Book Review: "The Bookstore Sisters" and "The Bookstore Wedding" by Alice Hoffman

I have been reading Alice Hoffman’s books for a long, long time, and so many of them have been real favorites of mine. These two stories are part of a three-story series called The Once Upon a Time Bookshop series. (The third one, "The Bookstore Keepers,” publishes 2/4/2025.)

So many of Hoffman’s books are about family and love, and many contain elements of magical realism. These two stories focused on Sophie and Isabel Gibson, sisters who grew up on Brinkley’s Island in Maine.

Growing up, the sisters were inseparable. They spent hours in their family’s bookstore, hiding in the marshes with their mother, and enjoying her amazing baking. But when their mother grew ill and died, Isabel couldn’t wait to get off the island and never come back, while Sophie took on the role of caring for her sister and grieving father.

In the first story, Isabel lives in New York City. She wanted to be an artist but never could succeed; now she’s a dog walker and a divorcee. One day she gets a letter from home that simply says, “Help.” Although it’s been years since she’s been home or talked to Sophie, she rushes home to find she was summoned by Sophie’s daughter Violet. Sophie broke her leg and needs someone to run the bookstore; Isabel stays and tries to mend things with Sophie, but everyone is waiting for her to run away again.

In the second story, Isabel is well-ensconced on the island again, and is engaged to marry Johnny, her friend since childhood. But every time they schedule their wedding, something happens to derail it. Isabel realizes that love is patient but at times life is not; she makes some sacrifices but her wishes do come true.

These were beautiful, poignant stories. Each made me tear up and made me smile, and once again I’m reminded of the way Hoffman’s writing makes me feel.

Book Review: "Liars" by Sarah Manguso

“Agreeing to be someone’s wife should be done only if you can’t help yourself, I thought, but of course no one can help herself.”

When Jane meets John, she is an aspiring writer and he is a filmmaker. Jane loves the fact that they’re both artists, that they’re both committed to their craft, and want to achieve success. She definitely is in love with John, but she isn’t entirely sure if she should marry him—there are signs that he is irresponsible with money, not good at following through on his commitments, and is fairly lazy.

But eventually they do marry, and Jane quickly sees that John prioritizes his career and his happiness over hers. There are wonderful moments, however, so she believes that successful marriage is about compromise and occasional sacrifice. She loves John and is tremendously attracted to him.

Eventually, Jane gets pregnant and gives birth to a son. For the most part, John abdicates almost all responsibility for taking care of the baby, and has very little sympathy that Jane is exhausted and unable to write. And at the same time, John’s constant trouble keeping jobs results in their moving back and forth across the country, leaving Jane to do all the work and find child care.

Little by little, John’s constant gaslighting, neglect, and refusal to help Jane leaves her continually angry and at times makes her physically sick. She’d like to leave but doesn’t want to jeopardize her relationship with her son. And then one day, John tells her he wants a divorce, and she learns the extent of his deceit and manipulation.

This was a heavy read, frank and graphic, and written in a stream-of-consciousness style. I wanted to shake Jane to make her see what a monster John was, and at times, this is an emotional journey for Jane. But it’s a very powerful look at a woman’s struggle to survive a bad marriage and motherhood.

Book Review: "Oh Buoy" by Ava Olsen

I watch very little television, but I will admit to occasionally binge-watching Below Deck. I don’t know why, but the whole chartered yacht vibe, rich people behaving badly, and drama between employees fascinates me. (Plus the crew is usually quite attractive.)

This book is the first in a 5-book series called Voyagers, and it definitely gave me Below Deck vibes. It’s romantic, super steamy, emotional, and there are lots of vivid descriptions of beautiful places, delicious food, and sexy people.

Andrew is about to start working as chief steward on the superyacht Now, Voyager. The last thing he’s expecting is how unbelievably handsome Rowan, the yacht’s owner, is. And while there’s definitely chemistry between them, Andrew has just been rebuilding his life after a workplace romance fell apart, so he needs to keep business and pleasure separate.

Rowan has been struggling, both professionally and personally. Ever since his relationship with a celebrity ended, he’s been the subject of paparazzi and gossip, which hasn’t been good for the family business. He cannot get Andrew out of his mind, but the last thing he needs is a scandal involving an inappropriate relationship with an employee.

The more they try to fight it, the more intense their feelings grow for each other. Can they wait until the charter season is done and then Andrew will no longer be an employee? Or is a chance at forever worth the risks?

“He wrecked my body and ruined my heart, and it was the most beautiful feeling imaginable.”

Book Review: "Things Don't Break On Their Own" by Sarah Easter Collins

“I think about all the small things that build and destroy us, all those little things we choose to hide and reveal, forget and forgive. How we all carry hidden histories that we continually circle back to, the things that make us soar, or slowly unwind.”

Twenty-five years ago, Willa’s sister Laika disappeared without a trace. Willa left for school without Laika, and Laika left shortly thereafter, but she never made it to school. There were never any clues as to what could have happened to her.

Willa’s life has been defined by Laika’s disappearance. For years she has thought she saw Laika everywhere—in school, on a street in Paris—but it never has been her. But she feels like if her sister died, she’d know it, feel it.

One night Willa attends a dinner party at the home of her best friend Robyn and Robyn’s wife Cat. Robyn’s brother attends with his girlfriend, Cat’s brother does the same. During dinner they talk about how memories can be real or derived from things we were told, pictures, or a series of occurrences. But the dinner party also lays bare a secret.

While this is being marketed as a thriller, it is not. There are elements of mystery here, but at the same time this is a character-driven story, told from several different perspectives, shifting between past and present. The pacing is a little slow at first, but that’s okay, because it gives you time to get drawn into the exquisite way Sarah Easter Collins writes.

This made me think, about memory, love, loss, the things we do out of love and fear, and the things we regret not doing. While it’s a different book than I expected, I thought it was fantastic.

Book Review: "Wish You Weren't Here" by Christy Schillig

Ava couldn’t be more of a type A person if she tried. Despite having an artist for a mother, Ava lives for schedules and plans. When her mother died, she decided to abandon her dreams of teaching and become a lawyer instead, like her father.

She’s already secured a job at a prestigious law firm, and the last thing she needs to do is go to Italy for her final law school credits. Before Ava was born, her mother spent time in Urbino, so that is where Ava is headed. Just before she heads to Italy, she believes her long-time boyfriend will propose, but she is shocked when he suggests they take a break instead.

James and Ava don’t quite have a meet-cute; it’s more like a meet-angry. James is an hour late to pick Ava up at the airport, and she figures that he’s just a hired driver. Imagine her surprise when she finds out he’s a talented photographer and art history professor—and she’s going to be the TA for his class.

They’re both immensely attracted to each other, but they always seem to make the other one angry just before something can happen. It doesn’t help matters that Ava is living in the guest house on his family’s property, and quickly becomes a part of the family.

James doesn’t have to work too hard to get Ava excited about the art and beauty of Urbino, and she is energized by what she finds out about her mother’s time there. But James also wants to get Ava to abandon her rigid adherence to schedules and enjoy life—and love, even if she’s going to be heading back to the U.S. to start her job.

This is a gorgeously romantic story. Yes, you can predict what will happen, but the incredible setting, the banter and chemistry between James and Ava, the memorable supporting characters, the emotions, and the steam all make it an incredible book to get lost in. I can’t believe this is a debut; it’s clear Christy Schillig has quite a career ahead of her!

Book Review: "The Fiction Writer" by Jillian Cantor

Have you ever read a book that you didn’t really like but you needed to read it in its entirety to see how everything was tied up in the end? Asking for a friend.

“That’s what writing fiction was, wasn’t it? Processing your own life, answering all those questions in any way you wanted to, since fictional worlds operated with their own language and their own rules and their own timelines. They offered their own answers.”

Olivia’s first novel was published to some acclaim, but her second novel, which was a retelling of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, was panned by critics. When editors pass on her third novel, she’s in need of money and, perhaps, a new career choice.

Then her agent calls with a sweet deal. Apparently megabillionaire Henry “Ash” Asherwood wants Olivia to write about his grandmother, and is willing to pay quite well. Intrigued by the opportunity and the client (named People magazine’s sexiest man alive twice), Olivia flies to Malibu to learn more.

Ash tells Olivia that his long-dead grandmother originally wrote the story which became Rebecca, but du Maurier stole it. But the more Olivia asks for proof, the more Ash seems to stall her and try to distract her in all sorts of ways. At the same time, Olivia is curious about Ash’s young wife, who died in a mysterious car accident.

The plot of this book was definitely an example of if it seems too good to be true, it is. Olivia stupidly gets led on by Ash for far too long, and then the story takes so many tangents I didn’t quite know what to expect. There was lots of stuff left unresolved and I was hoping for so much more out of this book. And since I never read Rebecca, I don't know if that knowledge would have made a difference to my enjoyment.

Book Review: "A Novel Summer" by Jamie Brenner

I have a number of authors I can count on to deliver feel-good books. Jamie Brenner is definitely one of those; her books are always full of smiles and tears, romance and fun. And her newest book is no exception.

Shelby, Hunter, and Colleen became best friends one summer, and during college, Shelby spent every summer with them in Provincetown, working at Colleen’s family’s bookstore. When they graduated, they went their separate ways. Shelby went to New York to become a writer, Hunter to Boston to work for a publisher, and Colleen stayed put to manage the bookstore.

Three years later, Shelby’s first novel, celebrating her love of Provincetown, is released and quickly becomes a bestseller. But when she returns to the island to celebrate, there are some people, including Hunter, who feel like Shelby used their lives and secrets to sell a book. Shelby can’t escape quickly enough.

But a few months later, Colleen calls Shelby and asks for a favor: can she run the bookstore for the summer? She ultimately agrees and tries to do all she can to keep the store afloat. At the same time, she tries rebuilding her relationship with Hunter, as well as her ex-boyfriend and his family, who weren’t happy with the way Shelby left so easily years before.

The road to success—and forgiveness—never runs smoothly. There are lots of obstacles to conquer on the store’s behalf, and Shelby must make a crucial decision about her second book. Can she write a book she loves and have the relationships she so cherishes?

There’s lots of drama and emotion in this book, but there’s also humor and heart. And much like Nantucket, Provincetown has become another literary setting I can’t get enough of.