valrus reviewed The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin
Basic.
2 stars
Going to Goodreads and seeing all the 4- and 5-star reviews for this was an absolutely baffling experience. Did they read the same book I did? Emotionally, narratively and stylistically simplistic, and absolutely hell-bent on melodramatically telling rather than showing what the characters are thinking and feeling. Its treatment of people's relationships, with both other people and the literature it purports to revere, is superficial. Two stars because it's inoffensive and likable enough and has a few charming moments, but there's just no there there.