The Lost and Found Bookshop audiobook

Author dedication: “For the booksellers, purveyors of dreams.”It seems that the general consensus of avid readers is that though books about bookshops and libraries are highly attractive additions to the TBR shelf, they disappoint more often than not. For that reason, I have chosen to read next to none of these before now, but I have to say this one suited me just fine. After having read some emotionally “heavy” books in recent months, this book was exactly what I was looking for. It is a solid story with several interesting threads. It is set in one of my favorite cities San Francisco. It has some historical features. There are a number of well-drawn characters to love and pull for, including the bookshop itself. There is some romance that does not overtake the rest of the story. There is a wise elderly character (I love elderly characters). Best of all there is strong sense of family (blood-related or not)—all for one and one for all. Major points too for the growth seen in the protagonist, Natalie.I read this over 3-4 days and was always happy to have a chance to pick up the book. It flows beautifully and is told in a single timeline (yay). There are a number of references to real books and authors, many of which I was not familiar with, and I had fun looking these up on Goodreads. The writing is excellent. I enjoyed looking up over a dozen or so words I did not know—I love extending my vocabulary through reading books. Even at 90 plus percent, I was not sure how everything could possibly be wrapped up, but that is done in spades. There is a very nice epilogue presented as newspaper articles, which I thought was really clever. I only wish the ending could have been extended by another chapter or two just to fill in a few more details of what happens to our characters. Overall, I found The Lost and Found Bookshop to be a winner. I highly recommend it to all readers of contemporary fiction, even those who have been “burned” by bookshop books before. Susan Wiggs is a new author for me, and I expect to read more of her books in the future.Many thanks to the Libby App and MESLA (Twin Cities Metro eLibrary) for the loan of this book.

An uplifting story for all book lovers! Susan Wiggs has written a charming story filled with family, hope, heart, and books. Always responsible Natalie is working a job she doesn’t necessarily love, but it is stable. Then tragedy strikes and Natalie finds her life suddenly anything but stable. She quits her reliable job returns home to San Francisco to take care of her grandfather, and the struggling family bookshop. When she returns home she remembers how much she loves working in the bookshop, but she is also troubled by the decline of her grandfather’s health. What follows is a sweet story of family, healing, acceptance, and love. Natalie was a likable character, but I absolutely loved her grandfather (Grandy). I also adored Dorothy a young girl who was charmed by the books and the shop. Dorothy’s father Peach (Peter) is the contractor helping to repair the bookshop. As the bookshop begins two be physically healed, so does Natalie‘s heart. There is an attraction between Peach and Natalie that develops slowly and sweetly throughout the book. Loved how the bookshop itself played a character in the story. With so many memories and secrets held both figuratively and literally within the walls. The audiobook was narrated by Emily Rankin Who did a stellar job. I really loved the charm she gave to 10-year-old Dorothy and the engaging tone given to Grandy.This book in emojis 📚 🐱 🗝 ✉️ 🌁 🧁 *** Big thank you to William Morrow and Harper Audio for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Title: The Lost and Found BookshopSeries: Bella Vista Chronicles #3Author: Susan WiggsRelease date: July 7, 2020Cliffhanger: noGenre:women's fictionWhat a wonderful treat this story was! I picked it because of the charming setting in a bookshop, but I wasn't really prepared for how that bookshop would become almost a character of the story in and of itself. This wasn't just a building filled with books, it was Natalie and her mother's home, her grandfather Andrew's, past generations before that. The long line of family members that lived there each had a separate story that melded into one unified whole. Stories of tragedy, heartbreak, hope, fortunes lost and found, and meaningful life lessons. Natalie distanced herself as an adult from the bookshop, feeling as if it would only be a source of financial insecurity as it was in her childhood. What she learned by the end was that by letting go of her need to feel safe and control her life, she found the happiness and fulfillment at home she had always been missing.Natalie knew she’d been too afraid to live her life. She had sold it to the firm for a big salary. But what she’d really sold was her own happiness.After Natalie loses her mother and the man she's dating in a plane crash, she's filled with a million emotions at once. Of course she's overcome with grief, but it's mixed with guilt, an irrational sense of responsibility for their deaths, and maybe even a little bit of resentment towards her mother. The two of them had a rocky relationship, and there were many times she felt disappointed by her, but with the suddenness of her death there was no ability to resolve the distance that had been between them. When she discovered what had happened and immediately came home to her grandfather, the reality of what her mother was taking care of all by herself hits her hard. My heart was aching for all of the pain she was going through. Her helplessness was overwhelming, and there were times she felt she would crack from the stress, but she forced herself to be strong for her grandfather. Blythe was gone, suddenly and irretrievably, like a zephyr shooting into the night sky, leaving a trail of moonlit particles that swirled in brief, unspeakable beauty, and then faded into nothing.Natalie's grandfather, Andrew Harper, was a single father who took his responsibility seriously. He was unlucky in love, but found happiness where he could in his life. When his daughter Blythe came home from college pregnant and abandoned by the father, he immediately stood by her and her granddaughter as well. He was solid, strong, and dependable, and a shoulder to lean on when they needed it. I had barely been introduced to him and I already had tears in my eyes reading the funeral from his perspective. The author does an amazing job bringing you into each character's thoughts and emotions. What really struck me as special was getting Andrew's viewpoint as he struggles with early stages of dementia. His days started to fade, and his life turned as thin as lukewarm water. He was a ghost in a world that appeared through a glass that was ash-colored and wavy.Often in books, we're only given the perspective of the family members who have to come to terms with their loved one's illness. But with Andrew, we simultaneously learn some of his life history as his memories slowly trickle away from him. We feel his confusion and devastation as his lucid moments flicker on and off. It was truly heartbreaking for everyone involved, but they vow to treasure what moments they do have left instead of mourning what they're losing. On top of taking care of her grandfather's medical issues, Natalie has the monumental task of figuring out if saving the bookshop from financial ruin is possible. The debt seems absolutely insurmountable, but her Andrew is determined to stay where his family's roots are. So she takes the first necessary step and starts some much needed repairs on the building. Peach Gallagher is the man her mother hired for the job. When he shows up one day to get started, she has a mini-breakdown in front of him and he takes it all in stride. From his very first scene, you can see that he's compassionate and caring, making me like him immediately. Not only did he not shy away from comforting her while she grieved, but he was sensitive and kind to Andrew during his times of confusion. Natalie eventually started feeling stirrings of attraction towards him because of his kindness and the ease she felt with him, however she never let it go anywhere because she believed he was married. In actuality, Peach is a single father, just like her grandfather was. He has many of the same wonderful qualities, but his divorce is still fresh enough that he isn't looking for romance. The slow burn romance is very much secondary to Natalie's personal transformation and how she comes to learn what's truly important in her life. She used to think that having a retirement fund, a stable job, and a nice apartment would give her everything she's ever wanted. Yet she was unhappy with her romantic relationships, her co-workers hated her, and her job bored her to tears. Running the bookshop again allowed her to step in her mother's shoes and see the joy she was able to bring to people's lives through books. She remembered the wisdom her mom imparted on her growing up, and it gave her comfort and strength. I was addicted to this book while reading it, and found it very hard to put down. There were so many different layers to it that were beautifully presented. The writing was exquisite, emotional, and I know for sure that this story will stay with me for a long time. If I had one constructive criticism it would be that Peach and Natalie's eventual romance is rushed at the end, moving from friends, to a declaration of feelings, to an engagement almost instantly. However, it honestly didn't bother me and the story was so special that I couldn't contemplate giving less than five stars. I loved getting the family history piece by piece through antiques and other surprising items found during renovation. Secrets were unearthed, and emotional wounds were healed along the way. This is my first read by Susan Wiggs, but I plan to read many more of her books in the future. I can't recommend this one enough to anyone looking for an emotional, thought-provoking read. FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON:

The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs. William Morrow. Advance Reader’s E-Proof courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers. First Edition. ISBN 978-0-06-291409-5. General Fiction (Adult). Women’s Fiction. Publication date: 07 Jul 2020. 5 Stars.If you get the warm fuzzies when reading about old bookstores in historical buildings, you will enjoy this story of loss, love and second chances.Though all the characters were well developed, I had an especial fondness for Grandy: impeccable, a pure-hearted elderly gentleman with a kindly voice whose story is actually clarified by the onset of dementia, a place where time begins to collapse into the memories of his (few) unresolved questions and where he occasionally still basks in the presence of his most profound (but deceased) loves. You may find yourself nodding along with understanding and compassion when he shares his heartfelt wisdom.It’s this thread of love and devotion that sustains the novel and keeps it from becoming an unending tale of hardship amidst the rich local color of San Francisco.Behind the easy-going tone of this polished story, you'll find the riches of a seasoned observer in a book that shows the possibility of navigating through a challenging time with consciousness, understanding and an open-heart.Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing a digital copy of this book for review.

Finding yourself through your past.

After a devastating accident, Natalie Harper is faced with the proposition of maintaining her mother’s bookshop and caring for her grandfather Andrew, who is showing signs of dementia. How can Natalie fulfill her obligations in these two areas while living and working at Pinnacle Wines in Archangel? Selling the bookshop and putting her grandfather into a care facility seem the only way to go. But her grandfather absolutely refuses to move from his home. Before she can even think about convincing her grandfather to move and selling the bookshop, some basic repairs need to be undertaken on the property. For this Natalie employs Peter (known as Peach) Gallagher. His young daughter Dorothy is an avid reader and regular at the bookshop. While working on repairs, Peach uncovers some interesting finds in the old bookshop. What difference, if any, will they make to Natalie’s plans? And what about the charismatic author Trevor Dashwood? What role will he play in events?I enjoyed this book. I liked Natalie and her Grandy and also Peach, though admit it took me a while to come to terms with the nickname. Not sure how many men would feel comfortable with that nickname. However in lots of ways he is a peach, as he is an endearing character. I liked the references to various books and appreciated the bookshop setting. Did wonder whether people would be as altruistic as Andrew was on occasion. Felt for him facing the dementia as well as the death of his daughter Blythe. Also for Natalie with the death of her mother. Her emotions definitely struck chords in me in regards to the death of my own mother years ago.The ending is neat and also a bit rushed given all that had gone before. But having lived though all of the experiences with these characters, I was happy enough to accept it. Entertaining and emotionally engaging, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to anyone who likes stories that focus on family relationships as well as those with an obvious love for books. A pleasant place to spend a few hours.

Who wouldn’t want to own a bookshop? That is a dream job.Natalie, Blythe’s mother, did follow her dream, but at times her dream was at the expense of her daughter.A tragedy left Natalie with her mother gone, her beloved grandfather to care for, and a bookshop that her mother left deep in debt.Since Natalie grew up with books, she wanted to try something else in her life instead of her successful, tedious job and took over the bookshop that had been in the family for three generations.Natalie knew the ancient bookshop is where she should be, and she found more than books in this bookshop.THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP has the reader following Natalie with her decisions about the bookshop and her life.You’ll fall in love with the bookshop and all the characters.Who doesn’t love a book that has a bookshop in it?THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP is a sweet read focusing on family, life choices, and choosing what makes you happy.If you need a feel good read, be sure to add this book to your must-read list for the summer.THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP has it all: love, books, and anything sweet and heartwarming that you can think of.ENJOY when you read it. 5/5This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

(free review copy) Oh, how I loved this whimsical bookshop story! It's hands-down my favorite Susan Wiggs story yet and JUST what I needed to read right now. A mix of family history/mystery, San Francisco history, so much bookstore goodness and some grief and romance thrown in there. I just inhaled the story and highly recommend it to anyone who likes books about books. Just a really perfect read for book lovers :-)

I devoured this book. I lived between the pages of it and oh how I wish that I really could own a book store and live in it everyday. This was such a treat for me to read (live in). the writing is truly a work of art and this is not a book to be missed. 5 stars two times, I HIGHLY recommend this book.