Not Quite by the Book

A Novel

De: Julie Hatcher

Narrado por: Mia Hutchinson-Shaw

A bookstore owner discovers that life as a recluse isn’t for everyone in this sharp yet sweet novel about how sometimes you need to abandon the quest for love to find your true passion.

Emma Rini is in a rut so deep she could shelve books there. While her sister awaits her first baby, and her parents kick off retirement with vow renewals and travel, Emma stays put among the stacks of the family bookshop.

In fact, she can’t remember the last time she took a vacation. Or had a romance that hovered above disappointing. When her parents assume she’ll take over the shop for them without a break, she realizes she needs to get away—back to the nineteenth century. Channeling her favorite poet recluse, Emily Dickinson, Emma rents a crumbling manor house outside Amherst where she can learn how to be quietly, blissfully alone.

But becoming a world-weary spinster isn’t easy. She can’t start a fire or reason with the bunnies that are destroying the garden. She finds herself sparring constantly with the grumpy-hot architect who is renovating the manor. And then there’s the secret admirer who keeps sending her complicated floral messages…

No matter what she does, the outside world keeps knocking, and Emma starts to dream about the future. Will she forgo love for the family legacy? And will she shrink away or become the sort of bold person fortune favors?

©2025 by Julie Anne Hatcher. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“The latest from Hatcher is a sweet novel about taking chances and believing in yourself…A lovely read.”—Booklist

Find your HEA

This book was a surprise. I'm not familiar with this author but it's such a great story. Who wouldn't want to take a 6 week sabbatical to find themselves and find true love when you're not looking for it?

The narrative was spot on. Love her voice.

Meh

Main character was kind of annoying, more so the further the book went. Overall, the story was ok

Blah

Overall, not a terrible book, just a little slow and lacking characters development. I would have liked to see more development on other characters. it would have built the sense of mystery a little bit more.

Just okay

Who goes on vacation for six weeks 40 miles away? That’s nuts. Also, the obsessive fascination with ED didn’t really sit well. The story was very slow, characters were very one dimensional. It was just okay.

Need a vacation like this!

I loved everything about this book…….the friendships, both old and new, trying new hobbies, slow burning romance and a loving, if somewhat dysfunctional, family.

Never too old to chase your dreams

Oh my! Julie has made the giant leap from cozy mystery to Women’s fiction and I cannot wait for more!!!! This book will have you feeling all the emotions and rooting for Emma to find herself, while also letting the reader know you are never too old to follow your dreams. I love all the hidden gems from other favorite authors to Emily Dickinson to quotes from history. This book was such a joy to read and listen to!

Another "new to me" author

2.5 Stars

This was another "new to me" author that I actually chose because it was advertised at the end of a different Audible audio book that I had just finished listening to. The premise sounded interesting so I thought, "why not?"

The storyline revolves around a young woman our FMC Emma Rini - whose family has owned a bookstore that she now basically runs by herself. Her sister has gotten married and is expecting a baby and her parents are ready to retire. Little by little, the task of running the store has completely fallen on her. When her parents inform her that they are ACTUALLY ready to retire and the bookstore is going to go to her, she has really mixed feelings. She does love the store, but she is becoming bitter because she feels like no one really recognizes how much time and effort she spends on the store. She lives in an apartment over the store and works all the time -beside the one day a week that she has off.

The other odd thing is that she is completely in love with Emily Dickenson. It isn't just that she loves her poems (which she does) but she loves everything about her. Her life, her hobbies...basically everything. Sooo, she decides to spend her wedding fund, the fund that she has been putting money away for since middle school, to rent a crumbling manor house in the Emily Dickenson's home town for 6 weeks. The manor was advertised as a way to enjoy life as Emily Dickenson did in the nineteenth century. Alone, in a very old house that has no Wi-Fi. no cell service, no basic amenities. Supposedly, this would give her time to be alone, to journal, to bake recipe's from a different century, to read and to write. Sounds blissful, doesn't it? Well, it REALLY didn't. Not to me. So that was the first issue I had with it.

Then there was the way EVERYTHING revolved around trying to be like Emily. Emily liked this....Emily liked that....It was just so "out there" that I couldn't seem to become invested in the story. I could understand wanting to visit the hometown of someone you look up to, but trying to emulate every part of their life, that is just very odd to me.

In the course of her 6 week "vacation" she meets another man - Davis - who is the owners nephew and supposed to be the caretaker of the house. There is also a sub plot with him that develops slowly. Very, very slowly.

Basically this book is a daily list of activities that Emma does while alone in the manor. She wakes up, she tries to cook, she tries to garden, she tries to journal, she starts letter writing, etc.

While this book had it's moments, there wasn't enough depth to it to sustain my interest. By the end of the book, I was ready for it to be over.

Perfection

I am gushing right now! One of the best romantic comedies I have had the pleasure of reading.

Will Emma find her true love? Is it Michael? Or perhaps it is Davis? Emma takes a six week sabbatical to rediscover who she truly is and what she truly wants in the midst of her pregnant sister’s due date approaching and her parents retiring. Not only are they retiring but they’re planning on Emma to take the reins for their beloved bookstore. Plus, she thinks it is time to give up on love.

She was boring at first.

Spoiler Alert:
It was definitely a slow start for me. I knew it was Davis, I stuck around to make sure.

Great Book!

I absolutely loved this book! Being a fan of books, gardening, bunnies, and Emily Dickinson it wasn’t a hard sell but it was even more enjoyable than expected. I’ve loved all the books from this author but I think this is my favorite yet.