As a lover of books and bookstores, I really enjoyed this book. It's a fun and interesting look at what happens when you get left behind as your loved ones grow in new directions. I really enjoyed the setting in the picturesque village bookshop. The premise and characters were interesting. I"d love to see another book set in the village. Aldous was an absolute joy. Four paws up!!


Thank you to Hera Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Delightful romantic tale fife book lovers! A woman takes a break from her life that is falling apart to spend a two week holiday running a bookshop in a resort town. Life can change in two weeks. Filled with quirky characters and charm!

Imagine you’re given the chance to run your own bookshop for a fortnight. Then imagine said bookshop comes with a little cafe where you can (must) bake delicious treats. Then imagine you have to run them both along a dreamy hunk. Books, baking and a hot guy. Is that the perfect job or what? Certainly it is in my book! With such a premise I knew I had to read it and it did not let down.

The setting was absolutely gorgeous. I could feel myself walking around Clove Lore and, after learning it was loosely based on a real village I’ve added it to my bucket list of places to visit once life goes back to normal.

At the beginning Jude was a bit naive so it was hard to believe she was almost 30. She has led a very sheltered life so all the sudden changes in her life will force her to wake up. I loved her relationship with her best friend Daniel and Gran was another great character I would have like to see more of.

Elliot sounded like a dream so I can perfectly understand Jude falling for him so quickly, but he did something I usually hate in books, the “no, I can’t tell you my secret because you wouldn’t understand” thing. Try me! I thought it was gonna be endless pages of “tell me your secret” - “no, I can’t tell you my secret”, but second half took an interesting detour and when finally all was revealed I was glad I could not foresee that at all.

Can we talk about Aldous for a minute? OMG! What is it with me and dogs in books that I always fall in love with them?! When Jude learnt about the dog’s story I swear some tears fell down my face.

All the people in Clove Lore were charming and I was glad to find some LGBTQIA+ representation. Their story was so sweet too!

A super cute read that will make all of us bookworms wish to be in Jude’s shoes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The title was the first that draw me to this book. Borrow a bookshop? Sign me up. I have a soft spot for books about books and went into this with a lot of excitement, and I was not disappointed. We first get to meet our main character in a low point in her life. The relationship she was in went out the window when she sees her boyfriend kissing another girl. I really felt for her and could relate a lot to her experience. Not maybe the catching your boyfriend kissing someone else but her feeling when she can see the relationship in another light. Thus, I really liked that part. And when you get to the bookshop part, I am even more hooked. The book was however pretty heavy on the romance part during the borrowing of the bookshop. I did really enjoy the romance, but since the book is pretty short (around 230 pages) it took over the book a lot. I would have wanted to either make the romance part a bit smaller or the book longer to see more of the bookshop part. Preferably longer. And preferably 200 pages longer, would have loved staying in the bookshop fantasy a lot more.

Overall a super cosy book that I just wanted to cosy up with a cup of tea and just read. I had a super hard time putting the book down and really enjoyed myself.

A cozy and romantic story set around a bookshop. From the very first page, it completely had my heart! Jude and Elliot have such perfect chemistry, and I love both of their character developments throughout the story a lot. Elliot seemed a bit shady at first, but I really liked how his personal story ended. And oh my god, how cute does Devonshire sound? I want to go there on a holiday so badly and just spend my time reading down by the harbor!

<b> Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC, in return for a honest review.</b>

I loved the title and the concept of this book and was excited to give it a go. It wasn’t a terrible read but wasn’t really very exciting either. A decent read

Borrow-A-Bookshop invites you to live out your dreams of running your very own bookshop in a historic Devonshire harbor village for a fortnight.
Spend your days talking about books with customers in your own charming bookshop and serving up delicious cream teas in the cost café nook. Get to know our wonderful volunteers (all locals), always ready to ofjfer a helping hand.
After shutting up the shop, climb the spiral staircase to your two-bed apartment and settle down to admire the Atlantic views. When your holiday's over, simply hand the keys to the next holidaymaker-bookseller.

I NEARLY SCREAMED WHEN I READ THIS PROLOGUE!!!

Okay, so I adore reading books about bookstores though I've just read two (Paper Moon and The Bookish Life of Nina Hill), but I never saw THIS coming. Kiley Dunbar had me sold with this concept in the prologue alone. And to know that such a bookstore actually exists in Scotland (Open Book) had me all giddy. Finished reading it in a single day.

The book begins with Jude's graduation and her catching her boyfriend-cum-professor Mack cheating on her. While she's crying it all out with her platonic flame Daniel (who despite having few scenes in the book is an instant-favorite), Mack calls her to inform her that their booking at Borrow-A-Bookshop had finally arrived on the top (Mack's nerve in this scene!). So Jude just spits out the fire on Mack and decides to run the bookshop alone. This is important to her because before she got her degree she'd never had the chance, nor the want, to live her life. She had always been busy with studies, her parents' bakery and taking care of her grandma. She had been looking forward to spending her free time with Mack, which is why this bookshop holiday was her big-time-self-discovery break.

But when she arrives at the bookshop, she learns that she has to share her fortnight with Elliott who had applied for a solo booking but since Mack had cancelled, the bookshop people moved him up the list to run the bookshop with Jude. They had confirmed this on a phone call with Mack who couldn't have cared less. Anyway, two people running a cute bookstore in a cosy village? we know where this trope goes!

The first half of the book was so, so dreamy when Jude arrives at the bookstore and we just envy her so much! what would I NOT give to have this holiday?! and then, Elliott arrives and things don't take much long for them to hit it off, though the pace is just perfect for a bookstore romance aaaaaaahhhhhh GOALS. The cosy setting, candle-light dinner and John Donne references were my favorite parts. Things get a bit boring when one of them screws up but the book picks up its pace soon.

One may not find it THAT good a romance because I think Dunbar could've used the bookstore setting a bit more in terms of romance. The book's setting is really what gives it the charm. I cannot stop thinking about how picturesque the bookstore is in my mind even now. I cannot wait to experience this on my own even though the chances of finding an Elliott are very scarce.

Definitely pick this one up if you dream of bumping into your partner in a bookstore. This is THE bookstore fantasy that's gonna stay with you forever. Thank you so much Netgalley for this beauty.♥️

I loved the title, the setting and concept and even the cover, but in the end this wasn't for me. The story depends heavily on a romance trope I heartily dislike - the strong, silent man with a deep, dark secret that means he cannot commit to a relationship, but which doesn't stop him from starting one anyway. And in the end, the secret just didn't work for me either. It came out of left field and just wasn't convincing.

A beautifully comforting read pure escapism and pleasure!
An idyllic Cornish village,a quirky borrowable bookshop, baking, a handsome man and a lovely dog! What more could you want?
Jude’s life has changed beyond all recognition, her secret boyfriend has cheated on her, her parents have sold the family bakery and home and her beloved nan who she used to care for has checked herself into a retirement village! Jude’s dream holiday that she booked with her ex is now looking decidedly dodgy,running a bookshop for two weeks alone is a whole new proposition! Armed with her big girls pants and a whole lot of encouragement from her neighbour Jude decides to brave it alone! After arriving in clove lore Devon and getting settled in Jude is surprised to find she is not alone, Elliot will be joining her for the two week stay, a brooding handsome man who seems to be running away from someone/ something!
After a shaky start Jude and Elliot start to work well together, and their relationship develops but all is not plain sailing as secrets from the past are unearthed, but will the borrow a bookshop shop and cafe be able to work its magic on this couple?
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

Sadly I couldn't finish this book. Even though the premise is something I'm usually attracted to, I didn't really like Jude and I couldn't really relate to any of the other characters either

Reading this book was like a big warm hug.
Jude has just finished her degree course. She looks after her gran whilst also enjoys a relationship, albeit behind closed doors, with a university professor Mack.
On graduation day Jude sees Mack in a clinch with another woman.

Whilst they were together Jude and Mack had applied for the 2 week ' hire a bookshop' holiday, Judes absolute idea of heaven. When the holiday is confirmed, Jude decides to go alone. As she settles in, it appears that somebody else will also be sharing her holiday as Elliot, tall, dark and handsome also turns up.to share the holiday.
At first Jude feels very unsettled, her peace has been broken. Elliot seems to be carrying secrets around with him whilst Jude begins to feel something for him.

A really lovely book encompassing a dream bookshop and the potential for flourishing love.
Highly recommend.

What I was hoping for: The premise sounded fun although I am actually interested in how this concept of borrowing a bookstore can make any profit.

Things I did not like: Unfortunately, I did not connect with the protagonists at all and after only a few chapters, I came to loath her. To me, the fact that she always did everything for other people and never for herself was depicted in a way that made her sound like a self-proclaimed martyr. Instead of having the first-person narrator always say that she never thinks of herself and only of other people (which sound very conceited), why not have her family tell her so at her graduation, for example? And this fact (how she always sacrifices everything for other people) was picked up on every other page, it was not even a little bit subtle. And she was really, extremely naive and seemed to be patched up of book references and not a whole character herself.

Conclusion: Sadly, I could not finish this book because I began to hate the female main character.

Overall this was a cute book. It took me sometime to get through the first part of this book as I just couldn't relate and it felt like it dragged. Once Jude gets to the bookshop then the book really picks up and is more enjoyable to read. I liked how Jude finally comes into her own while at the bookshop. I thought it was an interesting twist with Elliot and his past. I didn't see that coming though once it was pointed out I'm not sure why I didn't. This book is cute, quirky and fun to get to know the residents of Clove Lore. I am leaving this review voluntarily after being sent a free book.

To be honest I lost interest to finish it because of Jude. So nope. I can't go through with the behavior of Jude. Abandoning it! I loved the premises though as well as the book cover.

Thank you NetGalley and Hera Books for this ARC!

I absolutely loved the setting of this book and the concept was so unique! It made me jealous that there isn’t anything like that near me! The secrets that Elliott is hiding definitely kept me interested throughout the book. Overall, it was a very cute story about growth, love, and finding your purpose.

Truthfully I didn’t LOVE the book, but I did like it and enjoyed reading it. I would recommend it to my friends and family!

Jude has just graduated with an English degree when her whole world changes. She discovers her boyfriend kissing another girl, her grandmother that she cares for has decided to go into sheltered housing and her parents have decided to sell their home and business and retire. When Jude gets the call to say her dream holiday, running a bookshop with her boyfriend, has come up she decides to head off alone. But Mack has sold his place to someone else and Jude ends up running the bookshop and cafe with Elliott, a complete stranger!
I loved this book. The idea of running a bookshop for 2 weeks in a small coastal town is adorable. Along the way Jude and Elliott meet some lovely characters, including a quirky dog. The holiday does not run completely without a hitch but it all comes good in the end.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved the premise of this book, but was underwhelmed with its execution. Parts of the book dragged on and I couldn't quite connect to the main characters. The setting was completely charming though!

A lovely story with a twist. Who would not want a holiday in such a lovely location and who does not dream of running a book shop or cafe. A great book for curling up with and losing yourself in a whole new world.

There are humorous moments, loving moments and worrying moments but put together they make a delightful seaside tale of love and values.

Dunbar never disappoints. I really enjoyed this charming rom-com. The author had me at bookshop and didn't disappoint. The characters were well drawn and compelling. Perfect for a long rainy afternoon.

This should be on every booklover list!
Though the urge of wanting to visit this particular bookshop might be irresistible, reading the description about the bookshop would leave you fantasizing.

As a book lover, Imagine falling in love in a charming bookshop with a charming partner!
Love amidst books!
Imagine books connecting and bringing people together!

That is it!
But your imagination won't do proper justice to it, you should check it out.