Man, where do I start? This is such a lovely, lovely slow-burn romance. Hallie Winstone wins ownership of Once Upon a Page bookshop on the day she's fired from her umpteenth job. It's her dream job, even if she doesn't really know much about running a business. She gets some help from Dimitri, the quirky illustrator who uses the bookshop as his part-time studio. The shop is a combination of new and used books; Hallie discovers that many of the older books are inscribed which leads her and Dimitri into finding out the story behind the writings on the flyleafs.
The romance is well-done; Hallie and Dimitri are perfect together though it takes quite a while for them to get there. They both have issues, especially Dimitri, they need to work through. Yet they balance each other and support each other in unique ways that frequently made this reader sigh and put a hand over my heart. I love slow-burn romances.
The concept of finding the hidden stories of the book inscriptions was inspired. While not everything works out for Hallie's romantic nature, each little gem is lovely to read about. Think about it: if someone cares enough to inscribe a note inside one's book, there has to be a story behind it.
This is truly a wonderful book and I can't recommend it highly enough for someone looking for a great love story to read. ( )

'Maybe this is why I've never had any luck in my life. Maybe it was all being saved up for this moment. Maybe fate or the universe or whatever powers that be decided I would have the worst luck in the world, just so on this ordinary day in May, I could win a bookshop, and a new chapter in my life could start'.

Hallie Winstone is having the worst day of her life. Not only has she lost her job, she's also embarrassed herself in front of a whole room of diners. Feeling sorry for herself, she opens her emails and discovers that she's won a bookshop! Not just any bookshop either, but her favourite bookshop.

This bookshop is a dream come true for Hallie, but she soon discovers that it's even more special than she thought, as she starts to find secret love stories within the pages of the second hand books.

Together with the lovely Dimitri, she starts to reunite long lost lovers with the help of the internet; and hopefully Hallie will finally find her happy ending too.

~My Thoughts~

I was lucky enough to receive a free copy of this amazing book through NetGalley. After reading another Jaimie Admans book at Christmas I knew I wanted to read more of her books, so when I saw this new book on NetGalley I requested it right away.

I think one of the main reasons I loved this book so much is that I really connected with Hallie. As somebody that preferred the company of books over people growing up, I felt like she was a kindred spirit and I found it so easy to fall in love with her character. I completely understood her love of books, as I also love to lose myself in a good book. Reading has always been an escape for me, and the way that Hallie reminisces about books that she's read really resonated with me.

I've always wanted to work in a bookshop or a library, and I imagine that owning one would be amazing, although it would be hard work. Hallie would have been lost without Dimitri, who proves invaluable. I loved that he's bookish like Hallie and makes her feel like she's not weird or alone in the world. Dimitri is a wonderful character and I couldn't wait to find out more about him.

Hallie's mum was also an amazing character. She's funny and embarrassing, and made me think of the mum in Miranda. She clearly just wants Hallie to be happy, but pushes her to insanity in her attempts to be matchmaker.

I adored the idea of finding secret love letters in old books and using them to reunite long lost loves. I was completely engrossed in not only Hallie's story, but also the people in the love letters. The love letters added an extra layer and a touch of magic to the story, and they were one of the things I loved most.

There were many things that I loved about this book;the plot,the characters, the setting,the books! I could go on forever, but I'll end my review by saying that if you're looking for a feel good read to escape into, with a touch of magic and a hint of Drama, then this is the book for you.
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Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Hallie is living every book lover's dream life. And I just loved it. This is escapist reading at its finest. This is a Netflix or Hallmark romcom in book form.
Hallie is unfortunately fired from her job, but luckily that day, she gets an email that she has won her favorite bookshop. When she goes to visit, she learns that it also has a flat upstairs that comes with it. When Hallie takes over, she meets a charming illustrator named Dmitri. He is working on a fairytale adaptation in the book shop, and he helps Hallie figure out how to run the bookshop. They bond over reading, baked goods, and finding messages in secondhand books.
I did enjoy this book. I loved how British the characters were. I also loved Hallie and Dmitri. They were both fun nerds, the kind of nerds that I like hanging out with. I loved the setting. The little town and the bookshop are totally somewhere I would hang out! Also, owning a bookstore with a flat upstairs? That is beyond awesome. Also the secret messages in the books were too cute, and I really liked how they worked together to find everything.
However, this book isn't perfect. The dialogue was a bit unnatural. Hallie and Dmitri speak in highly personal, exposition monologues much too often. The part where they break up isn't surprising and plays awkwardly. Also, it was sometimes hard to tell what was going on, or who was talking, but that will probably be fixed in an edit before the book comes out.
Overall, if you are a fan of Hallmark movies, you will be a fan of this book. Honestly, it's not really my thing, but this book knows what it is doing and does it well. ( )