Alice Hoffman’s The Bookstore Keepers is a gem of a short story that delivers a magical, heartwarming experience in a compact package. As a fan of her evocative storytelling, I found this to be a quick but deeply satisfying read that perfectly showcases her signature blend of whimsy and emotion.

If there’s one downside, it’s that this story feels like a tantalizing glimpse of something greater. I couldn’t help but wish for a full-length novel that would expand on its characters and themes. Hoffman has created a world so vivid and compelling that I was left yearning for more.

Will definitely be checking out the other two short stories in this series. A beautifully crafted short story!

Anything I see by Alice Hoffman I immediately scoop up, and this was no exception.

Her writing is gorgeous, evocative of a different time and place, and truly brings you into the life of her characters.

My only complaint? It wasn't long enough for me. I would have read a full length novel about these characters and their lives.

But that's a small price to pay for such a lovely piece of work.

Oh this book was absolutely darling and just touched my heart in so many ways. I adored it from the beginning to end. The setting, the characters, and all of the things!

The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffman is a beautifully written short story in the Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories. Centered around a family bookshop the store is full of emotions, and relationships, and resolution. I'm now eager to read the first two stories! Cozy read perfect for a winter's day.

I absolutely love Alice Hoffman's writing. It's beautiful and magical. I had so many emotions reading this one.. sadness, love, and hope. I couldn't put it down. It was such a nice short story to continue the series.

This is the third installment in a novella series about a pair of sisters who runs a family bookstore on a small island in Maine. I definitely recommend reading this after you've read the first two stories in the series, otherwise it will not be as meaningful. This one revisits the sisters 5 years into the future. One sister's daughter has recently graduated college, while the other has been happily married, but she and her husband are at a crossroads of whether to expand their family.

The is a short but sweet story that packs an emotional punch. I always appreciate Hoffman's crafting of different types of relationships, her insight into human behavior, and her lovely descriptions of nature in the settings of her stories, which become a character themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories, and Brilliance Publishing for an advanced e-book and audiobook in exchange for my review.

This was a lovely installment in the Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories series.

Isabel and Sophie Gibson weren't expecting to speak to one another again after Isabel ran off to New York. But something brings her back to Brinkley's Island, Maine, the family bookstore, her sister and the man she thought she'd left behind.

Johnny Lenox has always been there for her, and now, five years into their happily ever after, Johnny awakens from an extraordinary dream, irrevocably altering the life they've created. What comes next is a season of changes with love as a constant.

I have enjoyed reading these short stories by the author. Though I've never read one of her full-length novels, I have only heard good things. This has been a delightful appetizer to build up to her other reads. The characters are captivating, the setting is gorgeous and the prose is beautiful. I can't wait to get into her other works.

Thank you to Alice Hoffman, Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of the novella for an honest review.

This was short and sweet. Alice Hoffman is a really gifted writer, and she writes beautiful prose with so much imagery.

The story itself was lovely, if fairly trite. If developed into a longer novel, it might have had more depth. I believe it is part of a series, and if you have read the other books, it might make a stronger impact. I have not.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon, and Alice Hoffman for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

3.5 stars

I’ve seen Alice Hoffman books around and have a couple on my tbr! I was very excited when I came across this short story. It’s the third in a series and I did not realize, but it still flows very well as a standalone! I’m jumping in to read the other two.

This is a feel good story about a family who navigates some loss and also discovers love in new ways. It’s a cute and wholesome read. There wasn’t anything earth shattering, but it was a nice read to have in between my other books. It makes me excited to read other stuff by this author!! A beautiful way of writing.

Alice Hoffman never disappoints. I have indulged in many of her books over the years and when I saw this, I immediately jumped on the opportunity.

It's a short story, very short. I love the characters but wished that there was more to it. She's an amazing author and I will recommend it to my book club.

Alice Hoffman brings back characters from previous stories, Family, love, supporting each other, living with losses, and looking towards the future are all packed into this short story. An enjoyable read.

Charming but a little light.

With thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this e-ARC.

This was such a lovely short story! The writing was beautiful and poetic and I definitely want to follow the stories of these sisters. I'll be going back and reading Hoffman's other short stories about these characters and I hope she comes out with more! This was the perfect way to spend a cozy, stress-free hour. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

When it says "short story," it truly delivers on the "short" part! Going into this, I had no idea it was the third book in a series, but surprisingly, I didn’t feel like I missed much by skipping the earlier installments.

The story delves into themes of grief, love, and loss, focusing on how each character copes with life’s challenges and the consequences of choices made by those around them. I appreciated the exploration of personal growth, as it’s always rewarding to see characters evolve and learn from their experiences. It was a quick, light read, perfect if you're in the mood for something simple.

That said, the brevity of the story left much to be desired. The lack of detail and emotional depth was noticeable, and while the themes were meaningful, they were only skimmed over rather than fully explored. The complexities of the characters’ struggles felt underdeveloped, and this made it harder to connect with their journey on a deeper level.

Ultimately, it was a sweet concept but didn’t leave a lasting impression. For a story with such emotional themes, I wish it had taken the time to delve into its characters’ conflicts more thoroughly. A decent, surface-level read, but not one I’d revisit. 1.5 ⭐.

This was the third Novella in the Bookstore Sisters series by Nora Robert’s. I would suggest reading these in order. The story continues with Isabel, Sophie, Violet, and Johnny. I really won’t talk to much about the story as to not spoil the first two novellas. It is a heartwarming story that takes place on an island off the coast of Maine. I really hope that Nora continues on with these stories of the sisters and their families.

TOO SHORT! I knew it was a short story but it ended too soon!!!!

The Bookstore Keepers was very emotional story of loss, love, hope and family. From the beginning, I found the characters relatable.

This is the third book in ’The Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories’, and while it isn’t the first in the series, it is, more or less, a continuation of the lives of the characters in this series. A story of family, of love, life, hope, and finding a way to heal.

A relatively short story which is a very moving, believable story, of life, relationships, sorrow, and ultimately, hope.


Pub Date: 18 Feb 2025

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Amazon Original Stories

I immediately saw the name Alice Hoffman and knew I had to read this! I had no clue that this was part of a series of novellas titled The Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories but since i didn’t read the other 2 I feel that this one is a stand alone read. Right from the start I was so engrossed with the story and could vividly imagine the scene playing out. So many emotional stories concerning grief, acceptance, healing and hope. This short story spans so much and you really feel for the characters and live through their experiences. I really admired the relationships between all of the characters and the message of love and family being of utmost importance and value. Such an amazing novella as Alice Hoffman never disappoints since her writing transports you into another world altogether. Truly magical and beautifully written! Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Alice Hoffman always writes so beautifully! This was one story in the book The Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories. It evokes a lot of emotions from sadness, grief, loss, love and hope. It is about family and relationships centered around a bookshop that had been in the family for a long time. This story is not about the bookshop so much as it is the two sisters. One is dealing with her daughter, and the other is dealing with her husband's loss of a parent. Then there is a new dream to pull the family together and bring them all closer. I loved the story and the characters.

Thanks to Amazon Original Stories through Netgalley for an advance copy.

I read the blurb and was iintrigued. I thought why not, lets give the book a try.
The Bookstore Keepers by new to me author Alice Hoffman, is a complex story.
Estranged sisters Isabel and Sophie are back home, just like Johnny. Johnny who never left and Sophie still has feelings for him. A beautiful warm, quiet story, a slow burn that gives all the feels. 4.5 stars.