A heartwarming cozy small town romance with a touch of magic!
What happens when a high-powered attorney inherits a small-town bookshop that seems to have a mind of its own?
Charlie Whitmore has her life perfectly planned out. As a rising star at a prestigious Manhattan law firm, she’s on the fast track to partnership, with spreadsheets for everything and a five-year plan that doesn’t include any surprises.
Until her beloved Aunt Beth dies and leaves her a small-town bookshop in Vermont.
Oak & Ink Bookshop has stood in the heart of Leafwood Falls for nearly a century, beloved by locals for its uncanny ability to match readers with exactly the right book at exactly the right time. Charlie’s plan is simple: assess the shop’s value, list it for sale, and return to Manhattan before her corporate career derails.
But Leafwood Falls has other ideas.
Between a cantankerous orange cat named Hemingway with very specific literary opinions, a shop assistant whose organizational system defies all logic, and a community that instantly adopts her as one of their own, Charlie’s quick business trip stretches into weeks. And then there’s the bookshop itself—with its creaky floors, mysteriously moving books, and secrets hidden within its walls.
As Charlie dives deeper into her aunt’s legacy, she finds herself torn between two worlds and two men: Lawrence, a sophisticated developer with plans to transform the town while preserving its charm, and Ethan, the rugged local contractor whose quiet demeanor hides unexpected depths. One represents the safe, successful future she’s always worked toward; the other embodies the authentic connection she didn’t know she was missing.
With her carefully constructed life unraveling, Charlie must decide whether she’s just passing through—or finally finding her way home. Because in a bookshop where stories have a habit of finding the readers who need them most, perhaps the most surprising story of all is her own.
Perfect for readers who loved THE BOOKSHOP ON THE CORNER, THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP, and THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY. A heartwarming story about second chances, finding your authentic self, and the magic that happens when you open yourself to possibility
Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree 