View source for How to Find Love in a Book Shop by Veronica Henry

{{infobox1
|title=How to Find Love in a Book Shop
|author=Veronica Henry
|reviewer= Louise Jones
|genre=General Fiction
|summary= Welcome to Peasebrook: a charming Cotswold town full of people searching for romance. Nightingale Books is the heart of the community, but can it afford to stay open in the face of mounting debts?
|rating= 4
|buy=yes
|borrow=yes
|pages=336
|publisher=Orion
|date=June 2016
|isbn=9781409146889
|website=www.veronicahenry.co.uk
|cover=140914688X
|aznuk=140914688X
|aznus=140914688X
}}
It is with a heavy heart that Emilia Nightingale returns home to the pretty Cotswold town of Peasebrook. Her beloved father Julius has just passed away; his legacy, a well-loved bookshop that serves as a beating heart to the community. Julius was loved by all: he always had time to listen to his customers and share a recuperative cuppa in times of need. However, his finances were another matter entirely and Emilia wonders how she can keep the bookshop open with an ever-mounting pile of debt. Greedy property developer Ian Mendip would be only ''too'' happy to help out, but can Emilia really give up on her father's dream?

''How to Find Love in a Bookshop'' is a delightful tale set in an idyllic location which follows the stories of an eclectic cast of characters. At the heart of the story is the recently-bereaved Emilia, who is desperate to keep her bookshop afloat. We also meet Lady of the Manor Sarah Basildon, who has her own, very personal reasons for taking an interest in the bookshop. Meanwhile, single dad Jackson is looking for books to share with his little boy, but despite his flirty nature, Emilia sense that he is still in love with his ex, Mia. Shy schoolteacher Thomasina has fallen for the local cheesemonger whilst browsing for cookery books. Will she be brave enough to make the first move, or will her shyness get in the way?

This is a lovely, escapist read and although there are a lot of characters in the story, they are all well-written and memorable, which makes it easy to work out who's who. There are many story threads to follow and characters weave in and out of each other's stories, but it never gets too confusing and the whole story has an upbeat and feel-good style.

Emilia is a likeable protagonist and we are desperate for things to work out well for her as we see how much the bookshop means to the community. Although her father Julius is now dead, we meet him in several flashback scenes and realise how dear he was to the people of Peasebrook.

I loved reading about how the different characters in the book found their perfect partners and this really is the perfect book for hopeless romantics! Many thanks to the publishers for my review copy.

Bookbag also enjoyed [[The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George and Simon Pare (translator)]], the story of a bookshop on a barge in Paris, where the kindly Monsieur Perdu prescribes books to soothe the soul.  We also enjoyed [[Soft in the Head by Marie-Sabine Roger]].

Have you ever fancied [[Career options in a bookshop that might interest you|working in a bookshop]]?

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[[Category:Women's Fiction]]