Book review of The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts by Annie Darling.

The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts by Annie Darling.
Released date for Kindle: 19th May 2016.
Release date for paperback: 25th August 2016.
Published by: HarperCollins.
Available to buy online from: Amazon UK and HarperCollins.

‘Once upon a time in a crumbling London bookshop, Posy Morland spent her life lost in the pages of her favourite romantic novels.
So when Bookend’s eccentric owner, Lavinia, dies and leaves the shop to Posy, she must put down her books and join the real world. Because Posy hasn’t just inherited an ailing business, but also the unwelcome attentions of Lavinia’s grandson, Sebastian, AKA The Rudest Man In London™.
Posy has a cunning plan and six months to transform Bookends into the bookshop of her dreams – if only Sebastian would leave her alone to get on with it. As Posy and her friends fight to save their beloved bookshop, Posy’s drawn into a battle of wills with Sebastian, about whom she’s started to have some rather feverish fantasies…
Like her favourite romantic heroines, will she get her happy ever after too?‘

Do you believe in happy endings? Happily ever after? Or are you a cynic and believe in happy never after?
Woah, woah. I do apologise, I think I’ve gotten ahead of myself already! I nee to ask you a pretty serious question, well, maybe more than one. More serious than my ‘happy ending’ question. You ready? Sure?
……
……
Do you like books?
Romance books?
Cake?
Books?
Um…..what else…..
Books?!?
Bookshops?
BOOKS?!?!

Phew! I thought I was going to have to lay down with a book then if you had said no! I mean, how can you not like books?! Anyway, now we have that serious question sorted, I can go a read this book again and eat cake….can’t I? No? I have to give you more reasons than ‘books’ to read this beauty? Oh. Well aren’t you a spoilsport…..but go on then!

Meet Posy. She loves books, romance novels to be precise. Isn’t too fussed on blood and gore. She has been part of ‘Bookends’ history for as long as she can remember, but never in her wildest dreams did she think she would take over Bookends the bookshop. Neither did anyone else though, especially Sebastian,  a pain in the……bookshelf, so RUDE! But seeing as Posy was left the bookshop by  the previous owner in her will, she is determined to prove everyone wrong. Including herself. Can she turn the failing bookshop into the wonderful bookshop that it once was? Or will the pain in the posterior, Sebastian, prove to be more than a pain in the suit pocket and get in her way?

Why did I choose this book I hear you ask…..because I love books. Did you guess that? Before I go any further I would like to say a MASSIVE thank you to Annie, HarperCollins and Netgalley for allowing me to review this book before the release date!
What an incredibly uplifting, humorous powerful story this is! If you know your romance novels, like Posy, you’re in for a treat. Not only have you got innuendo humour and sarcasm, you have the true beauty of the quotes from classic novels jumping out at you throughout. My heart went out to Posy multiple times in the story because you can tell she is an old soul. A soul that is hopeful for her happy ending, but has been dealt the very short straw so far. Met with multiple issues, in more ways than one, Posy and her colleagues fight for what they believe in. Bookends. You go through the ups and the downs with the Bookends family which made it feel more realistic and relatable, rather than just a boy meets girl, happy ending type story. Annie Darling has written a book with gusto, historical references and the power of determination. At one point during the story, I wanted to climb into my Kindle and give Posy a hug, and let her know that she could do it. Sounds silly really doesn’t it? Or maybe it just means that this book can give you an escape, and that is down to Annie’s writing. It’s not often you can feel the words, but I did. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because of how it all flowed and came together. Especially how loveable most of the characters were as well. I say most, there are two that made me go ‘what the…..bookmark!!!’, but without those two, it wouldn’t have been the heartfelt story it is. Plus, seeing as I am never ashamed to admit this, I did cry!
If you want a book that makes you curl up and feel cosy, that makes you reaching for the cake and an old classic book (after you have finished reading this one of course), then this book is for you. Humour and hugs in one book, what more could you want? Definitely my favourite book of May so far!