Published 6th June 2024 by Aria.
From the cover of the book:
Joy Blackwood has no idea why her French art dealer husband has left a valuable painting to a woman called Robyn Tessier in Ballycove, a small town on the west coast of Ireland, but she is determined to find out.She arrives in Ballycove to find that Robyn runs a rather chaotic and unprofitable bookshop. She is shy, suffering from unrequited love for dashing Kian, and badly in need of advice on how to make the bookshop successful.
As Joy becomes entangled in the daily dramas of Ballycove, uncovering the secrets behind her husband's painting grows increasingly challenging. When she finally musters the courage to confront the truth, her revelation sends shockwaves through the tight-knit community she's grown to love.
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On a foggy Parisian night that should have been all about celebration, dying art dealer Yves confesses to his wife Joy that he has a secret daughter. Joy is left bereft, and feeling betrayed. When she discovers that he has bequeathed a valuable painting to a young woman called Robyn Tessier, who lives in Ballycove on the west coast of Ireland, she suspects this must be the daughter she knew nothing about. She makes the difficult decision to head to Ireland and find out all she can about Robyn.
In Ballycove, Robyn is struggling to make a go of the chaotic bookshop that was her dream. Introverted and unsure of herself, she is badly in need of advice, but neither her close family, nor her friend Kian (who she has secretly been in love with for as long as she can remember) can help her turn the business around. Then elegant American widow Joy arrives in Ballycove, and she is just the person who could make the difference to not just Robyn's life, but those around her too.
Joy finds a place she feels she can belong, but only if she can keep the truth of who she is, and why she is in Ballycove, to herself. But secrets will out, and when they do the fallout means choosing between revealing all or leaving behind the little community she has come to love.
Welcome to Faith Hogan's latest heart-warming novel, The Bookshop Ladies, which is full of everything I hold dear about her enchanting books. The story begins on the streets of Paris, where a terrible accident brings forth a shocking confession, but before long we are walking lanes that overlook the sea on Ireland's west coast, returning to small town every fan of Hogan's books will know well - Ballycove. And what a joy it is to be back at the heart of one of my favourite little communities.
This time, the book centres on Ballycove's quirky bookshop, where Robyn, unaware of her central role in the drama that is about to play out, is worried that her dreams will soon be over. Unable to see a way past her business troubles, she also holds out little hope for herself on the love front, as she is never going to confess to her friend Kian that she loves him - especially once he falls for her childhood nemesis (I am looking at you Imogene).
However, this is Ballycove, where the path to happiness may not run smooth, but life's little journeys can reach rewarding destinations. Hogan floods her storylines with her trademark themes of family, friendship, and forgiveness, as Joy becomes the catalyst for some profound changes in her own life and the lives of Robyn, Robyn's mother Fern, Great Uncle Albie, Uncle Leo, and a few characters waiting in the wings to delve into the emotional depths, and ratchet up the romantic suspense. There are even some surprising rotters, who add a little taste of criminal intent to the proceedings.
Hogan also runs lovely themes around art, and of course, books through the entire story which I thoroughly enjoyed. I adored how she explores the secrets that can lie in the heart of paintings, and hidden treasures on dusty bookshelves that are imbued with memories. She uses these ideas quite beautifully to tie in with threads of guilt, loss, reconciliation, belonging, and finding yourself, in that special way she has too.
I always know I am going to get my heart strings firmly plucked with one of Hogan's wonderful books, and this was no exception. Tears were shed, laughs were had, and hearts were well and truly warmed on the way to the cracking finale. If only we could all up sticks and move to Ballycove. I cannot wait for my next visit.
The Bookshop Ladies is available to buy now in hardcover and ebook formats.
Thank you to Aria for sending me proof of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the author:
Faith Hogan is an award-winning, million copy best selling author. She is a USA Today Bestseller, Irish Times Top Ten and an Amazon UK Number 1 Best Selling writer of ten contemporary fiction novels. Her books have featured as Book Club Favorites, Net Galley Hot Reads and Summer Must Reads. She writes grown up women's fiction which is unashamedly uplifting, feel-good and inspiring.
Her new summer read The Bookshop Ladies is out in June 2024 and it's a great big welcome back to Ballycove for her readers.
She writes twisty contemporary crime fiction as Geraldine Hogan.
She lives in the west of Ireland with her family and their Labrador named Penny. She's a writer, reader, enthusiastic dog walker and reluctant jogger - except of course when it is raining!
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