Madeline has fond memories of her aunt but her parents haven't spoken to her for years.
For this reason, she has a mistaken perception of what occurred between them and blames her aunt.'
When her aunt dies and leaves all her worldly possessions to her namesake, Madeline begins to understand how complex family relationships are. She also comes to understand that the people who love us, know us best and want the best for us. She also finds that friends can sometimes be closer than family. A blessing of enormous proportion.

I received a complimentary advance reading copy of this book. Expressions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a story about friendship and forgiveness centred around a quaint little bookshop.
The story is narrated by 3 women, each hurting from past mistakes and trying to heal with the help of each other and with book lists written by a dearly departed friend.
I have been searching out new books to read, thanks to the books mentioned in this one. Kind of like an Inception of books.

I received a digital ARC of The Printed Letter Bookshop from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book makes me want to open a bookshop! Overall, I don't think this book was really for me but the Printed Letter Bookshop seems like a magical place and I love how integral it was to the town.

This was a real book-lover's book, perfect for indulging in the fantasy of opening a bookshop one day. The central romance was engaging, and the well-developed cast of secondary characters and subplots complimented it beautifully. It was refreshing to see older women written so well, with rich motivations and conflicts of their own. Would definitely recommend.

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley and the publishing house. All my opinions are my own.
*****
I was in the middle of the book, pages away from closing this book and not finishing it. But I kept going because I have loved Katherine Reay’s writing in the past. Honestly it was the constant alluding to Janet’s past with no details that was driving me crazy. I was frustrated and wanted the author to explain it or stop referencing it. Then I started to question if I’d missed the explanation earlier in the book.

Soon after that point of ready-to-give-up, Janet’s past was explained and with it, out came the beauty of every other character’s story. The weaving in and out was no longer a distraction but a distinct method for their tales. It was then that I couldn’t stay away from the story, where before that point I was taking a day or so between reads and forcing myself to pick it up.

The conclusion was as satisfying for me as other Katherine Reay books. And I learned to love the characters and their different processes and stories more than I had for the first half of the book.

Of course I now want to be a part of such a close-knit group of booksellers. And I wouldn’t mind learning a few of the other skills these women have. Beyond their stories they are powerful characters with relatable flaws.

But above all, bless the author for celebrating the good and hard of several different types of relationships and sharing wisdom for the hard and beautiful spots of each.

There are two settings in novels that immediately make me feel at 'home': bakeries and bookshops. If a title includes the word "Bookshop", I'm instantly intrigued.

This was a charming yet emotionally powerful novel. I loved the charm that comes with the setting of a bookshop but also really loved how the characters were so invested in this particular store. I related to the passion that these characters have for reading and loved the references that were made to modern and historical literature.

As in life, each of the three main characters did have their flaws which made them relatable and realistic. I do have to admit that there were moments I became frustrated with each of the characters, but again, I think the struggles they were encountering and the decisions they were making were realistic.

For me this wasn't a 'quick' read to get through with the depth of the plot. It was a good story and showed how these women evolved and discovered themselves throughout the novel.

It definitely is a novel for those that enjoy characters who go through personal growth and discovery. For example, I think readers who enjoy books similar to "Eat, Pray, Love" and "Under the Tuscan Sun" will enjoy this novel as well.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

I really, really wanted to love this book, but it fell flat for me. I kept finding myself wanting more. I did like how having strong female friend relationships was a major element in the main characters becoming grounded in themselves. I also like the idea of Aunt Maddie being able to share books with people that helped them through whatever they were going through in life. I truly believe that books have a way of comforting us and make us feel seen in a way that reality cannot always convey because we find ourselves lost in the shuffle.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley, I was able to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a slow burn but one with a very satisfying ending. I'm not usually someone who goes for anything characterized as Christian literature...or even anything that could remotely be, but this wasn't heavy handed in the religion. It's about three women connecting over loss and trying to work together to save something that they love - a bookstore! The telling of the story in their different perspectives really drives home the sense of community surround the Printed Letter Bookshop, and the literary references were really the icing on the cake. A very charming read for any fan of cozy mysteries or women's lit.

I loved this book. I’ve been in kind of a grumpy mood lately where all fictional characters were just flat out annoying me. At the beginning I was afraid this was going to be the same. Claire is tightly controlled and invisible, Madeline is so confused and lost but clueless as to what she really wants, and Janet - well lets just say Janet takes self-sabotage to whole new levels. I was sure that I’d be more than done with these characters by the time I was 5 chapters in. But I wasn’t. With each page I felt like I understood these characters just a little bit more and by the end I felt like these were real life people and close friends at that and The Printed Letter Bookshop was a real living breathing place.

I don’t want to say too much about this one as I loved the experience of reading this book, getting to know the characters, and watching how everything works out knowing very little about the story. This is a light-ish read that isn’t fluffy. There are moments of pain, honesty, fun and just enough authentic sweetness to make it heartwarming and relatable all at the same time. This was one of those books that was exactly what I needed at the perfect moment. Definitely in my top ten of reads of the year so far.

I found this book on audio through the library app, Hoopla and decided to give it a try. I knew the author from previous reads and knew she was able to tell a great story. This one was lovely as well. I liked seeing the events unfold through the eyes of each of the three main characters. They were all women in different stages/places in their lives but were all connected through this bookshop. They were able to guide and support one another through different challenges and find growth and worth as they worked together. I thought is was a well woven story and enjoyed the references to books and stories throughout. Many of them I recognized or at least knew about. I have read many of them but now have quite a list of books to reread or become acquainted with.

This isn't a romance although each of the ladies has to work through and find joy in relationships. It has religious overtones without being in your face or preachy. I enjoyed it thoroughly and would recommend it to any book lovers or someone who just needs a pleasant, uplifting summer read.

I haven’t read within this genre for a while but as a book-lover I was drawn not only to the title of this novel but also to its gorgeous cover. Admittedly, I did find it to be a bit of a slow starter, but it wasn’t long before the characters had grown on me and I wanted to find out more about them.

With three different perspectives, Madeline, Janet, and Claire, are all at different stages in their lives: Madeline is a single high-flying career woman; Claire is married with two teenage children; and Janet is divorced with two grown-up children.

Madeline is the protagonist and has inherited The Printed Letter Bookshop from her estranged Aunt Maddie. The plot had a bit of a Sophie Kinsella’s Domesticated Goddess feel about it at the beginning: when Madeline is turned down for promotion, she jacks in her job as lawyer and runs away to the small town of Eagle Valley for a more simple life. Madeline has every intention of selling her aunt’s bookshop at the earliest opportunity, but as Madeline gets to know the residents of Eagle Valley, she realises just how wrong she was about what happened in the past between her parents and her aunt.

To confuse things even more for Madeline, is Janet and Claire who work at the bookshop. Janet and Claire also both have first-person narratives so the reader gets closely drawn in to their worlds, as well as Madeline’s. As well as the prospect that they will shortly be losing their jobs, both characters have their own sets of problems. Claire is married with two teenage children, and it is the problem with her daughter that troubles Claire. Janet is divorced with two grown up children; but her children have disowned her, blaming her for splitting up with their father. At first Claire and Janet resent Madeline, but there was more to old Aunt Maddie than the women bargained for, and the individual Printed Letters that she left each of them gradually bring the three women together as friends.

But this isn’t just about friendship, there’s also a sprinkling of romance – but is grumpy gardener Chris really that grumpy, and is he really a gardener?

The Printed Letter Bookshop started off slow for me but I grew to really like it! Definitely got teary-eyed at parts. It's about three women connecting while trying to save a bookshop from going under. The story is told from their different perspectives and I felt that it really told a well-rounded story. I loved all the various book references and the author gave a list at the end of the book too! Can't wait to check them out!

This book ended up being a charming read! The storyline intrigued me from the first time I heard about it and I immediately wanted to read it. Once I started it, I was drawn in to the lives of the three women. As the book progressed, it did get a little heavy with all the ladies were going through but the story wove together beautifully. By the end I had connected with a couple characters in particular and I ended up loving the book. A great read! It’s not a sunshine and flowers book but it’s real and good.

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

It’s been 20 years since Madeline has been to the oks hop run by her Aunt Maddy. Now she returning to see her inheritance, the Printed Letter. Her goal is to sell it as quickly as possible and return to her job. When things at work take a dramatic turn she decides to keep it and run it with Claire and Janet, two longtime staff. As they become friends and learn to accept each other’s opinions and style the story develops into a good book. I received a copy of this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

One of Madeline Cullen’s happiest childhood memories is of working with her Aunt Maddie in the quaint and cozy Printed Letter Bookshop. But by the time Madeline inherits the shop nearly twenty years later, family troubles and her own bitter losses have hardened Madeline’s heart toward her once-treasured aunt—and the now struggling bookshop left in her care.
I want to work in this bookshop. I loved the book. While the book was primarily about family relationships, there was a tiny bit of mystery, albeit easily figured out, and some romance. But it had a feel goodness about it. It took a while for the thee ladies to really like each other. And it was so exciting to see each other find themselves.
As far as faith elements of the book, the author references the Proverbs. She also allows Father Luke to counsel at least one of the ladies. She also cites some very famous Christian books including one about Corrie Ten Boon.
I received a copy of the book for reading and performing my review. The thoughts are my own.

Through personality clashes, obvious character flaws, family secrets, and a good deal of “searching” I would classify this as a novel of growth, with a dash of sweet romance. It was probably a pleasure to read because of the main feature – the charming little bookshop – a delight for readers who dream of an actual day-to-day connection with books (i.e. me…) just inhaling the scent and discovering new pieces of printed wonder. It’s a testament to the impact one individual can make. It’s a story of hope and new beginnings.

I’ve not read Katherine Reay before this NetGalley copy provided in exchange for my opinion, but I have most definitely added other titles to my to-read list. This was a delightful, easy-to-read, descriptive and endearing narrative on the struggles of life and treasures of friendship.

I can't think of a cozier setting than a bookshop! The Printed Letter Bookshop is a beloved community haven just outside Chicago, and the person who makes it that way, Aunt Maddie, has just died at the beginning of the book- it opens with her funeral. Even though she is not alive during the story, she is very much a presence and influence throughout, thanks to Claire, Janet, Madeline, and several others whose lives were touched by her. I always enjoy this author's lovely manner of using words as she brings her characters and setting to life, they are both grounding and lifting. The way the details of the lives of these three women- four, including Maddie- were slowly revealed peaked my curiosity and kept me interested in their struggles and successes, even though romance was not a main focus of the plot. It was more about the relationships they had with Maddie, each other, and themselves, becoming self-aware and changing as they realized the direction they want their lives to take. The literary references are fun and I wish the bookshop was a real place I could visit!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

I received an ARC through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. What a charming book!! This is my first book from author Katherine Reay and it will most certainly not be my last. I just did not want this book to end. Madeline finds herself inheriting her Aunt Maddie's bookshop and home. Maddie was loved by all and her loss is felt throughout her circle of friends and co workers Janet and Claire. Each women is struggling to settle their own secrets, regrets and personal losses. Maddie, while gone too soon, leaves each woman a letter with a list of books to see them through their hardships. Madeline, Claire and Janet are able to embrace the changes happening before them, heal from the loss of their beloved friend and mentor, and finding themselves as strong, independent woman facing the seasons of each one's life. The list of books at the end is just the cherry on top of this gem of a book. If you yearn for that local little bookshop to get lost in..this is a good one to choose. Escape to The Printed Letter Bookshop-- You will be so glad you did.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Received from Thomas Nelson Publishing through NetGalley.
Though the plot was predictable and slow-paced, the characters were realistic.This book is set in a struggling independent book store. The story follows a familiar path - much loved owner has passed away (opens at her funeral), and the extended family dynamics are fragmented. The loyal employees struggle to keep the store going; the town rallies. Niece realizes she had interpreted family history incorrectly; leaves high power law firm after being overlooked for partner; attempts to make a go of the store; love interest conflicts (surgeon healing from war); disaster strikes (extreme vandalism), and life smooths out in the end.
A tender story about struggling humans that leaves readers with hope they will resolve their issues and move forward in their lives. Several characters change their lives through faith steps.
Worth the read simply for all the book references.

This is as an enjoyable read. I loved all 3 female characters and how they developed. The story setting of a bookstore was wonderful! The plot was predictable and it was an easy read. I love how books connect everyone together.