If there is one thing I love it is books about books. I read the blurb for Lost for Words and was instantly captivated. I wanted to know more about Loveday and her refuge; the book shop where she works. What was in her past she wanted to hide; what is her story; who are ‘the lover, the poet and the friend’? The opening lines of which books did she have tattooed on her skin? The answers to all these are answered and it is a wonderful read while you are waiting for the answers to come. The book opens with Loveday finding a poetry book on the pavement, which she rescues from the elements. She puts a ‘found’ notice in the bookshop where she works hoping to reunite the book with its owner, and little realises that this small act will have a major impact on her future. Although Loveday is initially prickly, in other hands, she could be unsympathetic, but Stephanie Butland has written her so well, that the reader forgives this prickliness, understanding that there is a reason for it. Through a series of flashbacks we are given insights into Loveday’s past so that we can begin to appreciate her reluctance to get involved with other people. However, it is not until the end of the book that the full heart-breaking events are revealed. All the characters in Lost for Words are well drawn; even the villain of the piece is has a backstory so that he too can be better understood (but still not liked!) by the reader. This is a wonderful book. At times it will make you laugh out loud, other times you will cry. Yes, it is a love story, but not in the traditional way. It explores and celebrates the love between partners, between parents and their children, and between friends. It is a book about love, and it is a book to love.