Cover Image: The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday

The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

30 year old Jude finally finishes a university degree after giving up everything to look after her Gran. Life returns to normal at her parents bakery until she discovers her parents are selling up and Gran is off to a retirement village. Left wondering what to do with her life a booking she made a year or so ago leads to her spending 2 weeks in the "borrow a bookshop" now to me this is where it gets ridiculous the organiser finding out she is a lone guest books another guest (male) at the same time. Really!!!! Too total strangers sharing what turns out to be a one bed roomed property as if that would happen in the real world. She would be straight on to a solicitor wanting compensation. If you can get over that massive plot error it's a nice story he has a secret, they fall in love. Well written and not overly wordy

Reviewed on Facebook

Was this review helpful?

The Borrow A Bookshop Holiday has the perfect way for book lovers to spend a fortnight. There is a waiting list for the adventure of running a beach side bookstore and its cafe for the two weeks. Jude and her boyfriend had been on the waiting list for a long time. Jude had just graduated from college and after the graduation ceremony, while waiting for her boyfriend to congratulate her, she catches him kissing another girl. Then her Grandmother that she had been the caregiver for, tell her that she is moving to a Senior Living Facility. This has her wondering what she is going to do with her life when the final shoe drops. Her parents are selling their bakery with the apartment above
It and retiring to go travel and enjoy life. So in a very short time, she has lost her boyfriend, her job as caregiver and her home. Fortunately her ex boyfriend calls to tell her that their has been a cancellation at the bookstore and they can go the following week. She decides that it is the perfect time for a getaway however she is going alone without the ex. While she is gone her parents move to the new smaller apartment snd head on vacation. Jude heads out with fear and excitement to her bookstore adventure. The bookstore is in a quaint little town with cobblestone streets. As she settles down for the night, a man enters the bookstore and climbs up to the apartment above. She refuses to open the door even after he had told her that he had been called to share the experience as she had come alone. He ended up going to sleep on the floor in the bookstore. The next morning after quizzing him about books she decides that he truly is a legit book lover so she agrees to share the experience. She is also very attracted to the very good looking man with the great body. After they spend several days running both the bookstore and cafe, their relationship develops.. However, he is very secretive about his past and then. They spend a very full two weeks with a lot of drama and secrets. This is a perfect fun book for any book lover. I highly recommend it.

Was this review helpful?

This is another lovely read from Kiley Dunbar with the added beauty of being a love story for book lovers. Jude had been living her life for other people since she was only 17. At that tender age, she became the caretaker for her grandmother. She's resigned to her role, and doesn't begrudge it, but it's still difficult to see her peers grow up and strike out on their own while she stays home with her grandmother. Throw in a relationship that wasn't at all what she thought it was, and Jude is definitely in a rut.
Gran decides to move into a retirement home, leaving Jude, for the first time, to decide her own path in life. She ends up in a delightful Devon town called Clove Lore, where she can run a bookshop and its little cafe for two weeks. Of course, it wouldn't be a good romance unless a mix up has a single man unexpectedly show up to be her bookselling partner for that time.
Dunbar has a knack for creating dreamy settings that are just as romantic and endearing as her wonderful characters. Clove Lore and the little bookshop are a dream come true for starry-eyed book lovers. Jude herself was an absolute delight. The love she has for her family and her best friend, Daniel, makes her very easy to cheer for.
I would have liked to see a bit more interaction between her and Elliot before things took off for them, but overall, this is a warm, cozy, book that just makes you feel good. It's left me dreaming of escaping to a cozy bookshop by the sea myself. What a gorgeous thought.

Was this review helpful?

A lovely gentle romance set in a beautiful seaside village. I liked the characters, the donkeys and the dog! Running a bookshop, even if only for two weeks, is many a reader's dream, but throw a handsome troubled stranger into the mix and nothing runs quite as smoothly as expected. The villagers are funny, the heroine likeable and the secret that keeps them apart is eventually revealed. An enjoyable read.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this book. From the very beginning I knew I'd love it from the references of some of my favourite books. I love a book that's about other booklovers, and Jude is definitely a book lover. Its this, as well as family matters, that lead her to the bookshop holiday. I adored the setting, the characters and the story. I didn't want to put this book down and could of quite happily devoured it in one sitting if life allowed for such luxuries. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but oh my gosh I was almost in tears towards the end. This was the perfect escapism, especially in the times we are living in right now. This was also the first book from Kiley that I have read, so now I'm eager to read more.
Thank you so much to Net Galley and Hera Books for the advanced reading copy of such a fantastic book.

Was this review helpful?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, so much so I read it one day!!. This definitely a feel good read. I found myself in the seaside town feeling the wind on face as Jude dragged her suitcase up the steep hill to the Little Bookshop.

I love this book!!!

Was this review helpful?

2.5 stars
ARC provided by Kiley Dunbar, Hera Books, and Netgalley.
I'll keep the review short and crisp.

"I don’t just mean the stories inside books, I mean the books themselves and the unfathomable loveliness of holding them in your hands , poring over the handwritten inscriptions and pretty bookplates, sniffing the pages and wondering who owned them before you. If I wasn’t needed at home – and if I had endless money, as opposed to next to no money – I’d do nothing but tour the world’s bookstores and treat myself to treasured first editions and scruffy, well-thumbed, neglected paperbacks from years gone by."


Let's talk about pros first, shall we?
1. The idea. Oh, my Goodness! This. Is. Every. Reader's. Dream. Talking about my favourite book with random people and acquainting them over books, a cup of coffee, and a plate of cookies. I'd do anything right now to go on this venture, away from this tedious and gloomy year-long lockdown.
2. Eliot. Oh! He is such a kind hearted, sweet, even swoon-worthy. I really liked him for who he is.
3. The secret. Something I haven't read in a long while and sure as hell, it was heartwarming.

Now, cons:
1. Ooh, Jude! She is delusional and mostly an arrogant bitch. I couldn't care for her less. Sometimes, she would crawl into my skin and I had to put down the book for a good amount of time.
2. Spilling the ends of some books in not so subtly way. Even if the entire world has read 1984 , I haven't, and I don't want anyone else to spoil the book for me. And, there are more books talked with their spoilers in the flow, I chose to ignore a major part of the novel whenever there was a book mentioned. Whether or not, I wish to read them.
3. The initial quarter or so of the book could easily be crammed down into a few chapters, they felt like a drag to me. I was on the verge of DNFing it, if not for the theme of the novel. I was desperate to know how the shop functions but it felt only flat later.

All in all, I read it for the sake of reading of the book and enjoyed the journey. But, I can't deny the setting or the idea of borrowing a bookshop for a fortnight and running it as my own, I loved it. I think the execution could've been better and maybe, the book wasn't entirely for me.

Was this review helpful?

A lovely light read for anyone looking for a charming distraction from our present sombre world. If you are a bookworm or have ever dreamed of having your own bookshop, then this is the read for you.

Was this review helpful?

I received an advance copy of, The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday, by Kiley Dunbar. I love Kiley's book and this one is no exception. Imagine going on vacation/holiday and running a book store. That is pretty much every book lovers dream.

Was this review helpful?

This is my dream! I always wanted to run a bookshop/cafe and this book let me live vicariously, and in a dream setting to boot! When Jude’s family and relationship situation changes, seemingly overnight, she’s left floundering until she’s told her spot has come to take over a bookshop on the coast for two weeks. Having just broken up with her ex, she’s unknowingly paired with another single to co-run the shop. It’s a delightful town on a hill with a fun community and neighbors, and an adorable co-worker with a hidden past. I highly recommend for a light summer read to take you away for a break!

Was this review helpful?

This is every reader’s dream! This story is about Jude, who after finishing her degree signs up for a working vacation at a bookstore by the water. She ends up sharing this 2 week vacation with Elliot. She’s a hopeless romantic who sees the best in people, and he keeps things close to his chest. Chaos ensues, and it’s a lovely story. This book is charming and a clean romance (for those that prefer it). Definitely recommend! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Was this review helpful?

This was such an easy and sweet read. The relationship between Jude and Elliott too! Loved all the other characters who play a part on their romance too :)

Was this review helpful?

This book is total holiday goals! This would be my idea of heaven, being able to run a bookshop by the seaside in Devon.

Any read that includes bookshop in the title is a winner for me, then to find it came with a cafe AND a pooch...that was me sold!

A heartwarming, cosy, feel good romcom. Fun storyline, lovable characters, this was an enjoyable read & I'm definitely going to be reading more by this author.

Jude goes on a 2 week borrow a bookshop holiday in Devon, she was due do be going with her 'affair' but found he was cheating on her, so decides to go it alone. Unbeknown to her she finds her holiday is to be shared with handsome newcomer Elliott...what is he hiding?
Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.

𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

Was this review helpful?

What if I told you that you could rent an Airbnb that’s actually a tiny bookshop complete with a cozy cafe nook and a resident dog? How about in a historic Devonshire harbour village? for two weeks? Dreamy, right? That’s exactly where Jude Crawley and philosophy professor, Dr. Rupert Mackenzie-Aubyn, were headed on their dream vacation. That is, until she caught him kissing someone else behind the auditorium ON HER UNIVERSITY GRADUATION DAY! Jerk.

She heads off on her own with a suitcase full of books (come on, you’ve done that, right?) ready to immerse herself in literature and heal her broken heart. As she settles in for the night, she hears a key in the front door and heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. Six foot tall, broodingly handsome Elliot has also booked the bookshop holiday for two weeks! Did I tell you there’s only one bedroom? Yep, he has to lump a mattress down to the bookshop each night.

Is she prepared to make this work? Can they put their differences aside? or will she find out that her bookish holiday might have an unexpected twist in the tale?

This perfectly cozy, romantic read is a bookish delight! What’s not to love; seaside village, Devon, books, coffee? The perfect mix of mystery, intrigue, attraction, sights, books, coffee, baking and quaint village life. I loved every minute of this quick read and hope to see Jude and Elliot in another Kiley Dunbar book soon.

Publishes May 5, 2021
Thank you to Kiley Dunbar, Hera Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this advance copy. I received it for free and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I loved the idea for the storyline, but I had a terrible time getting into the book. The start was slow, was all doom and gloom. Based in England, I had a harder time (than normal) getting used to all the English terms and lingo. At 15-20% through the book and it still wasn't clear what the storyline was going to be.

Was this review helpful?

A feel good romantic novel perfect for a summer afternoon read. My first Kiley Dunbar novel but will definitely look for others. I would recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a sweet and charming read. The ending may have been a bit too simple, but all in all I had a good time with this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Was this review helpful?

Gosh what a lovely story..Jude was a great character. Very careing. She deserved to find happiness. The bookshop sounded heaven with the cafe on the side .Minty was a lovely character. I would never in a month of sundays guessed Elliot's secret. . It was great that Elliot sorted Aldous. Grief is a strange thing

Was this review helpful?

Can Clove Lore's Borrow a Bookshop be a real thing? I would love the idea to travel to British seaside town to run a bookshop for two weeks. But I am not sure how this bookshop remained in business with what seemed to be so little foot traffic. I was also confused if they sold antique books. used books, or new stock. Or was it a combination of all? I would grade this book as B/B+ due to lack of fluidity of the story telling with the way the chapters are written and a lack of character development of secondary characters. There is potential and a stronger editor could have pushed this story to A status with some rather simple suggestions. I wanted a bit more from Minty, Jowan Anjali, and Mrs. C than an occasional drop in. We were promised that volunteers from charity would be in to help but outside a quick drop of box of books from Minty, we never really saw any volunteers in the bookshop. I wanted more interaction between locals, customers and Jude/Elliot. The storyline focused on mainly on Jude and Elliot. Jude seemed to make a 180 degree personality change in less than 2 weeks. It just did not read realistic to me. Is it just me but I wanted more from Jude's grandma and her yarn bombing posse. Sequel maybe? Christmas novella?

Was this review helpful?

What a lovely story!

I loved escaping in this story with Jude on her dream holiday borrowing a bookshop which has a cafe in a beach side town in Devon. Selling books and baking for the cafe for a fortnight and getting to be a part village community sounds like a dream come true. Add a bit of romance and drama and you have the perfect mix.

Thank you NetGalley and Hera Books for this ARC which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?