Book Review | The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

“There’s always a person for every book. And a book for every person.”

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Swedish Sara embarks on a journey to Broken Wheel, Iowa, to visit her long-time pen pal Amy. Only, when she arrives, she learns Amy’s funeral was two days ago. Luckily, the townspeople have decided they will look after their bewildered tourist – even if they don’t really understand her. In return, Sara starts a bookstore and tries to awaken a love for reading in this dying, little town. Soon, the town has decided they want to keep her, and will do almost anything for her to be able to stay.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is one of my absolute favorite books. And it’s definitely my favorite adult contemporary novel. Since I’ve bought it, I’ve read it three times, and it just gets better with every re-read. It’s my favorite book for when I’m feeling low and need a sweet and funny, clever and deep kind of distraction. The book is lighthearted, but it’s not mellow or boring, or shying away from the shittier things in life. But it’s full of promise that things get better. That it’s never too late to change your life, never too late to be who you’ve always been on the inside.

The characters are great, interesting, a little bit ridiculous (especially the minor characters) but very loveable and very, very funny. They’re all so quirky and unique, at first glance a little like caricatures, but once you get to know them you realize there are many more layers to their stories. You really get to know these people who make up this forgotten small town and care about them so much it’ll break your heart a little when you finish the book because you’ll miss it so.
The story is very sweet, full of heartwarming moments but also just really, very funny mishaps and misunderstandings and strange coincidences. Did I mention this book is really funny? Because it is, it made me laugh out loud so, so many times. I love how the romance part isn’t even the main thing of this book, it’s about friendship and finding a home and family that doesn’t have to be blood and loving books! It’s so much more about growing into your true self, and finding your place in the world. (The romance is still really good, especially if you’re a sucker for fake-marriage tropes!)

Perfect for summer days and cold autumn nights, for when life is good and when you need a pick-me-up. This book will cheer you up, no doubt. This book is a sunny day, a hot cup of tea. A warm, summery hug in paperback.

Content warnings: off-page abusive relationship in the past, maybe some other small things but it’s been a while since I wrote this review so don’t take me up on it
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