Title: With Love from London 

Author: Sarah Jio 

Genre: Fiction, Romance

Keywords: Emotional, Reflective, Contemporary, Family, Failed Relationships

Rating: 5/5 stars

​​5 million stars for this book!!! With Love from London spins the tale of a mother and daughter, both facing challenges of love and finding their identity in their own respective time periods. Valentina Baker’s mother left her family when she was only 12 years old with no explanation. So, when her mother dies and leaves her with the task of running her quaint London neighborhood bookstore, Valentina is thrown for a loop and into the next phase of her life. This book was cozy and beautiful and interesting, and it held onto me until the very end. I borrowed it from the library, but I’m going to have to buy a copy for myself to reread in the future. It’s a beautiful story about love and loss in all its forms, and how we can make our lives fulfilling and worthwhile no matter how grim it may seem at one point or another. So in love! Will definitely be looking for more books by Sarah Jio.

Goodreads Synopsis

When librarian Valentina Baker was a teenager, her mother, Eloise, unexpectedly fled to her native London, leaving Val and her father on their own. Now in her thirties and fresh out of a failed marriage, Val feels a nagging disenchantment with her life–and knows she is still heartbroken over her mother’s abandonment.

In a bittersweet twist of fate, Val receives word that Eloise has passed away, leaving Val her Primrose Hill apartment and the deed to a bookshop Val never knew she’d owned. Though the news is devastating, Val finds herself more determined than ever to discover who her mother truly was. She jets across the Atlantic, departing Seattle for a new life in charming London.

Slowly but surely, Val begins to piece together Eloise’s life in the UK, falling in love with her pastel-colored flat, cozy neighborhood, and tucked-away storefront. But when she discovers that The Book Garden is in danger of going under, Val must work with its eccentric staff to get it in working order. In the process, she learns more about Eloise than she ever thought possible. And as Val races to save the shop, Eloise’s own story unfolds, leading both mother and daughter to unearth revelatory truths.