Once Upon A Bookstore by Leslie Gullo: Flip the page to travel through time

Melinda Jenkins should not have been granted the authorisation to handle a negotiation of such importance and she is well aware of the peculiarity of this assignment. The Morgan twins, long standing clients of Sullivan & Sullivan, held high standards, and a freshly graduated lawyer defies the previous patterned diligence asserted over all of their business dealings. Yet they had requested her by name to facilitate the purchase of Cascadia’s bookstore; unusual on both accounts.

The bookstore serves as a haven for the community, with its current owners Sam and Grace tending to all their customers’ emotional needs with the titles they recommend to astonishing accuracy. Why the reclusive twins had set their sights on this establishment confounds Melinda’s analytical mind but she forges ahead regardless, hoping to uncover whatever connection existed between her clients, herself and Childley’s Books along the way.

Spoiler-Free Plot

The time capsule of a mansion the Morgan twins reside in matches their disposition. The neglect of all but the vital mirrors the state of their lives since the moment of their parents’ sudden disappearance during their teenage years. Inversely, Childleys’ Books had taken on the glowing sheen of the couple who now owns it.

Sam and Grace have added their own personal touches to the store, reviving it to what it once was following the dark cloud that had settled within the evening the Morgan parents.

Melinda felt moved in different ways standing in both locations—both so different, yet the same in the monumental shift lingering in the air. The atmosphere was charged with the unyielding pull of fate, alerting the determined lawyer that there was more to the story being fed to her than what was initially presented.

Her certainty in her own powers of deduction drives Melinda headfirst into the challenge.

With a couple of clues and an ever-growing support system behind her, she must sort through the trials of her own life—past, present, and future—in order to help those around her, whom she grows to love unconditionally.

My Take on Once Upon A Bookstore

Leslie Gullo knows how to create an atmosphere. Most readers who pick up this book will be devoted book lovers, and the story will gratify that part of their personalities with its literary quotes, inclusion of popular titles, and, of course, the bookstore setting where the story begins—a place frequently visited by the protagonists.

For those who may not be as prolific in their reading, the descriptive imagery of Childleys’ Bookstore could still draw them in. The idea of a place where a cure to your worldly problems sits on a shelf, waiting for you between the bound pages of a book, is something I’d imagine would bring comfort to many. The cozy and inviting aura of the store and its owners is enough to tempt anyone to walk through the proverbial front door, flipping through chapter after chapter as they slowly feel the weight lift off their shoulders—transcending a work of fiction, even if that feeling of lightness lasts only for a little while.

As every rose has its thorns, so too does this book. While time travel is a major theme influencing the key events in the lives of both main and secondary characters, the timeline between these events is somewhat ambiguous. More definitive intervals would have better grounded the story, making it easier for readers to grasp the gravity of each event.

Take, for example, the reconciliation between Melinda and her biological father, Tim. The vagueness of the timeframe—from their initial encounter on the streets of Cascadia to Melinda accepting the repentant, transformed version of her father—almost trivializes the serious subject matter that defines both of their pasts.

All in all, not bad at all for a debut. This book provides a strong starting point, offering valuable insight for refining the path ahead before venturing into newer and more challenging projects!

Age Rating

16 years and above

Content Warnings

Alcoholism, Physical Abuse

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