💒 Book Review: The Bookstore Wedding by Alice Hoffman (Kindle Edition, Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories #2)
A whimsical, emotionally layered short story about love, resilience, and the magic of second chances—Alice Hoffman continues her Once Upon a Time Bookshop series with a tale that’s equal parts romantic and reflective.
🧠 Overview
Published in August 2024, The Bookstore Wedding is a 40-page novella that picks up where The Bookstore Sisters left off. The story follows Isabel Gibson, who has returned to her childhood home on Brinkley’s Island, Maine, and is now trying to marry her longtime love, Johnny Lenox. But fate—and a string of comical disasters—keeps derailing their plans. After three failed wedding attempts, Isabel begins to question whether love is truly meant to last.
As she reconnects with her sister Sophie, her niece Violet, and the island’s quirky community, Isabel must confront old wounds and learn to trust in the unpredictable beauty of life. The story blends humor, heartache, and hope, all wrapped in Hoffman’s signature lyrical style.
💘 Key Themes & Highlights
- 💍 Delayed love: Isabel and Johnny’s repeated wedding mishaps reflect deeper emotional hesitations
- 👭 Sisterhood and healing: The bond between Isabel and Sophie continues to evolve, shaped by shared grief and renewed trust
- 📚 Bookshop magic: The family bookstore remains a cozy anchor, filled with literary charm and baked goods with whimsical names
- 🌊 Island life: Brinkley’s Island offers a rich backdrop of marshlands, storms, and community rituals
- ✨ Touch of magic: Hoffman weaves subtle enchantment into everyday moments, from enchanted trees to symbolic recipes
“Isabel and Johnny have set the date three times, baked three wedding cakes, invited the whole island to three parties, only to have each attempt at matrimony fall apart at the last minute.”
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.93/5 from over 28,000 ratings
- 📖 Readers praise the story’s gentle humor, emotional warmth, and fairy-tale tone
- 💬 “A love story wrapped in magic, second chances, and a sprinkle of humor”
- 🧾 Some readers note that while the plot is light, the emotional resonance and character depth make it a satisfying read
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Short format: At 40 pages, it’s a quick read—best enjoyed as a cozy literary escape
- 📚 Series continuity: Works as a standalone, but builds on the emotional arcs introduced in The Bookstore Sisters
- 🧠 Subtle storytelling: Focuses more on character introspection than dramatic twists
🏁 Final Verdict
The Bookstore Wedding is a charming, emotionally rich novella that celebrates love in all its imperfect forms. Alice Hoffman’s storytelling is gentle and evocative, making this Kindle edition a delightful pick for fans of literary fiction, sisterhood stories, and magical realism with a romantic heart.
