The Bookshop Sisterhood

February 1, 2024

Four best friends are finally about to open the Black-owned bookstore of their dreams, but their worlds are upended with devastating news, a struggling marriage, a shocking secret, and a lotto ticket. As the grand opening approaches, they'll have to lean on each other as they navigate these unexpected plot twists and find new beginnings. Prepub Alert.

Copyright 2023 Library Journal

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2024
Inspired by their love of books and their long-running book club, four friends band together to open the first Black-owned bookstore in Delaware. Celeste seems to have it all--a lucrative job, a supportive husband--but unresolved trauma from a recent carjacking threatens to destroy her perfect life. Leslie's teenage daughter has a life-threatening condition, and genetic testing reveals an unexpected family secret. Toni is a popular influencer who has carefully hidden her past from everyone, including her fianc�, and Yasmeen feels like an outsider because she lives from paycheck to paycheck until a sudden windfall changes everything. Each woman brings a unique set of skills to the business, but when personal issues create a roadblock, they must rely on their friendship to resolve the situation. Lindo-Rice (A Beauty in the Beast, 2024) realistically captures the women's thought processes as they work through their issues. The ending is satisfying but not pat, and the characters' motivations are clear throughout the book. Readers who enjoy stories about women overcoming life obstacles will be drawn in.

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May 1, 2024

Prolific novelist Lindo-Rice's (Twenty-Eight Dates) latest is told through the eyes of four thirtysomething women facing life changes. Although one of them is white, they all met at a historically Black college. They stayed best friends in Delaware for more than a decade, meeting every month for their book club. The story is romantic and a bit steamy and starts as the women make plans to open a bookshop together. Immediately their lives start to fall apart, through illness, marriage and relationship troubles, money worries, scams, and more. Each woman tells her story in turn, revealing the secrets she keeps from even her best friends. However, the women's friendship is vital to their disintegrating lives, so they must learn to trust each other with their innermost secrets and fears. When all seems lost, their friendship and their nascent bookshop become anchors to cling to. Throughout the novel, the women recommend real books, giving readers the experience of their book club. VERDICT An inspiring read about the power of women's friendships and how learning to trust those one loves best can be risky but ultimately rewarding.--Jan Marry

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.