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.

I love all Alice Hoffman books and this series of short stories is a wonderful quick read. I saw this before reading the first two but got them via Kindle Unlimited and read all three in a row.

A heartwarming tale about the intricacies of family, sister and mother daughter relationships and what you do for the people you love most. This is the third installment in the Once Upon A Time Bookshop Stories. Personally, I would have benefited with these 3 installments all put together into 1 short stories package instead of them individually separated. I do love the lyrical writing and easy to follow narrative. These novellas have dipped my toes into Alice Hoffman's magic and I will be reading her other works asap.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Though romance and family-themed stories are not quite in my alley, I’ve read Hoffman’s ‘Practical Magic’ before and loved it, so I was happy to be able to read her new story before publishing. In order to write a review, I had also read the previous two instalments of the ‘Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories’ prior to reading the ARC.

Note: this review contains slight spoilers of the previous two instalments (The Bookstore Sisters & The Bookstore Wedding).

The series tells a story about Isabel and Sophie — estranged sisters that reconcile after years of not speaking to each other in hopes to keep their father’s bookshop running. Each part of the series takes places roughly five years after the one before.

In this third instalment of the series we follow the characters through their hardship and grief, after Isabel’s husband and childhood friend loses his father. As a result, their marriage turns strained, as Johnny avoids speaking about his emotions and rather turns to sneaking out at night to visit the cemetery.

On the other side of the sea, Isabel’s niece Violet struggles with her future after graduation; should she stay at the island and run the bookshop as per her mother’s wishes, or should she follow her own dreams?

If I had to choose a favourite moment of the story, it would be the one near the end, in which a character finally gets to choose what to do with her life. It shows the importance of having your family near — those who had left will someday return. Unfortunately, as all three stories are only around 30 pages long, there is not much space left for character development, and instead is more focused on the interpersonal relationships between the characters.

However, what I didn’t enjoy about the story, or the series itself, was the main character’s lack of independence. At many points of the story, I felt frustrated with the way Isabel kept changing her mind and wishes to conform to others’ expectations, rather than staying true to herself. I wish Isabel’s future had been more her own, without following the traditional values in which a person is “incomplete” without starting a family of their own.

Ultimately, as the story is really short and the entire series can be read in a day, I would still recommend it to those looking to relax with a quick read. Though I wasn’t the target audience for the series, I still found many moments enjoyable.

"I love you more than pancakes, more than ice cream, more than pickles, more than my life. I love you more than dogs or cats or diamonds or gold, more than anything else in the world."
Isabel and Sophia lost their mother, but she left them with a book store and a love letter, which they have published into a book, titled How Much Do I Love You.
That quote tugged on my heart strings because I too lost my mother, and I too used to play the "I love you more than _” game with her.
This is the 3rd book in a series of novellas, which you should read in order. In true Alice Hoffman form, there is love, there is loss, and there is family. And sometimes you have to fly the nest to discover who you are.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for my honest review!