The Bookshop Ladies

By: Faith Hogan

Narrated by: Flora Montgomery

Bloomsbury presents The Bookshop Ladies by Faith Hogan, read by Flora Montgomery.

A captivating read, written with warmth and elegance, The Bookshop Ladies is the perfect escape!' Evie Woods, author of The Lost Bookshop

***

From bestselling Irish writer, Faith Hogan, comes another gripping saga of friendship, betrayal and secrets in this story of a widow in search of answers to a shocking confession by her dying husband.

Joy Blackwood has no idea why her French art dealer husband has left a valuable painting to a woman called Robyn Tessier in Ballycove, a small town on the west coast of Ireland, but she is determined to find out.

She arrives in Ballycove to find that Robyn runs a rather chaotic and unprofitable bookshop. She is shy, suffering from unrequited love for dashing Kian, and badly in need of advice on how to make the bookshop successful.

As Joy becomes entangled in the daily dramas of Ballycove, uncovering the secrets behind her husband's painting grows increasingly challenging. When she finally musters the courage to confront the truth, her revelation sends shockwaves through the tight-knit community she's grown to love.

©2024 Faith Hogan (P)2024 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Critic reviews

'Heartfelt and satisfying, The Bookshop Ladies is a story about unlikely relationships, second chapters, and what it means to feel truly whole, shining a warm light on the role of friends and family on the road to self-discovery.' (Barbara Davis, bestselling author of The Keeper of Happy Endings)

The storyline with family, mystery, a happy ending.

I liked everything about this book. I was engaged in the story from the first chapter.

Lovely story

I was sorry to see this book end and I had to leave Ballycove! I love stories of women finding their strength and found families. The characters are delightful and even a little flawed, which makes them even more beautiful. I could hardly step away from this story! A very uplifting read.

Engaging characters

It was a wonderful story with characters that you really care about. I wish I could spend more time among them.

A delightful book

I enjoyed this story of friendship and forgiveness. What a wonderful listen and delightful story.

Was really good!

I was surprised at how much I liked this. Having lived through similar situations, I was nervous I’d DNF but I gave it a chance after the reviews and I really enjoyed it. The give and take of forgiveness and love as well as the surprise at the end, I was hooked! Will continue to listen to this author for sure🩷

Slow start but good finish

I almost stopped listening. I was having a hard time getting into this book. The story seemed a bit disjointed and it was hard to keep track of the characters. Finally at 3/4 way through the story came together. While this wasn't a page turner, in my opinion, it turned out to be a good story.

A Book Lover’s Book

An enjoyable read - Ireland is always a fun place to visit! Secrets kept and found out and relationships intertwined- a book store at the center of it all.

Wasn't sure at first, but was a beautiful story that tucked me in.

The start was slow and I almost stopped listening, but the more I listened, the more I realized it is a beautiful story about forgiveness, friendships, and family.

Pleasingly, Low-Key Feminist Adventure

A lot of this story is quite predictable, but that really wasn't a fault for me. It was comfortable. What was interesting was following the characters as they developed greater confidence and the happiness associated with giving up old patterns and expectations. It was also a delight that the three women at the center of the story were not drawn into an adversary tangle when the plot might well have allowed that. Overall, it's a pleasingly, low-key feminist adventure that was fun to listen to while gardening or taking a long walk. Also, there's a turtle, and that's kind of awesome.

Warm Cozy and Uplifting

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. You just fall in love with the characters and the community. I absolutely loved Robin's reaction when she finds out the truth. Not some long drawn out thing. The ending didn't surprise me of who did the bad thing but I just loved being brought into the story and feeling like I know these people. Lovely. So so glad I picked it up.