I think the thing I like best about Susan Mallery's latest romance The Bookstore Diaries (#1,369) is its colorful treatment of the top, bottom and sides of the pages. They form a series of images, including one of The Painted Lady bookstore featured in the book.
That said, I don't usually read Susan Mallery. Her story about two sisters in a seaside California town boasts unusual spellings of the protagonists' names (Jax and Ryleigh) several failed marriages, a jilting, a truly terrible ex (although he is a devoted father to his and Jax's two kids) and a bookstore that houses secret diaries. When renovations on The Painted Lady require the temporary removal and storage of the anonymous diaries, Jax gives her patrons a chance to retrieve their own diaries prior to construction. Those not claimed are supposed to be stored safely away. Sounds good, but a snoopy employee just has to read them for the juicy gossip they contain. You'd think that would be good enough to drive a whole plot, but in the end, it just boils down to two diaries read, and of course they result in positive outcomes for all concerned.
Both sisters have romance woes. Ryleigh wants to be married in the worst way, so why does she turn down the oh-so-eligible bachelor she's been dating? And why can't Jax see the handsome contractor right under her nose who is trying to get her attention? The drama with both siblings dragged on way too long for my taste. In the end, as far as I was concerned, it rated a big "Meh". The physical book is still eye-catching, though!
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