This novel moves back and forth between narration by Valentina Baker, 35 in 2013 and just emerging from a failed marriage in Seattle, and her mother Eloise in 1968. Valentina has just learned that her mother, whom she hadn’t seen since she was 12, died of cancer and left Val property in London that included a bookstore. The store, called the Book Garden, was located in a quaint part of London called Primrose Hill, and was now being run by Eloise’s best friend Millie. But the store is in financial trouble, and Val has so many conflicted feelings about her mother in any event.

It doesn’t take long however for Val to fall in love with the store and the people in Primrose Hill, all of whom recall her mother with deep affection. With the help of Millie and a quirky upstairs tenant Val’s age named Liza, Val gradually learns the secrets of Eloise’s life, why she left Val back in the United States, and what Val herself wants for her future.

Evaluation: This lovely book is very reminiscent of Jenny Colgan but without the snark, naughty language, and sex. Rather, the focus is on books of course, as well as strength in adversity, healing, the power of love through time and space, and new beginnings.

I went into this thinking I was going to get a slightly sappy rom-com…. This is NOT that.
This book had me up until 3:30am ugly crying while my cat looked on in judgement.

Valentina unexpectedly finds herself a thirty-something librarian divorce in Seattle, and if that weren’t bad enough, she gets news that her estranged mother has passed and left her a multi-use building with a bookshop and apartments…in London. The mother that left her and never looked back when she was twelve.

With nothing left to lose and a “why not?” attitude, she flies to London thinking to sell the shop. That is until she finds a clue for an epic scavenger hunt, left for her by her mother. What she finds will change her life forever.

This is told from two POV’s, Valentina in the present and her mother, Eloise in the past to present. The way it is set up, it’s like the reader is discovering mostly everything alongside Valentina.

This book broke and then repeatedly battered my heart, in the best way. This was such a beautiful story of self-discovery, grief, and how one person or one decision can have a significant impact on so many lives.

Don’t get me wrong, this book still managed to be funny and cute and leaves you with a feeling of hope at the end.

The pacing was perfect, the writing was wonderful, the characters were all well fleshed out from the get-go.

If this were done correctly, this would be an amazing film! Oscar worthy!
What are you waiting for? Go get your tissues, wine, and this book!

Check it out, when it hits shelves, 2/8/22!
A big thanks to the Publisher & NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Valentina's life is up-ended when she is faced with two life changing events - a divorce and the loss of her estranged mother who has left Valentina her bookshop in London. Valentina leaves her life in the US and heads to London to sort things out, but also ends up meeting her mother's found family, and discovering her own. The dual time line of the book allows us to experience and hear the family story from both Eloise's perspective (Valentina's mother) and Valentina herself. I loved the two different story lines, as well as the way the author conveys that not everything is as it seems - there can be two sides to every story. The characters were completely lovable - even the side characters, and the story was heartwarming.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is my first book to read by Sarah Jio and now I can't wait to pick up another title by this author. With Love from London was a joy to read and was very well written. The author tells a beautiful story of a mother and daughter who are separated, and the daughter's quest to find the answers to questions that she has carried with her ever since.
The book hit some heavy issues (lost love, emotional abuse, grief) without being emotionally heavy to read. It also involves multiple points of view, but they are woven together seamlessly so it is not a distraction or difficult to follow. I had a hard time putting this book down, but also didn't want it to end too quickly. There were a couple of places in the book where I felt like the story line seemed a bit rushed, but that was minor (or maybe even just me) and not at all distracting.
This is a beautiful story of love, grief, friendship, forgiveness, and self-discovery. I especially recommend this book if you enjoy contemporary fiction, romance, or books about books. A solid 4.5 stars.

This hit too close to home having recently been told I have cancer. As such, I did not finish and will not be posting a review. Thank you for the opportunity, I usually love this author's work

What a beautiful, feel-good read! This story deals with Valentina, a recently divorced librarian from Seattle, and Eloise, Valentina's late mother, who had abruptly left her and her father when they were all living in California more than 20 years earlier. As the story begins, Valentina travels to London to claim the property and the bookstore her mother left to her. Through a host of delightful characters, an interesting scavenger hunt, and plenty of surprises along the way, the novel winds its way along two timelines (Eloise's from the past and Valentina's in the present) until the reader learns -- along with Valentina -- why her mother left all those years ago and Valentina never heard from her again.

Although a touch formulaic in parts, and a bit more of a romance-oriented novel than those I usually read, I really enjoyed this one. I loved all of the main characters, and the storyline was an intriguing one. I look forward to reading more from Sara Jio.

I always seem to rip through Sarah Jio's books and With Love from London was yet another page turner for me!

I really enjoyed getting to know Valentina and learning about her life. I really wish that her bookstore was a real thing because it sounds like the perfect place to visit, find a book and get lost in it!

If you are looking for a good story with wonderful characters, I highly recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

A cozy, heart-warming tale of family, loss, independence, and finding your place in the world. "With Love from London" places the reader in a position to navigate a broken family dynamic with curiosity and compassion. From London to California and back, readers will experience the transformation and healing that time and love both have to offer. A journey for book lovers, love lovers, and those who wonder if love can heal all things.

This was my first Sarah Jio novel, and I’m hooked! First of all, Primrose Hill was such a lovely setting. I loved how the story unfolded from two different perspectives, from two different time periods., from two different countries. The love and heartbreak was mirrored in the mother/daughter’s fresh starts and new beginnings. I absolutely loved the literary references necessary when the main character is a librarian turned bookseller. I thought the story to be a romance entwined with solving a family mystery, but at the heart of it all it was a comfy cozy love story.

Sarah Jio's latest novel takes place in Primrose Hill in London. I was expecting a typical British rom-com but With Love from London was so much more. Valentina Baker's British mother, Eloise, walked out of their California home many years ago. Valentina didn't hear a word from or about her until she received word of Eloise's death years later. It seems that Eloise left Valentina a bookshop in London. Val's father passed years before and her husband decided he wanted a younger woman so Valentina packed up her life and left Seattle for Primrose Hill to find out what happened with her mother. Thus begins a journey of discovery as Val finds notes left for her by Eloise leading Valentina on a scavenger hunt all over Primrose Hill to learn more about her mother. In the process she makes friends who become family, breathes life in a failing business, and might possibly find true love..
She also learns how much her mother really loved her. Jio alternates between Valentina's point of view and Eloise's. It is through Eloise's story that we learn why she left and what happened to bring her back to London and her best friend Millie. Jio is an excellent story teller. The narrative moves seamlessly between Valentina and Eloise. I was drawn into the found family on Primrose Hill - it is a neighborhood I'd love to live in and the Book Garden is just scrumptious. Readers of Jenny Colgan and JoJo Moyes will enjoy this book as will anyone who relishes a good read. There would be a lot to discuss for book clubs - With Love from London would make an excellent selection. Many thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Jio and Random House Ballantine for this free book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5

Style/Trope/TLDR: Fiction/long lost love

TW: Divorce

Valentina is recovering from a pending divorce from her husband Nick when she finds out that her mother, Eloise, had passed. Eloise lived in London and had no contact with Valentina since she left her when Valentina was a child. Valentina travels to London and is introduced to her mother's life, and learns that the abandonment was not as it seemed. Meanwhile, flashbacks to Eloise's life are woven throughout.

I love books about books, reading, libraries, bookstores, so I'm an easy mark with a book like this. Even so, what an enjoyable read! I knocked .25 off because it was a little slow to get into but once I got hooked, I finished it quickly. The flashbacks are woven in beautifully, and you feel the romantic love between (won't say who, don't want to spoil anything). This is a story I'd love to return to again and again, and it felt beautifully intimate. My best straight fiction book this year.

Sarah Jio's books never disappoint and With Love from London is no exception. The first book I read by Jio was The Violets of March and I remember just being drawn into the story with the dual timelines introduced through the journal and With Love from London drew me in the same way with the alternating but connected timelines this time through both Eloise and Val's point of views and the letters.

Valentina Baker is recently divorced and just learned that her estranged mother has passed away. She leaves her broken life in the Pacific Northwest to head to London to sort out her mother's affairs, including her apartment and bookstore. While dealing with the conflictings feelings of hurt and anger from her mother's abandonment 20 years earlier and her grief of loss, knowing that she'll never be able to reconcile, she discovers letters that her mother left for her as well as the sense of community that her mother created.

It's a bittersweet story between mother and daughter and Jio's ability to weave so much emotion into the narrative really amps it up. It explores the lasting effects of our first loves, everlasting friendships, and the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters, as well as the power of a found family when you lose your family. There's also a powerful lesson in there about keeping your heart open even after experiencing heartbreak and major life changes. I loved the idea of the letters and the scavenger hunt as a way to introduce us to Eloise's past, and the callback to Eloise's connection to Edward is the same way she created a connection to Val, underlining how much her relationship with him influenced her connection to her daughter.

Thank you to Sarah Jio, Random House/Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this amazing book in exchange for my honest review!

I LOVE everything about this book!!!! It was a heartbreaking story about a mother and daughter and the love they could of had.

I absolutely loved the concept behind this one - it sounded like a cute lil hallmark romance with a hint of serious real world reflection. I was pretty much right.

however, it was a bit more real than I was anticipating with the writing airing a bit more on the side of contemporary fiction rather than romance. it’s a typical coming into yourself story with a side romance that wasn’t super endearing but still cute.

I would recommend this one to those who want a quick fiction read without a huge attachment to the characters or storyline itself.

wine pairing: chablis chardonnay
rating: 3 stars

Love love loved this one! I loved both story lines. I loved all the main characters, the setting and the storyline. This one was special, it was touching, and all around beautiful. Well done! Jio will be an auto buy author for me. I highly recommend this one, when I come out in February!

⚠️ loss of parents, cancer

Thank you netgalley and Sarah Jio for the opportunity to read this beautifully done story in exchange for my honest review.

This book exceeded my expectations. It was even more delightful than I thought it would be! There were dark moments, bittersweet moments, and many joyful moments. The characters were each so unique and felt like people I would meet out in the real world. I loved the back and forth between timelines for Eloise and Valentina. The ending left me feeling all warm and content. It was a perfect read for a quiet night at home with some hot chocolate. I highly recommend.

This was interesting but I found myself much more intrigued by Val’s chapters and thought the Daniel storyline was frustrating. A quick read though and I am interested in more by Jio.

I wasn't able to get drawn into With Love from London. I wasn't a fan of the dual timeline. It made it a little bit hard to get into the pacing.

I did like the plot of the book, it did catch my eye originally.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing the chance to read and review. This was a two star rating because it was just ok to me.

A very sweet story about love, loss, and finding your space in the world. Well written and well paced.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

This was my first Sarah Jio book, and it did not disappoint!
Written in dual timelines and perspectives, With Love from London is a story of a mother and daughter who have been separated from each other for over 20 years. Valentina receives news of her estranged mothers passing and also that her mother left her apartment and book shop to her. After going through a recent divorce, Valentina decides to hop on a plan to the UK to try and sort through her mothers’ belongings and also to come to terms with the fact that her mother left her all of those years ago. What Valentina instead finds from a string of clues from her mother may be one of the biggest surprises yet.
This book was a fantastic read during the holiday season. It was lighthearted, fun, hopeful and had some of the sweetest characters I have ever read. I loved the chapters outlining Eloise’s life and how the author wrote her background story. I am also a sucker for any book set in a cozy book shop.
Bonus points for this awesome cover!
A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book!