Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was eager to like this - I loved the cover, and the premise (I've always dreamed of having a bookshop, and I grew up in a small town in Midwest USA). However, I found it hard to really warm to the main character - she was all over the place, and very self-absorbed, to the point of missing what was right in front of her the whole time. I really enjoyed the literary references, and the feel for the closeness albeit nosiness of small-town life. The story as such, with the different suitors, was very predictable, but enjoyable for a quick, light read.

I thought highly of Marlowe's A CRAZY KIND OF LOVE, and so was excited to see her latest book up on Netgalley. But I wasn't taken with this story about an extremely passive small town bookstore owner who, six months after being left at the altar, is on the cusp of having her first novel published. After reading a somewhat snarky review by a blogger ("Silver Fox") before the book comes out, Maddie can't resist writing back to the guy with some snark of her own. The two end up snarking, apologizing, then writing to each other about books, until soon they're sharing personal stories of their difficult romantic lives.

Of course, we know that one of the four men revolving around Maddie and her bookshop must be the aforementioned Silver Fox (at least, anyone who has seen SHOP AROUND THE CORNER or YOU'VE GOT MAIL). Is it her ex-fiancee, who dumped Maddie because she wouldn't compromise and move back to Indianapolis with him and give up her bookstore dream? Her sexy high school boyfriend, newly returned to small town Indiana to rest up from his busy life as a rock star? The intellectual English professor who hangs out in the bookstore's coffee shop? Or the bossy childhood best friend, whom Maddie worries wants to take over her business?

Maddie herself seems strangely passive about the whole thing, waiting to see which guy declares himself without really trying to understand who SHE is attracted to, who SHE wants to make a life with. The exchanges between Maddie and Silver Fox are pretty bland, too, making it difficult for the reader to become invested in their developing relationship, or in figuring out which of the four potential guys he really is. Maybe because the story is told entirely from Maddie's POV, the story doesn't give us much of a sense of the personalities of any of the four men. It turns out to be somewhat of a process of elimination, as one candidate after another gradually reveals that he isn't the right man for her. And so her sudden leap into being sexually attracted to the final option feels rather contrived and unconvincing.

I had a hard time with this book. I basically spent it wanting to shake the heroine the entire book and tell her to wake up, get over herself, and stop making nothing into something.

I really enjoyed this fun romance! I love the “You’ve Got Mail” style correspondence and how it kept me guessing on who the love interest was without becoming overly frustrating. I also found the bookstore setting and many literary references to be engaging, especially as a former bookseller. Overall an easy to read romance with a satisfying conclusion.

Not very into the book. It had a good storyline but I could just not get into it. I felt like it moved at such a slow pace I lost interest.

Maddie is on the precipice of a new life. She has been left at the alter and has recently given up her high flying job to come back to her small hometown and run a bookstore. After a scathing review of her first novel, Maddie is convinced to become the “heroine of her own adventure”. So whom does she chose to come along with her on her adventures? Her first love - the rockstar bad boy, the college professor, her childhood friend or a new internet friend?

Filled with lots of heart and humour. This is a great holiday read. Think Stars Hollow and The Gilmore Girls meets You’ve Got Mail.

Maddie Hanson has experienced a heartbreaking loss recently. Having been left at the altar by Peter, Maddie throws herself into her dream of owning and running her childhood bookshop and writing her novels under a pseudonym . One of Maddie's favourite activities at the bookstore is running a book club. It doesn't hurt that many of it's participants are eligible, sexy men - Dylan, a rock musician and former boyfriend who has just returned to town from being on tour, Max the co-owner of a bakery who she has grown up with, and Charlie the quiet man who spends hours on his computer at the bookshop. Maddie is a romantic whose choices of books discussed at book club seem to be limited to the old classics and their characters who reflect her current male relationships.

When she starts corresponding with Silver Fox, a book reviewer of an ARC of her first novel, she feels attacked and defensive and cannot let this go. She begins corresponding with Silver Fox and learns that sometimes what we're looking for is right in front of us.

I love the fact that Maddie is a strong female lead who knows what she most desires in her life and goes for it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the way Marlowe challenges me to believe that I know who Silver Fox is only to add another twist to change my mind. Add in the location of a small town bookstore - I could not put this book down. I look forward to reading more from Mary Ann Marlowe.

I rate this book 4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars).

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Kensington books for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Just as <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2823444413?book_show_action=false">another reviewer</a> said, the whole time I was reading this book I was worried that the main character would send me an angry email for only giving this book 3 stars. I picked the book up because of the cute cover, but as old saying goes, I misjudged it. I did not expect all of the literary references, which I quite enjoyed. I also expected a sweet love story, but it was actually quite steamy. The story was enjoyable, though completely predictable.

I'm not sure I believed the actual romance part, but the banter in the online part of the relationship was witty and fun. The sex scenes were steamy and lovely. My main issue with the romance was the about-face of her feelings about Max - there wasn't enough build up for me or history. I loved how you were kept guessing about who the reviewer was, and while I guessed right very early on, I kept second-guessing if I was correct or not. I loved that they ended up in the cottage together. The dirty restaurant owner reminded me of an evil Taylor Doose from GIlmore Girls..

I can’t express how excited I was when I first got to know about this book, and that joy doubled when I was approved for this ARC. I don’t know if it was my high expectations or the book itself, but I’m not quite happy with the experience.

Maddie is still struggling to with deal with the grief over her ex-fiancé ditching her at the altar six months ago, while also figuring out how to manage her not so well running bookstore in her small town. I liked that she passionately loves her books and the store, and also wants to find her very own romance hero. But I just didn’t like her as a person. She is so flighty and indecisive and occasionally selfish, and just can’t make up her mind about anything. I’m all for introspection in a character when they are at a critical juncture in their life, but Maddie is not introspecting anything. She just doesn’t want to critically examine anything in her life, always living in her imagination and hoping for someone to come and sweep her away without putting any actual effort.

The side characters were all pretty interesting. Dylan was the typical flirty rockstar but he wasn’t obnoxious and could be very charming. Max came across as very critical of Maddie initially but as the book goes on, we realize he really cares about her and just can’t stop himself from giving unnecessary(sometimes even necessary) advice. Charlie is a literature professor and his conversations with Maddie tended to be more fun and bookish than flirty. While I hated how the initial contact with Silver Fox happened, I definitely enjoyed her emails and messages with him. That was the only place I thought Maddie tried to be honest. Peter, the ex-fiancé is a manipulative jerk and I absolutely hated that she even contemplated going back to him even though his true colors were right there to see.

The writing was actually pretty easy and amusing to read. The plot itself with the anonymous online friend trope and a whole gang of interested suitors was quite promising, but I think it faltered somewhere in the execution. Except for the emails, I don’t think I felt connected with any of the possible couples, so I wasn’t even rooting for anyone. One thing I liked was that I couldn’t guess the real identity of Silver Fox until it was very obvious, and it was impressive of the author to be able to maintain the mystery. I also thoroughly enjoyed the book club discussions because everyone seemed to bring a different perspective to the well known stories, though I was slightly miffed that Maddie seemed to think only classics were the right books for her book club. I also didn’t like the first time she emailed Silver Fox just because he gave a 3 star review. Even though I understand that he could have worded his review better, I hate the idea of an author finding out the email of a reviewer and then messaging them in a drunken rage. It just put me off immediately and that might have totally changed my perception about Maddie as a character and overall, the book itself. We’ve seen enough of this passive aggressive stuff in real life, and I don’t think romanticizing this behavior in a book is the right way to go.

On a final note, I think this book had a lot of potential but it just didn’t work for me. There is an interesting group of characters, some wonderful conversations about books and the lovely setting of a small town bookstore, but ultimately I just couldn’t like the main character and didn’t feel invested in any of the relationships. It was still a mostly entertaining read, which I was able to breeze through quickly and enjoyed some laughs along the way. I guess I was just hoping for something more. It’s not really a bad book per se, so I would definitely recommend that you pick it up if the premise interests you. It might however be better to temper your expectations a bit.

This is a wonderful light hearted book about Maddie and her potential love interests. Maddie is a struggling bookstore owner and author.

I thought his was wonderfully written and definitely kept me guessing. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42517000

There are so. many. rules when it comes to dating – or at least, there are if you believe the books. So, naturally, guess what – believe the books is exactly what Maddie does. And, as it so happens? Dating by the Book is maybe not quite as simple as it might seem!

The story
Six months ago, writer and bookstore owner Maddie Hanson was left at the altar. Since then, she’s had zero interest in romance. And this despite the fact that she runs a book club full of sexy eligible bachelors. But when her latest novel is panned by an anonymous blogger who goes by the name Silver Fox—and who accuses her of knowing nothing about passion? She decides to prove her nemesis wrong by seeking a romance hero in real life . . .

There’s the smoldering rock musician, the bookish college professor, and her competitive childhood friend who may want to steal her bookstore more than her heart. Even Silver Fox is getting in on the action, sending Maddie alarmingly—and intoxicatingly—flirtatious emails. And that’s not all. Her ex wants her back.

Now Maddie is about to discover that like any good story, life has twists and turns… And love can happen when you least expect it—with the person you least expect . . .

The opinion
Quick disclaimer. I recognised myself maybe a little too much in Maddie’s tendency to treat everything in life as if it had to fit a narrative. As in, that thing people do where they go “oh and now this is going to happen and then they are going to come to that conclusion and…” No? Just me?

Because of that, Dating by the Book is basically the ideal book to read if you want to improve your knowledge of romantic plots and tropes. Because, you know, for just about every single thing that happens to Maddie? She tries to figure out which plot that could fit and – based on that – what will happen next.

And for a large majority of the book, that’s what makes this story tick. You know, apart from the soft burn romance. And the angst you get for whether or not Maddie will be able to make the bookstore work. Oh, and the interesting dynamic and play-on-classic-love-interests.

And then, the final 15% of the book happens. Because, you know, as soon as Maddie figures out who her mysterious reviewer is? She promptly regresses about 100 pages. Where she’d finally learned to think of people as such, and to realise that maybe book romance aren’t all that?

Well, she starts to think of this hugely complicated ruse to try and get the full surprise on Silver Fox – rather than, you know… Tell him? Because at this point in the book – for the reader at least – it’s been pretty obvious who they probably are. And maybe that’s why I got so annoyed at that last bit. Because it felt as if that entire last section could have been cut through the middle.

A final remark – a lot of things were hinted at that, I felt, could’ve done with some further explanation. Such as the entire adoption-situation and how her adoptive father died… How exactly Maddie met Mat and Layla and became their friend… Just, more information on Layla in general? So much interesting stuff that I didn’t get enough of!

The rating: 3/5
All in all, I really enjoyed the narration of Dating by the Book, as well as the different male characters and Maddie’s development. If the ending had been edited down a bit, this would’ve probably been a 4-star book. As it is, it’s still a really enjoyable read – and perfect for one of those days where you need a good bit of romance!

-Saar

New bookstore owner and secret author, Maddie Hanson, is at a literal and figurative crossroads in her life. Struggling to keep it all together six months after a fiancé left her at the altar, but who still has a financial interest in the shop, Maddie also has a debut novel about to drop. As bookstore owners everywhere know, customers are crucial to their survival. She pours heart into making the store a success while juggling a very chaotic love life. Suddenly it seems several men are interested in Maddie including her first love who found fame as a rock star, the boy next door Maddie grew up with, and an even an online critic of her book that becomes a sort of muse in a backwards way. It is raining men is an understatement when even the man who left Maddie seems to want her back.

While Maddie, who writes under a pseudonym, is at first incensed at the criticism of the reviewer known as Silver Fox, their correspondence turns into another kind of relationship and with the anonymity of the internet, Maddie is able to work out some of her fears, testing out fragile thoughts while gaining a few epiphanies. Interwoven into the story is a book club discussion of Maddie’s favorites such as Pride and Prejudice and Little Women that becomes a backdrop for her own life’s challenges.

While being a romance, there are some elements of Women’s Fiction as well in the “unexamined life is not worth living” navel gazing trope, and the idea of not needing a man to make a life whole, but it sure would be nice to find a true love. Also in this story are interesting themes including that of Maddie being a writer giving readers a view into what authors endure while perfecting their craft and with scornful and unjust reviews. The epistolary form appears when Maddie communicates with Silver Fox though email and messaging. Maddie’s self-referential habit of comparing herself to various fictional women permeates throughout the story. This book is a fun read for classic literature fans as well as those who live a double life of the reader whose book world imaginations sometimes collide with real life.

3 stars
The whole time while reading this book, I thought about the main character, Maddie Hanson, emailing me about giving her story 3 stars.

This book was ok...and that is the best I can say about it. I felt like I was being ping ponged all over the with her possible love interests. To be honest, she was a little selfish. Like her book. I felt no romantic connection with her and any of the the men.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a busy, at times chaotic novel. Maddie owns a bookstore that is at the brig of bankruptcy but it's her passion and she fights to keep it. She battles her feelings for four guys fighting for her affection. It became overwhelming as the reader is forced to read her interactions with them without really knowing who she'd pick. In the end, who she chooses makes sense but she's such an unreliable character that I even doubted her love for this guy. Not a bad novel all together just needs a clear sense of direction.

Entertaining and interesting read.

Maddie owns a bookstore in the town where she grew up. She has just written a book under a pen name, and when she reads a review from an online reviewer, Silver Fox, she is outraged and responds to him directly. They start to converse and soon start to grow closer, despite having never met. She wants a romantic hero, and there are several candidates but who will she end up with?

I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. This book is hilarious and romantic. I found this book quite fun to read, it reminded me of ‘You’ve Got Mail’ which I absolutely loved. I will definitely be looking up more books by this author and if you need an easy holiday read- this is one for you.

Maddie Hanson is a writer and a bookstore owner she was also left at the altar, she has zero interest in romance. She runs a book club full of sexy eligible bachelors, but when her latest novel gets an anonymous blogger by the name of silver fox who accuses her of knowing nothing about Passion, she decides to prove him wrong by seeking a romance hero of her very own! She runs into the hot rock musician, the bookish college professor, and her very competitive childhood friend who she thinks is trying to steal her bookstore and maybe her heart! The silver fox is even getting in on the action! It’s not all her ex wants her back to! Like any good story life has ups and downs and love can happen when you least expect it, with the person you least expect! This book was fun and flirty and sweet! It’s well worth the read! Not my top favorite it was a little to tame for my taste but still a cute story! Thank you netgalley and the publishers for Sharing this book with me!

Dating by the Book is a decent read. Maddie owns a small bookstore in a community not far from Indianapolis, it's struggling. A series of mishaps keeps her further in the red. Maddie is also a budding author who strikes up an online correspondence with a reviewer. She has a host of good friends, but can't see the romance that is right under her nose, I found Maddie to be quite neurotic and somewhat vexing. She seemed to live more in her fiction than in real life. Once she wakes up and realizes what she has, her life turns around.