Miss Mary's Book of Dreams by Sophie Nicholls

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 320

Publisher: Zaffre
Released: 23rd of March 2017 

In historic York, Ella seems to have the perfect life. She's a published author, her bookshop is thriving, she's married to the man of her dreams and they've started a family of their own. 

But Ella is struggling. Motherhood isn't quite everything she imagined it to be, and she's worried that there may be cracks in her marriage. 

On the other side of the Atlantic, despite endless blue skies and a stream of eager customers in her vintage dress shop, Ella's mother Fabia finds that life in San Diego is not enough for her. She misses York, and can sense that Ella needs her, so she flies home. 

And this is when they meet Bryony. With a complicated life and secrets of her own, Bryony may have some of the answers they're looking for. 

Can Ella and Fabia help her find her way, whilst also working out how to find their own happily ever after?

What I Have to Say 

This book was magical. I didn't realize it was a sequel until I was quite a way through the book, so I haven't read the Dress, but I don't think I needed to. It seems as though it's set some time after the Dress and gave a good introduction to the characters, so it worked really well as a standalone. 

I loved way magic was woven into the book in much the same way as it was woven into the lives of Ella and Fabia. It was there, it was very present, but at the same time it was an ordinary story. A story of the hardship of motherhood and depression; a story of abuse and getting free from it and above all the story of family and friendship. Of the family connections between Fabia and Ella and of the community that Ella has built around her. 

I want to visit Ella's bookshop so badly. It seems like such a lovely place and the way it was conjured make it seem so beautiful and lively. I'd love to sit down and have a nice coffee and a read while the sun filters through the windows and Ella types away on her laptop and Grace plays in the dressing up corner. It just sounds so beautiful and peaceful. 

A lot of the books I read are sad, so it's not that often that I find a book I really want to just curl up and live inside, but this was definitely one of those. 

My thanks go to Bonnier Zaffre for providing me with this copy for review.