"The Bookshop Sisterhood" by Michelle Lindo-Rice is a heartwarming and deeply moving novel that celebrates the power of friendship and resilience. This beautifully crafted story follows four best friends—Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni, and Leslie—as they stand on the brink of realizing their dream of opening a bookstore. Their vision is to create a haven for their community, a place where readers can find solace in an intriguing book, enjoy a comforting beverage, and connect with fellow book lovers.

Just as the excitement of their grand opening builds, their lives are thrown into disarray. Toni faces devastating news just months before her wedding, Celeste grapples with a marriage on the verge of collapse, Leslie uncovers a shocking family secret, and Yasmeen's life takes an unexpected turn after winning the lottery—but not in the way she hoped.

As the grand opening of the bookstore looms, the four women must rely on each other more than ever to navigate their personal crises. Through their grief and uncertainty, they discover the strength of their sisterhood and learn that even the most unexpected plot twists in life can lead to beautiful new beginnings.

Lindo-Rice's "The Bookshop Sisterhood" is a testament to the enduring bonds of friendship and the transformative power of community, making it a must-read for anyone who loves stories of hope, love, and resilience.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

I love books set in bookstores and libraries, and I love to read women's fiction in the summer. So I thought Michelle Lindo-Rice's new book The Bookshop Sisterhood would be the perfect read. But I was so wrong. I almost could not finish this book.

First off, we are barely introduced to the characters when we are dropped into their soap opera-worthy drama with men. Since I didn't get to know the characters there was no connection with them and therefore I had little care for their problems. And then, how they handled their problems made me dislike all the main characters. They were constantly sniffling or being nasty to each other only to turn right around and pledge that they were there for each other. These women would not have been my friends in real life. They felt false and un-genuine in their claims of friendship.

Don't even get me started on their lack of proper grammar when speaking. Using "ain't" is a pet peeve of mine so that grated on my nerves but what really got under my skin was the lack of the verb "are" in their dialogue.

Then there were the inaccuracies that could have been cleared up with a simple Google search. I like for my realistic fiction to be based on reality and not just how the author thinks the real world works. For example, Yasmeen is taking her father to his colonoscopy appointment. Ironically, when I read this scene it was the morning of my own colonoscopy. Yasmeen makes a comment to her father about needing to be empty because her mother had made him an egg sandwich. However, the night before she stopped and got fast food for her parents and later ordered a pizza. I know for a fact that the day before a colonoscopy you are on a clear liquid diet.

Another example... when Toni is at the gynecologist's office she is taken from the waiting room by a Physician Assistant (PA) to see a doctor. I see a PA and she never gets me from the waiting room - a nurse does. And I only see the PA, not the MD in the office. I don't think the author (or the editors) understands what a PA is.

In a lot of ways it reminded me of the fanfiction stories I read 20 years ago where writers often got the real-world workings wrong because they weren't taking the time to do even basic research (which we overlooked, or left comments about, as these were considered first draft stories).

While I love women's fiction, I don't care for romance novels. And with all the talk of sex and texting nude pictures so too much like a raunchy romance novel for me.

I was also disappointed with the lack of talk about the bookstore. I felt deceived as there was actually very little time spent discussing the bookstore and even their book club meetings barely discussed books. I mean they mention playing games but we don't see that. Instead, they once again discuss men.

As you can see I was very disappointed with this book. I read it in big chunks just to get through it and tried not to roll my eyes too much at the ridiculousness of it all. However, I know that everyone has different reading tastes so if you enjoy romance novels then this will probably be a more enjoyable read for you.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Tuesday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/07/the-bookshop-sisterhood-by-michelle.html

Many thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. This book is about 4 friends from different walks of life who decide to open a bookshop together due to their shared love of reading and their sister like bond. From the moment they decide to go into business together, their lives begin to unravel and challenge their friendships in ways they did not think possible. The bond and humor amongst these women is inspiring and I enjoyed the book immensely.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel for review purposes.

When I started this novel I didn't think I would be the target audience, I am much older than the main characters and I wasn't at all sure that I would be able to relate to the storylines. I was wrong.

The writing is so engaging that I soon felt drawn into the friend circle and entirely invested in the lives of the women.

A great read!

This book could be so much but it falls short in many ways. It’s not a terrible book, but is not something I would reread or tell everyone else they need to read it.

I was rooting for these women and was excited about the bookstore angle. I loved that there were so many real books discussed - some I’ve read and some I’ve added to my tbr!

However - this book is just depressing. All 4 women have sadness and tragedy upon sadness and tragedy. They constantly make ridiculous decisions and act like naive/selfish teenagers. And the “friendship” that ties them together isn’t friendship. It’s toxic, and the way they interact is juvenile and truly unacceptable - whenever they argue, they manage to find the most hurtful things to fling at each other…but they’re still sisters and best friends forever. No. Just no.

The bookstore part is really just adding to the darkness and stress of the plot and giving them something else to bicker about. If there was a strong focus on the bookshop OR their independent lives, and if they weren’t ALL enduring constant chaos - often of their own making - this book could be saved. I really didn’t like these women and felt a sense of dread for them every time I picked up this book, but still was rooting for them to get it together.

The Bookshop Sisterhood by Michelle Lindo-Rice is a heartwarming tale of friendship and sisterhood, with a dash of romance and family drama thrown in, that stays with you long after you have turned the last page.
After reading the first chapter, I wasn't sure that this was the book for me; it failed to grab my attention and I almost put it aside. I am so glad that I continued reading! The story of four friends sticking together through thick and thin, no matter what challenges are thrown in their paths or what mistakes they make, is one that is sure to resonate with even the most jaded of readers.
Well-written and engaging, this book is the perfect summer read, and can be read for the pure pleasure of the four inter-mingling stories or for the lessons found therein, or for both.
I am happy to have received a copy of #TheBookshopSisterhood from #NetGalley .

Thanks NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing ARC of The Bookshop Sisterhood by Michelle Lindo-Rice. I love good book that is a solid story with a lot of mess. This is in that vein. this book follows 4 friends that love books, and the ups and downs they are going through in their lives. This was my first read by this author and I will check out other works by this author.

This one caught my attention because of the cover but the story fell flat for me. There was so much drama between each FMC and the story didn’t come together as seamless as I’d like. I was excited that the friend group would be opening their own bookshop but so much of the story was the drama and hardship each of them faced. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an arc.

I feel like I keep searching through so many anticipated releases, waiting for something that will break the reading slump. Unfortunately, this one just wasn't the one to do it. I just felt bored.

This was really good. This is the first book I have read by Michelle Lindo-rice. It was better than I thought it would be. I love the friendship the girls had. The ending was really good. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

I know some of y’all like a lot of mess and a quick finish. This is right up your alley.

If you just read this book and go along for the ride, you’ll definitely enjoy it. This book is 100% more for entertainment than in-depth consumption. There were times I felt like I was watching a BET show like Tyler Perry’s Sistas. It seems like maybe there was one character too many. It was almost as if, for the sake of the book, everyone had to have something going on all at once.

You have the once-broke friend who wins the lottery and pretty much runs through all the money. Yeah, one of the friends is a financial advisor and couldn’t connect her to someone to help her? You have a friend who is having fertility issues and a troubled past but didn’t think to tell her lawyer husband? Another woman’s daughter is sick, and her husband is a gambler, yet she still allows him to have access to major accounts? Then there’s a friend suffering from PTSD from a carjacking who refuses to go to therapy even though it’s destroying all of her relationships. It did feel like a lot of stereotypical tropes were on display.

There was this lingering depiction of the black women being selfish or self-serving, sassy, and being at times irresponsible. Even Darryl as the down-on-his-luck Black man who needs a ninth chance or a character like Skins—because what would this book have been without Black men coming from jail? I think I would’ve preferred if the drama was cascading. Plus, it always appears when we get these very strong in presence and personality women characters, they have to be immature in some other way, especially in their communication style.

This is definitely the kind of book I could see recommended for a book club or just to casually read on the weekend, but the minute you start to look deeper into it, there’s just too many things to pick apart. But something tells me this book could easily have a follow-up based on how it ended, and people would eat that up as well just because it’s so drama-filled, and the drama and situations are so over the top.

While some of the obstacles the characters are facing are very real and could easily happen, it’s the way in which the situations unfold that make them feel very distant and soap operatic. I can understand having smart characters that make occasionally biased or misinformed decisions, but it just felt like it was one dumb choice after another.

And to say that this book is about sisterhood is really loosely using that term. These women spend more time arguing and jabbing at each other—and not in the keke way. It made it quite obvious where the book was going to go, but also unfortunate in the pace at which we arrived there. By the time the climax happens, the ending just quickly wraps up.

All that is not to say I didn’t enjoy reading this book; it is definitely a guilty pleasure. It may not have been what I was really hoping for, but I’m also not mad at it. It knows what it offers and what it’s doing.

368 pgs
Pub Date: Jul 30th

Thanks to Netgalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for this Digital Arc.

Fiction

Unfortunately this ended up to be a "not for me" dnf. I normally am into this sort of prime-time soap opera story where things are a bit dramatic and exaggerated but I had immediate problems with Toni's storyline. Being someone who has dealt with infertility, the way the gynecologist does one ultrasound and immediately pronounces her infertile bothered me greatly because it was so far from realistic. And then because that continued to bother me several chapters down the line, other things that seemed unlikely popped out at me, like a woman using coins at a major casino in a book set after 2015 and a 6'5" person having to duck under a doorframe in a public place. I truly think I could have enjoyed the book if the infertility was dealt with in a more realistic way.

Whew! What a wild ride! So, I requested this thinking it would be all cozy and book-ish, you know, like a bunch of bookworms bonding over their favorite novels and sharing literary wisdom(did have a little bit of that). But nooooo, it turned out to be a full-on soap opera! Drama with a capital D.

The so-called "sisterhood" is was so toxic. They’re constantly at each other's throat, keeping secrets, and making one dumb decisions after the other.

Now, here’s the kicker – I LOVED it! I’m not even into soap operas usually, but this book had me hooked. The drama was just so juicy and over the top, I couldn’t put it down. It was like watching a train wreck – you know you shouldn’t enjoy it, but you just can’t look away.

Totally recommended for the soap opera and drama-loving girlies 📚💥🍿

Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for the ARC!

I noticed this author has written quite a few books, but this is the first time I’m hearing of her and her work. What drew me to wanting to read this is because I’m an avid reader and love all things books and book clubs, so this seemed right up my alley.

Four women are united by their love of reading. (I can so relate!) As a result of their passion, they decided to open their very own bookshop to share their love with other avid readers. Each of them had to pony up quite a few bucks to get the ball rolling, which they were all eager to do.

Celeste was the voice of reason and the finance guru. Toni was their social media front runner. Yasmeen was the sister who knew about all the hottest books to select and read, and Leslie was the supporter of all her sisters combined.

Toni not only loves her besties and books, but she’s about to get married to Kent, the man of her dreams for real. She couldn’t have plucked him out of one any better than she had. But Toni has an issue that she’s not quite sure how her man is going to take it. Celeste, on the other hand, being married the longest of fourteen years, finally discovers that perhaps her marriage isn’t on as much solid ground as she would like to be believe. Yasmeen was so broke that if being broke was considered wealthy, she had more money than Jeff Bezos. Leslie and her husband, although still living under the same roof, weren’t as loving as they used to be and it isn’t until a horrific circumstance involving their daughter, Nadya, occurred that really tested their vows.

All the sisters had a lot going on and secrets and circumstances were buzzing around the quartet like a pesty insect. It wasn’t until Nadya was going through her issue when the girlfriends’ friendship began to get tested. Leslie learned of a horrible truth about her family. Toni was carrying around a horrible secret that threatened to destroy her friendship, lose her social media influencer status and her man. Yasmeen was going through it living from paycheck to paycheck and involved with a man that didn’t appear to want to help her but was a constant leech. Celeste’s husband gave her an ultimatum that blindsided her.

If you’re a fan of Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillian, then you will most undoubtedly enjoy The Bookshop Sisterhood. These four women each brought to the table something unique to their group and no matter how much was thrown their way, they always managed to make it through. Overall, this was a very delightful read, although it was way too long for my tastes. As my readers know, I do not like reading very long books, but I realize they are a necessary evil. Even though I found the story too long, it was fun to read and made me want to be a part of the girlfriends’ book club.

This story follows 4 women who are best friends, navigating the most tumultuous period in all of their lives, and trying to open a bookstore together. I found 2 of them to be more unlikable in that both were relatively unreasonable and seemed immature in some of their actions and reactions. It was hard to empathize with some of their struggles when they were so annoying on the page. I did enjoy the messages about asking for help and leaning on friends as your strongest source of support. Some of my favorite scenes were the 4 women discussing the books they were reading and reflecting on how important reading has been to their lives and friendship. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a quick, easy read about friendship, perseverance, determination, discovering your own worth, and standing up for yourself, with plenty of book talk mixed in.

I feel extremely luck that I get to work alongside the author of this book. This is the first time I've ever read any of her work, and I'm excited to go back and read some of her previous titles. She is a talented writer, and I commend her for how beautifully she managed to write a story in multiple perspectives. It's not easy to do that well and actually make each character sound different from one another.

While I think this book was technically well-written, it was full of so much drama that it overshadowed the story. I was looking forward to reading a story about friends opening a bookshop together, but that is a secondary story to all the issues going on within their lives. Told from alternating points of view of each character, they each have serious problems to contend with. From PTSD to blackmail. I think having all the main characters deal with such intense issues was overwhelming to the story. Also, they argued a bit more than I would expect for their ages. Instead of behaving like women in their 30s, it felt sometimes like they were college age. And how they would talk to each other didn't fit with their friendship otherwise.

I think if you are someone who likes lots of drama, then this is the story for you. Just don't go into it expecting it to be about opening a bookshop because that barely gets story time.

Thanks NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing ARC of The Bookshop Sisterhood by Michelle Lindo-Rice. I was drawn to this book because of the cover (a woman of color surrounded by books). This book is about four women facing unexpected challenges in their lives. The book was easy to follow even when told through the different POVs. I really love the character development and bonds between each person in the book. Every character was relatable. A fun book that pulled a lot of emotions out of me. A fast paced read about a lot of drama and bookish talk. The ending did seem rushed, however I recommend this novel if you like books about friendships and books.

Thank you so much to netgalley and Harlequin for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a friend group who are going to open a book store together. However, a lot of drama unfolds and they have to rely on each other to make it through.

I thought this book had an interesting premise. I love the idea of a bookstore owned by friends. I think the cover is super cute also.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t a big fan of this one. I just found the characters a bit annoying and there was just too much drama for my liking. Some people will like the drama but I wasn’t a bit fan.

I didn’t finish this one so I won’t be reviewing on Goodreads.

I hope others like this one more than me!

I received an electronic ARC from Harlequin Trade Publishing through NetGalley.
The premise sounded interesting so I requested the book thinking it would revolve around a bookstore and the patrons. Sadly, the bookstore is only incidental to the overall plot line. Readers meet four women who have been friends for almost two decades. Each is going through their own crisis and relies on the others as friends do. However, they seem to argue and insult each other in catty ways as often as they show love and support. I'm aware some friendships work that way but it's not a model I personally prefer. The characters are relatable in their struggles though I wonder if this would have unpacked better as four books - one on each woman, and then a book about the bookstore they opened together.
Told in alternating chapters from all four women's POVs so readers see what each is thinking and experiencing. Each chapter includes all four women at least in texts and calls so readers see all four experience each situation.
I rounded up from a 2.5 and am glad I read it. Others may appreciate the style more.