Publication May 21, 2024
Addie's temporary move to England has been restorative but hardly uneventful. She's enjoying her time working for Reginald Pressman, of course, at the Second Chance Books and Bindery shop in West Yorkshire. She's made friends and is feeling comfortable there. Yet, she's also fretting about her decision to return home and her own bookshop, Beyond the Page Books. That hasn't been an easy decision for her. She's a bit of a mother hen type and can't help worrying about Jasper's hopeless crush on Hillary, who is set to marry Addie's successful author friend Tony soon. Then there's a growing worry about Reginald's health and finances. Are his rare book buying sprees putting him in financial trouble? There's also the worry hanging over her that while she thinks she's recovered from the shock of discovering only moments before she said "I do" to Simon that he had a child and then felt responsible for trying to help the mother and maybe make a life with her for the child. Addie flew off to England to mend her broken heart and sort out where she was going from there.
But, sometimes you can't shake ol' habits. Like stumbling over dead bodies. That's when her planned return to the States takes a backseat to her best laid plans. Toss in the little matter of the valuable necklace that has gone missing and a stolen book and, well, it gets complicated. And, that's just the modern day mystery. She's also caught up in trying to help Reginald Pressman find out what happened to his much loved daughter Molly so many years ago. And, whoa, there's a missing necklace involved there, too? And, double whoa, more missing books, lives upended, and family secrets buried deep. Lauren Elliott is a master at creating characters who we will like and find realistic and empathize with. Hearts broken and maybe mended, emotional moments, and friendships, new and old. It's all there, plus, hmm, a very intriguing potential romance....but, Addie's plan is to return home. Isn't it? Maybe....
Bottom line, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've enjoyed Addie from the beginning and while I thought I'd have trouble embracing her life in England, I felt just as at home with her new surroundings and friends as back home. Now, true, the brief visit by Serena and Paige helped but, hey, Noah Parker was far more interesting. Grin. That's all the hints I'm giving. You won't regret reading this book, not to mention the entire series. I'm psyched to find out where Addie goes, both physically and emotionally, from here. She's had a rough road in the past but, hmm, her like-a-brother love for Marc may have met its romantic British match, so to speak. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonPublishing - -#KensingtonCozies for giving me an early peek at Addie's current world and letting me meet all her new friends. What can I say? I'm a sucker for cozies set in England, especially when books and more books are involved.
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