Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Review + Tour GIVEAWAY: The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay



About the Book

Book: The Printed Letter Bookshop  
Author: Katherine Reay  
Genre: Women’s fiction, romance
Release Date: May 14, 2019  

Amid literature and lattes, three women come together and find that sharing one’s journey with best friends makes life richer.

When attorney Madeline Carter inherits her aunt’s bookstore in a small town north of Chicago, she plans to sell it and add the proceeds to her nonexistent “investment portfolio.” But plans change when Madeline discovers the store isn’t making money and she gets passed over for promotion at her firm. She quits in protest, takes the train north, and decides to work at the store to prep it for sale. Madeline soon finds herself at odds with employees Janet and Claire; when she also finds herself attracted to an affianced man, it only confuses the entire situation. 

After blowing up her marriage two years earlier, Janet has found solace working at the bookstore and a kindred spirit within its owner, Maddie Cullen. But when Maddie dies and her niece, Madeline, barges in like a bulldozer, Janet pushes at the new owner in every way-until she trips over common ground. Soon the women are delving into online dating and fashion makeovers, and Janet feels the pull to rediscover her art, a love she thought long behind her. 

After a night of bad decisions leaves the store in peril, Claire arrives and tries to save the day. While she, too, found sanctuary in the little bookstore, she knows it’s under-insured, in the red, and will never survive. When she discovers her teenage daughter has played a part in vandalizing the store, Claire taps into strength she didn’t know existed-or had long forgotten. The quietest of the three, she steps up and finds a way to save her family, the store, and the precious friendships that have grown within it. 

The Printed Letter Bookshop is the story of friends who find each other-and themselves-in a place none of them ever expected.

Click here to purchase your copy.


My Thoughts


I loved The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay so much! A book to be treasured and slowly savored. A story that lingers in my thoughts long after the last page is turned. An all-time favorite for sure. It’s a thoroughly entertaining and atmospheric read centered around a bookstore and … well, books! But there’s a hidden depth and complexity as layer after layer is slowly pulled back.

The Printed Letter Bookshop is a character-driven story, an intriguing blend of literary, contemporary, and women’s fiction - with a touch of romance. It focuses on Madeline, Janet and Claire – three women at different stages in their lives, each with unique talents that they bring to the bookshop, and dealing with various life issues. And although the story opens with Aunt Maddie’s funeral, her role is pivotal throughout the book.

All who share a love for books will instantly identify with Maddie’s bookshop and will probably recognize the many books alluded to in the story. I loved how “printed letters” refers to actual letters of appreciation received by Maddie, used to form a decorative wall border in her bookstore. And then there’s the words of Aunt Maddie, remembered by Madeline, that “you could lose yourself in a book and, paradoxically, find yourself as well.”

But setting books aside for a moment, this is an uplifting and heartwarming story about an unlikely friendship and strong bond that slowly grows between Madeline, Janet and Claire. It’s a story of forgiveness, grace and healing, with a gentle spiritual thread carefully and beautifully woven throughout. It brought me to tears at times. The Printed Letter Bookshop is a literary gem and I long for many more books by the talented Katherine Reay.

Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.



About the Author

Katherine Reay is the national bestselling and award-winning author of Dear Mr. Knightley, Lizzy and Jane, The Brontë Plot, A Portrait of Emily Price, The Austen Escape, and The Printed Letter Bookshop. All Katherine’s novels are contemporary stories with a bit of classical flair. 

Katherine holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and is a wife, mother, former marketer, and avid chocolate consumer. After living all across the country and a few stops in Europe, Katherine now happily resides outside Chicago, IL. 

You can meet her at www.katherinereay.com; Facebook: KatherineReayBooks; Twitter: @katherine_reay; or Instagram: @katherinereay.


More from Katherine

Don’t you love bookshops? 

Every time I walk into a bookstore, it feels like a rainbow cracked open and rained a kaleidoscope of light, life and possibilities before me. I find worlds within the world and a call to adventure. 

Each bookshop tells a different story. It tells of its loyal beloved customer base. It reflects the personality of its owner and staff. It carries the aura of the stories it offers to us. 

And it was the perfect place to dig into lives, hearts and book loves of Janet, Claire and Madeline. These three women, at different stages in life, meet at the Printed Letter Bookshop, with all the romance and wonder it holds, and learn to work through their challenges together. They become the friends that each didn’t know she was missing. 

There is also a fourth woman I loved spending time with in the Printed Letter Bookshop — its original owner, Maddie Carter. Maddie doesn’t step onto the stage even once, but her presence, her love and her guiding hand are apparent from page one as Janet, Claire, and Madeline grow in friendship and in faith. 

The Printed Letter Bookshop is a love letter to books, a testament to the beauty of new beginnings and a sweet reminder of the power of friendship. I hope you savor your time with these three women — And, book lovers rejoice, there is a list of all the books they allude to in the back of the book!


Giveaway




To celebrate her tour, Katherine is giving away a paperback copy of The Printed Letter Bookshop to one lucky winner!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the image above or the link below to enter.



Blog Stops


Bigreadersite, May 16
By The Book, May 16
Emily Yager, May 18
Simple Harvest Reads, May 26 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)
amandainpa, May 27

7 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for the chance to win your book. I love th cover and it looks so good!
    faithdcreech at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks so much for the chance to win your book. I love th cover and it looks so good!
    faithdcreech at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have read all of Katherine Reay's stories before The Printed Letter. Please add me to the draw!! Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you so much sounds like a great book!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I enjoy Katherine's books! I'm excited to read this one.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Katherine is a new author to me and this sounds like a great book
    marypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com
    Maryann

    ReplyDelete