Dedicated: The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery (Review by Jennifer Holmes)
Rating 5/5 Coladas
The Boardwalk Bookshop is at the top of my favorite books of 2022. This book has everything a reader could want, friendship, love, family, sex… Amazing sex… Women business owners, and did I mention books? I love books about books, and I was pleasantly surprised all the subjects the author was able to cover in this book. The story is about three women and what each of them are dealing with in their lives.
Ashley loves owning her own bakery and spending time in the store she shares with Mikki and Bree. They each have different businesses but share a space right on the boardwalk. Ashley owns a bakery, Bree a bookstore, and Mikki a gift shop. It’s a great space for customers to come in and browse and the girls have started to incorporate items into fun gift baskets.
Ashley is very close to her brother who survived a deadly accident and now has become an author and she’s patiently waiting for her long-term boyfriend to hurry up and commit. Soon she’ll be dealing with her playboy brother wanting to date Bree, her friend and coworker, and if that’s not stressful enough she finds out she and her boyfriend are not on the same page when it comes to saying, “I do”.
Bree could be called heartless, but she’s been hurt enough in her life that she chooses not to let anyone close. She loves owning her own bookstore and having the freedom to hook up with whomever she wants with no commitment. Bree grew up feeling unwanted and ignored by her parents and as an adult she’s okay with not having a relationship with them. Ashley’s brother Harding is doing an event for his book that just released and Bree will do her best to stay away from him. He’s charming and disgustingly handsome, but Ashley asked her not to break his heart, so Harding is off limits. Or is he? Harding is smitten with Bree, and it seems the more she resists him the more he wants her!
Mikki hasn’t dated since her divorce but with her kids growing up and moving on, it’s time she starts putting herself first. She loves owning the gift shop and feeling like her days are full. Out of the blue her ex, Perry, announces he bought a house, wants her to help him redo it, and he wants them to get back together! He explains that he believes they didn’t try hard enough to make things work, but it seems odd he’s saying this as Mikki has started dating. Mikki does consider the possibility of reconnecting, but she is also falling for a new man that seems to be fulfilling all her needs. Does she follow her heart or go back to Perry like her family would want?
All three of the women work together so their lives are intertwined, but they also value each other’s friendships and want to be supportive when someone is in need. They will each need to figure out how to navigate love, friendship, and family, but they won’t have to do it alone.
The Boardwalk Bookshop is high on my 2022 favorite books I’ve read so far. It just had everything a reader could want!
Buy the book!
GBC Reader Reviews