Cathy Reviews: The Bookshop on the Corner

My mother-in-law Cathy is back today to share her latest review!

THE BOOKSHOP ON THE CORNER
Jenny Colgan
Adult Fiction
368 pages
William Morrow
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Nina Redmond 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.

CATHY'S THOUGHTS
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan is a charming book, especially for those who have been book lovers since childhood. This book brought back memories of how I loved going to the bookstore. I couldn't wait to see what books awaited me. Though in the story it's a mobile bookstore, it holds the same feel of anticipation for all those book lovers in the small towns of Scotland.
 
Nina is more than a librarian, she is a true book lover who enjoys pairing just the right book with each person. When her job is eliminated, she decides she is going to start fresh and follow her dreams. She buys an old van that everyone told her was too big for a "little lady" and leaves her home to head for the glens of Scotland. All is not easy for Nina but she perseveres. Some of her failures are treated with humor, but Nina feels things deeply and believes the best of everyone. Because of this, she has some very painful moments. Nina is so passionate about life, but most is based on what she has read in books rather than experienced. There are many great references to other books that makes you want to read them all. But as Nina travels around Scotland and actually becomes involved with her customers, she begins to live her life not just through books.
 
Ms. Colgan not only has us fall in love with Nina but also the life and culture of Scotland. The descriptions of the scenery and customs draw us in and we are rooting for Nina to embrace and be embraced. There is a romantic interest for Nina that starts on the wrong foot, but like everything else in her life, it takes work. But I think Nina's name for her mobile book store is perfect foreshadowing for this book. She named it Happily Ever After!

Rating: 4/5

Find Jenny:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my, or in this case Cathy's, honest opinion.