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, unlikely to make it to its own centenary celebration, and
the lease on the building is up for renewal. With a six-figure sum
needed, the future looks bleak.
To make matters
worse, the owner of the property is the insufferable Roman Montbeau,
from the posh, local family who owns half of Portneath. The Montbeaus
and Capelthornes have feuded for years, and Roman has clearly not
improved since he tormented Jules as a child. Fresh from a high-flying
career in New York, he is on a mission to shake things up,
and—unforgivably—proves his point about Capelthorne’s being a relic of
the past by opening a new bookshop directly opposite—a shiny,
plate-glass-windowed emporium of books.
Jules may not
be able to splash the cash on promotions and marketing like the
Montbeaus, but she’s got some ideas of her own, plus she has a tenacity
that may just win the hardest of hearts and the most hopeless of
conflicts.
Let the battle of the bookshops commence…
My Thoughts
Any book lover is going to enjoy this story with its echoes of Romeo and Juliet and references to different literary periods and authors. Jules and Roman meet up again after a decade away and sparks fly as they become locked in a fight between their two bookshops. Their families have been mortal enemies for decades although no one can really remember what exactly caused it. The Montbeaus are the richer and more successful of the pair, with money, influence and priviege. Jules' family, the Capethornes, are much reduced but also well established in the community.
Jules has spent a decade in London trying to get into publishing and hoping to escape her small town childhood. However, recently she has begun to question her choices. Her mother, you realise, found the role difficult and Jules was 'mothered'more by her great Aunt who is a bright and sparky character who has passed on her love of books. Roman has similarly spent time away in New York, learning the book industry, as he wanted to avoid the high expectations of his family. There is plenty of humour and romance in the story with likable characters and a mystery from the past to uncover. I see that a followup is planned which I am looking forward to reading.
Ibn short: will love find a way?
About the Author
Poppy Alexander is the author of The Littlest Library,
Storybook Ending, and 25 Days ’Til Christmas. She wrote her first book when she was
five. There was a long gap in her writing career while she was at school, and
after studying classical music at university, she decided the world of music
was better off without her and took up public relations, campaigning, political
lobbying, and a bit of journalism instead. She takes an anthropological
interest in family, friends, and life in her West Sussex village (think The Archers
crossed with Twin Peaks), where she lives with her husband, children, and
various other pets.
You can follow Poppy here: website | Instagram | Facebook
Book links
Thanks to Poppy Alexandra, Avon Books and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Thanks for the blog tour support x
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