Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it.

Fabulous romance in an idyllic Scottish backdrop!

Lexi is a book lover and is devastated to hear her favourite book shop, Book Ends, is about to be sold , so she does something about it and tries to save it, when an unexpected adversary tries to stop her, Tobias who wants it to become an art gallery.

There ensues a lot of frustrating clashes and compromises having to take place, while both get to know one another and see each other in a different way.

Chemistry and mystery unfold while getting to know the characters and their backgrounds are not as clear cut as you may think.
Then add an intriguing older character, whom I adored, pull both Lexi and Tobias together.

The community and setting is so vividly explored I was there experiencing it all.

The past and the present meeting in this book is what truly made it a captivating read. I adored this book.

A Bookshop to save, Scottish Loch setting, a love interest. What more could you want? I really enjoyed this one and will read more by Julie Shackman.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot...there are plenty of reviews that do that out there already if that's what you are looking for!

I've read several books by Julie Shackman, so was delighted to be invited to read this one. I like her writing style in these novels.

This is a cosy, heart-warming read, but with some sad threads interwoven (including dementia and ill health). There are plenty of sub-plots - including family mysteries - and the whole book is well thought out and held my interest throughout.

The characters are interesting - not just Lexie and Tobias, but the supporting cast too - which makes for a well rounded read.

Overall the book has a great "feel good" factor, and would make an ideal holiday read.

I look forward to reading more from Julie Shackman.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

Oh how I love a good book by this author and this one didn't disappoint. This is most certainly a feel good book and one that will keep you reading and make you smile. Love the setting and always love a good book about books/book stores. This one is right up my alley and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Lexie Dunbar is a charming and warm character who I liked throughout this book. There is romance, second chances, humour and friendship throughout the pages and it was such an easy, enjoyable and entertaining read. Loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a lovely feel good read, takes you away to the shores of a loch. Surrounded by blended characters which you get to know as the story unfolds. Loved the reel of the novel how it entwines with the characters and their history. No disappointment with this read

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable. The plot is one that is engaging and I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

I decided to read this book based on the blurb. In reality it took me a long moment to get into this book. I can’t exactly explain why because it wasn’t just one thing. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣 𝗕𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗛 touched upon many important issues that many of us have experienced. Sadness and loss. Friends and family. Regrets and second chances. There was the main story and then several other secondary stories throughout. I guess there was just too much for me. In the end I did finish this book and don’t regret it. I’m glad I finished it.

Julie Shackman is back with another gorgeously escapist contemporary romance: The Bookshop by the Loch.

Lexie Dunbar is passionate about books. Nothing gives her more pleasure than losing herself in a good story and she adores visiting her local bookshop, Book Ends. So, she’s absolutely devastated when she hears that the store is about to close and vows to do everything she possibly can to save her favourite shop. Unfortunately for Lexie and her plans, artist Tobias Black turns up in Bracken Way with one goal in mind: to turn Book Ends into an art gallery.

Tobias might have managed to charm everybody in town, but Lexie will not be easily swayed. She is determined to fight tooth and nail to make sure that Book Ends stays put and nobody is going to dissuade her otherwise – not even when she realises that she might have more in common with Tobias than she initially thought. Lexie too has clearly misjudged Tobias and the more she gets to know him, the more she wonders whether he might just be the man to show her that happy ever afters can be found in the real world and not just between the pages of her favourite novels.

Books, picturesque locations, warmth, wit, humour and romance – Julie Shackman’s The Bookshop by the Loch is a terrific read that has it all! An irresistible romantic charmer with a lovely heroine readers will cheer for and a gorgeous hero they will love, The Bookshop by the Loch is a feel-good and uplifting tale that will cheer up even the gloomiest of days.

An enjoyable and enchanting enemies-to-lovers romance readers will adore, The Bookshop by the Loch is another winner by Julie Shackman.

This has been an enjoyable series and with the addition of an ailing bookshop which needs to be put back on its feet, it doubly appeals. Lexie has returned to her childhood home, licking her wounds after being passed over at work. Family is a big part of this story and she finds herself coping with a difficult situation. which affects all her family. Knowledgeable about books and publishing, Lexie seems the perfect person to revitalise Book Ends. Only the grouchy Tobias seems to stand in the way of her plans. As the sparks fly, you see Lexie show her pragmatism as she picks her battles wisely.

With the enemies to lovers thread, there is plenty to keep your interest as the story develops. Others in the community add light and colour to the story. Lexie emerges as a caring young woman who is not afraid to admit she may have got a few things wrong. This is an entertaining series and with the beautiful setting, you don't feel that it is misnamed.

In short: escapist and uplifting

This was a heartwarming read that beautifully captures the essence of small town Scotland. I loved the enemies to friends romance.Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Family secrets, twists and turns and a handsome, brooding artist - what's not to love? As an avid reader, I also love a story set in a bookshop and this one was no exception. Gorgeous setting, family, community and love - a really lovely read.

I was on the blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources

http://ramblingmads.uk/2024/02/01/blog-tour-the-bookshop-by-the-loch-julie-shackman/

The Bookshop by the Loch is a cozy, light romance fiction that will be good for a holiday read.

This isn’t the first romance that I”ve noticed that the love story is not the main plot - there are a number of subplots within this which, I feel, gives the book a bit more drama. In fact, when they finally got together, it felt like an afterthought to ensure the ‘happy ever after’ ending happened. The bookshop ended up being a bit of a forgotten plot, which I was sad about as the sudden success of the shop after a coat of paint and the purchase of more up-to-date titles was very unrealistic.

My biggest gripe - the author overdoes the descriptives, to the point that it felt that every line had one. This made it feel like it tried too hard and I was surprised that more weren’t edited out.

If you enjoy a holiday read that you don’t have to think too deeply about, this will be worth a read.

Lexie wants to save her village's bookstore and has lots of new ideas, but then Tobias, the owner's nephew, shows up and claims part of the store for his gallery.

Despite all the contradictions, can there be peaceful coexistence between the two?

Strong characters, stirring family stories, strangers who become friends.

Have fun reading for yourself!

The Bookshop by the Loch follows Lexie who has recently gone back to her home town for a break from work to discover that the local bookshop is being sold and knows that she has to do something about it. Lexie decides to take on the bookshop as a trial for a year and see if she can turn it around, only to discover that an artist is determined to turn the building the bookshop is in into a gallery.

Throughout the story, we follow and get Lexie’s POV, but we also see a lot of Tobias, Lexie’s family and some locals from the town. I really liked the characters that we followed how their stories came together and how much of a focus on families that comes too. There are many reveals around these families but also many discussions about how important family is and what this means to the characters.
The stories were all engaging and I really enjoyed learning more about all of these different characters, especially Celeste’s past.

I really liked the Scottish setting of this book which is not a surprise. Julie Shackman’s Scottish settings are really well written and I always find that they transport me to places that are peaceful and I just love. I also really liked to see how Tobias and Lexie’s relationship built up throughout the book, how much they came to trust each other and how much it positively impacted everything else going on in the book.

An easy 4 star fun read that I will be recommending and I cannot wait to pick up more books in this series and meet more characters while discovering more of these great Scottish settings.

Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I love a good cozy romance with small towns, interesting characters, lots of secrets, so I thought this would be a cute, easy read. Unfortunately I almost DNF'd it several times for several reasons. Descriptions are good in fiction, yet there were so many overly described things in this story that were just unnecessary that it was actually disruptive to the flow as I read. This book needed an editor with a very good red pen to slice and dice a lot of the superfluous adjectives and descriptions.

I had another big problem with a main storyline dealing with dementia. As someone who has a parent with dementia, none of this rang true. Granted not everyone with dementia progresses the same way but even the things that led the character to get a diagnosis aren't actually true dementia signs. Everyone has times when they walk into a room and forget why they went there - that is not a sign of dementia.

Sadly even the romance was a fizzle for me. There was so much repetition and very little spark. Sorry, but I cannot recommend this title.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Lexie’s favourite place, her local bookstore Bookends is going to be sold. Tobias wants to turn the bookstore into an art gallery. Lexie is set against Tobias’s plan and decides to fight for the bookstore. When they find out they have more in common than they first thought, can they work together to come up with a solution that will help them both or will their ideas get in the way

The Bookshop by the Loch by Julie Shackman

I loved the setting - The Scottish Highland is a place that I am very keen to explore for myself and husband, so these books have provided me with a taster, and made the dream even more prominent for me. One of the main insights I got from this book was a sign to never give up on your dreams. A lighthearted easy read, perfect for these darker months. Thanks so much Netgalley, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for this e-arc in return for my honest thoughts and opinions.