I liked this one, but it’s a bit deeper than your average rom-com.

Valentina, a librarian going through a divorce (in her early 30s) moves to London from Seattle when she receives word that her mom (not in the picture since she was 12) has bequeathed her a bookstore in London. She falls in love with the store (as well as the community of Primrose Hill) but must find a way to save it from taxes while she tries to make sense of her mom’s abandonment.

Two things I loved most from this story, her mom’s use of a scavenger hunt (through letters left with clues) to explain the past, and the characters in the neighborhood who loved the store as well as her mom. It is told from the perspective of both Valentina and her mom (Eloise), and it’s not all sunshine and roses. But it was a pleasure to read (even with shedding a few tears).

My sincere thanks to #NetGalley, #BallantineBooks, and #SarahJio for providing me the free early arc of #WithLoveFromLondon for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

With Love from London was such a beautiful emotional read. It is told from dual POVs, Valentina in present day, and over the span of years by Eloise, Valentina’s mother. Usually I’m not a a huge fan of dual POVs but in the case of this story, it really brought the book full circle. The way the dual POVs is told has the past and present intersecting.

There were a few parts of the story that read slowly and there were a few parts of Frank and Eloise’s story that felt rushed. These two things did prevent it from being a five star read for me. It felt like the story needed a bit more expanding on what transpired between Eloise and Frank.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the scavenger hunt that Eloise left for Valentina. Through this journey she is reconnected with her mom through books and some of the most important individuals in Eloise’s life. It was so emotional to see the hope and love that Eloise had for her reconnection with Valentina even after her death.

I picked this on a NetGalley browsing whim. I was intrigued by London while I've been dreaming of some more international travel. When I started this story I was a little put off by the timeline switching. The story follows a mother and her journey while also following the daughter's journey. I quickly got over the timeline hopping. As a reader, I was introduced to things are the right timeline and this was perfect. Each chapter change had me excited to be back with either character. There is certainly some wonderful romance storylines on these journeys, but ultimately the themes of love, choice, loss, circumstances and hope brought together an amazing story. I loved this and I cannot thank NetGalley enough for the eARC.

This book is not only a masterpiece but also turned out to be just what I needed. I was so moved throughout. Val, a young bookstagrammer and librarian’s life, and marriage are falling apart when she receives word that her estranged mother has passed and has left her a bookstore. Val moves to London and starts over. She works to rebuild her life and overcome the pain from her divorce. Meanwhile the author interweaves the story of Val’s mom, Eloise, and her life. Eloise leaves behind a scavenger hunt to help solve the mystery of why she left when Valentina was a kid. I was equally invested in both of their stories. I laughed, I cried, I didn’t want it to end. The way the author tied up loose threads and storylines raised throughout was masterful. I already pre-ordered my copy because I can’t wait to hold the physical book in my hands. I received an e-ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Penguin Random House and Ballantine Books for my e-ARC in exchange for the honest review.

Valentina was going through divorce then someone called her because her mother passed away. In just one day, her heart was shattered. Valentina was so mad at her mother because she left her. But when she came back to London she was trying to understand what happened because she know that there’s more to her mother’s story than she knew.

Liza was so fun to be with. She’s so funny and friendly. I loved how she jokes to Valentina. She also help Valentina to know her mother more. Liza was always there for her.

Eloise and Edward met only at the party. She was trying to fit in but still can’t and then Edward came, he was so funny, sweet and nice to Eloise. They both know that it was so cold outside so he gave his jacket to her before Eloise got home. Edward and Eloise like each other but now it’s too late for their love. Eloise and Millie’s friendship was so strong. I loved how they care about each other. She was also a book lover and both of them dream to open they’re own bookstore. Eloise was never been happy since she was with Frank but then Valentina came into her life and she became happy again but then Frank make her happiness broke, he left his wife and daughter.

I hate Frank so much. He was so nice to Eloise at first, but when they got married he was holding Eloise life like she can’t even plan for herself. She always getting her way. Like she wants to open a bookstore with Millie because that was their dream but Frank doesn’t want her too. When Eloise ask him that she and Valentina will visit London (Eloise hometown) he immediately say no that California was their home.

This book is so sad. Eloise deserves to be happy and be loved. Overall, I like With Love from London. To be honest London is one of the places I want to visit someday when everything was back to normal and of course when I already save money.

A lovely story. Was not expecting the two time periods but they really added to the story telling and made for an interesting read.

Rating 5

This story hit close to home. My mom left when I was 7 years old and I didn’t truly understand why she abandoned me until I was 24. I used to hold the same resentment and bitterness as Valentia did and I would ask the same questions. It’s not something you understand as a child but are more likely to understand as an adult. I’m not saying that makes it okay but people do have their reasons and it's important to hear their side of the story. The whole time I was reading I kept wondering if the reasons behind Eloise leaving her daughter would be justified. Due to spoilers I cannot say but I will say I understand why she did what she did.

This book was so emotional I cried when it ended. I absolutely loved both Eloise and Valentina’s characters. I definitely connected with them both and I love how their characters were written and how the story switched between both of their perspectives. Honestly, this was just a beautiful story filled with heart. A love story between a mom and a daughter finding their way back to one another. I recommend this book to everyone.

*Thank you so much @randomhouse for a ARC on #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own*

This was such a sweet book! I absolutely loved the multi-person narrative between Eloise and Valentina--and how their stories paralleled each other. It was very much like a mystery in the way the story opened up and we learned about Eloise's marriage and why she and Valentina never saw each other after Valentina's pre-teen years. The characters in this book are also super lovable, it made me want to read Maeve Binchy ASAP! ALSO, I got such a good feeling of Primrose Hill, I really feel like Jio did a fantastic job describing the book store and the little details of every relationship. I cannot wait to rave about this one on Bookstagram and BookTok! My review is posted on Instagram, @talia.reads.books and it's live now!

Thank you to netgalley and Random House publishing for the E-ARC of this book for my honest review.

This story…It is beautiful, inspirational, heartbreaking, thought provoking and wonderful.

It tells the tale of a daughter and her mother, and their beautiful yet tragic past. It's a story of hurt, misunderstanding, forgiveness, grief, strength, and love.

I found myself wanting to go to Primrose Hills, be friends with all the characters, wanting to jump into the pages and work at the Book Garden with them.

I went into this book not knowing what to expect but loving every bit of it. While reading this all I wanted to do was just sit and take it all in.

It’s a story so beautifully written that you feel all of the emotions throughout.

Highly recommend giving this book a read when it releases this month!

This is a book that will run you through all the emotions — sweet and happy in parts and some bittersweet sadness.

I loved reading about this complex mother-daughter relationship. I wanted so much more for Eloise, but real life isn’t like that. Valentina’s story is much more satisfying. The idea of taking over an inherited bookshop in London is something I dream about (but will never happen, also real life)! With Valentina, it took her the whole book to figure out something that was obvious from the moment an item appeared in the story. But, I’ll forgive her that because she had a bookshop to save and a mystery to solve!

There was also a theme of missed connections/miscommunications that are instructive for our lives today. You never really know what is going on in someone else’s life, even those of your closest loved ones. That is why communication is so important in all of our relationships.

I do not think I can brag about this book enough! I loved every minute of it! The plot has you hooked and you cannot stop reading.

“You can’t deny that our lives, apart and together, have been beautiful, in their own strange and stubborn ways.” —Sarah Jio, With Love From London
🌟🌟🌟🌟

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💭thoughtathought💭

I really don't know what to say because clearly I didn't pre-empt to cry in this book, but I did. With Love From London is a heartwarming mother and daughter story about their love at the wrong timeline, set in London and discovering the missing 'truth' beyond unspoken lies of the past.

I liked how the story narrated by them— Eloise, the mother who explaining the real events emerged that ignited her daughter's anger towards her. And Valentina, the daughter who just wants to carry on life after the divorce yet she'll to find the ease and peaceful closure she longs through her mother's words.

The romance for both protagonists are quite interesting. Edward, he's such a true gentleman—man of his word and actions. The satisfaction of their situation is painfully ideal, but still the aspiration between them is desiring more. What's heart wants, get what's wanted even though not as it's how they want it to be.

The writing style is just tailored for me —simply definite. The enlightening power of the author in writing Eloise perspective is captivating that I felt like I was in the '80 with her descriptive way of words. An one more thing I loved is how the author mentions so many books in this story. My TBR is already full for this year, but I love to add some of the interesting titles that were cited.

Thank you @netgalley for giving me a copy of this book and @sarahjio for creating this amazing story of Eloise and Valentina ❤️

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#bookstagram #bookstagramph #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #booklines #favelinesinthebook #withlovefromlondon #sarahjio #netgalley #earc #bookreview

Did I just possibly read one of my top books for 2022? I think I have! This book was so beautifully written and the characters took my breath away I have so many emotions.
It’s 2013 and Valentinas life has hit a wall, her husband has left her, she’s going through a divorce and shes been informed that her mother Eloise who up and left her and her father in California and moved back to London twenty years ago has died. Her mother has left her a bookstore in London and the building it’s in. Valentina has now arrived in London and she plans to sell the bookstore and move on with her life. But life has a different plan for Valentina and the more time she spends in her mother’s bookstore and follows the scavenger hunt her mother left her in the form of letters and clues, she realizes her mother wasn’t who she thought she was. As Valentina follows the scavenger hunt and meet the people that her mother held close she sees that her mother did love her and soon uncovers what led her mother to leave. The book alternates between Valentina in 2013 and Eloise in 1968 until she passes. We follow Valentina as she goes on the adventure to uncover who her mother was and how the people around the bookstore cared for her mother and now even her , and we follow Eloise and the path what led her to leave . My heart broke and there were moments I smiled and felt like crying. I can’t even explain how much I loved this book five stars!!

Inheriting a lovely bookstore in London should be a dream come true for Valentina, a newly divorced librarian from Seattle. The difficult part, the bookstore and apartment belonged to her mother, Eloise, who left when Valentina was only ten. She has never talked to her or heard from since then. Arriving in Primrose Hill in London, Valentina meets Liza who lives in one of the apartments above the bookstore. Liza seems to be as carefree as Valentina is wary. She introduces Val to Millie who was her mother’s lifelong friend and who now works in the bookstore. Over time the two women help to introduce Val to the mother she has really never known along with the help of a wonderful scavenger hunt Eloise left behind for her. Yes, there is romance, yes, there is some heartbreak. Another person’s life is rarely what we think. Perhaps we should look deeper like Valentina, who knows what we could discover.

An atmospheric and poignant story, truly a getaway in this hazy, dreary January. I really enjoyed this novel and would look forward to this author's future works.

Thank you for the digital arc Netgalley and Ballantine Books.

This is the second book I read by Sarah Jio, the first one being, Always. I loved that book and I ended up loving With Love from London just as much. Sarah has the ability to suck you in after the first page. Her writing is beautiful, and this story was both beautiful and heartbreaking. I loved that it was told in a dual POV. It allowed the reader to dive Into the past and experience all the pain and heartbreak Eloise endured. In the beginning, I had my reservations about Eloise, but I ended up loving her. I connected with her and I was so happy she was able to experience some joy towards the end. As for Valentina, I adored her as well. She also experienced her share of heartbreak, but in the end found happiness. If you’re looking for a women’s fiction with some romance thrown in, then this is the book for you. I highly recommend it!

With Love From London is a heartwarming novel about love, forgiveness, and starting over. Valentina’s mother, Eloise, abandoned her when she was just a young girl; now, 20 years later, Eloise has passed away and left Valentina a book store in London. What follows is a wonderful story, as Valentina struggles to keep the bookstore open, as well as seeking peace with the years that she and her mother were apart. There are dual timelines and two points of view, with Valentina’s story taking place in the present, and Eloise’s in the past. There is pain and heartache, but there is also much love within the pages of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by Sarah Jio and I will definitely be reading more titles by this author! With Love from London was a cozy read with beautiful writing and such a real, human storyline. More than being a romance, this book was about real life and everything that comes with it but in a light way that doesn’t completely emotionally drain you. If you love stories about life and romance and books about books, this one is for you!

I absolutely loved this book! I'm always drawn to books about books as well as stories with dual timelines, and this one had both.

The current day story of Valentina, who after the passing of her mother (who she hasn't seen in decades) is left with a bookstore in London, coupled with the mother's story in the past, told a wonderful story of love, friendship, parenting, and the strong power of books.

While I did see the ending of this book coming about half way through, I enjoyed reading how it unfolded. This was a perfectly enjoyable read with strong characters and I was sad to see it end.

Thank to Ballantine Books for my gifted review copy.

This one. Holyyyyyyyy. Lemme wipe the tears off my face, hold up.

Ok we’re back.

This is a contemporary fiction with a dash of romance and a sprinkle of mystery, topped w a little chick lit. A perfect book sundae.

There were two timelines here: a mother and a daughter. I was worried this was gonna be cheesy and cringe in the beginning but yeaaaaa I was wrong. It worked out so well and honestly felt pretty raw in some parts. I like that raw shit. I makes me feel the book and feel extra connected. The characters felt alive.

There’s a fun scavenger hunt we follow along that’s almost an aid for the details of the story to unfold and brought the timelines together so well. Clever. 🧩

There’s also some love interests here, oh my god Edward. A grand love indeed! 😭😭😭😭😭

This was a great one. A super raw account on what defines us and how we keep moving.