The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer

A collection of lost books holds the clues to her family's legacy…and her future.

Hope Sparrow has mastered the art of outrunning her tragic past, learning never to stay anywhere too long and never to allow anyone control over her life again. Coming to Wanishin Falls in search of her family's history already feels too risky. But somewhere in the towering stacks of this dusty old bookshop are the books that hold Hope's last ties to her late mother—and to a rumored family treasure that could help her start over.

Only, the bookshop is in shambles, and the elderly owner is in the beginning stages of dementia and can’t remember where the books lie. To find the last links to the loved ones she's lost, Hope must stay and accept help from the townsfolk to locate the treasured volumes. Each secret she uncovers brings her closer to understanding where she came from. But the longer she stays in the quaint town, the more people find their way into the cracks in her heart. And letting them in may be the greatest risk of all… 

Kindle Edition

Published October 25, 2022

 by Love Inspired Trade

4/5 stars

Debut author Mollie Rushmeyer has written a story that was engaging, full of secrets, both of the past and present with a bookish theme.

Hope Sparrow returns to her family’s past, she is determined to find some books that her late mother left for her.  They promised a treasure which will give her a fresh start she desperately needs. Hope is running from the past, from a situation she had no control over, that has left her with internal scars, making it hard for her to trust or connect with anyone. But coming to a close knit community doesn't help.

The Bookshop of Secrets is a story of new beginnings, healing the past while at the same time healing in present day. This isn’t just Hope's story, but also of other residents in this town of Wanishin Falls. There have been tragic events in the past that have left scars and hurt feelings for many residents.

This is the author's debut and I think she is off to a great start with a story that was engaging, heartfelt and full of hope. It is Christian fiction that was realistic and authentic. Definitely one I recommend.

My thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.