This book truly makes me wish the premise of borrowing a bookshop for a holiday was true. This was sweet, lighthearted, with some mystery involved. This is the first time I've read a book by Kiley Dunbar, and after this one, I think I will definitely read another!

Thanks to Hera Books and Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in return for my honest review!

Any reader and book lover must have had a dream of owning their own bookstore and serving up desserts with a cup of espresso or specialty teas. Oh, you have too? We I think we all have, and I am googling places to spend a couple of weeks in such a place that would offer up a dream come true. Well, not in this pandemic unfortunately. The amazing thing is, books do take you to adventures and vacations without leaving your cozy nook. Thank you to author Kiley Dunbar for this wonderful reading experience I absolutely adored and definitely needed.

I LOVED the idea behind this book... a holiday which gives you a chance to run your own bookshop and cafe for a fortnight in a quaint seaside town? Yes please!!! I am all for it! This is exactly the kind of holiday I can see myself looking forward to! Thank you Kiley Dunbar for creating such a lovely premise/scenario which I am sure a lot of book lovers like myself would love to see become a reality. If such a holiday does really exist anywhere in the world I am all willing to sign up for it!

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Hera Books and the author for the e-Arc of the book! I enjoyed it ❤️✨!

If you know Devon you may see the basis of this story, Clove Lore is a really wonderful setting for this book. The sad start to this is quickly made up for as the story progresses making for a great read. What a wonderful way to spend a couple of weeks holiday if you want something really different. Can't fault this book in any way and I know that I will be re-reading it again in the future. Well worth 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Great romance read with lovable characters, great story plot on how the main character is down on her luck with how love goes, work goes, her independence, etc. I love how Jude shows how independent she can be by traveling away from her home city and run a bookshop, how she stands her ground when the going gets tough and how she makes friends with the locals of Clove Lore.

This is a super fun read. I really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

When Jude discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her, she opts for a chance of scenery and goes to Devon where she has the opportunity to run a bookshop for two weeks. I loved this idea and the twists in the story were great. A good read.

Imagine going on vacation to WORK! And paying for this "pleasure", too! Well, if this means working in your "own" bookshop I would even consider it myself. For Jude it is a dream come true when she gets picked from the long waiting-list and can go to a little seaside town in Devon to run a second-hand-bookshop there. But there is also a café attached to it, which is a full-time job in itself, with all the cooking to be done and then the rest of the day spent selling the goodies and some tea or coffee to go with it. Thank God another tenant turns up who's rented the place for the same fortnight.
While Jude is not willing to share her small bedroom with a total stranger (I would too!) she sure can need the help around the shop.

I found the idea of the rented bookshop very lovely. But then Kiley Dunbar doesn't tell us so much of what Jude actually does all day long in her bookshop (apart from Izaaks cryptic requests). We don't really get to experience the 'working in a bookshop-dream', which is a pity I think. I also found Elliots secret a bit strange, and he never really grew on me throughout the book (whereas Jude and also even Daniel did). At the end of the book Jude lists how much she will miss every person in this little town, even if she has only met them once! I didn't get the feeling that she really explored the town and the people living there and became part of the community, there weren't enough scenes for that.

It is a nice read, especially for any book lover. But it's got some flaws, at least for me.

This book definitely had a happy feel about it and it helped me to escape real life (which is a necessity during these difficult times) I loved the storyline which evolved around Jude and Elliott. The idea of running a bookshop for 2 weeks is a book lovers dream ( I would be in my element) I would highly recommend this book as it’s the perfect romcom, I loved reading it. This is the first book that I have read by Kiley and it definitely won’t be my last.

My thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for a copy of “The Borrow A Bookshop Holiday “ for an honest review.

Kiley Dunbar is a new author to me but I was drawn to this book by the title.
This was lovely and light, perfect for holiday reading. I loved the seaside setting and the fact it took place in a bookshop. The sort of book that you can escape into and leaves you with a warm feeling .
Recommended.

Mature age student Jude has just graduated from university, so now her secret relationship with a professor can finally be made public. However, when she sees him kissing another student during the graduation ceremony she realises she had been made a fool of for the past few years. Now their dream holiday, running the bookshop in a tiny village, is up in smoke. There is noting else to do but nurse her broken heart and go on the holiday alone.

Enter Elliot, after a confusion with the booking he is also here to run the bookshop. Can the two come to an agreement and work together? And will the locals win the bet on the two of them falling in love?

This really would be my perfect holiday. What a great concept.

As a book lover this would so be right up my alley! I mean to run a bookstore and café for a fortnight! I mean is this a thing and where can I sign up? With the beauty of the Devon coast as a backdrop what could possibly go wrong in this book?


For Jude this is just the thing she needs after spending years taking care of her grandmother life has suddenly turns on it's head. Her grandmother has decided she doesn't need Jude to care for her anymore, Jude's parents are selling their bakery and poor Jude is left feeling like life has passed her by.

I will say as a woman who didn't find her purpose until later than most of her friends I could really connect with Jude. Jude is ready to take her two weeks at the bookstore and figure out her future, that is until she discovers she is sharing her time there was a rather hunky stranger, Elliot.

If anyone need an Elliot in their life it is Jude! I loved them both and honestly enjoyed this book. It was refreshing and a wonderful change from what I normally read.

I absolutely love the concept of this book. Now I want to go and have a holiday in a book shop, anyone else?

Book review of The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday by Kiley Dunbar

What is it about?
Jude has only just graduated from University when she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her. After breaking up with him, she finds her life changed when her family retire from their bakery and her gran (who she has been a carer for) moves into a retirement complex. With nothing else to do, she decides to head off alone to the borrow a bookshop holiday in Devon that she was going to with her boyfriend. Upon arrival in the small town of Clove Lore, she finds herself sharing her holiday with the mysterious Elliot. Could the pair be heading for romance or will his secrets come between them?

My thoughts.
I really liked the premise of this novel. I’ve heard a lot about borrow a bookshop holidays and would love to go on one, who wouldn’t? It took me a while to get into the novel. However, once the story got going in Clove Lore, I found the small town to be a breath of fresh air. I was captured by the picturesque descriptions of this small town. The characters who she met there were a whole lot of fun too. My favourite being the adorable dog Aldous. Whilst I was pleased that Jude gained a lot of confidence from her holiday, I would have liked to see her go on more of an inner emotional journey. I could see why she was attracted to Elliot, but felt their relationship could have been explored more in depth.

Would I recommend it?
Overall, I found it to be a nice, light summer read. I gave it 3.5 stars. With thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for this ARC which I received in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really cute book with some twists for a romance book. I would definitely recommend this book. It did only take me a day to read. Loved it.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

When I first saw this book, I was ridiculously excited. I mean, who doesn't love a cosy, small town romance? But a cosy, small town romance set in a book shop? Yes please!
But unfortunately, while I did enjoy the book, it was a little bit of a disappointment in my eyes. I mean I love a bit of a cheesy romance, I practically live off Hallmark films, but this one just had a little too much for my liking. I mean yes, tell your partner she's pretty, but don't go overboard and smother her, you know?
Anyway, the cheesiness of this book (again, this is normally something I love but not to this extent) put me off a tiny bit, but if I'm completely honest this book didn't quite keep me turning the pages. I knew what the outcome would be of course (not really a bad thing with this genre) but I just felt like nothing really happened to hook me, to keep me reading. I wanted a bit more actual romance - cute dates, nice outings, who know, maybe even a double date.

Anyway, I actually would recommend this book if you fancy reading a cute romance (the setting was definitely unique and I LOVED it), but it wasn't really my favourite read.

A delightful read that I blew through way too fast. After finishing college (a bit late compared to her peers), Jude is presented with some new life challenges. First, the man Jude was pretty sure could be "the one" has just been seen with another woman. Second, her grandmother is moving from the family home into a senior living facility. This shouldn't be a big deal, but Jude has spent a substantial portion of her adult life taking care of her gran. Third, Jude's parents have decided to sell not only their bakery but also the family home. What's Jude to do now that everything in her life is changing? Fate comes to her in the guise of the Borrow a Bookshop Holiday. Although it was supposed to be a trip with her ex, Jude decides to take the trip on her own and clear her head of all the changes coming her way.

This book has everything! Of course, there is romance, but there are also new friendships, lovely pets, mystery, and lots of drama! You will not regret picking this up!

5/5 Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the dramatic opening to this book. It definitely hooked me in immediately. There is suddenly lots of change and upset in Jude’s life, which sets the reader up for a journey and a (hopefully) happier conclusion.

I immediately identified with the main character, Jude. She is a true bookworm and a likeable character. She has lots of wonderful qualities, such as her caring nature, her intelligence and the way she treats family as a priority. However, her vulnerability, lack of self confidence and struggles with maths make her appear raw, real and relatable.

I loved the setting of Clove Lore. I immediately thought that Kiley’s descriptions were too detailed and vibrant for this to be a completely made up place, and after reading I definitely want to visit Clovelly. I loved how she explained that she took a real place and added her own sprinkle of magic to make it fit the story and the characters.

This has been quite a rollercoaster of a read and I have been rooting for Jude’s happiness. At the beginning of the book, her home and what she knows as “stability” in her life is completely overturned, so it has been interesting to see how she has coped with the new challenges and changes that the much needed trip to Clove Lore has caused.

I have adored this gentle, beautiful and uplifting book about making the most of new opportunities and finding the courage to pick yourself up and dust yourself off. I would definitely recommend this book and author to fans of Cressida McLaughlin and Heidi Swain.

A holiday where you stay above a bookshop in village in Devon and run it for two weeks. Surrounding yourself with brilliant books and amazing stories, oh and did I mention you’ve also got a little cafe where you can sell cake and brownies? The perfect holiday for us bookstagrammers! 😍 This is the trip that Jude and her boyfriend had planned, but after she sees him kissing another girl, she decides to still go, but alone, and what the perfect place to try and get over someone...and maybe meet someone new.

This book was so lovely! It’s my first book of Kiley Dunbar’s but I don’t think it will be my last! It’s the perfect pick me up book for book lovers like us! What I loved about this one was the brilliant descriptions of the village of Clove Lore. The whole way through the book I had imagined it like a beautiful village in Devon, Clovelly, the scenery, those hills, the harbour, it was just like it. So when I read the letter from Kiley at the end that said Clove Lore was inspired by Clovelly it made me so happy! And just shows the brilliance of the writing that I actually pictured the place that inspired it!

And of course, the story itself. I love a plot that shows some character growth, especially in the protagonist, and this one delivered! I loved how Jude had to try and overcome her fear with numbers, and how this holiday was the perfect escape for her to truly get over her ex. Of course Elliot, the other lodger to the bookshop might have helped there too! I loved the mystery behind him, and what came out at the end I didn’t see coming! These characters, and the supporting ones (shout out to Daniel, the ever supportive BFF), were so lovely! I’d love to step into this book for a holiday too!

I enjoy books about fans of books and this sweet book falls in that category. Jude processes information and feelings through books, even when she is acknowledging life is not like a romance book. I can relate to that. I spent more time than I would normally like feeling sorry for Jude, but that made her coming into her own even more rewarding later. The whole story is set in such a picturesque scene, that I feel like I have been there, scene it, and felt it. Combine it with lovable supporting characters to make this book is a great read. All of this in a relatively quick read.