The Bookshop on the Shore

A Novel

By: Jenny Colgan

Narrated by: Eilidh Beaton

Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

A grand baronial house on Loch Ness, a quirky small-town bookseller, and a single mom looking for a fresh start all come together in this witty and warm-hearted novel by New York Times best-selling author Jenny Colgan.

Desperate to escape from London, single mother Zoe wants to build a new life for herself and her four-year-old son Hari. She can barely afford the crammed studio apartment on a busy street where shouting football fans keep them awake all night. Hari’s dad, Jaz, a charismatic but perpetually broke DJ, is no help at all. But his sister, Surinder, comes to Zoe’s aid, hooking her up with a job as far away from the urban crush as possible: a bookshop on the banks of Loch Ness. And there’s a second job to cover housing: Zoe will be an au pair for three children at a genuine castle in the Scottish Highlands.

But while Scotland is everything Zoe dreamed of - clear skies, brisk fresh air, blessed quiet - everything else is a bit of a mess. The Urquart family castle is grand, but crumbling, the childrens’ single dad is a wreck, and the kids have been kicked out of school and left to their own devices. Zoe has her work cut out for her, and is determined to rise to the challenge, especially when she sees how happily Hari has taken to their new home.

With the help of Nina, the friendly local bookseller, Zoe begins to put down roots in the community. Are books, fresh air, and kindness enough to heal this broken family - and her own...?

©2019 Jenny Colgan (P)2019 HarperAudio

ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!

Absolutely LOVED this book! The story was charming and the children came ALIVE though the talented narration! In the wise words of Patrick.
ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!!

Happy

This is an easy read! Brilliant feelings throughout the story...I really enjoyed it need more of this story!

cute light romance

I have many literary weaknesses: books about books is one of them. A follow-up to Bookshop on the Corner, this book similarly has kind of nothing to do with the title, though I suppose it draws its inspiration from the book van going to the shore. Hmph. Anyways, new main character, still plucky, still from London, still moving up to the wilds of Scotland to start her life over again. Plot twists: a "selectively mute" little boy, two "feral" motherless children, a dark family secret and, wait for it.... ROMANCE. yeah. Big surprise there.

This is yet another cute lite romance best used to cleanse one's palate between heavy biographies. As such, I recommend.

A love letter to favorite 18th century novels

I'm so glad I listened to other reviewers and stuck through the bad beginning of this book. It really felt like a return UNTIL the story shifted toward the protagonist moving to Scotland. After that, I enjoyed the constant literary allusion to dozens of other classics - many of them straight up lampshaded in the text, and grew very fond of the places and people in the book. Without planning to, I listed to this book while spring cleaning, and it is really perfect for that. It is wonderfully atmospheric, and full of that hopeful idea shared by so many 19th century authors - dead gardens and hearts finding new life, etc.

In spite of its cast to the past, it has a wonderful modern feel. Charming, frustrating at the right times, sweet. I loved every minute.

Well, after that bleak beginning.

plot twists are thrown in willy nilly

could have been a cute story, but so many things felt inconsistent or thrown in. Some surprises were too predicable, while others felt implausible. it was painful in the beginning because of zoey's hardships, and painful in the end because of a silly plot.

Had to return

The narrator clips every word. I could not finish this story. Too bad because I like the author’s work.

I'm a sucker for a sweet story

Loce love love this Very sweet series. I can't wait for the next one... If there is one.

Wonderful Read!

Loved the story, the setting and the subject. A must for book lovers and for those unafraid of traveling to other countries. Great job!

It's the perfect book for a pandemic!

I loved listening to this book during our quarantine. It was a great escape! The protagonist begins in a tough spot, but things improve drastically due to her hard work and persistence. It was just what I needed to hear right now!

Fun Read

Entertaining read and again centered on baking. I know it sounds silly, but for someone who enjoys baking they are really enjoyable!