This was an entertaining read, but I found the plot a little hard to believe. I did like Maggie's character and her having the book clubs was a clever ploy. However, I didn't find the characters particularly interesting.

I absolutely loved this book. The writing was immaculate, the story was well crafted, and the characters were likable and relatable. Maggie was such a great main character. She was real and flawed and so much fun. Her character arc throughout the book was realistic and believable. Watching her find herself and grow as a person was super satisfying. I loved all of the other characters too, although Vernon was my favorite. Shauna Robinson did an excellent job of building Bell River; it's a place I would absolutely visit if it were real.

All in all, this was a five star read for me and I will absolutely read more from Shauna Robinson!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this story which is about Maggie who is still in search of her true vocation in life, she is lost and doesn't know what she really wants to do and her family are not helping with the additional stress and guilt that they made her feel after she lost her last job and she got back to her old room at home, until her college friend calls her for help at her bookstore in the small town Bells River where are some strict rules to follow like selling only classics but will Maggie follows the rules when she doesn't even really like books.

It was such and inspiring enjoyable story and I liked Maggie's character and the humor. It is a story that might talk to a lot of people that are at the same point in life where you don't want to do a job that really doesn't suit your personality and emotional needs. We have different visions when it comes to work and I share Maggie's view on many points about that.

Also, Maggie's character doesn't find any interest in classics and doesn't hide her true feelings about it. Through her the author point out that we are not obliged to love the classics in order to love reading and books or to considered a "true reader". A lot of people don't want to read classic authors and it is their right and it doesn't mean that what they are reading like contemporary romances or Sci-Fi don't count as litereature. As long as people are reading and getting something good from it so where is the problem.

This book was really cute. I love books set in bookstores. Maggie is a young woman with not much direction in life. When her friend goes on maternity leave and needs someone to step into her role as manger of the bookstore, she brings in Maggie. However, this isn’t any ordinary bookstore. It’s dedicated to a famous author and classics only. Maggie is bored by that and takes matters into her own hands.

I loved the events she puts on! I wish my bookstore did that. I also didn’t mind the romance though it wasn’t a big part of the plot. It was more about friendship, creating your own way, and sisterhood.

Ultimately I’d recommend this one. It was a cute, quick read. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy!

Maggie has not found her passion yet and has moved from job to job for her whole adult life. Her best friend asks her to help run her small town bookstore while she's on maternity leave. It's not as straightforward as it would seem! Maggie has to work around many rules and restrictions that make the job a bore! Maggie brings her magic and discovers her passion!

A wonderful and light read all about books! There is a romance but it's clean and basically closed door! An enjoyable read!

There are numerous things I like about this book other than the fact it is charming and it is about books!

The story goes Maggie will be sell great books in a small town at her best friends bookstore. But wait, there's more and it isn't as easy as it sounds. There are rules, strange and crazy rules and rules that just aren't working to keep the bookstore afloat.

And so Maggie weaves her magic but these things need to be kept a secret and what would happen if anyone finds out? Well I won't tell!

This is a great book, a great read, has lovely characters, is so easy to read and is enjoyable and loveable all at once. Very entertaining. I really enjoyed reading this one and it didn't take me long as it was the perfect length

A book about books? Of course, I had to read it, especially since it’s about a banned bookshop. Who could resist?
We follow Maggie who struggles to find her true calling, a job that would passionate her. Thankfully, her best friend has to take a leave from work and calls her to take her place for a few months. But there are a lot of rules to follow at the bookshop and Maggie does not really believe in rules. I really liked Maggie. I could totally relate to her. I am only entering the job market but it is so difficult to know what you can and want to do. Moreover, Maggie was quite funny and I loved her determination. I also really enjoyed her relationship with Malcom. This book was easy to read and the mystery part was quite intriguing. Small bonus, how smutty books are brought to the centre and given a space in literature.
I recommend to people looking for a fun read and a bit of mystery
4.5/5

Honestly, I have to give The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks 4.5 stars! I admit that I waffled back and forth on my review as I was reading, though. Because, Maggie almost isn't redeemable. More on that in a minute.

This is the first book I've read by Shauna Robinson and I really enjoyed her writing. Her characters are real and believable. Their interactions and conversations so easy and realistic. I wasn't inwardly groaning at forced writing, which I often do in these types of books. I really loved Maggie's wit.

I also enjoyed that a certain male character develops an interest for rom-com novels. Working in a library, I see male patrons check out various types of romance books all the time. It was refreshing to see this portrayed in a book.

So many things to love about The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks! The championing of banned books and the brief discussion on why banned books need to be highlighted. The events Maggie creates - especially the events where a modern author twists up a beloved classic. The quaint, quirky little town and it's residents and it's festivals. The independent bookstore community. Maggie and Malcolm's friendship. Vernon. The autumn setting. I just loved the atmosphere created in this book.

Now, for my one gripe. Maggie spends a massive majority of the novel as a selfish girl making haphazard decisions that affect others livelihoods, while hiding what she is doing from those people. And, these are the people she cares most about in the book! I think what is most frustrating -- both about Maggie's character and the author's decision to write it this way -- is that Maggie could have easily accomplished what she did, without the deceit. The deceit does nothing for Maggie's character, nor the plot.

This is a quick, fun, and cozy read. I really enjoyed it, even though rom-com isn't my normal cup of literary tea. But, in the end that was also fitting for the plot of the book, so it definitely endears the book to me just a bit more.

One last comment: I can't really explain why, but the entire book I pictured Ralph as the landlord from Bob's Burgers. In my mind, Ralph always came up resembling Bob's landlord and it made me smile. Even the landlord's voice would play in my head when Ralph would have dialogue.

My thanks and gratitude to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an advanced (digital) reader copy, in exchange for my honest review.

When I think of women's fiction, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels. This is a perfect book to snuggle up with on any day.

A quirky, light read with lovable characters who carry the story well. This is certainly a book for anyone who loves books and bookshops and who is looking for a pleasurable read.

The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks is a very charming story that seems like it's going to be about agitating for change in a small town... and it is, but it's also about learning to see yourself as others see you, learning to recognize your strengths as strengths instead of discounting them as flaws, letting go of the weight of heavy expectations from others and finding your own path, and trying new things and letting those things change you. Maggie is such an endearing character, and readers will fall in love with her the way the residents of Bell River do.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this book!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maggie Banks is living a directionless life. Not sure what she wants to do and nothing she has tried in the world of working has captured her interest for longer than a year or two. With her best friend about to have a baby, Maggie travels across the country to Maryland to watch over her friend's bookshop during maternity leave. What she didn't anticipate was that the town she's now living in is steeped in the history of author Edward Bell and the head of the Edward Bell Historical Society, and Bell's grandson, is calling all the shots. With the bookstore in trouble, Maggie thinks of clever ways to draw customers to the store and create a community, but it's all hush hush due to the standards set in place for the bookstore.

This book was a super light read and perfect for the summertime. I would classify this as a great chick lit book and not an actual romance as other reviewers have mentioned. Maggie is a great character and it was so enjoyable seeing her develop her love of reading and finding her true passion. I would highly recommend this if you're looking for something light and entertaining.

Maggie travels to a small town to cover a bookshop while her friend is on maternity leave. But the majority owner dictates that they sell only books written no later than the 1960’s! And almost exclusively those books by Edward Bell, a famous mid century classical author. In fact, the whole town, even the town name, Bell River, is partially owned by his grandson Ralph and is quite under Ralph’s thumb. Maggie wonders if it really is a town or a cult. But no recent books or genre books makes for bad sales so Maggie has to try some wonderfully subversive tactics to keep the bookshop afloat.

There are lots of diverse, fun and wacky characters and you’ll fall in love with Maggie as she takes a personal journey while trying to save the bookstore. She doesn’t even like reading at the beginning of the book. But she comes around.There are some great LOL parts especially at the beginning. I expect you’ll enjoy the ones about a Edward Bell’s mustache.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Shauna Robinson is a rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. A recommended purchase for most collections.

What do you when you're stuck in a town run like a cult for a random top 100 author in the 50s/60s(?)?

Now I accidently deleted my copy of this book from my Kindle with all my notes and comments before writing this, I was dead tired and then was gonna write a review but fell asleep. So take all of the specific facts with a grain of salt.

I'll admit I wasn't enjoying this in the first bit, but I'd already dnf'd the book before this and I felt bad.... But I'm glad I stuck through because I did start to really enjoy it. In the beginning Maggie comes of as an anti-bookish character, she hates reading and judges those who do but she's ended up working in her best friends bookstore. It turns out Maggie only hates classics? because she starts reading romance and middle-grade books throughout the book and really enjoys them?

The bookstore was struggling and was bought by the Bell Society's owner Russle(?) the great-grandson of Edward Bell the said author who lived in town. The bookstore can only now sell books that Edward spoke about, was written before his time, and shared the top 100 list with him. Basically a bookish merch store for him. Because of the ban on selling any other books that's when Maggie starts running her secret bookclub that reimagines classics so she can promote sales of said classics and then sell her secret inventory of different genres.

With a romance sub plot and the feeling of "this has to blow up somehow eventually there's no way a whole town can keep a secret from like 5 people" this book had a pretty good storyline. The only reasons I didn't give a full five stars was although the romance wasn't advertised and was just a subplot, I was given a little of it then I wanted more, also somehow they have a third act breakup just like a romance book. Also the ending of the book which I can't spoil, I don't love how it was cleaned up, it wasn't satisfying, maybe it was more realistic in a way but I was just bored by it. This is fiction you can make the ending anything you want really, why choose a really realistic depressing(?) ending.

This was my first book by Shauna Robinson. It was great! I loved Maggie and the talk of small towns in the book. Goes to show how some smaller towns are set in their ways. Great story that I enjoyed!

I read the Authors first book and couldn't wait to read the next book. Like the first book this book did not disappoint. The story pulled at all my reading emotions. There was so good humor in the story where I found myself laughing out loud in public while reading. (My apology to all the Starbucks customers who had to listen to my loud chuckling)
This story had enemies to lovers, grumpy old men, and someone on a power trip.
I can't list more without giving away any spoilers. What I would say it this is this is a book that I would definite read again.

I gravitate toward novels that feature bookstores, so this one was an easy decision for me to explore. Much to my delight, it went way beyond my expectations with a fresh and unique approach. Woven into the fabric of this intriguing storyline is subtle and not so subtle commentary about human nature. The quirky cast of characters and the protagonist’s wit added another dimension. This book can be read on a several levels – a quick, light, entertaining read, a reflection on social dynamics in a closed community and a more nuanced exploration of the courage needed to find one’s voice and take a stand to be unique.

Maggie Banks has agreed to manage Cobblestone Books as her best friend goes on maternity leave for four months. In addition to helping, Maggie has a personal agenda – to figure out where her life is headed. She has drifted along with low paying jobs that have provided no real fulfilment and now finds herself unemployed, living with her parents and no real vision for her future…in other words, she feels a failure.

Arriving in Bell River, Maryland, Maggie discovers she is now responsible for the world’s most boring bookstore. It stocks only classics published prior to 1962, the year the town’s famous author, Edward Bell, died. Ralph Bell is determined to maintain his grandfather’s legacy through a museum, the bookstore, and several other businesses in the small town. His dictatorial stance and rigid viewpoints are in direct contrast to Maggie’s fun and fluid style.

In her determination to ensure the financial viability of her friend’s business, Maggie orders “forbidden” books, i.e., a variety of contemporary offerings; launches an underground, creative book club; creates an online bookstore; uncovers a literary scandal; and generally shakes up the status quo. She begins to discover that what she has viewed as personal flaws are really her strengths as she becomes part of the community and takes a chance on romance.

Overall, I found this a charming story that kept me engaged and left me with a satisfying conclusion.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

i SQUEALED when I saw that I was approved for this book! Must love books was one of my favorite reads this spring and I was thrilled to be able to see another title by this author. I have such a love for books about books and this was no different! This was such a unique plot and I found myself so submerged in the world. I couldn't help myself from rooting for Maggie and her bookstore!

This was a sweet, charming, and bookish rom-com! Maggie is struggling to find her next steps and winds up filling in at her friend's bookstore. The bookstore only sells classics, Maggie isn't a reader, there is a grumpy neighbor, a grumpy boss with an attractive rule-following assistant, and lots more charming features. Adventures ensue, including an underground bookclub that sounds like a dream come true! While at times predictable (aren't most great rom-coms a little predictable?) this book was a fun take on the bookstore world. It was a solid enjoyable read for me!