3,5 stars rounded up.

Jo Sorsby knows she is hiding from her past when she steps in to look after her uncle's stationers shop. Glimpsing the lives of her customers between the warm wooden shelves, as they scrabble notes with fountain pens and browse colourful notebooks, distracts her from the life she left behind. Yet far from home, Jo feels adrift, when she meets Ruth, a vicar running away from a secret, and Malcolm, a septuagenarian struggling to write his first book, she realises she isn't alone.

Jo is still reeling from her breakup with James when she helps her Uncle Wilbur out at his stationery shop. Wilbur is struggling with his his health. As Wilbur has moved in with her mother, Jo moves into Wilbur's flat. It's a chance to figure out what to do with her life. The characters are well developed and likable. Jo makes new friends with Ruth and Malcolm. After a little while, Jo begins to like her new life and was growing more confident in herself. This was a delightful book to read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #SallyPage for my ARC of #TheBookOfBeginnings in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve bought a Fountain Pen!
So maybe this book will change your life!
Maybe, maybe not but whether it does or doesn’t this book is cosy and comforting and full of warmth, friendship and love. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely story of friendship, past, the lives of strangers, secrets and so much more. This is a book that is easy to read and gets right to your heart.

The characters Jo and Ruth are wonderful and people that you can relate to and understand their stories. It is a beautiful and emotional read which made me smile but also made me reflective. It was a bit slow to start but it didn't take long to get into it and from there it just flowed and before I knew it I was finished.

A book I thoroughly enjoyed. 4 1/2 stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

It took a little while for this book to get going, as the first few chapters focused mainly on the main character’s unhappiness and self-recrimination, and I found them a bit slow. However, I’m very glad I persisted because once the secondary characters became more integral to the story, I found myself utterly charmed.
This book is a celebration of friendship, kindness, and community. It’s like a warm, gentle hug, and it’s a delight to read. It’s a gentle story about the main character coming to understand herself better, and about people changing their self-view, overcoming shame and learning to stop beating themselves up to find joy in the moment. It was quite thought-provoking at times. By the time the film It’s a Wonderful Life was referenced I’d already thought that there was a magic in the story which wasn’t dissimilar to that lovely, life-affirming and uplifting tale.
I hope I haven’t made this book sound too worthy and navel-gazing because it isn’t - it’s touching and entertaining, and I’m glad I read it. I’ll definitely look out for books by this author in the future.

Having split up with her boyfriend, who she worked with, Jo has left her job to take on her Uncle Wilbur's stationery shop while he recovers. Growing up as Average-Jo with two more remarkable brothers she has a special relationship with her Uncle who always treated her as his favourite, spending time with her in the shop and giving her bits of damaged stock to play with. Here Jo meets some special friends, Ruth the Runaway Vicar, Malcolm an octogenarian who never felt he lived up to the example set by his brave Mother - a Spitfire Girl in the war - and Eric the Viking, the optician from the shop next door.

I really liked the characters, I would love to meet Ruth, Malcom and Eric the Viking in real life. The chapter about wild swimming has really made me want to go.

I was about 20% of the way through the story before I started getting into it. It probably took me as long to read the first 20% as it did to read the remaining 80%. I thought it was just me, but I've seen a few reviews saying the same thing.

The story was mainly told through the point of view of Jo. I would have quite liked to get some other points of view or flashbacks to the back-story of Jo and James. It felt like Lucy was being really petty in not replying to Jo's messages and then when they had an arguement it came out about how Jo dropped her friends in favour of spending time with James and his mates.

Ultimately a lovely story about friendships, loss and love. I would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book on a lazy Sunday morning and only intended to read a few chapters before doing some chores.......suffice to say the jobs didn't get done and I was glued to the book and read it in one big self indulgent gulp. It is so beautifully written , with so much to say about the importance of family and friendship and I found the characters likeable and empathetic. The way the author describes best friendship as the greatest love affair any of us will ever experience was so touching and so true. Sally Page had already proved to be an expert and nuanced storyteller with The Keeper of Stories and this new book has now earned her a 'one of my favourite authors' tag. Treat yourself to this book - I will be buying it for friends that I care about because I know they will love it as much as I do.

Jo takes over her uncles stationery shop whilst he is in hospital. Books and fountain pens galore made me want to go and visit the bookshop fpr myself!
She meets lots of different people who come into the shop and each has a story to tell some are cheerful and others of a sad nature. New friendships are made but what will the future look.like for the friendships and characters?
A nice read

This is a lovely, heartwarming story with appealing characters and an interesting setting. I loved picturing the stationery shop. Sally Page describes it so beautifully, I really wanted to go there and try out the fountain pens! It’s an original setting for a novel, rather like a sweet shop for older readers.

Jo is easy to relate to and I was keen for everything to work out for her. I loved reading about the different characters and the friends she makes in London. Ruth the runaway vicar is a wonderful character. Some of her dialogue made me laugh out loud.

Jo is unhappy about how she has treated her best friend Lucy, while absorbed in a relationship with the dreadful James, and it’s satisfying to see how she goes about putting it right. There’s so much to enjoy in this lovely novel.

Jo is left reeling after her boyfriend dumped her and she’s left wondering what to do with her life. Until she decides she runs her uncle’s stationery shop while he is convalescing.
This book shows you that you can make new friends at any time and where you least expect to. Also, that not all friends are for life, but are there when you need them to be.
I’ve given 4* because for me it was a slow start, however, I soon fell into sync with it and throughly enjoyed it.

When she was a child, Jo spent many happy hours in her Uncle Wibur’s stationery shop in London.. She cherished the time spent with him and loved the notebooks and bits and bobs that he gave her. When her dear Uncle is taken into hospital, seriously ill, she heads off from her Yorkshire home to take charge of his shop, hoping that as well as being useful and helpful, it may give her chance to recover from being dumped by the long-time love of her life. Feeling extremely alone, particularly as none of her old friends approved of her ex and have somewhat kept their distance since, she sets too cleaning, tidying and re-stocking the shop. Situated at the side of an alley that houses a tattoo parlour and an optician, she frequently sees the owners passing by and occasionally popping in to see her. She is rather taken with Eric but it soon appears that he is involved with one of his clients - such a pity.

She very quickly gains two regular customers Ruth and Malcolm, and recognises Ruth from a photograph and article in a newspaper that she read. It turns out that she is a runaway vicar! By contrast Malcolm gives the impression of being a bit of a recluse, thought with eccentric tastes in clothing. Both customers love good quality paper and fountain pens and the three of them soon form am unusual friendship. Ruth and Jo learn that Malcolm, who buys endless notebooks, is researching the lives of many famous people who are buried in Highgate Cemetery, with a view to writing a book. Where will their lives lead and will Jo ever find the happiness and family that she craves?

A beautifully written novel from start to finish.

I saved this for a holiday read and it was just perfect. I enjoyed it immensely.
I was there in every setting with the characters who felt real and I wanted the best for them. I also want to go and buy stationery and fountain pens from the shop.
I've now bought the author's first book and I'm very much looking forward to reading it. Surely there cant be a better recommendation than wanting more from an author?

Jo is running away from a broken relationship when she takes over a family stationery shop whilst her uncle is in hospital.
Everyone she meets has a story to tell, some sad some happy. Deep friendships will be formed but what does the future hold for them all.
I loved this book - it made me laugh and cry. Beautifully written.

The concept of this book is wholesome but I found it to be overly descriptive and lacking enough speech for my liking. I didn't feel any investment or reason to read this book and I felt no connection to the story. This feels more aimed at older readers and I can see why others may like this but it just wasn't for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Keeper of Stories, so jumped at the chance to read Sally Page's new book. It's a story of friendship. Joanne Sorsby is recovering from a broken heart and goes to live in her Uncle's 'Hardware and Stationery' shop in London, when he has to go into a nursing home.
There's lots of lovely, tender bits in this so I don't want to be negative but by the end I did feel the 'cheesy' element was a bit overpowering. It does leave you with a real 'feelgood' factor and I can see this as another of those hit Christmas films a la Richard Curtis or 'Last Christmas'. The making and recovering and sustaining of friendships is its main aim and it succeeds in this. Perhaps I'm just too cynical and there's no hope for me! (I would REALLY like to see that film though!)

This is the first book I have read by this author and it certainly won't be the last.
The Book of Beginnings is a heart-warming tale of friendship and new beginnings. It is a well researched and well written story with a lovely cast of characters.
If you like feel good books then this one is for you.

The Book of Beginnings centres around Jo Sorsby who takes over rubbing her Uncle’s stationery shop in London. This book explores the friendships she forms with the customers in the shop as well as other relationships in her life including her family and romantic relationships.

I adored the characters in this book and found them to be extremely relatable but also very endearing. The relationships between characters were realistic and there were some incredibly poignant moments throughout the story. This book is set in the Winter leading up to Christmas so had a very cozy atmosphere which I really enjoyed.

There is a romance subplot however I felt it wasn’t developed enough and I didn’t feel the connection between Jo and Eric. In general I felt that this book had some minor pacing issues and parts of story were slightly slow.

Overall this was a sweet, wholesome read about the power of friendship which would be perfect to snuggle up with on a cold Winter’s night!

It was a combination of the cover design, book title and description, that caught my attention.

I thought this was a beautifully written book. I quickly felt a connection with the protagonist, Jo, and found that I was able to identify with her in some ways.

The writing had a kind of simplicity that I appreciated - the story was heartfelt and comforting, without anything being overdone, too sugar-coated or sentimental.

I would also say that while I was reading this, it spoke to me, and I wonder if other readers would understand what I mean, when I say that. I feel somehow as though I was meant to read this and take something away from it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review,

I found this a slow burner, but the relationships as they developed really absorbed me. It was a lovely development of characters and the stories behind the mystery of them as they are introduced. It is not a page turner but it is intriguing and holds your interest, wanting to know what has happened to each of the people.

I was not too sure about this book when I started it. It was fairly slow paced and Jo was not really in a good place. However the story, once Jo started to make connections with people in the shop and the area of London really started to reel me in and it became a real page turner. This is not a page turner in the way of an action packed plot, because the pace remains fairly gentle throughout, but is about love and friendship. The characters are well portrayed and their decisions, behaviour and connections explored in a realistic way.
I also liked the "ghosts" in Highgate cemetery. They add an extra aspect to the book which is shared in the friendship between Malcolm, Ruth and Jo. Lots of wise words about the permanence (or not ) of friendships at different times in our lives. I could relate to this personally.
Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this great book

I loved reading this book so much! It is like a hug in novel form. I would highly recommend it for anyone who is feeling a bit despondent or needs a bit of a lift in their life.

The main character, Jo, has moved to London in order to run her uncle's stationery shop while he is in a care home, unfortunately suffering from dementia. It seems like good timing for Jo to move, as she's just broken up with a long-term boyfriend and is now coming to terms with the fact that the relationship wasn't what she thought it was.

Jo is a lovely character. She is so honest and vulnerable, and her descriptions of her disappointments in life really touch a nerve. She'd wanted to have kids with her ex partner, James. But the more she thinks about their relationship, and the more she hears from friends old and new, she comes to realise that he never had her best interests at heart. There are several examples of the way he had undermined her or belittled her, and such instances can seem small but together they paint a picture of a pretty horrible man. It's very painful to read but also empowering to see her developing into someone who wouldn't let anyone treat her so badly again.

This is also a book about friendship. Jo is upset because her best friend, Lucy, is somewhat estranged from her and she misses their closeness. Jo is partly responsible, having been swept away by the idea of being in a popular crowd with James and neglected Lucy. Over the course of the book she finds a way of repairing her friendship.

She also makes some great new friends through the stationery shop, people who on first sight might not seem likely friends but this is part of what makes it so great. As she rebuilds a new life for herself, Jo puts her own mark on the shop, and starts to learn more about who she really is rather than who she thinks others want her to be. Her developing attraction to Eric the optician, and the ups and downs of their relationship, is really well written and beautiful.

This is a book I can definitely see myself reading more than once and buying as a great present for others. The writing is beautiful and there's no sentimentality about it at all. And I love the fact that, in the end, Jo finds what she really wants.