Aria’s Travelling Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin (Review by Shelley Jomaa)

Aria’s Travelling Bookshop is an uplifting and endearing story of friendship, love, and moving forward after grief and loss. Although part of a series, the book has enough background information to stand on its own. Aria has decided to join her best friend Rosie as a Van Lifer, where they will sell books and tea, respectively, out of their travel vans at various summer festivals across France. After losing her husband, TJ, to cancer three years ago and being pushed away by her grieving in-laws, Aria has been struggling to cope. A festival tour will be the perfect escape. On her travels, Aria runs into Jonathan, an author she met a year ago. The two of them had bonded over their love of all things literary, and Aria has been unable to get him off her mind. Despite the undeniable attraction, Aria holds a strong sense of loyalty toward her beloved husband, and is struggling to work through the guilt of moving on with someone new. With Jonathan being such a kind and lovable character, I could not help rooting for the two bookworms to overcome their obstacles and find true love. This book is an easy and enjoyable read, with many moments of humour interspersed throughout. I found myself literally laughing out loud at many of Aria’s predicaments and antics. As an avid reader, I appreciated the book references and the concept of a travelling bookshop among the beautiful landscapes and seascapes of France. My favourite aspect of the book is the close friendship between Aria and Rosie. They can talk to each other about everything, and are always there for each other. Rosie encourages Aria to reach out to TJ’s family in order to heal the past, and she supports Aria as she begins her journey of moving forward with Jonathan. I would recommend this book for anyone wanting a heartwarming story of friendship and romance.