These two were both in my random library pick ups of the week- I found them straight off the shelf, hooked first by their covers and second by their well worn condition. I always think that beat up book, is a well loved book- and in both cases- I think I am right.
If I Never Met You
If faking love is this easy… how do you know when it’s real?
When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling—not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see him every day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again in the age of Tinder is nothing short of horrifying. When news of her ex’s pregnant girlfriend hits the office grapevine, taking the humiliation lying down is notan option. Then a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy opens up a new possibility.
Jamie Carter doesn’t believe in love, but he needs a respectable, steady girlfriend to impress their bosses. Laurie wants a hot new man to give the rumor mill something else to talk about. It’s the perfect proposition: a fauxmance played out on social media, with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind. With the plan hatched, Laurie and Jamie begin to flaunt their new couple status, to the astonishment—and jealousy—of their friends and colleagues. But there’s a fine line between pretending to be in love and actually falling for your charming, handsome fakeboyfriend…
from Goodreads
IT WAS SO GOOD.
Any book that gets me to cry before page 20, gets my heart. This was a slow burn, fake dating closed door/off page romance and it was done SO well.
It has the tropes I love- fake dating and forced proximity.
With Love from London
A librarian inherits a bookshop from her estranged mother, leading her halfway across the world on a journey of self-discovery that transcends time and honors the unbreakable bonds of love and family.
When librarian Valentina Baker was a teenager, her mother, Eloise, unexpectedly fled to her native London, leaving Val and her father on their own. Now in her thirties and fresh out of a failed marriage, Val feels a nagging disenchantment with her life–and knows she is still heartbroken over her mother’s abandonment.
In a bittersweet twist of fate, Val receives word that Eloise has passed away, leaving Val her Primrose Hill apartment and the deed to a bookshop Val never knew she’d owned. Though the news is devastating, Val finds herself more determined than ever to discover who her mother truly was. She jets across the Atlantic, departing Seattle for a new life in charming London.
Slowly but surely, Val begins to piece together Eloise’s life in the UK, falling in love with her pastel-colored flat, cozy neighborhood, and tucked-away storefront. But when she discovers that The Book Garden is in danger of going under, Val must work with its eccentric staff to get it in working order. In the process, she learns more about Eloise than she ever thought possible. And as Val races to save the shop, Eloise’s own story unfolds, leading both mother and daughter to unearth revelatory truths.
from goodreads
It is a 4.5 ⭐️ for me- I truly disliked the abandonment storyline…. and considered not finishing. I was, at first, thinking this was a romance. As it unfolded, I kept wondering how in the world I keep picking books about shitty mothers and difficult childhoods. I was irritated with myself for not checking more reviews before reading.
This isn’t a romance, in any way that I prefer 😂 and I’d venture to say that it speaks more about duty, honor and the heartbreak of human failings than it does about *romance* or *true love*.
But it highlights how storytelling and books weave together countless lives. I think it is awfully realistic in its portrayal of how absolutely foolish and self centered we all are- and yet the universe can pull its magical powers on us at any point.
How forgiving is the human spirit? How resilient is love? I think this book chose to go after some pretty big obstacles and somehow got us across the line.
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