The Book Haters' Book Club by Gretchen Anthony

The Book Haters' Book Club by Gretchen Anthony

Published by Park Row Books ISBN 9780778333067

Trade paperback, $17.99, 352 pages

You might think it odd that someone who loves books as much as I do would read something titled The Book Haters' Book Club, but I could not resist finding out what Gretchen Anthony's book was all about.

Elliot and Irma are best friends and co-owners of Over the Rainbow bookstore in Minneapolis. As the novel opens, Elliott has recently passed away and Irma has summoned her two daughters- Bree, who works in the bookstore, and Lacey, who left home as a teenager and owns a tire repair store with her husband Tuck in Oakland- and Elliot's life partner Thom to a lawyer's office.

To everyone's surprise, Irma has decided to sell the store to a developer who has designs on putting high-rise condos in the store's place. Bree cannot believe that this is the first she is hearing about this; she had planned on taking over the store when Irma retired.

Thom seems very angry at Irma for reasons other than selling the store. He has always been jealous of the close relationship Irma and Elliot had. Irma recently lost her longtime boyfriend Nestor to cancer and now her best friend and business partner has died. Bree and Laney want Irma not to make any rash decisions while she is grieving, but Irma is firm- she is selling and will give Thom Elliot's share of the sale, which appears to be a paltry sum, not close to what the store is worth.

Laney and Bree are confused by Irma's behavior. While the women were close when they were younger, they have grown apart. Laney rarely comes home, she is busy running her and her husband's business. The sisters band together with Thom to try and stop the sale.

As someone who works in a bookstore, I especially enjoyed and related to that aspect of the story. I also loved the humor in the story. Bree's attempts to woo the owner of the neighboring distillery made me laugh. She cannot hold her liquor. 

The sisterly relationship is realistic as well. Lacey has a sarcastic sense of humor, and the way she needles her mother is delightful. Irma's exasperation at her daughters' attempts to save the store was something every mother can understand.

What makes the reader keep turning the pages is to find out exactly why Irma is adamant about selling the store so quickly. Everyone here has secrets that come to play (including the deceased Elliot) and they have to figure what they want out of life.

The Book Haters' Book Club is a newsletter that Elliot sent to customers, and we get to read some of the clever ones, which include several book suggestions. I squealed when I spied two of my favorite books by Helen Ellis - American Housewife and Southern Lady Code- in a newsletter.

If you are a true book lover, as I am, you must put The Book Haters' Book Club on your list. It's a treasure.

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Fall 2022 Women's Fiction Blog Tour.