The Rom COm Market is so over crowded at this point that this was never going to be groundbreaking for this year, but it's still a really pleasant palate cleanser.

I'm such a sucker for any bookshop book and was utterly delighted to add this one to my list of one of the best of the year. Charming and delightful!

Robinson uses recent discourse about censorship and the canon to create a delightful plot of standing up to the patriarchy, with a bit of romance sprinkled in. I plan to use this as a book club pick to raise awareness in our library community.

I love books about bookshops and libraries! Some of my favorite books have been about women looking for a
new start and a purpose. Maggie is no different. She comes to fill in for her friend and finds her place in Bell River.

What I loved most about this book is that while it is not primarily a romance, the author finds a way to include that element in the book. I love watching things progress between Maggie and Malcolm naturally. The townspeople were terrific and Maggie really found her niche with them. And those secret book events!! Robinson was extremely creative to come up with the content for those events!

Overall, a great read and a wonderful story for Maggie!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved, loved, LOVED the underground library concept. And the fun author events that Maggie hosted (the Moby Dick event was hilarious! And I wish I read this while I was teaching The Great Gatsby a few weeks ago so I could share that part with my students).

Really loved the message about finding the right genre for you and how fun the reading community can be. The small town had its quirky characters.

Sometimes I just didn't connect with Maggie, but I still enjoyed her and her growth throughout the book. I liked that the romance wasn't a huge part of the book and they were able to complement each other nicely.

This was a nice and sweet book to read.

Got an eARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up!

As the story begins, we meet our protagonist, twenty-eight-year-old Maggie Banks as she reaches the small town of Bell River at the invitation of her best friend Rochelle, who is about to go on maternity leave and needs someone to take over her duties at Cobblestone Books, the bookshop partially owned by Rochelle’s family. Maggie, who has been unable to settle down in a career of her liking after graduating college and has been out of work and living with her parents in California, welcomes the change and the opportunity albeit a temporary one. Though not much of a reader herself, she is sure that with Rochelle’s guidance she should have no problems in managing a small town bookshop.

Unbeknownst to Maggie, River Bell is a town with a literary legacy and is thus also a tourist destination for those who are drawn to the literary legend of the late Edward Bell (after whom the town has been named), whose family partly owns most of the commercial establishments in the area and thus has a say in how local businesses are run. Cobblestone Books is no exception, selling books that were read and loved by Edward Bell in his lifetime (he passed in 1968), mostly classics. Anyone who enters the shop with a more contemporary reading list is promptly directed t the nearest Barnes and Noble store. Needless to say, Maggie finds herself at odds with the head of the Bell Society, Ralph Bell and his employee Malcolm who also aren’t quite impressed with Maggie. As tensions grow, Ralph decides to remove the Edward Bell books from the store, plunging sales and diminishing footfall into a downward spiral, prompting Maggie to resort to a more creative solution to save her friend’s family bookshop even if it means breaking the rules and starting an underground book club, inviting contemporary authors, hosting book readings with a twist and secretly selling books that would ordinarily never be allowed within the premises of Cobblestone Books. All this while hiding it from Ralph and keeping it a secret from Rochelle so as not to add to her financial woes and making sure Malcolm, who wasn’t quite as stuck up as she had initially assumed, doesn’t find out. She finds allies in the friendly people in the local community and even her grouchy neighbor Vernon doesn’t stand in the way. But how long can she keep it a secret? Can she save the bookshop and introduce change in the way things have normally been done? What does this mean for Maggie? Has she finally found her calling?

Stories such as these are rarely unpredictable, so it's all in the journey and this was a fun one with actually a few surprises along the way. I am partial to stories revolving around books, bookstores and libraries and this one did not disappoint! I enjoyed following Maggie as she gradually falls in love with reading, even trying a few of the Classics (not that there is anything wrong in not enjoying them). At a point, I thought that the author was categorizing readers into airtight silos – those who enjoy the Classic and those who enjoy contemporary fiction in different genres. But as the story progresses, and we see Maggie and Malcolm open up to new reading experiences and breaking away from preconceived notions about certain books and genres, the author shows how people can enjoy books that don’t necessarily fall within one’s comfort zone and even if they choose not to, readers should not be judged for reading whatever appeals to them. As a lifelong reader who loves trying different kinds of books, enjoying some and others not so much, this resonated with me. Quirky characters, small-town dynamics, loads of humor and a sweet romance make for an engaging read. Overall, The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson is an entertaining, light-hearted read that I enjoyed.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks is due to be released on November 1, 2022.

Maggie is adrift. She has a college degree, but drifts from job to job envious of her friends who seem to have a 'plan'. Currently jobless and living back home with her parents, she jumps at the chance to travel cross country to help in her best friend's bookshop. It's an appealing if temporary solution. Once she arrives, however, she discovers all of the restrictions that have been placed on the shop by it's 'silent' partner. It seems that the town was home to a famous author ... the town's claim to fame. The literary society has decided that the book shop will only sell books by this author and classics. Maggie sees a need for some of the 'banned' books and begins selling them under the table, falsifying the shops monthly sales reports to make it look like the classics are flying off the shelves. Can this plan possibly stay 'under wraps'? Especially since Maggie is dating the Society's watchdog?
I enjoyed this light read and the author's reflection on book banning, regardless of the reason.

I LOVED this book. I would read more romances if they were all like this. The bookstore setting was fun, the characters were realistic, and the romance tropes weren't cringy. Shauna is now an auto read author for me!

Maggie can't quite figure out what to do with her life. Leaving one job to pursue another only to be dissatisfied with the next job. Maggie would rather plan office parties than attending meetings and all work-related tasks seem incredibly boring. Everyone seems to know what they want to do with their lives except Maggie who senses her parent's frustration and bewilderment over their who gets so easily distracted. A phone call from Maggie's college friend Rochelle offering her to come and stay with her and work in her bookstore while she is on maternity leave seems like just the thing to change Maggie's perspective, visit with her best friend, and take a break from her parent's "concerned" looks. Once Maggie arrives at Bell River she is immediately taken in by the quaintness and friendliness of the town, and running the bookstore seems like it will be fun until Maggie questions why everything in the town, from the books store selection to menu items were centered around the towns historical figure and author Edward Bell.
I really enjoyed this book, Maggie is the mess that looks too messy to clean up which made the story unpredictable as well as humorous.

This was an adorable, slightly romantic read about a girl who comes into a small town to help her old college roommate out with her book shop while she goes on maternity leave. Fun, rebellious chaos ensues as Maggie butts heads with the town's head of the historical society/part owner of the bookstore when they disagree on what the store should sell.

Based on its title, this book seemed a perfect read for Banned Books Week. However, the "banned books" in this story are different from those celebrated during the formal week. Here, the banned books are any books published after the death of Edward Bell, an author celebrated in the small fictional Maryland town of Bell River. Maggie, a self-proclaimed "non-reader," agrees to oversee Cobblestone Books for her best friend while she is on maternity leave. Maggie is searching for something to give her life meaning. I didn't like Maggie initially. I found her flighty and abrupt and unkind. She tends to speak before thinking. As the story progressed, though, I began to enjoy Maggie's actions and her creative attempts to save the bookstore and ultimately, the town. I always enjoy reading books about books and bookstores, and this one does not disappoint. It is especially intriguing because the protagonist is a non-reader. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an ARC.

Read if you like:
-Books about Books
-Small Town Settings
-Quirky Characters
-Bookshops
-Fast Paced Novels

This one is cute, fun, and fast paced! If you loved her first book then you will definitely enjoy this one too!

This book features small town antics with quirky characters and well placed and developed supporting characters.

Banned books is a common theme in this book that is discussed as well as community. If you enjoy those two areas in plot, I feel like this is an easy choice for that type of reader!

This is the first book I have read that I have 100% rooted for the underdog. It starts out with a lot of drama and I love it!

Shauna Robinson tells a really sweet tale of Maggie Banks, lost in the world, not knowing where her life is leading her. Like many twenty somethings out there, Maggie just can't seem to find where she fits in life. She isn't holding onto jobs because she simply doesn't care about the business or duties; she has moved back in with her parents because she can't/won't stay in a job for very long; and now she's moved in with her incredibly pregnant best friend from college and agreeing to work for her in her bookstore while she is out on maternity leave. Maggie is not a reader. But so much changes in the few short months in Bell River after Rochelle has her baby early and leaves Maggie to entertain tourists on the life and livelihood of a famous author for whom the whole town is famous for!

This was such a charming book! I wasn't so sure about it at first, but I think seeing it categorized as a romance threw me off. It's not a romance. It's contemporary fiction to the core, with a dash of a romantic beginning. I loved the way Robinson wrote Maggie's character. She's flawed like the rest of the bumbling twenty something crowd, thinking everyone around them has their life figured out and they're floundering around all alone when really she's one of many. Maggie is a bright, fun, and funny character, I absolutely loved her by the end of the book, wishing I could be in Bell River befriending her. Her relationship with Malcolm is sweet and slow stirred, but not the core of this book at all. It's a real adult coming of age story, set in a literary town, in a bookshop, centered around books. This is a perfect book for literary lovers and bookish nerds who love reading about their favorite pastime: reading books!

2.5/5

The premise of this book is a good one. I thought that it would be interesting to read about someone saving a bookstore. However, I found that the details of this book were incredibly boring and did not peak my interest.

As a character, Maggie is not relatable or interesting. I don't really understand the motivation of Ralph other than wanting to sell and promote the material that he likes. The love interest between Malcom and Maggie was irrelevant. The only character that I somewhat liked was Vernon. I enjoyed that he was stoic, but also kind.

The one thing that I did enjoy was that this book relayed the message that having books of all kinds are important. In a time when books are being banned for the messages that they relay, it's important to have diversity of materials. Maggie is also a POC, but I don't feel that it plays a huge role in the story.

Overall, the book was okay. I would not read it again and I am unlikely to recommend it to anyone. However, I know that there are people out there who will love this book much more than I did. I just found the story of Edward Bell to be unrelatable and boring.

The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks is a cute bookish read! The premise is of a small town famous for being home to a famous author and now literary themed is something I’d personally visit. I liked Maggie’s character, and I loved how many friendships and supporting characters are involved.
The plot and pacing kept me from loving the book. I felt confused about what the main point was, it felt like it was Maggie’s personal growth, then the bookstore, or maybe a romance. It made the pacing and plot a bit choppy feeling and at times slow.
The ending was great, I love a happy ending that wraps everything up with a pretty bow.
I wish Robinson would have included a “story behind the story” so I would know if this was based on a real place (especially as a Maryland native)!

Maggie Banks arrives in Bell River ready to run her best friend's struggling bookstore. Struggling seems to be making light of the situation as the store is stuck in the past of the literary society that Maggie is used to. Bell River isn't the most accommodating place to land as as a newcomer, but Maggie finds a way to build friendships and grow into herself.

The story itself was such an easy and light read. With a focus on romance, friendships, and books I couldn't imagine a better read. The characters were so immediately lovable, and the setting of a small bookish town was lovely.

What a wonderful story! Maggie not only learns more about herself and her needs to have a fulfilled life, but also helps the town find their voice to speak up for their own needs.

3.5 stars! I liked this book, but there were definitely things I didn't like. The plot was interesting, but I didn't quite connect with the Maggie the way i'd hoped to. Her struggle to figure out what to do with her life was relatable, but it felt almost obvious that her passion was working with people and communities, I did, however, love to hate Ralph! Also, the events that Maggie put together? How do I find something like that IRL? They were a hoot to read about.

My only real annoyance with this book was with the research montage that Maggie and Malcolm had... nobody can find that much family history THAT quickly, and without access to some pretty detailed online archives (which i doubt a small town would have. BUT that is just the researcher/archivist in me).

Overall, this was a decent bookish read.

3.5 Stars

Maggie is unemployed and rudderless so she moves from California to Bell River, Maryland to stay with her friend, Rochelle, to help her in her bookshop while Rochelle is on maternity leave. The town of Bell River is obsessed with its hometown hero, and author, Edward Bell. Even though Maggie isn't a lover of books she decides working at Cobblestone Books and staying with Rochelle and her family is just what she needs to give her life the push it needs for a new start.

I really enjoyed this author's other book <a href="https://shelleyann01.blogspot.com/2021/10/must-love-books-by-shauna-robinson-my.html"><b>Must Love Books</b></a> so I was happy to see she had yet another book about books available. Shauna Robinson's love of the written word shines through in her books and I loved all the literary references in this one and I loved reading about avid readers.

There were many small town, quirky characters in this story, and most of them I adored. Ralph, the antagonist, is such a stuffed shirt and so small-minded, that I abhorred him, especially when it came to his thoughts on books. Nothing allowed that was published after 1968?! I loved Malcolm and the ways he and Maggie stepped out of their comfort zones to try new things. Even though their romance wasn't swoon-worthy it was rather sweet and I loved their sense of humour throughout the book.

Such a quick, cute, and fun read. I was so pleased to see Maggie turn into a reader and find her love for books and that she found her true calling through selling the banned books and her wonderful book events. I also liked the way the whole town decided to band together.