Name: The Bookshop on the Shore
Rating: 3.609090909090909 (165 reviews)
ISBN: 9781785418907

Jenny Colgan

Zoe is a single mother sinking beneath the waves as she tries to cope by herself in London. Hari, her gorgeous little boy, is perfect in every way, except for the fact that he just doesn't speak. When her landlord raises the rent on her flat, Zoe doesn't know where to turn - until she discovers an opportunity for not one but two jobs in the Scottish Highlands, and decides this could be the change she desperately needs. Faced with her new boss Ramsay and his three unruly children, she begins to wonder if she's made a terrible mistake. But Hari has found his very first real friend, and no one could resist the beauty of the loch glinting in the summer sun. If only Ramsay would just be a little more approachable...

The Bookshop on the Shore

Dreya

freya 

Nina Redmond is a librarian with a gift for finding the perfect book for her readers. But can she write her own happy-ever-after? In this valentine to readers, librarians, and book-lovers the world over, the New York Times-bestselling author of Little Beach Street Bakery returns with a funny, moving new novel for fans of Nina George’s The Little Paris Bookshop. Nina 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.

A Novel

The Bookshop on the Corner

LeeSa Geelhood

Super cute. Picked it up because of it's setting in Scotland. Not disappointed.

Sarah Sammis

The nuts and bolts of this novel is Nina's adjustment to life in Scotland and how she and the town are better for her decision to move there. There's also a bit of a romance, one that reminds me of the romances of Trish Doller and Jen DeLuca. It's a charming book but one that would have been better without the idiotic name change and cover redesign. 

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2024/01.html


Privileged	Home	Railroad	006600

Super cute chick flick book about books and it made me want to visit Scotland too!

Melissa Palmer

Book #108 Read in 2016
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

Nina is a librarian whose library is downsizing and going digital. She brings carloads of excessed library books home every night after work. What will she do with these books? What will be her next job? She goes to Scotland to look at a van for sale in the hopes of starting a mobile book shop. Will a job be all she finds or will she find romance and a place to call home? This was a good, quick read with aspects of romance and humor in, as well as homage to books that bibliophiles will love.

A grand baronial house on Loch Ness, a quirky small-town bookseller, and a single mom looking for a fresh start all come together in this witty and warm-hearted novel by New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan. Desperate to escape from London, single mother Lottie wants to build a new life for herself and her son Raffie. She can barely afford the crammed studio apartment on a busy street where honking horns and shouting football fans keep them awake all night. If she doesn’t find a way out soon, Lottie knows it’s just a matter of time before she has a complete meltdown. On a whim, she answers an ad for a nanny job in the Scottish Highlands, which is about as far away from the urban crush of London as possible. It sounds heavenly! The job description asks for someone capable of caring for two…well, the advertisement says “gifted children”; the reality is more like “feral wolverines.” The children’s widowed father is a wreck, and the kids run wild in a huge tumbledown castle on the heather-strewn banks of Loch Ness. Still, the peaceful, picturesque location is everything London is not—and Lottie rises to the challenges of the job. With the help of Nina, the friendly local bookseller, Lottie begins to put down roots in the community. Are books, fresh air, and kindness enough to heal this broken family—and her own…?

Patricia Nelson

I won an advance copy of this book from Goodreads and it is so good! What a great summer read, with great characters, twists and surprises, and more. What I loved the most, though was the setting in Scotland where my grandparents were born. It was great to 'visit' there for a few days while I dove into this story. Highly recommend!

The gorgeous new book from Jenny Colgan that Goodreads reviewers are calling: 'A massive hug in book form', 'utterly charming', 'magical', 'heartwarming', 'feel good', 'a breath of fresh air', 'easily one of the best books I have read this year', 'perfect feel-good fare for the summer', 'a lovely, heartwarming read' ***** Escape to the Scottish Highlands where a tiny bookshop perches on the edge of a loch Zoe is a single mother, sinking beneath the waves trying to cope by herself in London. Hari, her gorgeous little boy is perfect in every way - except for the fact that he just doesn't speak, at all. When her landlord raises the rent on her flat, Zoe doesn't know where to turn. Then Hari's aunt suggests Zoe could move to Scotland to help run a bookshop. Going from the lonely city to a small village in the Highlands could be the change Zoe and Hari desperately need. Faced with an unwelcoming boss, a moody, distant bookseller named Ramsay Urquart, and a band of unruly children, Zoe wonders if she's made the right decision. But Hari has found his very first real friend, and no one could resist the beauty of the loch glinting in the summer sun. If only Ramsay would just be a little more approachable... Dreams start here... 'Wonderful story with a hint of magic about it. Just lovely' - Katie Fforde 'A funny warm book with fantastic characters... and books!' - Sophie Kinsella 'Gorgeous location, dancing dialogue and characters you'll fall in love with. Irresistible!' - Jill Mansell 'The Bookshop on The Shore is a charming, heartwarming, gobble-it-all-up-in-one-sitting kind of book, a tale of new beginnings with characters you'll love and root for from the very first page.' - Mike Gayle 'Such a sweet tale and beneath the surface she deals honestly and movingly with poverty, anxiety and loss. You read it quickly, but you won't forget it.' - Keith Stuart

Marloes

Gisela Ayala 

“Books had been her solace when she was sad, her friends when she was lonely. They had mended her heart when it was broken, and encouraged her to hope when she was down.” 

The Ripped Bodice book store posted earlier this week about fluffy reads and how amazing they can be. I believe with my whole being that The Bookshop on the Corner qualifies as a fluffy read, something lovely and funny and romantic that is was needed during crazy times. I felt so warm and happy listening to this book. Nina is so passionate about books, I couldn't help see a bit myself and my bookish friends in her. 

Also, I could completely see this becoming a movie with all the fun characters, the Scottish setting (swoon), and the slow burn romance that just COMPLETELY EXPLODES in the most wonderful and sexy way. 

I love this. Read it and feel joy.

Emily Insinna

It’s been a long time since I started and finished a book in less than 12 hours but I couldn’t put this down. The way the author describes the small towns and the big city really show the difference in time for Nina. I also love the ups and downs Nina has to deal with and how she overcomes them. I’m most likely going to pick this for my book club when it’s my turn again. Highly recommend

Celeste Richardson

Full review now posted below!

I love books with all of my heart. Most kids sleep with stuffed animals, but I slept with some book or another even before I could read them for myself. I was born with an intense love for words and the worlds that writers can craft with them. Because of that fervent adoration for all things books, I delight in finding books about books. Sadly though, more often than not the books-about-books that I pick up tend to leave me disappointed. There are a few exceptions, of course; The Shadow of the Wind, The Neverending Story, and Inkheart being a few that made me so happy that my heart felt as though surely it would burst. But others, such as Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, Fangirl, and this one, all left me feeling unsatisfied. 

The first set of books were truly odes to the power of books. Books were conveyed as important, friends to be treasured and revisited as often as possible. The second set of books I listed started out that way. But, eventually, books cease being viewed as treasures and are viewed instead as crutches, things only clung to by those who aren't truly living their own lives and thus have to live vicariously through the stories of others. I disagree with that view of books vehemently. Yes, books are a safe place to turn to when you’re lonely or in pain. I can logically agree that books are sometimes used as crutches to help us get through life. My problem with that line of thinking is this; what on earth is wrong with crutches?! I would rather have something to lean on that helps me walk steadily and securely through my life than hobble because I’m too proud to use a crutch. Besides that, in the words of George R.R. Martin, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”

Now, onto the actual book I’m supposed to be reviewing. The Bookshop on the Corner was really cute, especially through the first half. Nina, our main character, was faced with a huge change in her life, and she made the most of it by embracing her love of books and her dream of fostering that love in others by opening her own book shop. Her bookshop wasn’t conventional, and neither was the community she moved to in order to open it, but it suited her well. She had a cast of cute and sometimes crazy friends and patrons who for the most part were incredibly supportive. Nina’s favorite thing in the world was literary matchmaking, pairing a person with the perfect book for where they were in their life. That is, until love derailed her life. (Those of you who have read this, I hope you liked my pun there!) And that’s where the book let me down, where it shifted from a love story about books to just being a love story with a few books scattered here and there. And the love story was my most hated trope, a love triangle. Both guys were cute and all, I just can't stand love triangles for some reason. They make my lip curl. Also, I’ve become spoiled to the phenomenal writing found in fantasy nowadays, and the writing in this book fell flat for me comparatively. This story was light and cute and sweet, but it just felt like consuming empty calories.

Anna Berg

3.5 
A little flat, but still a feel-good book about the enjoyment of books and a little romance up in the Scottish highlands.

Sophie Hutchings

Soooo this was a cute book, I had to pick it up because books and Scotland is a great combo.

However I have a few complaints (not spoilers but some things I need to note) on the edition I brought the back cover states that Zoe moves to Scotland to work at a bookshop and the owner is a man named Ramsey. Which is obviously not the case, if you read the description for this editor on GR it is correct, Zoe moves to Scotland to become an au pair and work at a book van. 

This book is also the second in a series, BUT the authors notes at the front of the book says this is not a squeal you don’t need to read the first book to enjoy this, correct HOWEVER it is a squeal, there is so many mentions and follow ones from characters in the first book. So, I did feel like I was playing slight catch up with who was who etc 

But, I enjoyed this book! It wasn’t centred on the romance, it was more about the growth of the characters, you learn a lot about the children & their issues. It is about finding your own happiness and family etc etc A very cute Scottish read, had lots of drama around the children and what not because they needed big changes and caring for! There was a lot about that and the dad Ramsey that bugged the crap out of me, but it always worked out in the end. Would recommend if you want a simple family read.

Susan Forsythe

Bec Taylor

5 stars because it was EXACTLY what I needed to read at the moment - sweet, warm, great mix of characters that had just enough flaws that made them realistic but not enough that they drive you mad. 
Light, fluffy and just right.

A grand baronial house on Loch Ness, a quirky small-town bookseller, and a single mom looking for a fresh start all come together in this witty and warm-hearted novel by New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan. Desperate to escape from London, single mother Zoe wants to build a new life for herself and her four year old son Hari. She can barely afford the crammed studio apartment on a busy street where shouting football fans keep them awake all night. Hari’s dad, Jaz, a charismatic but perpetually broke DJ, is no help at all. But his sister Surinder comes to Zoe’s aid, hooking her up with a job as far away from the urban crush as possible: a bookshop on the banks of Loch Ness. And there’s a second job to cover housing: Zoe will be an au pair for three children at a genuine castle in the Scottish Highlands. But while Scotland is everything Zoe dreamed of—clear skies, brisk fresh air, blessed quiet—everything else is a bit of a mess. The Urquart family castle is grand, but crumbling, the childrens’ single dad is a wreck, and the kids have been kicked out of school and left to their own devices. Lottie has her work cut out for her, and is determined to rise to the challenge, especially when she sees how happily Hari has taken to their new home. With the help of Nina, the friendly local bookseller, Zoe begins to put down roots in the community. Are books, fresh air, and kindness enough to heal this broken family—and her own…?

Liz Carpenter

I mean, Scotland and books and a new batch of hilarious children and a relatable plucky heroine and possibly the Loch Ness monster ... what's not to love?

Rebecca Briesemeister

I really loved Nina Redmond, she was imperfect yet so fun and someone I would want to be my best friend. She is shown to be afraid, yet doesn't miss out on taking risks for her happiness. The development of Nina was so interesting and to see how she dealt with setbacks was inspiring. I loved reading her journey from working in a library to running a successful bookshop in a town that forgot how to love reading. 
One of the biggest strengths of this book was the characters. Each character was their own and easy to tell apart from one another. Each character was memorable and I loved reading about them.
Where this book fell flat for me was the use of a love triangle. I loathe love triangles so the presence of one automatically made me turn away. The first half of the book is mainly focused on books and Nina changing her path to success while the second half shifts to the love triangle and Nina going after what she decided for herself in the first half.

Jen Estrella

One of the coziest, fluffiest books I've read to date. Yes, it's formulaic. Yes, the romance is predictable but you know what, I grinned like an idiot and giggled like a teenager so whatever. I would recommend reading this in the Spring or Fall if you want something light and cozy and sweet. 

I guess I know what I'm reading for the rest of the year.

Carrie MacKay

Jennifer Rittall

I was so excited to be approved to receive this ARC. I love Jenny Colgan. There is always a romance involved in her books but the surrounding story and sense of place is what makes it for me. The Bookshop on the Shore is no exception.

Hannah

I loved this, a very typical Jenny Colgan book, but that’s why I loved it. Jenny Colgan is definitely my favourite author and her books are so comforting and heartwarming. 
Hair and Patrick’s friendship is so lovely and cute

Renee Delcourt

I feel like this book was written just for me. I loved this book wholeheartedly. It made me laugh and smile, and uncharacteristically sad. I love the character growth of Nina. How much she changes from the beginning of the book and becomes a better version of herself. I look forward to reading the sequel and some of Jenny Colgan's other books.

I'm so sad to be rating this one a three star. I think I'd really rate it a 3.5. I have genuinely loved Jenny Colgan's book so far and was so excited to be reading the sequel or spin off if you will to The Book Shop on the Corner. I loved Nina and Lennox from the first book and I knew going into the sequel that this new book was not supposed to be their continued story. I knew that it was a new storyline and characters. So I kind of thought this book would have detached more from the previous plot line more than it really did. I struggled to get as connected to the characters and the plot line was a bit slow moving. It wasn't till I got to about halfway that I started getting really into the relationships in the book. I am still very glad I read it, but I think this may be my least favorite of Jenny Colgan's books.

This is one where I don't think the star rating matters as much. I enjoyed the first quarter of the book immensely. It was Nina finding her voice and getting out into life while balancing her love of books.

Then, the men were introduced. 

After that, it mainly turned into Nina pining after one man or the other and not knowing what to do and not being independent, which was just nauseating to read. There was a divorcing man and the introduction to the wife was so stereotypical and just a pain to read. Blech.

I would have enjoyed it so much more if Nina had been able to live with a healthy dating life for a bit. It would have been more enjoyable. It was a cute read, but definitely not one for the feminist reader. It ground my gears, anyways.

Marisa Shibata

really cozy, quick read. exactly what i needed after the weight of the secret history.

The Bookshop on the Shore

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