June 27, 2018

The Lost For Words Bookshop. Stephanie Butland

Published: St Martin's Press
Date:  19th June 2018
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 304
Genre: Fiction
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
4.5 stars                      Add to Goodreads
Loveday Cardew prefers books to people. If you look carefully, you might glimpse the first lines of the novels she loves most tattooed on her skin. But there are some things Loveday will never, ever show you.

Into her hiding place - the bookstore where she works - come a poet, a lover, and three suspicious deliveries. Someone has found out about her mysterious past. Will Loveday survive her own heartbreaking secrets?


My thoughts banner
I chose this title for the word bookshop, it will I think always catch a reader's eye. And it did mine. The cover for The Lost for Words Bookshop is kinda cute but it wouldn't have really pulled me in. However the character of Loveday Cardew was the gem within the pages that caused me to fall in love with this story.

The story begins at a gentle walk, then moves to a trot and finally a gallop you might say. There is a slow revelation to begin with as the book seamlessly moves between present day and Loveday's childhood. Slowly we find out why our Loveday is like she is.

And what is she like?  Well prickly... a loner kind of figure, and a great lover of books. She loves to work in the second hand bookshop, and mostly hide out from customers. She also loves poetry and wait for it... writes a bit of her own.  I liked how very occasionally Loveday addresses the reader, just enough for me to sit up with a jolt because I wasn't expecting it!

Archie is the bookshop owner, we only see him really through Loveday's eyes so we learn about him slowly, but everything we learn about him I loved. He has the perfect heart, well almost anyway. 

Archie isn't young so he isn't the love interest. Leave that to Rob and ....   Rob doesn't last too long and as you read you'll see very soon why. But.... now quite a different person comes into the picture, he's a keeper but will Loveday keep him?

This is a touching, quirky, delightful story. It does tackle the difficult subject of domestic violence so if that's a trigger for you maybe avoid, although it is mostly off stage. 

Often when I read I skip words/paragraphs. No word was lost while reading this book!



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10 comments:

  1. Hi Kathryn! I'm your comment partner for the month of July, and I wanted to say hi! :) I totally understand why you picked this book - I love books about books, about I pretty much read anything where books/readers/book clubs/bookstores are in the description. I can't resist! I'm glad you liked it.

    - Megan @ The Hungry Bookworm

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  2. Loveday Carew would grab me, too. I'd be curious to find out why she is the way she is. And, bookshop is a key word for me, too. :)

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  3. I can't wait to read my copy. Great review! I am also drawn in by quirky characters, not to mention the bookshop setting.

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  4. You have written such a lovely review! I have started and stopped this and I don’t really know why! But now it’s on again! Thank you!

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  5. I wanted to read this just because of the title but you've definitely tempted me even more to pick up the book. I'm curious to see how the addressing the reader works. It's definitely different and I'm really curious. This one was already on my TBR but I'm moving it up the list!

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  6. Loved your thoughts on this one, Kathryn. It really was a lovely novel.

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  7. Like a booklover you resist the title bookshop :D

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  8. I also loved this book Kathryn absolutely loved it. Great review

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  9. Your review entices me to read this.

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  10. I like it when books are a part of the story. This plot definitely sounds interesting as there's mystery to why she is the way she is. I find it neat to have lines from a favorite book as a tatt.

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