There was a lot to love about With Love from London. My husband and I visited Primrose Hill a few years ago, and the book was so evocative of the beautiful setting. I found the story to be very well-plotted, and in theory, the premise sounded really good. Also, the bookstore itself was magical. What a dream! Valentina's storyline with the store was the most compelling to me, and I also found the scavenger hunt to be really fun. In general, I much preferred Val's POV and the relationships formed in her timeline. That being said, this book fell a little flat for me, and I couldn't get into Louise's perspective. I found the dialogue stilted, and I wish the characters and relationships had been more developed, particularly the love/pain of Louise and Valentina's relationship. There was a lot of telling, and not enough showing. Also, as a mom, I didn't buy that Louise just left her daughter in the states, even with how manipulative Frank was. And I wanted to root for her and Richard, but I didn't feel like the emotional depth that she talked about in their relationship was ever really realized on the page, especially after they had only met three times before she left for the states. I did, though, really enjoy how Richard and Valentina connected.

I can see why people love Sarah Jio, and I was certainly entertained enough to finish this book in a couple of days, but it doesn't stand out as a favorite. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Ballantine for the free copy in exchange for an honest review, though!

This was a very cute, heartwarming read! I loved the fact that it went back and forth between two time periods so that you could see how a mother’s life intersected with her daughter’s.

This book! Wow what a bittersweet story. The dual timeline was the perfect way to give readers a good under of the story between Valentina and her mom Eloise. Jio takes us in this journey full of grief, heartbreak, love, friendship and so much more as Valentina tries to find herself again after heartbreak and finding out that her long lost mother has passed away. Honestly no review will do this one justice so all i can say is: pick it up and immerse yourself in this book and hopefully like me you will enjoy every bit of it and put it down at times just willing it not to end. I absolutely loved it and would 10000% recommend it!

I am speechless. Utterly, fantastically, heart melted in a puddle speechless. I've made it no secret I've been battling some not so fantastic depression during these cold months. It happens to the best of us unfortunately. One of the worst things I deal with is the loss of my usual ability to find comfort in pretty much any book I Crack open. I know my genres. I know what I like. But for some reason the blues brings with it the gloom of having a hard time connecting to a good read. I am so so deliciously happy I chose this one at this very moment.

When Valentina was a child, her mother abruptly left. No phone calls. No letters. Just one day gone. This of course broke her young heart and was something she carried with her into adulthood. Out of the blue, she's alerted by a solicitor that her mother has passed and left her everything. Everything including a charming bookshop and apartments in Primrose Hill. Though based in Seattle, her recent separation has made it possible for her to trek to England to sort out her mother's estate and hopefully finally receive the answers she's been looking for.

This book was absolutely everything wonderful I love about reading! The imagery of England was so vivid I could see the bookshop and the little cafés with such ease. Told from both Valentina and Eloise (her mothers) perspectives, we get the full scope of what actually happened with such vivid detail putting down the book was almost painful because it felt like the loss of a friend. The love Eloise had for her daughter bled into every page and the pain she felt at the things life handed her was so heartbreaking you find yourself crying with her at her misfortunes and celebrating her happiness. This isn't just a novel. This is a beautiful work of art. I loved every page and was sincerely sad to see it end. My only consolation is the ability to now dig into Ms. Jio's past works. She's truly a master storyteller and I'm so overjoyed to have found the book that will certainly be a favorite of the year and pulled me out of my reading melancholy.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thank you to Sarah Jio, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

P.S I Love You Vibes! Eloise receives a phone call stating her mother that she has not seen since she was 12 has passed and she now is the owner of a 3 story flat with a bookstore. Eloise loves books and to read so as you can imagine this was very fitting given her current divorce. Her mother put together a scavenger hunt for her to complete once she arrived to London which helped her relive her mothers past and create her future. In the end Eloise realized her mother did not just walk out on her rather she was forced out by her overbearing father. I loved this book from the second I picked it up and it was beautifully written!
Thank you NetGalley for the approval and thank you Sarah Jio for the five star read!

WITH LOVE FROM LONDON by Sarah Jio was a wonderful book & made for relaxing reading, I loved it. Hooked from the opening chapter, I happily spent hours with the two main characters Valentina and Eloise. Set in London, the book had just enough details about London that it felt like a vacation escape. Jio’s books feature a dual timeline and this one is done so well. The two characters stories unfold in the opening chapters and then weave back and forth throughout the novel until the end when it’s all tied up. Sarah Jio is an automatic buy for me & I’ve read all of her novels. Her novel WITH LOVE FROM LONDON is just a wonderful as each of her other novels. Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

A sweet frolic thru London is just what the dr ordered. An easy beach read from an author I have never read. I will look forward to more!

This was a sweet romance, but what I loved best was the setting. London, a bookstore, a quaint neighborhood with interesting characters, etc. The perspectives of the mom and daughter too were a great tie in, and I loved the idea of a scavenger hunt throughout. A feel-good read for sure.

I really love the way Sarah Jio writes her books and the way this book was written and how everything was put together was perfect

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for the chance to read With Love from London and share my review voluntarily.

Valentina a is recently divorced librarian and book-instagrammer living in Seattle when she learns that her estranged mother has passed and left her a bookstore and flat in London. Valentina travels to London and begins to learn the truth about her mother’s move that felt like abandonment. Valentina meets friends and finds her calling in this heartfelt tale of missed opportunities and lost loves.

I loved this story. It took me 3 chapters to feel fully needed engrossed in what had happened and why. As I read I developed a sense of foreboding for both Valentina and Eloise. I loved the dual pov of Mother and Daughter told decades apart. I also loved the similarities and points of empathy build through the use of story telling.

I thought that the romances seemed a bit far fetched and it relied heavily on the love at first site trope for Eloise and Edward. I also wished we could have had more insight into Frank’s wide swing.

I loved the way the friendship and eventual epiphany with Valentina was covered. The theme of identity was strong and well examined.

Pick this up if you’re looking for a love story between mother and daughter and to build a deeper appreciation for the strength and sacrifices motherhood demands.

With Love from London was a delight of a book! Set mostly in Primrose Hill in London, it's as cozy-feeling as you'd hope it would be. There are romantic storylines, but overall it's more a story of healing after loss, forgiveness, the family you have and the family you choose, relationships, creating a new life for yourself, and that there's always more to the story than you know.

Add in dual timelines, a scavenger hunt, and saving the local bookshop, and you've got a perfect escape. I can't wait to read it again, and recommend it to anyone who's looking for a story with depth that feels like a warm hug and leaves you hopeful.

Great book by Sarah Jio! I have been waiting for a new book by Ms. Jio for SO long and I'm thrilled it's finally here! This is easily one of my favorites so far.

With Love From London by Sarah Jio is a perfect contemporary for those who enjoy a book that talks about books. This dual timeline novel has two narrators, interesting characters, and an ideal setting. If you are looking for a book to add to your spring TBR, this is one to watch for.

If there is one book setting that I can’t pass on, it is a bookstore. Valentina’s estranged mother passed away and gave her ownership of a London bookstore. She heads to London to make a plan to sell the shop, but winds up falling in love with not only the bookstore, but the life her mother made for herself there.

❀ PERFECT MAIN CHARACTER

Valentina is a perfect main character, as she is relatable and determined. Having recently divorced, she uses the opportunity in London to explore a different side of herself. It is enjoyable to watch her grow and form new friendships, and I found myself rooting for her quite often while reading.

❀ ALTERNATING TIMELINES

The story is written with alternating timelines that explore Valentina’s present life and her mother’s past. The two timelines work together and slowly reveal Eloise’s struggles for leaving her daughter behind. It also includes a scavenger hunt, fun side characters, and some romance, but the focus of the novel is really the mother-daughter relationship.

❀ A FEEL-GOOD STORY

With Love From London by Sarah Jio is a book for those who love a bookstore setting and a feel-good story about mothers and daughters. The characters are compelling and the story is one that will resonate with many. I am looking forward to trying some of the author’s other books.

Books about books are my favorite so this one was a no-brainer for me. I was sucked in from the beginning, which is always a good sign!

This book is so good. By the second chapter I instantly connected with the characters and I was majorly invested. Sarah Jio’s writing style is just brilliant and beautifully written!! The grief along this journey of Valentina’s in this story of self discovery was so good! ‘With Love from London’ accomplished so much definitely a tear jerker.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With Love, From London by Sarah Jio

Thank you to @netgalley and @ballantinebooks for this ARC that published on 2/8!

Valentina is a recently divorced 35 year old librarian from Seattle who has just learned that she inherited a bookstore across the world from her estranged mother. From Valentina’s view, her mother, Eloise, left California to move back to London when she was 10 years old and never made contact again. Arriving in London, Valentina’s mother sends her on a post mortal literary scavenger hunt where she begins to learn the truth of what happened and gains friendship and support from those who loved Eloise the most. Valentina helps save the bookstore, begins to heal from her mother’s abandonment, and becomes enchanted with her life once more.

This was pretty lovely all around! Books, love, London, what’s not to love? There was also a lot of depth to this story- the truth of Eloise’s abandonment is heartbreaking and hard to get through. Valentina must reconcile her view of both of her now dead parents without being able to have a conversation with either of them. Overall, this was a cozy and enchanting book that was a perfect read for a cold week in Chicago.

At first I didn't like Valentina's mother. Because at first you only have Valentina's view of her mom and the choices she thought her mom had made. But as you read and the book alternates chapters between Valentina in the semi present day and her mom Eloise in the past. As you get the whole story your view or at least mine starts to change. And you see that because of things neither could control they both didn't get the life they wanted.

I always enjoy reading books that feature librarians or bookseller as the heroine, because as a library assistant jobs involving books are near and dear to me. Though they aren't generally my go to as I sometimes use reading to escape. However I do have to mention that while this a women's fiction book it does deal with grief and the lose of a mother. Books about losing a parent can be hard for me to read. However as a reader I can handle reading books about losing a mom because I've already experienced that. Though almost six years later I still dealing with that grief. And though I didn't lose my mom to what Valentina lost her mom to, I still had to watch my mom fight that same thing.

All in all it was a good read. I cried reading it so have tissues handy but there were also moments in which I did laugh as well.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

One of the many poignant points in this novel is that books find you and this book definitely found me when I needed it most. It's a feel-good story built around family, love, forgiveness, and writing your own story. There's a touch of romance, a little mystery, some regret, and a lot of love from a mother to her daughter. The book is a light, quick read, but it has a lot of depth and feeling in the pages that make it worth the journey.

I freaking loved this!! If you're a Sarah Jio fan, I don't think this will disappoint you. When a young woman inherits a bookshop in London from a mother that she hasn't seen in years, she just wants to sell. When she gets there though, she begins to fall in love with the neighborhood, her new friends, the bookshop, and maybe......a new man. Along the way she finally gets to the know the mother she thought she knew. Loved everything about this story. One of my new favorites by Jio.

Valentina has just inherited her mother’s estate. She has not laid eyes on her mother since she was a young child. So, this is not exactly what she expected. But, when she arrives in London, she finds a mystery and life changing information which changes her mind about her mother.

Valentina thought her mother just up and left her when she was a small girl. But it seems to be a bit more complicated than that. She discovers things were not as they appeared and her father was not the man she thought he was.

What is it about a novel that has a bookstore in it and book references that just tend to make you just fall in love? I enjoyed so much about this tale! I could just picture the book store and Percy the cat. Add in the book references and the scavenger hunt…and I was hooked from start to finish!

Need a feel good story with great characters and BOOKS…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.