Sunday 14 February 2016

The Little Shop of Happy-Ever-After by Jenny Colgan


Given a back-room computer job when the beloved Birmingham library she works in turns into a downsized retail complex, Nina misses her old role terribly - dealing with people, greeting her regulars, making sure everyone gets the right books for their needs. Then a new business nobody else wants catches her eye: owning a tiny little bookshop bus up in the Scottish highlands. No computers. Shortages.
Out all hours in the freezing cold; driving with a tiny stock of books... not to mention how the little community is going to take to her, particularly when she stalls the bus on a level crossing...




Jenny Colgan is one of my top 5 authors and I look forward to diving into her fictional worlds with each book she releases. When I read the synopsis for her latest release The Little Shop of Happy-Ever-After, I knew this was going to be an exciting read because it featured a book business!

Our heroine is the endearing Nina, she has worked in her local library for years but now with the current changes she is given a computer job but her heart and soul is in working with books. When she sees an opportunity to start her own business selling books on her very own book bus she takes the opportunity with both hands and embarks on a complete change of life.

There are going to be so many book lovers wishing they were Nina after reading this book. I was so envious of Nina not just because of her having her own book van business but even having the courage to just leave everything behind and make a completely new life for herself, this really had an effect on me and I wish I had the courage that her character had!

Nina has set up her new life in Kirrinfief in Scotland where the community spirit is still strong with everyone pulling together to help out and everyone knowing each other’s business which gives the book a cosy and welcoming feel. As we have come to expect from Jenny Colgan’s novels there is also a charming romance which although it was quite predictable what the outcome would be Nina’s love life it still had its ups and downs.

Nina also had a little helping hand from little Ainslee a teenager who seemed reluctant to come on to the bus but who actually had such a love for reading. When Ainslee’s little brother Ben kept turning up at the van looking very unkept Nina soon got the feeling that something was amiss with the two of them and Nina being the soft hearted character she is, takes it upon herself to try and find out what is going on and what she uncovers was not what I had been expecting and it covers a topic that is all too realistic now days and it is quite sad to think that people are still in this position but Jenny and her character Nina deal with this topic in a positive and careful way. I actually found I was more interested in Ainslee and Ben’s story than I was by Nina’s romance.

This was another uplifting and charming storyline, it didn’t quite match my love of The Beach Street or Cupcake books by Jenny, but it was still a wonderful read that had me hooked. I am pretty sure we can expect a follow on to this book and I would love to catch up with Nina to see how things have progressed for her and Ainslee.



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