Loved the characters and scene setting in this book. I definitely want to visit the Maldives now. A lovely story of two friends who had lost their way together. Jenny goes to the Maldives to run a bookshop for 3 months and Mari goes on a road trip to America. They both grow as people during the trips and rediscover their friendship and a bit of romance along the way. A great escapist read.

I enjoyed the whole concept of this storyline and it is definitely a feel good summer holiday read. I struggled at times to relate to the characters because there was so much going on in the background but come the end I was rooting for them all!

Lovely read and setting. The Maldives- bliss! Thankyou for giving me the chance to read in advance. Definitely would recommend if you’re looking for an easy yet pleasing read

Relaxing read. Bookshop life from 2 different friends based in Holiday destinations. Great to see how their lives unfold away from their everyday lives in the UK by taking a risk.

An enjoyable read. It's about friendships, finding yourself, with a little low key romance on the side.

Having enjoyed both types of holidays I easily related to the settings and was able to immerse myself in the storytelling.

My only slight negative was it didn't really take off until both girls fly off and was perhaps a little slow moving, but I'd still recommend it.

Total escapism.

For the past three years Jenny and her best friend Marianne have together run a successful bookshop in Cornwall. It's winter now and with thoughts of summer, Jenny sees an advert for someone to set up a book shop in a resort in the Maldives. She imagines herself on a tropical island with palm trees, a turquoise sea and white sandy beaches. Needing a break and being more than qualified for this three month position, she impulsively applies for an interview. Within a short time she's astonished to receive the news that she's offered the job.

About to tell Marianne her news, Marianne announces that she and her new boyfriend, Drew, will be taking a two month holiday in the US, while expecting Jenny to stay and run their shop. Explaining to Marianne that Jenny is taking a break for three months to work at an exclusive resort on a private island in the Indian Ocean results in a massive argument between the two friends.

Alternating chapters between Jenny in the Maldives, and Marianne and Drew in the US, provides escapism for the reader and hopefully blow away any remaining winter blues.

Mostly set in the Maldives, who could resist this book.

Thank you Random House UK and NetGalley for the ARC, this review is my personal unbiased opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed escaping to the Maldives with Jenn in this book. Any plot centred around a bookshop or library is always a favourite but this was so unusual and I adored the way the book flipped between the two main characters perspectives. It felt wonderful to escape to sunnier climates and I read this book in two sittings. I will definitely be looking at more from this author. Thanks netgalley

I enjoyed this feel good story - wholly predictable but great characters and an engaging plot-line.

A slow start but this novel became more entertaining once Jenny and Marianne were in the Maldives and America.

Both young women need to escape their bookshop business in Cornwall to shake up their current lifestyle. Both are made to question their friendship and think about how they live their lives. Both return from their respective adventures with a new perspective and a renewed appreciation for each other.

A delightful story.

This book I could not wait to read. It does not disappoint at all. Told between two best friends who owned a bookshop and then had a falling out and both went off for 3 months, Set in three lovely places. Books were through the whole story and food. Two nice love stories and the loss of a mother. A happy ending . A jolly good read.

A beautiful story of friendships taken for granted, learning about yourself, and growing as a person. This story was well told with the reader reading both sides of the story at the same time with really helps you see how misunderstandings happened, and helps you root for both sides. It was a relaxing read with no expletives and any intimate scenes only referred to rather than explicitly spelt out, so it makes a good read for all ages. I really enjoyed the read

This was a wonderful book, the relationship between the 2 female characters was really interesting as they were such polar opposites of each other, well thought out plot and engaging characters

A pleasant enough enjoyable easy read. Just nice. Left wanting a little bit more from this however as it just didn't blow me away.

I blitzed through this book over the weekend as I just could not get enough. Light and witty I enjoyed every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy this book, but found the way it switched between first person and third person with the different POV chapters a little odd. It distracted me from the story.
I loved the character of Jenn but found Marianne really grating, I also didn’t sense much romantic chemistry between any of the characters.
Still, a nice escape to beaches and bookshops overall.

As an avid reader owning a bookshop has always been a bit of a dream, and I love the ocean, so a bookshop by the sea? I'm in! A bookshop on a paradise island?! Well that's the real fantasy. Add a few hunky men to the equation and I'm hooked.

This book follows a dual POV of two friends who own a Cornish book shop together, both embarking on new adventures after a disagreement with each other. Jenny heads off to the Maldives on a temporary placement to get a paradise bookshop up and running, completely with gorgeous love interest, amazing surroundings, but also lots of challenges to overcome.

Marianne on the other hand is off on a road trip across the USA with her new boyfriend, learning about each other and also overcoming challenges.

This is a story that focuses on the friendship between Marianne and Jenny and their being apart, with the romantic aspects being a distant second focus - it's about growing as people and loving the people around you for who they are, accepting differences and appreciating what you have.

It's way longer than I expected it to be, and I think this could have been cut by a third and had a better impact, but that's my only criticism. Overall a fun story of friendship and growth.

This was a lovely read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Following the lives of two friends was something a little different and I was captivated by their stories. I loved the risk that Jenny took to start a bookshop in the Maldives. 3 months of bliss. I loved the twists and turns of her time there and also her friends adventures in the USA. An excellent read.

📚Review 📚 The Holiday Bookshop by Lucy Dickens

As a librarian, I’ve always had a dream about owning my own bookshop, so I’m sure that was why I was attracted to this book.

Marianne and Jenny have been friends since they were children and decide to set up their own book shop in their little home town by the sea. What starts as a beautiful adventure, begins to take its toll on their friendship a few years later. Marianne resents Jenny for making her feel guilty whenever she wants to take time off. Jenny feels fed up of constantly being left to organise everything. When a job offer comes up to set up a bookshop in the Maldives, Jenny jumps at the opportunity. The only problem is she will be away the same time as Marianne who has decided to go off with her new boyfriend and travel around America.

The story is told through alternating viewpoints and we get to experience the tranquility of the Maldives and the excitement of Las Vegas simultaneously. The descriptions of the places they visit are fantastic and it was lovely to imagine myself travelling to see both of these places.

Both girls find their are setbacks in their journeys and with each one, they realise how dependent they are on each other. They realise that even though they are complete opposites of each other, they make a dynamic team together.

This is a delightful, easy going tale that focuses on friendship and our need to grow and accept other people as they are. A perfect getaway read.

Thanks to @netgalley & @randomhouse for the digital copy of this book, which goes on sale on the 7th of June.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Holiday Bookshop.

An easy read which would be perfect for anyone travelling off on their own holidays. Two childhood friends with a shared dream but opposing personalities that complement in the business they share, but force niggles when both friends feel the need for a change. Mari travels to the USA on a spur of the moment road trip and Jenni embarks on a new career path to the Maldives.... both friends eventually appreciating that their friendship underpins their successes and dreams.
I read this and was pleasantly engrossed; no huge dramas but sufficient content and emotional pull to ensure that you read to the end.

This was a glorious book about friendship and love. Both girls stories were a joy to follow. It was true escapism. Lucy wrote the Maldives so beautiful. Evan made my tummy flutter. So well-written and joyous to the end. I loved it.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book but mainly from the point when Jenny actually arrived in the Maldives. I thought the first quarter of the book was overlong and spent far too much time setting up the back story and the characters. I was starting to get bored and I kept thinking when is this going to actually start?

However once Jenny was in the Maldives and Marianne was in the US - both stories really picked up and I thoroughly enjoyed it from that point on.

It was a pleasant read with an engaging plot-line and great characters.