The Bookstore Diaries

by Susan Mallery

Jax has a slight issue with control—as in, she needs it. Always. Too bad she has power only over the Painted Lady Bookstore, the Victorian mansion turned bookshop she inherited. No one else listens to a word she says. Her ex gets engaged for questionable reasons. Her beloved sister, Ryleigh, wants to move away to find a husband. And the handsome contractor Jax has chosen to convince Ryleigh to stay is only interested in Jax.

Still, she’s living the bookworm dream—until an unhappy accident erases the names from the bookshop lockboxes where the town keeps their diaries. Which means the only way to find a diary’s owner is…to read it.

As secrets spill and scandals surface, life at the Painted Lady Bookstore gets a lot more colorful and chaotic. But for a woman who’s always had to take charge, Jax will see that losing control—especially with the right wrong guy—can set you free.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Books About Books, Contemporary, Audiobook, Family, Chick Lit

384 pages, Hardcover

First published March 3, 2026

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.

Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.

Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.

Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.

Reviews

[Dianna D · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐ Rating: 4/5

As a lifelong bookworm, I’m always a sucker for stories set in bookstores, and The Bookstore Diaries felt like slipping into exactly the kind of cozy, slightly chaotic world I love. Jax is the kind of heroine I connect with instantly—hyper-competent, a little controlling (okay, a lot), and trying desperately to hold everything together. She runs the Painted Lady Bookstore, a gorgeous Victorian house turned bookshop, but outside those walls her life feels like it’s fraying: an ex getting engaged for all the wrong reasons, a beloved sister (Ryleigh) talking about leaving town to find a husband, and a charming contractor who keeps looking at her instead of the sister she hired him to help keep nearby. 

I loved the whole vibe of this book. The town uses lockboxes at the bookstore to stash their private diaries (how cool is that?), and when an accident erases the names on them, Jax has to start reading them to match secrets back to owners. That’s when everything really kicks off—affairs, heartbreaks, hidden hopes—spilling out in ways that shake up not only the town, but Jax’s own carefully managed life. Add in an African Grey parrot named Ramon with big personality and you get that classic Susan Mallery blend of humor, warmth, and emotional messiness that still somehow feels hopeful. 

The tropes here are my catnip:
📚 Bookstore / booklover heroine
🏡 Small-town women’s fiction with strong community
👩‍❤️‍👨 Slow-burn romance with the “right wrong guy” (the contractor)
👭 Sister relationship & found family
🗝️ Secrets revealed / diaries & lockboxes
💔 Divorced heroine co-parenting with her ex

For me, this was a very cute, engaging read. I loved watching Jax loosen her grip on control, learn when to step back, and when to fight for what (and who) she wants. The romance is more slow-build than high-angst, which fit the story perfectly. My only small quibble—and the reason this lands at 4 stars instead of 5—is that a couple of the diary-related reveals and emotional resolutions wrapped up a little faster than I wanted. I was so invested in these characters and their secrets that I would’ve happily spent another hundred pages with them.

Still, when I finished the last page, I had that warm, contented feeling I look for in this kind of book. If you love small-town stories, complicated families, and a bookstore at the heart of everything, The Bookstore Diaries absolutely deserves a spot on your TBR.

Thank you so much to the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Love · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars ⭐️


This story follows Jax, a control-loving bookstore owner who inherited the Painted Lady Bookstore—a charming Victorian mansion turned bookshop. Jax thrives on order, but her personal life is anything but. Her ex is newly engaged for questionable reasons, her sister Ryleigh is considering moving away to find a husband, and the handsome contractor Jax hoped would distract her sister seems far more interested in Jax herself. When an accident erases the names from the bookstore’s lockboxes—where townspeople store their private diaries—Jax is left with only one way to return them: she has to read them. What follows is supposed to be a cascade of secrets and scandals that shake up the small town and Jax’s carefully managed life.

Unfortunately, the title and premise led me to expect something much juicier and more secret-driven than what we actually get. I went in thinking this would be packed with shocking town revelations and layered drama. Instead, there’s really only one notable secret revealed for much of the story, with a couple more surfacing toward the very end. The “secrets” aspect felt minimal and underdeveloped, which was disappointing given how central it seemed to the setup.

The book leans much more heavily into romance, and even that felt fairly middle-of-the-road for me. It’s not a terrible story by any means—it’s simply… fine. A bit bland. The stakes never felt especially high, and the emotional tension didn’t quite land the way I hoped it would.

One bright spot for me was the African Grey parrot (the sweet bird at the bookstore absolutely stole the show). The pet added personality and charm in a way that some of the human characters didn’t quite manage to do.

As for the audiobook itself, the narration was solid and kept me engaged, even when the story lagged. The narrator did a good job differentiating characters and maintaining a steady pace, which made it easy to keep listening.

Overall, this isn’t a bad book—it just didn’t deliver on the promise of its premise. If you’re looking for a light, romance-forward story set in a cozy bookstore with a touch of small-town drama, this may work for you. If you’re expecting a secret-filled, scandal-heavy plot, you might walk away feeling a little underwhelmed like I did.


Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for providing me with an advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

[callistoscalling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted eARC; all thoughts are my own.

📖 Book Review 📖 Something is in the air at The Painted Lady Bookstore, and it’s not just the spirited, rambunctious African Gray Parrot Ramon (but oh my goodness, can we bottle up that personality please?!?) Jax and Ryleigh and sisters who are deeply devoted to each other but they are down on their luck in the love department. Jax is divorced and doing her best to co-parent her two children with her ex while running her bookstore. Ryleigh is crushing her professional goals as a teacher but finding the right person to settle down with in their small town is difficult. When a construction project at the bookstore accidentally mixes up the diary lockboxes in the wall and secrets threaten to be revealed, relationships are pushed to their boundaries. It’s a summer of change for these sisters and hearts are not left unscathed in this heartfelt novel. Susan Mallery brings beautifully complex characters and high stakes in a novel you will not want to put down.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

After two different algorithms (or possibly sponsored listings) shoved this one under my nose, I gave in to the pretty sprayed edges and preordered this. In hardcover. Because I'm apparently a sucker for good edges and a good blurb.

So let me just say this: that promo copy? Fiction. Much better fiction than the actual book. At least it was readable, if totally made up. But if it's describing a book, it's surely not describing this book.

If you haven't read the blurb, the gist is that this is a book about Jax, a bookstore owner, and how her bookstore's secret diary program becomes a clustershow of crazy drama when the anonymous books have to be read to be returned to the town's owners. Sounds great.

Except that this is not what this book is about. Yes, there's a Jax and a bookstore and a diary thing. However, by the midpoint of the book, the diaries have been mentioned like twice, and by the time a workman screws up and loses the identifiers (which was in the blurb, remember, and not a spoiler), the book's about three quarters of the way through. Then there's another 10-20% of giving the diaries back AS A SUBPLOT that lasts a few pages. Then the bird disappears, and trust me, y'all....it was way more interesting than the actual thing the book's supposed to be about, because the parrot is the only realistic/likable character. (His name is Ramon. He likes cats. He's the best character in this thing and he's not mentioned in the synopsis once.)

No one has to read the diaries to return them. At no point is that a thing. One employee is involved and we literally hear about three diaries: a kid's, a convenient plot device, and a dead lady's. None of them are, to quote the flap, "secrets spill[ed] and scandals surface[d]". I've literally watched more drama unfold at my accountant's office, and those folks are adult professionals who work with numbers all day.

And that's not even commenting on the writing itself, which is, I'm sorry to say, awful. I don't say that often in reviews, because I think what constitutes "good writing" can be subjective, but this? Objectively? Awful. Wattpad stories by pre-teens have better exposition.

The worst of it is the repetition. If you've ever watched daytime soap operas from the '80s, there's this thing they do -- a thing happens, then there's a commercial or six, then they recap what happened, talk about it, have another slate of commercials, and go over what happened again. For the medium, it was smart -- it let stay-at-home wives do housework with one eye on their stories and not miss any major plot points while they vacuumed or whatever tradwives did in 1983.

But this is 2026, and a book. If you miss something, you flip back a few pages. Not the same, as strategies go, but OH MAH GAWD. This was a constant stream of reiterated stuff and characters having the same exact revelations thirty-four times, none of which added to the original event. For example:

* char and another char break up. Char reacts in the moment.
* char then muses about it.
* char muses about it with her sister.
* char muses about it and comes to the same realization she did in that first musing.
* char muses about it with an employee.
* char reflects on her musing. Has same realization again.
* char muses with her ex-husband, telling him about her realization.
* char muses MORE about it.
* char discusses it with her sister...again. Tells her about the realization she's had three times now.

At no point does any action take place. It's just...musing about what she realized. Repeatedly. Over many MANY pages. (Also, just to be nitpicky, the "realization" about her control freakiness? It's also on the jacket copy. So, y'know...not a spoiler for anyone other than the character, who apparently spoils it for herself at least three times. I started tuning it all out after that third time, skimming entire chapters for mentions of the bird, because at least the bird was interesting.)

Another thing the jacket doesn't get right: it's not just about Jax. (The bookstore owner.). It's about her sister, Ryleigh. And not just ABOUT her, but half the book is following her. Which would be fine if it wasn't just an ovary-fuelled whining about needing a maaaaaaan and OOPS THerE'S BEeN ONe HErE ALL AlONg!. I've seen more emotional depth in an actual puddle. And the interaction between Jax and Ryleigh is just...dumb. Jax acts like she's half Ryleigh's mother and half an abusive lover who won't let her leave. It was clunkily written and cringey.

But the character that was most infuriating was the ex-husband. After being portrayed as a mustache-twirling villain preying on young women and manipulating a custody agreement to satisfy his hormones -- by the end, we're supposed to believe that he has any kind of emotional maturity to accept his part in his divorce...while still obtusely refusing to comprehend why a woman might not want to date him after he proposed to her for sex and admitted this. (Also, the fiancee was dumber than a bag of hammers, with less personality. For the record.)

Ugh.

See, though, here's the thing: I've read some of Mallery's other work. While nothing would probably win her a nobel prize for literature, it's been pleasant. Good, even. So I don't know what the heck happened with this one. I'd be tempted to think it'd been ghostwritten by a twelve-year-old in AP english, if I didn't know better. It's so far beneath what her other stuff's been, the poor writing is almost a caricature. Maybe I'm missing some point I didn't know she was making (probably because the blurb flat out lied to me), but this was BAD bad.

Clearly, I don't recommend it and would advise anyone who's interested to get a copy from the library if you're curious. Sub-par would be an upward stretch, for sure.

[Bookworman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A nice story about family relationships and love. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. My favorite character was Ronan, the African Gray parrot. He was funny and charming.

I had trouble connecting and caring about the main characters. It was clear from the first chapters what was going to ultimately happen, but it took a frustratingly long time for either sister to get a clue. I also didn't understand why there wasn't more interaction between the sisters and their mom and stepdad.

Anyway, it was good enough to read to the end and had enough positives to make it enjoyable.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

BORINGGGGGG

[Kristina Nichole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Susan Mallery’s “The Bookstore Diaries” is a contemporary closed-door romance novel that follows two sisters as they navigate new relationships after their previous ones fail.

Thirty-seven-year-old Jax Sutherland is blindsided when her husband of fourteen years, Harris, asks for a divorce on the night her best friend Kim is buried. A year later, the two are attempting to co-parent their eight-year-old son, Xander, and eleven-year-old daughter, Gentry. To avoid disrupting their children’s lives, Jax and Harris take turns staying either in the family home or at the Painted Lady bookstore that Jax owns. Rather than forcing their children to move between households, the adults alternate packing up their belongings while keeping the house as the children’s primary residence.

Jax and Harris also establish a rule that neither of them may bring romantic partners to stay overnight unless they are engaged or married. However, Harris has been dating Shawna, a local elementary school teacher, for six months. When Jax refuses to bend the rule, Harris proposes to Shawna, believing they can remain engaged for several years while still allowing him to have a sexual relationship with her.

Although Jax recognizes Harris’s intentions, she is unable to stop the situation. At the same time, she begins renovating part of the bookstore with the help of a local construction company in order to restore the store’s “book diary wall.” For years, members of the community have anonymously stored their personal diaries in a postal-box system within the shop. When a member of Marcus’s construction crew accidentally removes the markers identifying whose diary belongs to whom, the townspeople must come in and try to identify their diaries.

Meanwhile, Jax’s younger sister, Ryleigh Weaver, has been dating her boyfriend Dustin for fifteen months. When a romantic date ends with dinner in a hotel room but no marriage proposal, Ryleigh begins questioning both her relationship and her future. Feeling stagnant in her life, she decides she wants to move to San Diego.

After his wife Kim’s death, Alex relied heavily on Ryleigh to help care for his seven-year-old son, Noah. The three form a close family unit, albeit a platonic one. Eventually, Alex suggests that he and Ryleigh begin a friends-with-benefits arrangement. Knowing she plans to move away, Ryleigh agrees.

Mallery’s novel is messy, and many of its characters read more like caricatures than realistic people. Harris, in particular, is portrayed as both aloof and incompetent, seemingly lacking the ability to think critically or make reasonable decisions. Despite this portrayal, Jax repeatedly insists that he is a good father, though the narrative provides little concrete evidence to support this claim.

The novel’s blurb emphasizes the mysterious diaries and the secrets they contain, yet only a small portion of the story, roughly ten percent of the plot, focuses on identifying the diaries’ owners. Instead, the narrative centers primarily on the two sisters finding love after failed relationships. Marcus’s attraction to Jax also feels overly forced and unrealistic. His behavior comes across as obsessive and overbearing, yet Mallery frames his character in a way that encourages readers to judge Jax for not immediately reciprocating his feelings.

I received an ARC through Edelweiss via MIRA and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating 2.5/5 not rounded

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was a miss for me. I couldn't fully get into the story and thought half of it was rather silly. It didn't give me the romantic sigh. I was definitely not the right reader for this book.

[Amanda Rau · Rating 1 out of 5]

The summary and title is completely misleading. This was so bad

[Mostly Bookish Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Bookstore Diaries is a charming and heartfelt story centered around family, personal growth, and the comfort that books and community can bring.

The story follows sisters Jax and Ryleigh as they navigate life, relationships, and the different paths they thought their futures would take. Both women are dealing with complicated emotions from past relationships to uncertain futures and watching them reflect on what truly makes them happy was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the story.

At the center of it all is Jax’s bookstore, which almost feels like a character itself. It becomes the place where conversations happen, relationships develop, and the story unfolds. One unexpected highlight was Ramon the bird, whose personality added humor and charm to several scenes.

Susan Mallery does a wonderful job weaving together multiple characters and storylines while keeping the narrative warm and engaging. Fans of contemporary women’s fiction and stories about books and community will likely enjoy this one.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

A charming story about sisters Jax and Ryleigh. Jax is divorced, managing co-parenting with her ex, and running a historical bookstore. Ryleigh is eager for the next chapter as a wife and mother but feels stuck. Can both sisters support each other in finding happiness and fulfillment? Add a beloved parrot, quirky customers, and some handsome men, and you have the ingredients for a fun, swoony listen!

Advanced listening copy provided by Harlequin Audio. All opinions are my own.

[Madison Gertsema · Rating 1 out of 5]

First off, it starts out by talking about an over marketed book and how there is a book for everyone and I’m like, this seems bad on the first page. I should have listened.

Absolutely not about some diaries. Wasn’t even mentioned until like 1/2 way through. Had a f**ked up relationship with Harris and Shawn. Every character has the mentality of a child. Jax has no reason to act like that regarding her sister. Harris getting engaged for no reason and wants Jax to break up for him. Shawna and her mom talking to Jax was crazy. Random events kept coming up out of nowhere. Like here is a cat. Now a teen sleep over.

0/10 recommend this.

[Chrissy Hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a longtime fan of Susan Mallery, I was thrilled to get my hands on an advanced copy of The Bookstore Diaries—and it absolutely delivered the kind of heartfelt, character-driven story I’ve come to expect from her.

I’m always a sucker for books about bookstores and the people who love them. There’s just something magical about stories set among shelves and stories within stories. And let’s be honest—adding an African gray parrot as a minor character? That’s the kind of delightful detail that instantly wins me over.

Mallery has such a gift for digging into complicated family dynamics without ever letting the story feel heavy. She explores layered relationships, misunderstandings, and emotional growth in a way that feels authentic, but she balances it all with warmth and humor. The result is a story that’s engaging, heartfelt, and genuinely enjoyable to read.

Cute, fun, and full of heart, The Bookstore Diaries builds to a satisfying conclusion that left me closing the book with a smile.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

[kesy_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!! This book was sweet, cute and hilarious!!

This follows Jax and Ryleigh, they are sisters. One of them is divorced, a single mom and coparent with her ex husband who is now fake engaged to his girlfriend. This creates all kinds of unnecessary drama for Jax.

Ryleigh dreams of getting married having children, but her and her boyfriend are not on the same page. Alex, who is her best friend understands her way more than her boyfriend.

The bookstore has diaries that contain secrets, a huge bird that talks, and fun activities for the community.

One sister has a bit of a control issue and is afraid to fall in love again, while the other sister is afraid of losing herself and not finding love.

Will they have their HEA?

Tropes:
Friends to lovers
He falls first
Single mom
Strong family

[Jill Elizabeth]

I wasn't familiar with the author prior to this one. I am not generally a fan of romance or the type of story frequently cast as a "women's book" (such a foolish descriptor) - but I've been in a slump and really felt like I needed a feel-good, upbeat, light-hearted story. This one, with its bookstores and redemption, small town secrets and scandals, seemed perfectly suited.

Unfortunately, I just couldn't find my way into it. There's nothing wrong here, it just wasn't for me. I found myself irritated rather than charmed and the pacing didn't engage me the way l hoped it would. This just wasn't a good fit for me...

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is more than a romance since it also includes some valuable life lessons and insights on what not to do if you want to have a successful relationship. It had me in stitches during the back-and-forth banter between the characters. It also included a favorite character who was not human but rather Ramon the parrot. I never knew what Ramon would do or say next, but suffice it to say that the author gave that bird some personality with a capital “P.” I think that this is one of the best books by this talented author that I have ever read, with a depth to it that drew me into the story quickly and a delightfully readable plot, switching between the main characters and their individual dilemmas. Jax is a control freak, so relationships with her are tough. That may be the reason that her closest friend seems to be Ramon, her parrot. Ryleigh is her younger sister, a teacher who doesn’t want to grow old alone so she is trying to decide whether to move or not in order to find love and start a family. The secondary characters are equally engaging, with Shawna as the fiancée of Jax’s ex-husband, a nice girl who has no idea what she is getting herself into when she accepts Harris’s proposal. I really liked the custody agreement that Jax and Harris have so that their children can stay in their home and the parents take turns living with them. Those scenes showed that divorce can be amicable if not totally agreeable. The entire book was fun to read, with appealing characters, a charming setting (who wouldn’t love a bookstore in a Victorian house) and a little tease of a mystery about the diaries that are kept in the bookstore, with some startling revelations that occur as a result of the renovation in the bookstore. This book is a slam dunk success with me, from beginning to end. I was invested in the lives of each believable character, even the ones I didn’t like much. I was absorbed by the threads of the dual storylines and loved how the author wove them together even as they seemed to be tearing apart. This book has a well-crafted and charming plot and was such an enjoyable read that I am enjoying just picking it up again and reading sections over and over, just to get another laugh from such a refreshing and warm-hearted novel.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Jo|Ruth Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally binge read this one! It’s packed with multiple romances, diary secrets coming to light, and broken hearts trying to find love again, with some fun animal antics mixed in.

Jax is a divorced, single mom who owns a bookstore. When construction starts inside the store, there’s a mix up with community diaries that were being kept there. Meaning she will have to read through them to figure out who they belong to. And who knows what secrets are hidden in those pages?

At the same time, she feels a pull toward Marcus, her contractor. But with all the drama around her newly engaged ex husband, she’s not in a place for anything serious.

Meanwhile, her sister Ryliegh is dealing with her own issues after another failed relationship. She starts questioning everything and considers leaving, even if it means walking away from Alex, her best friend, Jax, and the life she loves. But her complicated relationship with Alex only makes her decisions harder.

This was a great read! I had fun guessing who would end up with who, which kept me hooked. The romances, yes plural, were worth the wait. That said, I could have done with less focus on the physical side of the relationships. I also expected a bit more emphasis on the diaries given the title, but that’s just me. All in all, a great read!

I received a complimentary copy. This review reflects my honest opinion.

***Closed door, fade to black, lots of innuendo/discussion about sex, language, and past loss of a spouse.

[Lyndi (mibookobsession) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jax is surviving the aftermath of her divorce, finally getting along with her ex, and happy enough with the custody arrangements. But now her ex has proposed to his girlfriend, her sister is talking about moving away, her beloved bookshop needs renovation, and the contractor she thought would be perfect for her sister is actually more interested in her. Who knew that losing control would be the best thing to happen to her?
This story was fun and cozy, not exactly what I expected, but I still enjoyed it. There wasn't as much drama about the diaries as I expected, but all the other issues going on with the side characters kept me interested. If you've spent any time around actual parrots, Ramon is totally unrealistic, but he's the biggest personality in the entire book and added a lot of comedy. I did think it was strange that Jax seemed closer to the bird than her own children though. Overall an enjoyable read for me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual stars - 3.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC of The Bookstore Diaries by Susan Mallery. All opinions are my own.

Jax is divorced and co-parenting her two children with their father in their previous home (they take turns moving in and out of the house so the kids can stay) and she's the owner of the Painted Lady Bookstore that she inherited. Her sister, Ryleigh, just turned down a marriage proposal from her long time boyfriend.

Jax's ex-husband, in a bid to get around their parenting plan which stated that neither parent can have a boyfriend/girlfriend over until/unless they are engaged or married, proposes to his girlfriend. Now, she has no idea that he has no intention of marrying her and is planning her dream wedding, along with her overreaching mother.

Jax tries to set her sister up with her contractor, but he's only interested in Jax.

And in the middle of all this, Ramon, Jax's parrot has a fued with the cat...and pretty much any one that doesn't like Jax.

I really enjoyed the book, even though some of the dialogue was a little eye-roll worthy to me. The narrator, Tonya Eby is not really my favorite. She seems to have one tone, which is always overly peppy and robotic. It's ok through most of the book, but there were others where a more nuanced tone would have worked better.

[Rhonda 🌒🌕🌘 🐈‍⬛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟. This was so good, I needed that HEA

[Michele Lash · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audio was so fun - especially for Ramon! Multiple POV and I thought the story was enjoyable and well developed and everyone played such an important role. I loved Ramon as a character including all of his quotes and lines. What a fun piece.. I enjoyed following the direction of the story and how it played out for Jax and Ryleigh and all the side characters along the way. The diaries and the truths that came out as a result added to the story!

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jax owns the Painted Lady Bookstore she inherited from her parents and is totally consumed with running it to perfection. She’s newly divorced but has a good working relationship with her ex, especially regarding parenting their two children.

Ramon, however, is probably her best friend. He’s finicky, opinionated and blurts out inappropriate statements around the bookstore. He’s also an African Gray Parrot with a great vocabulary.

Marcus is the quiet and handsome contractor Jax hired to do work around the bookstore. He’s professional but completely smitten with Jax.

Fun and cute, you’ll love this upbeat story.


Thanks Edelweiss and MIRA.

[Courtney Rennie · Rating 1 out of 5]

☆ALC REVIEW☆
Publication date: March 3, 2026

Honestly the narrator made this book incredibly unbearable.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Harlequin Audio for an advanced listeners copy.

[January · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bookstore Diaries by Susan Mallery (2026)
11h 9m narrated by Tanya Eby, 384 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating as a movie: R for adult content and language

Featuring: Books About Books, Fictional Town in Southern California, Bookstore Owner, African Grey Parrot, Divorcée, Parenting Plan, Victorian Home Turned Bookstore, Sisters, Santa Barbara, California; Teachers, Construction, Baseball Coach, Memorial Day, San Diego, California; Cat - Ragdoll Mix, Passivity, Sex - Low Details, Control

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🏠📚🦜

My thoughts: 📱25% 2:47:16 Chapter Seven - It took a minute but I love it. I'm taking a break now, but will probably be up till midnight with it.

I was annoyed about Jax sitting by and letting the situation unfold the way it did. I go blindly into books so I was good but the blurb doesn't match the story, it's pretty misleading.

Recommend to others: Yes, not the best book about books this year but it was good overall.

Songs for the soundtrack: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" by Jane Taylor

Books and Authors mentioned: Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, Taxi Driver by Paul Schrader, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, The Lion King by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton [based on] Kimba the White Lion by Osamu Tezuka; A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Titanic by James Cameron, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown by John Gordon [based on] Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis, Wicked (known in full as Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz) by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman [based on] Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, with illustrations by Douglas Smith [based on] The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum [and based on] The Wizard of Oz by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf; Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, I'm Your Huckleberry: A Memoir by Val Kilmer, Tombstone by
Kevin Jarre

Memorable Quotes: The large African gray parrot huffed loudly, sounding amazingly like Jax’s mother when she was annoyed, then flew out of the stockroom and into the store. Jax turned her attention back to the book Ramon had dissed, running her fingers across the beautiful floral cover. While she could never admit it to the parrot or anyone, she’d read an advanced copy of the novel in question and well, he was right. Despite the glowing reviews and the upscale advertising campaign, it really hadn’t been a very good story. “But it will be someone’s favorite,” she told herself as she wheeled the now-full cart into the main store. “Because there’s a person for every book.”

“I want to amend the parenting plan.” What he said and what she’d been thinking were so at odds, she needed a couple of breaths to process. Her first instinct was to say absolutely not. They’d worked hard on making sure they had everything in place to give their children the best possible life. Harris, the child of divorce himself, had hated going back and forth between his mom’s and his dad’s places and had wanted something different for their children. It had taken Jax a few days of internet research to come up with the idea of leaving the kids in what had been the family home while she and Harris alternated weeks when they were with them. Although it had taken them a few months to settle into the new routine, now it was simply how things were. When she wasn’t with her children, she lived in the bookstore. “How?” she asked cautiously. “It’s working the way it is. They’re so comfortable and happy.” He shifted in his seat. “I want Shawna to spend the night.” He looked away, then back at her. “We’ve been going out for nearly six months. It’s getting serious. It’s not reasonable that I can’t see her for a week at a time.” Jax resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Oh, you can see her, Harris. She’s welcome to hang out as much as you want. She can have dinner with the kids every night. But this isn’t about seeing her, is it? You want to be able to sleep with her on the weeks you’re in the house. This is about you getting laid.” “You getting laid. You getting laid.” The singsong voice came from up above. Jax groaned while Harris chuckled. “Way to go, Ramon.” “Don’t encourage him.” “You might want to keep him out of the kids’ section until he gets tired of saying it.” “You getting laid,” Ramon repeated, then flapped his wings. “Go outside.” She opened the door and he flew out, echoes of “You getting laid” trailing behind him. Jax had no idea how she was going to distract Ramon with a new phrase but she would figure out something. In the meantime, she had a Harris-sized problem to deal with. She shut the door again and returned to her desk.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another phenomenal book from Susan Mallery! But then again, when aren’t her books terrific?

The Bookstore Diaries has it all!
A Beloved Bookstore! The idea of keeping hidden diaries buried in the walls of said bookstore… Control issues. Divorce. Love. ? New Love?. Ideas of getting married and happily ever afters … Kids. Birds. Cats. An ex-husband and his new girlfriend. A HOT contractor. Another friend who recently lost his wife… And… Two sisters who are very close! And a town where everyone knows everyone else… and their business!

Jax owns ‘The Painted Lady Bookstore’. It’s a hub of activity in their town. It’s also her second home. You see, Jax is divorced with two kids. And they have an amicable relationship. And crazy thing is… they alternate homes every other week. SO THE KIDS CAN STAY IN THEIR HOME!! But… the parents move out. So, Jax moves in to the apt above her bookstore, every other week! And… she has a bird. An exquisite specimen named Ramon… who is a character all by himself! 🤣🤣

She’s also having some work done on the bookstore. Hence the hot contractor…who’s turning heads all over town. Her sister Ryleigh is looking for a husband and can’t seem to find one. They are close. But…she’s thinking she might just move out of town to try to meet men. Jax is NOT happy, so she decides to try to introduce hot contractor to sister…😳🤣😉

In the interim, Ryleigh’s friend is still trying to process the loss of his wife… alongside his little boy. And Ryleigh has been their rock through it all. As a matter of fact, he introduced Ryleigh to her last boyfriend… but that’s not working out so well…

Moving onto the bookstore again… one of the contractors made a big boo-boo that caused a lot of chaos in the store… and they’re all trying to work through that. It revolves around these secret diaries…

This was fun! 🤩. This was sad. 😢 This was hysterical! 🤣This was enlightening! 😳🤔 This one truly had it all… and made me fall in love with ALL of the characters!

All the stars for me!!!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫💫💫💫💫✨✨✨✨✨

#BookstoreDiaries by @SusanMallery. Narrated beautifully by @ TanyaEby.

*** THIS ONE HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED YET, BUT, LOOK FOR IT SOON!!! *** RELEASE DATE IS: 3/3/26! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and @HarlequinAudio for an ALC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!!

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[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say that the best part of this book was the completely colored and decorated edges of the book-- objects, books, and the bookstore windows. I was expecting more of the story to be about the bookstore itself, but it tended toward the relationships of its owner Jax. Somethings were unnecessary like frequent sexual comments and situations-- even though they weren't really explicit.
A 3 story plus basement Victorian mansion has been redone into a bookstore called The Painted Lady Bookstore. Each room has a theme complete with being painted a different color with objects (most to be sold) pertaining to the theme. There were also many events scheduled during the year.
One other thing that caught my delighted attention was the African Grey parrot that the owner has had since she was 12 years old. The parrot talks quite a bit and seems to understand most of the content. But, he does pick up some unorthodox terms.
Jax is just recently divorced with 2 children. She spends every other week in her former home with the children while her ex spends the alternate weeks there. In between, she stays in a suite in her bookstore. Jax gradually learns that the divorce wasn't all of her husband's fault. One drama that plays out is her ex becoming engaged to a much younger woman.
He younger sister features in the story with her own dramas. One such is her refusing a marriage proposal.
The bookstore is being repaired constantly, and one repair is having to take down a wall which holds cubbies with patron's diaries that have been there for years. When the identifying marks on the bricks holding each cubby have been erased, a fiasco develops with people's secrets possibly being revealed.
This wasn't a deep read but it was ok off and on.

[Sharyn Stieglitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book set in a bookshop with a hilarious parrot for comic relief? Sign me up!

Jax is the owner of the Painted Lady bookshop, currently going through a divorce, and a mother of two. Her sister, Ryleigh is a teacher, but she's got bigger dreams than staying in their current small California town. Harris, Jax's ex, gets engaged to a woman he's not in love with, a colleague of Ryleigh's, and soon she's planning the wedding of her dreams that may not even be happening. To add fuel to the fire, an incident in the bookshop involving the diaries kept there, where the owner's names get erased from the shelves causes a stir.

This was a story of sisterhood, friendship, and relationships being tested, and it was so good! The character development was well written, and I loved seeing the growth of the sisters throughout the story. Jax could be set in her ways and have strong feelings, but ultimately, she loves her sister and would do anything for her. Ryleigh dreams of moving to San Diego, but it would also break her heart to live her family and friends behind.

One of my favorite characters in this book was Ramon, Jax's parrot, who could talk and added the perfect amount of comedic relief to this book.

Thank you to Susan Mallery, MIRA books, NetGalley, and HTP Hive for my e-ARC.

[Ary.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars)

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

The Bookstore Diaries by Susan Mallery is a light, charming small-town story filled with family dynamics, second chances, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting.

Jax is a classic control-loving heroine who suddenly finds herself in situations she absolutely cannot control—between her sister’s plans to leave town, her complicated ex, and the handsome contractor who definitely complicates things further. The Painted Lady Bookstore (a Victorian mansion turned bookshop — yes please) is such a cozy, whimsical backdrop, and the diary lockbox premise adds a fun layer of intrigue as secrets spill into the open.

I really enjoyed the community aspect of this story. The town gossip, the sister relationship, and the slow unraveling of hidden truths created that hallmark small-town warmth Mallery is known for. On audio, the story flowed well and was easy to sink into — perfect for a weekend listen.

And I have to say — I loved Ramon the bird. He completely stole every scene he fluttered into and added such a fun, quirky layer to the story. Honestly, he might have been my favorite character.

For me, the pacing lagged a bit in the middle, and while I appreciated Jax’s growth journey, I wanted just a touch more emotional depth in some of the romantic moments. The “right wrong guy” trope is there, but I didn’t feel all the sparks I was hoping for.

Overall, this is a sweet, low-angst, comfort read about learning to loosen your grip on life and let love (and community) in. If you’re looking for something cozy with family drama, bookstore vibes, small-town secrets — and an unforgettable bird — this one will hit the spot.

[Lyon.Brit.andthebookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Report: The Bookstore Diaries by Susan Mallery

In The Bookstore Diaries we follow Jax…queen of control and keeper of the charming Painted Lady Bookstore…a Victorian mansion turned bookish haven📚💐 When an accident wipes the names off the town’s lockbox diaries… the only way to return them is to read them… which leads to a few secrets and surprises. But despite what the premise hints at…the story is much more character driven than mystery based and the diaries play a smaller role than I expected…this is truly Jax’s (and a few other wonderful characters) emotional journey at its center 💛

For me… this book felt like a warm hug 🤍 This was my first Susan Mallery and I completely understand the comfort read hype. Just like I reach for a cozy mystery when I need something soothing…she’s now officially joining that comfort author list. And can we talk about the stunning bookshop edged pages? 😍 Plus…the tagline I saw “A novel of secrets, drama, and second chance love” is absolutely spot on. The whole story felt nostalgic…almost like a ’90s movie in book form… simpler times…heartfelt moments…exactly what I crave✨I’ll definitely be picking up more of her books!

Thank you @htpbooks @tlcbooktours for the free copy!

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