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The Bookshop Sisterhood
“ This drama-packed page turner will warm your heart!” —Eliza Knight, USA Today bestselling author of The Mayfair Bookshop
When life rewrites the story, only friendship will see them through.
After years of hard work, four best friends—Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni and Leslie—are finally on the verge of opening the bookstore of their dreams. A place where their community can find solace with an intriguing new read, a comforting beverage and book-loving friends.
But before they can cut the ribbon, their worlds are upended.
Toni receives devastating news just months before her wedding, while Celeste’s struggling marriage threatens to collapse completely. Leslie learns a shocking secret about her family, and a lotto ticket changes Yasmeen’s life—but not for the better.
As the bookstore’s grand opening fast approaches, the four women must lean on each other now more than ever to navigate their grief and uncertainty. And together, they’ll learn that sometimes, even life’s most unexpected plot twists can lead to beautiful new beginnings.
When life rewrites the story, only friendship will see them through.
After years of hard work, four best friends—Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni and Leslie—are finally on the verge of opening the bookstore of their dreams. A place where their community can find solace with an intriguing new read, a comforting beverage and book-loving friends.
But before they can cut the ribbon, their worlds are upended.
Toni receives devastating news just months before her wedding, while Celeste’s struggling marriage threatens to collapse completely. Leslie learns a shocking secret about her family, and a lotto ticket changes Yasmeen’s life—but not for the better.
As the bookstore’s grand opening fast approaches, the four women must lean on each other now more than ever to navigate their grief and uncertainty. And together, they’ll learn that sometimes, even life’s most unexpected plot twists can lead to beautiful new beginnings.
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First published March 26, 2024
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About the author
Michelle Lindo-Rice
53 books334 followersMichelle Lindo-Rice is the bestselling author of the "Able to Love" and "On The Right Path" series, an Emma Award Winner and a Vivian Award finalist. Michelle enjoys reading and crafting fiction across genres. Originally from Jamaica West Indies, she has earned degrees from New York University, SUNY at Stony Brook, Teachers College Columbia University, Argosy University and has been educator for over 20 years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 765 reviews
July 16, 2024
˗ˏˋ꒰ 📚 ꒱
2.5 stars (rounded down)
➳ i wanna start this off by saying thank you to netgalley and harlequin for this arc!!
➳ this book wasn’t bad, but it was kinda meh. i had a few complaints, which ill go over later in the review! ☺️
✧˖*°࿐ plot
➳ when four book loving bestfriends, celeste, toni, yasmeen, and leslie decided to open a bookstore together, they had no idea of all the obstacles they’d face in the months before its opening. a lot, and i mean A LOT of drama ensues, including but not limited to (☝️🤓) a lottery winner, a divorce, and many secrets…
✧˖*°࿐ didn’t like
➳ these grown *bleeeeeeeeeep* adults could get so… dumb? childish? self sabotaging? cringy? downright disappointing? is there a word that combines all of these traits and multiplies them by ten? bc it’d be very useful right now.. 😒 aren’t adults supposed to be… idk… MATURE?
➳ to expand on one of my points in that rant above 😭, the four grown women fmcs acted so childlike at times it actually made me physically cringe. it happened so often that it actually made this book lose a whole star bc i cannot handle a cringy book or cringy characters 😣
➳ most of the book was the women coping with their ongoing drama, whether it was against each other, their s/o, or family, and i found a significantly large portion of it to be so frivolous and unnecessary. like the fmcs were overreacting 90% of the time, bringing the drama onto themselves.
✧˖*°࿐ characters (some spoilers (i have beef with all of them))
➳ yasmeen: i was super sympathetic to her at the beginning but how did she not recognize her own reckless spending and lifestyle choices?? im much younger than her and i was wary of it..
➳ leslie: ok so i think her drama was the most valid bc her child was in life or death type danger… but like with her father/family nooo. (major spoilers til next character) i felt so bad for her dad he did not deserve how she treated him after loving her for years. i get that she was upset about the betrayal of not being told, however i do not understand why it took her so long to realize that although he wasn’t her bio father, he loved her and treated her like he was, and that he was her father in any other sense of the word. he supported her and was her family, and a family doesn't need to be linked genetically, but by love and care. sorry for the rant 😭
➳ celeste: i was very supportive of her at the beginning with her trauma but as the book went on her refusal to go to therapy, if not for herself, for the sake of preserving her marriage, just bothered me. when she finally got down to it, it turned out to be an extremely easy (and obvious) solution.
➳ toni: i felt so bad for her but honestly she made her situation so much worse by keeping it to herself.. and her past too. sincerity is the way guys 😇
➳ basically to sum it up all these characters got on my NERVES.
✧˖*°࿐ final thoughts
➳ so i did have a lot of criticism for this book.. however i must admit it was kinda entertaining at times 😭. like i wasn’t thinking, “oh my gosh, this is so good i need to keep reading” rather “omg all these ppl’s lives are getting destroyed”. it was like watching a train wreck 🫣
➳ i am significantly younger than the main characters, so this may affect my perception of this book. if you enjoy drama and are in your 30s, this may be the book for you! i personally just didn’t really enjoy it.
➳ i wanna start this off by saying thank you to netgalley and harlequin for this arc!!
➳ this book wasn’t bad, but it was kinda meh. i had a few complaints, which ill go over later in the review! ☺️
✧˖*°࿐ plot
➳ when four book loving bestfriends, celeste, toni, yasmeen, and leslie decided to open a bookstore together, they had no idea of all the obstacles they’d face in the months before its opening. a lot, and i mean A LOT of drama ensues, including but not limited to (☝️🤓) a lottery winner, a divorce, and many secrets…
✧˖*°࿐ didn’t like
➳ these grown *bleeeeeeeeeep* adults could get so… dumb? childish? self sabotaging? cringy? downright disappointing? is there a word that combines all of these traits and multiplies them by ten? bc it’d be very useful right now.. 😒 aren’t adults supposed to be… idk… MATURE?
➳ to expand on one of my points in that rant above 😭, the four grown women fmcs acted so childlike at times it actually made me physically cringe. it happened so often that it actually made this book lose a whole star bc i cannot handle a cringy book or cringy characters 😣
➳ most of the book was the women coping with their ongoing drama, whether it was against each other, their s/o, or family, and i found a significantly large portion of it to be so frivolous and unnecessary. like the fmcs were overreacting 90% of the time, bringing the drama onto themselves.
✧˖*°࿐ characters (some spoilers (i have beef with all of them))
➳ yasmeen: i was super sympathetic to her at the beginning but how did she not recognize her own reckless spending and lifestyle choices?? im much younger than her and i was wary of it..
➳ leslie: ok so i think her drama was the most valid bc her child was in life or death type danger… but like with her father/family nooo. (major spoilers til next character) i felt so bad for her dad he did not deserve how she treated him after loving her for years. i get that she was upset about the betrayal of not being told, however i do not understand why it took her so long to realize that although he wasn’t her bio father, he loved her and treated her like he was, and that he was her father in any other sense of the word. he supported her and was her family, and a family doesn't need to be linked genetically, but by love and care. sorry for the rant 😭
➳ celeste: i was very supportive of her at the beginning with her trauma but as the book went on her refusal to go to therapy, if not for herself, for the sake of preserving her marriage, just bothered me. when she finally got down to it, it turned out to be an extremely easy (and obvious) solution.
➳ toni: i felt so bad for her but honestly she made her situation so much worse by keeping it to herself.. and her past too. sincerity is the way guys 😇
➳ basically to sum it up all these characters got on my NERVES.
✧˖*°࿐ final thoughts
➳ so i did have a lot of criticism for this book.. however i must admit it was kinda entertaining at times 😭. like i wasn’t thinking, “oh my gosh, this is so good i need to keep reading” rather “omg all these ppl’s lives are getting destroyed”. it was like watching a train wreck 🫣
➳ i am significantly younger than the main characters, so this may affect my perception of this book. if you enjoy drama and are in your 30s, this may be the book for you! i personally just didn’t really enjoy it.
April 22, 2025
now see, i thought this was going to be a sweet, fun, cozy, and heartwarming story about four best friends opening a bookshop together but from page one you are trauma dumped into their lives and it doesn’t get any better as the book goes on. there was so much devastation and drama that happened to each character, around their relationships with their partners, and each other, that there wasn’t any room for me to take a breath from it all. it was just one thing after the other, to the point where the bookstore was a simple afterthought instead of the main plot and every time something came up i was thinking to myself, they really should NOT be opening up a bookstore lol. they each were going through so much and honestly, they acted immature in every situation. these grown women were acting like high schoolers for a majority of the book. they were dramatic for no reason! no logical thinking. they were self-absorbed and totally unlikeable.
and they were rude to each other. they were always bickering and arguing and half the time i wondered how they were even friends because if i said some of the things they said to each other to my own best friends, there’d be no friendship to fix lol.
the writing wasn’t cohesive and the dialogue was awful. and again everything was just so sad and over the top, there was more sadness than joy in this book. the author tried to do way too much with this. too many plot points, too much drama. and i never thought i’d be the one to say that there is such a thing as TOO much drama in a book. it got exhausting to read.
the ending…lol they didn’t deserve their endings. their endings were too good for them.
overall this was not what i was expecting and i didn’t enjoy a single plot line or character. this was a flop for me.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc!
and they were rude to each other. they were always bickering and arguing and half the time i wondered how they were even friends because if i said some of the things they said to each other to my own best friends, there’d be no friendship to fix lol.
the writing wasn’t cohesive and the dialogue was awful. and again everything was just so sad and over the top, there was more sadness than joy in this book. the author tried to do way too much with this. too many plot points, too much drama. and i never thought i’d be the one to say that there is such a thing as TOO much drama in a book. it got exhausting to read.
the ending…lol they didn’t deserve their endings. their endings were too good for them.
overall this was not what i was expecting and i didn’t enjoy a single plot line or character. this was a flop for me.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc!
July 28, 2024
3.5 ⭐
“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
Entrepreneurship can be lonely, so when besties, Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni and Leslie, decide to open a bookshop together, they understand that there’s support in having friends in the trenches! One of the benefits is that they already know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
As often happens, once a decision to move forward has been made, the universe has other plans. The friends soon learn that things aren’t always in their control. I loved how they came together and supported each other.
As much as I love books and the superheroes who write them, the inclusion of book titles and authors was overdone. I found myself skimming. I also thought some of the drama was a little OTT and would have loved the bookstore to have more presence. These are merely personal preferences and no reflection of the author’s writing ability.
I really appreciated the time clues on the chapter titles and the theme of friendship and sisterhood. Lindo-Rice’s ability to draw me in with her characterization was remarkable. I can see this being a popular book for many and a sequel is a good possibility.
Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA, and NetGalley for an opportunity to read with no pressure to review.
“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
Entrepreneurship can be lonely, so when besties, Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni and Leslie, decide to open a bookshop together, they understand that there’s support in having friends in the trenches! One of the benefits is that they already know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
As often happens, once a decision to move forward has been made, the universe has other plans. The friends soon learn that things aren’t always in their control. I loved how they came together and supported each other.
As much as I love books and the superheroes who write them, the inclusion of book titles and authors was overdone. I found myself skimming. I also thought some of the drama was a little OTT and would have loved the bookstore to have more presence. These are merely personal preferences and no reflection of the author’s writing ability.
I really appreciated the time clues on the chapter titles and the theme of friendship and sisterhood. Lindo-Rice’s ability to draw me in with her characterization was remarkable. I can see this being a popular book for many and a sequel is a good possibility.
Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA, and NetGalley for an opportunity to read with no pressure to review.
January 26, 2025
This has been marketed as a cozy read about four bookish female friends who come together to open their own bookstore. Unfortunately, that's not what happens. Instead, I got a melodrama following four of the dumbest, most spiteful women I've ever read about.
To reiterate, the bookstore is an insignificant side quest. You could remove all mentions of the bookstore and nothing of substance would change. The ladies do have cringy conversations where they list of titles of real-world books they want to include in their inventory, but that's about it.
I HATED this. I already think books about books tend to be too precious. The constant name/title dropping felt like obnoxious fangirling on the author's part and it's going to date this book so badly in a few years.
It's probably a good thing the bookstore isn't a focus as these women have terrible business sense. They pick a cringey name (Besties, Books and Bevs ... what? If I saw that in a directory I'd just assume it's a book-themed strip club or something). They pick a launch date before they've even rented their actual physical location! And they plan to announce the opening of the store by ... holding one of the women's wedding there??? How many of her followers live in their town and can actually visit and shop from their store? Why don't they host a community event and invite their actual potential customers? Why would the groom agree to this??? This may be the MBA talking but this place ain't gonna last. Social clout does NOT equal real-world dollars.
Their friendship also felt like a lie. These women are constantly bickering and saying mean, spiteful things to one another. I wouldn't be friends with anyone who spoke to me the way these women do. One threatens another with a fist-fight at one point. It's so embarrassing to see grown, professional, women act and talk the way they do. We're told they've known each other since high school; their friendship clearly never matured past that.
On top of all of this, the writing just didn't hit. Here are my top five "oof" lines presented without comment:
This could have been a cute story about four friends who have to balance their lives with their entrepreneurial goals, but instead we just got a soap opera about people in a book club. If that's your vibe, cool. It obviously wasn't mine.
That's the gist of my issues with this book. If you're up to reading me rant about each individual character, let's go. Starting with the most reasonable of the four to the least reasonable (a.k.a. dumbest). Spoilers ahoy!
To reiterate, the bookstore is an insignificant side quest. You could remove all mentions of the bookstore and nothing of substance would change. The ladies do have cringy conversations where they list of titles of real-world books they want to include in their inventory, but that's about it.
“I say we read Rhonda McKnight’s Bitter and Sweet. Or...since Valentine’s Day is coming up, we can pick a romance. By a Black author. Like Toni Shiloh’s The Love Script.”
“Ooh, I could get with that.” Toni rubbed her hands. “But FYI, Rhonda’s book won’t be out until June or so.”
“Wait, how about When No One Is Watching, by Alyssa Cole? It’s a thriller and she’s a Black author,” Leslie suggested.
I HATED this. I already think books about books tend to be too precious. The constant name/title dropping felt like obnoxious fangirling on the author's part and it's going to date this book so badly in a few years.
It's probably a good thing the bookstore isn't a focus as these women have terrible business sense. They pick a cringey name (Besties, Books and Bevs ... what? If I saw that in a directory I'd just assume it's a book-themed strip club or something). They pick a launch date before they've even rented their actual physical location! And they plan to announce the opening of the store by ... holding one of the women's wedding there??? How many of her followers live in their town and can actually visit and shop from their store? Why don't they host a community event and invite their actual potential customers? Why would the groom agree to this??? This may be the MBA talking but this place ain't gonna last. Social clout does NOT equal real-world dollars.
Their friendship also felt like a lie. These women are constantly bickering and saying mean, spiteful things to one another. I wouldn't be friends with anyone who spoke to me the way these women do. One threatens another with a fist-fight at one point. It's so embarrassing to see grown, professional, women act and talk the way they do. We're told they've known each other since high school; their friendship clearly never matured past that.
On top of all of this, the writing just didn't hit. Here are my top five "oof" lines presented without comment:
5. "'You know you’re the man for me. The only man. I show you in so many different ways how I feel about you.' Just that morning, she had given him a mustard sweater—which he was currently wearing."
4. "Her public persona began shedding like a snake out of its skin, until she was left with her true self."
3. "'It wasn’t easy, but eventually, all the doubt about my manhood and my ineffectiveness as a spouse oozed out of my being.'"
2. "'My heart isn’t a squeegee.'"
1. "'I got to have a taste of your oatmeal cream pie.'"
This could have been a cute story about four friends who have to balance their lives with their entrepreneurial goals, but instead we just got a soap opera about people in a book club. If that's your vibe, cool. It obviously wasn't mine.
That's the gist of my issues with this book. If you're up to reading me rant about each individual character, let's go. Starting with the most reasonable of the four to the least reasonable (a.k.a. dumbest). Spoilers ahoy!
June 22, 2024
Whew! What a wild ride! So, I requested this thinking it would be all cozy and book-ish, you know, like a bunch of bookworms bonding over their favorite novels and sharing literary wisdom(did have a little bit of that). But nooooo, it turned out to be a full-on soap opera! Drama with a capital D.
The so-called "sisterhood" is was so toxic. They’re constantly at each other's throat, keeping secrets, and making one dumb decisions after the other.
Now, here’s the kicker – I LOVED it! I’m not even into soap operas usually, but this book had me hooked. The drama was just so juicy and over the top, I couldn’t put it down. It was like watching a train wreck – you know you shouldn’t enjoy it, but you just can’t look away.
Totally recommended for the soap opera and drama-loving girlies 📚💥🍿
Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for the ARC!
The so-called "sisterhood" is was so toxic. They’re constantly at each other's throat, keeping secrets, and making one dumb decisions after the other.
Now, here’s the kicker – I LOVED it! I’m not even into soap operas usually, but this book had me hooked. The drama was just so juicy and over the top, I couldn’t put it down. It was like watching a train wreck – you know you shouldn’t enjoy it, but you just can’t look away.
Totally recommended for the soap opera and drama-loving girlies 📚💥🍿
Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for the ARC!
February 16, 2025
I loved this! It was deep and several topics that can be triggering. But I loved seeing the lives of each of the girls that had such a great friendship but also were trying to make this amazing bookshop. I was so intrigued and felt so deeply for what the characters were going through. The author has a beautiful way with words to make you feel like you're part of the friend group and living through it all with them. I enjoyed this read!
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July 26, 2024Thank you netgalley and harlequin for the arc. I kinda knew early on i would give it a 3 but at this point a 2. However, since i dnf I’ll just gave y’all my thoughts.
As we know age does not determine how mature one is. Even though you would think in some way, shape or form it should help. Well at 70% into the book i decided to dnf. The only character that didn’t piss me off completely was Leslie. She had a lot going on and a secret that really hurt her feelings. So i totally get it. Toni, Celeste and Yasmeen (especially the last one) really worked my nerves. Those three were dumb and/or desperate in more ways than one. I truly kept thinking “dang we can’t have one friend with brains or something going completely right for them?” Yasmeen i could never be friends with in real life.
I would have rather the book been written as the ladies already having the book store for about 3-5 years now. Then Us as readers get to come in to see how each one is navigating their life, friendships and being part owners. Also how they work with the community and different bookish things for the store to keep growing. Up until i decided to dnf the book the store or anything with books was probably mentioned let’s say around 8-10 times (just a guess). The book store was more so an afterthought to me hence why they probably should have already owned it.
I did not even care for them as a group of friends. They needed to either truly fix their issues or stop bringing the issues up. If you want drama then read this book because nothing up until i dnf it warmed my heart.
As we know age does not determine how mature one is. Even though you would think in some way, shape or form it should help. Well at 70% into the book i decided to dnf. The only character that didn’t piss me off completely was Leslie. She had a lot going on and a secret that really hurt her feelings. So i totally get it. Toni, Celeste and Yasmeen (especially the last one) really worked my nerves. Those three were dumb and/or desperate in more ways than one. I truly kept thinking “dang we can’t have one friend with brains or something going completely right for them?” Yasmeen i could never be friends with in real life.
I would have rather the book been written as the ladies already having the book store for about 3-5 years now. Then Us as readers get to come in to see how each one is navigating their life, friendships and being part owners. Also how they work with the community and different bookish things for the store to keep growing. Up until i decided to dnf the book the store or anything with books was probably mentioned let’s say around 8-10 times (just a guess). The book store was more so an afterthought to me hence why they probably should have already owned it.
I did not even care for them as a group of friends. They needed to either truly fix their issues or stop bringing the issues up. If you want drama then read this book because nothing up until i dnf it warmed my heart.
February 8, 2025
There was no bookshop. There was no sisterhood.
February 18, 2025
I would like to take a moment to personally thank the author for writing this to remind the world exactly what good writing is not. I wanted so badly to enjoy this book, but this was one large dumpster fire at best.
Let’s start off with the fact that this is called The Bookshop Sisterhood when it has little to do with a bookshop or a sisterhood and was more akin to a chaotic soap opera of the dramatic crap happening in these women’s lives. I had expected this to be a fun book about books, about four friends overcoming their problems to open a bookstore. Boy oh boy, was I disappointed, because this focused almost completely on their dramatics, most of which could have been entirely avoided, while the bookshop took a complete backseat.
Celeste was horrible and manipulative. Toni was stupid and petty. Yasmeen was immature and naïve. Leslie’s only purpose was being the token white friend, which is to say that she served no purpose at all, especially given that she was so separate from the other three “friends” that she may as well have not been in this “friend group” at all. All four of them are so hypocritical that it almost physically hurt reading this. None of these women were ever mature enough for starting a business to be a good idea. Especially not starting a business together. If they were real people, I would have blocked and completely cut ties with all four of them.
Any time these women were together, whether it was just a couple of them or all four of them, there was always some sort of cat fight, snide comments, cutting remarks, and the like. I’m so sick of women in media being portrayed as though we can’t be in each other’s presence for more than five minutes without being at each other’s throats constantly. This was in NO WAY a “sisterhood,” and they’re lying to themselves by calling themselves such. Especially given their blow up that happens toward the end and the fact that there weren’t a ton of apologies exchanged, so I’m not really sure how much of that argument was truly resolved.
But I’m tired of complaining about them, so let’s talk about the other crappy characters in this mess. The men were all terrible and toxic in their own ways, with Kent being the exception and the only man worth his salt in the entire freaking book. Other than the one property owner, who was in it for five minutes. Yasmeen’s parents served no purpose. I’m not sure what the heck was going on with Nadya, but I’m convinced the author has never even met a twelve-year-old, because she was portrayed as though she were eight.
In the end, I think the ending was way too good for any of these women. I’m honestly just so disgusted with this whole thing that I wish I could bleach this from my memory. If you’re considering reading this, then just don’t even bother. Do yourself a favor, save yourself the time, and go read something with actual substance, because this was just dreadful.
Let’s start off with the fact that this is called The Bookshop Sisterhood when it has little to do with a bookshop or a sisterhood and was more akin to a chaotic soap opera of the dramatic crap happening in these women’s lives. I had expected this to be a fun book about books, about four friends overcoming their problems to open a bookstore. Boy oh boy, was I disappointed, because this focused almost completely on their dramatics, most of which could have been entirely avoided, while the bookshop took a complete backseat.
Celeste was horrible and manipulative. Toni was stupid and petty. Yasmeen was immature and naïve. Leslie’s only purpose was being the token white friend, which is to say that she served no purpose at all, especially given that she was so separate from the other three “friends” that she may as well have not been in this “friend group” at all. All four of them are so hypocritical that it almost physically hurt reading this. None of these women were ever mature enough for starting a business to be a good idea. Especially not starting a business together. If they were real people, I would have blocked and completely cut ties with all four of them.
Any time these women were together, whether it was just a couple of them or all four of them, there was always some sort of cat fight, snide comments, cutting remarks, and the like. I’m so sick of women in media being portrayed as though we can’t be in each other’s presence for more than five minutes without being at each other’s throats constantly. This was in NO WAY a “sisterhood,” and they’re lying to themselves by calling themselves such. Especially given their blow up that happens toward the end and the fact that there weren’t a ton of apologies exchanged, so I’m not really sure how much of that argument was truly resolved.
But I’m tired of complaining about them, so let’s talk about the other crappy characters in this mess. The men were all terrible and toxic in their own ways, with Kent being the exception and the only man worth his salt in the entire freaking book. Other than the one property owner, who was in it for five minutes. Yasmeen’s parents served no purpose. I’m not sure what the heck was going on with Nadya, but I’m convinced the author has never even met a twelve-year-old, because she was portrayed as though she were eight.
In the end, I think the ending was way too good for any of these women. I’m honestly just so disgusted with this whole thing that I wish I could bleach this from my memory. If you’re considering reading this, then just don’t even bother. Do yourself a favor, save yourself the time, and go read something with actual substance, because this was just dreadful.
July 28, 2024
If you're in the mood for a book that's like a soap opera on steroids, you might have better luck with this one. The story revolves around four best friends—Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni, and Leslie—who are on the verge of opening their dream bookstore. Sounds cozy, right? Well, prepare yourself for loads of drama.
Each friend faces a massive personal crisis. Fifteen months prior, one was hijacked at gunpoint, leading to a marriage ultimatum. Another wins the lottery and makes a series of disastrous choices. A third uncovers shocking family secrets while managing her daughter’s health issues. And the last is grappling with infertility amid threats from a gang member. It’s a lot to take in.
The bookstore opening, which should be the heart of the story, gets overshadowed by these over-the-top subplots. Honestly, I had trouble keeping track of everything. Each woman’s conflicts could have easily filled its own book, so cramming them all into one felt very overwhelming.
(heat level: open door, mild details)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Each friend faces a massive personal crisis. Fifteen months prior, one was hijacked at gunpoint, leading to a marriage ultimatum. Another wins the lottery and makes a series of disastrous choices. A third uncovers shocking family secrets while managing her daughter’s health issues. And the last is grappling with infertility amid threats from a gang member. It’s a lot to take in.
The bookstore opening, which should be the heart of the story, gets overshadowed by these over-the-top subplots. Honestly, I had trouble keeping track of everything. Each woman’s conflicts could have easily filled its own book, so cramming them all into one felt very overwhelming.
(heat level: open door, mild details)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 27, 2024
The Bookshop Sisterhood is a roller-coaster ride of friendship, drama and life's unexpected events. I was not ready for the amount of drama among the four ladies (and their significant others)! It felt like I was watching an episode of "Girlfriends" or "The Real Housewives of..." as I turned each page! I was definitely entertained.
This is written in each of the four ladies' point of view and each has their own unique personality (& issues). It was easy to distinguish who was who. I laughed, shook my head, was annoyed and felt bad throughout the book for all the situations they went through. The book touches on a LOT of topics, such as depression, anxiety, being taken advantage of, etc. and actually felt believable.
The topic of opening the bookshop is not as prominent as I hoped, but was still touched on in the background. Friendship & relationship issues definitely took center stage. There were many author/ book mentions sprinkled throughout (in case you were unsure of your next read).
The words "sniffled" and "flailed" were used TOO much for my liking! 😂 Everyone was doing it almost every other page!!
I did enjoy this book - it reminded me of why I dislike hanging around a bunch of females!
Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.❤️
This is written in each of the four ladies' point of view and each has their own unique personality (& issues). It was easy to distinguish who was who. I laughed, shook my head, was annoyed and felt bad throughout the book for all the situations they went through. The book touches on a LOT of topics, such as depression, anxiety, being taken advantage of, etc. and actually felt believable.
The topic of opening the bookshop is not as prominent as I hoped, but was still touched on in the background. Friendship & relationship issues definitely took center stage. There were many author/ book mentions sprinkled throughout (in case you were unsure of your next read).
The words "sniffled" and "flailed" were used TOO much for my liking! 😂 Everyone was doing it almost every other page!!
I did enjoy this book - it reminded me of why I dislike hanging around a bunch of females!
Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.❤️
August 15, 2024
3.5
Lots of drama with the sisterhood but not enough about books for me.
Thanks Edelweiss and MIRA.
Lots of drama with the sisterhood but not enough about books for me.
Thanks Edelweiss and MIRA.
August 9, 2024
I read the reviews of others and noticed most were from non Bipoc readers leaving low scores because they couldn't relate to the book and wasn't what they thought the book would be about. After ignoring those reviews and deciding to give if a fair chance, this book was amazing and everything a BIPOC woman goes through. The added benefits were all the additional book titles and what kept the group together. It was so related and demonstrated that everyone is going through something.
I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because it was a little slow at points. Also, I wasn't a fan of the same day for different times. Personally, I would have made each day a chapter and each lady and subchapter.
I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because it was a little slow at points. Also, I wasn't a fan of the same day for different times. Personally, I would have made each day a chapter and each lady and subchapter.
March 17, 2025
idk why this is considered "cozy" when i was stressed tf out. i love mess but not like this. the ore i kept reading, the more i kept wondering, "why was this written?" because it wasn't for anything it was marketed for. i was hoping for bookish, adult, black women sisterhood of the traveling pants and got something more akin to gossip girl where everyone needs therapy and hates each other. the bookshop isn't even the focus and the "sisterhood" was the most toxic thing ever. if you enjoy convoluted messes and women being toxic to one another, this might be for you. i hope someone else takes this idea and actually makes it cozy because this was not it.
July 13, 2024
Round up to 3.5. Ho hum drama filled novel. I thought it was going to be a book based on books and how a bookstore plays into the ecosystem of books. Nope! It’s a silly book about friends that have an idea to open a bookstore, but their friendship dynamics keep getting in the way in mostly silly ways. Missed the mark for me. Thanks to Netgalley and MIRA books for advanced DRC.
March 1, 2025
love loved the concept of this book, absolutely hated the execution.. it was SO cringey & had essentially zero plot or development
May 1, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced digital copy of Michelle Lindo-Rice's novel.
This is the first time that I read from this author. I am glad I picked this up because I enjoyed this book more that I thought I would.
So there are four friends who want to collaborate and open a book store, but then life gets in the way as they deal with issues in their own personal lives. This book was a reminder that bad things happen to good people and it could derail your entire life, but it is up to you to find purpose and meaning. I could relate to many things happening in this book, I think this is why I enjoyed it so much. I loved the relationship between the characters and their love for books.
I had so much fun reading this book. I laughed, cried, and there were times when I was upset at the characters actions. Even though I got upset at times, I loved how united and forgiving they were towards each other. This is a fast paced story that kept me engaged because of the constant drama and I would recommend this to any one who loves reading about friendship and books.
This is the first time that I read from this author. I am glad I picked this up because I enjoyed this book more that I thought I would.
So there are four friends who want to collaborate and open a book store, but then life gets in the way as they deal with issues in their own personal lives. This book was a reminder that bad things happen to good people and it could derail your entire life, but it is up to you to find purpose and meaning. I could relate to many things happening in this book, I think this is why I enjoyed it so much. I loved the relationship between the characters and their love for books.
I had so much fun reading this book. I laughed, cried, and there were times when I was upset at the characters actions. Even though I got upset at times, I loved how united and forgiving they were towards each other. This is a fast paced story that kept me engaged because of the constant drama and I would recommend this to any one who loves reading about friendship and books.
September 22, 2024
This was disappointing - I thought I would love this book. This book follows 4 best friends as they work towards opening a bookshop while the constantly make bad decisions to wreck their personal lives as much as they can.
I was looking forward to reading a heartwarming story about the friends being there for each other while opening up a bookstore. However, the bookstore was an afterthought and I am honestly not sure how these women remained friends for so long. They kept huge secrets from each other, acted like children throwing temper tantrums, and would not listen to sound advice from the women they considered their sisters. I was constantly thinking what will go wrong next. This was just a chaotic mess of a book.
I was looking forward to reading a heartwarming story about the friends being there for each other while opening up a bookstore. However, the bookstore was an afterthought and I am honestly not sure how these women remained friends for so long. They kept huge secrets from each other, acted like children throwing temper tantrums, and would not listen to sound advice from the women they considered their sisters. I was constantly thinking what will go wrong next. This was just a chaotic mess of a book.
August 17, 2024
Whew I’m glad that’s over…. I’ll be back later with my thoughts….maybe
None of these women were likable characters. I didn’t believe in thier sisterhood they seem to bond over books and the time they’ve known each other and nothing else.
They have big secrets, animosity and a little jealousy but they love each other and support each other ( kind of ) make it make sense. The one thing I appreciated about this story is that each of these women has a life/identity as an individual other than being a wife or a mother. I get tired of reading about a FMC whose whole life is being a mother and the feel guilty if they go to lunch without their kid, lol. Give this book a try you might like it.
None of these women were likable characters. I didn’t believe in thier sisterhood they seem to bond over books and the time they’ve known each other and nothing else.
They have big secrets, animosity and a little jealousy but they love each other and support each other ( kind of ) make it make sense. The one thing I appreciated about this story is that each of these women has a life/identity as an individual other than being a wife or a mother. I get tired of reading about a FMC whose whole life is being a mother and the feel guilty if they go to lunch without their kid, lol. Give this book a try you might like it.
February 8, 2025
Loved the story lines, the friendships, and the writing! I want to live in their world and be friends with them 😂 ending was surprising!! Need a sequel to this one.
March 6, 2025
I only finished this book because I already DNF’d two books this year. The characters were flat and they were supposed to be adults? I just didn’t get it. I also expected it to be more about the women opening a bookstore together…I felt like there were too many plots shoved into this book. It all felt cringy.
April 23, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
The writing & character development just were not it for me. All the arguments, which should have been legitimate, hands throwing arguments, were simply solved in two to three sentences. There is so much build up and real problems in this book but no real conclusions. These women are the epitome of I’m just a 30 year old teenage girl.
The bookshop is a subplot, every time they talk about it they’re like “are we really doing this?” And they SHOULD NOT BE DOING IT! I had fun reading it but not for the right reasons.
The writing & character development just were not it for me. All the arguments, which should have been legitimate, hands throwing arguments, were simply solved in two to three sentences. There is so much build up and real problems in this book but no real conclusions. These women are the epitome of I’m just a 30 year old teenage girl.
The bookshop is a subplot, every time they talk about it they’re like “are we really doing this?” And they SHOULD NOT BE DOING IT! I had fun reading it but not for the right reasons.
March 3, 2025
You cannot convince me these people actually like each other. The number of times they were talking trash about each other was ridiculous. I get that friends fight and have little quarrels, but like...they were lowkey horrible to each other at times and would turn around and be like "you're my sister" "these are my girls" "my soulmates" yadda yadda. Also, the things these girls were complaining about pissed me off lol. All of them had valid reasons to be upset with the situations in their lives, but several of them had easy solutions that they refused to consider. Yasmeen's financial issues were upsetting of course, but her toxic, gold digging, convict boyfriend needed to go. Don't get me started on Pookie *thumbs down*. Toni's fertility issues were upsetting, but the lack of, and refusal of, necessary conversation with her FIANCE about that and her blackmailing ex made me so mad. Like would you rather trap him in a marriage?? Celeste went through something traumatic, but to refuse to go to therapy to help yourself and save your marriage like (?) and then to complain about it is wild. Like get the help you need, you've made it clear you have the money to do so. The only person I felt bad for in the slightest was Leslie's daughter Nadya. She literally told Leslie she didn't feel well, and she made her go to gymnastics instead of taking her to the doctor and later found out she was dealing with a life-threatening condition. And yet, amidst all of that, Leslie found out she was adopted? And selfishly sought out her birth parents to spite her father and hurt him but disguised it as finding a donor for Nadya. JUSTICE FOR EDWIN my goodness.
The writing itself felt choppy, I didn't like the use of a lot of pop culture slang, a lot of the dialog felt forced, and there was zero use of "show don't tell."
I will say that I liked some parts of the book. The drama was interesting and entertaining despite the immaturity of the characters (I thought they were supposed to be full grown adults?)
I was also under the impression the book would be more focused around them opening and running a bookstore together but that was saved for the very end. Which made sense within the context of the rest of book and its focus on the FMCs life struggles...but STILL.
Overall, it wasn't TERRIBLE, but it was disappointing. Communication does not exist in these girls' lives and "sisterhood" is a strong word in my opinion. It was entertaining, but hard to get through. There was a lot of potential, but I felt like it was poorly executed. 2/5.
The writing itself felt choppy, I didn't like the use of a lot of pop culture slang, a lot of the dialog felt forced, and there was zero use of "show don't tell."
I will say that I liked some parts of the book. The drama was interesting and entertaining despite the immaturity of the characters (I thought they were supposed to be full grown adults?)
I was also under the impression the book would be more focused around them opening and running a bookstore together but that was saved for the very end. Which made sense within the context of the rest of book and its focus on the FMCs life struggles...but STILL.
Overall, it wasn't TERRIBLE, but it was disappointing. Communication does not exist in these girls' lives and "sisterhood" is a strong word in my opinion. It was entertaining, but hard to get through. There was a lot of potential, but I felt like it was poorly executed. 2/5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2024
I absolutely loved this book! 4 best friends decided to open a book store and cafe! That’s all I needed to know! Throw in some drama in their personal lives and bam, we have an amazing story.
I feel like this would make an amazing movie!
I feel like this would make an amazing movie!
August 14, 2024
2.75 after further thought.
They got under my skin. Very predictable storyline.
They got under my skin. Very predictable storyline.
March 2, 2025
Era justo lo que necesitaba.
March 29, 2025
I walked into this book expecting a nice, light heart warming story of best friends opening up a bookstore and boy was I wrong.
The nonstop trauma and devastation definitely kept me going, but another part of me was like “will things ever get better for these women?”
I overall enjoyed this story about friendship and hard times, a wonderful reminder of the power of friendship.
The nonstop trauma and devastation definitely kept me going, but another part of me was like “will things ever get better for these women?”
I overall enjoyed this story about friendship and hard times, a wonderful reminder of the power of friendship.
March 11, 2025
Came close to DNF’ing because these people were getting on my last nerve 🙄
February 23, 2025
2.5 stars
I was expecting more about the bookshop and the women’s friendship, but this was more about their individual dramas.
I was expecting more about the bookshop and the women’s friendship, but this was more about their individual dramas.
August 2, 2024
Took 5 years off of my life but in the best way. These four friends couldn’t be more different from each other, but they’re the perfect blend together. I appreciate that they fight like sisters and keep it 100% real.
Their struggles vary from divorce, a haunting past and fertility issues, money troubles, and family illness. All big content warnings. As someone who is triggered by money issues, that’s what kept my heart pumping, especially at the end! This story moves at a great pace. The author does a great job of giving us the details in a way where we get to know the characters and can still be entertained!
Some of these women are better than I am, because any Pookie in my life would be a pat tense!
Truly a sisterhood. The cover makes it seem like it’ll be cozy conflicts — nope!! Loved it nonetheless and anyone with a long time friend group would love this. Would absolutely recommend :)
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review.
Their struggles vary from divorce, a haunting past and fertility issues, money troubles, and family illness. All big content warnings. As someone who is triggered by money issues, that’s what kept my heart pumping, especially at the end! This story moves at a great pace. The author does a great job of giving us the details in a way where we get to know the characters and can still be entertained!
Some of these women are better than I am, because any Pookie in my life would be a pat tense!
Truly a sisterhood. The cover makes it seem like it’ll be cozy conflicts — nope!! Loved it nonetheless and anyone with a long time friend group would love this. Would absolutely recommend :)
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review.
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