How it begins: "Only the sharp clang of a bell above the door and lopsided towers of books greeted Hope Sparrow as she entered Dusty Jackets bookshop. She breathed in their ancient paper dust, their gentle decay. Between pages like these, she'd always found her refuge. Her Lucy Maud, Jane, the sisters Brontë, dear Louisa--all whispered the words she'd pored over in the dead of night and now fortified her strength for what she hoped was the last leg in a long journey."
The plot in brief: Hope's come to Wanishin Falls, Minnesota, in search of several books her mom left to her. They're her only family legacy, and they just might be the key to finding a rumored family treasure. And Hope could really use a little extra money right now, both to help her leave her traumatic past behind, and to make her dream of owning her own food truck come true.
The owners of Dusty Jackets, Mags and Ulysses Barrick, offer to help her search for her mother's books if she'll work in their bookstore for a few months in return. Their handsome grandson, Ronan, is willing to help, too. But Hope isn't big on trust, and would rather not get too close to anyone in Wanishin Falls. Only the people around her are too kind and generous to just give up on her.
My thoughts: There's a lot to like about this one: a charming small town setting, a dusty old bookshop, family secrets and a lost treasure. And I liked Ronan and Hope. But there are several side characters and small side stories that never felt fully developed, and that sometimes detracted from the main plotline. And when you combine Hope's complicated past with Ronan's complicated past along with their families's history there's almost too much going on; I felt like it forced the author to do more telling than showing, which slowed the pacing and kept the characters at a distance. And I really wish that the mystery itself, and Hope's and Ronan's search for the treasure, had unfolded a little faster. While the overall story has heartwarming and uplifting moments, for me this ended up only being a 3-star read.
Three stars isn't bad is it, but I'm always hoping for something a bit special that takes books to a four or even five star level. This sounds like it had more potential than it actually delivered which is a shame.
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame. If her characters had been front and center throughout, I think I would have liked it more.
DeleteHmm, this one has been on my TBR, would you recommend reading it?
ReplyDeleteThere are some good things about this story, but it's also not a book that's very memorable. And with so many other, better books out there, maybe pass on it?
DeleteLark, I really appreciate the honest assessment!
DeleteThank you for sharing. Regine
ReplyDeleteThanks, for commenting, Regine! :D
DeleteIt does sound like it has a lot going on. Sounds like a charming setting though - glad it was a three star at least. Neat cover and title also. Too bad the mystery didn't unfold faster...
ReplyDeleteI really wanted to love this book....but I didn't. I didn't hate it either, but it could have been so much better.
DeleteI love the sound of this one, but I read some of its first chapter and just didn't feel very engaged. I put it aside thinking maybe I'll come back to it at some point. We'll see. Just from the bit I read, I feel like this would probably only be an average read for me, too.
ReplyDeleteThe whole story is like that...not very engaging. And I think it's because the author does more telling than showing. It's sad. The premise had such potential.
DeleteIt's too bad that this one disappointed you a bit. It does sound like an interesting premise.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great premise! It just wasn't executed well.
DeleteLove the cover, but telling instead of showing is such a distraction for me! Glad you enjoyed parts and were able to check off a book in your challenge. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to have it off my TBR list. And there were parts that I did like. But it's still only a 3-star read.
DeleteThat's a bummer. I've been curious about this one, but I don't like it when there's so much going on that it detracts from the main story. Thanks for the great review, Lark! :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be.
DeleteIt's really too bad this didn't quite come together and had too much going on. The basic premise sounds absolutely amazing but I've read too many books recently where the main plot gets lost or there are too many tangents. Great review!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I only wish I could have written a rave review for it.
DeleteIt sounded like such a great book, as you say, a dusty old bookstore, a small town, family secrets and a heroine who comes to the town lost and needing a new start. Normally I love these kind of books but I agree why distract from a good storyline with all of these side characters? I also wonder at the necessity of including a romance for Hope. You can have a novel where a lost young woman comes to a new town, finds herself and that can be an inspiring story all by itself.
ReplyDeleteThat's true. I wouldn't have minded that at all, even though I did really like Ronan.
DeleteI've never lived in a small town so they always appeal to me.
ReplyDeleteI love those small town settings! Especially when there's a bookstore involved.
DeleteI've often thought that one of the most difficult things about writing is knowing which bits to weed out in order to improve what you're trying to say.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! I think that's why you need a really good editor, or very honest beta readers to help point out what's not necessary to the plot.
DeleteBummer, the premise sounds interesting, though. Will probably give this a miss.
ReplyDeleteThe premise is very fun, and I did like several things about it, but overall it just wasn't as good as I hoped it would be.
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