A few short stories that deal with grief, loss, and living life.

This book was very beautifully written and contained a lot of nuggets about dealing with some of the human experiences. It got me reflecting on my own life more, and wanting to live life to the fullest. It was a short read, but a little heavy due to the nature of some of the content. Something to help you sit back and think about life in a different way.

I did however wish this collection of short stories had given a little more. Maybe having a bit more conflict or having the conflict not resolve so conveniently would have helped.

Overall, it was a cute read and I liked it!

I'm sad to see Alice Hoffman's short story collection come to an end with The Bookstore Keepers. Isabel, Sophia, Violet, Johnny and Hank will stay with me forever.

Isabel !loves Johnny with all her heart and doesn't know how to help him cope with the heartbreak of losing his beloved father. When he shares his greatest wish with her, Isabel is faced with a choice that will forever change their lives. At the same time, Violet returns to the island but is dreading telling her mother that she may not be staying for long...

Only Alice Hoffman can create such beautifully flawed and insightful characters in the few pages of a short story. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Bookstore Keepers.

This book was a quick and thoughtful read.

One night, Johnny wakes up from a dream in which he thinks he saw an angel, and from then on, everything in his life changes .

I thought this story touched on some deeper topics about life and loss and why it's only once someone is gone that you truly start to question your own life and what it is that maybe you've been missing out on.

I liked the family vibe, getting to know sisters -Isabel, Sophie, and Sophie's daughter Violet. Their dynamic worked well, and you could sense the chemistry between them.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me access to this short story via Netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC!

This short story was so sweet, the love between the characters really shone through. I think maybe some of the decisions made by the characters didn’t resonate with me, but I still felt for them and their experiences together. This does make me want to read more of this author’s work!

Thanks for the review copy. I have the book pre ordered, too. I love this series but of course want to know even more about Violet.

3.5☆

I really appreciated the relationships between all of the characters—the love and connection they shared was touching. These short stories were sweet and to the point. The overall theme of love and family was what made it endearing and thoughtful. Plus, the small town charm, love of books, and tasty treats with cute names.

Overall, I really enjoyed the Once Upon A Bookshop Stories. There was enough emotion in each book to pull me in and appreciate the story and characters.

—Thank you, NetGalley, and Amazon Original Stories for sending this book for review consideration. All thoughts are my own.—

I am in love with the way Alice Hoffman writes and always have been. She has the ability to create magic with her sentences and I am always happy to read anything she’s written. The Bookstore Keepers is the third short story about sisters Isabel and Sophie, their loves and their lives. Ten years after the last story Isabel and Johnny are still very happy, Violet is grown about to graduate college, and the sisters are still running the bookstore and bakery. This story is about big changes, how they can surprise you, and how you must adapt to them. Beautifully worded, I’m already hoping there’s another installment.

First thought, when it says a short story it means it! When I began reading, I honestly didn’t know it was the 3rd book in a series. However, I feel I didn’t lose much information not having read those.

This story tells a tale of grief, loss, and love. Each character must come to terms with what life has thrown them and the decisions made by those around them. It was a short and sweet story. I liked the fact that we see the character’s growth. It was a nice and easy read.

However, because it was such a short story, I felt it was lacking detail and depth, where the character’s problems, complexities, and concerns were only touched upon without exploring them fully.

I received a free copy of The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffman from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story had an impossible hill to climb from the beginning as I love the sisters and previous two stories so much. It felt like a beautiful if brief update of characters I love and a very lovely yet very open ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon for the ARC!

"The Bookstore Keepers" is a short story by Alice Hoffman and the third installment in the "Once Upon a Time Bookstore" series. I really enjoy Hoffman's cozy writing style and New England backdrops. This installment touches on the changes we go through in various stages of life and the ways in which our wants carve our paths in life. The story works well as a standalone, but the other two stories are definitely worth the read for fans. I'm hoping that Hoffman continues this series and eventually releases a collection.

A must read for the Bookstore Sisters fans. I really just love the lyrical writing in Hoffman's stories. I would read anything about these sisters and their families. If you haven't please read the first two in the series and then this one. I love them so much I just wish they were a little longer.
Thank you so much Alice Hoffman, the publishers, and Netgalley for this advance novella.
Review to come on my Instagram.

Such a good and fun short story! Made me cry by the end, i got attached to the characters very quickly. Definitely will be checking out more from this author.

A “long short story,” just 26 pages, The Bookshop Keepers still has all the Alice Hoffman magic. The simply shared tale of love and loss, endings and beginnings, change and acceptance— packs an emotional punch. This spare tale savored with a cup of tea and a cinnamon chip scone will bring a tear of joy to a tenderhearted reader.

Enjoyed the first two books of this novella series and I love this author but I’m done after this one if there is anymore. It was pointless to me

Cute little novella about sisters who run a bookshop and their hopes and dreams. I enjoyed it alot. I only wish it was longer

Unfortunately not for me.

I found the characters decisions to be unrealistic and was not a fan of them.

Well written and a nice easy read, just not for me

Thankyou to NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

A sweet and tender series of short stories by one of my favorite authors, Alice Hoffman.
The Bookstore Sisters was the best yet!
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the third book in the series. Each book is simply amazing. it's about sisters and finding love life, and oh, wow, so much more..

Sometimes you don't know what you have until it's almost gone or sometimes it could be gone, but what remains is simply the best.

Family is always there for you, and you have love unconditional..


Simply a wonderful story, these books are the best.

*The Bookstore Keepers* by Alice Hoffman

In *The Bookstore Keepers*, Alice Hoffman returns to Brinkley’s Island, Maine, to continue the heartfelt journey of the Gibson sisters. Isabel and Sophie, once estranged, now run their family bookstore together, rekindling their sisterly bond. Isabel's relationship with Johnny Lenox, her steadfast love, is central to the narrative. Five years into their renewed romance,

Having read many of Alice Hoffman's books, I am always captivated by her emotional, character-driven stories. Hoffman's lyrical prose and touch of magical realism beautifully explore themes of family, friendship, and the enduring nature of love. This novella is a testament to the transformative power of reconciliation and the unbreakable ties that bind us.

The Bookstore Keepers is scheduled for publication on February 18, 2025.

3 "lovely, folksy, three spoonfuls of sugar is two too much " stars !!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Amazon Original Stories. This will be released Feb. 2025.. I am providing an honest review.

I have many of Ms. Hoffman's books on my tbr and so I decided to try this little sample (third in a series).

Overall this was lovely with a folksy tale of grief and new beginnings. A feel good short story that any middle class Western person can relate to. Nothing earth shattering but some lovely women's fiction prose that is supposed to make you misty (and it did...but I did feel manipulated the way you do when watching a pretty good Hallmark film) I am not going to lie that it veers on being overly sweet and is just on the safe side of cloying. Common sense wisdom abounds and I suppose that is an ok thing.

I will not rush to read more of her work but also would not stay away if a book magically popped up.