I really wanted to like it, and I liked the premise but I just didn't enjoy it.

Fawn, the protagonist, is highly unlikeable and even though I suppose that's the point, there is not enough room at the end of the novel for her to redeem herself.

I found myself skipping through lots of the long letters she wrote to Geoffery too.

The writing is good, but the characterisation made it hard for me to read.

I may have not been the target audience though and an older reader may enjoy this.

I love reading books so I thought I would enjoy reading about Fawn trying to save her bookstore. However, I couldn’t connect with the character, and found the plot fell short and did not intruige me as much as I hoped it would. Potential was there but execution fell short unfortunately.

Only got a few pages into this book until I decided to DNF. Had so much hope for this one, it sounded cute! Instead, it was written in the format of emails from a bookstore owner to employees/customers. I could not get into it and could not even make it in a few pages.

I was really disappointed by this book--so much so, that I couldn't finish it. I read about 40% before finally giving up. It consists primarily of emails between the bookstore owner (who clearly qualifies as a spinster) and other people. The short descriptor of the book calls it "heartening and uproariously funny" but I found it tedious and depressing. The protagonist feels sorry for herself a lot, and seems to get on the bad side of everyone. I could not like her, and had no hope for her by the midpoint of the book. I also didn't seem to find much humor in it either. If anything, I felt sorry for her. Cats are promised in the description, but are clearly just ornaments to the story line and really aren't involved in any way.

This book has so many problems, and so few things it did right. First off, I did not like this book. It reminded me way too much of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine which I also did not like. Check out my review of that to see the issues I pointed out there. The main character Fawn is similar to Eleanor in every bad way possible. As I pointed out in my other review, the character of Fawn is seemingly written to either be autistic or mentally ill, but at the same time this is never acknowledged. Her behavior is rude, out of line, dangerous, neglectful, and often unhinged. And yet this never comes up! Fawn mistreats others constantly, and yet she never faces any consequences for her rude behavior. Even her lack of relationships with others comes across as being more that she doesn’t value the potential for these relationships, rather than that others are punishing her for her poor behavior. In the beginning of the novel, she berates a poor man that she went on a date with because he spilled soup on himself. Meanwhile, she lives in a building that is literally rotting around her, which she doesn’t (or can’t?) do anything about.

Next up, let’s tackle my issues with the lesson the reader takes away from this book. In the last 5% of the book or so, Fawn has a revelation that suddenly her abusive childhood wasn’t that bad. She should really just forgive her neglectful and cruel father actually because he really wanted the best for her and just move on with her life. This is such a toxic, horrible mindset for anyone to keep perpetuating. Additionally, it’s boring. This is no revelation. Everyone who acknowledges their abusive childhood (as Fawn does) has been told a million times that they should move past it, it wasn’t that bad, your parents were really doing it because they love you, etc. At best, this message is boring, at worst it is directly harmful to those who have experienced abuse (particularly at the hands of their parents).

Now let’s talk about the fact that death seems to be used in lieu of plot. First poor Butterscotch the cat dies. Then Fawn’s father dies. Lastly, Fawn’s elderly tenant Jane dies. This was a lot of death in a book where none of these deaths were really central themes. Also, we’ve already established that the lesson we learn from the book is toxic, so the deaths don’t even work in the book to further a point really. Next, lets talk about these relationships, because Fawn is bad in all of them.

Fawn is responsible for the death of Butterscotch the cat. She doesn’t really seem to blame herself much, even though he dies because she let him get into Jane’s apartment where he ate rat poison. If this were portrayed any other way, I would not blame her. But Fawn actively brings him into Jane’s apartment and encourages his visits. She sees and comments on the open rat poison, so it’s not as if she wasn’t aware. And she knows that Jane is suffering from some sort of dementia due to her old age and therefore can’t really be held responsible for watching her cat or maintain a safe environment. I find it hard to believe that someone who purports to love cats as much as this would be so irresponsible.

I can’t really blame Fawn for the poor relationship with her father, as the book portrays him as abusive.Though the author doesn’t state this, it is clear that he is neglectful and harmful to Fawn and her family. He is controlling, bad with money, stubborn, and negligent. However, I do blame Fawn for letting this negatively impact her relationships with other people. Her past abuse does not give her the right to harm others in the present day. It is her responsibility to fix herself and grow as a person. It’s not on others to have to tolerate her maltreatment of them. While I don’t know if Fawn’s situation makes therapy untenable, she doesn’t even try to become a better person and rise above her abuse.

Finally, Fawn abuses Jane. Jane is elderly and confuses Fawn for her daughter who lives far away. Fawn uses this to manipulate Jane. It is revealed at the end of the book that Fawn was actually stealing Jane’s possessions to sell for petty cash because her personal finances are allegedly that bad. This is elder abuse and is criminal. Fawn’s relationship with Jane is one of the few she maintains, and thinks it’s appropriate to steal from, lie to, and abuse an elderly woman who is clearly disabled.

The last thing I’d like to point out in this review is the structure of the book. This is an experimental epistolary novel. It’s told through written works online. This includes: email correspondence, store reviews, social media posts, etc. There are no chapters or section breaks in this book, which is an odd choice to me. I read it on my kindle, so at least seeing the progress there helped me. I disliked how much the book jumped from one format to the next. I also found it difficult to keep up with which character was writing these entries and which character was receiving them at times.

Ultimately, I’m not sure who the audience for this book is. Perhaps I’m wrong, but I’d assume most of the people into humble, quirky bookstore owner tropes would be into romance novels. This was most definitely not a romance novel. Someone who places emphasis on relationships between characters will be disappointed because Fawn is wholly unlikable and ruins all of her relationships. Someone interested in the main character’s personal development will be disappointed because that doesn’t come until the last 5% of the book, feels very rushed, and is very unsatisfying. I really wanted to like this book, but I just felt that it fell very flat.

This an epistolary novel written through emails, texts, blogs, and ads. I haven't read a modern (post 1900s) epistolary novel and I found the format really interesting, one of the things that kept me going when I was tempted to DNF it.

The other thing that kept me going was the writing, the way that Green wrote characters and gave us a clear idea of they are using only their emails and texts, and Fawn's fanciful, flowery, hyperbolized delusions. Well the way she wrote out her delusions and not the delusions themselves.

So while I enjoyed the writing, I did not enjoy the story as much. The ending wasn't entirely original but it was somewhat satisfying and even comforting. And sometimes that's all a book needs.

Confessions of a Curious Bookseller by Elizabeth Green follow Fawn the owner of the Curious Cat Bookstore in West Philadelphia. This book is told through a series of emails, social media posts and journal entries from Fawn. Perfect for fans of cats and bookstores. It reminded me so much of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

I received a digital ARC (advanced reader copy) from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The main character Fawn, is a woman in her mid 50s and the owner of an bookstore in Philly. She takes a great amount of pride in her intelligence, business savvy, and generally sees her self as better that everyone around her. Unfortunately her pride takes a hit when a 'hipster' starts a bookstore close to hers and her business slowly declines.

This book consists of Fawn's correspondence to others (mostly email), her journal entries, and other tidbits like dating profiles. The main character often lies to her family, writes inappropriate emails while drunk, and writes fabricated stories about her life to her pen pal. In the midst of all those lies are her journal entries and a couple moments of truth that lead to her redemption.

I found this book to be funny and heartwarming. Most importantly, it's an extremely accurate reflection of how many of us think of ourselves as better than others and how we often lie to the people around us. Overall, it was a hilarious and entertaining read. My only issue with the book is that the main character is very verbose so the book is very long. I understand it's one most important parts of the main character's personality, but parts of the book could have been shortened.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. The blurb sounds interesting but the book itself was just a little boring to be totally honest. This was a DNF for me unfortunately.

i requested this book based on the summary and i couldnt wait to read it....This however turned out to be a very weird story. it just didnt work for me.sorry...

Confessions of a Curious Bookseller … a curious tale indeed. And even more curious that I enjoyed it so much!

There are so many reasons I should have hated this book. I’ve never been a fan of the epistolary style as I find it hard to get to know the characters at all. However, for this book, it somehow just worked. The way it’s done allows you to slowly get to know our protagonist, Fawn, in all of her sad, delusional, entitled glory.

I have never simultaneously despised and rooted for a character so hard before. Fawn is awful. Just awful. She’s an intellectual (a fact she is well aware of), and some of her rants are reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant, so, ya know, hilarious. But she’s so angry at the world and generally vile that any likability from her witty monologues flies out the window. She is the most demanding boss, the most irritating neighbour, and the most infuriating customer, all rolled into one. Her employees are constantly harassed with unreasonable demands and outrageous accusations, then are subjected to passive-aggressive nonsense when they choose to avoid staff parties. When companies refuse to grant her discounts on products or services, she displays a level of affronted entitlement that even the most Karenly Karen who ever Karened would admire. When a new, hip bookshop moves in down the street (an event which serves as the backbone for the plot), instead of being neighbourly and finding a way to work with the owner, she launches a childish vendetta against him, which is hilarious in its futility.

And yet … and yet. Poor Fawn. As the story of her childhood emerges, I feel for her. As her money troubles increase and, despite her sad attempts to drum up business, her profits decrease, she resorts to more outrageous schemes in her attempts to stay afloat. Her desperation becomes a tangible creature, stalking her across a barren wasteland of loneliness and failed aspirations. (Jesus, where did that come from? Serves me right for listening to classical music while I write this.)

But there’s something relatable about her. The correspondence with her pen pal, where she creates a fantasy life for herself. The way she hates most people and yet longs to fit in at the same time. The feeling that even at the age of ‘fiftysomething’ she has yet to grow up. Plus, she loves cats, and not only feeds the strays in the alley behind the shop but also takes them to the vet when they look ill, so for that alone, I love her. And when she finally breaks free of what’s been holding her back (not so much with a bang, but more of an ‘Oh, I see’), I felt immensely satisfied. You don’t often get stories about older women ‘finding themselves’; that storyline is usually reserved for women in their twenties or maybe thirties (but like, early thirties – not too old, of course), and unfortunately said storyline usually ends up with something along the lines of, ‘And then I had a baby and my pointless life suddenly had meaning.’ Vomit. Give me a story about a grumpy old lady with cats and a failing bookshop any day over that.

And so there we have it. Five stars from me. Don’t expect this to be a light-hearted romp, and give it some time to get going, rather than just chuck it away, and you should get along with this book just fine.

A quirky bookstore owner and her emails and texts. While the email and texts were different to read. It was a quick read that I’m still not sure what to believe about Fawn

this is quite possibly the weirdest book I've ever read. After bunny of course......literally what was that...

This book...although I'll admit the format was interesting, that's the only thing it had going for itself. Fawn. FAWN FAWN FAWN. Where do I begin? In the first half of the book I was trying to figure her and the author out. Is there some sort of secret to her? Why was she such a....bitch? TO EVERYONE?! Her employees, those she meets, her CUSTOMERS?

I just couldn't figure her out.

This book is tough for me to review. While I thought that writing was fantastic and character development super fleshed put, I just absolutely hated the living daylights out of the main character which took out a lot of enjoyment out of it, and yes ok, after reading the book, I understood why she was the way she was, and maybe I felt a bit more sorry for her. But still. It just pisses me off as a reader when the protagonist has bought that much into her own BS and is so self absorbed and arrogant, and looks down on everyone. , Her self awareness felt a little too late but maybe it’s just my own bitterness :) ok, so 5 stars for writing and plot, and 1 star for character caring, makes it it an average of 3. .

I wanted to like the book. I really did. But the format was awkward and I just couldn’t like the main character, Fawn. She was unlovable in the extreme and I quit caring about her altogether. Sigh.

I was in love with the idea of this book and the title drew me in however, it did not live up to its expectations. This book is written in the form of emails of text messages from the main character Fawn to her employees, family, customers and diary entries to herself. I
I could not connect or relate to the character of Fawn in anyway, she was quite beige and and lacked the development and character growth that I like to see in a novel. The writing style did not help with this and I found the text really hard to finish.

Interesting format, took time to get in a groove and figure out the main players but I ended up enjoying the story being told VIA letters, emails, social media posts and journal entries. It was awfully hard to like the main character. She reminded me of the weird, overstepping aunt every family has. Her resolve was awfully quick, making the plot unbelievable.

A couple cute fun twists, but overall I was disappointed.

The style this book is written in makes it an easy nighttime read, in that it is a selection of emails, tweets and an epistolary novel, which makes it easy to pick up and put down again. The main character though is deeply unlikeable, now I've worked in bookshops and understand how working with the public can be frustrating, I don't feel that someone this snarky would actually do very good business. For me this is where the style lets it down because there is no prose to understand and explore the character further and maybe have some empathy for her. Ultimately I just didn't care.

With thanks to the publisher and net galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute story, but just wasn't enough to make me excited about it. The synopsis made it sound like it would be funny and lighthearted, but it was kind of a flop in my opinion. There did not seem to be a lot of real humor, it was too forced. And the plot had a little too much going on in my opinion. It almost seemed like two many books forced into one story.

The title and synopsis of this novel grabbed me, however I thoroughly struggled to make my way through it. I’ve read a couple of books that used communication mediums (e.g. emails, letters, notes) to tell a story and I usually connect with the characters through their words. Unfortunately, I did not feel the same connection with Fawn, and as someone who prefers character-driven stories, this was disappointing. I really wanted to like this book, however it didn’t meet the mark for me.