I have been a big fan of Sarah Jio's previous work so I was thrilled to read this latest book. This book follows both Valentina and her mother, Eloise. Eloise left when Valentina was little and never came back. Now Valentina is in London to take over her mother's bookstore.

I really was much more interested in Eloise's sections and life than I was with Valentina's sections. I definitely felt the past was much more intriguing then the present day. Valentina seemed nice and all but there was nothing about her that really stuck out to me.

Overall I did enjoy this book and would definitely be interested in reading more from Sarah Jio.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the galley.

This was the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it. It was slow to get started and a little slow in the middle, but it kept my interest.

I did not like the sadness though. It was sad watching Valentina discover and lose her mother all over again.

Valentina inherits her mothers book store after she passes away. She struggles to pay the inheritance tax, which if she defaults, she'll lose the bookstore and her mother all over again.

She befriends her mother's tenant, Lizzy and Miller, her mothers childhood friend. They work together with the community to save the bookstore.

We follow both stories, Eloise and Valentina's in 2 different story lines but both intertwining.

I just reviewed With Love from London by Sarah Jio. #WithLovefromLondon #NetGalley

Amazing! This book hooked me from the moment I started reading! It is truly one of the best books I've read in recent times. The plot was intriguing -- who wouldn't love to inherit a bookstore and it had an apartment! The characters were interesting - Val the brokenhearted daughter and Eloise, her mother.

I had not previously read any books by this author I'm sorry to say. Needless to say, I will be looking for them at the library! She tells a story that has so much heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

A literary work of art. Ms. Jio's books always make you FEEL! Newly divorced Valentina suddenly receives a bookstore in London from the mother who left her when she was 12 years old. With the bookstore, she also inherits quirky characters and clues about her mother. As Valentina finds the clues from her mother, she also finds herself. As usual, a lovely story from Ms. Jio.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review**

Sarah Jio never fails to make me cry (in a good way). She magically weaves a tale set in modern times, then flashes back to the past, bringing the characters together in a way that burrows in your heart and leaves a lasting impression. The book shares alternating chapters between Valentina (modern day) and her mother, Eloise (past) and captures your interest from page 1. Valentina was abandoned by her mother when she was 12, but after moving to London and inheriting her mother's bookstore when she passes, Valentina unravels stories from her mother's past that makes her question life, love and loss. This book was enchanting, emotional and SO good to read- especially the scavenger hunts and the friendships with Millie, Liza and Eric (and Percy!). This is a book for someone who loves books and loves love.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the gifted book I read along with the library audio.

This book is a love letter to books and how they can be the tie that binds. It's also an ode to the bond between a mother and daughter despite less than ideal circumstances. I was drawn in by all the fun elements: an inherited bookstore, a quirky neighbor, and a literary scavenger hunt courtesy of a dead mom, and I stayed for the endearing characters and and sweet story. This book covers the gamut of topics and I was here for all of them: grief, first loves, female friendships, found families, mothers and daughters, second acts, and forgiveness. Overall I would categorize this one as contemporary women's fiction, but it does have some fun romance elements.

✨Book Review ✨

Sarah Jio is an auto read author for me. Her book All the Flowers in Paris absolutely WRECKED me. I’ve been highly anticipating her newest, With Love From London. It did not disappoint!

Valentina travels to London after the loss of her estranged mom and finds out she’s inherited her mothers bookshop. This story unfolds in the most beautiful way! Told In dual timelines, we are privy to Valentina and Eloise and their remarkable love stories. This is a beautiful tribute to book lovers and the bonds between mother and daughter. The supporting characters were positively lovely! As the truth unfurled about Eloise and why she left her daughter, my heart thawed along with Valentina’s. This was a slow unravel of a stunning story. 5 ⭐️

Thank you @randomhouse for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review!

With Love from London is a beautiful love letter to books and book lovers everywhere. As a librarian, I was intrigued by a story about a librarian who inherits a quaint bookstore in London. What's not to love!

The story is told in alternating timelines between Valentina, a recently divorced librarian from Seattle, and Valentina's mother, Eloise. Eloise was forced by her husband to leave her loveless marriage and her 12 year old daughter. Eloise fled to London to start a bookstore with her best friend, Millie. When Eloise passes, she leaves the bookstore to Valentina. This exquisite novel tells the story of how both mother and daughter start their lives over after heartbreak.

If you like stories about the love of reading, forgiveness, and second acts this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine/Penguin Random House for this advance readers copy.

There are so many coincidences and chance meetings with "the right person" that it seemed contrived. Still, it's a sweet story.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this sweet subtle romance!

Overall, I found this book to be precious and heartwarming. I felt fully invested in the characters, the plot, and felt strongly they could achieve their goals with a little help from their friends!

The book began with Valentina, a recent divorcee who has now inherited her mother's estates including the cutest London bookshop. She arrives disheveled and ready to close her mother's doors to London, however she quickly falls in love with the residents of this town, the shop, and then in love with her dream man. Sarah Jio does a wonderful job of helping her audience fall in love with the characters and the town of Primose Hill. It was extremely cozy in a rewatching Gilmore Girl's way. Because of my love of the characters, Valentina, Liza, and Millie, I wanted nothing more than the greatest of success for them.

Much to the style of Taylor Jenkin's Reid's Malibu Rising (my absolute favorite book I read in 2021), Jio also lets us in on the trialing story of Valentina's mother Eloise. Another element that I loved is that you get to see flashbacks of Eloise and her best friend Millie, whom is now forming a wonderful relationship with Valentina in the more recent sections of the story. It felt perfectly full circle and allowed the reader to see different perspectives of everything happening. In addition, Eloise has set up the most perfect scavenger hunt to help her connect to the town, the flat, and in the end her mother. While it feels a tad late, the healing that comes of this for Valentina is irreplaceable. Jio flawlessly ties this connection to her mother, into the story of Valentina's future in Primrose Hill, if she were to choose to stay and make this her new life.

Lastly, this is truly a book made for book lovers. Not only does it reference a plethora of the classics, it is also the story of one librarian converting to a wonderful book seller. Valentina and Eloise's love of books runs generationally deep, and allows them to connect in ways they never could during Eloise's time alive. In way's it made me think of my librarian mom and I, and her dream to open a children's bookstore.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House for letting me get my hands on this sweet novel!

Sometimes I get very conflicted on what to rate a book because I know the book deserves more stars than I’m giving it. Then I remind myself that my review is about how much I enjoyed the book. And for me, a 3 star rating is a book I enjoyed. A 4 star is a book I really enjoyed/loved and a 5 star rating is a book that will definitely be one of my favorites for the year and probably for many years to come.

For me this book was 3 stars from an enjoyment standpoint but 4 stars as far as how well it was written and the storyline. Here’s why, it was so sad. I was so very sad for most of this book. I don’t do well with sad books. I didn’t realize how sad this book was going to be. Sure, the description specifically mentions that the main character, Valentina’s, mother has just died and that they’ve been estranged for decades. She left Valentina a bookstore in London.
So, yes, estrangement of the family and her mother Eloise’s death were front and center. But I’ve read other books with a similar storyline that weren’t all that sad. Anyway…

This story alternates between the present day in London with Valentina and the past with Eloise (starting in London, moving to the US).

In the present day, poor Valentina gets a Dear John note from her husband and she finds out her mother died the same day.
To make things even worse, her mother left when Valentina was only 12. Eloise went back to London and Valentina never heard from her again.
Can you even imagine? Both Valentina’s husband snd her own mother left her without explanation, completely out of the blue. What would that do to a person?

Valentina is so strong. She is dealing with her conflicting emotions about her mother: anger that she left and sadness that she’s gone.

Valentina inherited her mother’s love for books too. So, the idea of inheriting a bookstore is pretty great. But she’s immediately hit with an inheritance tax that she’s not sure she’ll be able to pay. And if she can’t pay it, she’ll lose the bookstore.

I’m addition to this main story, there are additional storylines going on that manage to add to the story without making it feel like too much.
-Valentina’s mother left behind a scavenger hunt to lead Valentina to the real reason behind what happened and more than anything to show Valentina that she always loved her.
-Valentina finding a copy of her favorite book with notes from a man in it and deciding to find the man who wrote the notes.
-all of Eloise’s dramas from her love circle in London to her life in the US and why she left.

Very detailed, well written story. Not one loose end wax left behind. Despite all of these storylines, I felt every one got a conclusion.

If I had been able to handle the sadness of the story more it absolutely would have been a higher rating from me.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!

“Books have feelings. Only you can unlock them. It’s easy, though, all you have to do is read the pages.” There are plenty of feelings to unlock in With Love from London. Sarah Jio shares two love stories: one with tragic timing and one with “stardust luck.” Valentina, a librarian and bookstagrammer, arrives in London as the new proprietor of The Book Garden, previously owned by Eloise, her estranged, recently deceased mother. Sara Jio draws readers into Eloise’s dream of escaping London’s East End, her unlikely life in California, and how she “finds some semblance of life again.” After Valentina arrives in London relationships of husband/wife, parent/child, and best friends are delicately explored in years of letters, shared memories, and scavenger hunts just like her mother had created when she was a child. In this dual timeline, themes of friendship and family inspire readers to examine feelings ranging from anger to understanding and from pain to forgiveness. Read With Love from London with anticipation of healing, revelations, and a new lease on life!

This was absolutely beautiful. Dual POV, mother and daughter, different decades. You learn about their relationship and their history as you read the book. The growth that Valentina experiences throughout this book was amazing to experience. Love, loss, and self discovery. Eloise does the best she can with what she has. This touched my heart and I’m so happy I picked this off the shelf.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for this digital ARC.

With Love from London by Sarah Jio is a lovely story of love, loss, and finding yourself again. Val's mom left when she was a teenager, and now her mom has died and left her a bookshop in Primrose Hill. Val never understood why her mom left; and when she gets to her newly inherited bookshop, she finds that her mom has left her many clues to help her learn what the real story was. This story was charming and delightful, and all the characters were wonderfully done as well. I would definitely recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

The first half of this book was a little slow for me. But the ending had me not wanting to put it down. Sarah Jio does a great job pulling your heart strings as she takes you through both Val and her mother Eloise's life.

If you like new beginnings, fun characters and stories of forgiveness, and yes, all kinds of love, you'll want to read Sarah Jio's latest novel: With Love from London. Valentina Baker's beautiful mother abandons her when Valentina is only 11, fleeing back home to England. Two decades later, and one failed marriage, Valentina is a librarian (her love of books passed down from her mother) and is blindsided when she is notified that not only has her mother passed away, she has left her a flat and beloved neighborhood bookstore in Primrose Hill. Valentina flies across the Atlantic-hoping to learn more about her mother. With a cast of charming characters, a journey of discovery and the backdrop of Primrose Hill, Jio has crafted another beautiful novel that explores forgiveness, love and new beginnings.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved this book! Although this book does have a romantic sub plot, to me it was more about the main character Valentina coming in to her own, and coming to terms with the relationship she had with her mother. This book flashes between present day London with Valentina, and her mothers past in London and California. As we see the two tale from both of their perspectives, it twists and turns until Valentina has a brand new perspective of her own. Although I didn’t completely love how things ended and the lack of closure in some respects, I do think this is a great weekend red. Cozy up with a nice hot tea and fresh flowers and enjoy!

In With Love From London by Sarah Jio, we meet Val, a librarian (and bookstagrammer!) who is in the middle of finalizing a divorce when she learns that her estranged mother, who abandoned her when she was young, has passed away and left her a bookstore in London. At first, Val has the intentions to sell the bookstore but when she arrives, her plan takes on a life of its own, as her mother has also left her a scavenger hunt of clues that pulls her closer to the community and the bookstore and where she learns the truth about her mother’s life.

We then travel back in time and learn about the life of Eloise, Val’s mother, and her dreams of owning a bookshop, how she meets her true love, the trials of her marriage and how life separated her from her daughter. I found it fascinating to watch as the decisions that Eloise made playout for Val and her future.

With Love From London is a beautiful and bittersweet story of a mother/daughter relationship, the search for (and loss of) love, unbreakable bonds of friendship and how understanding your past can also free your future. The transition between timelines is seamless and the details of London and the bookstore are so vivid you can almost watch it play out in your mind.

I’ve been a huge fan of Sarah’s work since her first book more than 10 years ago. Sarah is a master at not only writing heartfelt stories but she also has the ability to craft a duel timeline in the most creative way. If you haven’t read Sarah’s books, I urge you to also check out her backlist titles. No matter what book you start with, you won’t be disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have a special place in my heart for Sarah Jio books - and this latest one did not disappoint! Coincidentally, my mother and I share a love of her books and we've swapped all of her books back and forth over the years. All that said, this book - which is essentially an ode to mother/daughter relationships is one I can't wait to share with my own mom. :)

Valentina Baker is only 11 years old when her mother Eloise unexpectedly leaves Val and her father on their own in California and flees back to her native London. Now an adult in her 30s, Val - a librarian who is fresh out of a failed marriage - still hasn't reconciled with her estranged mother. However, Val soon learns that her mother Eloise has died and left her a Primrose Hill apartment in London along with the Book Garden, the storied bookshop she opened nearly 20 year ago. Stunned this news yet still reeling from her own failed personal life, Val jets across the pond to London hoping for a fresh start and the chance to learn more about the mother that she barely knew.

Told in alternating storylines between present day Valentina in London and past Eloise (her mother), this lovely novel is about healing and loss, and asks the question, how well do you really know your parents and their past struggles, grief and sacrifice? It's definitely a book to treasure - and share with my mom. Thanks #Netgalley for the complimentary electronic version. I recently purchased the paperback for my bookshelf too.

In this sweet book we alternate between the stories of Eloise, who moves from London to California out of obligation in the late 60’s and her daughter Valentina, who later moves from Seattle to London to take over her mother’s bookstore after her passing. Often times books that alternate between two different time frames can be stronger in one story line than the other, but I feel that this book was strong in both. There is a central mystery at the core of the book - why does Eloise abruptly move back to London when Valentina is young never to be heard from again? As we unravel the clues we are rooting for Valentina to save the beautiful neighborhood bookstore and perhaps fall in love. Very sweet, fast read.

My review was posted on Goodreads 02/26/22.