Drew is a grieving granddaughter who was handed the keys to her grandmother's treasured book store, and has to process her grief over her Gram while making sure the store stays afloat. The hot romance author who comes for an appearance at the store does help get Drew's mind off her troubles. And when she learns that he needs help exploring the area for writing inspiration, she agrees.

This was a sweet romance. I appreciate the building of the main characters, though I feel like I didn't learn nearly as much about Jasper, the love interest, as I did Drew. It makes sense that we're on her head a lot, but there's not nearly as many revelations and tidbits about Jasper as there are about Drew. I would have liked a little more about him than how hot he is. I do appreciate that Jasper is an attentive guy, and really sees the woman he's with, instead of being an oblivious idiot. The book does feel like a live letter to the greater Denver area, which isn't something I see often, so that was a nice bonus. I liked the love story, though the breakup section really could've been solved by simply listening to each other instead of lost tempers and silent treatments.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

This romance author, Jasper Williams, is definitely worth a second look. Try to keep the drool runjing down your face to a minimum- first impressions and all that. BETTER THAN FICTION is a sweet contemporary romance with enough sad vibes to make this empathetic reader crumble. Loss, love, and good books make me a sap.

Better than that...a reader finding her way back.

This is my first Alexa Martin novel and I have to say it was fun. I enjoyed the characters. Loved the setting. Appreciate the vibe. Overall, it's fun and chock full of HEA goodness. What more could a booklover want!

To explain how I feel about this book, I'll tell you that I read it last month, but my memories of it are already vague. I remember a bookshop and lots of drama. Saying that I'd think this would be right up my alley, but unfortunately, it just felt very lackluster. I have enjoyed Alexa Martin in the past, but this just didn't do anything for me.

Talk about a book lovers dream come true - a bookshop owner falling for a romance author? Catnip for horny bookworms everywhere.

This one had a little more nuance, more meddling old ladies and a vengeful absent parent in the mix but it was definitely your cavity inducing romance with better than realistic characters and failures to communicate.

This heartwarming story with a cute cover is one you should pick up if you want an author, bookstore romance.

Drew belives that movies are always better. She inherits her grandmother's bookstore called Book Nook. The descriptions of the bookstore makes me want to go there or have one such nearby. It is cute. Drew though irritated me at times grew out to be great. Grief sometimes changes people in a way that they would never want.

Jasper is a best selling author and a hopeless romantic and definitely sexy, exactly someone Drew needs. Their scenes were incredible and swoon worthy.

I loved the Dirty Birds, Daisy and Elsie. They were amazing supporting characters. All of them were entertaining and meddling always and at the same time having her back. This kind of people are gems.

This story was adorably realistic and I liked that combo. It was more than romance, talking about family dynamics, friendships, dreams, second chances and much more. I absolutely enjoyed it. The picture painted here is charming.

I recommend this book.

Drew has inherited her grandmother's bookstore in which she is struggling to come to terms with that and running a struggling business.
Drew has her mother's friends who are helping her cope but are also pushing her into the hands of a romance author who is in town researching for his new book

she's volunteered to help him sightsee in the area. Jasper wants to spend as much time as possible with Drew. He liked her from the first sight

with all that going on she also has to deal with her father who is not happy that she has ownership of the bookstore.

I loved Drew and supporting friends and family. The friends and family interactions were entertaining to read.

The growing relationship between Drew and Jasper was beautiful and spicy to read.

All in all, this was a super cute read and I hope that the sister's story is on the plan for the next book

A good feel-good read

Bookstore owner and an author. Need I say more? This is a book lovers dream combo!

Drew is dealing with a lot. She has lost her grandma, her career, and now she is taking over The Book Nook her grandma’s legacy. When a famous romance author shows up for a book club meeting, things start to heat up for Drew.

I love that Jasper pulled Drew back to her life, he helped her realize all the things she loved could still be there for her. I do think Drew got a little overly angry during the third act break up. The reunion then seemed a little rushed and just didn’t make a ton of sense to me. I really enjoyed the book up til that part.

It had drama, the book boyfriend of your dreams, and adventure! My favorite part about this book was how Jasper gave Drew a list of books to read to help her to enjoy reading. He made this list after getting to know a little bit about her and made the recommendations based off of her interests. In my opinion, it is extremely important as a bookseller to connect with your customer to give them the best searching and reading experience possible. In this case, he is an author trying to get a girl he’s interested into books. Either way, it is the best feeling as a book lover having someone report back about a book you recommended. Also, I loved the idea of pairing dates themed as the book. It was the best part of the book. The Dirty Birds were also an highlight of the book! It was a cute read. Unfortunately, that was the only thing that really stood out for me. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review.

“I KNOW IT’S NOT THE POLITICALLY CORRECT THING TO SAY, BUT school is most definitely for fools. Listen, I get it. I won’t tell the kids…”
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Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin
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This is how the story begins, and I love that.. It immediately drew me into the story. This is a book about books, booksellers and authors; plus romance and fun and a group of great little old ladies, the Dirty Birds book club!
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Drew would much rather be traveling and earning her living as a photographer. She would rather her dear grandmother still be alive as well. But she isn’t, and Drew has inherited a bookstore from her, complete with the six melding old ladies that came with it. I would be in Heaven, all those books to read! Drew is not. She doesn’t like to read, hates it, actually. Although she does find a lot of comfort in the bookstore she spent so much time in with her grandmother.
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The Dirty Birds maneuver a dinner date between Drew and Jasper, a best selling romance author who is in Denver to write his latest book.
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The two strike a deal I would jump on in a second. For every book Drew reads off of a list Jasper gives her, he will take her on an adventure inspired by the book and she will show him a new place around Denver to help him with his new novel.
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Of course there is conflict, a good romance has to have some, but there is friendship and growth, family drama and grief. It is full of so much wonderfulness.
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Cute, cozy and easy to read.

Drews experience of grief is very different to my own - I lost my mother a few years ago and instead of running away from love and caring people, I leaned into it. So I found it hard to relate to on a personal level - and even quite frustrating. But I'm sure it will resonate with others.

Overall an enjoyable read! :)

We love a literary romance, and while we've gotten a lot of publishing romances in the past few years, I love this one for it being set in a bookstore. Drew and Jasper are adorable and I was here for all of it.

Thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC of Better than Fiction. I like the the storyline of this book. The chemistry of the leads was on point. It was a good read other than a few cuss words. I'm giving this a 3 out of 5 stars, I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a cozy time!

A romance between a male romance author and a non-reader bookshop owner? This was fabulous. I absolutely loved the romance between Drew and Jasper and the agreement they had going that kept them in each other's paths.

There were also strong bonds between Drew, her best friend, her formerly estranged sister, and her grand mother's friends. Everything was so wholesome. making this the perfect romance to cuddle up with!

The only drawback I had was learning about how many people had kept information from Drew. I don't want to give any more details because of spoilers, but I just didn't feel like there was a strong enough reason for such an omission of truth that went on for so long. That being said, I don't think the intention was malicious so I was still able to enjoy the story and characters beyond that point.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are quite a few content warnings. Please be aware before starting this book.

Love the premise of inheriting a bookstore! That would be my DREAM! I can see the struggles and troubles that come with it and I appreciate that Martin brings those in so that Drew is even more realistic as an MC. I did struggle slightly to relate to her "hatred of books" or her theory "the movie is better" HAHA, however I can see MANY people grabbing this as a quick light read who might very well agree with Drew's sentiments.

Points for creativity on that one, Alexa Martin!

Jasper was a great character, I have absolutely no complaints about him! Thank you for making him just the best!

Can't wait to read another one by Martin!

With Better than Fiction, Alexa Martin has written a charming, sweet romance perfect for fans of Emily Henry or Julia Whelan's "Thank You For Listening." It's a warm, cozy read, perfectly paired with a blanket and a cup of tea.

I really enjoyed this book. There is so much depth, especially around the grief that Drew is experiencing after losing her grandmother. I will read anything that takes place in a bookstore and the vibes of this store are perfect - cozy, helpful staff, and a bunch of old women who love meddling. Jasper is also so amazing - I love author main characters and it's always a treat to read a man who writes romance. He is so sensitive and sweet and I just loved him. Overall, a great read.

It's not often you come across one of the best cozy romance story lines for book readers!

I loved Drew and Jasper but watching Drew work to build a relationship with her sister and holding tight to her grandma's dream with her own goals not far in the shadows was full of so many feelings. As a person who crumbles at the thought of letting down those around me, Drew's story was super refreshing and timely!

Thank you to Berkley Books and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book.

unfortunately this just wasn’t for me, i found this incredibly boring and they took too long for the love interest to even be introduced in my opinion. it was fine but the third act break up absolutely ruined it for me.

This story had me hooked from the beginning....

I was baffled by the heroine's initial disinterest in books, but when I heard the entirety of her story it made sense. I've been a bookworm for nearly my entire life, and books are like air to me. This gave me insight into why so many people around me struggle to pick up books.

The love story that unfolds isn't a conventional one. The hero is a writer who is immediately drawn to the woman who owns the local bookstore. When he discovers her aversion to reading it is a challenge he accepts - he wants to share his words and his love of other books with her.

They make a deal. She'll show him the perfect settings throughout the state for his next book and try to read the books he recommends. Spending every weekend together is a surefire way to eke their way into each other's hearts. There's only one catch. Drew isn't happy owning her grandmother's bookstore and wants her old life back.

Jasper's growing affection and curation of her reading journey enhances her appreciation of the world, but it also shows her that she doesn't need to sacrifice her happiness or dreams for the convenience of others.

A steamy, heartwarming love story about the magic of books and how they transform our lives.

A huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was fun! I enjoyed that we explored Drew’s relationship with the bookshop, with her grandma, with her sister and with her best friend as well as her romantic relationship. I enjoyed the bookstore setting, and the exploration of nature. The romance was steamy, and fun. Overall the book was fun, but also… just fine!