The third short story in Alice Hoffman's 𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘜𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 series is like a warm hug. I loved revisiting the characters and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Thanks to Amazon originals for the copy to reviewl.

I’ve read the previous two books in the series but this one feels a lot better and a big hug to the rest of the books.

It deals with grief, sadness, ambition and loneliness that all ties up and becomes one bittersweet ending.

I’ve really enjoyed seeing these characters grow up and go through milestones together.

I love Alice Hoffman so I jumped at the chance to read The Bookstore Keepers. I didn't realize it was a novella before I went in. Hoffman is no stranger to magical realism (she is the creator of Practical Magic, after all) and The Bookstore Keepers is a sweet story laced with small magic, even if it doesn't have the heft of her full-length offerings.

Much like Practical Magic, The Bookstore Keepers features two sisters who were once estranged but have found their way back to each other. All about family, love, loss, and grief, The Bookstore Keepers is a sweet, if middle of the road, story, perfect for a palate cleanser in between heavier or more difficult reads.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories, and Brilliance Publishing for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest novella in the Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories series by the wonderful Alice Hoffman, with the audio perfectly narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

We once again meet the Gibson sisters as they are running the bookstore on Brinkley's Island in Maine. I love this series and have so enjoyed each short story as we see the sisters through different phases of their lives, capturing all the ups and downs of both romantic love and mother-daughter relationships. These stories are heartfelt, relatable, touching. Start at the beginning to get the full impact of this wonderful series - I can't wait for more to come!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ebook in exchange for my honest review. Alice Hoffman’s The Bookstore Keepers is a beautifully crafted short story that captures her signature mix of whimsy and emotion. This quick read immerses you in a magical, atmospheric world where a bookstore becomes a sanctuary for its characters. Hoffman’s prose is captivating, drawing you in effortlessly and leaving you invested. While the story is satisfying, it left me yearning for more—this world and its characters deserve a full-length novel. Now to get my hands on a copy of The Bookstore Sisters and The Bookstore Wedding. After reading the Practical Magic series last year, Alice Hoffman has become one of my favorite authors.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Oops, I didn't realize there was another short story about this family that I should have read first! Oh...two short stories that I should have read first! I for sure will go read them now. Even as a standalone, this short story is very short (about a 20-minute read) and emotional. I won't summarize it, given that I should go back and read the first two. But given the nature of the plots, I imagine this third one provides closure and happiness after some heartbreak.

This wasn’t my favorite in the series, as some of the choices felt a bit unrealistic, but I still found it really well written & I fall a little more in love with these characters each time.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffman. I did not realize that this was the third book in the series because I did not read the first two books in the series, which may be why I didn't understand the point of this story? There wasn't much to the plot and the sprinkling of magic or feel good feelings that are typical of Alice Hoffman books were missing from this book.

This cute story from Amazon Originals was perfect for an “in-between-novels” book! It gives us a little love story and brings sisters together to run a bookstore. It shows us that love that should have been, can still be, years later. Alice Hoffman can craft a story! So cute.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Very quick read full of the beautiful writing that Hofffman is known for. Enjoyable look at family, love, and grieving.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

This short story was a delightful treat I consumed in the dark bathtub, which felt like perfect setting. While I've not read the other short stories in this series (I don't think I realized there were others when I requested this item), but I will be going back to read the others when I get the chance. I am a big fan of Hoffman's full-length novels, and this novella was a lovely little morsel that was a perfect glimpse into a moment in these characters lives.

I really enjoyed this last (?) book in this Shirt Story series.
It rounded it all up, made it come together and finished most characters stories up in a nice way - not a perfect way but a realistic way which i always enjoy more.

i loved the writing style -as always in this little series- and the characters, enjoyed being back in this little costal town and seeing what the characters are doing.

it was a bit more quiet and slower, maybe more thoughtful in some aspects than the others but i enjoyed that.

highly recommend the entire little story collection! Beautiful little stories!

A beautiful short story about love, family, grief, letting go and finding yourself. Hoffman took delicate subjects and packed them into this tiny book in a beautifully sensitive way. It’s not often I find a book that can make me cry, let alone a short story, but this one definitely did that. Loved it!

I received this short story as an ARC, and really enjoyed it. I read the first two in preparation for this one, and loved how the stories flowed into one another.

Though this is a short story, it is jam packed. You get to know the characters more deeply than I would think possible in 42 pages.

It explores what it means to grieve, what it means to love, what it means to grow and change. All wrapped into the author’s descriptive writing style.

This was the final novella in this trilogy. I enjoyed Hoffman’s writing, but this wasn’t my favorite of her books. I think her writing style lends itself to longer books.. The characters and plot were decent.

This was a sweet look at love and family. I wanted it to be longer and to see more of the bookstore and the family.
But this was very sweet and looks at the notion of everything happens at the right time if you're willing to wait.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

a story about mourning, but mostly about love and closeness, very warm; the characters stand out and despite such a short moment with them, it is impossible not to love them

thank you #netgalley for the opportunity to read

Alice Hoffman's beautiful writing style, amazing imagination, and a bookstore theme.... sign me up! This was so fun to read, my only complaint is I wish there was more of it!

I didn't realize this book was the third in a series. I haven't read the previous 2 books; however, I don't think it is necessary to have read them. It was was a short sweet novella dealing with grief and love. Like most novellas is lacks depth in getting to know the characters.

I’ve read and enjoyed a couple of Alice Hoffman books before.

I think is book 3 in a series and is probably aimed at those who have read the first two. I’ve not and I think the book missed its mark with me.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.