4.5 stars*
I flew through this book in no time at all and I think it's mainly because I am Maggie and Maggie is me. :) I work at a library so we're not exactly twinning, however, I am always working on side projects and random activities that help bring some joy and fun into the town.

Shauna did a GREAT job making you despise the antagonist, he made my teeth hurt every time he would say something. I can't lie, I did fast read over some of his lines just because I hated him so much.

The romance wasn't overplayed within the characters and that made for a light happy ending. I wish I lived in Bell River and had Maggie as my co-worker! Would defiantly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I don't read a lot of books in print (audiobook reader here), but when I do, I hope they're all as good as this one. I love Shauna Robinson's books, and that's saying a lot because this is only her second book, and I already know I'm going to be first in line for her third. Phenomenal, engaging, funny, and inspiring.

Everything about this book made me feel cozy and comforted. The world Shauna Robinson created was a pure delight. I want to live in Bell River, issues and all! And I absolutely adored Maggie, a young single woman who feels adrift and agrees to manage her best friend’s bookstore while she’s on maternity leave.

The story that unfolds is but fun and meaningful, and the cast of characters were perfection. I loved it all and I didn’t want it to be done!! I can’t wait for my friends and family to read this book in November

Cute book with likable enough characters although I couldn’t quite grasp why the main character was such a train wreck in the beginning. She’d had every opportunity to be successful. The plot of overcoming an old fashioned bookstore business plan with a “let’s put on a play” scheme to enliven the place was a stretch but gave the plot substance. I found myself skimming some paragraphs though. Definitely a book for book lovers with all the literary references. PS The Hunting for Dick title was a bit sophomoric. But that could just be me.

A great feel-good read! I really enjoyed discovering the people and history of the fictional Bell River. It took a little bit for the plot to really pick up and get me invested, but the last few chapters were fast-paced and really intriguing as everything came together.

The romance in the book was also super well written. It wasn't the primary focus of the book but still took center stage at times and I found myself rooting for the couple. It was a great way to demonstrate the value and complexity of romance as discussed in the book. Very meta and very entertaining!

This was a really fun read and I really enjoyed the underground selling of popular books that Maggie was engaging in and the events that she organized to help fund the store were really fun and interesting ideas. Maggie Banks has no idea what she is supposed to be doing with her life and she has been living back home for the last year waiting for something to happen. Her best friend Rochelle asks her to come to Bell River to fill in for her at her bookstore while she is on maternity leave and Maggie jumps at the chance of getting out of her parents’ house and hopefully figuring out what she wants to do with her life. Maggie doesn’t know what is getting into with Bell River and the Bell river Society the town’s main tourist attraction is that fact that Edward Bell lived there and wrote his first novel while working at the bookshop. Of course shenanigans ensue since Maggie doesn’t have a lot of time to memorize all the tourist talking points for Edward bell and she loves making customers laugh and ends up on the bad side of Ralph the co-owner of all the businesses in town and the grandson of Edward Bell. She ends up having to be sneaky and starts selling popular books on the down low and having events on the sly to help keep the bookstore afloat while its main tourist attraction was taken away. All while trying to keep it away from her friend Rochelle. This was a great read and I really enjoyed all the fun she was having with the bookstore and how much she ended up finding a community and her purpose while she was there.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

This was a beautiful story about a young woman discovering exactly who she is and where she belongs. Anyone who loves books, bookstores, and/or community will love this book. I found myself wishing I lived in this town to be part of all of the events going on and to hang out with the characters!

Bell River - where everything in the whole town revolves around a dead author. The Cobblestone Book store is where Edward Bell wrote some of his books. Therefore the bookstore can only carry classics available during Edward's lifetime. The bookstore is not doing well. Maggie, a rule breaker, and gasp! she does not like to read, is filling in for her best friend who is out on maternity leave. Maggie decides to break a whole lot of rules. Malcolm, an employee of the museum (Edward Bell Museum, in case you missed that) checks on Maggie and the bookstore regularly, to make sure it is being run according to the guidelines. People in town have learned they have to go to the next town to purchase contemporary reads. So, Maggie, rule breaker, starts sneaking in new books and selling them from under the counter, as it were. She also works with her curmudgeonly upstairs neighbor, who becomes not quite so curmudgeonly, and they host store events, inviting authors to speak, all in secret from Ralph Bell, the grandson of Edward Bell. It's all secret until it isn't.

Maggie and Malcolm discover they might actually like each other - just a bit, you know. And the whole town becomes involved in the adventures of Cobblestone Books. A pleasant read - anything involving a bookshop is going to be a good read.

The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks was a very entertaining celebration of books/bookstores, literary scandals, and finding one's own direction in life. There is a great assortment of quirky characters throughout that add so much humor to the story. Maggie is a great main character - very relatable - she's not really sure what she wants her future career to look like but has a personality that easily pulls others into her orbit. It was great to see her fall in love with reading along the way. While romance didn't take centerstage throughout - her budding friendship/relationship with Malcolm was great. Their banter is excellent and their challenges to push each other out of their reading and social comfort zones were perfect. The novel was a quick read - definitely a very enjoyable read. Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

I recieved an arc from this from netgalley and I did not hate it. I didn't like Maggie much (sorry)but her determination throughout was honestly so remarkable. I liked her and malcolm together. All in all , the blurb promised alot more than I actually found in the book :(

I love a book about a bookstore! This was cute and funny, but also showed that we're never too old to figure out what we want to do with our lives--or to not know what the heck we're doing at any age. Loved it!

Friendship and family…quirky characters…fast paced story…a bookstore…who does not love reading about a bookstore? This is a quick read…a cozy story…although it is fiction, it reads like nonfiction, at times. This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the electronic copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eARC!

I really really enjoyed this book.

Maggie moves to a small town in Maryland to help run a bookshop for her best friend during maternity leave. Unfortunately the store's majority owner purposely makes it difficult to make a profit. Not wanting to let Rochelle down, Maggie begins to secretly sell books that are not from the approved classic time period that she is expected to stick with. She also holds clandestine book events to draw in customers. During all of this Maggie is supposed to be looking for a job she can begin when Rochelle returns. With many self-doubts about her path in life, Maggie finds herself at home and working for change in her town. With a bully for a boss and a bit of romance thrown in this story is different from others I've read and definitely worth the read.

Review based on advance digital copy.

Shauna Robinson is officially one of my new favorite authors!
I devoured this book in one day and couldn't put it down.

Maggie is trying to figure out who she is, what to do next in her life, and what's her purpose. (personally, I get it) She ends up at her best friend's bookstore to help out for a few months and her life goes from intermission to full speed ahead.
Bell River, where Maggie is temporarily visiting, bans books post 1935-ish. The early 1930s is when Edward Bell, a heavily memorialized famous author and town hero, passed away. This leaves Maggie and the people of Bell River at a loss because they desperately want to read new novels, especially ones with diversity, romance, sci-fi, etc. Maggie and her 'army' must balance protecting their secret book society and saving the town of Bell River from a dictatorship and being stuck in the early 1900s.
I absolutely loved Maggie and how she stood up for POC and diversity and books. Books are beyond necessary, and the classics, as she said, aren't loved by everyone. Robinson includes twists on classics that will have the reader rolling with laughter.
While restricting access to books is a significant message of the book, Robinson includes many important themes such as racism, sexism, societal expectations, family acceptance, and loyalty; However, when books are banned and restricted, people will seek them out. Reading expands knowledge, culture, friendships, and imagination.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my eARc in exchange for an honest review.

The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks releases on November 1, 2022!

My blog post will be published on 10/1 www.jourdanawebber.com

This was adorable and a little zany! Maggie is 28. She hasn’t really figured out what career would make her happy. When her best friend, Rochelle, suggest she takes over her bookstore while she goes on maternity leave, Maggie accepts. When she arrives in Bell River, home to famous novelist Edward Bell, she feels like she is in the Twilight Zone. There is Edward Bell paraphernalia everywhere and his grandson owns many businesses in town and is part-owner of the bookshop. When Maggie discovers the bookstore is only allowed to sell the “classics” and nothing published after Edward Bell’s time, she begins brainstorming some workarounds, including an underground book club...

Maggie is likable, as are many of the bookstore customers including her grumpy neighbor, Vernon. There is a bit of mystery, a dash of romance, and plenty of humor throughout the story. I recommend this to anyone looking for a charming, lighthearted read about figuring out your strengths (and saving the local bookstore!).

Thank you very much to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Maggie Banks agrees to take a temporary position at her friend's bookstore and get more than she bargained for when she discovers the entire town of Bell River seems to revolve around the legacy of author Edward Bell. Before she knows it, she's selling books from a secret stash, planning author events and finding love. A fun read.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Maggie and Malcolm, two people who are not at all what they seem to be at first glance. This is a sweet, fun romcom.

I really loved this book! The author's writing was so good, I can't wait to read more from her. I love it when you read a romance book that has an excellent story line, and this was one of them.

The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks is perfect for book lovers and independent bookstore enthusiasts! The author created relatable characters with quirky personalities and a wonderful small town setting that fans of Gilmore Girls will appreciate. It was a such creative way to get people talking about the classics by mashing up literary genres. It makes you laugh out loud and root for Maggie as she navigates life and figures out her future! I highly recommend the Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks.