Librarians are my literary catnip, so I couldn't resist requesting this book. Unfortunately, I had to force myself to finish it. While I liked Joanna and Liam as individual characters, I found that I didn't really care whether or not they got together and the supporting cast wasn't fleshed out enough to keep me interested. Sadly, I'll be giving Sarah Title's next book a pass.

Hmm, the first book was better, but this was still a solid read.

"I don't think the library needs to be a quiet place anymore, you know? The noise means people are using it"

I liked that I didn't really like or empathize with the heroine at first. Liam the librarian was fabulous though - is this an accurate description of working in a rural library? Fascinating.

#librariansreviewinglibrarians

I’m sad to say that FALLING FOR TROUBLE was a very disappointing read. I was expecting a cute, opposites attract romance between a small-town librarian and a slightly-reformed bad girl punk rocker. What I got was a disjointed, extremely slow-paced story that failed to conjure any chemistry at all between the lead characters. Title’s writing style didn’t work for me, but maybe people who appreciate her writing will enjoy this book more.

Joanna and Liam spent very little time together on page; in fact, I think they only had four or five scenes in the 57% of the book that I read. Is it any wonder that I felt their connection was unrealistic? How are you supposed to have a connection to someone who you’ve only met a handful of times when those interactions were primarily composed of one sentence exchanges? Because of this, I thought the moment they realize their feelings for each other felt unrealistic and forced.

To her credit, Title (a librarian herself) does a great job representing what goes on in a small-town library, from the programs and collection to the patrons. As a small-town librarian myself, I found myself nodding along and chuckling with recognition during the scenes where Liam had to navigate delicate patron interactions. Had this book been focused on Liam’s work at the library I would’ve kept reading, but as it stands, FALLING FOR TROUBLE was not a strong romance read for me.

This book is an easy read—a good choice for the beach this summer.

Joanna grew up as the bad girl in a small town and left as soon as she could to pursue her dreams of playing the guitar professionally. With she creates an incident onstage on her band’s first major tour, though, she winds up going back to her hometown to lick her wounds. Her timing is good, because her grandmother Peggy just injured her leg and could use someone to look after her. Joanna isn’t pleased to be back, but when she meets her grandmother’s friend Liam, the young, cute library director (who happens to look pretty good in a pair of running shorts), she realizes that at least some things about the town have changed for the better. Meanwhile, Liam is a fan of Joanna’s music and wants to get to know her better despite her prickly personality. But with Liam rooted in town, and Joanna wanting to leave, any relationships seems doomed to have an end date.

One of the things that I really enjoy about this series is the author’s spot-on depiction of life as a librarian, since it rings true to my own experiences of the profession. It’s not just window dressing, like careers sometimes are in romance novels; she incorporates it into the plotline. Whether it’s describing struggles over library budget cuts (the bane of every librarian’s existence) or patrons stealing rolls of toilet paper (yep, it happens), Title gets the details right. That might not interest every reader, but for this librarian, it’s a definite plus.

I also liked the book’s characters and enjoyed the development of their romance. Liam is the quintessential nice guy, and I appreciate a good beta hero. (Although I have a little trouble with any male character quoting Georgette Heyer. I’m sure there are some men out there who have read and enjoyed Heyer’s novels, but I have yet to meet one, even at the library.) Joanna is a little harder to like, with her tough girl, chip-on-her-shoulder attitude, but that’s the other focus of the book—Joanna’s transformation into someone who realizes she doesn’t have fight the world all the time. That she can be open to other people, which is something her relationship with Liam helps her figure out.

Recommended for anyone looking for a light contemporary romance to while away a hot summer afternoon.

An eARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this romance and liked that the library setting was more important to the story than in the first book in the series. I could see this being made into a Hallmark movie!

Adorable. Not my favorite - I loved Liam but never really clicked with Joanna - but it was still lovely.

the librarians in love series continues with falling for trouble. the nice thing about this series is that the theme of librarians is what links the books, but they are total standalones, as this book has a completely different setting and set of characters from the first book in the series. this is totally fine with me, but if you like linked series, it might be a let down.

joanna green returns home after a meltdown of rockstar proportions. it's on youtube, y'all. meanwhile, liam byrd is the sexy new librarian in town and happens to be a music fan. the thing is, liam likes small town life in halkarnassus, new york. even the petty battles with the sports-obsessed mayor don't affect his feelings for the place. he loves his job. he loves his life. and when he meets joanna he realizes he can love this girl. except all she wants to do is leave.

since she was left behind by her parents and raised by her beloved grandmother, joanna has been searching for something else. some sort of acceptance and peace. she's always felt that there was no one in halkarnassus that could appreciate her for who she truly was.

but being back home makes her realize that maybe she was too quick to lash out instead of giving people a chance. maybe as much as she thought people were out to get her, she was the one who struck first. and what she saw as attacks we're actually retaliations. looking at your past through the lens of another is always a challenge, but it can be eye-opening. all these feelings that being back home bring up in joanna are confusing enough, but when added to her insane attraction to liam she doesn't quite know what to do.

he knows she is a flight risk. her dreams have always been bigger than halkarnassus. but dreams change. and it's possible with her new perspective things are different. but they have to talk it all out. because liam and joanna fall into a relationship without talking. and the only way to really know where you are ending up is if you make a proper decision. so both of them need to take a chance on each other. it really might be worth it. love always is after all.

Usually I love Sarah Title’s books but I struggled with liking Falling for Trouble. I liked the returning home plot and loved Liam. It was Joanna that I had difficulty liking and never really did. She exhibits many behaviors that were unattractive, so I could not see why Liam was so taken with her.

I think every author writes stories that appeal to some and not to others. This is not a bad story it just falls in the category of not appealing to me. However, it doesn’t change my overall feel of Sarah Title’s work, she is still an author for my TBR list.

Joanna Greene is headed back to Halikarnassus, New York. The last place she ever thought she'd be but Granny needs her so what can she do. There's also the fact that she has no where else to go after her life outside Halikarnassus implodes spectacularly. Never would she expect to be attracted to the nerdy but sexy town librarian but Liam Byrd is the one she's pulled to. How could anything work with them considering he loves this little town and she still can't wait to get out of it.

Good read but I really think it could have been a bit more. It's sweet and charming but needed a little more of a wow factor to be a really great read. I would recommend this one to those who enjoy a sweet and simple story.

Great book! LookING forward to reading more by this author!

I feel like I should make no bones about it at this point; I love Sarah Title.  After indulging in her playful novel Practice Makes Perfect, she’s become one of my favorite authors, so it’s no real shock that her latest Falling for Trouble is an immensely enjoyable read.   What, I just know you’re asking, makes this story so special?

Joanna Green was well on her way to superstardom.   Lead guitarist for an all-female rock band named Bunny Slippers, she’d just had a top selling record, been signed to a major label and was headed out on tour as the opening act for The Penny Lickers when Joanna froze up onstage at the first stop and then threw an onstage tantrum after realizing what the commercialization of the band’s sound was doing to its quality.  This led to her being kicked out of the band she’d founded and guided to the big time, and then dismissed from both label and tour.  When Joanna’s grandmother, Peggy, breaks her leg while walking her elderly poodle, Starr - and chatting with/ogling her hunky acquaintance, Liam Byrd – Joanna is called home to look after Peggy and uses it as an opportunity to contemplate her next move.  Joanna knows that she doesn’t want to own up to her failure in front of anyone from her hometown; the people of Halikarnassus, New York have never looked kindly upon the rebellious Joanna, and they would be all too smug to learn about their least favorite daughter’s latest fall from grace.

Liam - jogger, library director, and Boston transplant - is the apple of the eye of every single lady in Peggy’s neighborhood -  not that he notices.   The one thing he does take note of is that Joanna is a pretty kickass musician.  She was a member of his favorite local post-punk band, the Slutty Brontes  - and while he’s less than impressed with the basic straightforward rock sound of the post-big time Bunny Slippers he’s still a pretty big fan.  Which is why he’s shocked when his idol shows up on her grandmother’s doorstep while he’s checking in on Peggy.

Joanna and Liam soon find themselves bonding over the library’s book club, nights at rock clubs, and evenings at Peggy’s house.  As Joanna plans to get her high school band back together with her best friend Trina, and rediscovers her authentic voice, Liam has own battles with Mayor Hal Klomberg Jr., who wants to axe the library’s funding from the town’s budget and funnel it into the town’s (terrible) high school football team.  When Joanna is invited to rejoin Bunny Slippers after they lose their replacement guitarist and Liam finds himself caught between Hal’s personal needs and the library’s possible closure, they’re forced to choose between their romance and their dreams.

I cannot tell you how glad I am that we have a heroine like Joanna in the romance world!  I’ve read about so many rock star heroes who are guided away from the debauched big time and toward the light of monogamy and a comeback by the purity of a heroine who happens to be a fan.  To have Joanna be the mischievous, punkish, true-to-her-art musician and Liam the adoring fan makes a perfect reversal of roles that are all too rare in the genre. Joanna is a great, funny, messy, sympathetic heroine; her music is her true passion, is part of her soul, and Ms. Title uses it to explain both who she is as a person and where she’s coming from.  Joanna names her beloved guitar after Sister Rosetta Tharpe.  You will love her.

Liam joins Title’s line of funny and sexy beta heroes; a man who hates being thought of as boring, with a big crush on the intimidating Joanna; a man who’s awkward, tends to blurt things out and has an alphabetized record collection yet has horrible taste in fashion and is passionate about good books.  He’s her counterpoint in a lot of wonderful ways, and the chemistry between them is wonderful.

And their relationship is relatable, romantic and totally ludicrous.  Liam waives fines for anyone who knew Joanna way back when!  Liam and Joanna fall in love while playing refrigerator Jenga and sobbing over cheesy clichéd World War II novels!  They make love in the library and argue about Sunday morning music!

And the supporting characters!   Peggy, who’s clinging to her youth; Trina Flunderman,  Joanna’s high school best friend, who may have married an insurance agent and settled down to have two kids and build furniture instead of following her punk dreams to LA, but is still the same sassy girl who was just as wild as Joanna back in the day, and her appropriately ridiculous children;  football-obsessed Hal, who is a bubblehead jerk;  Gus, the walking music encyclopedia with a thing for Peggy; Peggy’s team of fellow elderly ladies, who ply her with terrible casseroles while she’s on the mend; even the dogs have personality, especially Starr, who loves Peggy but has to learn to love Joanna, to Joanna’s dismay.  Even Kristen, who might be a stereotype in someone else’s hands, springs forth with wit and personality to the novel’s forefront.

The story’s minor problems – chiefly an unnecessary third act conflict between Joanna and Liam over some overheard words – don’t detract from its grade.  In fact, the novel manages to feel like it’s just the right length while making you yearn for more.  And yes, the book does contain many of Title’s classic tropes – bold heroine, a nerdy beta hero, sassy older women,  the battle between government bureaucracy and people on its lower levels who wish to help out those around them…  but it still feels smart, fresh and romantic.

Falling for Trouble is a delight.  Don’t miss it!

Buy Now: A/BN/iB/K

Joanna is headed home after her Granny has an accident.  It's the last place she wants to be because she never liked the town or people where she grew up.  She was considered a troublemaker and when she left town to pursue touring with her band, the townspeople were glad she was gone. Now that she is back, she's still being treated like an outcast.

Liam, a librarian, is a fan of Joanna.  He likes her music and is excited to meet her.  All she shows him is disdain. Her behavior makes him want to get to know her better and see the real woman underneath the tough girl exterior she has in place. I truly don't understand his draw to her, but he went after her.

This was a hard book for me to get into.  I liked Liam! A bit nerdy and being a librarian, a bit serious, but a real above board guy! My problem seemed to be Joanna.  I never connected with her. Yes she had been treated like an outcast, but her behavior to people was just plain rude! She never seemed to go out and get that job preferring to live off Granny for months-although she did talk about leaving often. We can see she's messed up but she has no clue of it herself.

Ultimately the flow of the story was stunted and didn't work for me.  The beginning was overly wordy and we don't really know till much later what her real reason for going home was.  When we find later why and what Joanna's issues are, it didn't click well.  I did, however, like the romance build up.  It was cute.

Even though this didn't really work for me, it may have a different effect on you.

reviewed by Deb

Joanna is headed home after her Granny has an accident.  It's the last place she wants to be because she never liked the town or people where she grew up.  She was considered a troublemaker and when she left town to pursue touring with her band, the townspeople were glad she was gone. Now that she is back, she's still being treated like an outcast.

Liam, a librarian, is a fan of Joanna.  He likes her music and is excited to meet her.  All she shows him is disdain. Her behavior makes him want to get to know her better and see the real woman underneath the tough girl exterior she has in place. I truly don't understand his draw to her, but he went after her.

This was a hard book for me to get into.  I liked Liam! A bit nerdy and being a librarian, a bit serious, but a real above board guy! My problem seemed to be Joanna.  I never connected with her. Yes she had been treated like an outcast, but her behavior to people was just plain rude! She never seemed to go out and get that job preferring to live off Granny for months-although she did talk about leaving often. We can see she's messed up but she has no clue of it herself.

Ultimately the flow of the story was stunted and didn't work for me.  The beginning was overly wordy and we don't really know till much later what her real reason for going home was.  When we find later why and what Joanna's issues are, it didn't click well.  I did, however, like the romance build up.  It was cute. 

Even though this didn't really work for me, it may have a different effect on you.

3 Stars/3 Flames

This book was gifted to me for an honest review. The review and ratings are solely my opinions.

DNF @30%
I was really excited to read this book. The synopsis was pretty alluring. But the story wasn't gripping. And I found that I lost interest in the characters and their stories. I couldn't stand Joanna's punk rock i-don't-give-a-shit, wait-were-you-talking-to-me, I'm-too-cool-for-you attitude. It was getting on my nerves.

Good story. Great Epilogue. To slow with to much repeated thinking. Joanna and Liam are great but when Joanna thinking takes over the narrative slow down to much.
I received an ARC from Netgalley for a honest review.

A really entertaining book. I enjoyed the storyline and the author's writing.

This book had three sides to it. The grandmother, Liam and Joanna. It was sweet and cute and nice small town story. I did not love it. Largely because the town sees Liam as this hunk and they all stare at his butt a lot. And Joanna I just didn't really feel the connect. She comes back home not because she misses it or even knows her grandmother broke her leg but because she has no where else to go.

Liam is the new boy in town and everyone loves him and lusts after him. He is the town librarian and very into music. So he has loved Joanna's band for awhile. She is sorta this hot rock star he has had a crush on so he loves when they meet in person.

I totally expected this story to have been one way and it was very different than I expected. Bt in a good way. It took the dutiful granddaughter and made her not so much and it tookk the girl done good rocker and made her a down on her luck former star. It was original and cute, I just did not love the main heroine.

This book had great potential, but it fell flat for me. I liked that one of the main characters, and the man, was a librarian, and I liked that the small town library figured prominently in the story. The main female character's antagonistic personality grated on me, but I assumed that was so that we could see her character develop. There was little personal or relational growth shown, and the love story was driven by lust. The ending came quickly and out of nowhere.