All Booked Up by Melody Carlson

 

 

All Booked Up by Melody Carlson drew me in with the bookish cover. While there is some talk about books, the story is mainly about a widowed woman who takes in boarders for financial reasons. It is a character driven novel about relationships.

Riva Owen lives in a large Victorian house that has been in her family for generations. Her lawyer husband passed away several months earlier and her finances were now a challenge. Riva doesn't want to move and leave her house--and her library of cherished books. 

After some consideration, instead of moving, Riva takes in boarders. With a few women living under the same roof, they have to learn to navigate different personalities and challenges as housemates. There are some men included in the story but there isn't a lot of romance in All Booked Up. This book focuses on friendships.

I enjoyed getting to know Riva and the other ladies in her house to start with. Then, when they were living together, there was some gossip and childish behavior that I didn't really like reading about. Kitty was the biggest challenge to like for all of the housemates and this reader. I am not sure I found the ending entirely believable but it was a happy ending. It was a little too convenient and didn't seem quite realistic to me.

With several widows and a widower in the story, there is also a focus on grieving. There is a grief support group that characters attend. In one meeting they talk about assisted suicide. Those who are currently grieving, may want to be prepared for that. 

The talk about books and a book club is more towards the end of All Booked Up. I found that part to be interesting but I expected it to play a bigger part in this book than it did based on the title.   

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.