Yes, but there are lots of complicating factors - as usual. Thus in buying on the internet one can see professional reviews and those of othe readers. One can see what other people who bought the book one is interested in also bought - suggesting books one hadn't heard about. Again one can then read a variety of reviews about those books - which is arguably better than one person's opinion in a bookshop - who can't know about all types of books.

 Not that I don't like browsing in real bookshops and a Waterstones etc. can have a larger stock of specialist books, and seats and coffee :-)

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner - that I moved to Nice.