The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

by Katarina Bivald

The International Bestseller

Sara is 28 and has never been outside Sweden – except in the (many) books she reads. When her elderly penfriend Amy invites her to come and visit her in Broken Wheel, Iowa, Sara decides it’s time. But when she arrives, there’s a twist waiting for her – Amy has died. Finding herself utterly alone in a dead woman’s house in the middle of nowhere was not the holiday Sara had in mind.

But Sara discovers she is not exactly alone. For here in this town so broken it’s almost beyond repair are all the people she’s come to know through Amy’s letters: poor George, fierce Grace, buttoned-up Caroline and Amy’s guarded nephew Tom.

Sara quickly realises that Broken Wheel is in desperate need of some adventure, a dose of self-help and perhaps a little romance, too. In short, this is a town in need of a bookshop.

Reviewed by Terri M. LeBlanc on

4 of 5 stars

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The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald is a delightful read. I was reminded of many of the romantic comedy movies from my college year’s as I strolled through the streets of Broken Wheel with the main character, Sara.

Sara was my favorite part of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. She reminded me of myself. A young woman waiting for life to sweep her off her feet, taking comfort in her books and trying desperately to overcome her introvert ways to connect with others.

Sara was also a bookworm so the book is swimming with quotes about reading and books. I wished that the eARC was not a PDF so I could have more easily highlighted my favorites and referenced them later.

Sara creates a bit of a revolution in the small town of Broken Wheel. The fallout of her arrival is somewhat predictable, but enjoyable. There’s an easy way with Bivald’s writing that allows you to be carried along with the story—smiling, laughing and frowning—along with the characters. There’s a little bit of everyone in the characters that populate Broken Wheel. And taking a break from my heavier reads is welcome adventure a couple times a year.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend will appeal to a wide range of readers. This could qualify as a summer beach read. Bookworms will appreciate Amy’s and Sara’s love of books and their reverence for the written word. Lovers of romance will enjoy Sara’s journey and Caroline’s adventures. I suspect most readers will want to find Broken Wheel and spend a few hours in Amy’s Bookstore talking with Sara, Tom and George. I know that I do.


This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 July, 2015: Finished reading
  • 11 July, 2015: Reviewed