William Morrow Paperbacks and Harper Audio released The Bookshop on the Corner on September 20th, 2016. The book is available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats, as well as at your local library or through the Libby App. The audiobook, read by Lucy Price-Lewis in a smooth narration, complements Colgan’s vivid descriptions and transports listeners into the book.

The parallel Pride and Prejudice storyline Colgan attempts to disguise is still discernible through her characters. Nina Redmond is a librarian who believes:

“Every day with a book is slightly better than one without, and I wish you nothing but the happiest of days.”

When the library where she works closes and she finds herself without a job, she loses her sense of identity as well. Her entire world revolves around books, and her passion is pairing readers with the perfect book. With the library closing down and a media center replacing it, it’s a gamble which of the thirty or so out-of-work librarians they will hire for the one open spot, and Nina is not even sure she wants to work in a high-tech center. Perhaps that is why she’s ill-prepared for her interview. Or it could be the advert for the van she saw and dreams of converting into a bookshop on wheels.

Nina travels from Birmingham, London, to Kirrinfief, Scotland, to look at the van from the advert and finds that it’s perfect for her needs. It’s huge and scary, and she’s unsure if she can actually drive it, but when the owner of the van changes his mind to sell it to her because she’s a wee lassie, she’s determined to prove him wrong. Overcoming obstacles along the way, Nina buys the van, moves to Scotland, and opens her bookshop on wheels, where everything magically goes perfectly okay, with no more hoops to jump through, no parking permit infractions, and no trouble obtaining a vendor license. Nina transitions from being almost penniless in her hometown to thriving in a strange place, all without knowing a soul. Colgan is stretching the world of plausibility here. However, her keen, vivid descriptions of Scotland, the farmlands, the highlands, the smell of heather, lavender, sweet blue bells, the torrential rains, the wind, and the bitter cold truly draw the readers and listeners into each scene.

As for the parallel mentioned above, Nina meets a train conductor named Merrick, and they develop a would-be romance, leaving each other poetry, books, and other odds and ends on a tree branch at the midnight train crossing. Her landlord, Lennox, disapproves of this behavior, of course, but he’s a grump who thinks she’s a silly city girl, and he practically ignores her unless it’s to grump at her. As Nina’s romance with Merrick continues, Lennox and others warn her to be careful. Nina doesn’t listen; her Merrick couldn’t be what they say, until she finds out for herself how deceitful he is. And so, here is our Mr. Wickham. Nina discovers a nicer side to her grumpy landlord. Additionally, Colgan portrays a scene about dancing, not dancing between Nina and Lennox, making a link to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.

What is entirely out of left field is how Colgan ‘builds’ the romance between Nina and Lennox, if romance is the correct description for having sex, without a genuine connection, no words exchanged, and the sex, apparently rough, is fade to black. Lennox is not the type of ‘romantic hero’ Colgan has shown the audience Nina wants; therefore, the way she made them come together as a couple is not plausible.

Nina’s love of books leads her to carefully hunt titles or specific genres for her clients, ensuring authenticity. Colgan’s vivid descriptions of colors, scents, and places effortlessly bring the audience into the book, making this a 2.5-star read or listen.