Tuesday, May 14, 2019

The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay: Review & a Giveaway!

About the Book


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 Jessica and Courtney; when she also finds herself attracted to an affianced man, it only confuses the entire situation.
After blowing up her marriage two years earlier, Jessica 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, Jessica 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 Jessica 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, Courtney 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, Courtney 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.

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 isa 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!
The Brontë Plot by [Reay, Katherine]

My Summary


The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay takes readers to Eagle Valley, Illinois.  Madeline Cullen is a lawyer in Chicago on the track for partnership when her Aunt Maddie passes away and she inherits her home and beloved bookshop, The Printed Letter.  Madeline remembers spending three wonderful weeks with her Aunt Maddie and Uncle Pete nineteen years ago when they opened the bookshop.  Aunt Maddie made The Printed Letter a haven for children and adults.  She had a way of picking out the right book for each person.  While she was ill, the shop suffered and has been losing money for the last two years.  Madeline needs to get the shop profitable and then she wants to sell it in the spring.  Janet Harrison is a bitter woman who turns people away with her attitude.  But she has an amazing talent at creating unique displays for the shop.  Janet finds The Printed Letter to be a sanctuary where she can hide from her troubles.  Claire Durand feels unneeded at home with her husband busy working and her teen children on the go.  She finds her niche at The Printed Letter and a good friend in Maddie.  Neither Janet nor Claire want the bookshop to be sold.  When things do not work out as planned for Madeline at work, she finds her life on a new track.  She begins to see what draws people to The Printed Letter.  Madeline also meets Chris McCullough who is struggling with his career path as well.  Madeline finds herself drawn to Eagle Valley, Claire, Janet, The Printed Letter and especially Chris.  With the three women’s combined talents, The Printed Letter can be brought back to life.  But are their efforts too little and too late?  Join Madeline, Claire and Janet on their journey in The Printed Letter Bookshop.
 Dear Mr. Knightley: A Novel by [Reay, Katherine]

My Thoughts


The Printed Letter Bookshop is told from Claire, Janet and Madeline’s point-of-views.  Each woman is struggling and a letter from Maddie along with a book list acts as a guide.  As the story progresses, we find out what has happened to each woman, how Maddie entered their lives and how the bookshop made a difference.  The story is nicely written with mild pacing.  I was not immediately drawn into the story.   It became more interesting the further I progressed into The Printed Letter Bookshop.  The at first unlikeable characters began to grow on me, and I like seeming them come together. The ending is smile worthy.  The descriptions of Janet’s window displays and artwork were enchanting (I wish this was my local bookstore).  I enjoyed the numerous book references (bibliophiles will be thrilled) and quotes.  Aunt Maddie’s description of The Secret Garden was delightful.  There are two quotes I want to share with you.  The first is “. . . you could lose yourself in a book and, paradoxically, find yourself as well” (very true).  The second one made me laugh out loud “my hot flashes last longer than that service”.  The Printed Letter Bookshop is for those readers who love all types of books, Hallmark movies and happy endings.  

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 (schedule below) for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click here to enter.  Thank you for visiting today.  Tomorrow I am reviewing My Ex-Best Friend's Wedding by Wendy Wax.  I hope you have a sunny day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader 
Reading by the Edge of the Marsh. Dennis Perrin (American). Oil. Books and Art 

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
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2 comments:

  1. Anne RightlerMay 14, 2019 at 7:49 AM

    Sounds like my kind of book. Here’s hoping…

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  2. AnonymousMay 18, 2019 at 3:36 PM

    It sounds like Courtney is trying her best to help save the book store too. I would love to read about her. She sounds like an interesting character.
    marypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com
    Maryann

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