Mari is a bookseller with a particular talent: rescuing struggling independent bookshops from closing. Her boss, friend, and mentor at home in California sends Mari to a bookseller’s dream destination: a hundred-year-old institution on the busy streets of London. Mari is anxious to prove herself and eager to reconcile the London of so many well-loved books with the real place.

Ross & Co. has been reeling since the death of its longtime leader, Alexander Ross. The current manager, Leo, Alexander’s grandson and protégé, is less than thrilled to have Mari on site for the next three months. As grumpy as Mari is cheerful, Leo is living life in a sleepwalk. He refuses to change anything about the shop or the way Alexander had operated it, preferring instead to allow his grandfather’s ghost to live on through reticence and stubbornness.

Mari and Leo storm their way around each other, their individual armour clashing and causing sparks until they are forced to begin peeling away layers or ignite completely. Life hasn’t been particularly kind to either of them, and although the details differ, both Mari and Leo have hidden their true selves–one behind false sunshine, the other under constant storm clouds.

Author Sarah Chamberlain draws a clever parallel between each of the characters discovering themselves as they discover one another on the way to a future that is a true reflection of joy, passion, and promise.

LOVE WALKED IN is a sweet and slightly spicy love story that is a great escape from the real world. It feels somewhat overlong and repetitive at times, but overall, I enjoyed the immersive and emotional storytelling.