Thank you to Net Galley & Harper Collins for this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I will start by saying that I'm a little undecided in how to rate this book because there were parts that worked for me a lot and parts that I really strongly disliked. The story follows Sarah, a timid wallflower book worm and Max, a tortured bad boy actor (very Shia Labeouf-esque -- minus the recent DV stuff). Facing serious charges after being arrested, Max is sent to live with Sarah and work in her bookshop as community service. From there he finds himself falling into the midst of a quirky village community and falling in love with the shy bookish Sarah.

What I liked about the book: I enjoyed the community aspect of the book. The small french village reminded me a bit of the town in Chocolat, with quirky characters who are bound together in shared experiences, grudges, and long forged family relationships. I loved Sarah's relationship with these people, and the way these moments were written. I did like the depth of the characters, I especially felt like Sarah was extremely well developed and so easy to love.

Things I didn't like: Despite appreciating the depth of the characters, I really hated Max for most of the book. It took a really long time for him to make a turnaround for me, when he does it's great, but I think that it wasn't necessary to make him so awful in the beginning. I also wish we could have had their relationship be a little bit more drawn out, it felt a little sudden and rush, and I think it deserved more space to breathe.

Overall, good summer read, especially if you are someone who dreams of owning a bookshop in a small French village!