I am going to struggle to review this but it was an excellent read. It covers covid which I had strong feelings on not being brought into books but it is right for this story. The book covers some very delicate subjects well. Coming out to parents , abusive relationships and the shame which we know is ridiculous .. . The story is set in Dubrovnik and you have the history of the war and how it affects people. Lots of great food descriptions . Made you want to visit the city. The book shop and the book club and the stories of the characters draw you in. Read it.

Four people Claire, Luna, Karmela, Vedran all living in Dubrovnik and all have a connection to the Welcoming Bookshop and its book club.
Claire, is the bookshop manager and is recovering from long Covid; Luna, works at the bookshop and is gay but is struggling to come out; Vedran, is Claire’s cousin and is accused of killing his missing girlfriend Didi; Karmela, is a Professor in history is struggling with her past when her family fled Sarajevo and hides behind a tough exterior.
Each person has their own story and their own issues to deal with. When the bookshop is being forced to close they all come to the rescue to save it and in doing so they all help each other with their struggles and become the best of friends in the process. An enjoyable weekend read.

A small book club in a quaint neighborhood in Croatia. Bookstore manager and employee, Clare and Luna, start a book club while one is battling reentry in society after long Covid and the other has her own struggles of coming out as gay. Then add in Clare's grandma (Fran) and cousin (Vedran) and a visiting professor (Karmela) and you have all the makings of friendship and family and a story of friends helping and supporting friends. It seems each book chosen is impactful for a different member in particular. Those books spur them to make their own decisions about their own challenges with life. Then they all bond together to help each other and save the bookstore they all love.

I felt immersed in this area - Glyn offered glimpses to the geography through her writing that made me feel as if I was there or had been there. Glyn does the same thing with her character development. The individuals became my own friends and my own family. I felt their own emotions. All marks of a good book - drawing the reader into the story and place so they feel a part of it.


The ending was a little too predictable for my taste but it wrapped up neatly with a bow on it. I recommend reading this book if you are looking for an easy read that you can fall into. There are some tough themes in the book however and they will stick with you.

I received this NetGalley ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.

DNF @ 30%

I really could not get into this book at all. The prologue was great but then it just fell flat. I put the book down and have no interest in picking it back up. I hate to give low star ratings and not finishing a book but it wasn't for me. Also, this book touches heavily on Covid in the beginning which might be an issue for some readers.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC. I'm sorry it wasn't for me but looks like other readers really enjoyed this book.

Another fabulous book from Eva Glyn. Claire is the book shop manger, Luna works at the shop but is frightened about coming out, Karmela is a professor at the university, Vedran is Claire’s cousin and other family members and friends. Each chapter is told by one of the main characters and clear to follow. The bookshop is in danger of closing but all those involved in the book club pull
Together to try and save it. Loveable characters with the backdrop of Dubrovnik past and present. Thanks to Eva and her publisher. An easy 5*.Thanks also to NetGalley.

A sequel, however not essential to read the first one, this does stand alone. We return to Dubrovnik and enjoy its beautiful streets and sights again. This time we are caught up in the lives of the Welcoming Bookshop and its bookclub members. Each person has their own story and issues to deal with. They have to band together to save the book shop, and by doing so they help each other. Engrossing and engaging, really enjoyed it

Eva Glyn is a new author for me and after reading this novel I look forward to reading more of their books. This novel is multiple stories in one. It’s has some great characters and is set mainly in a small bookshop in Dubrovnik’s historic old town. It covers a wide range of subjects but at its heart, it is a novel of friendships, family and moving forward. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and the author for the chance to review.

An immersive, wonderfully descriptive, lovely book. You feel as if you are walking the streets of Dubrovnik and right into The Welcoming Bookshop. There’s a full year of book club recommendations that fit into the themes of the book itself. Each character has a story that unfolds with the help of their new friends in the book club. You will find yourself invested in their stories, the characters have personality and depth. One of the most interesting parts of the book was the history of Dubrovnik and the Ragusan women of the city. The Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995) is an important part of the history, one of the characters was a refugee from Sarajevo. Another minor character is a surviving Dubrovnik Defender. I have traveled through Croatia and saw the buildings riddled with bullets. This book gives insight into the lives of the people who survived.
There are other issues dealt with by the characters such as gay life in Croatia and domestic abuse from a perspective not often addressed.
Thank you One More Chapter of Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

A heart-warming story of friendships formed through a book club in Croatia. Four disparate people are the main members of the club. Claire has arrived in Dubrovnik to manage a book shop. Luna is it's sole employee. Vedran, the only man in the group, would rather hide at home, having had too much publicity over something for which he has been wrongly accused. Academic Karmela is also a reluctant member, until her skills find a use. As they all learn each others stories, through books cleverly chosen to have relevance to one another's lives, they bond. Then, the book shop is threatened with closure, so they make it their mission to save the place where they have found friendship and comfort. If you haven't been to Dubrovnik, with its old walls, narrow alleyways and mountain backdrop, this book will make you want to visit this beautiful city.

A wonderfully told story set in the city of Dubrovnik. Claire has come to live with her grandparents after suffering the aftereffects of Long Covid for far too long. Here, she has a job to manage a small bookstore with one employee, Luna.
They host a book club, and strong friendships are forged through this meeting. Karmela, a professor, is a reluctant member. Vedran, Claire's cousin, is another person who is only there to support his cousin and would much rather be back in his apartment alone.
Each of these four characters has a history they are either trying to escape or a secret they need to be able to open up about. Through the book club, the characters become closer, but not without their own ups and downs, and help one another to come to terms with their lives.
So many heartrending issues are touched upon within this book: loss, grief, being unable to be yourself, LGBTQ and religion, and all handled with sensitivity.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the whole story, as well as learning more about a beautifully historic place: Dubrovnik.
It was part of a series, but I didn't need to read the first at all, so it was a great stand-alone.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for an ARC.

I adored this book. It was just an amazing read. The main characters were so good and the story just brought me in and never let go. I wish I could be friends with these characters and live where they do. I just highly recommend this book.

What a wonderful book to end the year with! Such lovely characters-the author really gives us a group of people who are hurting one way or another and when they join this book club they find friends they never thought they would have. I like how the pandemic plays a part also as its affected me in similar ways. Makes me want to join every book club I can find! Also worth mentioning is the way this author describes the town, the buildings, the food! Beautifully done! Loved this.

The Dubrovnik Book Club by Eva Glyn is a story about friendship and how the Dubrovnik Book Club with the help of its members all working together saved the bookclub from closing.
The characters of Claire Thompson, her cousin Vedran, the employee Luna and Karmela, a professor of history all have their lives changed for the better by the formation of the book club and their friendship. It is an interesting storyline and the characters enhance the story as the country of Croatia and the country’s own history.
Highly recommended

A very interesting and well woven plot. I was drawn in immediately. The book looks at a number of extremely difficult issues in an optimistic way, through support and care of good friends.
A very good story.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins and Eva Glyn for the ARC of this book.

After starting the book, I realized that it is not the first book in the series Howeverit was written well enoughto be able to read on its own. The characters are well created, and I came to like them. The location of Dubrovnik, Croatia work as an addition element, almost another character to the book. 3 out of 5 ⭐️

After Claire has moved to Dubrovnik in Croatia to run a bookstore, selling books is not be only challenge that she faces.

Post-COVID, she must learn to feel comfortable being in the midst of people again. And when the bookshop comes under threat, Claire will need to work with a motley crew of characters - including her fellow book club members Luna, Karmela and Vedran - to protect the place that is a haven for everyone.

This is not the first book in the series, but Eva Glyn has done a good job of writing this so that it can function as a stand alone story. The characters are well-drawn and will grow on the reader. And the location is not just a backdrop for the story, but almost a character in its own right.

The attention given to accurately portraying the history and culture of Croatia is an additional plus to this book. Pick it up if you are looking for an entertaining read that will create space for itself in the heart of its readers.

I rarely give five stars but this book really does deserve it. The author has really brought so many characters together so well and told several very different stories in such a way that they intertwine perfectly. Once again Eva Glyn brings the backdrop of Dubrovnik to life making me want to book a holiday there!
Thank you to the publisher Harper Collins One More Chapter and Netgalley for this ARC

I received a free e-arc of this book from Netgalley. It's the 2nd in a series, but works well as a standalone book too since it focuses on completely different characters this time. My father was orginally from Yugoslavia so I found the locale interesting as the basis for the story which encompassed post-covid anxiety, relationship abuse, LGBTQ coming out issues, and a town banding together to save a bookstore. So there is lots going on and I enjoyed it very much. I would definitely read more by this author.

A story to savour, complete with a magical Croatian setting.

The novel had me at ‘the bookshop where all are welcome…’ I was lost in the streets of ‘the shining paving stones, echoing between golden-grey walks of the buildings that huddled together.’ A stunning array of ‘beautiful, flawed, wonderful’ characters with secrets and emotional baggage. Dubrovnik is also a strong character, wrapping itself around the characters. But the ancient city needs to ‘move on’ and the characters need to move on with their lives, thus a bookshop for ‘lost souls’ is the perfect place for them to begin. I loved the thoughtful attention to the cultural and historical backdrop of Croatia. The story is skilfully woven, and the characters are so real you care deeply about them. Mystery and romance also flowed, pulling me further into another beguiling narrative by Eva G

An Absorbing Read

I have now read several novels by Eva Glyn, but I do believe this is my favourite book. A story, or rather multiple entwined stories, told through the point of view of four characters which I found myself absorbed and carried away by.

Claire has come to Dubrovnik to run a book shop for the owner whose wife is seriously ill and runs a book club at the store. Claire is paranoid about catching Covid again after a particularly nasty bout of the disease and Long Covid too. She has to learn to cope with the proximity of others. Luna, her assistant in the bookshop has secrets and obstacles of her own to overcome. Karmela, a history professor, caught up with the past and the distant past needs to thaw and allow herself to have friends again and Vedran, probably my favourite character, has complex wounds both from the war and his toxic relationship with missing girlfriend, Didi.

When the future of the book shop is threatened all four of the main characters and their friends need to join forces to try to save it.

As the story unfolds we learn more about the past and present of these characters and their life aspirations too. The book club reading choices are cleverly intertwined with the narrative of the story experienced by Claire, Luna, Karmela and Vedran. I found myself sneaking away at all hours of the day to read a little more and was totally wrapped up in their stories.

I think this book could easily lend itself to a sequel. Bravo Eva Glyn.