I can’t believe I had no idea that these books existed until I took a trip to the bookstore for my birthday, a longstanding tradition of mine that I look forward to every year. Anyways, I got these for a great bargain which allowed me to binge this series quite quickly. I’m looking at finishing the third book this February.
The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts by Annie Darling follows fellow bookworm Posy as she navigates the new world of owning a beloved bookshop with ties to her past. It was left to her from a very close friend and grandmotherly figure but unfortunately the shop hasn’t been doing well so she has to figure out a way to reintroduce the store and vamp up its customer base before it’s too late and it has to close up forever. Her favourite genre is romance which leads her to create a bookstore dedicated to it. Risky and for many, including the previous owner’s grandson, Sebastian believe that this isn’t worth it but she persists.
“There was no point in explaining to Sebastian how lovely it was to crack open a new book and inhale that wonderful smell. Or the powdery, almost earthy smell of old books. To feel the comforting weight of a novel in your lap, or let the pages dampen and curl as you read in the bath. He wouldn’t get it.”
I really loved the enemies to lovers romance between Posy and Sebastian as the plot progresses because their heat is derived from the plot itself and their differing opinions which only proved to readers how different their personalities and goals really are. I felt like it created a great drama where he was always in the back of her mind which increased the likelihood of her dreaming about him and writing him into her own amateur regency novel (which we get snippets of throughout the story) It added a quirky, humorous element to the story which only increased the simple charm of these small bookshops. It was on theme throughout! They also don’t have the same opinions when it comes to books in general which only drives Posy further into the endeavour hoping to prove him wrong!
“I only have to look at a bar of dairy milk and it goes straight to my hips, Yvonne sorrowfully declares.
‘I wouldn’t worry about it,’ Sebastian said. ‘Nice to have something to grab hold of, isn’t it.”
I found a respect for Sebastian after reading this because so many times men in this genre fall in love with women and are attracted to women who are the skinny model types but not with him. I really appreciated this different outlook for his character. I also had a great laugh reading this because not only do I love dairy milks but also the fact that this is a common saying but it felt so genuine in it’s delivery making it original rather than another cliche.
Not only is the romance sweet and wholesome in their fighting but the supporting characters are also full of personality as well which is amazing when it’s the side note to the story. And again they get their personality through a great sense of humour, once more reinstating the initial charm to the plot.
“They fetishise feminine stereotypes. They’re the culinary equivalent of a pair of pink stilettos.’ Mattie said scathingly. ‘They’re a triumph of buttercream over substance. If you want cupcakes then let’s call this whole thing off.’
‘Well, I like cupcakes but I don’t have a strong position on them,’ she said.”
This just makes me laugh every time!
These are fun and charming and so wholesome that I can’t recommend them enough! The romance is sweet more than steamy but it only allows the love of books to be the centre of the story which a fellow reader such as myself can appreciate. Posy’s position on the scent of books was described to a tee and Mattie’s freak-out and rather strong opinion on cupcakes just made this book shine! Sebastian’s ideological outlook on beauty made me appreciate and respect his character as well which I loved because typically most romance books have the same body type of heroine. Or at least the ideal heroine stereotype that makes them attractive and I’m just glad that the love interest here has a different outlook from the norm.
I can’t wait to read the next book, True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop!
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