The Bookstore Wedding (The Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories)

Sometimes it seems I've been reading Alice Hoffman since I was born. Every sentence, every paragraph, shines like a rain shower in the sun. Her writing, seemingly spare, is full of light and life. She is always able to affect me, whether the feeling abides in my own life or in the empathy I feel for her characters.

This story is brief but contains experience beyond the words on the page. As I've grown up, a lengthy process of 74 years, I've learned enough and forgotten enough, that Hoffman's books resonate with increasing depth. But though I bring a bit to my reading, she provides the magic that keeps her stories in my heart.

Although a short story, it was an excellent read by an amazing writer. I enjoyed her work before in her novel Practical Magic and she brought the same delightful storytelling in a smaller package. The story takes place on an Island where two sisters grew up with very different ideas of what they want ...but how very different are they in their thoughts and their desires really. It also is a story that includes a bookstore, books and treats....these are a few of my favorite things...Okay so the Sound of Music has nothing to do with this work...but their definitely is some romance or love in the air. I recommend to those that just want a nice engrossing story.

When she’s old enough to leave, Isabel Gibson flees from her family on Brinkley Island. She was 10 when her mother died, and she was so overwhelmed by her father’s and sister’s grief, not to mention her own, she determined to leave and block herself from love. She eventually married, but it ended in divorce.

She not only left her family behind; she also left her best friend, Johnny Lenox, the boy she loved and who loved her since they were children. Her mother’s bookstore, which her father tried to operate but couldn’t get through his grief, has been run by Isabel’s sister Sophie.

Isabel and Johnny reconnect; they never really disconnected. And they decide to marry, but something always seems to be getting in the way.

“The Bookstore Wedding” by Alice Hoffman is a short story (related to the author’s Bookstore series) that isn’t as much about romance as it is about love – love for family, love for others, and love for community. It’s a simple story, told well, that ends in an unexpected but satisfying way.

Hoffman is the bestselling author of more than 30 novels, three books of short stories, and eight books for children and young adults. Her work has received a number of significant recognitions, including movie versions, Oprah Book Club selections, and Publishers Weekly honors. Her novel about Anne Frank, “When We Flew Away,” will be published in September. A native of New York City, she lives in Boston.

Sweet story about love, patience and forgiveness. Alice Hoffman delivers a story about a young girl who decides to leave her island home for New York City. After her mother‘s death, Isabel does not want to fall in love as those you love leave. Her childhood friend Johnny waivers and his love for her and waits for her return. After her father‘s death, Isabel and her sister Sophie inherit the bookstore. Once she returns to the island, Isabel and Frank decide to marry. But after three disastrous attempts, they still not tied the nut. Will the fourth time be a charm?

It’s difficult to leave a review for a short story without divulging most of the plot so I’m gonna leave it at that. Ellis Hoffman is a good writer. Her style is engaging and keeps the reader savoring her words. This is a good book. I really enjoyed.it’s short and sweet.

A wonderful follow up to The Bookstore Sisters. Alice Hoffman is a gifted author and I adore these short Once Upon a Time Bookshop stories. The story continues with life on Brinkley’s Island. The two sisters, Sophie and Isabel, have settled into their lives together after previously being apart for many years. This new chapter, focuses on love and the unexpected curveballs that life throws in the mix when least expected. Even though the story is short, it is full of emotion and has such a richness to it, I didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Like the first book in this series, this story is about Isabel's personal growth. Since this is a character driven story, readers who focus on plot will be disappointed. If you haven't read the first book you won't realize that Isabel's character development began in book one and continues on in this second book of the series, so I highly suggest you begin by reading the first installment called The Bookstore Sisters. (It's a short story like this one and doesn't take long to read.) Both stories follow Isabel's ongoing struggle with commitment phobia and track her gradual emergence out of the place where she was emotionally stuck and into a place where her outlook is more mature and she is able to fully connect. It's a quite lovely romance, and I wonder where the last installment will lead. A well written short story is a pleasure to read.

Alice Hoffman yet again fits a full length novel's worth of story into a simple novella. A magical feat most fitting for this magical story. Isabel and Johnny are finally going to get married ......... or are they? It seems as if fate is against them actually tying the knot but they're still together, still very much in love, and still willing to continue planning their wedding day. Sophie, Isabel's sister, Violet, Sophie's daughter, and Hank, Isabel's dog, are all also prominently featured in this 2nd book in the Once Upon a Time Bookshop series set in coastal Maine. The characters, setting, bookstore, and books mentioned all make this a delightful tale of love, life, hardships, happiness, and the (blue) thread of family that binds it all together. Beautifully written, wonderfully readable. Free from Kindle First Reads - July 2024

The family owned a local bookstore. After the death of each parent, sibling Sophie was left to keep the business going after her sister Isabel left town to follow her own dreams. Now, the business is in trouble and Sophie needs her sister more than ever. Sophie's daughter, Violet, quietly contacts Isabel asking for her help. Heartwarming story of forgiveness and moving forward.