The Music Shop: A Novel

If anyone can relate to Author Rachel Joyce’s novel The Music Shop it would be aficionados of old school record buying and the corner record store that carried vinyl records of old and new. While reading the story it is not limited to record stores but to any place that one can relate such as regularly visited places where there is a common connection – comic book readers to a comic bookstore or book lovers to a bookstore, one gets the gist. And as one sees the commonalities, it is also about the people that one interconnects with that common bond of interest. This book is that story of main character 40 year-old store manager Frank who came across a storefront on Unity Street in 1974 and operates a record store where regulars Father Anthony, Maude, Kit, and Ilse Brauchmann stop by to shop or to socialize. In the middle of their daily routines, Frank encounters the girl with the green coat Peg who showed a love for music from A-Z, especially the Classics.

As one reads the story and the very likable and relatable characters, for record shop patrons young and old or may easily place themselves in the shoes of the characters. The story covers much of the years between 1988-1989 but concludes twenty years later in 2009. A world of wonderment may slew through one’s mind of how Joyce decided to title most of the titles of each of the chapters after well-known songs as well as the name-dropping of classic songs and albums that the characters make reference and request to; just mere curiosity. Also, in the area of questions, why is Ilse Brauchmann the only character that is always mentioned by her entire name rather than just Ilse? Aside from that, the other interesting element about the novel is the storyline between Frank and Peg, which is quite enlightening and separate to the rest of the dialogue between the characters. Their most personal conversations, though brief, and much related to their love in music takes a queue in the area of literary colloquialism that offers those special moments within the novel. It is those moments that entice interest to want to read on and find out what happens in the next chapters.

After reading The Music Shop, there is no doubt that music does not have boundaries and limits, especially for those that are a patron to record shops or in general, listen to music any time of the day. The story has a unique timeless quality for generations that remember record stores that attempted to operate during changing times of the late 1980s and vinyl was thought to be obsolete and the compact disc CDs was to replace it. One cannot deny how far records have spanned the test of time and another two decades later internet music download hubs such as Napster and Pandora and MP3s and in recent times iTunes and youTube and many others. However, in the end like Frank tried to do in his quaint shop and within the storyline, vinyl remained the mainstay as it is to this day outside of the story. And as a footnote, Joyce wanted to pass the sentiment that music is a form of healing that any one from all walks of life experiences whether they know it or not.

Frank was wandering with no particular purpose in mind when he saw the abandoned old shop with the for sale sign in front. He knew without a shadow of doubt that this was what he wanted – a quiet street, other small shops around – the shop was a mess, and Frank wasn’t that handy. But it wasn’t long before Frank’s music shop was filled with records; vinyl only – no tapes or CDs (trashy stuff!) – his records had customers coming to his door. Frank found them the music they needed, much to their astonishment.

When Ilse Brauchmann arrived at the front of his shop one day, Frank was struck by her. For some reason, one he couldn’t fathom, he was drawn to Ilse, and she seemed to be to him. But mystery surrounded her – when she wanted Frank to teach her music he knew in his heart that he should say no. Was Ilse who she seemed? Frank certainly didn’t understand her…

The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce is filled with quirky characters; some I loved, some not so much. The bumbling Kit was a charmer, Frank himself and of course the Father who was an ex-priest (and an ex-alcoholic) – but Ilse was enigmatic and didn’t tug at the heartstrings like the others. All in all, an enjoyable read by the author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which I loved. Highly recommended.

Quirky, eccentric characters in this book who I really enjoyed meeting. The book is focused on Frank, who owns a record store devoted to vinyl records only in 1980's London. Frank was raised by a single mother who used to tell him stories about about musicians from all genres of music - from Bach to Dizzy Gillespie. She was a fountain of information. Frank can't play a musical instrument, but his life is music and he has the ability to "listen" to a person and be able to tell what music would be helpful to them. The music shop is losing business and company reps stop selling to him because Frank refuses to carry CDs and cassette tapes - only vinyl.

Ilse appears one day in front of Frank's store and falls to the sidewalk, unconscious. Frank and other locals bring her into the music shop to revive her and she awakens to Frank's kind face. This is the beginning of an intriguing relationship between the two of them.

This was a fun read and I enjoyed the backdrop of the music shop and all the local characters.

I thought that The Music Shop was interesting with some quirky characters. Frank is a retro man at heart not wanting to let go of the nostalgia of the vinyl record. He opens a shop on somewhat of a trendy street in 1988 that sells only vinyl records in a time when CD's were very popular. Not only did he exclusively sell vinyl, but he categorized them in a way that was unconventional. He would not necessarily put Aretha Franklin by soul music, but next to classical as a next step in how someone felt.

One day, Ilse Bauchman literally falls in front of his store and somehow captures his heart immediately. The two begin an on again off again friendship with them both falling in love and neither one knowing.

The story continues with Frank's plight to remain loyal to the vinyl and Unity Street that a developer is desparately trying to take over and their relationship and the snafu's they hit along the way. It was a fun and fairly quick read that was enjoyable.

I enjoyed The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce. I have also read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye and The Love Song of Queenie Hennessy both by R. Joyce. My favorite was The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye. This book reminded me of The Little Bookshop by Nina George, except the main character recommended books instead of vinyl.

Joyce did an great job of character and plot development. I felt Frank's pain even though I didn't always understand him or the pain. I enjoyed the dialogue between Peg & Frank especially after learning that Peg was his mother. Unity Street was believable as a 'community' - all of the characters of a small town were there - the lovable and the unlovable.

The ending was the best part as it made me love the characters more. It was very touching.

I would highly recommend The Music Shop to readers who like: R. Joyce, books set in England, well written plot & characters, misfit characters and books with an excellent ending.

This novel was wonderful! I enjoyed the delightful characters and the music tie in to life. Rachel creates interesting scenes that bring the characters together. It’s the details of the characters that she uses that makes all of the characters seem real. This novel is set in 1988. Frank has a music shop on a street that has many other small businesses. Frank and the other business owners are trying to keep their businesses going in a world that is quickly changing and becoming more commercial. Frank helps his customers find just the right type of music that they need. One day, a young woman named Ilse Brachmann shows up at the music shop. Nothing will ever be the same for Frank or anyone else. This novel is about music, small businesses, community, friendship, and love. You will wish you could hang out with everyone at the music shop. You will smile, you will laugh, and you may even cry a little.

Rachel Joyce has the unique ability to take the most mundane things and swirl them into magic via her quirky characters. You know when you open one of her books, you are in for an adventure of the soul. As with Harold Fry and his unlikely pilgrimage, Frank and his compassion and love for music drive the story and drew me into the simple place of with basic desires that merge the people of Unity Street. Deep seeded angst forged the characters into an amalgam of their losses, needs, and loves that shaped their new beginnings. If you are a fan of Elizabeth Strout, Maeve Binchy, Alice Hoffman, Anne Tyler, linked stories, and music of any ilk, you will love this brilliantly cast book, that will lift you to new heights.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. It is chock full of quirky characters that are endearing and frustrating at times. Each one is a unique personality, but they are all hampered by an inability to communicate and connect at a deep level.

Frank, the main protagonist, owns a music shop where he applies his uncanny ability to match the perfect music with his customers' needs. Based on his childhood experiences with his mother, he possesses a vast, eclectic knowledge of recorded music and places handwritten notes on many of the records. He steadfastly refuses to stock tapes or CDs - offering only vinyl records, which affects the success of his business. Sadly, while Frank is devoted to helping his customers heal through music, he is unwilling to accept help or to risk opening up to love and healing himself.

The primary setting for the storyline is England in the first few months of 1988. Specifically, the focus is Unity Street, a cul-de-sac with a pub and six shops on one side of the street facing a row of Victorian houses on the other. All are deteriorating physically as the neighborhood slides slowly into economic decay. Among the motley cast of characters are a tattoo artist, a baker, and ex-priest, two undertakers, Frank's assistant and a mysterious woman who intermittently appears at the music shop. Despite their challenges (and they are all psychologically wounded in one way or another), they care about and for each other in touching ways.

The prose is beautifully crafted; at times I found myself pausing to simply appreciate the author's ability to create such emotionally evocative sentences. The chapters in which Frank's mother teaches him about music, the importance of silence, and the lives of composers/artists are both informative and interesting; they add "color" and depth that reflect a great deal research. At the same time, I felt the book could have been condensed. There were occasions when I was tempted to scan through the writing because it seemed to drag out the plotline and the interplay between characters. While the overall tone of the book is sad and frustrating due to the miscommunications between characters, there are interludes of humor and a great redemptive conclusion that I really appreciated.

I would recommend this book with the caveat that it requires a bit of discipline to continue to move through the storyline. The prose and the quirky characters make for an interesting reading.

Joyce's novel is a sweet, feel-good story. Frank, the owner of a record store in 1988, is able to match up customers to records/songs they will enjoy. (Reading this made me think about book stores that could easily do this for their customers). Frank's store is struggling to remain open as CDs begin to take over the music scene and he remains true to vinyl records. When a woman walks in to his shop one day and faints, Frank is interested in this woman, yet she disappears before the two can really connect.

There is an entertaining cast of characters and plenty to smile about in this book, and Joyce nicely ties everything up by book's end.

While the premise of this book sounded interesting, I was not prepared for how quickly Joyce pulled me into this story, or how I couldn't stop thinking about the characters until all I wanted to do was read. As someone who also loves music, the references to many, many works that I love was engaging, for sure, but the way that characters describe well-known pieces, the way that characters share the way music helped them heal added to the magic already present through Frank's ability to hear which works others need to listen to. It was a brilliant reading experience and I will be recommending this book to all kinds of people.

The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late January.

I really, really enjoyed this book - Frank owns a vinyl-exclusive music store within a quirky retail shop neighborhood and flavors the lives of his coworkers & customers with on-the-nose music recommendations and general life-affirming advice. Then he meets the illusive Ilse, who admittedly hates music, but seeks out Frank's help to turn her back towards it, even if graffiti taggers and business closures threaten everyone's livelihood.

This novel was wonderful! I enjoyed the delightful characters and the music tie in to life. Rachel creates interesting scenes that bring the characters together. It’s the details of the characters that she uses that makes all of the characters seem real. This novel is set in 1988. Frank has a music shop on a street that has many other small businesses. Frank and the other business owners are trying to keep their businesses going in a world that is quickly changing and becoming more commercial. Frank helps his customers find just the right type of music that they need. One day, a young woman named Ilse Brachmann shows up at the music shop. Nothing will ever be the same for Frank or anyone else. This novel is about music, small businesses, community, friendship, and love. You will wish you could hang out with everyone at the music shop. You will smile, you will laugh, and you may even cry a little.

What a delightful and enjoyable read "The Music Shop" by Rachel Joyce is!
It doesn't demand constant attention or keep you awake at night, it's just a lovely nostalgic story that makes you feel so happy when reading it, it's almost like you're floating through the pages (though the ending did have me in emotional goosebumps).
"The Music Shop" is a very character driven novel. Set in 1988 the story is about Frank who owns a music shop selling only vinyl records - don't mention Cd's!! He knows everything about music and always finds the right album the customers need. One day a mysterious woman walks into his life - German Ilse Brauchmann - and from then on everything in his world changes.
There's some really wonderful characters in this fabulous story from the main protagonist Frank (everyone needs a Frank in their life) to Maud a tattooist who says so little but expresses so much. I loved the developing relationship between Frank and Ilse and with Kit the endearing naive shop assistant added into the mix, things don't always go to plan.
There's such a lovely community feel to Unity Street where the shop is located, with its multicultural residents and shop keepers living their simple and uncomplicated lives, where every event or change in routine is picked over and analysed in such a humorous and light hearted way. Customers would go into Frank's shop lost and come out found, having discovered the right music for their troubles and feeling healed.
I really enjoyed reading this book, there's nothing to not like about it - without a doubt it's made me feel differently about music and I will certainly be listening to it in a completely new way from now on.
Rachel Joyce is a very talented and established author and I look forward to reading more books by her.

Rachel Joyce has the unique ability to take the most mundane things and swirl them into magic via her quirky characters. You know when you open one of her books, you are in for an adventure of the soul. As with Harold Fry and his unlikely pilgrimage, Frank and his compassion and love for music drive the story and drew me into the simple place of with basic desires that merge the people of Unity Street. Deep seeded angst forged the characters into an amalgam of their losses, needs, and loves that shaped their new beginnings. If you are a fan of Elizabeth Strout, Maeve Binchy, Alice Hoffman, Anne Tyler, linked stories, and music of any ilk, you will love this brilliantly cast book, that will lift you to new heights.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. It is chock full of quirky characters that are endearing and frustrating at times. Each one is a unique personality, but they are all hampered by an inability to communicate and connect at a deep level.

Frank, the main protagonist, owns a music shop where he applies his uncanny ability to match the perfect music with his customers' needs. Based on his childhood experiences with his mother, he possesses a vast, eclectic knowledge of recorded music and places handwritten notes on many of the records. He steadfastly refuses to stock tapes or CDs - offering only vinyl records, which affects the success of his business. Sadly, while Frank is devoted to helping his customers heal through music, he is unwilling to accept help or to risk opening up to love and healing himself.

The primary setting for the storyline is England in the first few months of 1988. Specifically, the focus is Unity Street, a cul-de-sac with a pub and six shops on one side of the street facing a row of Victorian houses on the other. All are deteriorating physically as the neighborhood slides slowly into economic decay. Among the motley cast of characters are a tattoo artist, a baker, and ex-priest, two undertakers, Frank's assistant and a mysterious woman who intermittently appears at the music shop. Despite their challenges (and they are all psychologically wounded in one way or another), they care about and for each other in touching ways.

The prose is beautifully crafted; at times I found myself pausing to simply appreciate the author's ability to create such emotionally evocative sentences. The chapters in which Frank's mother teaches him about music, the importance of silence, and the lives of composers/artists are both informative and interesting; they add "color" and depth that reflect a great deal research. At the same time, I felt the book could have been condensed. There were occasions when I was tempted to scan through the writing because it seemed to drag out the plotline and the interplay between characters. While the overall tone of the book is sad and frustrating due to the miscommunications between characters, there are interludes of humor and a great redemptive conclusion that I really appreciated.

I would recommend this book with the caveat that it requires a bit of discipline to continue to move through the storyline. The prose and the quirky characters make for an interesting reading.

Joyce's novel is a sweet, feel-good story. Frank, the owner of a record store in 1988, is able to match up customers to records/songs they will enjoy. (Reading this made me think about book stores that could easily do this for their customers). Frank's store is struggling to remain open as CDs begin to take over the music scene and he remains true to vinyl records. When a woman walks in to his shop one day and faints, Frank is interested in this woman, yet she disappears before the two can really connect.

There is an entertaining cast of characters and plenty to smile about in this book, and Joyce nicely ties everything up by book's end.

While the premise of this book sounded interesting, I was not prepared for how quickly Joyce pulled me into this story, or how I couldn't stop thinking about the characters until all I wanted to do was read. As someone who also loves music, the references to many, many works that I love was engaging, for sure, but the way that characters describe well-known pieces, the way that characters share the way music helped them heal added to the magic already present through Frank's ability to hear which works others need to listen to. It was a brilliant reading experience and I will be recommending this book to all kinds of people.

The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late January.

I really, really enjoyed this book - Frank owns a vinyl-exclusive music store within a quirky retail shop neighborhood and flavors the lives of his coworkers & customers with on-the-nose music recommendations and general life-affirming advice. Then he meets the illusive Ilse, who admittedly hates music, but seeks out Frank's help to turn her back towards it, even if graffiti taggers and business closures threaten everyone's livelihood.

While The Music Shop ended up being too romantically focused for me, there were parts of it that I really enjoyed, and I think a lot of people will like this book!
Set in England in 1988, the main character is Frank, and he has a musical gift in that he can look at someone and know what song to give to them to change their life. Because Frank’s gift is so life changing for those he meets, this really speaks to the power of music. Much of The Music Shop is talking about different musicians and songs, and how they change people. Those into music will really enjoy these scenes, and I wrote down several songs to listen to afterwards. I can’t listen to music while I read, otherwise I would’ve listened to them right then and there! The music described is all genres of music: classical, rock, soul, you name it! Frank is an encyclopedia and really knows his music.
Frank has an employee at the shop, named Kit, and Kit was my favorite character in the book. He was humorous and sweet, and just made me smile as he caused all kinds of unintended trouble in the shop. Another character I enjoyed was Maud, a local tattoo artist, who was blunt and surly, but has a soft side, too.
One day a mystery lady comes to the shop, named Ilse, and Frank falls instantly in love. I didn’t really care for the character of Ilse, and this was where I struggled with The Music Shop. What I thought was going to be a story about music (and don’t get me wrong, a lot of it is about music), also ended up being very much a romance novel. Not a “sexy times” romance novel, but more of a “will they/won’t they find true love” romance novel. I generally don’t enjoy romance novels, and this one was borderline too much romance for me. I just didn’t like Ilse and Frank for each other, and therefore couldn’t get invested in their romantic story line. I wanted Frank to find his happiness, but I just couldn’t root for him and Ilse to be together. No particular reason why, I just felt he had more chemistry and understanding with another character in the book.
The ending of the book fell a bit flat for me. There is a “grand gesture” scene at the end, and it all felt a bit silly to me. Also, and this is something that really irks me, but we spend the majority of the book focused on Frank, seeing his story, and then the last section of the book focuses on a different character. This shift in focus is something that bothers me as a reader. I felt a bit cheated at the end in that I would’ve rather had the focus be on Frank, especially after spending most of the book on him! The shift just didn’t work for me.
Even though I had a few issues with The Music Shop, I think this would make for a great movie. There are many humorous scenes, and this is a book that would come alive on the screen I think. Especially as then you could hear the music that the characters talk about. While this one focused too much on romance for me, I still did enjoy it, and would recommend to readers who like sweet stories, especially those who are into music.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of The Music Shop. This review was first posted on my blog, luvtoread.

This story grabbed me immediately and never let go. It is gorgeous in so many ways - in the dialogue, the descriptions of the feelings of characters, the portrayal of the importance of music in our lives, it is hard to even describe all of the ways this book affected me. I listened to the audiobook, which I recommend highly due to the various lovely accents. I think this is a book I will give as a gift many times.

Like the other books by this author, this story focuses on characters that have endearing quirks and repressed emotions. The main character, Frank, fits this profile, but unfortunately, his quirks aren't that endearing and his repressed emotions cause him to lose a chance at happiness. But....this book does have a HEA, and even though it was predictable, it was the right ending for this sweet, sentimental book.

Quaint. That’s the word I would use to describe this book. It touched so many of my small town joys knowing the people of Unity Street. As the years passed through their lives, I could imagine the amass of changes. Yet, despite the harshness of society, the love and friendship established in this quaint setting seemed to transcend all expectations. For it is the power of these relationships that reminds the reader to hope in even the most mundane parts of life.

As a vinyl enthusiast myself, this book was a delight from start to finish. I have patronized a few music shops with insightful proprietors who have turned me onto good music over the years, but none of them were (are) quite as magical as the character of Frank in this novel. I want to be a regular at Frank’s shop. I really want to know what record he would choose for me. Now, don’t mind me while I lose myself in spinning records.

Rachel Joyce does it again with her charming new novel, "The Music Shop"; fans of "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry", will thoroughly enjoy this "melodic" love story full of quirky and fun characters, set in a vinyl-only music shop in the late 1980s. In fact, I think it's even better than "Harold Fry".

Frank, an introverted (and lonely) "bear" of a man, owns The Music Shop on Unity Street in a provincial town in England. His eclectic friends and neighbors are also shop owners, Maude who owns the tattoo parlor, Father Anthony, an ex-priest who owns a religious gift shop, the lugubrious Williams brothers (twin men who hold hands a lot) who run the funeral parlor, "The Man Who Only Likes Chopin", Frank's hapless assistant Kit, and many more. One day a woman (Ilse) in a green coat faints right in front of Frank's shop and nothing is ever the same for Frank or for the neighborhood enclave on Unity Street.

Frank is a bit of a savant about music. He can "sense" the music that with "sooth the savage breast" of folks who enter his shop searching for solace in music. Of Rachel Joyce's great writing talents one is creating wonderfully rich and entertaining characters that "stick with you" long after you've finished the novel, and two, her gift for dialogue. It's no wonder that she's also written successful radio plays! Her ear for dialogue is amazing and I adore "Brit Wit" - here in all it's glory!

I urge readers to listen to the music Frank recommends to his friends and patrons; you will hear some of everything! Classical, Pop, Jazz, Plainsong, Blues - familiar and esoteric selections. This is the 21st century so you don't have to track these recordings down in tucked-away music stores and record shops! They are all at the touch of your smart phone, computer or tablet! (But if you DO have a store like Frank's nearby - lucky you!) 4.5 stars

This book pushes suspending disbelief to its limits. A book about music that changes lives that doesn’t include Elvis Presley? Really? A woman who can actually pull out of her coat pocket a box containing a shirt and tie? Deep pockets, indeed. Ok, but nothing to recommend or write home about.

A good read. I loved the different ways the music was ‘felt’ and described. I knew many of the songs, and the ones I don’t, I want to listen to simply based on the book. It makes up one heck of a soundtrack.
I enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to everyone, especially music lovers.

I loved the way the author introduces us to another way of listening to music! In fact I would love to read a whole book with that as the main theme. The story itself is a bit trite and predictable and the happy ending is a bit cliche. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to smile.

I really loved the musical references in this book because they were so heart felt and they are so similar to the way I feel about music-how it can heal and how it is such a important part of many people's lives.

The music shop by Joyce_ Rachel
Story starts out with Frank in England and he runs the vinyl record shop where he has the right answer for all who walk in after talking to them, via a song.
He picks out the exact song that will motivate the person into looking into their troubles and coming up with the right answers.
He meets Elsa from Germany who has disfigured hands as a violinist but she can do miracles in his shop with certain procedures. She becomes pregnant and has to leave to go back to Germany and she tends to her relatives who are ill.
Many years later she returns back to London to find Frank and the only way she can think to do that is awesome. Love how it comes down to help from many others she doesn't know.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

I adored this book. The characters were so well-drawn that they became family. Their heartbreak was yours, their joy and excitement was strongly felt. I have been looking for a great story for quite a while and this book fits the bill completely. Well done!

This book will put your soul in touch with music. I dare you to read it with Handel, Beethoven, Vivaldi and so much more. If I read a book that makes me do more-like listen to the suggestions...I find it a worthy read...a sweet story of friendship and the power of that love....

Slightly reminiscent of Nick Hornby's 'High Fidelity' but frothier and more candy-coated as you'd expect from a romance focused tale about a record store owner in 1988 England. The story itself is easy enough to follow along with and there's plenty of whimsy scattered throughout to make the entire concoction go down nice and easy but the highlight of this book are the moments when Frank (the protag) demonstrates his music sommelier skills - prescribing the absolute needed song to lift the mood of his friends and customers.

I really loved the musical references in this book because they were so heart felt and they are so similar to the way I feel about music-how it can heal and how it is such a important part of many people's lives.

The music shop by Joyce_ Rachel
Story starts out with Frank in England and he runs the vinyl record shop where he has the right answer for all who walk in after talking to them, via a song.
He picks out the exact song that will motivate the person into looking into their troubles and coming up with the right answers.
He meets Elsa from Germany who has disfigured hands as a violinist but she can do miracles in his shop with certain procedures. She becomes pregnant and has to leave to go back to Germany and she tends to her relatives who are ill.
Many years later she returns back to London to find Frank and the only way she can think to do that is awesome. Love how it comes down to help from many others she doesn't know.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Interesting Read, Great Characters. - - There are some things I would have changed - Frank was too much of a 'loser'/big baby - couldn't take help himself, but sure could help others. I would have liked to see his character be a bit stronger, that's my main complaint. I wouldn't have made him that weak. - Interesting ideas, tho' and loved all the music references.

I adored this book. The characters were so well-drawn that they became family. Their heartbreak was yours, their joy and excitement was strongly felt. I have been looking for a great story for quite a while and this book fits the bill completely. Well done!

This book will put your soul in touch with music. I dare you to read it with Handel, Beethoven, Vivaldi and so much more. If I read a book that makes me do more-like listen to the suggestions...I find it a worthy read...a sweet story of friendship and the power of that love....

Slightly reminiscent of Nick Hornby's 'High Fidelity' but frothier and more candy-coated as you'd expect from a romance focused tale about a record store owner in 1988 England. The story itself is easy enough to follow along with and there's plenty of whimsy scattered throughout to make the entire concoction go down nice and easy but the highlight of this book are the moments when Frank (the protag) demonstrates his music sommelier skills - prescribing the absolute needed song to lift the mood of his friends and customers.

I literally just hugged this book. Joyce's writing is as lyrical as the albums music shop proprietor Frank recommends to his customers. This book may seriously change the way you listen to records. I'm sad to close this one and leave Frank, Ilse, Kit, Father Anthony, and Maud behind.

This is another heartfelt book by Rachel Joyce of 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' fame. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the velvet-voiced Steven Hartley, who also seems to have a singing talent, evident in his demonstrations of the music examples throughout this book. Joyce’s approachable style invites the reader into her characters’ mundane lives in a way that endears us to them despite their weaknesses and strange antics.
Frank, the owner of the music shop that sells only vinyl, has the singular talent of “reading” his customer’s musical needs, even when they themselves don’t know what they want. His unique talent and attentiveness make his shop in Unity Street a gathering place for friends and people who need friends.
Enter the lovely, German, Ilze, who professes to dislike music, but has “huge eyes like vinyl”, and happens to faint in front of Frank’s shop. Frank, by nature helpful and unselfish, assists her before she runs away. Frank becomes besotted with Ilze, but is so blind to her returned affection for him that I think he constantly needed a firecracker under him to notice.
Although mainly a love story, ‘The Music Shop’ has a few important life lessons to teach. The mid-section of the book is a little slow and repetitive, but Joyce’s trademark humour prevents emotion from becoming soppy and had me giggling more than once. It is this quality in her writing that had me eager to read her latest offering. She’s also done diligent research into music in general and presents her knowledge from a fresh angle.
Unfortunately, there is a negative. I was disappointed to hear an excess of swearing and blasphemy in ‘The Music Shop’, making me wary about buying Rachel Joyce’s future books. Her “clean” writing was one of the qualities I admired about it.

Amazing read, would make for a phenomenal movie. Wonderfully written and the characters are unique, realistic, and captivating. You can truly picture your self amoungst them in the curious little shop.