All Booked Up by Melody Carlson: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

When preserving precious memories means welcoming unexpected changes, Riva finds that her heart has room for so much more than she imagined.

Widowed empty nester Riva Owen lives in the Victorian house that's been in her family for three generations, but finances have become a challenge she can no longer ignore. Her daughter is pushing her to move, and after considering all her options, Riva knows selling would be the smartest course. But she just can't bring herself to leave decades of memories--and her cherished library filled with hundreds of books.

When she pursues an alternative--opening her home to women like her who need a room to rent--Riva is unprepared for the mix of personalities and peculiarities of her new housemates. She is even more unprepared for Marcus, the handsome and handy older brother of one of her new tenants. The possibility of finding love again feels overwhelming, even as her tenants seem to have romantic schemes of their own.

Warm your heart with a story of found family, book lovers, and a second chance at love.

A heartwarming contemporary romance featuring a bookish widow finding a second chance at love. This small-town rom-com about new beginnings makes a perfect read for your book club.

The Author

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than 250 books with sales of more than 7.5 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, her novel All Summer Long has been made into a Hallmark movie, and the movie based on her novel The Happy Camper premiered on UPtv in 2023. She and her family live in central Oregon. Learn more at MelodyCarlson.com. 

Book Review

One of the quickest ways to get me to pick up a book? An author I already enjoy coming out with a bookish book, with a perfectly bookish title to draw me in immediately. (I mean, the idea of not wanting to move because she wouldn't have space for all the books? Yeah, I get that!) While this book was listed as a romance (and there certainly IS some romance in the story), I would say that this book felt much more like Women's Fiction to me... in the best ways possible. Yes, Riva and Marcus were really sweet together... but it was really the female friendships between all the ladies that was the heart of this story. The sense of found family and starting over that we see in this group of ladies was really well done and kept me captivated throughout... and what's a family without a little drama between them to keep things interesting? With messages of forgiveness and fresh starts, this was a beautiful story. If you enjoy Christian fiction with friendship, romance and (mostly) more mature characters, this is one to check out. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/3Lzy3QB