A little slow but sweet. Her ability to capture the telling detail is phenomenal. And quite often hilarious. ( )

3.5 stars.

I don't know what it is about Abbi Waxman's books, they're just so comforting somehow!

I hope there's a third one where Polly and Nina are the main characters. Their difference in personality would be very entertaining! ( )

This is sort of a sequel to The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, which I loved. Some of the same characters appear, but the story is mainly about Laura, a native New Yorker who has come to Los Angeles to get a degree in physical therapy at UCLA after a significant car accident. She still suffers from some PTSD but probably has more trauma as a result of the attitude of her scientific Ph.D. family members, who maintain stiff upper lips rather than any compassion for Laura.
Ms. Waxman writes some of the funniest scenes while also showing sympathy for the characters' quirks. As a result, she's one of my favorite contemporary writers. The romance is sweet with Impossibly Handsome Bob, the horticultural expert who lives across the hall from her in the best boarding house ever. The supplemental characters all add to the story, even the ex-fiance who is insufferable. Laura learns to become an independent woman with the help of her new friends in this delightful read. ( )

Sweet story about a young woman that moves to California to go to school and get away from her family that is not very supportive. She finds friends and love in a time and place that was unsuspected and welcoming.

The story also introduces some new characters and includes some snippets of their stories.

Pepper scale ( )

Postgrad student Laura Costello moves to Los Angeles, where she wanders into Knight's bookshop, where she meets the central character and others from Abbi Waxman's previous novel, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. Nina's colleague Polly knows of a room available in a shared house. So at the start of the story Laura connects with characters from author's previous novels and finds a place to live. And there's even an attractive man who previously featured in another Waxman story. But Laura has just broken off an engagement - does she really need more complications?

So the scene is set for an enjoyable good read, with some serious bits about characters coming to terms with the past. I really enjoyed the new to me characters and re-encountering some previous ones, and the quirky humour. The storyline is perhaps quite predictable but satisfying, and I look forward to reading Abbi Waxman's other books. ( )