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It's Me They Follow
An allegorical love story — a modern day Alchemist meets The Never Ending Story —set in a world where a book shopkeeper becomes a reluctant matchmaker, bringing soulmates together through books.
It’s Me They Follow is an allegorical love story set in a not so distant past. It follows The Shopkeeper, a bookseller and reluctant matchmaker. Helping others find love through books comes easily for The Shopkeeper, until it is time for her to find love for herself.
She secretly yearns for her first customer, ME, who took both her most prized book and a piece of her heart when he left. But just when she begins to lose hope, she discovers that she may hold the key to her own happily ever after as well.
Real life Shopkeeper and author Jeannine A. Cook has conjured a magical story that is a book within a book within a book. Soon, readers will find themselves falling under the same love spell as her customers and characters. In this magical bookshop where the line between fiction and reality blurs, stories and real life intertwine in an enchanting and moving narrative about human connection, the power of storytelling, and the spirit of love.
It’s Me They Follow is an allegorical love story set in a not so distant past. It follows The Shopkeeper, a bookseller and reluctant matchmaker. Helping others find love through books comes easily for The Shopkeeper, until it is time for her to find love for herself.
She secretly yearns for her first customer, ME, who took both her most prized book and a piece of her heart when he left. But just when she begins to lose hope, she discovers that she may hold the key to her own happily ever after as well.
Real life Shopkeeper and author Jeannine A. Cook has conjured a magical story that is a book within a book within a book. Soon, readers will find themselves falling under the same love spell as her customers and characters. In this magical bookshop where the line between fiction and reality blurs, stories and real life intertwine in an enchanting and moving narrative about human connection, the power of storytelling, and the spirit of love.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 23, 2025
26 people are currently reading
7324 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
September 24, 2025
I was a bit confused at the beginning of this books but by the end I loved the main character, her sister, and the other cast of characters. I think The Shopkeeper represents us anxious people who need reminders to ground ourselves. Everyone needs reminders to come home to themselves. There are a lot of metaphorical antidotes in this book and I love it.
December 13, 2025
Very weird little book about a bookshop owner who cannot stand to be touched. Intriguing, though.
September 25, 2025
Book Tour Book/ Overall Story: 3/5
Audiobook/ Narration: 4/5
A book that’s as endearing as it is tender and hopeful. Cook’s writing and story telling is lyrical and bold. She manages to captivate with vivid characters and the perfect balance of humor, romance, and magic. I recommend this one for my literary fiction romance readers who enjoy layered stories with heart, magic, and talented prose.
Audiobook/ Narration: 4/5
A book that’s as endearing as it is tender and hopeful. Cook’s writing and story telling is lyrical and bold. She manages to captivate with vivid characters and the perfect balance of humor, romance, and magic. I recommend this one for my literary fiction romance readers who enjoy layered stories with heart, magic, and talented prose.
June 19, 2025
I’m blown away with this one. Since it doesn’t come out for a while I’m holding on doing a full review until the pub date comes a bit closer to avoid giving spoilers but I am obsessed with this book. The writing style is beautiful, I’m laughing, the character is incredibly relatable, the pacing is wonderful, the cover is gorgeous… I need it on my shelf the second it comes out.
Full review below. I did my best to avoid spoilers while giving a general summary as well.
This book was like a self-care package wrapped in pages with some humor mixed in and just enough plot and just enough high steaks. It was cozy yet also Stressful.
I really related to the main characters aversion to the general public, and I thought that many of her character traits were quite relatable.
This book is quite unique and the way that it’s written in the way that there’s humor thrown in and the writing style and I loved every moment of it and I would heavily recommend it.
I loved how much the book mimicked the authors real life a bit too!
The characters came to life, the writing is spectacular and everyone needs to read this one! This book stayed with me.
Thank you so much for the eARC. I am leaving this honest feedback voluntarily.
Full review below. I did my best to avoid spoilers while giving a general summary as well.
This book was like a self-care package wrapped in pages with some humor mixed in and just enough plot and just enough high steaks. It was cozy yet also Stressful.
I really related to the main characters aversion to the general public, and I thought that many of her character traits were quite relatable.
This book is quite unique and the way that it’s written in the way that there’s humor thrown in and the writing style and I loved every moment of it and I would heavily recommend it.
I loved how much the book mimicked the authors real life a bit too!
The characters came to life, the writing is spectacular and everyone needs to read this one! This book stayed with me.
Thank you so much for the eARC. I am leaving this honest feedback voluntarily.
September 17, 2025
This book sounded really interesting and I did like parts of it but overall I found it kind of all over the place and distinguishing between the bookseller and the shopkeeper got confusing at times. There was a magical realism element, some matchmaking, a therapy group side story (which I did like a lot) but while good on audio it just wasn't a book for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review.
CW: blind side character
CW: blind side character
August 20, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
The synopsis hooked me — “a magical world where a bookseller becomes a reluctant matchmaker, bringing soulmates together through books” — and I truly thought I’d fall in love with the story. But for some reason, I just couldn’t connect with the characters, the storyline, or even the writing style the way I hoped to.
Overall, it was a creative premise that didn’t quite click for me personally.
Thank you once again for the e-ARC!
The synopsis hooked me — “a magical world where a bookseller becomes a reluctant matchmaker, bringing soulmates together through books” — and I truly thought I’d fall in love with the story. But for some reason, I just couldn’t connect with the characters, the storyline, or even the writing style the way I hoped to.
Overall, it was a creative premise that didn’t quite click for me personally.
Thank you once again for the e-ARC!
September 24, 2025
I will say that this story was a very spellbinding tale filled with exciting adventure and wonderful character. I will say I like the idea of a book seller also dabbling in the practice of matchmaking. However when you think about it a book seller would have a very good chance at being a good matchmaker since usually they match books with people's interests.
Overall this was my first time reading a book by Ms. Cook. I wilk say that I was very impressed and I will have to check out more of her books in the future.
Overall this was my first time reading a book by Ms. Cook. I wilk say that I was very impressed and I will have to check out more of her books in the future.
November 2, 2025
It was an interesting book. It gives me something I would have to read for school vibes. Listening to it was difficult but actually reading it was a bit easier so I could flip back and forth to keep it straight. I didn’t care for the cussing but I appreciate that the sexual parts were done tastefully and not graphic, but enough that you get the point.
This book was interesting enough for me to want to continue even though I didn’t completely follow at first.
If I were to give this book a rating it would be PG-13 for some sexual content and for the cussing and some adult themes.
This book was interesting enough for me to want to continue even though I didn’t completely follow at first.
If I were to give this book a rating it would be PG-13 for some sexual content and for the cussing and some adult themes.
August 4, 2025
3.75 Stars
ARC Received: NetGalley - Amistad
Publication Date: September 23, 2025
Set in a dreamy, bookshop-shaped love letter to Philadelphia, this story follows a Shopkeeper with a gift for matching others through the magic of literature, but struggles to find her own ending. I loved the Philly flavor, the references, the vibe. The writing feels like walking through a poem: rich, smooth, and soaked in yearning.
But at times, I felt like I was wandering through the streets without a map, so much was happening, and yet nothing at all. A story within a story within a story (which I usually love, so not a negative in my book), but somewhere in the nesting, I lost a bit of the heart-beat pacing I craved.
Still, for book lovers, romantic dreamers, and those who enjoy symbolism, atmospheric tales, this one is more than worth stepping into. 💫📚🧡
ARC Received: NetGalley - Amistad
Publication Date: September 23, 2025
Set in a dreamy, bookshop-shaped love letter to Philadelphia, this story follows a Shopkeeper with a gift for matching others through the magic of literature, but struggles to find her own ending. I loved the Philly flavor, the references, the vibe. The writing feels like walking through a poem: rich, smooth, and soaked in yearning.
But at times, I felt like I was wandering through the streets without a map, so much was happening, and yet nothing at all. A story within a story within a story (which I usually love, so not a negative in my book), but somewhere in the nesting, I lost a bit of the heart-beat pacing I craved.
Still, for book lovers, romantic dreamers, and those who enjoy symbolism, atmospheric tales, this one is more than worth stepping into. 💫📚🧡
December 1, 2025
"The path with no beginning is worth beginning."
I cheered on the Shopkeeper as she goes on an introspective journey while opening up her new bookshop in the midst of dealing with the immense fear and dislike of physical touch.
The Shopkeeper's growth by the end really made this story.
As the author put it, this book is indeed "genre fluid" as it contains elements of romance, historical fiction and magical realism, making it a very quirky read.
I cheered on the Shopkeeper as she goes on an introspective journey while opening up her new bookshop in the midst of dealing with the immense fear and dislike of physical touch.
The Shopkeeper's growth by the end really made this story.
As the author put it, this book is indeed "genre fluid" as it contains elements of romance, historical fiction and magical realism, making it a very quirky read.
Read
October 31, 2025I had a hard time figuring this one out, and I found myself more confused- could be my state of mind d right now.
October 23, 2025
Not going to lie I was confused for a big portion of the book, but I think I need to sit with this one to figure it out
September 12, 2025
did not like at all. it was weird, hard to follow and just didn't make sense. not a fan at all. I still am not even sure what it was about.
October 4, 2025
This tome is a manifesto disguised as memoir, a collection of narratives that interweave the personal with the political, the intimate with the collective, the act of storytelling itself with the responsibility of leadership. Cook, known as the founder of Harriett’s Bookshop in Philadelphia, writes from the vantage point of a Black woman entrepreneur, community organizer, and cultural worker. Her prose is incandescent with urgency, rooted in lived experience, and always conscious of the larger forces that shape individual destinies.
The book unfolds as a series of interlinked reflections: on the history of Black women’s leadership, on the legacies of figures like Harriet Tubman and Audre Lorde, on the challenges of sustaining community spaces in a world that commodifies everything. Yet Cook resists the temptation to position herself as a solitary hero. Instead, she frames leadership as relational, collective, inseparable from those who “follow.” The title itself is a provocation—what does it mean to be followed, and what responsibilities does that impose? Cook insists that to be followed is not merely to lead but to serve, to be accountable, to keep faith with the communities who place their trust in you.
Stylistically, the book is fluid, moving between memoir, essay, and poetry. Cook’s voice is unapologetically lyrical, rich with repetition and rhythm, echoing the oral traditions from which she draws strength. This is not academic theory but lived theory, storytelling as praxis. The effect is electrifying: the reader feels pulled into a conversation, into a circle, into a history that is both deeply personal and profoundly collective.
At the same time, Cook does not shy away from vulnerability. She writes candidly about exhaustion, doubt, the emotional labor of constantly being “the one they follow.” Her honesty about burnout and imperfection makes the book all the more compelling, challenging the myth of the invulnerable leader. In her world, leadership is not about dominance but about radical transparency, about the courage to admit limits, about the insistence that community care must include the leader herself.
In the context of contemporary literature on leadership and activism, It’s Me They Follow stands apart. Where many texts offer abstract frameworks or managerial strategies, Cook offers narrative flesh and blood. Where others might center charismatic individuals, she insists on collectivity. The book feels in conversation with works like adrienne maree brown’s Emergent Strategy or bell hooks’ Teaching to Transgress—texts that blur the line between personal testimony and political vision.
For today’s readers, especially those engaged in activism or community building, Cook’s work is both a mirror and a guide. It challenges us to rethink what we expect from leaders and what we owe them in return. It suggests that leadership is not a ladder but a web, not a destination but a relationship. Above all, it embodies the radical potential of storytelling as a tool for liberation.
The book unfolds as a series of interlinked reflections: on the history of Black women’s leadership, on the legacies of figures like Harriet Tubman and Audre Lorde, on the challenges of sustaining community spaces in a world that commodifies everything. Yet Cook resists the temptation to position herself as a solitary hero. Instead, she frames leadership as relational, collective, inseparable from those who “follow.” The title itself is a provocation—what does it mean to be followed, and what responsibilities does that impose? Cook insists that to be followed is not merely to lead but to serve, to be accountable, to keep faith with the communities who place their trust in you.
Stylistically, the book is fluid, moving between memoir, essay, and poetry. Cook’s voice is unapologetically lyrical, rich with repetition and rhythm, echoing the oral traditions from which she draws strength. This is not academic theory but lived theory, storytelling as praxis. The effect is electrifying: the reader feels pulled into a conversation, into a circle, into a history that is both deeply personal and profoundly collective.
At the same time, Cook does not shy away from vulnerability. She writes candidly about exhaustion, doubt, the emotional labor of constantly being “the one they follow.” Her honesty about burnout and imperfection makes the book all the more compelling, challenging the myth of the invulnerable leader. In her world, leadership is not about dominance but about radical transparency, about the courage to admit limits, about the insistence that community care must include the leader herself.
In the context of contemporary literature on leadership and activism, It’s Me They Follow stands apart. Where many texts offer abstract frameworks or managerial strategies, Cook offers narrative flesh and blood. Where others might center charismatic individuals, she insists on collectivity. The book feels in conversation with works like adrienne maree brown’s Emergent Strategy or bell hooks’ Teaching to Transgress—texts that blur the line between personal testimony and political vision.
For today’s readers, especially those engaged in activism or community building, Cook’s work is both a mirror and a guide. It challenges us to rethink what we expect from leaders and what we owe them in return. It suggests that leadership is not a ladder but a web, not a destination but a relationship. Above all, it embodies the radical potential of storytelling as a tool for liberation.
November 11, 2025
A bookseller with a fear of touch. A missing soulmate. A self-published book that keeps reappearing.
This story reads like a dream—whimsical, symbolic, and quietly haunting. The Shopkeeper prepares to open her enchanted bookstore, helping others find love even as her own heart aches for ME, the monk-in-training who vanished with her words and a piece of her soul.
Some threads didn’t connect until the very end, and even then, a few felt more metaphor than narrative. But that’s part of its magic. The characters—The Shopkeeper, ME, Elle, the Good Doctor—aren’t just named, they’re felt. ME embodies longing and unfinished connection. Elle offers grounding love. The Good Doctor mirrors the Shopkeeper’s inner world, guiding her toward truth and vulnerability.
The Shopkeeper’s fear of touch echoes the quiet ache of haphephobia—a longing for closeness wrapped in protective distance. Her physical aversion becomes a metaphor for emotional walls. Yet through Elle’s love, the Good Doctor’s insight, and ME’s lingering imprint, she begins to unlearn that fear. Vulnerability becomes her quiet rebellion.
💛”I built this shop for love. Not just the romantic kind, but the kind that lingers in pages and people.”
This line anchors the story’s heart. The bookstore isn’t just a setting—it’s a metaphor for belonging. Though the idea that soulmates find each other through stories is more suggested than shown, the sentiment lingers:
📚 Books are bridges to belonging.
They don’t just entertain—they guide us home.
This story reads like a dream—whimsical, symbolic, and quietly haunting. The Shopkeeper prepares to open her enchanted bookstore, helping others find love even as her own heart aches for ME, the monk-in-training who vanished with her words and a piece of her soul.
Some threads didn’t connect until the very end, and even then, a few felt more metaphor than narrative. But that’s part of its magic. The characters—The Shopkeeper, ME, Elle, the Good Doctor—aren’t just named, they’re felt. ME embodies longing and unfinished connection. Elle offers grounding love. The Good Doctor mirrors the Shopkeeper’s inner world, guiding her toward truth and vulnerability.
The Shopkeeper’s fear of touch echoes the quiet ache of haphephobia—a longing for closeness wrapped in protective distance. Her physical aversion becomes a metaphor for emotional walls. Yet through Elle’s love, the Good Doctor’s insight, and ME’s lingering imprint, she begins to unlearn that fear. Vulnerability becomes her quiet rebellion.
💛”I built this shop for love. Not just the romantic kind, but the kind that lingers in pages and people.”
This line anchors the story’s heart. The bookstore isn’t just a setting—it’s a metaphor for belonging. Though the idea that soulmates find each other through stories is more suggested than shown, the sentiment lingers:
📚 Books are bridges to belonging.
They don’t just entertain—they guide us home.
July 26, 2025
This book really caught me off guard…. I went in thinking it might be a sweet, slightly quirky love story with a bit of magical realism… and what I got was something so much more tender, emotional, and unexpected.
It’s not your typical romance. It’s quiet, thoughtful, and full of layers. The main character — known only as The Shopkeeper — runs a bookstore in Philly and has this beautiful way of matching people with books and soulmates, even though she’s never experienced that kind of connection herself. She’s never even been kissed, and she lives with a deep fear of being touched. And then someone walks into her life who seems just as untouchable… and maybe just as magical.
The writing is unlike anything I’ve read before — lyrical, a little surreal at times, and completely original. It felt like stepping into someone’s inner world, where books, love, grief, and hope all swirl together.
I honestly don’t even know how to fully describe this one — it’s soft and strange and brave and just different…. It made me feel a little bit more open, a little more tender toward the world.
Massive thanks to NetGalley & Amistad for the ARC. I’m really glad this book found me when it did.
It’s not your typical romance. It’s quiet, thoughtful, and full of layers. The main character — known only as The Shopkeeper — runs a bookstore in Philly and has this beautiful way of matching people with books and soulmates, even though she’s never experienced that kind of connection herself. She’s never even been kissed, and she lives with a deep fear of being touched. And then someone walks into her life who seems just as untouchable… and maybe just as magical.
The writing is unlike anything I’ve read before — lyrical, a little surreal at times, and completely original. It felt like stepping into someone’s inner world, where books, love, grief, and hope all swirl together.
I honestly don’t even know how to fully describe this one — it’s soft and strange and brave and just different…. It made me feel a little bit more open, a little more tender toward the world.
Massive thanks to NetGalley & Amistad for the ARC. I’m really glad this book found me when it did.
September 29, 2025
Tropes:
Found family
Magical realism
Matchmaker heroine
Slow burn romance
Epistolary elements (letters)
Self-discovery journey
Unattainable love interest
Bookshop setting
This book is giving major magic bookshop vibes with a side of emotional rollercoaster. The story follows The Shopkeeper, a low-key emotional loner dodging social anxiety while matching strangers and pining after a mysterious monk called ME. Okay, the names are weird at first, but trust, it starts making sense as the magical realism kicks in and reality gets blurry.
The writing is layered, quirky, and occasionally surreal. Everyone’s got issues, but that’s relatable, right? It’s witty and deep at the same time—even the bookshop is basically half mystical, half cozy hangout. The Shopkeeper’s “touch phobia” and the struggle to build a life while hiding behind stacks of books feel super real 100% introvert representation, but with lots of slow-burning growth.
It’s the kind of book you finish and immediately need to DM someone about. Letters between sisters, found family feels, creative writing group therapy, and blurry lines between “just friends” and something more keep things spicy. If you’re into unconventional romance, self-discovery, and books-about-books, definitely add this to the TBR.
Found family
Magical realism
Matchmaker heroine
Slow burn romance
Epistolary elements (letters)
Self-discovery journey
Unattainable love interest
Bookshop setting
This book is giving major magic bookshop vibes with a side of emotional rollercoaster. The story follows The Shopkeeper, a low-key emotional loner dodging social anxiety while matching strangers and pining after a mysterious monk called ME. Okay, the names are weird at first, but trust, it starts making sense as the magical realism kicks in and reality gets blurry.
The writing is layered, quirky, and occasionally surreal. Everyone’s got issues, but that’s relatable, right? It’s witty and deep at the same time—even the bookshop is basically half mystical, half cozy hangout. The Shopkeeper’s “touch phobia” and the struggle to build a life while hiding behind stacks of books feel super real 100% introvert representation, but with lots of slow-burning growth.
It’s the kind of book you finish and immediately need to DM someone about. Letters between sisters, found family feels, creative writing group therapy, and blurry lines between “just friends” and something more keep things spicy. If you’re into unconventional romance, self-discovery, and books-about-books, definitely add this to the TBR.
September 26, 2025
I don’t know if I have ever read a book quite like this. It was a little hard at first to find my stride in figuring out what was happening in the beginning. My main struggle was with the character names, but it makes sense the more you read. This book was part funny, part therapeutic, with romantic undertones. Full of spellbinding magical realism. Some of my favorite parts of the book were the letters between the sisters, and the creative writing group. Other themes include opening a book shop and fear of failure, social anxiety, and found family. This author’s writing is lyrical and layered which I enjoyed. This book is short, but don’t let that fool you it requires a level of deep thought and imagination. Here’s a few quotes from the book that i enjoyed:
“But like yourself, he has a lot of…issues. Who you love is always a reflection of you.”
“The path with no beginning is worth beginning.”
“Sometime touch is about the ability to let someone feel you from the inside out.”
I recommend this book for lovers of A love Song for Ricki Wilde, Ghost of Gwendolyn Montgomery, and The Alchemist.
“But like yourself, he has a lot of…issues. Who you love is always a reflection of you.”
“The path with no beginning is worth beginning.”
“Sometime touch is about the ability to let someone feel you from the inside out.”
I recommend this book for lovers of A love Song for Ricki Wilde, Ghost of Gwendolyn Montgomery, and The Alchemist.
October 5, 2025
“Stories are what hold their family together.”
What seized me first in It’s Me They Follow was the writing style. It grabbed me and never let me go, made me travel by itself. The story is special, a bit like drawers you open, with quite different contents but that, in the end, draw a bigger picture. We follow the Shopkeeper —that fourt-ish years old character who wants to open a bookstore but dreads physical contact— along her journey though sisterhood, group therapy, love, and even maybe friendship. The “drawers” open and transform into stories, a (road)trip to self-discovery, self appreciation and confidence.
If you are looking for a romance, it might not be the right one. The romance here is more metaphorical than anything else, and the main lesson might be that to grow and being able to love, you have to love yourself first —and take charge of yourself. But if you want a light book (even though it addresses deeper subjects like childhood traumas), that will make you grow as a person, then you should definitely try this one.
Thank you to the author, Harper Collins and Colored Pages PR for the access to the eARC on NetGalley. My opinions are my own.
What seized me first in It’s Me They Follow was the writing style. It grabbed me and never let me go, made me travel by itself. The story is special, a bit like drawers you open, with quite different contents but that, in the end, draw a bigger picture. We follow the Shopkeeper —that fourt-ish years old character who wants to open a bookstore but dreads physical contact— along her journey though sisterhood, group therapy, love, and even maybe friendship. The “drawers” open and transform into stories, a (road)trip to self-discovery, self appreciation and confidence.
If you are looking for a romance, it might not be the right one. The romance here is more metaphorical than anything else, and the main lesson might be that to grow and being able to love, you have to love yourself first —and take charge of yourself. But if you want a light book (even though it addresses deeper subjects like childhood traumas), that will make you grow as a person, then you should definitely try this one.
Thank you to the author, Harper Collins and Colored Pages PR for the access to the eARC on NetGalley. My opinions are my own.
August 21, 2025
A fairytale love story for those who don't believe in fairytales or love. It's Me They Follow isn't your usual romance novel. In fact, it doesn't feel very romantic to start but Cook's writing captures you from the very first page and takes you on a whimsical journey that you can't help but fall in love with. The way the book is written, the pacing, and the whimsical "book-within-a-book" element of this book reminds me of the french film Amelie. This book has a very cinematic element to it that I think will translate well into film.
But the love story that is maybe not a love story but a story you can't help but wish for it to be a love story anyway... very relatable. The author does a great job at capturing and conveying the friends to crushes to lovers phases that quirky Black women experience. All in all this was an enjoyable and easy read. This is a piece of art that I can see inspiring artists in other art forms as well and I can't wait to see their interpretations of this work.
Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC!
But the love story that is maybe not a love story but a story you can't help but wish for it to be a love story anyway... very relatable. The author does a great job at capturing and conveying the friends to crushes to lovers phases that quirky Black women experience. All in all this was an enjoyable and easy read. This is a piece of art that I can see inspiring artists in other art forms as well and I can't wait to see their interpretations of this work.
Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC!
September 23, 2025
Rating - 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Date Read - September 5, 2025
Publication Date - Available Today!
*I received a finished copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review* - Thank you @itsmetheyfollow, @coloredpagesbt, @amistadbooks and @netgalley!
It's Me They Follow is a unique literary fiction book about books but it is so much more than that. It has a focus on self-discovery and self-love with many great lessons and messages about grief and connection. The book even has some approaches or exercises that you can try... with or without some modifications depending on how daring you would like to be. The writing style is just as unique as the book itself, it took me a little while to get used to but it fits the story. This story shows that when change happens inside of you, change also starts happening around you. As someone who has been going through what feels like endless change this year, this book really resonated with me. It’s Me They Follow makes you think and demonstrates how the line between fiction and reality isn't always easy to determine. I definitely had to sit and think and process in silence for a little while once I finished reading. If you like books about books and books that make you think, you should try It’s Me They Follow!
Get excited to read It's Me They Follow, available now! 🎉
*Please check trigger warnings*
Date Read - September 5, 2025
Publication Date - Available Today!
*I received a finished copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review* - Thank you @itsmetheyfollow, @coloredpagesbt, @amistadbooks and @netgalley!
It's Me They Follow is a unique literary fiction book about books but it is so much more than that. It has a focus on self-discovery and self-love with many great lessons and messages about grief and connection. The book even has some approaches or exercises that you can try... with or without some modifications depending on how daring you would like to be. The writing style is just as unique as the book itself, it took me a little while to get used to but it fits the story. This story shows that when change happens inside of you, change also starts happening around you. As someone who has been going through what feels like endless change this year, this book really resonated with me. It’s Me They Follow makes you think and demonstrates how the line between fiction and reality isn't always easy to determine. I definitely had to sit and think and process in silence for a little while once I finished reading. If you like books about books and books that make you think, you should try It’s Me They Follow!
Get excited to read It's Me They Follow, available now! 🎉
*Please check trigger warnings*
September 18, 2025
Finished the book last night...
in love at that dedication! To the fool and the magician.
It was like an endless cup of chai- heavy scented and surprising with a heat that warms ur heart n cools ur head.
i love the compassion for so many complex ppl along their journey. Like the Alchemist, it brewed compassion within me.
I love how layers of philly are woven into the pages...musoc, authors, places, communities, shops. It simmered under ever scene ..popping up in the most surprising ways - from Sonia to Jill to Will then..ever and always- back to Harriet and the Land of Fishtown . Definitively displays the beautuly, resiliance and endless creativity in the Touched..in the ones who answer the call that echo from the ancestors. Get chu a few n pass them around! Be ready to meet ur best self at the end.
in love at that dedication! To the fool and the magician.
It was like an endless cup of chai- heavy scented and surprising with a heat that warms ur heart n cools ur head.
i love the compassion for so many complex ppl along their journey. Like the Alchemist, it brewed compassion within me.
I love how layers of philly are woven into the pages...musoc, authors, places, communities, shops. It simmered under ever scene ..popping up in the most surprising ways - from Sonia to Jill to Will then..ever and always- back to Harriet and the Land of Fishtown . Definitively displays the beautuly, resiliance and endless creativity in the Touched..in the ones who answer the call that echo from the ancestors. Get chu a few n pass them around! Be ready to meet ur best self at the end.
September 22, 2025
From the beginning of this book I was held captive by this love story waiting to unfold ! The characters were so relatable. As I read all I could think of not wanting this book to end . The author draws you into thoughts of your own world and life ! The book is thought provoking. I did not want the book to end ! I want to know when part two will come? I have not read a book that captures the true essence of two different people yet two people connected in such a way that allows you the reader an opportunity to look outside of your self to find friendship and love! A love that transcends into a higher dept ! If you are looking for a good read this is your book! Share a copy with friends to explore who you really are! Thanks to the author for sharing this story with us! Until next time !!!!!
September 29, 2025
This magical realism book follows the story of The Shopkeeper, who is preparing to open a bookstore and her relationship with ME, a monk in training.
It did not start with a bang but rather with some confusion and the beginning was all over the place.
But when it picked up pace, it was engaging.
The book is rather unique with the way it portrayed The Shopkeeper and her haphephobia and how she deals with the people she comes in contact with.
There are many layers to this book- the discovery of one’s self, therapy, magical realism and the romance.
I enjoyed the brevity, uniqueness of the plot and the author’s writing style which was very direct. I loved the letters between the sisters. The writing group was a vibe on its own and I enjoyed their interactions.
Fans of magical realism will enjoy this.
It did not start with a bang but rather with some confusion and the beginning was all over the place.
But when it picked up pace, it was engaging.
The book is rather unique with the way it portrayed The Shopkeeper and her haphephobia and how she deals with the people she comes in contact with.
There are many layers to this book- the discovery of one’s self, therapy, magical realism and the romance.
I enjoyed the brevity, uniqueness of the plot and the author’s writing style which was very direct. I loved the letters between the sisters. The writing group was a vibe on its own and I enjoyed their interactions.
Fans of magical realism will enjoy this.
October 23, 2025
Imagine the works of Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, and Gloria Naylor interspersed with the poetics of Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, and Gwendolyn Brooks, plus they’re all interconnected to the voice of Sonia Sanchez and the spirit of Harriett Tubman, added to your own experience of growing up as a Philly Jawn—Black and Woman—navigating love and struggle, and then you will know what it is to read “It’s Me They Follow” by Jeannine A. Cook. Rather than linear storylines, I absorbed this date and time-stamped tale as a fictitious prequel to her forthcoming memoir; more like watching an eight episodic series that I paused each time the magical realism somehow resonated with my own life in the moment or in reflection of a past remembrance. If you believe in artistic license and that creativity is an ancestral gift, you’ll appreciate the story of ME (not me).
July 27, 2025
I really wanted to fall in love with this book, especially because the themes are ones that usually pull me in fast. And while Jeannine A. Cook’s writing is rich and poetic, I found myself feeling a bit adrift. The structure felt more like scattered reflections than a cohesive story, and by 29%, I was still waiting for it to anchor me emotionally.
I loved the letters between the sisters, there were beautiful lines that made me pause and I even highlighted a couple that made me think “DEEP” (lol I loved when the MMC said this).
Overall, it just wasn’t the right book for me right now. I might revisit it someday when the timing is better, but for now, I’m setting it aside. I am still grateful I was able to read this e-ARC off the ‘Read Now’ section on NetGalley!
I loved the letters between the sisters, there were beautiful lines that made me pause and I even highlighted a couple that made me think “DEEP” (lol I loved when the MMC said this).
Overall, it just wasn’t the right book for me right now. I might revisit it someday when the timing is better, but for now, I’m setting it aside. I am still grateful I was able to read this e-ARC off the ‘Read Now’ section on NetGalley!
September 21, 2025
Have been looking forward to this one. The author is a bedrock for young writers in Philly.
I wasn't sure what to expect from the blurb.
Upon starting, I was charmed by the author's turns of phrase. I imagine she would be amazing at the MOTH.
Initially, I didn't consider the date-stamped chapters, but it definitely made sense as the story took shape.
I enjoyed the format changes and perspective changes: third person narrative for a few characters, letters between sisters, some poetry smattered in.
Magical realism definitely applies.
I had to force myself to pause while reading, think about what I'd read, and then go back. I found it totally engaging.
I wasn't sure what to expect from the blurb.
Upon starting, I was charmed by the author's turns of phrase. I imagine she would be amazing at the MOTH.
Initially, I didn't consider the date-stamped chapters, but it definitely made sense as the story took shape.
I enjoyed the format changes and perspective changes: third person narrative for a few characters, letters between sisters, some poetry smattered in.
Magical realism definitely applies.
I had to force myself to pause while reading, think about what I'd read, and then go back. I found it totally engaging.
October 6, 2025
I won a copy of this book from Goodreads— yay, Goodreads!!
4.5⭐️ rounded up. Terrific storytelling with some ambiguity on what is real, what is not. Loved the protagonist, a complex, somewhat frustrating woman who is not broken but flawed. I rooted for her, was intrigued by her writing group, curious about her family, a love interest. Many interesting layers to the story, told in a way that kept me invested.
The title initially made me think, sarcastically, Great-a story about a frigging influencer! (Even my husband read the title and thought clicks on social media) But the title is part of an amazing poem within the story. Don’t be deterred- read this book!
4.5⭐️ rounded up. Terrific storytelling with some ambiguity on what is real, what is not. Loved the protagonist, a complex, somewhat frustrating woman who is not broken but flawed. I rooted for her, was intrigued by her writing group, curious about her family, a love interest. Many interesting layers to the story, told in a way that kept me invested.
The title initially made me think, sarcastically, Great-a story about a frigging influencer! (Even my husband read the title and thought clicks on social media) But the title is part of an amazing poem within the story. Don’t be deterred- read this book!
September 20, 2025
This book is a love letter to the magicians, lovers and dreamers. Philadelphia as a canvas brilliantly weaves the culture, history and lived experiences. It is beautifully layered in how the reader can find a bit of themselves in each character. As the mystery and love story unravel to revel how to come home to yourself, you fall in love with how the book can map a path for you as the reader to find your own way home. A sweet song of surrender to your wildest dreams and the magic you possess in making it so!
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