Review: The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan
The Basics
Title: The Bookshop on the Shore (Scottish Bookshop #2)
Author: Jenny Colgan
Published: 2019
Publisher: William Morrow - HarperCollins
Pages: 416
Format: E-book
Genres: Fiction — Contemporary fiction, Romance, Contemporary romance, Books about books
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Book Synopsis
The Bookshop on the Shore is a quasi-sequel to The Bookshop on the Corner. Several of the characters from The Bookshop on the Corner, including Nina, Lennox, and Surrinder, are in The Bookshop on the Shore, but they are supporting characters in this book. The protagonist is Zoe, a single mother living in London, who between an ever-increasing cost of living and an ex who is unable to provide any child support, is struggling to make end meets. When her ex’s sister, Surrinder, offers her the opportunity to move to the Scottish Highlands and run Nina’s mobile bookshop while she is on maternity leave, Zoe jumps at the chance, even though it comes with the caveat that in order to have housing she must work as an au pair for the reclusive Ramsay Urquart and his unruly children. When Zoe arrives in the Highlands with her son, Hari, she is enraptured by the natural beauty and fresh air, but she quickly learns that she has her work cut out for her. From Nina questioning her ability to run the bookshop to the disobedient Urquart children and their distant father, Zoe has more than a few challenges to overcome if she wants to make a home for herself and Hari in Scotland.
My Review & Overall Thoughts
The Bookshop on the Shore is a great commuting read – it is easy to read and comprehend, both of which are necessary traits for any book that you plan to read while half asleep on a crowded train. Long, dense books and 6:00am simply don’t go together.
In addition to its ease of reading, this book is enjoyable for its cast of quirky characters, who through Jenny Colgan’s descriptions, come to life. There’s Mrs. Wren, the strait-laced dairy farmer, who enjoys romances of the grocery store variety (you know, the ones with covers that depict shirtless men and busty women) but claims to be looking for books about cows whenever she comes into the bookshop. Then there’s Patrick, Ramsay’s precocious, dinosaur-loving preschooler, who seemingly slips in the word “absolutely” into every conversation. And then there’s Jaz, Zoe’s ex, who shirks responsibility and fritters away the little money that he does make on frivolous things, such as designer tracksuits. He’s an all too realistic character; I think all of us can think of someone we’ve met who reminds us of Jaz.
Perhaps more engaging than the characters, however, is the book’s setting – the Scottish Highlands. The Bookshop on the Shore takes place in a village along the coast of Loch Ness, and the Urquart’s grand house, which is where Zoe resides, actually abuts the famous loch. I had the chance to visit Loch Ness a couple years ago with my husband, and reading this book mentally transported me back there. I especially enjoyed the description of Zoe going down to the loch’s shore to touch the water, as I myself did that when I visited Loch Ness (the water was quite cold, in case you were curious).
This book also references a number of relevant and important topics, including the increasing gentrification and unaffordability of cities. I, along with most city dwellers, can unfortunately relate to Zoe’s struggles to find an apartment that looks nice but doesn’t cost a fortune. The Bookshop on the Corner also touches upon mental health issues, including self-injurious behaviors among adolescents, and it does so in a sensitive, destigmatizing manner. Furthermore, an overarching theme of the book is family dynamics, namely the importance of the parent-child relationship. It carries the optimistic message that family relationships, no matter how complicated, are capable of being repaired.
The not so good
Now, for the not-so-great aspects of this book. While there is a romance in this book, it’s mostly backloaded, and the dialogue between Zoe and her love interest is relatively limited. It would have been nice to have had more interactions between the two characters so that we could have seen their relationship develop over time. As it stands, their relationship is rather unexciting and follows a predictable trajectory. Zoe’s personal storyline and her interactions with the other townspeople are much more engaging.
At the risk of sounding nitpicky, there were also several typos throughout the book. Most were so minor that I immediately forgot about them after noticing them, but there was one rather glaring typo. At the beginning of chapter 22 in book 2, the text reads ‘Jaz and Shanti,’ but it should actually say ‘Jaz and Hari.’ Shanti is Jaz’s girlfriend, whereas Hari is his and Zoe’s son. The mix-up initially confused me; I thought I had spaced out and missed the part of the chapter where Jaz’s girlfriend arrived.
Overall
Overall, I enjoyed The Bookshop on the Shore. It is a quick, charming read perfect for when you want to escape to a world where everything has a happy ending.
If you’ve read The Bookshop on the Shore, let me know what you thought in the comments below 😊
