This book was beautifully written. I loved everything relating to the Book Garden, and the scavenger hunt was just so sweet. I though the author did a brilliant job navigating the complex emotions that are bound to happen when someone’s long lost mother has died. Both Eloise and Valentina are lovely characters, with depth and heart. I loved them both.

The one thing that frustrated me was I felt like there wasn’t really any resolution regarding Valentina’s father. I really wanted more.

With Love from London is a sweet book of finding yourself and what you want. Valentina's mother left her when she was a child to move to London. Now after her mother's passing, she is called back to London to inherit her mother's bookstore.

What I loved most about this book was the dual timeline. It is told from present day by Valentina and in the past by her mother, when she was about Valentina's age. The bookstore is in the Primrose Hill neighborhood of London. I've never been but I want to visit now as Sarah Jio's writes about a magical space.

I picked up this book at the perfect time. I was looking for lighter read with an excellent storyline and content and I found it all in this book. I had a hard time putting the book down and read it in less than 24 hours. I don't want to give away any spoilers but this should be on everyone's must read list!

This is a charming dual time line novel of a mother- Eloise- and her daughter - Valentina- who were separated from the time Valentina was 12. Eloise has died and she left Valentina her bookstore in London, Valentina, newly separated from her cheating husband, leaves Seattle and finds a whole ew understanding of what happened, Eloise's story, her marriage to Frank, her great lost love, and her big heart come through in both her own narration and in the scavenger hunt she left behind for Valentina. In the present, Valentina also finds love, not just romantic love but the love of her mother and for the people she loved. Millie, Eloise's great friend, and all those who circle around the bookshop, especially Eric, help her come to an understanding about Eloise and to a decision about her own future, Make no mistake- everyone's got some flaws (some more than others) but it's a lovely book with terrific characters and a great setting (and now I'm craving a grilled cheese and watercress sandwich). Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Highly recommend.

With Love from London is Dual Time Romantic Fiction with mysteries by Sarah Jio. A librarian from West Coast America inherits a bookshop in London from her mother that she has not had contact with in many years. Delicious, loved the characters and the well woven stories of their lives. Sarah Jio’s writing makes you feel many of life’s emotions: joy, sorrow, but most of all love. I smiled, laughed and cried.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

WITH LOVE FROM LONDON by New York Times best-selling author Sarah Jio is described by the publisher as "a story about healing and loss, revealing the emotional, relatable truths about love, family, and forgiveness." Recently divorced Val is the main character and she heads to London to take over the flat and bookshop which she just inherited from Eloise, her estranged mother. Mystery, romance, London and books ... sounds great, but I struggled to keep the characters and time frames (2013 and 1968) straight. Do consider this title if you have patience and are looking for a lighter, escapist read. After Jio references Maeve Binchy ("her cozy stories were a much-needed life raft"), she speaks to readers about her own work "wherever you are, and wherever life may take you, I hope you find reading this story to be as comforting as it has been for me to write." WITH LOVE FROM LONDON received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much! While stuck at home during a snow storm, this book took me to another place and I couldn't put it down.

The story alternates between the POV of Eloise and her daughter Valentina. Separated for 20 years, with heartbreak stemmed from deception, we follow along as these two love, lose and carve their own paths to happiness.

Estranged for most of her life, Valentina is reunited with her mother Eloise by her inheritance. Intent on visiting London to sell off the estate, she is compelled to stay and save the bookstore that defined her mother's life. In the end, she inherits so much more: friends who are family and a chance at love after a heartbreaking divorce. To help bridge the gap of their estrangement and help her daughter understand her endless love, Eloise leaves Valentina a scavenger hunt to help her heal and understand the mother who left her as a child.

The characters are so well developed and I was drawn into this cozy world. It's filled with tears, laughter and happily ever after. A few fun twists and turns keep you flipping the pages to find out what is in store for this wonderful set of characters. Enjoy!

Cozy, sweet, and charming! I really enjoyed this book, although at the beginning I had trouble with the split timelines. After forging forward a little bit more I was absorbed and thoroughly charmed. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a contemporary fiction full of love, heartbreak, healing, books, and friendship.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine, Ballantine Books) for this ARC.

With Love from London by Sarah Jio is the sweetest read! Valentina gets word that her estranged mother has passed and she has inherited The Book Garden her mother’s little bookstore In London. The story consists of two beautiful timelines dealing with grief and love. Valentina learns so much about her mothers life Eloise on her journey to save the bookshop, while also making new friends.

This is a absolute gem of a book! How can you not enjoy a story about the love and dedication for books it’s a two for one. I do plan to purchase the physical copy just to have this one on my shelf. The cover is adorable as well.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Group for providing me a ARC. All thoughts and options are my own.

Valentina was 11 when her mother left with no explanation - she moved from California to her native London, and Val never heard from her again. Now in her thirties and newly divorced, Val is a librarian and a popular bookstagrammer. When she learns that her mother has died and left her an apartment and a bookstore in Primrose Hill, Val travels to London for a fresh start and the chance to learn more about the mother who abandoned her all those years ago.

When Val arrives in London, she discovers her mother has left her a scavenger hunt that will take her around Primrose Hill and possibly shed some light on who her mother was. As Val learns more and more about her mother's life, she falls in love with the bookstore, the flat, and the people she meets along the way.

There were a few plot points that were a bit difficult to fully wrap my head around (most specifically, how many years Val and her mother went without any contact), and things wrapped up a little too nicely in the end, BUT I would still highly recommend this book. It is beautifully-written and tells a story that is both heart-breaking and heart-warming.

Valentina Baker hasn't seen her mom since she left and went back to London when Valentina was only 11. She never heard from her again, and now she has died and left Valentina her bookshop, the Book Garden, and her Primrose Hill apartment. Valentina arrives in London, only to discover the bookstore is in financial straits, and she needs to come up with money fast to pay the inheritance taxes before they have to shut the doors forever. There are a couple of bright sides however. She finds a series of intriguing notes left in a beloved old novel, & she sets out to locate the book’s mysterious former owner, This quest helps to give her something to focus on and maybe even brings in a new man in her life in the process. Also, her mom left her a scavenger hunt which will lead her all around the neighborhood and introduce her to all of her favorite places, helping Valentina learn more about her mom in the process.
This book was so good. It was a dual-timelline book, told in alternating voices with one being in the past in the mom's point of view and the other being present day in Valentina's. With Eloise's point of view, you see her from before she meets Valentina's father,up until right after she gets the news that she is dying. I loved the alternating viewpoints, and the way Eloise's story is slowly revealed. I highly recommend this emotional read.

Thanks to Random House Ballantine for an advanced copy of With Love From London!

I loved this book! It was the perfect mix of finding yourself, bringing people together, healing the past and family secrets in this dual timeline novel.

Valentina was 11 when her mother left her and she's just found out her mother died and left her a bookshop in London. Recently divorced and ready for a change she heads to London to learn more about who her mother was. Val falls in love with the bookstore and soon realizes her mom's life was a lot more complicated then she could ever imagine.

The book alternates between Val in 2013 and her mom Eloise from 1968-2013 and I loved seeing Eloise's viewpoint and then seeing how Val learned about her mom. I love Sarah Jio's writing style, the wonderful characters and heartwarming story.

Highly recommend checking out this one!

first of all, this review won't justify what i just read because i have no words for this book. it's brilliantly written and it just made me feel all the feelings in this world.
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valentina grew up not knowing much about eloise, her mom, and when valentina got the news that her mom passed away and she inherited a bookstore, she made a decision to go back "home". that's where it all began. she slowly fell in love with the people and place because her mom made sure that valentina would know how much she loved her even when she wasn't physically there almost her entire life.
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i couldn't say anything else because i might spoil you, but one thing's for sure, i'm a sucker for family relationships / drama and this one hit me so much. the fact that valentina and eloise love books? SHUT UP. they own a bookstore? NO WAY. the characters were so easy to love and this book is literally a work of art. IT'S SO GOOD. i highly recommend this to everyone! :)

In no way am I exaggerating when I say this, but this is by far the best book I have ever read. This book, more than any other I have ever read, really gets to the heart of loss, love and motherhood in a way that is both striking and gut wrenching. If ever you have experienced loss, this book will resonate with you in a way that feels deeply personal and sincere, even if the circumstances are far from your own.

Valentina, after being left by her husband, is informed that the mother that seemingly abandoned her as a preteen has passed away and she is the sole beneficiary of all of her mother's assets. So, Valentina moves from Seattle to London to sort through the pieces of the life of the mother she no longer knows. As the mysteries of her mother Eloise's life begin to unfold, Valentina is forced to come to terms with grief and loss and goes through a journey of both self discovery and the discovery of who Eloise really was.

Sarah Jio manages to write a book that is so personal and relatable, but still one with so many unexpected twists and turns. As the story unfolds and the pieces of the puzzle are put together, every minuscule detail begins to show their significance. In the many parallels between the lives of Eloise and Valentina, we see just how close the attention to detail was. It is truly a testament to how great a writer Jio is, that she manages to create such an intricate weaving of all of these characters. It is rare for me to read a book and feel the degree of satisfaction I felt while reading this. It manages to end in a way that feels both realistic and perfect. I cannot recommend this book enough.

3.75 ⭐️
This one is a tough one to review. It wasn’t exactly what I expected but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Although the storyline was somewhat predictable I still liked it. I did feel like some parts could have had more build up. For instance the romance aspect. I know it wasn’t the main part but I would have liked more. Other parts of the story seemed a bit underdeveloped and underwhelming but everything came together nicely in the end. I liked the characters and wouldn’t have minded more from the supporting roles. Overall this was an enjoyable book.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC.

This is an unexpected other-daughter story. I have never read a book like this. It was so well interwoven (except for the first 30% though I will add) that I kept turning the page for the next event. As you get more invested about half way through you can NOT put the book down but I wish the same could be said for the first third of the book. It was slow to get into but a very worthy read!

Valentina had the misfortune of her marriage ending and quickly following that event her estranged mother passes. She packs up her stuff and goes to London to try to sort out her mother's things as she hasn't seen her since she was 12.

This story is told in two timelines. It is told from Valentina and Eloise's(her mother) POV. It is a beautifully told story of Love, Respect, Friendship, Passion and Dreams.

Honestly, the hardest part about this book is that at the beginning, I was invested in one story line and then it would abruptly end and I'd have to switch to the other for a chapter. But by about 40% through the book, the two stories are so interwoven you can't wait to read the other.

The Love of friends and community and people that goes beyond the present is just amazing in this book. It caused a few tears to fall.

Thank you for the eARC NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group.

I absolutely LOVED this charming, feel-good mother-daughter story!! Valentina is a Librarian/Bookstagrammer who has just gotten divorced after her husband had an affair. Still reeling from that, she learns her estranged mother has died and left her a building with a bookstore. Val travels to London and while there gets to learn more about her mother's life (told in flashbacks and with a fun book scavenger hunt her mother has left for her). Throw in a love interest and some quirky characters and this book had me hooked from page one!! Highly recommended, especially for fans of Rebecca Serle's One Italian Summer. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!!

This was my first read by Sarah Jio and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I LOVED reading about the dynamic between the mother and daughter. It does go back and forth between two timelines, which can be difficult to execute. However, I found that the author did a great job at managing it.

I think Sarah Jio is a great author & she didn’t disappoint with this book. London & a bookstore - count me in! I always enjoy toggling the past & present.

This was my first time reading a book by Sarah Jio and I enjoyed her writing and style and felt like this was a quick and interesting read. I thought she did a good job with developing characters. This was about a daughter, Valentina, that was abandoned by her mother when she was 12 and when in her 30’s she is left a bookshop in London that her mother owned. It is a duel POV and they were easy and clear to follow between Valentina coming to understand her mother after her death, and her mother, Eloise’s story. I wish there now been more background about the relationship Valentina had with her father. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.