The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery: Audiobook Review

The Boardwalk Bookshop is the story of three women who share commercial space for each of their three small businesses. Set on the California coast, we learn the backstories and current lives of these three women as they support one another through life’s challenges.

From The Publisher:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery—a story of friends who become family, giving each other courage to start over…

When fate brings three strangers to a charming space for lease on the California coast, the Boardwalk Bookshop is born. Part bookstore, part gift shop, part bakery, it’s a dream come true for Bree, Mikki and Ashley. But while their business is thriving, their personal lives are…not.

Bree, wounded by brilliant but cold parents and her late husband’s ultimate betrayal, has sworn to protect her heart at all costs. Even from Ashley’s brother, a writer and adventurer who has inspired millions. He’s the first man to see past Bree’s barricades to her true self, which terrifies her. Mikki has this divorce thing all figured out—somehow, she’s stayed friends with her ex and her in-laws…until a new man changes how everyone looks at her, and how she sees herself. Meanwhile, Ashley discovers that the love of her life never intends to marry. Can she live without being a wife if it means she can have everything else she’s ever wanted?

At sunset every Friday on the beach in front of the Boardwalk Bookshop, the three friends share a champagne toast. As their bond grows closer, they challenge one another to become the best versions of themselves in this heartachingly beautiful story of friendship, sisterhood and the transformative power of love.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book. It is a story of friendship, determination and overcoming the past. Bree, Mikki and Ashley all come from very different backgrounds and I appreciate the friendship and workspace that they have nurtured together.

Romance is certainly a theme in the book, but the women’s individual stories are about their personal growth. Bree’s story was particularly emotional, with a traumatic childhood that follows her well into adulthood.

I enjoyed that each of the women was at a different point in their lives, making the book feel all the more relatable. The characters were well developed and likeable. It felt that these women were better because of their friendship – an aspect of Women’s fiction that I never tire of reading about.

This also felt a bit more steamy than the books I’ve come to expect from Susan Mallery. If you are a reader who prefers to read about closed-door romance, please be aware of this.

I listened to the audiobook of The Boardwalk Bookshop which was once again performed by Tanya Eby who has narrated several of the author’s previous books. I love the tone of her voice and the cadence of the words which is unique to her. Those readers who enjoy audiobooks might wish to choose this format.

What I Liked:

• The friendship and business relationships of the three women
• The elements of romance for each of the women
• The personal growth experienced by the women during the course of the book.

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to my local public library for purchasing the audiobook of The Boardwalk Bookshop.

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery

The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery

The Vineyard at Painted Moon by Susan Mallery