As a book lover the idea of renting and running a bookshop sounds like a dream scenario so I was quite keen to read this. The story was quite pleasant but I struggled to get into it as much as I had hoped I would. . The first few chapters were a bit slow but once she got to Devon and Elliot was introduced it picked up a bit. (2 1/2 ⭐️)

Thank you Netgally and Hera Books for sending me the ARC for this book

THE BORROW A BOOKSHOP HOLIDAY by Kiley Dunbar

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Absolutely everything about this book made me happy! It was such a gorgeous idea for a story, a light-hearted and fun adventure that completely swept me up!

Every bookworm should read this book. It’s just delightful and my heart feels so happy!

A holiday that involves books, a bookshop, baking, a dog and a hunk? What's not to love?
Jude's life revolves around her family, caring for her grandmother, and pottering around, helping her parents in the family bakery business, alongside completing her English degree part-time. Books are her faithful friends throughout her life.
When her forbidden romance, ends badly, along with finding out her parents are shutting up shop, and her gran wants to move to a retirement village, she's at a loss as to what to do, until an email arrives, confirming a booking Jude and her then-boyfriend had made for a two week holiday, running a bookshop and a cafe in a small village in Devon.
She arrives, after being forced by her parents and best friend to take the break, hoping for a fortnight of solitude, books and baking, and is rudely awakened on her first night by an intruder.
I won't go into more detail, other than to say that the intruder ends up being hot, and the bookstore comes with a mangy mutt, who both end up stealing the reader's heart.
Jude is a character who has such low self-esteem and feels like she doesn't have a real place in the world, and this story gives her a chance to grow into herself, and find the life she always wanted.
Elliott - that's the intruder - well, he's just a fab character, all big and brooding, but gentle and kind, too, and he's an animal lover. Oh, and he has a bit of a past that he's trying to get away from.
Aldous, the dog, oh, what a star! I loved his connection with the bookshop, and wished I could be the one to coax him out of his grief and stupor!
And all the characters in the fictitious village of Clove Lore, from Mrs C and her 'book' filled with bets on who will get together and stay in the village, to Minty, owner of the Estate, who has her suspicions about Elliot and why he's here.
A wonderful, sweet, feel-good read. And if you, like me, are someone who doesn't get along with maths, you'll relish this story all the more!
When I heard about Kiley Dunbar's latest book, I eagerly awaited the release date and was honoured to be approved to read an arc, as I have loved all of Kiley's previous releases.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely read. Devoured this in a couple of days. The type of book you can lose yourself in and escape. Well written and loved the characters. A definite read for anyone who enjoys the chiclit genre.

3.5 stars.
I mean isn't it every book lovers dream to be able to run a bookshop in a quaint little village? The setting and characters were really enjoyable.
The Elliot debacle was a little convoluted and far fetched but this book kind of got away with it anyway.
Thanks to Netgalley for my copy of this book.

So the basic idea behind this book is that after finding out her "secret" boyfriend is cheating on her, Jude takes the opportunity to go to a bookshop that you could rent to run for a holiday. What a great concept! Does that exist in real life? If so sign me up!

Jude as a character was a little too passive in her life to really resonate for me. It felt like I was reading about a much younger character who was a bit of a doormat, to be honest. If the author hadn't explicitly stated her age and how mature she felt I would have guessed she was 18-19. I think it was because the first quarter of the book was spent describing things that happened to her. And that's how it felt. Like she was just existing and waiting for her life to happen when the reality is that she was nearly 30 years old and needed to stop relying on everyone else. She's a carer for her Gran, who was really just waiting for Jude to graduate in order to move in with her friends, and generally, I got the feeling that other than a few things she did for her Gran, her life consisted of studying and waiting outside her boyfriend's house to see if she would be let in. She didn't even consider what jobs she could get until after graduation.

And that feeling carries on throughout the book, due in part to the authors writing style. I feel like this is in part an editing problem as no one seems to have picked up that the author begins most paragraphs with a simple action statement. For instance, a six-paragraph section of the book had paragraphs starting: Jowan calls in | He said | Elliot had smiled | Elliot walked over | Elliot closed the book | I smile. It's possibly a deliberate writing choice that the author uses to illustrate how the character is thinking about things but it left me feeling like Jude wasn't really involved with the story but was instead a bystander.

Maybe if Jude wasn't so passive in her life it could have worked, but in the end, it had the feel of a slow cozy mystery without the mystery. 2.5 stars.

Kiley Dunbar always provides a nice bit of escapism with her stories and this is no exception. It is a lighthearted read that is perfect for a rainy afternoon or to take on holiday with you.

Jude has just finished her degree and lost her boyfriend and home, leaving her at a crossroads with where her life is going. That is until she gets a chance to go on holiday and run a bookshop for two weeks in a beautiful Devon village.

There is nothing groundbreaking here but I never expect there to be with this genre. For me when I pick up a book like this it is all about enjoying the read whilst not having to think too much and this provides that completely.

Kiley Dunbar whisked me away from the Scottish Borders down to a hilly cobbled street of Devon in this lovely sweet romance, the only thing is ... I now want to go on a holiday where I Borrow a Bookshop!

Was rooting for Jude and Elliot from the moment they shared the coffee and KitKat! Wonderful supporting family cast, too.

One part I loved was the excerpt from a poem by John Donne about death and how it another life translated. This turned a possibly sad scene into how and reincarnation and gave the bookshop a purpose, which is explored in relation to other characters throughout the book.
Though for me the ending was a bit of a cliché where Jude was convincing herself she was like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday but every reader knows it is not a spoiler if they are reading a romance novel because their trope of the genre is have a happy ending.
Overall, there is a nice whisper of literary references throughout the book especially with the character's personal comparison to 'Jude the Obscure', Thomas Hardy's final book, and how she is determined to not be that reflection of herself forever.

I would recommend this to customers of my shop who are looking for a light-hearted read with a heart of travel.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As an avid reader I enjoyed this novel, BUT it just seems very similar to lots of others within its genre. A lovely read, nicely written but nothing out of the ordinary.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. This is my honest review.

This book had my attention instantly with the premise of a bookshop holiday—this reader’s dream vacation! It did not disappoint.

Jude is a woman who has just taken the first big step of doing something for herself after years of taking care of the others in her life. It seems to be a turning point for her, but she finds herself unexpectedly adrift instead. Her planned vacation to a bookshop on the coast is her escape from the uncertainty and she is determined to make it the best two weeks of her life.

And then she meets Elliott. Elliott who is adrift in his own way and his very much unexpected appearance threatens to disrupt all of Jude’s hopes for her time away from home.

They start with a reluctant truce, a wary partnership and then so much more.

The story weaves in the history of the community, numerous unique and intriguing side characters, and a mystery too.

This was an enjoyable read—a lovely romance, charming lead characters, a book sprinkled with literary references and mouth watering bakes. Comfortable, cosy, and perfectly captivating. I’ll be looking for other books by this author.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. What a lovely read this was, great characters, great location and most importantly a really nice story. Loved it.

This is a nice book, good characters, intriguing story. It slows down in the middle but definitely picks up at the end. It's a good read to spend a rainy afternoon with.

Well pack your bags, pick your favourite books, and take yourself on a wonderful two-week holiday to run a bookshop! Sounds a perfect plan and this is just what Jude did! The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday is a magical story about grabbing life, taking chances and looking ahead to the future to achieve your dreams.

The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday is an enchanting and endearing story, set within the beautiful and delightful Clove Lore - the detailed descriptions of this wonderful harbour village are so comprehensive that we feel like we are actually there. I loved the setting and the community village life.

The characters were superbly depicted. I could imagine visiting the bookshop and chatting with Jude about books while devouring their lovely scones in the cafe and seeing Aldous!

As a booklover, I loved how the author intertwined lots of books throughout the story - very unique and very cleverly written.

For me, the book was an all-embracing fantastic romantic novel. Jude and Elliot were destined to be together and I was rooting for them from the start. Their future is only just beginning and I would love to know where they are in a few years’ time! I am hoping for a second book about Jude and Elliot!

I am sure this book will inspire many to follow their dreams, and even open up their own bookshop/cafe one day! Perfect combination, Perfect romantic read! Thank you, Kiley Dunbar, for another 5-star read! Your books are just the best!

This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

I loved the idea of being able to run a bookshop/cafe for 2 weeks. But the idea of a one bedroom studio and two people who don’t know each other, expected to share is a little hard to comprehend. Especially in the time we live in. I know it’s a story and everything about the village and the people sound Devine and definitely a place to visit. It’s just that it wouldn’t happen so dampened my enjoyment of this book a bit.

This romance is just cozy and sweet, and nothing else. Jude is a late bloomer whose recent relationship just blew up, and all she has left of it is a reservation at Borrow-A-Bookshop, where for a very reasonable fee a guest can run a small-town bookshop while living upstairs. Annoyingly, the bookshop is double-booked, and she’ll have to share it with Elliott, who is handsome and secretive. Oh, dear, what an inconvenience, there is only one bed. (The fictional vacation spot is definitely based on The Open Book, a real vacation spot in Wales.)

Have you ever dreamed of owning a bookstore? In a small, seaside town, you can be run an entire bookstore like it was your own for two weeks. The waiting list is almost two years long. Jude Crawley is 30 years old and seems to experiencing life a bit behind all of her peers. She loves her family, takes care of her Gran, but life has been lived mostly in books. A twist of fate gives her the push she needs to begin a journey to finding herself and her home. If mysteries can be cozy, then I think this could be a cozy romance. All the charm you could ask for.

The Borrow A Bookshop Holiday was the perfect book to satisfy a rom com type book craving! Jude is in her late 20’s and just graduated from college when she discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her and her gran that she cares for wants to move into a senior living community. The reservation for two for the borrow a bookshop holiday is now Jude’s chance for a change of scenery and an opportunity to find herself and discover her place in the world. Add in Elliot - a handsome, mysterious stranger showing up to help run the bookshop, and we have a quick, cute, and entertaining story!

Thanks to #NetGalley, Kiley Dunbar, and Hera Books for the ARC of #TheBorrowaBookshopHoliday

The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday is a fun idea! I can see how many would opt for this unusual break from reality. I liked the story, the characters were mostly relatable and a good variety of them too!

I'll try not to dwell on the actual practical issues of unregistered volunteers/holidaymakers making and selling food to the general public, haha!

I've been to the place that inspired the author and can see the inspiration in the fitting homage! A lovely read.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I must say I enjoyed the last few chapters of this book than the rest of it. The last few chapters were captivating, surprising and enchanting. Before these last chapters, I really struggled with finishing this because it was beginning to read like a run of the mill romance. However, the author proved me wrong, and I landed up being unable to put this book down.

Jude is a young woman stuck in a rut, she has been a carer for many years, but now her world is being turned upside down, through no fault of her own. She needs to find her way out, to find herself. Book-loving Jude books herself a “borrow a bookshop” holiday in Devon in order to give herself time to work out what her next move is. Only Jude finds that life has a habit of working itself out. For the better in Judes case.

I love the idea of borrowing a bookshop to run for a different type of holiday, maybe I will find one one day.