Book Review: The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
“Losing myself in Jenny Colgan’s beautiful pages is the most delicious, comforting, satisfying treat I have had in ages.”—Jane Green, New York Times bestselling author of Summer Secrets
Nina Redmond is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more.
Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile—a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling.From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.
When Nina is laid off from her readers’ advisory job at the library, she turns that passion towards something even more amazing. She moves away from a bustling city, to the quiet countryside. I admit to grinning like a fool when Nina opened her “bookshop-on-wheels”. What a way to spend a day. Matching potential readers with their perfect books, and wandering the Scottish countryside. Can I please trade places with her? What a pleasant way to live out your days.
As if a book love wasn’t enough of a reason to read this book though, there’s a romance brewing as well. A bit nervous about anything romantic, after her bad luck with men, Nina’s worry about diving headfirst into love is understandable. Which makes her slow decent into smitten territory absolutely adorable. It’s hard not to fall head over heels right along with her, and it endeared me to her immensely.
This book might be a little predictable, but it’s that kind of story that really just pulls you in. It’s all about life as a journey, and how we really never know what is going to happen next. It’s about embracing change. It’s an enjoyable read, and one that you can easily devour on a porch swing, or in a hammock
Plain and simple, this is a book that deserves a space on your reading list. I, for one, know that I’ll be hunting down more Jenny Colgan if this is what I have to look forward to.
FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.
