Review: The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Love Inspired 
Released: Oct. 25, 2022
352 pages

About the Book:

Hope Sparrow has mastered the art of outrunning her tragic past, learning never to stay anywhere too long and never to allow anyone control over her life again. Coming to Wanishin Falls in search of her family's history already feels too risky. But somewhere in the towering stacks of this dusty old bookshop are the books that hold Hope's last ties to her late mother—and to a rumored family treasure that could help her start over.

Only, the bookshop is in shambles, and the elderly owner is in the beginning stages of dementia and can’t remember where the books lie. To find the last links to the loved ones she's lost, Hope must stay and accept help from the townsfolk to locate the treasured volumes. Each secret she uncovers brings her closer to understanding where she came from. But the longer she stays in the quaint town, the more people find their way into the cracks in her heart. And letting them in may be the greatest risk of all…

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed the way this book started but as I got further into it I struggled with it. The story moved slowly and at times it jumped from one scene to another and it threw me off each time. I loved the opening scene and I was very interested in getting to know Hope and wanted to know why she was in such a rush to leave town. I immediately liked grandpa Ulysses from the moment Hope meets him. It was hard to read about his situation with dementia. I really enjoyed the way certain characters befriended Hope and showed her God's love. There is so much happening in this story, escape from human trafficking (no details provided), characters dealing with ptsd, a character dealing with dementia, a mystery to solve, difficult family relationships, and overcoming a family reputation. I liked watching the character relationships grow but I struggled following the mystery and figuring out the clues. I didn't like is that the chapters felt long and moved slowly.

Favourite Quote: 

“The past doesn't tell us who we are, only where we've been.”

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)