It’s a real pleasure today to be joining the publication day push for The Little Bookshop by the Sea by Eliza J Scott, and sharing my publication day review. Republished by Storm Publishing (I’ll mention that just in case you might have read it before…), this is the first book in the Micklewick Bay series , and is now available for kindle, in paperback and as an audiobook via Amazon in the UK and US – and, rather excitingly, it’s also publication day for the next two brand new books in the series, Summer Days at Clifftop Cottage and Finding Love in Micklewick Bay. My thanks, as always, to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to everyone involved in providing my advance reading e-copy.
It was a delight to find myself sitting near Eliza at the RNA’s afternoon tea in York last year – and I did find myself apologising for not having read and reviewed more of her earlier books. (Actually, I was sitting with Daisy James and Jeevani Charika too – cue more apologies, but I think they all understand that there aren’t enough hours in the day…!). In fact, I’ve only read and reviewed one of Eliza’s books – Tell That To My Heart, back in 2020. It was a really fun read, and I very much liked main character Mim as she lurched from disaster to disaster, and particularly enjoyed her supportive friendships – but (and I’ll be honest…) I did think it might perhaps have been enjoyed even more by a reader who was a little younger than me. But it was so lovely to be able to share her excitement about her new contract with Storm, and these books sounded very much like everything I enjoy – so I was delighted when Rachel’s email dropped into my inbox, and looking forward to giving her writing another try…
Welcome to your happy place…
Each morning as bookseller Florrie Appleton cycles along the promenade of her seaside hometown, watching the surfers far out in the bay, breathing in the fresh salty air, she counts herself lucky. She has a small but picture-perfect cottage overlooking the sea, a group of friends she can always rely on, and the job of her dreams at her favourite bookshop. But when tragedy strikes, her little slice of heaven is in danger of being lost forever.
To save the bookshop from closure, Florrie finds herself thrown together with the elderly owner’s handsome grandson, Ed Hartes, who has a habit of making butterflies dance in her stomach. But the only romance Florrie has time for lies within the pages of her favourite novels, and her instincts are telling her to be wary. There’s something Ed’s keeping from her, and she can’t face another heartbreak.
When Florrie stumbles upon a mysterious stash of yellowed letters in the storeroom, it seems Ed isn’t the only one with secrets. The old bookshop is full of stories waiting to be told, and they aren’t only in the pages of the books…
The perfect uplifting, feel-good read for fans of Jessica Redland, Jenny Colgan and Phillipa Ashley.
Just sometimes, I think you can tell from the opening pages when you’ve come across a book you’re going to love. I was immediately drawn in by the way the author introduced us to the lovely Florrie – she won my heart from the very beginning – and the delights of Micklewick Bay, along with some of the individuals we’d get to know better through the story, as she rode her bike from her little cottage to the bookshop where she worked, early as always so she could share breakfast with owner Mr Harte who treats her like part of his family. And family is something he’s rather lacking – he lost his wife two years ago (and misses her dreadfully), and something went badly wrong with his relationship with his son, but he does have Gerty the lovely labrador as his faithful companion, and is delighted that his grandson Ed has chosen to stay in touch (although he doesn’t see him anything like as often as Florrie thinks he should).
But when tragedy strikes, Florrie and Ed find themselves having to work together to keep the bookshop going – she finds he’s actually one of the good guys, not the neglectful grandson she’d thought he was, and their mutual attraction begins to grow – and there’s so much more of a spark between them than she ever felt with boyfriend Graham, who’d already decided for himself that their time together was up. They have an event to plan for – an evening with a famous poet and author who lives locally, something that’ll make a real difference to the bookshop’s future – and the room they’re sorting out for it is taking shape rather nicely. But things take another unexpected turn – and it leaves Florrie with a broken heart, worries about what the future might hold, and despair about any chance of a happy ending.
As well as Florrie and Ed’s story, there’s another strong (and intriguing) thread – the discovery of a box of letters on a neglected shelf, and some long hidden secrets slowly uncovered. The author really is an excellent storyteller, achieving that perfect balance between tears and laughter, keeping the pages turning as you get increasingly caught up in the lives of her characters – and the whole book has the loveliest focus on what family really means and the importance of friendship, alongside a developing romance that had all the right emotional touches and that I really believed in.
Micklewick Bay itself, a small town on the North Yorkshire coast, is so beautifully drawn, and in the most wonderful detail – sadly only the product of the author’s imagination, combining a few of her favourite places, or I’d be be booking a stay tomorrow. And a story set in a bookshop was always going to be something I’d enjoy – it was so easy to identify with Florrie’s passion for books and reading, and I really loved the backstory of how the bookshop became such an important part of her life. But perhaps one of the loveliest things about this book is its cast of wonderful characters – including Florrie and Ed themselves, Florrie’s family, old Mr Harte, regular customer Miss Davenport, the larger than life and unexpectedly lovely (and very much a Yorkshireman) Jack, and yes, even the lovely Gerty. But I did particularly enjoy Florrie’s circle of female friends – Jas, Stella, Maggie and Lark – and the relationships between them. They’re always there with their own special kind of love and support – every one of them is a strong character with their own story, and I’m looking forward so much to getting to know them all even better as the series unfolds.
I’ve already added the next two books in the series to my kindle, and – although I can’t read and review them straight away – I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to spend more time with my new friends in Micklewick Bay. A total delight from its beginning to its heartwarming and perfect ending, this is a book that should be on everyone’s summer reading list – it’s one I really enjoyed, and that I’d thoroughly recommend to others.
About the author
Eliza J Scott lives in North Yorkshire with her family and has wanted to be a writer as far back as she can remember. She is inspired by her beautiful surroundings and loves to write heartwarming stories based on romance and friendship with a generous dollop of community spirit and a hint of humour. She has written and self-published ten novels and has been an Amazon UK Kindle bestseller.
When she’s not writing, Eliza can usually be found with her nose in a book or working in her garden doing a spot of plot wrangling (of the writing variety), and battling against the weeds. The weeds, unfortunately, are currently winning but Eliza is undeterred. Roses are amongst her favourite flowers and she doesn’t need much of an excuse to visit a plant centre where a new rose always seems to mysteriously find its way onto her trolley much to her husband’s astonishment.
Eliza also enjoys having a catch-up with friends over tea and cake, as well as bracing walks in the countryside, rounded off by a visit to a teashop – for yet more tea and cake!
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