Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. With the title and set in a small town with a bookshop I was expecting a Hallmarky movie but it turned out to be more Lifetimey. Several different story lines going on the introduction of characters to a long time but then the guns put a whole new twist to this story. The narrator did a good job with all the different characters. Overall ok read.

A small town suspenseful romance. This book is filled with a lot of offbeat characters all of whom have a lot of secrets. They all know both everything and nothing about each other, but no matter what, they all have each others backs whatever happens. I didn’t read the first in the series, but had no problems reading this as a standalone. I dd at times find the storyline disjointed. Almost as if a lot of small vignettes laced together. An okay listen with enjoyable narration.

A very sweet book. I will continue to read Jodi Thomas’ books.
Thank you, Netgalley, for providing an advanced readers copy.

I want to start with a thank you for NetGalley sharing this book. Well, I did not read the first of the series I was easily able to jump right into the storyline. A few details were definitely missed, So I may consider going back and reading the first of the series. The title of the book right away! Who wouldn’t love a lavender bookshop?! Right away it makes you think of a quaint little town, where everyone knows everyone. That imagery definitely persist throughout the story. This book had a perfect blend of mystery, every day, life problems, and a little bit of romance. I would consider this a strong read!

The Wild Lavender Bookshop is a wholesome small town romance that explores the relationships of three very different couples.

Andi, the main character who finds herself in Honey Creek searching for her long lost step brothers, and Dan, the town deputy.

Bear, an aging, hardworking Jack- of-all trades and the love of his life, Eliza.

Cora Lee, Bear’s youngest daughter and Noah, the owner of the Lavender Bookshop.

There are some elements of suspense and mystery, but overall this was a light read with zero spice. I also found Noah and Cora’s relationship a bit creepy for some reason.

This is the second book in the Someday Valley series, however I read it as a stand-alone and didn’t feel lost or like I was missing key details about any of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the audio ARC of this book.

This book has a sweet storyline with a sassy & spunky protagonist. I thought I’d try something just a little outside of my typical reading repertoire, and this was a good start. I would not be at all surprised to see this one play out on the Hallmark channel! The narrator was fine. I struggle with folks putting on or exaggerating southern accents, so I am a harsh critic on that front! I think fans of the book won’t think twice about the slight accent!

This book is about an undercover officer who needs to lie low for a bit so she decides to go to the small town where she was born, and to meet her brothers, who she doesn't know. But finding them isn't all that simple. While she's there, a deputy, who very much annoys her at first, is assigned to protect her.

They very quickly find themselves attracted to each other. There are two other couples in town who are moving toward deeper relationships.

Although this sounded like a great book, I found it kind of simplistic and not too much character development. But for people who enjoy a story that isn't too deep, but with interesting and maybe challenging situations, this book might fit the bill.

I listened to the audio version. The narrator was quite good, but a character who was supposed to be from New York, sounds like he's from Boston. Not a major issue, but to a person who grew up in the NYC area and who spend many years in New England, it was amusing.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook copy. This was a second of a series, but I didn't feel lost having not read the first book. This was light and easy to listen to. The narrator had some trouble maintaining accents, which was a bit distracting. The story was fine, nothing amazing though. It would make for a good easy summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This one just wasn’t my cup of tea. Too many characters and couples to keep track of. A lot of different point of views. I also really didn’t find myself liking any of the characters either.
Just wasn’t for me at all.

Beneath the watchful gaze of trees that surround The Wild Lavender Bookshop, fall in love with Cora Lee and Katherine as we follow their lives, loves, and longings in the town of Someday Valley. Find out if Cora Lee and Katherine meet their loves, what happens with Bear Buchannon, and everything they get up to in this slow burn, sweet romance. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator added the perfect touch to the simply sweet story with her tone and pacing. Overall, a very pleasant experience..

The Wild Lavender Bookshop
by Jodi Thomas
Narrated by Jeanine Bartel

Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for the early listen.
Sadly all the characters were unlikable and full of themselves (Andi was the worst). Two of the characters were just so juvenile. Also have to agree with another reviewer that brought up the fact that the narrator gave Noah and his mom a Boston accent even though they are from New York.
There were just too many characters to follow and so hard to distinguish in the audiobook since the narrator did not give a voice to each character (other than the Boston accent).
Narrator also has a high pitched nasal twang. Not a fan and it became very annoying. Had to stop listening for a bit to give my ears a break.
Maybe if I had the book instead of listing it may have been better. Except for Noah and Cora acting like teenagers.

Okay, I kept getting lost. 3 couples, multiple POV's. The best I feel is Noah, who opened a bookshop in a small town, and a school teacher.

I felt this was too much. To confusing to listen to with an audiobook.

I received this audiobook from Net Galley and RB Media for an honest review.

The Wild Lavender Bookshop was a fun audiobook with a sweet town that reminded me of Virgin River. This was a super quick listen!

A sweet story by a favorite author. The narrator had a charming accent which fit each character. I enjoyed visiting the bookshop and felt each couple could have had their own title! I loved the setting and the drama and just small-town life. A great weekend read!

Let me start off by saying I listened to this as an audiobook rather than reading a paperback. I may have enjoyed this more if it wasn't an audiobook. The accents were mismatchy and hard to follow. The guy from New York would randomly have a southern/western draw, it made no sense. The story overall was a lot of build up but not much substance at the end. The book follows 3 different love stories but doesn't dive in deep with any of them. The characters could have used more substance. In a perfect world this would have been 3 adjoining books rather than one that jumps around.

I don't think I was the right reader for this book. I requested the ARC via NetGalley because the cover looked so whimsical and I love a small town romance.

I had a really hard time resonating with any of the characters in the three couples who's stories were being told. I think I just didn't jive with them, so that's a personal take.

However, I do think the dialogue was pretty clunky, and didn't feel really authentic. I also felt like a lot of the character felt really two dimensional.

I don't think this is a bad book by any means, but I just didn't love it. However, I did most like the narrator's performance on the audiobook. My only grip was the voice for the bookshop owner... the accent felt too heavy.

"Return to Someday Valley" by Jodi Thomas invites readers to the picturesque setting of Honey Creek, Texas, offering a heartwarming tale of second chances and interconnected lives. One standout feature of this novel is its rich tapestry of characters, each grappling with personal challenges and seeking redemption in their own way. The author weaves multiple points of view into the narrative, providing insights into different characters' lives and motivations.

Despite being part of a series, "Return to Someday Valley" can be read on its own, offering a self-contained narrative while hinting at broader story arcs from previous installments. This accessibility makes it an ideal entry point for new readers while rewarding existing fans with familiar settings and characters.

All in all, Jodi Thomas delivers a captivating story filled with warmth, charm, and genuine emotion. The novel explores themes of resilience, healing, and the transformative power of love, making it a delightful read for anyone seeking an uplifting tale set in a small-town community.

Special thanks to NetGalley, RB Media, Recorded Books, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #TheWildLavenderBookshop #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio arc of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Had I not been reviewing this I would have DNF’d it . I expect that the audio narration is a large part of that as it was hard to listen to. It’s hard to sink into a story when characters from NY are spoken in a Boston accent. It’s a case where the various accents shouldn’t have been tried as they sounded silly and cartoon like.

The story was cliched and full of tropes but you expect that in romance novels. It had Sweet Magnolias type feel to it. Like a grittier Hallmark Movie except it wasn’t executed well. The prose was juvenile.

“Should we have guns?l
“All we need are wits”
“do we got them?”

That’s the type of ridiculous dialogue.
Maybe it’s me and just What one should expect from the Romance genre ? Oh and it’s the second in a series apparently. But it’s stand alone so it has that going for it.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

The Wild Lavender Bookshop

Author:- Jodie Thomas

Narrator/s:- Jeanine Bartel

Audiobook:- 6 Hours & 25 Minutes

Book:- 231 Pages

Return to the unforgettable world of Someday Valley, Texas, in this tender, uplifting novel of hearts in search of second chances

The trees that circle Someday Valley near Honey Creek are dressed in their fall finest, providing a pretty backdrop for the local businesses—including the little bookshop loved by schoolteacher Cora Lee Buchanan. There, under the watchful eye of owner Noah O’Brien, Cora Lee and her sister, Katherine, meet each Wednesday. Their talk mostly revolves around one subject: their father, known to everyone in town as Bear. Both Cora Lee and Katherine worry about Bear Buchanan. They’ve no idea Bear has a secret life of his own.

Review...

I want to say a big thank you to NetGalley & Recorded Books for an advanced arc of this audiobook.

It was the title of this book that made me want to listen to it and also this is the first time I have read anything by this author and I will be reading more.

Doing some research on this book I found out this is the second book in a series called Someday Valley series, I did not know this so I was afraid I might not understand where we are but I was fine following the stories & also each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone.

while listening to this i realized it deals with multiple POVs & their own stories, my favorite one out of these povs was Noah & the school teacher with the connection they shared through 2 lonely souls finally finding love, understanding & acceptance, seeing each of them growing though love & it beautiful (so many times i was like awwww ). Noah does come across as odd but that's because he has not been use to having genuine female company beyond who he grow up around but he comes across as very sweet.

The main story which is the more focused one out of all three povs done, this one with the female police detective Andi coming into town with a colorful background & making a cover of fake dating with the village head of police, but you can see this is going to turn into love & the attitude of them both is entertaining making you glued to know if they will be able to handle each other but also become better for it, but at the same time they kind of balance each other out.

In this book you see each character in there stories have been running from something, their past, their character, their children, Love & so much more but its nice to see how they all come to face with all this over the time of the book & become better for it.

the main theme I got from this book was LOVE & that love is a force so deep that it can change life's, also to help someone see themselves differently though the eyes of the one who loves them, but also helps them deal with loss etc.

this is worth a read & I highly enjoyed this quick read that I read in one sitting.

3.5 stars

Noah Obrien own the local book story in Someday Valley. Cora Lee and her sister Katherine are weekly visitors to the bookstore. The often talk about there father, Bear who own the the story next door. Bear is a little different and has some mystery to him. Katherine is actively looking for her third husband and Cora Lee seems to be entangled with Noah who also happens to be her first love. The reader also learns that Bear’s love of his live is Eliza. Bear would like this relationship to be more permanent but Eliza likes the secrecy of it that has been ongoing for years. Andi Delane end up in town looking for her two half brothers. It seems her father had died and received notice from the local lawyer in town about it. Andi is detective with Dallas PD and decides to head to Someday Valley to get out of town as one of the investigations she was involved in has some trouble for her a possibly her half-brothers. Andi meets with the Sherrif and he asking deputy Danny to help protect her. Andi eventually finds that she has three half-brothers one is still a child. As the criminals come into town looking for AndI everyone gets involved in trying to protect her. She even hides out at the bookstore with her youngest brother for awhile. Danny ends up taking them to his. Farm house but they are compromised so her enlist Bear to help protect them at Eliza’s house. All end up fine and the criminals are caught . By this time Danny and Andi know they have feeling for each other. Andi has to go back to Dallas to testify but she tells Danny she is returning for good. Bear and Eliza’s relationship is now know to all and they decide it is a good thing. Lastly, Noah and Cora Lee profess there love for each other. This book was great. I love romance and mystery together. I am looking foreword to the next book and finding out more about the people and relationships in. Someday Valley.