Book Summary and Reviews of Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald

Book Summary

A charming story about romance, friendship, and a love of books, in which two women—a lonely remote worker and a widowed single mom—and a handsome local bookstore clerk find themselves in an unusual love triangle when an anonymous note left in a book finds the wrong recipient.

April, a smart and lonely tech worker, worries work from home has gotten out of hand: She's left an anonymous note in a book for Westley, the clerk at her Seattle neighborhood bookstore who has a gentle smile and looks great in flannel. But thanks to fate, Laura—a busy single mom who had given up on love—buys the book, finds the note, and thinks Westley has left it for her. A handsome man who loves books seems like just the plot twist she has been looking for.

Meanwhile, Westley—not the most perceptive—is too distracted by the movie filming at the store and the ambition it's unlocked in him to notice either of the two women. But as April and Laura's anonymous correspondence continues back and forth, their mundane routines are challenged, sparking a glimmer of hope. Is a happy ending in the cards for them?

A hilarious and intricate web of mistaken identities and serendipitous encounters, Storybook Ending is a playful tribute to romance, friendship, and bookstores, and to the objects—from a forgotten slip of paper to someone's heart—left between the pages of books we loved.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Why do anonymous notes catch April and Laura's imaginations in a way that a more mundane form of communication wouldn't? Do you think texting—even with a stranger or someone you know little about—can have the same effect as a handwritten note?
2. Though April and Laura on the surface seem quite different, they have many things in common: a love of books, a younger brother/brother figure (Ben/Sydney), a loss of a loved one (April's mother/Laura's husband), a sense that their lives are slightly on pause. Did you think, before the characters met, that they would be friends?
3. April and Laura pass notes back and forth throughout the book, looking for a romantic connection with their mysterious pen pal. Do you think ...