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The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander #Review

  The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander was published by Avon Books on September 25th.  A charming literary-themed novel about a young woman determined to save her great-aunt’s beloved bookshop from extinction by the shiny new competition—which also happens to be run by the handsome son of her family’s rivals. The cute, seaside town of Portneath has been the home of Capelthorne’s Books for nearly a hundred years… The shop, in the heart of a high street that stretches crookedly down the hill from the castle to the sea, may be a tad run-down these days, but to Jules Capelthorne, the wonky, dusty world of literary treasures is full of precious childhood memories. When her great-aunt Florence gets too frail to run it alone, Jules ditches her junior publishing job in London and comes home to make the bookshop’s hundredth birthday a celebration to remember. Jules quickly discovers things are worse than she ever imagined: The bookshop is close to bankruptcy, ...
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You only live once by Maxine Morrey #Review

 


This is another great read from Maxine Morrey. You Only Live Once was published by Boldwood Books on June 14th. 

 When Lily’s husband dies, she moves to the edge of a tiny village, settling into a solitary life, her only real company her brother and his family. A quiet life becomes her safe space, with no risk of getting hurt.

When her brother offers her spare room to his oldest friend, Jack, Lily’s reluctant – but knowing how much she owes her family, can’t say no.

A lodger takes some getting used to but to her surprise, Lily begins to enjoy Jack’s company. Slowly but surely, Jack encourages Lily to step outside her comfort zone.

But taking risks means facing the consequences, and telling people how she really feels, means Lily might have to face losing them. But as the saying goes - you only live once - and being brave could mean Lily gets a second chance at love…


 My Thoughts

I loved this novel as I found Lily to be such an interesting character. It is very much her story as she slowly began to emerge from the life she has constructed for herself after the sudden death of her husband some years ago. You get to see her vulnerabilities and to see how self-aware she learns to be about her own behaviour. Although grief and loss are part of the story, Lily finds the courage to look forward.

    If anyone is going to tempt Lily out of the cocoon she has built around herself, it is going to be Jack. He also has hidden depths. Lily remembers him a s the player he appeared to be when they were teenagers but as you discover, there is much more to him than that. I enjoyed some of the larger than life characters you get to meet, especially Jack's family. Second chances, starting again, moving forward- these themes give the story a hopeful tone. I can thoroughly recommend it for the characters and the narrative.

In short: Second chances after loss

About the Author


Alana Oxford is a Michigan author of romcoms, sweet romance, and humorous women's fiction. She wants her stories to bring sunshine and smiles to her readers. She enjoys improv comedy, moody music, everything book related, and has an ongoing love affair with the United Kingdom.

 

You can follow Maxine here:  Website  |  Twitter  | Instagram |​ Facebook    |  Pinterest  |  Newsletter Sign Up
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Book links: Amazon UK   | Amazon US


Thanks to Maxine Morrey, Boldwood Books and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the event.

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