What's your next romantic bookshop read?

There's something magical about bookshops. It might be the smell (especially if it's a second-hand bookshop), or it might be the anticipation that somewhere on the shelves, your next great romance awaits. So it's no wonder readers are drawn to stories set in these cosy havens. 

Books set in bookshops offer the perfect backdrop for love to flourish, bringing together the comfort of an escape from reality and the thrill of a heartwarming romance. And bookshop romances are often set in sweet villages, with quirky characters and a shared passion for reading, which makes us believe in love just a little more.

So next time you're looking for a feel-good story, pick up a romance set in a bookshop – because where better to fall in love than in a place where stories begin!

Here are a few suggestions, in case you need some.

The Little Village Bookshop by Kirsty Ferry 

A small-town bookshop, a charming single dad and a love story waiting to be written.

Jessie Tempest’s second-hand bookshop is her sanctuary. Nestled in the heart of a charming village by the sea, with bunting over the door and shelves full of well-loved books, it’s the perfect escape from the outside world.

Until Miles Fareham and his spirited young son Elijah burst into her life — and shop. Miles is a brooding, brilliant writer in desperate need of inspiration. She’s an independent bookseller with no time for any distractions.

Miles has an unruly charm Jessie isn’t prepared for and his arrival brings chaos to her ordered life. But the more time they spend together, the more Jessie starts to wonder if it’s time to stop reading romance . . . and start writing a love story of her own.

Available from Amazon #ad https://amzn.to/3Yc69wt

The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday by Kiley Dunbar 

The Borrow-a-Bookshop Bookshop Caf invites literature lovers to run their very own bookshop for a fortnight.

Spend your days talking books with customers in your own charming bookshop and serving up delicious cream teas in the cosy caf.

Bookworms, what are you waiting for? Your holiday is going to be LIT(erary).

Apply to: The Borrow-a-Bookshop Bookshop Caf, Down-a-long, Clove Lore, Devon.

Jude Crawley should be on top of the world. She's just graduated as a mature student, so can finally go public about her relationship with Philosophy professor, Mack.

Until she sees Mack kissing another girl, and her dreams crumble. And worse, their dream holiday running a tiny bookshop in the harbour village of Clove Lore for two weeks is non-refundable.

Throwing caution to the winds, Jude heads down to Devon, eager to immerse herself in literature and heal her broken heart.

But there's one problem six foot tall, brooding (but gorgeous) Elliot, who's also reserved the bookshop holiday for two weeks

As Jude and Elliot put their differences aside to run the bookshop, it seems that Jude might be falling in love with more than just words. Until she discovers what Elliot is running from and why he's hiding out in Clove Lore.

Can Jude find her own happy ending in a tiny, tumbledown bookshop? Or is she about to find out that her bookish holiday might have an unexpected twist in the tale

Available from Amazon #ad https://amzn.to/3KAHKh5

The Secret Christmas Bookshop by Cressida McLaughlin 

Can their Christmas love story last a lifetime?

In a village by the sea, where wintry skies bring a dusting of sparkling snow, somebody is opening an unexpected gift…

When Sophie receives a surprise package, she’s intrigued to find a beautifully bound book inside.

Sophie is desperate to discover the mystery sender, and her hunt draws her to the enigmatic Harry. The subject of much gossip since his return from London, Harry keeps to himself in his crumbling manor house.

But they are both about to learn that the best stories can take on a life of their own.

Available from Amazon #ad https://amzn.to/4pvjNqQ

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan 

Nina is a librarian who spends her days happily matchmaking books and people - she always knows what someone should read next. But when her beloved library closes and she's suddenly out of a job, Nina has no idea what to do next. Then an advert catches her eye: she could be the owner of a tiny little bookshop bus, driving around the Scottish highlands.

Using up all her courage, and her savings, Nina makes a new start in the beautiful Scottish highlands. But real life is a bit trickier than the stories she loves - especially when she keeps having to be rescued by the grumpy-but-gorgeous farmer next door...

Dreams start here . . .

Available from Amazon #ad https://amzn.to/4pUWWoh

The Book Swap by Liz Hedgecock 

When newcomer and single mum Becca goes to a school PTA meeting, she is handed the task of looking after the village book swap – a dirty, smelly phone box full of unloved books. She’d much rather be finding a job, or some friends.

Unfortunately, though, her daughter Ellie decides she loves the book swap, so Becca has no choice in the matter.

Can Becca find her feet in the village and make the book swap something to be proud of? And who is the book swap’s mysterious benefactor?

Available from Amazon #ad https://amzn.to/4ozMaCH

The Little Bookshop by the Sea by Eliza J Scott 

Each morning as bookseller Florrie Appleton cycles along the promenade of her seaside hometown, watching the surfers far out in the bay, breathing in the fresh salty air, she counts herself lucky. She has a small but picture-perfect cottage overlooking the sea, a group of friends she can always rely on, and the job of her dreams at her favourite bookshop. But when tragedy strikes, her little slice of heaven is in danger of being lost forever.

To save the bookshop from closure, Florrie finds herself thrown together with the elderly owner’s handsome grandson, Ed Hartes, who has a habit of making butterflies dance in her stomach. But the only romance Florrie has time for lies within the pages of her favourite novels, and her instincts are telling her to be wary. There’s something Ed’s keeping from her, and she can’t face another heartbreak.

When Florrie stumbles upon a mysterious stash of yellowed letters in the storeroom, it seems Ed isn’t the only one with secrets. The old bookshop is full of stories waiting to be told and they aren’t only within the pages of the books....

Available from Amazon #ad https://amzn.to/3MeL3uZ

The Romance Library by Olivia Spring

Two rivals. One battle. And an epic love story they didn't see coming.

When a virtual stranger unexpectedly leaves Jess one million pounds to create a romance library in gorgeous, small seaside town Sunshine Bay, she can’t believe her luck.

Although Jess has no idea how to run a library and is in a massive reading slump, accepting the challenge means she could stop juggling three jobs and swap her crummy London bedsit for a dreamy life by the sea.

But wealthy, arrogant and handsome Henry Cavill lookalike Theo has other ideas.

The bullish property developer’s father has instructed him to buy the same coveted plot of land and failure isn’t an option. Theo’s future depends on it.

After the landowner insists that Jess and Theo stay in the town’s only B&B whilst they prepare a presentation to decide their fate, sparks fly.

But with so much riding on winning the pitch, these rivals can’t get involved.

Which is a problem, because the more time they spend together, the harder they start to fall...

Available from Amazon #ad https://amzn.to/3MmnIri

Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin 

A Greek island holiday. A fake-dating pact. A chance at true love?

After losing her job as a book scout, hopeless romantic Evie needs a fresh start. So when she hears that her eccentric grandmother has just taken on a small bookshop in Santorini, Evie jumps at the chance to visit her.

But life on the island is not as idyllic as it first seems. Gran has a tempestuous relationship with her landlord and he’s threatening to take the bookshop away from her. So when Gran asks Evie to fake date her landlord’s Greek God of a grandson, Georgios, to keep the family on side, she reluctantly agrees.

As the sun sets on Evie’s Greek holiday, can she save the bookshop – and fake date her way to love?

Available from Amazon #ad https://amzn.to/48U3mya

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore 

When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can't understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues… she just needs someone to help her out.

Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he's been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help!

Hazel didn’t go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells…

Available from Amazon #ad https://amzn.to/4oD6Jy8

The Christmas Book Club Sarah Morgan 

A long-lasting friendship

Every year, Erica, Claudia, and Anna reunite for their book club holiday. They’re bonded by years of friendship and a deep love of books, but there is still so much they keep from each other …

A perfect Christmas escape

At the cosy Maple Sugar Inn, Hattie specialises in making her guests’ dreams come true, but this Christmas all she wants is to survive the festive season. Between running the inn and being a single mother, Hattie is close to breaking point.

The start of a brand-new story…?

Over the course of an eventful week, Hattie sees that the friends are each carrying around unspoken truths, but nothing prepares her for how deeply her story will become entwined in theirs. Will this Christmas be the end of the book club’s story or the start of a whole new chapter?

Available from Amazon #ad https://amzn.to/4ppWI8R

The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts by Annie Dorling 

Where happy ever after is only a page away

Once upon a time in a crumbling bookshop, Posy Morland hid in the pages of romantic novels.

So when Bookend’s eccentric owner, Lavinia, dies and leaves the shop to Posy, she must put down her books and join the real world. Because Posy hasn’t just inherited an ailing business, but also the attentions of Lavinia’s grandson, Sebastian, AKA The Rudest Man In London™.

Posy has six months to transform Bookends into the shop of her dreams but as Posy and her friends fight to save the bookshop, she’s drawn into a battle of wills with Sebastian, about whom she’s started to have some rather feverish fantasies…

Available from Amazon #ad https://amzn.to/4plteIZ

The Story Shop by Christie Barlow

When travel writer Jack Hartwell arrives on Puffin Island amidst a terrible storm, he stumbles into The Story Shop, the island's quaint bookshop.

Seeking refuge, he finds himself immersed in Amelia Brown's enchanting world of books, puffins, and an eccentric group of book club regulars. So when the enigmatic Amelia challenges Jack to read a mysterious novel The Temptation Bucket List – and to complete its challenges with her – he can’t resist.

But with Jack’s time on Puffin Island ticking away, the stakes rise. The final item on the list? To share a secret that no one else knows…

Available from Amazon #ad https://amzn.to/3YczKpD

The Bookshop Pretty Beach by Polly Babbington

Starting over was never part of Daisy’s plan… but neither was working in her eccentric uncle’s dusty old maritime chandler building in the heart of Pretty Beach—let alone turning it into the cosy bookshop she’s always dreamed about. With a tight budget, a cast iron work ethic and a past chock full of setbacks, she’s more than determined to make it happen.

What she doesn’t need? An infuriatingly smug, exceptionally handsome man to get in her way. Daisy knows his type—men like him don’t just spend time in small seaside towns without a motive. Anyway, she doesn’t give a stuff because she is NOT looking for love, at least that’s what she thinks… little does she know a feel-good meet cute hero is about to sweep her off her feet.

Available from Amazon #ad https://amzn.to/4pinmAp

The Tanglewood Book Shop by Lilac Mills (well, I've got to mention mine, haven't I!)

A rural book shop. A chance to start over. But can she make her dream a reality?

Kazz used to love the excitement of her London life, but lately her passion for expensive city living has begun to wane. So when she's given the opportunity to open a bookshop in picturesque Tanglewood, she jumps at the chance.

But village life is much quieter than she anticipated is she actually suited for rural living? Resigned to a boring and uneventful Christmas, when she meets gorgeous Saul she is more than ready to have some fun and enjoy the festivities. If only Saul didn't have a reputation for being a player...

Will Kazz become the heroine in her own Christmas romance, or will he love her and leave her under the mistletoe?

Available from Amazon and other stores https://mybook.to/TanglewoodBookshop

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About the Author

Lilac Mills writes heartwarming romance inspired by life in the Welsh countryside, her love of simple pleasures, and the beauty of everyday moments.

She’s the author of over twenty feel-good novels, and also writes as Liz Davies and Etti Summers.

Learn more about Lilac

All Lilac Mills' books

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