Kirkus
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A mousy, lovelorn librarian uncovers her family's well-kept secrets, finding herself in the process.Martha Storm has spent her life in the English coastal town of Sandshift, catering to the needs and whims of others. The library's denizens, the library manager, even her own sister, Lilian, take shameless advantage of her. In her younger days, Martha, now middle-aged, let the love of her life slip away, choosing to move in with and care for her aging parents. They're gone now, as is her eccentric grandma Zelda, the only person who ever seemed to understand and protect her. Zelda also encouraged her gift for storytelling, which Martha has long since abandoned. One day, a book turns up with a curious inscription and the unmistakable suggestion that her beloved Nana may still be alive. Though Lilian pooh-poohs the discovery, Martha finds the gumption to get to the bottom of the mystery. Like the author's previous novels (Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone, 2017, etc.), this one features a timid protagonist who must learn self-assertion. But here, charm is in short supply. Much of the action is predictable, the dialogue stilted: Children don't sound anything like children, and the library assistant, Suki, is given to unlikely malapropisms. The author juxtaposes scenes from Martha's childhood with the contemporary narrative, and her controlling, emotionally remote father comes off as a cardboard villain. Everything about this book is old-fashioned, so when the author inserts a couple of contemporary notesa subplot involving a lesbian couple; a reference to Spotifyit feels jarring. The book also goes on a bitthe eleventh-hour plot turn involving the old fisherman Siegfried could have been condensed or cut.Though the novel celebrates libraries and storytelling, the story it tells is not very satisfying. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Library Journal
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Martha Storm, a volunteer librarian for a small village library, is unable to say no. She has filled her house with projects she's taken on for friends and colleagues and is beginning to be a bit of a hoarder. However, when a book of fairy stories arrives on her doorstep, her world begins to change. The volume is inscribed to her by her grandmother, believed to have died years ago. But did she? Clues in the book lead Martha on a quest to discover the truth about her beloved grandmother and realities about her family that have been long hidden. The deeper she digs, the wider the world opens for her, bringing new experiences and joys beyond her wildest imagination. VERDICT Patrick (Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone; The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper) has once again crafted a heartwarming and tender tale of growth and redemption. Martha is a charming character whose journey of becoming is welcomed by all around her. Curl up by the fire with a cup of tea and a biscuit and be entranced by this delightful story. [See Prepub Alert, 10/1/18.]-Susan Clifford Braun, Bainbridge Island, WA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly
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An introverted librarian opens a book into a fantasy world that also reveals secrets from her grandmother's past in this pleasing novel from Patrick (Rise and Shine). In addition to volunteering at the library, Martha Storm also helps the people in her small, unnamed seaside village with small tasks. With her parents long dead, she lives in her childhood home, surrounded by her neighbor's stuff that she has promised to mend and store. One evening, after returning from the library, she finds a small package at her door containing a book of fantastical short stories. Inside is a handwritten inscription from her grandmother Zelda, who died under mysterious circumstances years before the date of the inscription. Martha sets off to discover where the mysterious book came from and what happened to her grandmother, the one person who ever encouraged her to explore her creativity. Along with a handful of quirky supporting characters-including divorcAce Brenda, bookseller and fellow book lover Owen, and lovesick Suki-Martha breaks out of her shell as she starts to piece together her grandmother's life in the small village. With a happy ending that is hinted from the beginning, Patrick's novel is just the kind of charming story Martha loves to read. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.