THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL RECOMMEND by Katarina Bivald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a sweet story about a Swedish bibliophile named Sara who travels to Broken Wheel, Iowa, to meet her pen pal, Amy, only to arrive the day of Amy’s funeral. Instead of returning home as you’d expect, Sara decides to stay a couple of months in Amy’s house.

Broken Wheel has fallen on hard times, but that doesn’t stop the townspeople from taking care of Sara as Amy would have done. To repay their kindness, Sara decides to open a bookstore, and maybe give them just a little ray of hope through reading. The author was spot on in capturing the feeling of a dying Midwestern town.

This is a book about books and book lovers (Sara and Amy), and literary references abound. It was fun getting to live the dream of opening a small town bookshop through Sara. She’s a shy and timid young woman, but seems to have found a place to belong in Broken Wheel. Of course, Sara’s travel visa will eventually expire, so the folks of Broken Wheel come up with a plan for her to stay.

No big surprises in this book, and the plot seemed to drag in a few spots, but overall this was a fun book. A perfect read for chick lit fans.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.