Rea Book Reviews: The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan

Zoe is a single mother, sinking beneath the waves trying to cope by herself in London. Hari, her gorgeous little boy is perfect in every way – except for the fact that he just doesn’t speak, at all. When her landlord raises the rent on her flat, Zoe doesn’t know where to turn.
Then Hari’s aunt suggests Zoe could move to Scotland to help run a bookshop. Going from the lonely city to a small village in the Highlands could be the change Zoe and Hari desperately need.
Faced with an unwelcoming boss, a moody, distant bookseller named Ramsay Urquart, and a band of unruly children, Zoe wonders if she’s made the right decision. But Hari has found his very first real friend, and no one could resist the beauty of the loch glinting in the summer sun. If only Ramsay would just be a little more approachable…

Jenny Colgan is a favourite author of mine with her novel Meet Me at the Cupcake Café being one of my all time favourite novels that I can read again and again. The excitement was bubbling again for me when I saw that the new release was entitled The Bookshop on the Shore as being a book addict I love novels that feature bookshops, libraries etc so I knew I was going to be in for a treat added to the fact that the novel reunites with Nina and her book van from The Little Shop if Happy Ever After but if you haven’t read that book don’t be put off as this can still easily be read as a stand alone.

Our main character is Zoe who is a single mum to a dear little boy called Hari. They find themselves in a desperate situation when their rent is put up and they have no means to pay with no help form Zoe’s ex Jaz so when an opportunity comes along for them to move to the Scotish Highlands and get not one but two jobs as well as accommodation Zoe doesn’t hesitate as she will do whatever it takes to put a roof over her sons head.

Zoe gets stuck right in as an au pair to three motherless children but the children make it clear that Zoe isn’t welcome and they wasn’t going to make it easy for her. Hoping that her second job of bookselling in the quirky little book van would be the job of dreams she soon realises that she can’t follow in Nina’s footsteps she needs to make this work her way to get the money rolling in.

I always find that when reading a Jenny Colgan novel I am always so full of adrenaline and excitement, desperate to change career and follow in her characters footsteps and this book was no exception as the idea of driving my own little book shop sounds like a delightful way to spend my time although the same couldn’t be said for taking on the au pair role to these difficult hair raising children!

When we first meet the three children Mary, Patrick and Shackleton they were difficult to take too as they were rude and unruly but I found as the storyline progressed and we find out more of their background my heart began to open up to them and I desperately wanted them to find a safe and loving bubble to make them happy.

I actually really felt for Zoe, she wanted to do the best for her son even though that meant upping sticks to Scotland but deep down she seemed so incredibly lonely which I found incredibly sad as she had a pure heart of gold and deserved to be surrounded by a supportive circle of friends.

I loved the different references to a number of different books that popped up in parts of the storyline, I was ticking them off in my mind thinking yes I have read and enjoyed that one!

The Book Shop on the Shore is a dreamy uplifting novel that kept me entertained from start to finish.