Title: Clock Tower Bound
Author: Chautona Havig
Series: Bookstrings, book 2
Major Themes: Books, Bookstores, Amish, Indiana
Synopsis: Anne’s bookstore in Berne, Indiana was struggling, and she needs Milton Coleridge to help her—but will she accept his advice?
I don’t know why I sometimes put off reading a book for so long when I know I’ll love it. Clock Tower Bound has been on my Kindle for over two months, and I really wanted to read it—but I put it off and put it off. When we were away from home for a few days last week I finally started reading it, and then I didn’t want to put it down. It was one of those books that grabs you and holds on and makes you want to keep turning pages even though you have other things to do—and it doesn’t even have any suspense in it! At least, this kind of book has that effect on me. I wanted to see Anne and Nadia do the right thing, and had to keep going to see if they would!
Publisher’s description:
It’s always a good time to read.
Just ask Cezanne (just “Anne” if you please. Anne with an E) Montgomery. After her disastrous business breakup with her best friend, Anne left her beloved Berned Books in the dust and moved across the street to the building she’d always wanted for their bookstore. Clock Tower Bound might be small and floundering, but it has great potential.
If Berne, Indiana can support two bookstores that is.
Enter Milton Coleridge and his trusty parrotlet, Atticus (not finch). Anne is certain that Milton can ensure the success of a bookstore that emphasizes reader-author connections and keeping the younger generation in good literature.
Milton… isn’t so certain. A town with a population of just over four thousand isn’t exactly a gold mine for one store, much less two! And then there’s that problem with the ex-best friend. The one Anne won’t talk about.
It’ll take a lot more than fancy book release parties to make the store profitable–much more. Though he’s not sure she wants to hear that. This project could take a degree in diplomacy. Too bad he missed that class in business school.
Three fractured friendships, two stores, and one totally unwanted solution.
My thoughts:
This is a great book. I love the way the conflict worked out—although I was quite unhappy with Anne most of the way through the story. I also love that the romance was such a minor part of the story—that’s the way I love to have it. Chautona Havig is good at writing the kind of stories I love to read. I loved the way she worked in mentions of so many real books into the story (and now I have another huge list of book suggestions for when I don’t know what to read next, as if that would ever happen). I also loved the way she described the setting. I have never been in Berne, Indiana, but I have been nearby and recognize many of the places she mentioned. I also loved the description of the Limberlost. I almost went there once, but when my sister and I got out of our car, a creepy man was hanging around so we left. Now I want to go back and see the area for real! Another thing I loved was the way she wrote Amish people into the story. She didn’t romanticize them, but described them as they really are. We used to have ex-Amish friends who came from that area, and I enjoyed seeing where they came from.
So…who will enjoy Clock Tower Bound? Anyone who loves books. Anyone who loves bookstores. Anyone who loves watching people think and process and figure out the answer to conflict. Oh, another thing I love in the Bookstrings series? Milton’s pet. He’s hilarious. One more—there are quotes from books all through this book. My favorite is the one about being a book drunkard; I think it describes me. And then there is the mention all through the book of the hoot of an owl and the turning of a page.…
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
WARNING: Chapter 38: Kissing.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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