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.

Moira Macdonald's profile page

Moira Macdonald is the longtime arts critic for The Seattle Times. Storybook Ending is her first novel.

“Storybook Ending is so radiant, so big-hearted, reading it feels like receiving an unexpected gift, one that you’ve waited a lifetime for. It’s a love letter to the secret, unspoken longings nestled within the pages of ordinary lives. In a world filled with love stories and tangled triangles, this one stands out—reaching a resolution as unique as it is profoundly satisfying. I absolutely loved this book.”
— Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
“An absolutely charming love letter to bookstores and the magic that happens inside there.”
—Annabel Monaghan, bestselling author of Summer Romance
"I sat down to start Storybook Ending and before I knew it a hundred pages had passed. Moira Macdonald's novel is just that good—wildly clever, funny, and filled with enough Princess Bride and Nora Ephron references to melt my cold Millennial heart. It's also a heartwarming homage to books and the people who cherish them—a celebration of a story's power to fill our lives with hope. romance, and community. I loved it."
—Grant Ginder, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding