The Little Shop Of Happy Ever After by Jenny Colgan

When I first started reading this tale I wasn't immediately won over.  However by about 30 pages deep I found myself being completely sucked in to this fictional world and suffering from the reader's curse of "just one more chapter then I'll go to sleep".  As the story progresses I found myself beginning to get jealous of Nina's new life - let's face it it all sounds absolutely idyllic and who wouldn't want to run a Book Bus?  Somehow the author managed to get me to bypass my normal "well that's not how business works" knee jerk reaction and to just go with the flow.

Nina works in her local library in Birmingham and shares a house with Surinder.  Not only does she work with books but she absolutely loves books, much to Surinder's dismay as there home is being overtaken by piles of them in every room, on the stairs (to be honest I think my husband knows how Surinder feels, he was so happy when I took to using an eReader with alacrity as he no longer needed to worry about the ceilings caving in).  Unfortunately for Nina her life is about to take a sharp about face as the local library service is consolidated and she has to apply for a job in the new multi-media version, a defiantly 21st Century take on the library service that puts a love of books way down the list.  Slowly events conspire to lead Nina to purchasing a quirky old van and setting up a travelling book shop in a remote area of Scotland.

There is something almost nostalgic about the story.  From the perfect highland setting - quirky local characters, beautiful scenery and a very welcoming community; the star crossed romance that beckons and the grittier aspects of modern life.  It is a gentle jumble of romantic fantasy and some of the realities of modern life all seen through a rather rose tinted lens but the whole makes a world I found myself wholly inhabiting whilst reading.  So much so I was quite sad to finish the book and I really hope there is a sequel to this book so we can visit the wonderful setting again and get to follow some more of Nina's book choices.

One of the things that really grabbed me about the book was how people read the most unexpected things.  You have old men reading bodice rippers and genteel old ladies reading gory thrillers, very true to life.  What did surprise me was how each person really only settled on one genre to read, in my experience readers will give anything a try and even if one book in a genre is not to your taste it doesn't stop you trying others in the hope you will find a good one.  The book is really a great big hug for the reading community and a celebration of all that is glorious about settling down with a good book (or even a passably okay one).

The characters are warmly written and whilst a little stereotypical and predictable the author's affection for each and every one of them comes through on the page and that can't fail to engage the reader.  The plot itself is a little far fetched and the romantic aspects predictable but the writing manages to take the reader past it's shortcomings.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would not hesitate to recommend it to even the most casual reader as an ideal way to pass a few happy hours.