I've read a lot of M/F, M/M, F/F, and even throuple romance novels. Shauna Robinson's The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks offers the first F/R book I can remember. Yes, there's a M/F relationship that develops through the story. That relationship has a meet cute, shows the characters learning to trust each other, and fills other tropes and expectations of the romance genre, but I wouldn't put the budding romance between Maggie and Malcolm at the heart of the story.
Instead, I'd argue that in this tale, Maggie banks learns to love reading. The main/point-of-view character Maggie is floating aimlessly through life, unable to find a career that suits her. When her best friend needs a maternity leave substitute at the small-town, classics-only bookstore she runs, Maggie offers to step in even though she doesn't like to read.
I don't want to give any spoilers because I do recommend that you read this book (abbreviated review below), but I'll offer this: When you read it, notice how Maggie's relationship with reading changes through the story. Robinson offers an homage to literature. Yay!
Can you think of other books that show a character's journey from non-reader to reader? Please share any thoughts in the comments.
Short Review:
title: The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks
author: Shauna Robinson
publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
publication date: November 1, 2022
pages: 336
peppers: 3 (on this scale)
warnings: hmmm. I'm writing this after-the-fact. I don't remember anything's being gross or potentially triggering.
summary: it's above
tropes:
- enemies-to-lovers
- forced proximity
- ailing town
- stranger to town
- stuck in the past
what I liked:
- everything about reading, books, bookstore, learning to love literature
- the grumpy boss
- the twist in history
what I didn’t like:
- I don't remember any downsides
overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)