I don’t think this book was for me. I had high hopes but I ended up getting a little bored in places and was skipping pages. I liked the location and the characters seemed okay, think it was just the overall storyline that wasn’t me.

I don't think this book knew what it wanted to be. There was so much going on all of the time that nothing was ever fully fleshed out.
Also her dad is a piece of shit.

A great book full of laughter, tears and a very big promise of romance which keeps coming and going with the tide. This book is brilliant and will keep you hooked.

3.75 ⭐️
This book was a decent book about a girl who’s trying to find what’s best for her and her life moving forward. She ends up buying a bookstore and falling in love with a guy.. This book was one that was decent but not my favorite genre or tropes. At times I found myself struggling to finish because at times it was a bit slow. I liked that it wasn’t a typical romance and not strictly focused on romance. It was decent but definitely not the most enjoyable book or genre for me. Thank you Netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.

An enchanting journey through vividly imagined worlds and compelling characters. This fiction gem weaves a tapestry of emotions, adventure, and unexpected twists that kept me eagerly turning the pages. The author's masterful storytelling evokes a powerful connection, making this book an absolute delight to read. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a captivating escape into a richly crafted story!

This was a quick and cosy romance, though maybe a little light on the romance? It read more like a family/small town drama, but it was a good read, and I look forward to reading more by the author. The Scottish setting was charming, and the characters were solid and likeable. Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the ARC!

I loved re-visiting the Loch in this book and meeting some new characters. I loved the insight into publishing and bringing a small bookshop back to life. But I thought it tried to cover too many bases (pregnancy, adoption, dementia, death) and could have been a bit shorter. I loved the setting and the landscapes I could picture, and I'm always a fan of small town and enemies to lovers tropes. I enjoyed this book more than the The Highland Lodge Getaway and excited to explore a couple more books by Julie Shackman.

Thank you Net Galley and One More Chapter for this ARC. I truly had fun reading this book! I don’t feel like I am missing much by not having read the other books in the series; perhaps some setting development, but that is it. I enjoy the characters, their distinct personalities, and their development. I would say there are 4-5 plot lines but they weave together nicely. I think the story would be a little better and have opportunity for more emotional moments if one of the plot lines was dropped. The transitions have been choppy 2-3 times and Ive noticed 1 or 2 typos but thats it. Regardless, I loved this book and definitely want to read the rest of the series!

What do you do when you find a bookshop that is closing, you but it. That is what happens but then there is romance in the air. Great read, 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for this ARC

Another fabulous read from the author! She has a wonderful way of creating characters to connect to, and in Lexi we have another relatable and very likeable woman to follow!

She's been passed over for a promotion she thought she had in the bag, so she escapes back to Scotland to weigh up her next options as she's feeling very low. But being back among familiar scenes is always a comfort and she discovers her favourite bookshop 'Books End' is up for lease. It's meant so much to her and all the locals over the years but the owner, Trevor, is getting older and it's getting too much for him. It hasn't moved with the times so Lexi comes up with ideas which the owner loves and wants her to take over and put them into action!

Not all is plain sailing though as a member of Trevors' family shows up hoping that he could use the shop for his artwork.... let the fun begin!! A compromise is reached and soon harmony breaks out amidst some personal family drama for Lexi to deal with and it really all blends well into making a fascinating read as there's so much going on throughout!

It focuses on messy families, redemption, dealing with illness and starting a new way of life when you least expect it and I really enjoyed my time in Scotland with these characters!

I received an ARC of this book and I was my first by the author. It was an endearing tale of failed plans, new beginnings, misguided first impressions, and family history coming around with some stunning revelations! It was all very heartwarming and set in an idyllic small Scottish town! The characters were lovable, the tension was great, and the forgiveness and importance of grasping opportunities was lovely to read.

An editor loses a promotion and decides to take all of the leave and head home where she finds that the local bookshop is shutting down. The owner lost his wife and doesn't have the will to continue with the shop. That's until the editor decides to help him.

I really enjoyed how Lexie and Tobias's relationship changed over the course of the book. I could relate to Lexie as well as all of the characters as they came to life by Shackman. I found it an easy read and the main themes of family, redemption, relationships and friendship truely stood out. Definitely will be reading the other books in the series.

A slow start, and some odd transitions, but overall a good read. I enjoyed the characters even though there were some leaps that damaged the character development. Overall just fair fine.

This is the first book I have read by this author and won’t be my last. I was intrigued to read it as it had the word bookshop in the title.

This book is part of a series and I think this one is number 6 but was easily read as a standalone

This was a cosy and heartwarming escapism read that was so much more than just a romance story as it also covered a lot of sensitive issues and the characters were engaging.

I am looking forward to reading this authors back Catalogue and look forward to the next instalment of this series to see how the book shop and its inhabitants grow.

A cute read, tinged with sadness chock full of romance and lots of books. My kind of heaven. Loved this one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars

The Bookshop by the Loch is a very cosy, heartwarming romance. Lexie has just been passed over for a promotion in a publishing firm, so she returns home for a three month leave of absence to re-evaluate her life. She decides to stay and becomes the new manager of a local failing bookstore and revamps everything. That's only the beginning, I'm not spoiling anything.

While the overall tone of the novel is very sweet, it takes off in so many subplots that I feel the romance of Lexie and Tobias took a back seat to all the drama occurring in everyone else's lives. There didn't seem to be much chemistry between them, their characters seemed underdeveloped, and when they did get together, it felt rushed because it was time to end the book. All the dramatic subplots from the secondary characters got wrapped up neatly with a bow, and the girl got the guy.

This is a book for someone who wants a good clean romance, zero smut, and a guaranteed happy ending. It was well written, and contained all the components of a balanced novel. This didn't hit the mark for me, but I'm sure there are many readers that would love this.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I enjoyed The Bookshop by the Loch by Julie Shackman. Lexie Dunbar, one of the main characters, is a book lover. Her local bookstore, Book Ends, is her favorite place to go to. Lexie finds out that the owner is looking to sell and retire. She decides she needs to do something to help keep it open. Lexie’s plan was fully underway to bring the bookstore up to date until Tobias Black arrived. He is a gorgeous but grouchy artist. Tobias was determined to turn the bookstore into an art gallery. Lexie is not a fan at all. To her, the last thing the quaint town of Bracken Way needs is a pretentious artist, even if he does seem to charm everyone but her. Throughout the book, tensions continue to rise. This was until Tobias discovered a shocking secret that shows Lexie and him might have a lot in common. I would recommend if you like reading about enemies to lovers, family relationships, friendships, and romances. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC of The Bookshop by the Loch! Cannot wait to read Julie's next book!

The Bookshop by the Lock by Julie Shackman is a cozy romantic novel about love, growth, and family.
The novel follows the protagonist Lexie on her mission to get an otherwise doomed bookstore up and running.
While the reader is led to believe that the main plot of the novel is the saving of the bookstore, the book provides little to no explanation as to how the bookstore is doing or how it got turned around. There is a brief introduction at the beginning of the novel, but after about the 20% mark, the saving of the bookstore fades into the background.
Usually, I am all for books about books, because what book lover is not, and while this one is set in a bookstore and Lexie is initially working as a book editor, I never felt like the novel managed to make me connect with the
"bookish" aspect of it.

This is the sixth book in the Scottish Escapes series, but this is the first one I've read. It was easily read as a standalone, but just whet my appetite for more so I will likely go back and read some of the earlier ones. Julie Shackman is a new author for me and I enjoyed her book.

Description:
Lexie Dunbar is a book lover. And her favourite place in the world is her local bookstore, Book Ends. So when she hears that it’s going to be sold, Lexie decides she needs to do something to help.

Lexie’s plan to save the ailing shop is fully underway until gorgeous-but-grouchy artist Tobias Black arrives on the scene determined to turn the bookstore into an art gallery. Lexie is horrified, the last thing the quaint town of Bracken Way needs is a pretentious artist, even if he does seem to charm everyone but her.

Tensions continue to rise until Tobias discovers a shocking secret that shows they might have more in common than they realise. As sparks fly, can Lexie and Tobias work together, or will opposing ideas get in the way of them finding their very own happy ever after…

My Thoughts:
The characters came alive on the page and I was able to relate to all of them. This novel dealt with romance, but also with family relationships, redemption, and friendship. Each of the characters was dealing with a difficult issue and it added depth to the story as I was able to put myself in their situations. The enemies to friends romance was sweet. It is a heart-warming story and the romance is G-rated.

Thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for an advance copy.