LONGLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD
A WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR
A TIMES (UK) BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
"A shrewd observer of the forces that both nurture and destroy, Rachel Joyce is also very funny. . . . To borrow Frank's own vernacular, anyone not 'in floods' (tears) during Joyce's epic musical closer is scarcely worth bothering about."
—Toronto Star
"The Music Shop is an unabashedly sentimental tribute to the healing power of great songs, and Joyce is hip to greatness in any key. . . . [Joyce] has a kind of sweetness that's never saccharine, a kind of simplicity that's never simplistic. . . . I wouldn't change a single note. Rachel Joyce, if music be the food of love, write on!"
—The Washington Post
"This could equally be a description of Joyce's prose: here is a love story that's as much about the silences between words as what is said—the spaces between people that can be filled with mystery, confusion and misunderstanding as well as hope."
—The Observer
"Charming and deceptively simple. . . . Love, friendship, and especially the healing powers of music all rise together into a triumphant crescendo. . . . This lovely novel is as satisfying and enlightening as the music that suffuses its every page."
—The Boston Globe
"An unforgettable story of music, loss and hope. Fans of High Fidelity, meet your next quirky love story. Vinyl fans, hold on to your turntables—Joyce's latest is a buoyant homage to the healing power of music well-played."
—People
"Joyce . . . sets up a charming cast of characters, and her spirals into the sonic landscapes of brilliant musicians are delightful, casting a vivid backdrop for the quietly desperate romance between Frank and Ilse. From nocturnes to punk, this musical romance is ripe for filming."
—Kirkus Reviews
"[Joyce] continues to enchant and break hearts with her lovable misfits trying to survive in a modern world determined to pass them by. Irresistible."
—Library Journal (starred review)
"[The Music Shop] has the feel of a summer hit: warm-hearted, unusual and romantic, with a sense of hope pervading all manner of misfortunes. . . . Joyce's gift is in using simple language to convey profound observations on human nature."
—The Times (UK)
"A delightfully tuneful story about the power of love. . . . [Joyce's] lyrical prose, her deft style and playful spirit . . . make The Music Shop an uplifting read."
—Winnipeg Free Press
"Rachel Joyce has established a reputation for novels that celebrate the dignity and courage of ordinary people and the resilience of the human spirit. . . . But what really elevates The Music Shop is Joyce's detailed knowledge of—and passion for—music."
—The Guardian (UK)
"It is the madcap ensemble cast that brings the book to wacky, poignant life. . . . [The Music Shop] is a touching, sometimes funny book about surviving change, the power of music and the importance of having a community—wacky or not. As with all of Joyce's books, it will surprise you."
—Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
"The Music Shop is a joyous, poignant, utterly human love song to community found in unlikely places, and a tribute to the healing power of music."
—Shelf Awareness (starred review)
"Inspiring. . . . The Music Shop is a warm, familiar place where everybody knows your name."
—Associated Press
“Magnificent . . . If you love words, if you love music, if you love love, this [novel] will be without question one of the year’s best.”
—BookPage
"While this tale is easily the most charming novel you will read this year, it is also one of the most profound. . . . The Music Shop is a life-affirming novel that depicts human beings at their best."
—The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
"An uplifting read, full of humour and authentic characters."
—Press Association
"A fun and quirky read with equally fun and quirky characters, The Music Shop is a lovely way to escape real life and get lost in something more beautiful."
—Bustle
"Both charms and stings and, best of all, will send you in search of music you've never heard before."
—Metro (UK)
"A tender novel about heartache and redemption, full of humour and perceptive observations."
—Daily Express (UK)
"Breezily written, heart-warming and unashamedly sentimental. . . . A modern fairy tale."
—Mail on Sunday (UK)
"Rachel Joyce hits all the right notes with her love letter to vinyl. . . . This is the most beautiful ode to music, community and love, that overflows with charm and warmth."
—The Sun (UK)
"[Joyce] writes with unquestionable charm and with her considerable heart never far from her sleeve. . . . Joyce's charm and good-heartedness remain undiminished, as does her ability to create a highly appealing, semi-magical world . . . and to make us root for her characters all the way."
—The Daily Telegraph (UK)
"Rachel Joyce deploys all her trademark charm . . . on a journey of redemption, of confronting the demons from the past and of healing."
—Stylist
"[Joyce] has a winner in this deceptively simple love story. . . . Joyce's odes to music—from Aretha Franklin and J.S. Bach to Puccini and the Sex Pistols—and the notion that the perfect song can transform one's life make this novel a triumph."
—Publishers Weekly
"Whether on foot, as in her novel The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, or track by track, on this unlikely musical odyssey, Joyce excels in enveloping readers in epic journeys of lost connections and loving reunions."
—Booklist
"A beautiful novel, a tonic for the soul and a complete joy to read."
—Joanna Cannon, author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep
"Rachel Joyce tells wonderful stories. In her hands, ordinary lives are given dignity and triumph. She is a champion of humanity, and The Music Shop is no exception. It is a joyous love song that pulses with hope and benevolence and laughter."
—Sarah Winman, author of When God Was a Rabbit and Tin Man
"The Music Shop is wonderful—a tender and moving love story which captures brilliantly the healing, redemptive power of music and its ability to console, empower and reassure."
—Laura Barnett, author of The Versions of Us
"Nobody writes with quite that mixture of clear eyed humanity and downright authorial mischief that Rachel Joyce brings to The Music Shop."
—Patrick Gale, author of A Perfectly Good Man and A Place Called Winter
"The Music Shop tells us that our drum beats may well be different, but we can still dance to a harmonious and funky rhythm. Rachel Joyce is a genius with words and full of soul. This is another uplifting and utterly heart-enlarging novel."
—Bel Mooney, Daily Mail columnist and author of The Invasion of Sand and Big Dog Bonnie
"Such a touching and gently didactic story—melts your heart."
—Veronica Henry, author of A Night on the Orient Express and the Honeycote trilogy
"What joy. A big-hearted, beguiling story full of charm, gentleness and humour and peopled with glorious characters. A love song to beauty on the margins, friendship and the intrinsic power of music."
—Keggie Carew, author of Dadland
