some of some of my favorites. Soon as I'm done here I think I'm gonna go read them again. Jackson was another of my favorites - the saddening picture of a man with all the potential but the worst luck, trapped yet silently defiant. (Also he's cute 😉🤫)
So to sum this up, How to Find Love in a Bookshop was a wonderfully charming little read. The kind of book you breeze through in a few days, but keep in your heart forever.