The Next Chapter Bookshop

Leafwood Falls #1

by Brooke Skie

Every book in the Leafwood Falls series can be read as a standalone.

When Manhattan attorney Charlie Whitmore inherits her aunt’s century-old bookshop in the small town of Leafwood Falls, she plans to stay just long enough to settle the estate. The Oak & Ink Bookshop has always been beloved by locals for its uncanny habit of placing exactly the right story into a reader’s hands… but Charlie isn’t here for charm or magic. She’s here to get back to her high-powered life.

Except nothing in Leafwood Falls goes to plan.

There’s Hemingway, the opinionated orange cat with impeccable literary taste.
There’s the shop itself, with its creaky floors, shifting shelves, and quiet hints of something more.
And there’s the community, warm, welcoming, and far too easy to fall for.

As Charlie uncovers her aunt’s secrets and settles into the rhythm of small-town life, she finds herself drawn into a world she never expected… and to two very different men. Lawrence, a polished developer who represents the life she’s always known. And Ethan, the steady local contractor whose quiet reliability feels like home.

With her heart opening in ways she never planned, Charlie must choose between the future she built, and the one that’s quietly building itself around her.

Perfect for fans of The Bookshop on the Corner, The Lost and Found Bookshop, and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.
A cozy, feel-good story about second chances, unexpected connections, and the magic that happens when you let yourself belong.

What readers are saying
“You pick the book up just to read a few pages and then BAM! you can't put it down!” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
“It is a beautiful book!” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
“Superb writing that keeps you engaged, and a wonderful, creative premise and story line.” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
“I kind of wish I could find a bookshop that has this much happiness” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
“If you like books, bookstores (and of course bookshop cats) then this is the perfect 5 star read for you.” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
“Oh my goodness this was wonderful. The Next Chapter Bookshop is a proper warm hug of a book.” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
“Unexpected, sweet, nostalgic, tender, and a mystery within these pages. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
“What an amazing book!! I could hardly put it down. Loved everything about it.” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
“I really loved this book from the first couple of pages to where I really did not want it to end.” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
“Fantastic. Such wit. If you love books…. This is a great read! I highly recommend reading this book.” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Genres: Romance, Autumn, Cozy, Fiction, Books About Books, Cozy Romance, Family

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 8, 2025

Reviews

[Cozybooklady]

Heartwarming story

I enjoyed reading this book and meeting the different characters. The story was well written and had just enough mystery and intrigue to keep me reading.

[Diana]

3.35 ☆ - A lovely read for book lovers, with a touch of magic ♡

[Katelyn Adams]

This book gives ALL the fall, cozy feels. Seriously, grab a mug and a cozy blanket and get comfy because you're going to devour this book.

"But beth added more bookshelves (of course), a new reading chair by the window, and an impressive collection of teapots arranged on open shelving like ceramic trophies from the World Champianship of Cozy." Have you ever read a cozier scentence?

The characters in this story are all super lovable and familiar in a way like you just met someone for the 1st time but feel like you've known them forever. Though Mia with her 90s quirkiness and quick wit is my favorite, and of course Hemingway the shop cat.

This book didn't mean to bring in the nostalgia, but I think because it's set in a small Vermont town in a bookshop I just felt my 90s childhood the whole way through.

The romance throughtout is perfectly simple. It's very Hallmark in the sense of like 'they don't kiss till the end' but in the best way possible.

I can't wait to read the rest of this series! They're the perfect fall read.

[Shannon]

I loved this book soooooo much. Had me laughing, in awe and crying with how cute it was. I had a blast reading this!

[Megan]

Cosy, clean, and inclusive, it’s a book that finds the right balance between fluff and substance, with a dash of romantic intrigue. Well written and makes the reader want to be a part of this cosy autumnal town and otherworldly bookstore. I don’t ever aim for “clean” books but I quite enjoyed this and will be recommending it to my mom!

[Taylor Gevaert]

I found myself doing everything, anything else, to not read this book. DNF 28%
The author has an obsession with metaphors. There is at least 2 on every single page.
I wanted to love this….but I think I need the bookshops help finding a better book, because this was just not it.

[niki lipsky]

im a suck for small town bookshop stories. and with magic. I loved this

[Emmy Hendry]

4.5 ✨ loved every second of this cozy escape!

[Adrianna]

i love a book about books. it’s giving hallmark vibes but was super cute and a cozy read

[Kate]

4.5 ⭐️ 🎧

[Katie Miller]

This was adorable with fantastic writing style. The one-liners from Mia? Absolute chef’s kiss. They had me laughing out loud and wanting to continue to flip the page. The first half of the book, I devoured, but the second half was slow. I wish there was a little more of the fall vibes sprinkled in. But such a cute read about the magic of reading ✨

[Laura]

Oh my goodness this was wonderful. The Next Chapter Bookshop is a proper warm hug of a book. I think I smiled the whole time I was reading. I thought the end might make me cry but it just made me smile even bigger.

This is a Gilmore Girls, The Good Witch, Virgin River small town vibes sort of book. I loved everything about it. Hemingway the cat, Mia, Ethan I just loved all the characters.

I absolutely loved my visit to this bookstore and I hope it’s not too long before I get to hear the bell over the door jingle again!

[Amanda]

Book: The Next Chapter Bookshop
Author: Brooke Skie
Stars: 4.5⭐

My Review: The Next Chapter bookshop is a great cosy read. If you love small towns, romances, cats, and a bookshop with its own personality, then this is a book for you.

Side note: I am NOT a cat 🐈 person but this did get me out of my reading funk... Who knows, I might even read the other 3 books in the series ...

@promt
270 pages
Release date: 8 April 2025
Book 1 of 4 Leafwood Falls
Clean & Wholesome Romance | Small Town Romance
3.98 ⭐ on GoodReads

[Kristyn]

warmed my heart

I absolutely loved this book! It was such a cozy read, with more mystery and magic than a hallmark movie ! It seriously made me so happy, and I couldn’t help but keep going back to it for more!

[Ashley Jeffcoat]

I adored this book! Stars Hollow vibes wrapped up with a Hallmark bow and a touch of magic! Mia is hilarious! Highly recommend- I can’t wait to read the other 3 books in the series!

[Kristen]

I enjoyed this cozy mystery/romance story.

This has a number of components I like: there's a determined, smart spunky female main character, there's a slightly magical bookshop, there's a bossy cat and there are a full complement of quirky supporting characters.

I liked Charly and I related to her perspectives and the ways she dealt with the challenges and decisions facing her in this story.

I had this as an audio book from my library for my daily commute to and from work and on other local travel on transit and it perfectly fit the bill and kept me entertained. I plan to ready the next book with Charly's continuing story in Leafwood Falls.

[Gina]

4.5 stars (extra for the cat)

Oops! Blew through this one so fast that it never made it to my currently reading list. This book is the start of a great series. I fell instantly in love with most of the characters, only had a brief moment or two of irritation at Charlie and absolutely loved all the magic elements in this quirky bookshop. I was team Ethan from almost the very beginning. Lawrence was smooth to the point of being greasy and I didn't trust him at all. I wanted to be Mia's bestie because she was hilarious (and big props to the narrator for that accent). So glad this is only book 1 because I am not at all ready to leave this little town. On to the next.....

[Kayleigh]

The Next Chapter Bookshop was a cute cozy, slightly magical read where Charlie inherits her late aunts bookstore, a place where the right book will find you at the right time. As Charlie grapples with whether or not to sell the bookstore and return to her fast paced New York life, she is surrounded with a cast of interesting characters; most likeable Hemingway the cat and least likeable being the bookstore associate who could NOT take a hint.
This was a really easy cozy read and the narrator was well paced and fluid.

[MK O’Malley]

I really liked this book!!! It was fall vibes in a small town which I’m such a sucker for. The author’s writing style reminded me a lot of Lucy Score which I appreciated! I took some stars off because IMO it should’ve been longer so characters could develop more and we could get to know the side characters. That being said if you’re looking for an easy comfort book I’d grab this one!

Overall rating 3.75!

[C]

Quick little read that I LOVED! 🥰

[Angela Chat]

I enjoyed this, enjoyed the FMC and love triangle development, and can’t resist a bookshop setting, especially with a resident cat, who was indirectly, in charge! 😁

[Rochelle Saldaña]

I felt like I stepped into a hallmark movie. I like that kind of thing, so I enjoyed it! Small town. Whimsical bookshop. Grump cat. Romance. I was entertained.

[Maddie]

3.5 stars
Loved the characters but the ending felt a little rushed. Also got a bit repetitive. I didn’t need the plethora of examples of “the mysterious intuition” to get the point across.

[Reading Fury]

What a pleasurable read! Likeable characters, an interesting, complex, yet fun plot, and a conniving kitty. Some minor issues all pertaining to proofreading/editing. In the first quarter or so of the book, there are way too many similes, such as "Victorian houses lined up like beauty pageant contestants" and "Main Street unfolded like a time capsule of small-town Americana." That's just a couple from page 2. Later on we get a two-fer in a single paragraph. Then there's some transposed or missing words, not so many though. One character, Mia, is really fun and I liked her, but if she said half the sexual innuendos in real life, she would have needed a lawyer. By midway, things steadied out.

Hemingway, the opinionated cat, had my full attention and respect from the get go. Charlie's character development and the struggle between hard earned corporate path vs. low key book store owner is presented fairly and in a way that you struggle with her to figure out what is truly best. All said, this is a pretty good entry starting a series. I have already purchased the second in the series.

[Jw]

Audiobook. Chirp. Yuk. It was so poorly written. Many inconsistencies like the cat running out of the store in the late afternoon but the next day she mentions the cat ran out yesterday morning instead of afternoon. Then later even states again that she didn’t even arrive in the town until evening. There were others also. But worse than that, there are seemingly hundreds of “like a…” and “like the … “ comparisons. Drive me crazy. She would describe something then describe a different way in the next sentence. Lots of repetition. Could have been written in 75 pages.could have been a cute story but too amateurish.

[Florence Mitcheltree]

Cat tastic

I just lost my cat last week, unexpectedly. Reading this reminded me so much of my cat it did my heart good. Looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

[Jessica Matey]

Really liking this series with the first book!

[Cara Tavaglione]

The Next Chapter Bookshop by Brooke Skie is a fun, easy read. The main character Charlie Whitmore is a business lawyer on the fast track to becoming a partner in her law firm. That is until Charlie receives news her Aunt Beth passed away and left Charlie her 100 year old bookshop that’s been passed through her family. In order to fully understand her new inheritance and how this all plays into her current life of business dinners, fancy clothes, and law language, Charlie takes a trip to the book shop in the small town of Leafwood Falls, Vermont. As she spends time living in her Aunt’s apartment above the shop and hours learning the ins and outs of the bookstore its self, Charlie begins to feel a slight connection to the books as she remembers being a young girl spending time with her Aunt and all the hours reading in the store’s little nooks. During her unplanned extended stay in Leafwood Falls, Charlie encounters rather interesting “happenings” in the bookshop that she tries to apply logic to explain without much success. While staying in town, she also catches the eye of two very different man, one a representation of her life as a lawyer, while the other sparks a vision of what life could be like as a bookshop owner in a small town. As with most lives, plans change, visions and goals for the future veer in a different direction. Charlie must decide and rather quickly, what she wants out of life, fast paced and money filled, or small town, connection filled.
I did really enjoy this book and would rate it a 7 out of 10. The story line was easy to follow, with some magical/divine (perhaps) interventions throughout the pages. The small town, cozy feel was definitely present at times in the book, however I did not feel as connected to the area as I did when reading the series of books by Laurie Gilmore, which takes place in Dream Harbor. I was also a bit disappointed in the level of realness and connection I felt for Charlie’s character. In the book the Pumpkin Spice Café (also by Laurie Gilmore, which The Next Chapter Bookshop took a close resemblance to) I felt I could be friends with the main character Jeanie. Charlie’s character was hard to warm up to, almost robotic in her thoughts and emotions. I was, however, able to connect with Evan one of the male supporting characters. He had a quiet, calm, warm, safe feel and I found myself hoping Charlie would choose him.
I would recommend this story if you are looking for a fall read with some magic, and a whole lot of books!

[Mills]

I'd pitch this as "the prose of Shy Girl" meets "Laurie Gilmore." Make of that what you will, but... I'm baffled by the book's deceptively high Amazon and GoodReads ratings, given the way it reads.

Unfortunately, had to DNF halfway through.

Some sample quotes to illustrate my point (mostly plucked from before the 5% mark because I realized that if I kept highlighting, my Kindle would run out of space...):

“[…] stopping as if Tuesday mornings were designed for impromptu sidewalk summits.”

"The quiet felt like a weight, pushing against my windows with all the subtle pressure of my mother's hints about grandchildren."

"He sat on the front steps, demolishing a sandwich with criminal intent, wearing a flannel shirt that suggested he'd never heard of business casual. A tool belt rested beside him like a prop department's idea of rugged authenticity."

And my favorites:

“Then he unfolded himself to full height - which was approximately ‘inconvenient’ on the tall scale - gathering his things with the unhurried grace of someone who’d never had to catch a subway” written within 3 pages of “They laughed with the easy familiarity of people who’d never had to fight a stranger for a cab in the rain.”

“Like I belonged to her, or to this place, in some fundamental way I’d forgotten or filed away with other inconvenient truths” a few pages later, a few paragraphs before we get hit with “The tightness in my chest increased like I was developing an inconvenient cardiac condition.”

“His eyes held something that made me feel like I was being read” on the same page as “Something crossed his face, a flash of genuine grief that made me feel like an intruder in my own inheritance.”

[Holly]

I'm a sucker for these cozy small town stories that have that nice Hallmark feel to them and this one fit that mold perfectly with a little unexplained "coincidences" thrown in.
Charlie inherits her aunt's bookshop, the Oak & Ink, and thinking she'll be able to quickly put the bookstore's affairs in order, the bookstore has other ideas. This is a shop where the right books find the reader, books fly off shelves, and catastrophes are just a way of life, especially with Hemingway the cat involved and making his feelings known. I really enjoyed the small town of Leafwood Falls, the decision Charlie has to make between keeping the bookshop, selling to a developer, or going back to her corporate lawyer job. I thought each option was explored fairly well, a lot of times with these small town stories, you only hear about the character's previous job, never really see it so I thought that was a nice touch and really gave you a sense for her capabilities in each area of her life.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Hallmark movie if we didn't have the rugged handyman who is one of the love interests and of course small town harvest festivals, but sometimes that's exactly what you need, especially during tough times.
I really enjoyed the magical realism aspects of the bookshop, the coincidences reminded me a lot of the Hallmark movies and series The Good Witch which was nice, nothing obviously magical, just interesting coincidences. It definitely kept my interest throughout and I enjoyed that the romance built slowly and wasn't the main focus of the story, it was more about Charlie rediscovering herself and finding what she wanted in life.