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Storybook Ending – Bis ans Ende aller Seiten
Das perfekte Feelgood-Hörbuch in einer unvergesslichen Buchhandlung in Seattle
April ist einsam. Seit ihre Firma angeordnet hat, dass sie dauerhaft von zu Hause aus arbeiten soll, fühlt sie sich ein wenig verloren. Um aus dem Stimmungstief herauszukommen, hinterlässt sie dem attraktiven Mann aus der Buchhandlung in ihrer Nachbarschaft eine anonyme Notiz in einem Buch.
Laura ist eine gestresste alleinerziehende Mutter. Zufällig ist sie diejenige, die Aprils Notiz findet und denkt, sie sei von dem Mann, der sie in der Buchhandlung bedient hat. Ein kleiner Flirt mit einem attraktiven Mann, der Bücher liebt, könnte genau das sein, was sie braucht.
Währenddessen ist Westley, gutaussehend, aber nicht sehr aufmerksam, zu sehr von den Dreharbeiten für einen Film im Laden abgelenkt, um die verstohlenen Blicke der beiden Frauen zu bemerken, die sich gegenseitig Zettel zwischen den Büchern in den Regalen hinterlassen. Die fortgesetzte anonyme Korrespondenz von April und Laura wird alle drei Figuren aus ihrem Alltagstrott reißen und einen Hoffnungsschimmer entfachen, dass sie vielleicht doch noch bekommen, was sie ein eigenes märchenhaftes Ende.
Storybook Ending webt ein komplexes Netz aus Missverständnissen und zufälligen Begegnungen. Eine spielerische Hommage an Liebe, Freundschaft und Buchhandlungen sowie an die Dinge – von einem vergessenen Zettel bis hin zu jemandes Herz –, die zwischen den Seiten von Büchern zurückgelassen wurden.
April ist einsam. Seit ihre Firma angeordnet hat, dass sie dauerhaft von zu Hause aus arbeiten soll, fühlt sie sich ein wenig verloren. Um aus dem Stimmungstief herauszukommen, hinterlässt sie dem attraktiven Mann aus der Buchhandlung in ihrer Nachbarschaft eine anonyme Notiz in einem Buch.
Laura ist eine gestresste alleinerziehende Mutter. Zufällig ist sie diejenige, die Aprils Notiz findet und denkt, sie sei von dem Mann, der sie in der Buchhandlung bedient hat. Ein kleiner Flirt mit einem attraktiven Mann, der Bücher liebt, könnte genau das sein, was sie braucht.
Währenddessen ist Westley, gutaussehend, aber nicht sehr aufmerksam, zu sehr von den Dreharbeiten für einen Film im Laden abgelenkt, um die verstohlenen Blicke der beiden Frauen zu bemerken, die sich gegenseitig Zettel zwischen den Büchern in den Regalen hinterlassen. Die fortgesetzte anonyme Korrespondenz von April und Laura wird alle drei Figuren aus ihrem Alltagstrott reißen und einen Hoffnungsschimmer entfachen, dass sie vielleicht doch noch bekommen, was sie ein eigenes märchenhaftes Ende.
Storybook Ending webt ein komplexes Netz aus Missverständnissen und zufälligen Begegnungen. Eine spielerische Hommage an Liebe, Freundschaft und Buchhandlungen sowie an die Dinge – von einem vergessenen Zettel bis hin zu jemandes Herz –, die zwischen den Seiten von Büchern zurückgelassen wurden.
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First published May 24, 2025
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About the author
Moira Macdonald
2 books54 followersMoira Macdonald is the longtime arts critic for The Seattle Times. "Storybook Ending," coming May 27, 2025 from Dutton Books at Penguin Random House, is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 719 reviews
July 15, 2025
In a Nutshell: A contemporary fiction about a misunderstanding that lasts too long. Character-driven, with some well-sketched characters in the lead. Interesting story, though it is built upon a plot hole. Slightly slow-paced and repetitive. Recommended but not to all. Better if not read as a romance, and definitely not as a romcom, despite that cutesy cover.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Bookish Yays:
📚 The three main characters:
🔖 April, with her paradoxical personality of being an overthinker and yet not thinking enough. Her frustrations with her personal and professional life comes across well.
🔖 Laura, with her conflicts as a single mom and a working professional. Probably my favourite character in the book as she felt the most realistic in emotions.
🔖 Westley, who is not like typical romance leads. I mean, he is extremely handsome (as expected), but he is aware of his appeal but doesn’t take advantage of it. He is also not ambitious, quite awkward, not highly educated, doesn’t enjoy sci-fi… So his personality is quite refreshing for this genre, even when he isn't entirely likeable.
📚 Several other good characters, some of whom are nicely quirky. Laura’s seven-year-old daughter Olivia is the sweetest and written in an age-appropriate manner.
📚 The characters range in age from single digit to fifty-something and they mostly act their age. We do get one immature thirty-something-year-old, but there are indeed several immature thirty-somethings in the world to make him convincing enough.
📚 Everything about books and indie bookstores.
📚 The description of Seattle. Always good to see a story make proper use of a place. Also nice to see a different location pop up. High time NY and LA get a break!
📚 The first-person interludes from secondary characters and the emails offer a good break in between the main characters’ narration.
📚 Though a debut, there is no overload of themes, all the more relevant because each character faces a key personal issue. The narrative is focussed on the core idea of urban loneliness and wanting to making connections.
📚 Despite the potential for grief and sadness in each character’s arc, the plot focuses more on their path ahead rather than on their sad past. I like that it doesn’t forcibly attempt to wring out the emotional drama.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
📖 The title and the cover are quite cute, but they probably indicate ‘romcom’, which isn't valid. The book is better read as a contemporary/general fiction than as a romance or a romcom.
📖 As the story is character-focused, the pacing is on the slower side, with the first half mostly focussed on divulging the character’s personalities. We get to know them intimately because of this approach, but those wanting a quicker storyline might be slightly bored.
📖 The ending is too perfect, but that's a hallmark of this genre so I can't really complain too much about it. But a part of me wishes that at least some characters would have got a HFN instead of a HEA ending.
Bookish Nays:
📕 The plot stands on quite a farfetched premise. If you found a letter in a used book that you purchased, would you assume that the owner left it for you, or that the earlier owner of the book left it in by mistake? The very fact that Laura didn’t question even once that it could be the latter case was odd. Plus, the key characters meet in real life at times, but they don’t even bring up the letters for some flimsy reason or the other. Basically, a whole load of suspension of disbelief is required, which I always struggle with.
📕 The repetition of some information. Several facts related to the characters are mentioned time and again, which gets annoying after a while. Readers should be trusted to retain character detailing in their minds; too much telling isn't ever required.
📕 In emails, the ‘From’ column is always before the ‘To’ column, and this format is retained even in fictional works containing e-correspondence. Why was the order reversed in this book? I was often confused while reading the emails because my head kept inverting the sender and receiver.
All in all, this is quite a decent debut, with its characters outshining the plot. It's even a good contemporary fiction work, as long as you aren't looking for a romcom. Had the repetitions been ironed out, it would have been compelling.
Recommended to those looking for a character-driven contemporary novel about life and relationships in the city.
3.5 stars. (I would have rounded up, but the Nays were a bit too hefty for me.)
My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for providing the DRC of “Storybook Ending” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
|| My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Seattle. April, who works from home in a tech job, finds herself increasingly lonely. In desperation, she leaves an anonymous love note for Westley, an employee of a local indie bookstore whose job is to sort out the piles of used books. However, Westley, who is lost in his own issues, doesn’t even notice the note, and when he sells the book to Laura, a middle-aged single mom who hasn’t even considered dating after the death of her husband five years back, she assumes that he has written the note for her. Thus begins a strange correspondence involving three people, where one of the parties isn't even aware of the letters being written to and “by” him.
The story comes to us in the third-person perspectives of the above three characters, with some first-person interludes and email exchanges from the POVs of some key secondary characters.
Bookish Yays:
📚 The three main characters:
🔖 April, with her paradoxical personality of being an overthinker and yet not thinking enough. Her frustrations with her personal and professional life comes across well.
🔖 Laura, with her conflicts as a single mom and a working professional. Probably my favourite character in the book as she felt the most realistic in emotions.
🔖 Westley, who is not like typical romance leads. I mean, he is extremely handsome (as expected), but he is aware of his appeal but doesn’t take advantage of it. He is also not ambitious, quite awkward, not highly educated, doesn’t enjoy sci-fi… So his personality is quite refreshing for this genre, even when he isn't entirely likeable.
📚 Several other good characters, some of whom are nicely quirky. Laura’s seven-year-old daughter Olivia is the sweetest and written in an age-appropriate manner.
📚 The characters range in age from single digit to fifty-something and they mostly act their age. We do get one immature thirty-something-year-old, but there are indeed several immature thirty-somethings in the world to make him convincing enough.
📚 Everything about books and indie bookstores.
📚 The description of Seattle. Always good to see a story make proper use of a place. Also nice to see a different location pop up. High time NY and LA get a break!
📚 The first-person interludes from secondary characters and the emails offer a good break in between the main characters’ narration.
📚 Though a debut, there is no overload of themes, all the more relevant because each character faces a key personal issue. The narrative is focussed on the core idea of urban loneliness and wanting to making connections.
📚 Despite the potential for grief and sadness in each character’s arc, the plot focuses more on their path ahead rather than on their sad past. I like that it doesn’t forcibly attempt to wring out the emotional drama.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
📖 The title and the cover are quite cute, but they probably indicate ‘romcom’, which isn't valid. The book is better read as a contemporary/general fiction than as a romance or a romcom.
📖 As the story is character-focused, the pacing is on the slower side, with the first half mostly focussed on divulging the character’s personalities. We get to know them intimately because of this approach, but those wanting a quicker storyline might be slightly bored.
📖 The ending is too perfect, but that's a hallmark of this genre so I can't really complain too much about it. But a part of me wishes that at least some characters would have got a HFN instead of a HEA ending.
Bookish Nays:
📕 The plot stands on quite a farfetched premise. If you found a letter in a used book that you purchased, would you assume that the owner left it for you, or that the earlier owner of the book left it in by mistake? The very fact that Laura didn’t question even once that it could be the latter case was odd. Plus, the key characters meet in real life at times, but they don’t even bring up the letters for some flimsy reason or the other. Basically, a whole load of suspension of disbelief is required, which I always struggle with.
📕 The repetition of some information. Several facts related to the characters are mentioned time and again, which gets annoying after a while. Readers should be trusted to retain character detailing in their minds; too much telling isn't ever required.
📕 In emails, the ‘From’ column is always before the ‘To’ column, and this format is retained even in fictional works containing e-correspondence. Why was the order reversed in this book? I was often confused while reading the emails because my head kept inverting the sender and receiver.
All in all, this is quite a decent debut, with its characters outshining the plot. It's even a good contemporary fiction work, as long as you aren't looking for a romcom. Had the repetitions been ironed out, it would have been compelling.
Recommended to those looking for a character-driven contemporary novel about life and relationships in the city.
3.5 stars. (I would have rounded up, but the Nays were a bit too hefty for me.)
My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for providing the DRC of “Storybook Ending” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
|| My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
May 27, 2025
A tale of two halves…
April works from home and although her co-workers love that “perk”-she misses the camaraderie of an office setting and has been feeling quite lonely. She’s left an anonymous note in a book for Westley, the clerk at her local Seattle neighborhood bookstore “Read the Room” hoping to make a connection.
Laura has been widowed for 5 years now, and the busy single mom isn’t sure if she is ready to date, but when she buys a book at “Read the Room” and finds a note inside it-she thinks the clerk with the “movie star good looks” has left it for her.
But the clerk-Westley—has no idea that he is the “object of desire” for either woman because an independent movie is being filmed at the bookstore, and the lead Actor has disappeared-thrusting him-reluctantly-into the role.
April and Laura’s anonymous correspondence continues, with both thinking they are in a “meet cute” with Westley, until one finally has the courage to suggest a coffee date-
With a nod to the Classic movie, “You’ve Got Mail” the story includes SOME use of mixed media including the letters exchanged, and staff emails to propel the story along.
This is a DEBUT novel which suffered from a slow FIRST HALF which spent about 50% character building-and this half was ALL TELL and NO SHOW except when a conversation took place. I wasn’t at all engaged with the story until about the 55% point in the book.
Once the PLOT took precedence over the character building, the pace picked up and the story became quite CHARMING-making me feel invested in the outcome!
If you have patience and enjoy stories about bookstores, books and FOUND FAMILY, this could be a book for you.
A buddy read with DeAnn! Did she agree? Watch for her review! 🤗
Available Now
Thank You to Dutton for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!
April works from home and although her co-workers love that “perk”-she misses the camaraderie of an office setting and has been feeling quite lonely. She’s left an anonymous note in a book for Westley, the clerk at her local Seattle neighborhood bookstore “Read the Room” hoping to make a connection.
Laura has been widowed for 5 years now, and the busy single mom isn’t sure if she is ready to date, but when she buys a book at “Read the Room” and finds a note inside it-she thinks the clerk with the “movie star good looks” has left it for her.
But the clerk-Westley—has no idea that he is the “object of desire” for either woman because an independent movie is being filmed at the bookstore, and the lead Actor has disappeared-thrusting him-reluctantly-into the role.
April and Laura’s anonymous correspondence continues, with both thinking they are in a “meet cute” with Westley, until one finally has the courage to suggest a coffee date-
With a nod to the Classic movie, “You’ve Got Mail” the story includes SOME use of mixed media including the letters exchanged, and staff emails to propel the story along.
This is a DEBUT novel which suffered from a slow FIRST HALF which spent about 50% character building-and this half was ALL TELL and NO SHOW except when a conversation took place. I wasn’t at all engaged with the story until about the 55% point in the book.
Once the PLOT took precedence over the character building, the pace picked up and the story became quite CHARMING-making me feel invested in the outcome!
If you have patience and enjoy stories about bookstores, books and FOUND FAMILY, this could be a book for you.
A buddy read with DeAnn! Did she agree? Watch for her review! 🤗
Available Now
Thank You to Dutton for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!
May 26, 2025
You had me at "You've Got Mail." 💌
The story begins with a sweet letter left in a book (Magpie Murders) and dropped off at the used book desk of the Read the Room bookstore.
As described in the blurb, an unusual love triangle results. At its center is Westley, the handsome used book employee. Yes, he is named after that iconic character from "The Princess Bride."
I am going to keep my comments to a minimum as I would recommend going in blind. The story unfolds slowly at first. There were parts I absolutely loved and some I thought were unnecessary.
The ending, though, was one I could totally see on a movie screen. An exterior shot with snow on the trees and at the center a golden scene of a group enjoying each other's company. And it all started with a letter.
This is a debut that show promise and I would be up for another read by Moira Macdonald. Thank you to Dutton and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
The story begins with a sweet letter left in a book (Magpie Murders) and dropped off at the used book desk of the Read the Room bookstore.
As described in the blurb, an unusual love triangle results. At its center is Westley, the handsome used book employee. Yes, he is named after that iconic character from "The Princess Bride."
I am going to keep my comments to a minimum as I would recommend going in blind. The story unfolds slowly at first. There were parts I absolutely loved and some I thought were unnecessary.
The ending, though, was one I could totally see on a movie screen. An exterior shot with snow on the trees and at the center a golden scene of a group enjoying each other's company. And it all started with a letter.
This is a debut that show promise and I would be up for another read by Moira Macdonald. Thank you to Dutton and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
July 1, 2025
◦ Storybook Ending ◦ by Moira Macdonald ◦
★★★★
◦: plot :◦
April leaves a flirty note in a bookstore, only for single mum Laura to find it and mistake it as meant for her. Their anonymous note exchange sparks unexpected connection and change, while clueless bookseller Westley remains caught in the middle.
◦: Tropes:◦
✧ Miscommunication
✧ Found Family
◦: My Thoughts :◦
I was enjoying the first 30% of this. I think it is hard as a reader knowing more than the characters in the book. It seemed like the plot was stationary for long duration of this book too.
▸ Overall
Loved the idea of this book. It was fun to read. I loved readings April’s point of view as a single mother. Her take on parenting was refreshing and relatable.
Congratulations on your debut novel.
★★★★
◦: plot :◦
April leaves a flirty note in a bookstore, only for single mum Laura to find it and mistake it as meant for her. Their anonymous note exchange sparks unexpected connection and change, while clueless bookseller Westley remains caught in the middle.
◦: Tropes:◦
✧ Miscommunication
✧ Found Family
◦: My Thoughts :◦
I was enjoying the first 30% of this. I think it is hard as a reader knowing more than the characters in the book. It seemed like the plot was stationary for long duration of this book too.
▸ Overall
Loved the idea of this book. It was fun to read. I loved readings April’s point of view as a single mother. Her take on parenting was refreshing and relatable.
Congratulations on your debut novel.
March 4, 2025
Who knew I needed a sweet little cozy litfic book in my life. This was so wholesome and is meant to be read slow with a cup of tea. Although this book might be too "slow" for some it was perfectly paced for me. I loved that I could hop in and out of this story and be transported to a cozy bookshop in Seattle. Lots of sweet references to Norah Ephron {my fave} which is appropriate since this book did really feel like one of her movies. I really enjoyed my reading experience with this one and LOVED how it all wrapped up in the end!
Thank you NetGalley and Duttonbooks for this ARC! :)
Thank you NetGalley and Duttonbooks for this ARC! :)
May 29, 2025
This did absolutely nothing for me and actually felt like a total slog despite the cozy bookstore vibes. I questioned the premise from the beginning: one woman tries to send a note in a donated used book to a cute bookstore employee and instead ends up communicating with another lonely woman via more notes hidden in books. Both women somehow think they are conducting a secret correspondance with the guy. I don’t know if I missed something, but it was never clear to me why either woman thought they were ever talking to the bland man who seemingly has nothing going for him apart from his attractiveness (which is mentioned a gazillion times). I like character driven stories but there’s usually something compelling about the situation the characters find themselves in that sucks me into caring what happens. Unfortunately, that did not happen and I was very bored.
January 22, 2025
This book was so lovely. It reads like a soft blanket on a wintery evening, a craft latte on a Sunday morning, an old bookstore with your love in a rainstorm. I loved every single thing about it.
Although this book is marketed as a story about an "unusual love triangle" after a note that was left in the pages of a used book is picked up by the wrong recipient, I truly believe this is a story of found friendship and ultimately, girlhood. We follow April, a lonely and seemingly stuck remote tech worker, Laura, a high fashion, driven single mom, and Westly, the handsome bookstore employee, throughout the book by following alternating chapter POVs. The pace sometimes slowed, however, I didn't mind this because in the lulls, we were able to connect with more side characters and learn just how interconnected everyone seemed to be. The song Mastermind by Taylor Swift kept coming to mind because everything, i.e., the emails, the side 'interview' style blurbs and random interactions, all had meaning at the end.
Plus, Moira Macdonald's way of describing ordinary things was just magical. A couple of quotes that immediately come to mind to get you especially interested: "[...] with a carelessly becoming beard and the kind of gentle smile that might inspire bad poetry." "Sometimes the old building just seemed to need to stretch out its bones and make mysterious sounds." "[...] and mellow wood floors that felt a little bit soft when you stepped on them, as if years of wear had turned the wood into carpet." The atmosphere that she created in this book was charming and just so welcoming. And to the quote that made me burst into tears, "You saved yourself. I just reached out a hand."
I would certainly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that resembles a love letter to books, found friendships and girlhood, and ultimately a story with beautiful, descriptive writing.
Thank you NetGalley, Moira and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts & review.
5/5 stars
Although this book is marketed as a story about an "unusual love triangle" after a note that was left in the pages of a used book is picked up by the wrong recipient, I truly believe this is a story of found friendship and ultimately, girlhood. We follow April, a lonely and seemingly stuck remote tech worker, Laura, a high fashion, driven single mom, and Westly, the handsome bookstore employee, throughout the book by following alternating chapter POVs. The pace sometimes slowed, however, I didn't mind this because in the lulls, we were able to connect with more side characters and learn just how interconnected everyone seemed to be. The song Mastermind by Taylor Swift kept coming to mind because everything, i.e., the emails, the side 'interview' style blurbs and random interactions, all had meaning at the end.
Plus, Moira Macdonald's way of describing ordinary things was just magical. A couple of quotes that immediately come to mind to get you especially interested: "[...] with a carelessly becoming beard and the kind of gentle smile that might inspire bad poetry." "Sometimes the old building just seemed to need to stretch out its bones and make mysterious sounds." "[...] and mellow wood floors that felt a little bit soft when you stepped on them, as if years of wear had turned the wood into carpet." The atmosphere that she created in this book was charming and just so welcoming. And to the quote that made me burst into tears, "You saved yourself. I just reached out a hand."
I would certainly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that resembles a love letter to books, found friendships and girlhood, and ultimately a story with beautiful, descriptive writing.
Thank you NetGalley, Moira and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts & review.
5/5 stars
Read
September 11, 2025In the interests of full disclosure: the author has interviewed me at booksignings and has reviewed my crime novels in the Seattle Times. Having said that, I will also say that I enjoyed this novel. It's a romp of a story that Seattlites in particular will enjoy as the author does a fine and often amusing job of bringing to life any number of Seattle quirks although she somehow did miss wearing socks with sandals. I had fun with the plot and did keep turning the pages to see how this amusing case of wildly mistaken identities was going to work out. And I did enjoy the unveiling of the letter writers to each other and how their relationship moves on from there. I did wonder a bit about the unlikely Thanksgiving scene, but as it was all in good fun, I moved past my queries and decided to go with the flow.
All in all, this was a diverting and enjoyable read.
All in all, this was a diverting and enjoyable read.
June 29, 2025
Storybook Endings is Literary Fiction for Romance lovers— or for those looking for a heartwarming story of single people at work- the lonely, those generally content people who go through their lives passing others, seemingly unsure of how to connect.
Laura is a widowed mother who loves the local bookstore and finds a note inside a book. Although she believes it was meant for her, it was meant for an introverted yet handsome bookseller who just likes being around books. Westley is oblivious, although the notes are meant for him, they are getting to April, a remote tech worker.
It’s like a meet cute- but an anti-meet-cute.
The book also is written in third person with several chapters about side characters being written in first person. I love this writing style, but I know some readers do not enjoy it For me the third person allows us to have judgmental or observational thoughts about the characters without it being internal dialogue. The reader is left to decide whether or not the descriptions and anecdotes have depth.
It also turns us into an introverted observer of the story, slowly walking through the book stacks and feeling at home.
I am a big sucker for books about and set in bookstores.
4.5/5
Laura is a widowed mother who loves the local bookstore and finds a note inside a book. Although she believes it was meant for her, it was meant for an introverted yet handsome bookseller who just likes being around books. Westley is oblivious, although the notes are meant for him, they are getting to April, a remote tech worker.
It’s like a meet cute- but an anti-meet-cute.
The book also is written in third person with several chapters about side characters being written in first person. I love this writing style, but I know some readers do not enjoy it For me the third person allows us to have judgmental or observational thoughts about the characters without it being internal dialogue. The reader is left to decide whether or not the descriptions and anecdotes have depth.
It also turns us into an introverted observer of the story, slowly walking through the book stacks and feeling at home.
I am a big sucker for books about and set in bookstores.
4.5/5
July 5, 2025
Miscommunication in romances is one of my pet peeves, so imagine my surprise when I found that I actually bought into the secret letters exchanged between characters and the ripples of miscommunication they caused. While some characters made some mental leaps that were just a half step beyond believable, they were close enough to realistic that the miscommunication was entertaining more than frustrating. That said, I found the author's characterization of Westley a bit puzzling and overall a miss. She seems to be making a point about how the other characters are drawn to him simply because of his good looks, not appreciating him or seeing him as a well-rounded, dimensional person, and yet the author goes on to do the same. The reader is left with just a surface-level characterization of Westley, with little time spent detailing his own motivations, the deeper reasons for his aloof distance, his back history, etc. It was frustrating to feel like one of the morals of the story was "don't judge a book by its cover" and yet we were then given little more than that when it came to one of the book's central characters.
December 12, 2024
A woman leaves a note for her crush in a book but a single mother picks it up instead.
This is a very sweet and simple story and shows how friendship can develop in sometimes the most unlikely situations. At times the story can feel a tad slow placed.
I enjoyed how April and Lauras friendship developed in the end. It made the story feel so much more enjoyable. Personally I am a sucker for a book about Womanhood and female friendships developing,
The character stories are extremely relatable and most readers can find a part of themselves in each of the 3 people. The book is perfect for people who want an enjoyable, slow paced yet relaxing read after a stressful day.
Thankyou so much to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the ARC. All Opinions are my own <3
This is a very sweet and simple story and shows how friendship can develop in sometimes the most unlikely situations. At times the story can feel a tad slow placed.
I enjoyed how April and Lauras friendship developed in the end. It made the story feel so much more enjoyable. Personally I am a sucker for a book about Womanhood and female friendships developing,
The character stories are extremely relatable and most readers can find a part of themselves in each of the 3 people. The book is perfect for people who want an enjoyable, slow paced yet relaxing read after a stressful day.
Thankyou so much to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the ARC. All Opinions are my own <3
August 3, 2025
I had such high hopes for this, but it didn’t quite fulfill my expectations. The blurb on the back says that this is a love triangle, when really it is a story about found family and friendship. This was told in a limited 3rd person POV, with each chapter changing perspective. The 2 women characters’ chapters read in such a similar voice to me, and the male main character’s personality was so flat- all he really had going for himself was that he was hot. It was hard to connect to the characters because there were so many instances of telling and not showing. I almost dnf’d but this was so easy to read that I just went with it. Overall, slightly cozy but not really for me.
Thank you Dutton for the finished copy! All thoughts are my own.
Thank you Dutton for the finished copy! All thoughts are my own.
January 23, 2025
Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton for an advance copy of Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald.
I enjoyed reading this book! I loved all the bookish themes and the whole plot being centered around this book store and notes. I loved the theme of female friendships and the development of them in this book. It was cute, cozy & easy to read. I wish it was a little more fast paced but overall a solid 4!
I enjoyed reading this book! I loved all the bookish themes and the whole plot being centered around this book store and notes. I loved the theme of female friendships and the development of them in this book. It was cute, cozy & easy to read. I wish it was a little more fast paced but overall a solid 4!
February 9, 2025
Well, I’m done. I have some feelings and I’m struggling to sort them out, mostly because I feel misled into what this book is about- mostly because of the books description. The text was accurate, but the emotional tone was not right.
While it is “about romance”, I wouldn’t call it a romance novel (how it’s labeled on publisher’s site), and certainly not “playful”, and that is where I feel let down. At first I was excited to read about the MMC, because I love bookish flannel boys, but by the end of this book I was tired of him. Although I can’t even blame him- I think the amount of time the author spent bringing up how hard his life was because of how attractive he was became tiring and downright boring. While it doesn’t bother me so much that a MMC has cheating in his past, I know a lot of readers do, so I imagine this was another mark against him. But, there’s a real chance this was on purpose as this is not a true romance novel anyway. Maybe I’m supposed to not care about this guy.
While the setup and plot was wild and clever and good, I wish I was prepared for it. I went in thinking it was a romance novel and was let down- so I spent the whole time cringing in preparation for how this would end. If I had gone in knowing this was a book more so about friendship and found family and more of ensemble book where everyone comes together (the name should have given me that clue- but I took it the wrong way), maybe I would have felt more satisfied. The description also called it “hilarious”…at no point did I find any of this book funny. I felt sad for these two women who were falling for someone based on a misunderstanding. One was lonely and depressed and the other was a widow, attempting a connection for the first time since her husband’s death. Should I have been laughing at them?
All of this to say, I do believe it’s a good book and very well written and think it could be a hit for those who love stories about friendships, found families, “getting back out there”, feeling lost in life, etc. Just not to be read as a HEA romance novel. And not hilarious.
I think this is on the publisher, not the author, to market accurately.
ARC (Offered)
While it is “about romance”, I wouldn’t call it a romance novel (how it’s labeled on publisher’s site), and certainly not “playful”, and that is where I feel let down. At first I was excited to read about the MMC, because I love bookish flannel boys, but by the end of this book I was tired of him. Although I can’t even blame him- I think the amount of time the author spent bringing up how hard his life was because of how attractive he was became tiring and downright boring. While it doesn’t bother me so much that a MMC has cheating in his past, I know a lot of readers do, so I imagine this was another mark against him. But, there’s a real chance this was on purpose as this is not a true romance novel anyway. Maybe I’m supposed to not care about this guy.
While the setup and plot was wild and clever and good, I wish I was prepared for it. I went in thinking it was a romance novel and was let down- so I spent the whole time cringing in preparation for how this would end. If I had gone in knowing this was a book more so about friendship and found family and more of ensemble book where everyone comes together (the name should have given me that clue- but I took it the wrong way), maybe I would have felt more satisfied. The description also called it “hilarious”…at no point did I find any of this book funny. I felt sad for these two women who were falling for someone based on a misunderstanding. One was lonely and depressed and the other was a widow, attempting a connection for the first time since her husband’s death. Should I have been laughing at them?
All of this to say, I do believe it’s a good book and very well written and think it could be a hit for those who love stories about friendships, found families, “getting back out there”, feeling lost in life, etc. Just not to be read as a HEA romance novel. And not hilarious.
I think this is on the publisher, not the author, to market accurately.
ARC (Offered)
March 29, 2025
I am a sucker for books about book people–book sellers, readers, writers, lovers. Books about book people and me make for kindred spirits and this was a delightful new way to share that love.
April is a lonely remote worker in Seattle looking for an easy way to make a romantic connection. She decides to put a note in a book she knows the cute employee at the local bookstore will see when he goes through the used books before they are sold. The only problem is that the note doesn’t go to Westley; instead Laura (a widowed single mother) reads it and the resulting case of mistaken identity and low tech correspondence leave you enjoying the relationships that are built in an old fashioned world.
I loved the characters in this book. They were fun and innocent, earnest and oblivious. The side characters provided a funny backdrop that made me laugh and roll my eyes all at once (I’m looking at you the “14 year old Zach”). After reading this it made me want to leave some notes in books, support my local bookstore, and find some used books all at once. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
April is a lonely remote worker in Seattle looking for an easy way to make a romantic connection. She decides to put a note in a book she knows the cute employee at the local bookstore will see when he goes through the used books before they are sold. The only problem is that the note doesn’t go to Westley; instead Laura (a widowed single mother) reads it and the resulting case of mistaken identity and low tech correspondence leave you enjoying the relationships that are built in an old fashioned world.
I loved the characters in this book. They were fun and innocent, earnest and oblivious. The side characters provided a funny backdrop that made me laugh and roll my eyes all at once (I’m looking at you the “14 year old Zach”). After reading this it made me want to leave some notes in books, support my local bookstore, and find some used books all at once. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
May 25, 2025
This was a light-hearted, feel good story about three lonely people brought into one another's orbit thanks to a used bookstore and a message left in a book that finds its way to an unintended recipient sparking a life-changing friendship and a series of exchanges between two book lovers. I loved this one a lot and highly recommend it for fans of Nora Ephron and You've got mail. Good on audio too told from the POV of each of the three main characters. Would make a great movie! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
October 12, 2025
Gostei e foi fofo. Mas a premissa, na minha opinião, prometia muito mais. Ali a partir de meio pareceu estar só a encher chouriços e pronto. Um final querido mas não suficiente para mim
January 19, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this arc!!!
This book is a PERFECT representation of womanhood and friendships even though it is marketed as a love triangle trope. It was only 4 stars because sometimes I felt like the book had a slower pace, yet other times I felt like it flew through things too quickly!
I love the book-ish themes throughout this book, made my own book-ish heart swell. This read was so fun and I enjoyed myself throughout.
Also, can we take a moment for this author’s vocabulary?!!! Like WOAH! I had a running list of new words I learned from this book which is wonderful and made for an interesting read for something that is deemed to be more simple like romances are portrayed.
Would recommend this book to everyone, such a fun read! Loved all the characters and the SETTING!!! Makes me want to move to Seattle….??
This book is a PERFECT representation of womanhood and friendships even though it is marketed as a love triangle trope. It was only 4 stars because sometimes I felt like the book had a slower pace, yet other times I felt like it flew through things too quickly!
I love the book-ish themes throughout this book, made my own book-ish heart swell. This read was so fun and I enjoyed myself throughout.
Also, can we take a moment for this author’s vocabulary?!!! Like WOAH! I had a running list of new words I learned from this book which is wonderful and made for an interesting read for something that is deemed to be more simple like romances are portrayed.
Would recommend this book to everyone, such a fun read! Loved all the characters and the SETTING!!! Makes me want to move to Seattle….??
November 10, 2025
2.75⭐️ Tinha algumas expectativas para este livro. A premissa é muito interessante e esperava algo a inclinar para a ficção literária. Acontece que o livro promete tudo e entrega zero.
Compreendo que seja sobre a amizade, mas neste caso o Westley é que era a pick me girl, sempre tão afetado por ser tão giro, só queria ser visto como uma pessoa normal 🤮
Depois a situação da troca de bilhetes entre as duas mulheres estende-se demasiado e só se resolve mesmo no fim. Tem também demasiada coisa a acontecer, demasiados povs desnecessários, e a bem dizer, embora seja muito em que focar, não acontece grande coisa. É repetitivo! A certo ponto estamos só a ver o dia-a-dia dos personagens.
E a autora parece que inventa plots aleatórios a meio. Há uma cena em que uma das personagens principais receb mensagens agressivas de alguém, mas ela só bloqueia o número e pronto, acabou ali a história. Então pra quê por isso a acontecer??
Enfim, a escrita não é má, mas a história foi muito mal conseguida!
Compreendo que seja sobre a amizade, mas neste caso o Westley é que era a pick me girl, sempre tão afetado por ser tão giro, só queria ser visto como uma pessoa normal 🤮
Depois a situação da troca de bilhetes entre as duas mulheres estende-se demasiado e só se resolve mesmo no fim. Tem também demasiada coisa a acontecer, demasiados povs desnecessários, e a bem dizer, embora seja muito em que focar, não acontece grande coisa. É repetitivo! A certo ponto estamos só a ver o dia-a-dia dos personagens.
E a autora parece que inventa plots aleatórios a meio. Há uma cena em que uma das personagens principais receb mensagens agressivas de alguém, mas ela só bloqueia o número e pronto, acabou ali a história. Então pra quê por isso a acontecer??
Enfim, a escrita não é má, mas a história foi muito mal conseguida!
January 5, 2025
I love nothing more than a bookish themed story however I felt this book lacked something and therefore didn't grasp me in as I initially thought it would. The book needed some more pace and a few more key moments to make it stand out. Storybook ending is more marketed as a love triangle but in my eyes its more of a friendship development plot. The character development was consistent throughout and their love of books made for a really cozy read.
I feel sort of neutral about this book mainly due to the pace however I would say its a relatively easy read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.
I feel sort of neutral about this book mainly due to the pace however I would say its a relatively easy read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.
June 10, 2025
This was great and got my attention so quickly! I loved how it ended and just a good read all around!
June 22, 2025
✨ For a debut novel, this book is such a gem! I absolutely loved it! 🫶🏻
It’s a heartwarming story about three main characters, April, Westley, and Laura, whose lives take unexpected turns, all sparked by anonymous notes. This charming tale weaves together themes of friendship, romance, miscommunication, and, of course, the comforting magic of bookstores 📚
The story is told from three distinct perspectives, and while the narrative is on the longer side, I found myself fully immersed in each character’s journey. Each voice felt authentic and engaging, making connecting with their thoughts, emotions, and growth easy. The central plot, where an anonymous note meant for someone specific ends up in the wrong hands, adds a layer of intrigue and excitement. I was eager to see how the truth would unfold, and when it finally did, it was satisfying and surprisingly moving. The scene felt just right, like it was always meant to happen that way 💗
I genuinely liked all the characters, including the supporting ones. Rebecca, Ashley, and the adorable Olivia added warmth and charm to the story. The ending, especially, was so heartwarming, it brought joy to see the characters I had grown attached to living their lives to the fullest together.
Another delightful aspect was the inclusion of chapters featuring Westley’s colleagues at Read the Room, the bookstore where he works. Each chapter opens with the line, “The best thing I ever found in a book…" This is such a creative idea and honestly made the bookstore setting feel even more magical 📚✨I loved reading about the little treasures they discovered tucked between the pages. Even with just one chapter per colleague, their personalities came through clearly. Alejandra’s quiet reflections, Andrew and his daily blazer (and his subtle pride in being gay), Raven (a little annoying but still likable), and Julia, the passionate bookstore owner, all added flavor and life to the story.
Some of the themes, though briefly explored, really resonated with me, especially grief and how friendships can shift as we move through different life phases. The idea of leaving an anonymous note in a book particularly struck a chord with me; it reminded me of my own thoughts during early adulthood, of perhaps leaving a note not for love, but for connection, like a mysterious kind of pen pal. Maybe that’s why this book felt extra special to me. This book also reminded me that life isn’t just about romantic love; it’s also about growth, connection, and finding meaning in everyday interactions.
Overall, I highly recommend adding this book to your reading list if you enjoy cozy, character-driven stories set around books and bookstores, with its heartfelt themes, likable characters, and a beautiful message that sometimes, even the smallest gestures can lead to life-changing moments.
✨ The cover of this book is 🤌🏻 . You’re staying with me, on my bookshelf, book trolley, or wherever I can fit you at home!
Thank you, Times Reads, for the review copy ! 🫶🏻
It’s a heartwarming story about three main characters, April, Westley, and Laura, whose lives take unexpected turns, all sparked by anonymous notes. This charming tale weaves together themes of friendship, romance, miscommunication, and, of course, the comforting magic of bookstores 📚
The story is told from three distinct perspectives, and while the narrative is on the longer side, I found myself fully immersed in each character’s journey. Each voice felt authentic and engaging, making connecting with their thoughts, emotions, and growth easy. The central plot, where an anonymous note meant for someone specific ends up in the wrong hands, adds a layer of intrigue and excitement. I was eager to see how the truth would unfold, and when it finally did, it was satisfying and surprisingly moving. The scene felt just right, like it was always meant to happen that way 💗
I genuinely liked all the characters, including the supporting ones. Rebecca, Ashley, and the adorable Olivia added warmth and charm to the story. The ending, especially, was so heartwarming, it brought joy to see the characters I had grown attached to living their lives to the fullest together.
Another delightful aspect was the inclusion of chapters featuring Westley’s colleagues at Read the Room, the bookstore where he works. Each chapter opens with the line, “The best thing I ever found in a book…" This is such a creative idea and honestly made the bookstore setting feel even more magical 📚✨I loved reading about the little treasures they discovered tucked between the pages. Even with just one chapter per colleague, their personalities came through clearly. Alejandra’s quiet reflections, Andrew and his daily blazer (and his subtle pride in being gay), Raven (a little annoying but still likable), and Julia, the passionate bookstore owner, all added flavor and life to the story.
Some of the themes, though briefly explored, really resonated with me, especially grief and how friendships can shift as we move through different life phases. The idea of leaving an anonymous note in a book particularly struck a chord with me; it reminded me of my own thoughts during early adulthood, of perhaps leaving a note not for love, but for connection, like a mysterious kind of pen pal. Maybe that’s why this book felt extra special to me. This book also reminded me that life isn’t just about romantic love; it’s also about growth, connection, and finding meaning in everyday interactions.
Overall, I highly recommend adding this book to your reading list if you enjoy cozy, character-driven stories set around books and bookstores, with its heartfelt themes, likable characters, and a beautiful message that sometimes, even the smallest gestures can lead to life-changing moments.
✨ The cover of this book is 🤌🏻 . You’re staying with me, on my bookshelf, book trolley, or wherever I can fit you at home!
Thank you, Times Reads, for the review copy ! 🫶🏻
May 30, 2025
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Bloomsbury Publishing and the author for providing me with an arc copy in exchange for an honest review!
2.5 ⭐
Storybook ending has a very cozy setting (it's set mainly in a bookshop!), and tells a story of friendship, loneliness, books and love. It's slow paced, it features letters and a love triangle (kinda, maybe...).
Unfortunately, they pace of this wasn't for me. I think I couldn't enjoy this properly because of it. I felt like I was trying to move through quick sands. The chapters being in third person and having a lot of descriptions also didn't help me.
This is not a bad book, but I don't think it was right for me, at least not right now. I think I was expecting something different, especially because this is kinda marketed as a romance. In reality, it's 100% a women's fiction, and it's fine, I have no problem with that, but, again, the blurb kinda makes it seem something else.
2.5 ⭐
Storybook ending has a very cozy setting (it's set mainly in a bookshop!), and tells a story of friendship, loneliness, books and love. It's slow paced, it features letters and a love triangle (kinda, maybe...).
Unfortunately, they pace of this wasn't for me. I think I couldn't enjoy this properly because of it. I felt like I was trying to move through quick sands. The chapters being in third person and having a lot of descriptions also didn't help me.
This is not a bad book, but I don't think it was right for me, at least not right now. I think I was expecting something different, especially because this is kinda marketed as a romance. In reality, it's 100% a women's fiction, and it's fine, I have no problem with that, but, again, the blurb kinda makes it seem something else.
March 23, 2025
Dear Mrs. Macdonald,
I just finished your book, thanks to NetGalley. I loved it. It’s going to be huge. So very happy for you.
I hope for readers’ sake that we get to read many more novels by you, each with an appearance by a different beloved recurring character. You’ve created a world that’s ripe with spin-off potential—much like Abbi Waxman has with her The Garden of Small Beginnings.
Also, fingers crossed your publishers keep the cover art as shown on NetGalley. It’s a great fit.
Thank you for the joy you’ve brought to me and to all your future readers!
Sincerely,
A
I just finished your book, thanks to NetGalley. I loved it. It’s going to be huge. So very happy for you.
I hope for readers’ sake that we get to read many more novels by you, each with an appearance by a different beloved recurring character. You’ve created a world that’s ripe with spin-off potential—much like Abbi Waxman has with her The Garden of Small Beginnings.
Also, fingers crossed your publishers keep the cover art as shown on NetGalley. It’s a great fit.
Thank you for the joy you’ve brought to me and to all your future readers!
Sincerely,
A
August 28, 2025
4.5⭐️ This was such a cute story! I love books centered around different lives and how they all intertwine in some way. The best part of this one was that a lot of it was set in a bookstore, and there was a sweet you've got mail storyline happening, but there was quite a mix-up! This was also set up with different points of views and even a couple of chapters, we got an insight 6 the side characters, which really helped get to know what they were thinking. A great story about friendship, life, and love. If you enjoy books by Freya Sampson, I recommend this one!
July 3, 2025
this was really fun and cute. honestly loved how interconnected everyone was without realizing
June 7, 2025
Answering emails about real estate is not a tech job. 💻
Let's get that out of the way first. It's about a character with a "tech job," written by someone who clearly knows nothing about tech and in fact doesn't even seem to know what tech is. I don't know how this made it past an editor. It comes up multiple times and is central to April's character arch, so I'm not just being nitpicky.
Plot 📄🔍 There are a few random threads in the book, like side stories with April's brother and some wrong number text messages that she was getting, that in a better-constructed story would have tied in perfectly instead of just being random irrelevant filler. Instead, these additional elements made the book drag on with no payoff.
Boomer energy 📚💥 This book had such a promising concept, but I found it to be sleepy rather than cozy, and the characters don't act like 30-something millennials.
Westley is constantly complaining about the pitfalls of being good-looking, even as it's opening doors for him that none of the women characters, for example, the widow mom, have available to them. Cry me a river, grumpy Luke Danes wannabe. All that white male privilege must be so hard for you.
April complains about her friends having babies and expects them to drop all their responsibilities and ditch their babies to go out with her for drinks when she's clearly a terrible friend who won't meet them where they are in life. She complains about having a remote job even though she could just ... not have a remote job.
Acting like victims and refusing to make changes is not millennial behavior, and I found it to be very unrealistic and unrelatable.
As a 40-year-old remote tech writer mom who's always dreamed of owning a bookstore 👩💻 I'm 100% the target audience for this book based on the blurb and the age of the characters. I was excited to read it. But it doesn't hit the mark for me at all. If all the characters were in their 50s and didn't pretend answering emails is "tech," it would have made more sense and I could have been more into the story. But it was written as if it was supposed to be relatable to my demographic, and it wasn't. It felt like a total mismatch between the marketing/character demographics and story, where the author doesn't understand the generation and world she attempted to write about.
It seemed like the author just had an opinion about remote work and wanted to share it, so she made up unrealistic story points to get her message across. But the stereotypes about software developers were downright offensive and wrong. The struggles with remote work lacked any depth. The biggest issue with remote work in tech today is that companies are cutting it and forcing people back into an office despite the numbers showing that it's working and despite the fact that people who have remote positions actually prefer to be remote. This book portrays the opposite scenario. So clearly no research was done.
The bookstore setting worked, so the author probably has spent time in a bookstore.
The movie production, mehhh 📽️ I find it difficult to believe that a store would stay open while a movie is being filmed there, and that the production would promise not to move anything. Everything I've ever heard out of the film industry says that they will do whatever they need to, even paint and bring in entirely new furniture, while using a location, and then put it all back at the end. So that story line also felt really far fetched.
The book is marketed as a comedy. 🎭 I didn't find anything funny. At all. I did smile at one point toward the end, when it got to the point where the two women and the man were going to end up in the same place at the same time. I smiled in anticipation of all the buildup coming to a comedy-of-errors style conclusion. And then... it didn't. The man ended up not even being there, even though there was a specific plot point where he was going to be there. It was very strange! Not a good denouement, and not at all comedic. It could have been funny and dramatic while still being respectful to the characters, but it was a total cop out.
I think I'm talking about it so much because it has so much promise as a story! but too many of the filler elements don't make sense, it was heavy handed and not funny, and it tries to be something it's not.
I'll just end with... there's a reason they say to write what you know.
Let's get that out of the way first. It's about a character with a "tech job," written by someone who clearly knows nothing about tech and in fact doesn't even seem to know what tech is. I don't know how this made it past an editor. It comes up multiple times and is central to April's character arch, so I'm not just being nitpicky.
Plot 📄🔍 There are a few random threads in the book, like side stories with April's brother and some wrong number text messages that she was getting, that in a better-constructed story would have tied in perfectly instead of just being random irrelevant filler. Instead, these additional elements made the book drag on with no payoff.
Boomer energy 📚💥 This book had such a promising concept, but I found it to be sleepy rather than cozy, and the characters don't act like 30-something millennials.
Westley is constantly complaining about the pitfalls of being good-looking, even as it's opening doors for him that none of the women characters, for example, the widow mom, have available to them. Cry me a river, grumpy Luke Danes wannabe. All that white male privilege must be so hard for you.
April complains about her friends having babies and expects them to drop all their responsibilities and ditch their babies to go out with her for drinks when she's clearly a terrible friend who won't meet them where they are in life. She complains about having a remote job even though she could just ... not have a remote job.
Acting like victims and refusing to make changes is not millennial behavior, and I found it to be very unrealistic and unrelatable.
As a 40-year-old remote tech writer mom who's always dreamed of owning a bookstore 👩💻 I'm 100% the target audience for this book based on the blurb and the age of the characters. I was excited to read it. But it doesn't hit the mark for me at all. If all the characters were in their 50s and didn't pretend answering emails is "tech," it would have made more sense and I could have been more into the story. But it was written as if it was supposed to be relatable to my demographic, and it wasn't. It felt like a total mismatch between the marketing/character demographics and story, where the author doesn't understand the generation and world she attempted to write about.
It seemed like the author just had an opinion about remote work and wanted to share it, so she made up unrealistic story points to get her message across. But the stereotypes about software developers were downright offensive and wrong. The struggles with remote work lacked any depth. The biggest issue with remote work in tech today is that companies are cutting it and forcing people back into an office despite the numbers showing that it's working and despite the fact that people who have remote positions actually prefer to be remote. This book portrays the opposite scenario. So clearly no research was done.
The bookstore setting worked, so the author probably has spent time in a bookstore.
The movie production, mehhh 📽️ I find it difficult to believe that a store would stay open while a movie is being filmed there, and that the production would promise not to move anything. Everything I've ever heard out of the film industry says that they will do whatever they need to, even paint and bring in entirely new furniture, while using a location, and then put it all back at the end. So that story line also felt really far fetched.
The book is marketed as a comedy. 🎭 I didn't find anything funny. At all. I did smile at one point toward the end, when it got to the point where the two women and the man were going to end up in the same place at the same time. I smiled in anticipation of all the buildup coming to a comedy-of-errors style conclusion. And then... it didn't. The man ended up not even being there, even though there was a specific plot point where he was going to be there. It was very strange! Not a good denouement, and not at all comedic. It could have been funny and dramatic while still being respectful to the characters, but it was a total cop out.
I think I'm talking about it so much because it has so much promise as a story! but too many of the filler elements don't make sense, it was heavy handed and not funny, and it tries to be something it's not.
I'll just end with... there's a reason they say to write what you know.
March 15, 2025
Love Triangle: Book Lovers Edition
An accidental letter changed the course of three lives. Feeling daring April, a remote tech worker, leaves a letter intended for the handsome bookseller Westley. However, it finds its way into the hands of Laura, an older single mom who spends most of her time alone. They exchange letters hinting at falling into an accidental three-way fantasy relationship. Impeccable writing wraps it all up into a nice bow and truly this story read like a hug, a slow-burn romance you just want to curl up with alongside a warm beverage. I personally loved the tri-pov, being able to slip in and out of each persons story was fun and kept the book going during lulls. The cozy Seattle setting was so well-written and atmospheric I wanted to book a trip asap.
My only qualm, hence the -1 star, would be this is NOT the HEA which you may expect from the title. This is more of books lovers love letter to books, found friendship, and ultimately girlhood.
Amazing reading experience overall and definitely recommend! 🎀📚🌷🛍️
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
An accidental letter changed the course of three lives. Feeling daring April, a remote tech worker, leaves a letter intended for the handsome bookseller Westley. However, it finds its way into the hands of Laura, an older single mom who spends most of her time alone. They exchange letters hinting at falling into an accidental three-way fantasy relationship. Impeccable writing wraps it all up into a nice bow and truly this story read like a hug, a slow-burn romance you just want to curl up with alongside a warm beverage. I personally loved the tri-pov, being able to slip in and out of each persons story was fun and kept the book going during lulls. The cozy Seattle setting was so well-written and atmospheric I wanted to book a trip asap.
My only qualm, hence the -1 star, would be this is NOT the HEA which you may expect from the title. This is more of books lovers love letter to books, found friendship, and ultimately girlhood.
Amazing reading experience overall and definitely recommend! 🎀📚🌷🛍️
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
May 31, 2025
The premise of Storybook Ending is deliciously simple yet masterfully executed: what happens when a love note finds the wrong person? April, a work-from-home tech worker drowning in isolation, decides to leave an anonymous note for Westley, the handsome bookstore clerk who makes her heart flutter during her regular visits to Read the Room. But in a twist worthy of Shakespeare, the note ends up with Laura, a widowed single mother who hasn't dared to dream of romance since losing her husband five years ago.
What begins as a case of mistaken identity evolves into something far more profound. Macdonald doesn't just craft a romance; she weaves a meditation on loneliness, connection, and the courage required to open one's heart again. The author's background as an arts critic shines through in her careful attention to the emotional architecture of her characters' lives, building their inner worlds with the same precision she might use to analyze a film or theater production.
Characters That Breathe on the Page
April: The Isolated Dreamer
April emerges as a thoroughly modern heroine whose struggles with remote work isolation will resonate with countless readers. Macdonald captures the peculiar loneliness of contemporary life with startling accuracy, showing how April's days blur together in her apartment, broken only by trips to the bookstore that become lifelines to human connection. Her decision to leave the anonymous note isn't just romantic—it's an act of rebellion against the safe, small life she's accidentally constructed around herself.
Laura: Grace Under Pressure
Laura's character development represents perhaps Macdonald's finest achievement. The author handles Laura's grief with extraordinary sensitivity, never reducing her to simply "the widow" but presenting her as a fully realized woman juggling motherhood, career, and the slow process of healing. Her relationship with seven-year-old Olivia provides some of the novel's most touching moments, particularly their bedtime ritual of storytelling that mirrors the larger narrative's themes about the stories we tell ourselves.
Westley: More Than Just a Pretty Face
Westley could have easily become a shallow romantic object, but Macdonald invests him with genuine depth. His obliviousness to the romantic drama swirling around him initially seems like a plot device, but the author reveals it as part of his larger struggle with agency in his own life. His journey from passive observer to active participant in his own story parallels the women's journeys toward authentic connection.
The Magic of Read the Room
The bookstore itself functions as more than mere setting—it becomes a character in its own right. Macdonald's descriptions of Read the Room, with its "pleasantly squeaky floors" and air that "smelled like old paper, coffee, and possibility," create a space readers will want to inhabit. The author's love for independent bookstores permeates every page, from Julia's fierce protectiveness of her alphabetized shelves to the gentle chaos of the movie filming that disrupts the store's usual rhythms.
The supporting cast of booksellers—each with their own quirks and dreams—adds richness to the narrative tapestry. From Raven's prickly exterior hiding deep vulnerability to Alejandra's secret identity as romance novelist Duke Munro, these characters feel lived-in and authentic. Their brief interludes throughout the novel provide multiple perspectives on the central story while enriching the bookstore's ecosystem.
Narrative Structure: A Symphony of Voices
Macdonald employs a clever multiple perspective structure that allows readers intimate access to each character's inner world. The alternating viewpoints prevent the mistaken identity plot from becoming frustrating, as we understand each character's motivations and misconceptions. The inclusion of emails, texts, and notes adds contemporary authenticity while serving as plot devices that feel organic rather than forced.
The pacing deserves particular praise. Macdonald resists the temptation to rush toward romantic resolution, instead allowing the relationships to develop naturally. The friendship between April and Laura, which ultimately becomes the novel's emotional center, unfolds with genuine warmth and believability.
Themes That Resonate
Loneliness in the Digital Age
The novel explores modern isolation with remarkable insight. April's work-from-home existence and Laura's single-parent responsibilities represent different faces of contemporary loneliness, yet both women find solace in the same place—a bookstore that offers human connection and literary escape.
The Courage to Begin Again
Laura's journey particularly illuminates the courage required to risk love after loss. Macdonald handles grief not as something to overcome but as something to carry forward, allowing Laura to honor her late husband while remaining open to new possibilities.
Books as Bridges
Throughout the novel, books serve as connectors—between April and her mysterious correspondent, between customers and booksellers, between past and present. Macdonald celebrates the unique intimacy of sharing book recommendations and the way literature creates community.
Minor Criticisms
While Storybook Ending succeeds on most levels, it occasionally suffers from an abundance of charm that borders on precious. Some readers may find the movie subplot—while providing good comic relief—somewhat distracting from the central romance. Additionally, certain plot conveniences, while not entirely implausible, require generous suspension of disbelief.
The novel's resolution, while satisfying, arrives perhaps too neatly. Some readers might wish for more complexity in how the various romantic threads resolve, though this tidiness aligns with the book's commitment to delivering genuine comfort reading.
Final Verdict
In Storybook Ending, Moira Macdonald showcases skilled character development, authentic dialogue, and genuine emotional resonance. While it may not revolutionize the romance genre, it provides exactly what readers need: a reminder that the best stories—fictional and real—often begin when we find the courage to reach out to another human being.
What begins as a case of mistaken identity evolves into something far more profound. Macdonald doesn't just craft a romance; she weaves a meditation on loneliness, connection, and the courage required to open one's heart again. The author's background as an arts critic shines through in her careful attention to the emotional architecture of her characters' lives, building their inner worlds with the same precision she might use to analyze a film or theater production.
Characters That Breathe on the Page
April: The Isolated Dreamer
April emerges as a thoroughly modern heroine whose struggles with remote work isolation will resonate with countless readers. Macdonald captures the peculiar loneliness of contemporary life with startling accuracy, showing how April's days blur together in her apartment, broken only by trips to the bookstore that become lifelines to human connection. Her decision to leave the anonymous note isn't just romantic—it's an act of rebellion against the safe, small life she's accidentally constructed around herself.
Laura: Grace Under Pressure
Laura's character development represents perhaps Macdonald's finest achievement. The author handles Laura's grief with extraordinary sensitivity, never reducing her to simply "the widow" but presenting her as a fully realized woman juggling motherhood, career, and the slow process of healing. Her relationship with seven-year-old Olivia provides some of the novel's most touching moments, particularly their bedtime ritual of storytelling that mirrors the larger narrative's themes about the stories we tell ourselves.
Westley: More Than Just a Pretty Face
Westley could have easily become a shallow romantic object, but Macdonald invests him with genuine depth. His obliviousness to the romantic drama swirling around him initially seems like a plot device, but the author reveals it as part of his larger struggle with agency in his own life. His journey from passive observer to active participant in his own story parallels the women's journeys toward authentic connection.
The Magic of Read the Room
The bookstore itself functions as more than mere setting—it becomes a character in its own right. Macdonald's descriptions of Read the Room, with its "pleasantly squeaky floors" and air that "smelled like old paper, coffee, and possibility," create a space readers will want to inhabit. The author's love for independent bookstores permeates every page, from Julia's fierce protectiveness of her alphabetized shelves to the gentle chaos of the movie filming that disrupts the store's usual rhythms.
The supporting cast of booksellers—each with their own quirks and dreams—adds richness to the narrative tapestry. From Raven's prickly exterior hiding deep vulnerability to Alejandra's secret identity as romance novelist Duke Munro, these characters feel lived-in and authentic. Their brief interludes throughout the novel provide multiple perspectives on the central story while enriching the bookstore's ecosystem.
Narrative Structure: A Symphony of Voices
Macdonald employs a clever multiple perspective structure that allows readers intimate access to each character's inner world. The alternating viewpoints prevent the mistaken identity plot from becoming frustrating, as we understand each character's motivations and misconceptions. The inclusion of emails, texts, and notes adds contemporary authenticity while serving as plot devices that feel organic rather than forced.
The pacing deserves particular praise. Macdonald resists the temptation to rush toward romantic resolution, instead allowing the relationships to develop naturally. The friendship between April and Laura, which ultimately becomes the novel's emotional center, unfolds with genuine warmth and believability.
Themes That Resonate
Loneliness in the Digital Age
The novel explores modern isolation with remarkable insight. April's work-from-home existence and Laura's single-parent responsibilities represent different faces of contemporary loneliness, yet both women find solace in the same place—a bookstore that offers human connection and literary escape.
The Courage to Begin Again
Laura's journey particularly illuminates the courage required to risk love after loss. Macdonald handles grief not as something to overcome but as something to carry forward, allowing Laura to honor her late husband while remaining open to new possibilities.
Books as Bridges
Throughout the novel, books serve as connectors—between April and her mysterious correspondent, between customers and booksellers, between past and present. Macdonald celebrates the unique intimacy of sharing book recommendations and the way literature creates community.
Minor Criticisms
While Storybook Ending succeeds on most levels, it occasionally suffers from an abundance of charm that borders on precious. Some readers may find the movie subplot—while providing good comic relief—somewhat distracting from the central romance. Additionally, certain plot conveniences, while not entirely implausible, require generous suspension of disbelief.
The novel's resolution, while satisfying, arrives perhaps too neatly. Some readers might wish for more complexity in how the various romantic threads resolve, though this tidiness aligns with the book's commitment to delivering genuine comfort reading.
Final Verdict
In Storybook Ending, Moira Macdonald showcases skilled character development, authentic dialogue, and genuine emotional resonance. While it may not revolutionize the romance genre, it provides exactly what readers need: a reminder that the best stories—fictional and real—often begin when we find the courage to reach out to another human being.
March 24, 2025
I was go hoping for more from this book but it was a slog.
I loved the setting in the bookshop, I found this cute and cosy but there was too much inner monologue for my taste. I felt like not much happened until really far in and I lost interest. I wanted to DNF a few times. There were themes of loneliness, personal growth, and the ways people unknowingly impact each other’s lives.
This has little to no romance in it and is more centered around the two women and their building friendship. I think this would suit someone who has a more mature book taste. I prefer a romance or love story with fun characters.
I was kindly sent a copy of this as part of Bloomsbury Creative circle
I loved the setting in the bookshop, I found this cute and cosy but there was too much inner monologue for my taste. I felt like not much happened until really far in and I lost interest. I wanted to DNF a few times. There were themes of loneliness, personal growth, and the ways people unknowingly impact each other’s lives.
This has little to no romance in it and is more centered around the two women and their building friendship. I think this would suit someone who has a more mature book taste. I prefer a romance or love story with fun characters.
I was kindly sent a copy of this as part of Bloomsbury Creative circle
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