The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald (Epub)

Description

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller!Katarina Bivald’s The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a sweet, smart, and uplifting story about how books find us, change us, and connect us.Once you let a book into your life the most unexpected things can happen: Like the bestselling historical novel and Netflix film The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a heartwarming reminder of why we love books.Broken Wheel, Iowa, has never seen anyone like Sara: Sara traveled all the way from Sweden just to meet her book-loving pen pal Amy, but when she arrives she finds Amy’s funeral guests just leaving. The residents of Broken Wheel are happy to look after their bewildered visitor―there’s not much else to do in a dying small town that’s almost beyond repair. You certainly wouldn’t open a bookstore. And definitely not with Sara the tourist in charge.You’d need a vacant storefront (Main Street is full of them), books (Amy’s house is full of them), and…customers. The bookstore might be a little quirky. Then again, so is Sara. But Broken Wheel’s own story might be funnier, more eccentric and surprising than she thought.If you liked big-hearted books like The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry or Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, you will love The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend.Praise for The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend:”The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a warm and slyly funny look at small towns and romance…”―New York Journal of Books”A heartwarming tale about literature’s power to transform.”―People”What begins as an unlikely international friendship based on a mutual love of books becomes a sweet and soulful discovery of America. Quirky, unpredictable, funny, and fresh―a wonderful book.”―Nickolas Butler, internationally bestselling author of Shotgun Lovesongs and Beneath the BonfireAmazon Best Book of the MonthInternational BestsellerIndie Regional BestsellerNational Indie Bestseller#1 Indie Next Pick

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Amazon.com Review An Amazon Best Book of January 2016: Much like champagne punch, Bivald’s book-club-perfect tale of the tiny and slowly dying town of Broken Wheel, Iowa, is frothy and fun even as it sneaks up on you to deliver an emotional wallop. When Sara, a young Swedish woman who is at loose ends after losing her bookseller job, comes to visit her pen pal Amy in Broken Wheel, her first shock is that Amy has just died from a chronic ailment. The second surprise is that the citizens of Broken Wheel expect Sara to stay in Amy’s house anyway. When Sara uncovers Amy’s delightful stash of books, Sara decides to open a bookstore in the one-block-long downtown, inadvertently sparking a renaissance in Broken Wheel as the residents come together to help the store become a success. Garnished with plenty of book and character references from popular books such as Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and Bridget Jones’s Diary, this charming fish-out-of-water story will remind you why you’re a booklover. —Adrian Liang From Publishers Weekly Swedish author Bivald’s debut novel is a delight. Erstwhile bookseller Sara Lindqvist has traveled from her home in Sweden to the tiny town of Broken Wheel, Iowa, in order to spend time relaxing and reading with her pen pal, Amy Harris, but what she finds upon arriving is that she’s just in time for Amy’s funeral. Sara is bewildered but the townsfolk insist that she stay in Amy’s house and generally refuse to let her pay for anything. She decides to give back by opening Amy’s old store and sharing Amy’s books with the community. Bivald fills the pages with book references, chief among them Austen and Bridget Jones, but it is her characters that will win readers over. Sara is unassuming and, as an outsider, provides a wonderful view of the Iowans. Amy’s nephew, Tom Harris, Poor George, Caroline Rohde, and the rest all bear their own hurts and each is, in some way, healed by Sara’s presence and her books. As in Austen, love conquers but just who and how will come as a pleasant surprise. (Jan.)n Review “Touching and lively, Bivald’s genuine homage to the power of books vibrates with fondness for small-town life and fascination with its indelible connections” ― Booklist “Between the book references and the idyllic setting, readers won’t want to leave Broken Wheel, either.” ― Kirkus Reviews”Swedish author Bivald’s debut novel is a delight. Bivald fills the pages with book references, chief among them Austen and Bridget Jones, but it is her characters that will win readers over… As in Austen, love conquers but just who and how will come as a pleasant surprise.” ― Publishers Weekly “This classic fish-out-of-water story will steal your heart. It’s smart, sweet, absorbing and endearing, just like the town of Broken Wheel. It’s a story for everyone who believes in the magic of books to enlighten, heal and restore. A treat for readers everywhere!” ― Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author of Starlight on Willow Lake”a warm and slyly funny look at small towns and romance…” ― New York Journal of Books”There’s romance, small town hospitality, and lots of wonderful literary references. ” ― Bookish”The story is a bit unusual-in a really engaging way. Not only did I enjoy the story, but the author introduced me to other books I can’t wait to read. ” ― SheKnows”Warm-hearted novel ” ― Woman’s Day “This is a very happy book, very feel goof and you will be smiling when you’re done.” ― Iowa Public Radio’s Talk of Iowa (NPR) “Swedish author Katarina Bivald beautifully illustrates the relationship between a reader and her books. ” ― Bookpage”[A] heartwarming and utterly charming debut by Swedish author Bivald. This gentle, intelligent Midwestern tale will captivate fans of Antoine Laurain’s The Red Notebook, Nina George’s The Little Paris Bookshop, and Gabrielle Zevin’s The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. An ideal book group selection, it reminds us why we are book lovers and why it’s nice to read a few happy endings.” ― Library Journal, starred review”A manifesto for booksellers, booklovers, and friendship. We should all celebrate these little bookstores, where our souls find home… one of these books you want to live in for a while.” ― Nina George, New York Times bestselling author of The Little Paris Bookshop”This charming, book-loving story captures readers’ hearts from the very first page…. This is a must-read for book lovers who enjoy a witty, feel-good story that goes beyond the surface.” ― RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars, TOP PICK”The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is one of the more surprisingly improbable and delightful books I’ve read in years. What begins as an unlikely international friendship based on a mutual love of books becomes a sweet and soulful discovery of America. Quirky, unpredictable, funny, and fresh – a wonderful book.” ― Nickolas Butler, internationally bestselling author of Shotgun Lovesongs and Beneath the Bonfire”A heartwarming tale about literature’s power to transform.” ― People”Charmingly original….sweet, quirky.” ― Bethanne Patrick, The Washington Post About the Author Katarina Bivald is the author of the instant New York Times bestseller and #1 Indie Next Pick The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. She lives outside of Stockholm, Sweden. She grew up working part-time in a bookshop. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Books 1–Life 0The strange woman standing on Hope’s main street was so ordinary it was almost scandalous. A thin, plain figure dressed in an autumn coat much too gray and warm for the time of year, a backpack lying on the ground by her feet, an enormous suitcase resting against one of her legs. Those who happened to witness her arrival couldn’t help feeling it was inconsiderate for someone to care so little about their appearance. It seemed as though this woman was not the slightest bit interested in making a good impression on them.Her hair was a nondescript shade of brown, held back with a carelessly placed hair clip that didn’t stop it from flowing down over her shoulders in a tangle of curls. Where her face should have been, there was a copy of Louisa May Alcott’s An Old-Fashioned Girl.She didn’t seem to care at all that she was in Hope. It was as if she had just landed there, with book and luggage and uncombed hair, and might just as well have been in any other town in the world. She was standing on one of the most beautiful streets in Cedar County, maybe even the prettiest in east central Iowa, but the only thing she had eyes for was her book.But then again, she couldn’t be entirely uninterested. Every now and again a pair of big gray eyes peeped up over the edge of the book, like a prairie dog sticking its head up to check whether the coast was clear. She would lower the book further and look sharply to the left, then swing her gaze as far to the right as she could without moving her head. Then she would raise the book and sink back into the story again.In actual fact, Sara had taken in almost every detail of the street. She would have been able to describe how the last of the afternoon sun was gleaming on the polished SUVs, how even the treetops seemed neat and well organized, and how the hair salon 150 feet away had a sign made from laminated plastic in patriotic red, white, and blue stripes. The scent of freshly baked apple pie filled the air. It was coming from the café behind her, where a couple of middle-aged women were sitting outside and watching her with clear distaste. That was how it looked to Sara, at least. Every time she glanced up from her book, they frowned and shook their heads slightly, as though she was breaking some unwritten rule of etiquette by reading on the street.She took out her phone and redialed. It rang nine times before she hung up.So Amy Harris was a bit late. Surely there would be a perfectly reasonable explanation. A flat tire maybe. Out of gas. It was easy to be―she checked her phone again―two hours and thirty-seven minutes late.She wasn’t worried, not yet. Amy Harris wrote proper letters, on real, old-fashioned writing paper, thick and creamy. There wasn’t a chance in the world that someone who wrote on proper, cream-colored writing paper would abandon a friend in a strange town or turn out to be a psychopathic serial killer with sadomasochistic tendencies, regardless of what Sara’s mother said.”Excuse me, honey.”A woman had stopped beside her. She gave Sara an artificially patient look.”Can I help you with anything?” the woman asked. A brown paper bag full of food was resting on her hip, a can of Campbell’s tomato soup teetering perilously close to the edge.”No, thank you,” said Sara. “I’m waiting for someone.””Sure.” The woman’s tone was amused and indulgent. The women sitting outside the café were following the whole conversation with interest. “First time in Hope?””I’m on my way to Broken Wheel.”Maybe it was just Sara’s imagination, but the woman didn’t seem at all satisfied with that answer.The can of soup wobbled dangerously. After a moment, the woman said, “It’s not much of a town, I’m afraid, Broken Wheel. Do you know someone there?””I’m going to stay with Amy Harris.”Silence.”I’m sure she’s on her way,” said Sara.”Seems like you’ve been abandoned here, honey.” The woman looked expectantly at Sara. “Go on, call her.”Sara reluctantly pulled her phone out again. When the strange woman pressed up against Sara’s ear to listen to the ringing tone, she had to stop herself from shrinking back.”Doesn’t seem to me like she’s going to answer.” Sara put the phone back in her pocket, and the woman moved away a little.”What’re you planning on doing there?””Have a holiday. I’m going to rent a room.””And now you’ve been abandoned here. That’s a good start. I hope you didn’t pay in advance.” The woman shifted the paper bag over to her other arm and snapped her fingers in the direction of the seats outside the café. “Hank,” she said loudly to the only man sitting there. “Give this girl here a ride to Broken Wheel, OK?””I haven’t finished my coffee.””So take it with you then.”The man grunted but got obediently to his feet and disappeared into the café.”If I were you,” the woman continued, “I wouldn’t hand over any money right away. I’d pay just before I went home. And I’d keep it well hidden until then.” She nodded so violently that the can of tomato soup teetered worryingly again. “I’m not saying everyone in Broken Wheel is a thief,” she added for safety’s sake, “but they’re not like us.”Hank came back with his coffee in a paper cup, and Sara’s suitcase and backpack were thrown onto the backseat of his car. Sara was guided carefully but firmly to the front seat.”Go on, give her a ride over, Hank,” said the woman, hitting the roof of the car twice with her free hand. She leaned toward the open window. “You can always come back here if you change your mind.”• • •”So, Broken Wheel,” Hank said disinterestedly.Sara clasped her hands on top of her book and tried to look relaxed. The car smelled of cheap aftershave and coffee.”What’re you going to do there?””Read.”He shook his head.”As a holiday,” she explained.”We’ll see, I guess,” Hank said ominously.She watched the scenery outside the car window change. Lawns became fields, the glittering cars disappeared, and the neat little houses were replaced by an enormous wall of corn looming up on either side of the road, which stretched straight out ahead for miles. Every now and then it was intersected by other roads, also perfectly straight, as though someone had, at some point, looked out over the enormous fields and drawn the roads in with a ruler. As good a method as any, Sara thought. But as they drove on, the other roads became fewer and fewer until it felt as though the only thing around them was mile after mile of corn.”Can’t be much of a town left,” said Hank. “A friend of mine grew up there. Sells insurance in Des Moines now.”She didn’t know what she was meant to say to that. “That’s nice,” she tried.”He likes it,” the man agreed. “Much better than trying to run the family farm in Broken Wheel, that’s for sure.”And that was that.Sara looked out of the car window, searching for the town of Amy’s letters. She had heard so much about Broken Wheel that she was almost expecting Miss Annie to come speeding past on her delivery bicycle at any moment or Robert to be standing at the side of the road, waving the latest edition of his magazine in the air. For a moment, she could practically see them before her, but then they grew faint and whirled away into the dust behind the car. Instead, a battered-looking barn appeared, only to be immediately hidden from view once more by the corn, as though it had never been there in the first place. It was the only building she had seen in the last fifteen minutes.Would the town look the way she had imagined it? Now that she was finally about to see it with her own eyes, Sara had even forgotten her anxiety about Amy not answering the phone.But when they eventually arrived, she might have missed it entirely if Hank hadn’t pulled over. The main street was nothing more than a few buildings on either side of the road. Most of them seemed to be empty, gray, and depressing. A few of the shops had boarded-up windows, but a diner still appeared to be open.”So what d’you want to do?” Hank asked. “You want a ride back?”She glanced around. The diner was definitely open. The word Diner was glowing faintly in red neon letters, and a lone man was sitting at the table closest to the window. She shook her head.”Whatever you want,” Hank said in a tone that implied “You’ll only have yourself to blame.”She climbed out of the car and pulled her luggage out from the backseat, her paperback shoved under her arm. Hank drove off the moment she closed the door. He made a sharp U-turn at the only traffic light in town.It was hanging from a cable in the middle of the street, and it was shining red.• • •Sara stood in front of the diner with the suitcase at her feet, her backpack slung over one shoulder, and one hand firmly clutching her book.It’s all going to be fine, she said to herself. Everything will work out. This is not a catastrophe… She backtracked. As long as she had books and money, nothing could be a catastrophe. She had enough money to check in to a hostel if she needed to. Though she was fairly sure there wouldn’t be a hostel in Broken Wheel.She pushed open the doors―only to be confronted by a set of real saloon doors, how ridiculous―and went in. Other than the man by the window and a woman behind the counter, the diner was empty. The man was thin and wiry, his body practically begging forgiveness for his very existence. He didn’t even look up when she came in, just continued turning his coffee cup in his hands, slowly around and around.The woman, on the other hand, immediately directed all her attention toward the door. She weighed at least three hundred pounds and her huge arms were resting on the high counter in front of her. It was made from dark wood and wouldn’t have looked out of place in a bar, but instead of beer coasters, there were stainless-steel napkin holders and laminated menus with pictures of the various rubbery-looking types of food the diner served.The woman lit a cigarette in one fluid movement.”You must be the tourist,” she said. The smoke from her cigarette hit Sara in the face. It had been years since Sara had seen anyone in Sweden smoking in a restaurant. Clearly they did things differently here.”I’m Sara. Do you know where Amy Harris lives?”The woman nodded. “One hell of a day.” A lump of ash dropped from her cigarette and landed on the counter. “I’m Grace,” she said. “Or truth be told, my name’s Madeleine. But there’s no point calling me that.”Sara hadn’t been planning on calling her anything at all.”And now you’re here.”Sara had a definite feeling that Grace-who-wasn’t-really-called-Grace was enjoying the moment, drawing it out. Grace nodded three times to herself, took a deep drag of her cigarette, and let the smoke curl slowly upward from one corner of her mouth. She leaned over the counter.”Amy’s dead,” she said.• • •In Sara’s mind, Amy’s death would forever be associated with the glow of fluorescent strip lighting, cigarette smoke, and the smell of fried food. It was surreal. Here she was, standing in a diner in a small American town, being told that a woman she had never met had died. The whole situation was much too dreamlike to be scary, much too odd to be a nightmare.”Dead?” Sara repeated. An extraordinarily stupid question, even for her. She slumped onto a bar stool. She had no idea what to do now. Her thoughts drifted back to the woman in Hope, and she wondered whether she should have gone back with Hank after all.Amy can’t be dead, Sara thought. She was my friend. She liked books, for God’s sake.It wasn’t quite grief that Sara was feeling, but she was struck by how fleeting life was, and the odd feeling grew. She had come to Iowa from Sweden to take a break from life―to get away from it, even―but not to meet death.How had Amy died? One part of her wanted to ask; another didn’t want to know.Grace continued before Sara had time to make up her mind. “The funeral’s probably in full swing. Not particularly festive things nowadays, funerals. Too much religious crap if you ask me. It was different when my grandma died.” She glanced at the clock. “You should probably head over there now, though. I’m sure someone who knew her better’ll know what to do with you. I try to avoid getting drawn into this town’s problems, and you’re definitely one of them.”She stubbed out her cigarette. “George, will you give Sara here a ride to Amy’s house?”The man by the window looked up. For a moment, he looked as paralyzed as Sara felt. Then he got to his feet and half carried, half dragged her bags to the car.Grace grabbed Sara’s elbow as she started off after him. “That’s Poor George,” she said, nodding toward his back.• • •Amy Harris’s house was a little way out of town. It was big enough that the kitchen and living room seemed fairly spacious, but small enough that the little group that had congregated there after the funeral made it seem full. The table and kitchen counters were covered with baking dishes full of food, and someone had prepared bowls of salad and bread, laid out cutlery, and arranged napkins in drinking glasses.Sara was given a paper plate of food and then left more or less to herself. George was still by her side, and she was touched by that unexpected display of loyalty. He didn’t seem to be a particularly brave person at all, not even compared to her, but he had followed her in, and now he was walking around just as hesitantly as she was.In the dim hallway there was a dark chest of drawers on which someone had arranged a framed photograph of a woman she assumed must be Amy and two worn-looking flags, the one of the United States and the other of Iowa. Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain, the state flag proclaimed in embroidered white letters, but the flag was faded and one of the edges was frayed.The woman in the photograph was perhaps twenty years old, with her hair pulled into two thin braids and a standard issue, stiff camera smile. She was a complete stranger. There might have been something in her eyes, a glimmer of laughter that showed she knew it was all a joke, that Sara could recognize from her letters. But that was all.She wanted to reach out and touch the photograph, but doing that felt much too forward. Instead, she stayed where she was in the dark hallway, carefully balancing her paper plate, her book still under her arm. Her bags had disappeared somewhere, but she didn’t have the energy to worry about them.Three weeks earlier, she had felt so close to Amy that she had been prepared to stay with her for two months, but now it was as though every trace of their friendship had died along with her. Sara had never believed that you had to meet someone in person to be friends―many of her most rewarding relationships had been with people who didn’t even exist―but suddenly it all felt so false, disrespectful even, to cling to the idea that she and Amy had, in some way, meant something to each other.All around her, people were moving slowly and cautiously through the rooms, as though they were wondering what on earth they were doing there, which was almost exactly what Sara was thinking too. Still, they didn’t seem shocked. They didn’t seem surprised. No one was crying.Most of them were looking at Sara with curiosity, but something, perhaps respect for the significance of the event, was stopping them from approaching her. They circled around her instead, smiling whenever she accidentally caught their eye.Suddenly, a woman materialized out of the crowd and cornered Sara halfway between the living room and the kitchen.”Caroline Rohde.”Her posture and handshake were military, but she was much more beautiful than Sara had imagined. She had deep, almond-shaped eyes and features as pronounced as a statue’s. In the glow of the ceiling lamp, her skin was an almost shimmering white across her high cheekbones. Her hair was thick and streaked with gray. Around her neck, she wore a black scarf made from thin, cool silk that would have looked out of place on anyone else, even at a funeral, but on her it looked timeless―almost glamorous.Her age was hard to guess, but she had the air of someone who had never really been young. Sara had a strong sense that Caroline Rohde didn’t have much time for youth.When Caroline started talking, everyone around her fell silent. Her voice matched her presence: determined, resolute, straight to the point. There was, perhaps, a hint of a welcoming smile in her voice, but it never reached as far as her mouth.”Amy said you’d be coming,” she said. “I won’t claim I thought it was a good idea, but it wasn’t my place to say anything.” Then she added, almost as an afterthought, “You’ve got to agree that this isn’t the most…practical situation.””Practical,” Sara echoed. Though how Amy was meant to know she was going to die, she wasn’t sure.Others gathered around Caroline in a loose half circle, facing Sara as if she were a traveling circus making a brief stop in town.”We didn’t know how to contact you when Amy…passed away. And now you’re here,” Caroline concluded. “Oh well, we’ll just have to see what we can do with you.””I’m going to need somewhere to stay,” said Sara. Everyone leaned forward to hear.”Stay?” asked Caroline. “You’ll stay here, of course! I mean, the house is empty, isn’t it?””But…”A man in a minister’s collar smiled warmly at Sara, adding, “Amy specifically told us to let you know that nothing would change in that regard.”Nothing would change? She didn’t know who was madder―the minister or Amy or the whole of Broken Wheel.”There’s a guest room, of course,” said Caroline. “Sleep there tonight, and then we’ll work out what we’re going to do with you.”The minister nodded, and somehow it was decided. She would stay, alone, in dead Amy Harris’s empty house.She was bustled upstairs. Caroline went first, like a commander at war, followed closely by Sara and then George, a supportive, silent shadow. Behind them, most of the other guests followed. Someone was carrying her bags, she didn’t know who, but when she reached the little guest room, her backpack and suitcase miraculously appeared.”We’ll make sure you’ve got everything you need,” Caroline said from the doorway, not at all unkindly. Then she shooed the others away, giving Sara a brief wave before pulling the door closed behind her.Sara sank onto the bed, suddenly alone again, the paper plate still in her hand and a lonely book lying abandoned on the bedspread next to her.Oh hell, she thought. Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This was one of the most irritating books I have read. The story was flat, two-dimensional, and utterly lacking in likable characters, plot, or feeling. While you can find summaries elsewhere, there are three things that I think made this book so terrible:1) The author is not American. This is okay—non-American authors write amazing things. The problem here is that she is a terrible writer with a limited imagination who wrote about a midwest town, that reads like a caricature. This shallow representation of life in Iowa comes across—especially from a European author with a European main character who is presented as wise and accepting and literate amidst the boorish and uneducated Iowans—incredibly condescending.2) As someone who loves books, this felt written by someone who googled some top ten book categories (American novels, classics, chick lit) and then inserted them into the novel. I can’t believe that Bivald actually read, or enjoyed, any of the books she mentioned. Her main character’s thoughts about these books could have been lifted from the inner book flap. No originality.3) The main character is one of those types who starts out meek and mild, yet by some grace everyone seems to like her, or she “grows” on people, through no effort of her own, no redeeming qualities, or no explicable cause.I cannot tell which of the above was more insulting to readers’ intelligence, but I truly hated this book. It felt pandered to, talked down, and annoyed at a lost opportunity, because the premise was intriguing. The execution and the wildly inaccurate, unlikely, and superficial plotline were botched.

⭐First, I LOVED the characters in this book; their personalities were delightful, and I loved how the love of books was practically another character.What I didn’t love about this book was the random Harlequin romance-esque scenes. They just seemed so out of place; the book is going along displaying life in a small town when all the sudden there are taut muscles and shallow breathing.I also didn’t like he random “hot topics” thrown in, but with very little development. Let’s have a gay couple; okay, fine. Let’s add a random gay kid whose actually bisexual having an affair with an older woman. Let’s introduce an interracial couple but never learn anything about it.In summary, I wish the author had chosen to write a light vacation read or take the time to delve into the topics that she brings up. I can’t decide if she was wanting to write a light novel, but got bogged down; or tried to write a deep novel examining the human condition, but was too lazy to develop it.

⭐The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend was an entertaining book that could have been incredible with more writing experience and a better editor. There were too many sudden coincidences, sudden inexplicable romances, vanishing (and appearing) characters and instances where it was necessary to use the old English class exercise of “willing suspension of disbelief,” all of which distracted from a very cute story. Example number one: The book begins with the death of Amy and arrival of Sara (this is not a spoiler; it’s in the description). Sara lives in Amy’s house, takes over Amy’s store and sells Amy’s books for almost 3 months (also not a spoiler; it’s in the description). During this 3 months, there is NO mention of a will. Who actually now owns Amy’s house? Is Sara stealing Amy’s property from another unmentioned character? People don’t just die and have their stuff raided by whoever wants it. Life doesn’t happen that way. Example number two: Gertrude and May are two highly entertaining characters who have a pretty decent role for the first 3/5 of the book and then just up and vanish, never to be mentioned again – not even in the climactic scenes. Example number three: The opposite. Characters who shall remain nameless to avoid spoilers just randomly appear without explanation for two or three chapters to force a plot twist, then just as randomly vanish. Example number four (last one): The romances are not believable. There is one that can be described as “I saw you; I know nothing about you; I want you now!” Again, most seem to have been thrown in to force a plot twist because the author thought there weren’t enough in the book already.I know it seems as though I am trashing this book. But, I had such high hopes for it. It had entertaining characters, a good setting, and fabulous descriptions. But, I got so very frustrated from all of the “What-in-the-heck?” and “No way!” situations. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend could have been amazing. I hope that as the author becomes more mature, she drops her infatuation with the sudden dramatic plot twist and concentrates on her ability to tell a good story.

⭐Loved the characters. Loved the plot. Loved the setting. Although the author is from Sweden, she captured small town life. I wanted to talk to this book and give her some more recommended book titles. At the end, there is a list of the books discussed and a list of authors. The novel includes beloved Amy, who just died, Sara, the Swedish visitor, Tom, Amy’s nephew, Andy and beautiful Carl, Caroline, who runs the town, George, the driver and first reader, John, Amy’s beloved who runs the hardware store that sells groceries, Grace, the diner owner, Jen, writes the town’s newsletter, and more. Odd and clever characters each and everyone of them! Just a well written book. It surprises me that an author from Sweden really understands the small rural communities in the USA and this book celebrate them! Highly recommended. I definitely will be looking for this author’s next book! This book deserves an A++++++

⭐This has potential to be a really lovely book. The setting of small town USA sets the tone of a slow paced plot that is easy to read with plenty of time to absorb the characters and get a few reading recommendations along the way.Sara arrives in Broken Wheel and doesn’t have the welcome she expected. She meets the people who live in the town and decides to set up a book shop.Books are central to this novel from the first page when Sara has her nose in one. The range of books referenced within the story in extensive and it was lovely to be introduced to a few new books and authors which I will go on to read. There are lots of sections which show Sara’a love of reading which I related toEverything ticks along quite nicely until about halfway through when I started to get bored with the plot and by about 2/3 through I was ready to put the book down, only carrying on to see if everything ended as predictably as I expected.It is a great idea but the plot is too thin, it needed much more character development to keep my interest throughout the whole book. The obvious comparison is to the Fannie Flagg books and this book is very inferior to those.

⭐I was disappointed with this book because it reminded too much of the love stories I used to read in my teens (I’m now well over 60), a bit too much unnecessary romance and unlikely happy endings! I couldn’t help wondering how the happy couple would fare in a domestic environment after a few years’ marriage. I thought the ‘book theme’ was good. In fact the descriptions of the books was the redeeming feature! I would only recommend this book for those of a ‘Mills & Boon’ turn of mind in lockdown!

⭐This is a gentle rather slow-moving story about a quiet young Swedish woman and her time in an American town in the middle of nowhere.i was intrigued by her character and those of the reserved locals and wanted to find out how she affected the people of the town and was herself affected by them. Her passion for books and references to pretty much every book she had ever read was interesting if you had also read them and could understand the references but could become rather tiresome after a while. However I did enjoy it and would recommend it to those who do not crave action or passion.

⭐A young Swedish lady, Sara, who is addicted to reading and has never before left Sweden, visits an elderly pen friend in a run-down town in Iowa. When she arrives she is dismayed to find the friend she has never met has died. Her world and that of the small community is turned upside down as her love of books seeps out and influences those around her, bringing back hope where there was despair. Beautifully written, “The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend” is a very pleasurable read. Plot 4/5, Characterisation 4/5, Literary Merit 4/5, Readability 5/5. Overall 4/5.

⭐Just bought copies for both my sisters. It’s that sort of book—the kind you press into the hands of friends and talk about at the office or coffee shop. Bivald captures the broken craziness of a stranger in small town America beautifully. She also manages to show that romance lives in the the interstices of the sadness and pain of everyday life. This book is laugh out loud funny, sad and just plain nutty in equal measures. Is real life better than books? Here it ends in a draw, but I fear that, for me, this is an example of another win for books. (Books 1 Real life 0).

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