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The Bookshop by the Beach

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The Bookshop by the Beach

By: J C Williams
Narrated by: Melissa Thom
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About this listen

Libby Tebbit had absolutely had her fill of big-city life.

So, when presented with the opportunity to take over her gran’s shop, The Bookshop by the Beach, she’d have been crazy to turn it down, right?

Idyllic notions of lazy days by the ocean shore, shooing away the surplus eligible bachelors circling around her like squawking gulls, filled her head. These things were certain to await her, she felt confident, in this next glorious chapter of her life - this wonderful seaside adventure on the Isle of Man.

Only her business acumen was about as useless as her choice in men. Still, nothing ventured nothing gained. And, besides, what’s the worst that could happen?

Well, quite a lot as she’d soon discover. In a relatively short amount of time, a business that’d operated fairly successfully for 40 years was on its knees - and, sadly, Libby’s dance card was also emptier than her bank account.

She wasn’t ready to let go of her dream so easily. Not just yet. All she needed, then, was a plan to turn around the ailing fortunes of The Bookshop by the Beach, and fast!

The feel-good romantic-comedy listen for the summer. If you enjoy Sophie Kinsella or JoJo Moyes, then you'll adore this book.

©2020 J C Williams (P)2020 J C Williams Contemporary Contemporary Romance Fiction Genre Fiction Holidays Romance Romantic Comedy Comedy Feel-Good Business
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Isle of Man bookshop owner Libby Tebbit is an attractive klutz who wishes she had a man in her life and a business that didn’t skate so close to bankruptcy. She’s attracted to a hunky Luke, but he seems to be taking his time asking her out and her pretence that she shares his running hobby is looking like being a painful mistake. Libby finds her grandfather’s journal and she enjoys reading about how her grandparents got together and set up the bookshop. But soon the business is under attack from malicious websites and she starts losing money fast. Who would hate her enough to try and destroy her family’s legacy?

I always enjoy JC Williams’ books—they’re fun and playful with a big heart and this was no exception. Libby and her best friend, Freya, are the stars of the story: young empowered women who, nevertheless, have their faults. The Isle of Man is showcased as a convivial small town, with locals supporting each other in a very caring way. The sabotage plotline was absorbing but I couldn’t help but wonder why the police weren’t more involved, this was serious libel as well as theft. 🎧 Melissa Thom did a great job on the audio, capturing the humour and emotion well.

Fun with a big heart!

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Williams' books are funny and interesting , those of which I've read, but I'm not sure I'll make it through this one purely because of the narrator. She reads in a tone and inflects (poorly) like she's reading Story Time at an infant school. It's the most irritating and inappropriate style for this book, and let's the author down.
I've had to double or triple check that it isn't a children's or YA book, however the comedy from the author definitely isn't suited to 3-14 year olds. Hopefully I'll make it through in spite of the narrator, because right now I cannot genuinely discern if the story is good or just vapid light-hearted fluff.

Narrator narrates for children

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