October 30, 2026
I found this book because I was looking for another book read by Imogen Church who read one of my new favorite books Twig’s Traveling Tomes because I loved her narrating so much. She narrates quite a few mystries and thrillers ( which I love, don’t get me wrong, it is just not the season of my life for me to read or listen to them. I will come back to them, don’t you fret, but my anxiety is too high at the moment to read them) but this book was much more my speed. And once again, she was brilliant. I think I am going to continue to find books read by her, simply because she is narrating them. So far that has worked out rather well for me.
Anyway, now onto the book. This book was heartbreaking and beautiful and so lovely to listen to. I am going to start out with all the trigger warnings, because there are a few. Firstly, there is domestic violence and manipulation. It does not get terribly graphic, but there is enough that I would make yourself wary of it. There are mental health issues, neglect, foster system and social workers, and paranoia. Even with all this, this is a beautifully written book and I do highly suggest it.
We follow the story of Loveday Cardew, who adores books more than anything, in fact, she might like them more than most people. Her boss, Archie, being one of the exceptions. He has known her since she was a teenager and started working in the used book store that has brought her life, and solace, for the past ten years Just five years before that, her whole life got turned on its head, and books became her escape from the world around her. She has spent all her time the last fifteen years trying to outrun her past and create a future for herself, but someone seems to know her secret and is taunting her with it. Is it her mentally unstable ex boyfriend who simply won’t get the message that she is no longer interested? Can she escape the past? Or will letting go of it finally set her free?
I will say, I abhor the miscommunication trope, and this book absolutely has it, but I still loved this book. For a lot of the book, Loveday seems to be in a bit of a pity party, And I get it, she’s been through a lot, but goodness young lady, go to therapy already and get over this no-one-can-know-my-secret-because-then-they’ll-find-me-unlovable thing. Although that woudln’t make for much of a story, now would it? I do highly suggest this book, I really did enjoy it.
