Member Reviews
Just what you want on a long week in lockdown - a fun, feelgood read. I felt as if I was young and living van life with Aria, Rosie and Max, and willing Aria to let down her guard with Jonathan. There was sadness as she tried to move on from the death of her husband, and lots of lovely memories. We felt the flavour of travelling round France and I would have loved to have been there in the sunshine, with lovely food and drink. A taste of a completely different lifestyle and one that sounded blissful. #netgalley #AriasTravellingBookshop #VanLife
I’ve no idea how an English camper van bookshop selling at French fetes would actually do, but I love the idea anyway and this was a lovely way to travel during lockdown!
I found this was just the tonic I needed during these anxious times, heartfelt and uplifting to the last page. I actually was not aware that this was part of a series until close to the end when I started to find more books by the author as I enjoyed this greatly, this can easier be read on it’s own as it explains the background without patronising the reader if they haven’t read the first.
I instantly loved the friendship between the main characters, Rosie and Aria. They had a naturally affection and you felt part of the group, the romantic interests where realistic and engaging. Each storyline written with care and attention.
A warming read.
Happy days, what a lovely light read this was, made me smile, Wouldn’t everyone love a travelling bookshop?
Wow. This book caused a full roller coaster of feelings. When I first started it, I wasn't really sure what to think. It was reading as solely women's fiction and I wasn't sure that I was up for following Aria's journey to allow herself to be happy again. Then we really got into the meat of the story. It's absolutely heartbreaking! I mean that in the best possible way. I really felt all of the emotions Aria was working through as she decided to move on from her grief and maybe be happy again. Although Jonathon plays a relatively small role in the story, he's still a fun character that I enjoyed learning a bit about.
Anyone who loves P.S. I Love You (the book or the movie) would absolutely love this story. Definitely be prepared for a good cry though! Also, can Aria's book van be a real thing? I want to visit!
This is one of those books that are perfect for these bleak times.
It's uplifting and heartwarming, well written and entertaining.
I like the well crafted plot, the fleshed out characters and the lovely description of the settings.
Look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recomended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
An easy read which made me smile. A love story with a happy ending, what more could I want when reading it on a sunny afternoon. A perfect holiday read. Thoroughly recommended.
This has been my most anticipated read of the year so far and Rebecca has not disappointed! When I had first read 'Rosie's Travelling Tea Shop', I not only fell in love with Rosie, but also Aria. I was so intrigued to find out more about her late husband and her Book Shop on wheels, so you can probably already tell how excited I was when it was announced we was going to get Aria's full story! Finding out more about Aria's late husband was so heartbreaking, but I absolutely adored witnessing her journey towards finding love again.
The love story between Aria and Jonathan was so sweet and special - it was as if they was meant to be and in some ways, before her husband passed, he knew it too. They found themselves bumping in to one another all the time and if that isn't fate, then I don't know what is! They are practically the male and female versions of another, it truly was a magical read because of that.
I also loved reuniting with Rosie and finding out how life was still treating her and I can definitely say I was beaming with excitement a lot for her. She has come a long way from the first book and Aria definitely had a lot of input within that. Whilst the romance in the book was one of my favourites, the friendship between Aria and Rosie really is the most special of them all and I really hope this isn't the last we hear from them!
You'd be crazy to not read this wonderful and extremely heart-warming series.
I love the idea of a travelling book shop. I love that Aria reads unapologetically and has built her life around her enjoyment of books. The romance is delightfully slow to build up due to the grief Aria continues to suffer. Jonathan is amazingly patient and caring. The friendships of the van lifers is warm and inviting. I enjoyed this book immensely,
Hello and welcome to another episode of The Inner Workings of Laura’s Mind aka A Scary Place. *snorts*
Contrary to popular opinion I haven’t lost the plot (well, no more than usual), and my intro will make total sense soon – I *pinky* promise! Just bear with me...
(Please note that you don’t have to read Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop before picking up ATBS.)
Now we all know there are some books that stay with us long after the last page has been turned. The stories that become part of us. For me, it’s the same with certain characters. I worry about them (don’t look at me like that – I can’t help it! *shrugs). #bookwormproblems
Especially those secondary characters that seem to be stuck in a limbo of sorts when a story ends. Aria was one of those characters for me after I had finished RTTS. I just couldn’t get her out of my mind. The slight reveal we had of her background story in Rosie’s book really tugged at my heartstrings (yes, I cried) and I wanted more for this awesome book nerd.
(See? I told you my mind was a scary place.)
Well, ask and you shall receive. Hallelujah! *snorts*
I (almost) couldn’t contain myself when I knew ATBS was coming out this year. But let me tell you, it. Was. So. Worth. The. Wait. And that says a lot for someone with zero patience. *smirks*
“True love doesn’t always last forever. We have to be prepared to open our hearts again, no matter how damaged we might be.”
Apparently my ‘sound effects’ whilst reading ATBS were something to behold (behear? I know it’s not a word). Lots of lol’ing, breath catching, sobbing, sighing and sniffing (in varying degrees).
I’m trying my best not to give anything away (pet hate in book reviews numero uno), but I was there with Aria, silently showing my support and geeing her on to take the plunge and dip her toes once more in matters of the heart.
Life is for the living and love will always find a way!
Ugh, I’m getting all philosophical here *rolls eyes*. I think I need a reboot.
I fervently hope this is not the last we hear from our intrepid group of wanderers. In fact, I’m worrying about another character as we speak. Go figure!
This novel is a joy to read wether you a bookworm or not
It follows Aria and her little travelling bookshop, her friend Rosie who makes delicious food and Rosie’s boyfriend max who has a van that he makes juices and smoothies in
They travel from fair to fete across the U.K. and are currently in France
Aria is a widow who is still coming to terms with her grief and she never wants to love again
Rosie thinks everyone has more than one great love in their lives and encourages Aria to look at men but Aria is determined her books are enough
Then she received a diary her late husband had kept without her knowing her ex mother in law has sent it onto her
Will this diary hold the answers she needs?
~ With her merry band of Van Lifers, Aria heads to France in her travelling
bookshop, best friend Rosie by her side for a summer they’ll never
forget! ~
When I read Rosie's Traveling Tea Shop, I absolutely loved Aria as a character, so naturally I was excited to get a book from her point of view!! Aria is such a fun, quirky character and someone I would love to be friends with. However I really relate to Rosie; she's a lot like me! Aria is totally the classic bookworm and I'm sure we can all relate to how she feels about books! Aria's book van sounds like the ultimate place to be for a book lover and I'm very sad I can't actually go and visit her van! 😂 I would love to get a cup of Rosie's tea and grab a book from Aria, that sounds amazing. While reading this book I just wanted to be curled up in a fluffy blanket with a cup of tea/coffee. I really hope we get more books featuring these lovely ladies because I want to follow them on more adventures!
Aria's story had me on an emotional rollercoaster. It brought on all the feels! Such a beautiful story, and the love story is super sweet and heartwarming too.
Rebecca Raisin's writing is wonderful, comforting and cosy. The way she writes about all the places Aria + Rosie visit in the UK and France make me want to go there one day (when we can safely leave our houses again…), and I could picture everything so vividly. The van life/minimal life sounds super tempting if I'm honest. I don't know if I could ever actually do it 🤣 but it sounds so nice and refreshing!
If you are looking for a heartwarming read, where the characters will capture your heart. I definitely recommend Aria's Traveling Book Shop!
Thank you so much Rebecca Raisin & HQ Marketing for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review! It was great to be apart of your blog tour & review this lovely book.
Unsurprisingly I loved this book, what did surprise me though, is the fact that I loved it more than the first one. You could think that it’s because the book is set, sort of, in a mobile book shop but while that is true it’s not the only reason for my feelings towards this book.
Although this is definitely Aria’s story it is also a continuation of Rosie’s so it felt almost like a joint book rather than just one person’s story and I liked that, it worked well given the nomadic lifestyle that they both lead. Books are mentioned in the story, it would be strange if they weren’t, but they aren’t the main focus of it (though I have ended up with some additions to my to-read list). This story is about Rosie continuing to adjust to her new lifestyle, and Aria continuing to move on and discover her life without her husband who she lost a few years ago. It takes her on a journey of self-discovery that happens as she travels through France, discovering new friends and rediscovering previous acquaintances.
Through various experiences and reading a diary her husband wrote, Aria reassesses decisions she previously made and questions whether she should continue to stick to them or not. Grief is a delicate subject at any time but it is dealt with so well here. Moving on with your life after a loss is something that everyone does differently but how Aria does it fits with who she is as a person. She also has to decide what to do about Jonathan who keeps popping up at various places in France and being decidedly endearing. I really like Jonathan, he is such a caring, considerate and lovely person.
This is a fabulous read, it provides escapism without leaving your sofa, but also a sense of community and friendship which makes it feel as if you are part of the Van Life community. It’s something you can sink into and just let yourself get caught up in the sights and tastes of France and the journey of Rosie and Aria, (just make sure you have tissues handy!).
Because I haven't read the first book in this series, I did find the first chapter in this one a bit hard to follow - like I should know all about this even we were being given the details of how/why of where we find ourselves at the start here. Also did find that start a bit rushed/too fast-paced for me (could be because I was coming blind, not having read Rosie's book). But things smoothed along a little after and led to a beautiful, almost soulful and at times cute story of discovering who you are and what lies in the very deepest corners of your heart.
I really wish i knew this was a sequel before I started reading!! I didn’t realize until the very end. No wonder I felt so disconnected from the characters. Aria has lost her husband to cancer 3 years ago and cannot move on. She has found a new life as a “VanLifer”, a group of nomads who travel from one festival to another. Here, she finds good friends who feel like family. Can they help her move on with romance?
Great cover
Great book
Great setting
Talented author.
This book literally has it all and it has been an utter delight to read.
I could give my 5 star feedback here but I'm a little late to the Raisin party. Heading over to Amazon instead x
Aria is off with her book van on a tour of France, stopping at various fairs to sell her goods. Along with her best friends Rosie and Max. Aria has been running from life after losing her husband but maybe she will finally let herself live and find love once more.
Aww what a cute story. It's a little predictable but I still loved the story. I loved the diary entries from her husband. They were heart breaking but touching at the same time. The plot is simple and touching. It builds to a perfect ending just how I wanted it to end. The writing is well done and the descriptions of France are beautiful. Plus I'm a book worm myself so loved the links to reading. A beautiful light read for these hard times.
WHAT A GREAT READ....
Aria is widowed and cant think stright over than what she does best, which is read all the love fiction books there is. She usually does this through her small business and on her travels to european countries, this one is in France. We start in the UK setting off from London with her friends who are travelling alongside her in their campervans. Aria is sad becase of the love she once had and cannot get over the pain of loosing her husband. As well as the loss of her husband, she has lost his family too who all outed her once he died and never opened their doors to Aria. His mother hates what Aria did for him before he died, and Aria hartes how shes been treated by the whole family. In the process of travelling through different areas of France, she is reading a diary from her late TJ wrote about hhis feeling for her and life..
Her friends shes on the road with are all moving onwards in life and she has stalled and doesnt want to fall in love again because she doesnt want to forget about TJ.. There is one man who is on the road but not with Aria, they turn up with their vans and there is Johnathan is the most unconviential places but hes always there... Its a story about moving on after being widowed, about forgiveness and moving on wher in the world you end up. People move on quicker than you want to, but there becomes a point where you too need to forget the past and work on the present day and find happiness. Totally delicious foods are discussed and the best locations are in this book...
A brilliant book
I want to thank the publishers and netgalley for this book for a honest review.
Such a lovely, easy read. Perfect for this time of year and it sounds like the ideal job for me too! Luscious imagery and escapism too.