The Printed Letter Bookshop - Katherine Reay

Three women, whose lives are intertwined by the death of another. Upon Maddie's passing, her estranged niece Madeline inherits her aunt's bookshop, and along with it, her two employees Janet and Claire. Janet, not known for being warm and fuzzy, and Claire, competent in the Bookshop but accused by Janet as being a bystander in her own life, yet somehow the women find ways to bond and heal through the legacy of the woman who brought them together.

There were so many layers to this book, that I hardly know where to start. First of all, I love the setting of a small town bookstore where the owner knows her customers well enough to recommend books to each person, and the town's love and loyalty to Maddie continue after her death. I love Janet's prickly personality and her journey to realizing what's missing in her life. Claire's family struggles and search for where she lost herself is completely relatable. Madeline goes through her own changes as she realizes that her relationship with her aunt could have been very different. I love all of the supporting characters and how they strengthen the main characters’ stories. Between the three women's individual journeys and their evolving friendships and external relationships, this book was deep and rich, and I waffled between wanting to speed through to discover everything about it, and wanting to slow down and savor it. I especially enjoyed the references to so many books within the context of not just recommendations to customers, but also Maddie's individualized book lists in her letters to the three women that played such a part in their growth. I give this book 5 stars. I have enjoyed all of Katherine Reay's books that I've read, but this one stands out for me. You can find The Printed Letter Bookshop HERE. You can find the author HERE. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Austen Escape - Katherine Reay

Mary Davies is an engineer for a start-up tech company that is growing rapidly, and experiencing some not-so-great growing pains.  Mary's future there feels uncertain, as the new hire in charge of growing the company doesn't appreciate Mary or her methods.  Mary's childhood friend, Isabel, has invited Mary to accompany her on a trip to England, where they'll escape into Jane Austen's world together as part of Isabel's thesis.  Initially, Mary refuses, but the uncertainty at work, along with a confusing potential relationship leads her to accept the invitation.  Once they've arrived, complications arise, and Mary is left reeling and caught in the middle of helping her friend and making decisions about her own life, relationships, and future.

I must confess that I am not a Jane Austen fan.  And yet, I cannot help but pick up every one of Katherine Reay's Austen books.  And I cannot help but enjoy them, even though I am certain that they would feel even richer if I were to understand the background and references that are so tidily woven into them.  This book, in particular, drew me in with its female engineer as the main character.  I am not an electrical-gizmo type engineer, but I am mathematically and scientifically minded.  I enjoyed watching the character's academic and practical nature contrast with her romantic inclinations and how she tied her memories of her past with her inventions and dreams for the future.

The relationship with Isabel was complicated, and could have served as its own story, but the pressures there, and the hurts that hadn't healed, all served to develop Mary's character and to help her to see herself as she should.  Additionally, the relationship with Nathan wasn't as fleshed out as it could have been, but that wasn't the purpose of the book.  Instead, Mary learned to deal with her past, and to realize how to make her future richer and to include the people around her to enable it to be so.

I give this book 4 stars.  I always hesitate to pick up these Austen books, because I feel like I'm doing them a disservice, having not read Austen herself, and yet I am never disappointed.

You can find The Austen Escape HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.
You can also connect with her on Facebook HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.