Captivating from the gorgeous cover to the intriguing characters to the mesmerizing plot, I had a hard time putting this book down! The author does a great job of writing a story that draws you in with its complexity and depth and I connected with Hope’s struggles and tender heart early on in the story. I loved the twists and turns in the novel and thought the suspense was fantastic! The quaint small town is a perfect setting and of course I loved everything about the old bookstore. The strong elements of faith are well woven and bring hope to the story. I really enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Tours. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. ( )

The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer is a 2022 Love Inspired Trade publication.

Bookshops and secrets- who can pass that up?

The Dusty Jackets bookshop in Wanishin Falls holds the key to Hope’s heritage. She was sent there to pick up some rare books that her mother had bequeathed her, but upon her arrival she discovers the books are not readily available. The owner has dementia and can’t remember where they were placed, and the bookshop is packed to the brim with old books. Hope is talked into sticking around for a couple of months to help the older couple while she searches for her books, but she is very edgy about the prospect of staying in one place for too long.

Hope is just now getting her life back together. She’s an orphan who got lured in by the wrong person and her life became a living nightmare for a while. Now free, she’s hoping to open a literary themed mobile food cafe, but she can’t do that until she’s found her mother’s books. In the meantime, she meets the bookshop owner’s son, Ronan, and despite Hope’s skittishness around men, the two forge a friendship. But everyone has secrets, especially Hope- and to top it off - there are also rumors of a treasure, and the possibility that Hope’s inheritance might hold valuable clues- which has someone awfully interested in the Dusty Jackets bookshop and Hope’s books…

This book is the full package deal. There’s a dusty bookshop that made me long for the days when I used to prowl through old- off the beaten path- bookshops looking for my own hidden book treasures. There is a mystery, some suspense, a little action and adventure, a sweet romance, and some lovely and important Christian messages that tackle issues we have all pondered on at some point in our lives.

In some places the story gets a little emotional, but in a good way, and I loved watching Hope come out of her shell and start taking tentative steps towards trust and healing.

Overall, I really liked this story. I’m very impressed with this debut author and will be on the lookout for her next book!! ( )

As a book lover, I looked forward to reading "The Bookshop of Secrets, a Christian work of women's fiction. Hope Sparrow attempts to overcome a tragic past. She moves frequently to ensure no one gets too close to her. But trying to find clues to her past, she enters the bookstore, Dusty Jackets, and finds herself offering to stay for two months to help run the bookstore while searching for her missing first edition books.

Ronan, grandson of the bookstore owners, proved to be a character that I wanted to spend time with in this book. Having his own obstacles to overcome including a so-called family curse, kept me reading. As the history of their two families started to come to light, I found myself desiring a happy ending for these two.

I loved how Ronan kept extending the branch of friendship to Hope, even when she repeatedly rejected it. As someone whose grandmother suffered from Alzheimer's I appreciated the inclusion of Ulysses and Margaret, and his struggles to stay in the present.

So if you enjoy books filled with mystery, overcoming a tragic past, and learning to rely on God and be open to a future filled with hope, check out this book for yourself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my o ( )

“It’s in our broken places God plants seeds of hope. He will grow something beautiful from ashes.”

Hope Sparrow, fleeing her unspeakably abusive past, lands in Wanishing Falls, MN, at an old mom-and-pop bookstore. Desperate to find books with clues to her past, Hope agrees to stay and help run the store while she searches for her antique books. She doesn’t count on falling in love with the town, the couple that operates the store, nor their handsome, troubled grandson.

I loved seeing the healing that wise, older people can bring as they seek to live out the love of Jesus. Dee and Mags are two wonderful secondary characters I would like to have known.

I loved that Ronan and Kat are so willing to keep on offering friendship even when Hope seems to reject it repeatedly. While that is the Christian way, how many of us would give a person multiple chances in real life?

Hope has difficulty seeing herself as the kind, gentle, caring soul that she is. Instead, she sees herself through lies from her past. She needs to learn that
“the past doesn’t tell us who we are, only where we’ve been.”

The road to faith is rocky for Hope and Ronan. Can they put aside their individual pasts and others’ opinions to trust that God’s love supersedes anything that may have happened to them? Can they truly believe this for good? This whole idea of giving a problem over to God and realizing He’s got it, I can relax, really hit home for me last night, as I struggled with worry and fear. I have to choose to continue in His love.

The one thing that I think readers should know, is there may be trigger subjects. One, which wasn’t the main issue, rang true with me, and made it difficult to read those passages as I lived them with the character.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, plus I bought my own e-copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own. ( )

First off, any book with bookshop, bookstore, book, or library in the title automatically grabs my attention and tugs at me. And when the cover art is as gorgeous as this one, I can’t resist picking it up to read.

In The Bookshop of Secrets, I felt as if I walked alongside Hope and Ronan on their adventure for clues, and I connected with them so easily. Hope’s growth is clear, and I rooted for her, and Ronan is a kind, swoon-worthy hero.

Though this is a cozy, clean read, it deals with difficult topics, but does so with grace. The romance is gradual (just as I like it) the mystery and secrets grab my interest, and the author’s writing is strong. It’s a wonderful, inspiring redemption story that I enjoyed from cover to cover.

Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. ( )