The intricate plot lines, the pandemic situation, the development of the characters - a great achievement. But it worked very well as a flight book - it’s an engaging story with people who got under my skin. There are quite a few issues covered, and it’s quite clever the way that they’re introduced via the ‘book pharmacy’. This lady Rosemary and her husband George are retired, reclusive now due to the circumstances of the world and reading to each other in their garden is a joy. Although she’d never have chosen it, her dance with cancer has changed her life in many positive ways.

I liked the idea that when you read the first sentence of any book, you are completing the author’s work. Yet again Stephanie Butland has hit upon a wonderful idea and has created some lovely characters in these vignettes, all of whom have a different issue. All in all, I enjoyed the book and look forward to exploring the reading suggestions at the back of the book. There are lots of excellent book recommendations scattered around in there too - frankly, loads and my to be read list has increased greatly, which is always a bonus.

Everyone had differing experiences in the Covid pandemic, and their needs differed depending on their jobs/ home life/ security/ wants and desires. I loved the quotes and the chapters where it feels that Stephanie Butland is talking to me personally about the power of books and reading. Although this book features some of the same characters as ‘Lost for Words’, including Loveday as a viewpoint character, it stands alone. So I made the purchase, and then read over half the book on the flight, finishing it a few days later. The poignancy of characters and story was phenomenal and it will forever be one of my favourite books.

Now she is happier, healthier, and more careful with her precious life and the precious people and things in it. But, these lockdowns were so different to the way my own country, New Zealand, experienced lockdowns that they didn't even seem like lockdowns. Overall this is an intelligent, refreshing and heart warming book that I adored, and would recommend to everyone who reads - so that's all of you! I would recommend this if you like issue-laden contemporary women’s fiction and don’t mind a large number of book recommendations. I loved Lost For Words so I was looking forward to this but I’m afraid I found it very disappointing.However this just left many underdeveloped characters, when she had written compelling main protagonists to begin with. I didn't realise before I read it that there was a book that came before it, but I have now bought that to read as well, as I think it will fill in some of the gaps and Archie was talked about so much that I want to know more about him. I absolutely loved the first book and was never expecting a follow up when I listened to it in 2018. Set during the dark days of Covid shutdowns and isolation, this chronicles how a myriad of ordinary people struggled through all of the challenges. This is a wonderful idea for a novel and the creation of a book pharmacy during the Covid pandemic works so well to introduce so many different characters, each with their stories and needs.

Stephanie lives near the sea in the north-east of England, with her husband Alan and Harris the greyhound.

It also brought into sharp clarity the ease with which it is possible to put someone in danger, quite unintentionally, because of naivety on our part. I have just finished it, I struggled to start with which I think was due to the formatting on my arc from netgalley. I come from Whitby and know York very well and there were countless mistakes regarding both places which really annoyed me and prevented me believing that’s where they were supposed to be. I loved this book, I really enjoyed the interwoven stories ranging from books and pandemics to escaping previous lives and relationships.