Martin’s first entry into standalone/borderline women’s fiction made me cry!

Yep, you heard it from me first Better Than Fiction rides the edge between romance and women’s fiction. This was equal parts both and told solely from the first-person perspective of our heroine, Drew Young.

Drew *sigh* tugged at my heartstrings from page one because Drew and I share a couple common truths, we both were encouraged to read and enjoy books by our grandmothers and we both have lost said grandmother. This book launches with Drew trying to keep the last connection she has to the woman who gave her everything, The Book Nook. The bookstore her grandmother ran is the legacy Drew wants to preserve.

Though Drew struggles to keep the books in the black and on the suggestion of her grandmother’s best friends and book club, the Dirty Birds, she hosts an author night for one of romance’s biggest authors, Jasper Williams. Call out the swoon committee because Jasper is the romance hero of all romance heroes. The man doesn’t have many flaws in the looks department… honestly, in any department.

Of course, attraction is immediate, and Jasper being the romance hero he is wants to date our cautious, work-driven Drew. She doesn’t just agree. No, that comes in the form of Jasper desperate for local guidance as he writes his next romance, set in the Colorado area. With Drew’s expertise in local sights and experiences, along with her photography skills, she’s the perfect person to help Jasper. The trade-off is he’ll help her learn to love reading again and take her out on excursions that pair with the books.

Doesn’t take much to see where this is headed. Along the way, Drew must deal with her hateful father, her eager-to-have-a-relationship half-sister, those meddlesome Dirty Birds, and a best friend who wants Drew to have good things. Not to mention the presence of grief in the face of loss, and how that grief can morph in the most unexpected ways. Did I mention some shocking secrets too?

This book really did have it all, and emotionally it touched me in a way that had me reach for the tissues. It reminded me of how I haven’t fully grieved a loss of my own in the last fifteen years, which speaks to Martin’s talent to drudge all that up for me again. What kept this from a five? The fact that Drew made me want to hit her a couple times. The conflict also rode a line for me that I wasn’t sure I agreed with. Again, I’m picky with my fives this year, but don’t doubt this book is a good one.

For those who enjoy Kate Clayborn or Kristin Higgins.

~ Landra

It is easy to tell that this book is not geared towards me, so many pop culture references that went over my head, but I did enjoy it nonetheless. I had a hard time connecting with Drew in the beginning, but she did grow on me and how can you not like Jasper? I so rarely have an answer when someone asks me about a book boyfriend, but he might be it. LOL

In addition to the love story, there is the grief Drew is still experiencing over her Grandmother’s death. This part of the story I really connected to. I lost my Grandmother many years ago, but it still stings. She too was one of the coolest people I knew and I too never doubted for a minute that she thought the world of me. I really liked her getting to know a little about her grandmother a little better. And with tears in my eyes, I laughed so hard at the bet at the end of the book.

I liked the bookstore and the Colorado sightseeing. A great supporting cast including the book club ladies and Drew’s sister Daisy. The book was a little slow for me in the beginning, it picked up when I started to like Drew more.

Drew isn’t a book lover but her beloved grandmother was, and some of her fondest memories were with her at her bookstore called the Book Nook. So when her grandmother passes away, she is surprised that she leaves the bookstore to her, and Drew is forced to give up her true passion, photography. Instead, she spends all her time trying to keep the store going, and that includes spending time with the resident book club, the Knit Pickers, a group of senior citizens who love to read and knit and are very involved in each other’s lives, as well as her grandmother’s and now Drew’s.
When Jasper Williams comes to the store for a book signing, Drew is attracted immediately. Jasper’s decision to stay in town to do some research for his next book gives Drew the opportunity to get to know him better, especially when the Knit Pickers interfere and get Drew to be his tour guide. Soon they make a deal, that if he can help her find books that will make her love reading, she can find hidden places that will make him love Denver and give him great insight for his book.
The hiccup to the happy ever after is Drew’s father, who is mad that his mother left the store to Drew instead of him and plots to take it out from under her, all while completely undermining the minimal and tenuous relationship that they have.
Can Drew keep the store away and yet still manage to find a way to get back to her true passion? What will become of Drew and Jasper?
This was my first book by this author but it won’t be my last.
Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Drew is a photographer who loves the outdoors and hates reading-and has inherited an adorable bookstore from her grandmother. Jasper writes romance books and can’t imagine someone not liking to read. Together they seem like a case of total opposites, but it works. Drew’s pain and grieving over losing her grandmother really tore at me, you could tell she hadn’t even begun to move on and was just going through the motions of living. I loved how a group of interfering book clubbers got involved to help her out-with some less than subtle match making, as well as more subtle pushes towards healing. As much as this was a romance it was also about rediscovering yourself, about reconnecting with what you love and your vision, and about the network of support and (sometimes unexpected) friendship that makes life better in all kinds of ways.

A fun, heartfelt romance that will have you smiling, laughing, and crying in all the right spots

The tone and pacing did not drive me forward from the get-go. I kept stalling and putting the book down. Maybe it’s just me but there was a tone to this story (I’ve enjoyed others from the author) that just wasn’t interesting me. Eventually I got more into the book, but I also wasn’t particularly invested. I was bored.

Here’s what pushed me past bored though into dislike:
- Jasper was so good looking and it was rammed down our throats every third page. Enough already.
- Drew describing their bargain as OTT crazy, when it’s the tamest romance set-up ever. There’s no real push or pull or stretching her boundaries despite what she claims.
- The blow-up between D & J just didn’t work me.
- Grandma did her dirty. When we get to that lawyerly part near the end, I was absolutely pissed. Are you kidding me? That’s where I dropped it to 2 Stars.

I was so close to the end I finished it. But overall, I’m mad I spent time on the story. Moving on.

I was excited for this book. At first I really enjoyed the girlfriend in my head writing style. However whenever I was excited for a date I found for some odd reason Martin chose to skip over the event, never showing the readers the couple's dates but telling the readers later on. This got annoying after the 50 percent mark. I had to DNF.

I loved this book!!! It was so cute and cozy. I love how Jasper got Drew into reading because it reminded me how I did the same thing with my partner. I feel like some people might not enjoy how quickly things hit the ceiling and got resolved but personally I like that a lot. I loved watching Drew find her passion and meaning in life again. Sometime you have to lose your way to get back on track. Also I definitely want to move to Colorado now.

As a book hater (self-proclaimed), Drew is surprised to discover that her grandmother left her bookstore to Drew. But when bestselling (and very attractive) author Jasper Williams comes to the store for a book signing, he may find a way to change Drew’s mind. What I liked most about this book was all of the side characters. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Drew and Jasper, but Martin does such a good job of create a full world filled with side characters that I want to meet in real life. However, I'm still frustrated about the fact that the Book Nook store doesn’t actually exist! Martin created such a fun, cozy bookstore in her novel that I just want to go visit. But sadly, it doesn’t exist.

Drew never had an interest in reading, but books become her life after she inherits her late grandmother’s small business, The Book Nook. The shop comes with an established book club made up of seven meddling grannies called the Dirty Birds, who are looking forward to a pre-planned signing with bestselling author Jasper. Sparks fly when the Dirty Birds set Drew and Jasper up on a date, but can a book-hater ever fall in love with a romance novelist? This was a satisfying romance perfect as a beach read or a cozy story for a cold winter's day. Perfect for romance lovers and I loved this dynamic, realistic couple with independent goals who support one another. I have recommended this on my Instagram.

A reluctant reader unexpectedly inherits her grandmother’s bookstore and, through the interference of her grandmother’s friends, agrees to be a tour guide for a famous author. She rediscovers her passion for photography and reading while she falls in love. The enchanting romance is overall upbeat and moving while dealing with grief, family complications, and quirky supportive characters.

I absolutely loved this book! I'm a big fan of Alexa's books, and this one might be my favorite of hers so far! I loved watching Drew work through her grief and really figure out who she is and what she wants. And Jasper is basically the perfect book boyfriend! Who wouldn't want a romance author book boyfriend??? This book is the perfect mix of steamy and sweet, and as always with Alexa's books, has a killer friend group I totally fell in love with.

I enjoyed so many aspects of this book. First, the main character (Drew) owns a bookstore that she inherited from her beloved grandmother (grief is big theme). She doesn't necessarily want to own a bookstore, but she does want to carry out her grandmother's dream. And the love interest is an attractive romance author (Jasper). There's a spunky best friend, some estranged family members, and an hilarious group of older women. Finally, it takes place in Colorado and we get introduced to some gorgeous areas of the state.

All of these ingredients together made this a fun read for me. The focus is more on Drew's own journey than the romance, but her journey was definitely hard, moving, and heartfelt. The hard stuff was countered by fun and laughter with the positive friendships and budding romance.

Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: death of a loved one (past), grief, family tensions, parental abandonment

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-friends to lovers
-only one bed
-slooow burn
-found family


Alexa Martin just excels at writing such tender relationships, especially female relationships. The secondary characters truly stood out, Drew's best friend, her sister, the book club. The family she accidentally built around herself as she dealt with her grief.

I really enjoyed just the set up of this book. A book owner who doesn't enjoy books, and a romance author. How they shared their interests with each other, not forcing them, but investing the other because that was their interest. This was such a soft romance and I really enjoyed the slow burn as Drew and Jasper kept running into each other.

Steam: 3

i liked this author's voice and the banter and relationships between the protagonist and her friends, but a lot of this (especially the writing) felt a bit unfinished to me, or maybe like a debut. i wanted more from this! had this been a contemporary rather than a romance, i think i would have liked it more, but the romance was the centerpiece and i found it less interesting than a lot of other relationships and plot points.

this was funny and fun to read, though!

After the death of her grandmother, Drew Young is now the new somewhat proud owner of The Book Nook. While she’s a self-proclaimed ‘book hater’ and non-reader, she adores the shop and sees it as her duty to carry on her grandmother’s dream. The only caveat is that she’s struggling to not only keep the shop out of her father’s hands, but also with her own identity, as she’s had to reprioritize her life to take on the bookshop. Meanwhile, Jasper Williams, famed romance author comes to town. When he asks Drew to help familiarize himself around Denver to help him write his new book. In exchange, Jasper will give Drew a list of books to read, and then take her on an adventure that coordinates. As the two get to know each other more, Drew starts to find it harder and harder to stick to her belief that ‘Happy Endings’ are only in fiction.

I loved this book. It’s sweet, cute, and fast paced. I love books set in bookstore and library settings and having a book-harder turned bookstore owner as our main character, was so fun for me! I adored Jasper and found him to be charming without being cringy. I also adored Drew’s best friend, Elsie, who is a witty and fun mom of four. She complimented Drew’s character perfectly, and add a bit of positivity to Drew’s life. Drew on the other hand, was a little harder to like, as she is definitely a glass half empty kind of person. I found myself getting frustrated with her more than once, and the big ‘Conflict’ between our love interests is basically just her getting mad about something totally ridiculous in my opinion. While heartfelt, her character doesn’t handle conflict or anxiety very well at all. While we saw a bit of growth from her, I felt she created some of her own problems.

Ultimately, this was such a cute book. I didn’t realize till after I read it, that the author was Alexa Martin, who wrote Mom Jeans and Other Mistake, which I LOVED last year. If you’re looking for opposites attract or a sunshine/grump trope, then this book is perfect for you.


Better Than Fiction is out now! Huge thank you to Berkely Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

Better Than Fiction is a romcom about a bookshop owner who doesn’t read and a bestselling author. Drew and Jasper have very different personalities, yet they have a great connection. They get to know each other more as they explore Colorado and reading books. I really enjoyed the way Alexa wrote about Colorado. It’s obvious through her writing that she loves her state and this book made me want to travel and try some fun adventures in the beautiful state of Colorado. Drew had a close relationship with her grandmother and there’s a moment near the end that made my heart melt. The book club ladies, aka Dirty Birds, were a hoot! Drew’s bestie gave me Vonnie vibes, for those who have read her Playbook series. Not only are you guaranteed a HEA, but this book has cute flirting, a one-bed situation, and a grand gesture. All of that in a beautiful setting and lots of book talk, it’s a great romcom for Bookstagrammers and romance lovers. 💕

Thank you @Berkleyromance for a digital ARC & to @PRHAudio for a free audiobook.

Alexa Martin + a book featuring a bookstore and romance author hero? Count me in, sign me up, where do I sign?

I love the way Alexa writes relationship, and mix that with delightful descriptions of nature, hikes, friendships and swoony scenes and I'm there!

I did feel there were a few pieces of this novel that could have been wrapped up tighter, but overall would 100% recommend to readers of both romance and commercial/popular fiction.

Drew’s grandmother owned a bookstore. After she died, she left it to Drew in her will. The only problem is that Drew doesn’t love books. She loves her grandma though and decides to keep the store and run it in her honor. When her grandmother’s book club invites a super hot romance author to the store, she’s intrigued but know it will never work. Until he asks her to be his tour guide in Colorado and challenges her to read books of his choosing.

This book made me want to visit Colorado. It also makes me want to explore more small bookstores. Drew isn’t just dealing with grief and romance, but also a lot of family drama. Her dad, who left their family when she was young, is an absolute jerk.

In the acknowledgements, Martin mentions that she wrote this book after losing her mom. I think that the way Drew deals with grief in this book is relatable and realistic and I could tell that it was written by someone who had experienced it. This book was such a nice balance between all types of relationships. While the romantic relationship is still the biggest focus, I always love when romance novels also have solid friendships and family relationships. This book also added in a lot of grandmotherly relationships with Drew’s grandma’s friends.

In addition to being a sucker for books, I’m also a sucker for travel. This book balanced these two loves of mine perfectly. Also, Jasper is the perfect book boyfriend. He is everything that any woman would ask for and I immediately fell in love with him. I appreciated that Drew’s friend Elsie helped to combat some of the typical romance tropes too. It added some fun dimension to the story.

Even though this book wasn’t a mystery, I found I couldn’t put it down. I kept looking forward to the next time I got to pick it up and fall back into the world of Drew, Jasper, and The Book Nook. I wish I could travel there and fully immerse myself in this world. I enjoyed this book much more than Martin’s other book that I read and now I was to go back and read some more. This book is one I feel like I could’ve seen myself writing and I related to the voice and a lot of little quirks in the book, such as the pop culture mentions without being named. Highly recommend.

This book was a quick read. i loved the reluctant store owner falls in love with an author. it was a lot of fun to read! I think this will be a new favorite of many romance fans!

✦Review: BETTER THAN FICTION by Alexa Martin shorturl.at/eiKT9
Publication Date: November 8, 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 3.5 Stars

I enjoyed the premise of this book. A non-reader inherits a bookstore and falls for a romance author. Add in the lively banter of close friends, and it increases the fun. Jasper, the author, was almost too good to be true. He was handsome, kind, and oh so sexy. He was the opposite of Drew in many ways, yet they clicked. I sure wish I liked Drew. She seemed a bit self-centered and caustic at times. Her friends and Jasper liked her, so I just went with the belief that it was just me that couldn’t warm up to her. This was a fun book with nice camaraderie, well written excursions into the Denver area, and sexy romance.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

Kindle https://amzn.to/3NQ0rKT