The Next Chapter Bookshop: A heartwarming cozy small town romance with a touch of magic!

Leafwood Falls #1

by Brooke Skie

A heartwarming cozy small town romance with a touch of magic!

What happens when a high-powered attorney inherits a small-town bookshop that seems to have a mind of its own?

Charlie Whitmore has her life perfectly planned out. As a rising star at a prestigious Manhattan law firm, she's on the fast track to partnership, with spreadsheets for everything and a five-year plan that doesn't include any surprises.

Until her beloved Aunt Beth dies and leaves her a small-town bookshop in Vermont.

Oak & Ink Bookshop has stood in the heart of Leafwood Falls for nearly a century, beloved by locals for its uncanny ability to match readers with exactly the right book at exactly the right time. Charlie's plan is assess the shop's value, list it for sale, and return to Manhattan before her corporate career derails.

But Leafwood Falls has other ideas.

Between a cantankerous orange cat named Hemingway with very specific literary opinions, a shop assistant whose organizational system defies all logic, and a community that instantly adopts her as one of their own, Charlie's quick business trip stretches into weeks. And then there's the bookshop itself—with its creaky floors, mysteriously moving books, and secrets hidden within its walls.

As Charlie dives deeper into her aunt's legacy, she finds herself torn between two worlds and two Lawrence, a sophisticated developer with plans to transform the town while preserving its charm, and Ethan, the rugged local contractor whose quiet demeanor hides unexpected depths. One represents the safe, successful future she's always worked toward; the other embodies the authentic connection she didn't know she was missing.

With her carefully constructed life unraveling, Charlie must decide whether she's just passing through—or finally finding her way home. Because in a bookshop where stories have a habit of finding the readers who need them most, perhaps the most surprising story of all is her own.

Perfect for readers who loved THE BOOKSHOP ON THE CORNER, THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP, and THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY. A heartwarming story about second chances, finding your authentic self, and the magic that happens when you open yourself to possibility.

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

270 pages, Paperback

Published April 17, 2025

Reviews

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Katelyn Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[niki lipsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Kayleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick little read that I LOVED! 🥰

[Angela Chat · Rating 4 out of 5]

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! 😁

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Taylor Gevaert · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Florence Mitcheltree · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liking this series with the first book!

[Cara Tavaglione · Rating 3 out of 5]

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!

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

So… this wasn’t as great as I had first anticipated, but it was cute and touching in a hallmark kind of way.

This story follows the FMC, Charlie/Charlotte, who is a big time Manhattan attorney visiting the small town of Leafwood Falls, VT where her late aunt left her a bookshop called Oak & Ink. Charlie is only planning to be there for a week or two, trying to decide whether to keep or sell the bookshop. There, she meets a charming, local handyman named Ethan who helps her with all the shops much needed repairs; Hemingway, a grumpy, orange cat; Mia, the shop’s unconventional assistant with all the comic relief; and Lawrence, a big shot acquisition manager who’s constantly trying to get Charlie to sell the shop and make Oak & Ink into a templated franchise.

The shop itself, has magic: requiring repairs that are relevant, allowing the keepers to provide book recs to customers exactly when they need them, etc.

It was cute and endlessly hilarious (mostly Mia) but there were a few issues. This is obviously a small, indie author and unfortunately, there’s a lottttt of punctuational and grammatical errors that were taking me out of the story at times. It was a little too predictable. Things that didn’t need repeating were repeated a few too many times. And the romance was confusing… since finishing it, I get why it happened how it did but ? The synopsis made it sound like a love triangle and it definitely wasn’t lol.

All in all, this was a super cute, cozy book and I would recommend it 🙂

[Veronica]

Charlie Whitmore arrives in Leafwood Falls expecting one thing: to settle her late aunt’s estate, sell the old bookshop, and return to her fast-paced Manhattan life. But The Oak & Ink Bookshop has other plans.

Between the creaking shelves, the mysterious way books seem to find exactly the right readers, and Hemingway — the delightfully judgmental orange cat who may secretly run the place — Charlie slowly finds herself pulled into the magic of the town she never intended to love.

What made this story so special wasn’t just the romance (though the love triangle absolutely had me invested 👀), but the feeling of comfort woven through every page. The quiet mornings in the shop, the warmth of the community, the bittersweet exploration of grief and belonging — it all felt incredibly cozy and heartfelt.

And Ethan? The steady, dependable contractor with “feels like home” energy? Completely stole my heart. ❤️

This is the kind of story that reminds you life doesn’t always happen according to plan… sometimes the best chapters are the ones you never meant to write.

[Wafa Alobaidat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished The Next Chapter Bookshop on Audible (it’s included in the Plus membership!), and it was exactly what I needed—a warm, cozy escape. I felt like I was taking a step back from the chaos of Hong Kong and entering a little cocoon of small-town bookshop vibes.

The story has all the ingredients I love:
📚 A charming bookshop
❤️ A slow-burn love story
🏡 Small-town community

It gave me that comforting, Emily Henry–adjacent feeling, though I think with a slightly more polished edit and a more modern, eye-catching cover, it could really be marketed alongside books by Emily Henry or Abby Jimenez.

If I had one wish, it would be for the romantic scenes to feel a bit more vivid and engaging—there’s definitely room to turn up the emotional and romantic tension.

Still, I found it cozy, heartfelt, and the perfect book to unwind with. I’d recommend it if you love small-town romances, bookstore settings, and that “curl up with a blanket” kind of read.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd never read anything by this author before, so I didn't know what to expect, but I'm so pleased I chose this book. It's a really great read.

High-powered lawyer in New York, Charlie has to go back to Leafwood Falls to take care of her Aunt Beths' estate. In particular, there's a bookshop called Oak and Ink, which needs to be sold, or so Charlie thinks! Once she's in the bookshop, she realises that not everything is as easy and clear-cut as she thinks.

Hemingway, her Aunts' cat, has something to say about the shop being sold, and he makes his feelings very well known.

The book is about what happens when Charlie decides to give the shop a chance for 2 months. It seems the shop has something to tell her, not only about the books within its walls but about other things too!

Once I'd read a few chapters, I was hooked, and I couldn't put the book down! I can't wait to read the next book in this series...

[Beth Branstetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute book. I’m a sucker for any kind of bookshop book. I would own a bookstore in an alternate life.

I enjoyed the process in which Charlie made the decision about the bookshop. Those are some real life obstacles: choosing between her big time lawyer job or becoming a bookshop keeper. Financial struggles. Love triangle.

I loved the magic of the shop…getting books into the right hands. And honestly, as a cat-hater, I actually really enjoyed Hemingway as a character.

Oh, and Mia! She was a character. I don’t think I would like her in real life, but in this book, she just works. She grew on me.

I finished the book and discovered this is actually a series, so I’m going to keep reading!

Through my Jesus lens: there was some profanity and God’s name in vain. There was mention of a lgbtq book display helping out a kid, but no other mention aside from that. Mia has some wild, provocative ideas. But overall, fairly clean.

[Madge E · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bookshop has a personality!

I loved this book. The characters were interesting. The storyline kept me riveted! Charlie comes to Leafwood Falls because her aunt has died and she has inherited a bookshop. But her life is in New York as a lawyer who also has an MBA. Besides the bookshop is having financial difficulties and needs significant repairs! Lawrence's company, Meridian, has made a substantial offer on the bookshop, and Lawrence is interested in Charlie! But the town's handyman, Ethan, begins making repairs and Mia shows up as assistant shop extraordinaire! Charlie begins to fall in love with the bookshop and the town. It all plays out in a very interesting way. You'll love this book!

[Amy Sturgeon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately with how short this book was, it still took me forever to finish (which could be part my schedule filling up) but mainly the lack of interest captivated.

I really wanted to like this book. I love the bookstore knowing what its readers need & the magic that comes along with that. However, the actual progression of the story just seemed to stay in the same spot until 90% of the book was done.

Also, why tf did we spend SO MUCH time with Lawrence? He clearly only showed interest in Charlie to get her to sign the bookshop away. Idk how the fancy pants in her didn’t see that. There was ZERO scenes between her & Ethan. Like HELLO, THAT’S WHO I / THE CAT / THE BOOKSTORE WANTED YOU WITH THIS WHOLE TIME!!!!

Had so much potential, but fell flat.

[Cozy With Dottie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has such a sweet, heartwarming story at its core. The characters, the setting, and the cozy, small-town atmosphere are all really lovely, the author clearly has a gift for storytelling.

My only struggle was the writing style. Nearly every sentence uses a simile or metaphor to describe something, and after a while it pulled me out of the story instead of bringing me deeper into it. The story is strong enough on its own without all the extra comparisons, and I would have connected even more with the characters if the prose were a little more grounded.

I truly think the author has so much talent, and this book would shine even brighter if the figurative language was used more intentionally. I hope the next books lean into the natural strength of her storytelling.

[Sharen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books about sentient buildings!

And this book does not disappoint. The historic book store absolutely has a mind of its own and the ability to choose the right book for the right person.
There are charming characters, a smart cat (if only he could speak with words), a sentient bookstore, romance (no sex), book suggestions, book store “keepers”….not owners, finding your place/your home/where you belong, and best of all no cliffhanger ending.
The only downside is that it really needs an editor!
It is the kind of book I like…“a curl up in a comfy chair with tea and a blanky (if cold weather) and enjoy” kinda book.
I have the next on my “to be read stack” and ready to go.