I thought the premise of this book was cute but found when Drew got mad at the end of the book because he knew about her grandma to be a bit ridiculous. I felt like it was the miscommunication trope trying to be added to this novel but it didn't need to be. The story was good already! I think that end could have been better executed with them having a more reasonable conversation.

You can’t judge a book by its cover. Just ask Drew Young, a self proclaimed
non-reader, despite growing up around books her entire life. In fact, spending a lot of time hanging out in her grandmother’s bookstore, the Book Nook only served as a reminder that the happy endings which occur in works of fiction never actually occur in real life.

Then Drew’s grandmother passes away, leaving Drew not only feeling devastated, but reluctantly in charge of the beloved bookstore. For someone who doesn’t like books or being tied down, this inheritance feels overwhelming. But if there’s one thing Drew loves more than her freedom it was her grandmother. So she decides to stick around, begrudgingly dealing with difficult relatives and well intentioned friends, placing a bookmark in the life she intended to live.

The plot thickens one day when famous author, Jasper Williams leads a book signing at the store. Needless to say, the handsome writer leaves his romance readers swooning in more ways than one. With a strong desire to keep things professional, Drew tries to keep her distance. But when her grandmother’s meddlesome friends throw Drew and Jasper together in the name of “book research”, how can Drew say no?

The aptly titled, Better Than Fiction was an easy to read romance novel with a dash of tribute to the book lover’s heart. While I tend to prefer more banter and burn in my romances, there was still plenty to make your typical romance reader rejoice. It was hard getting past Drew being a heroine in a book about books who didn’t like to read. That being said, it made the story more unique (even though I did want the deets on the titles Jasper suggested!)!

One more thing that stood out to me was the frequent mention of eyebrows. Sometimes one was raised, other times furrowed, etc. Either way, the total eyebrow mention count landed at 16. This information is apropos of nothing, but I felt a burning desire to share it nonetheless. 😉

Thank you so much @berkley, @prhaudio, and @netgalley for the advance copy of this book. This one is out now!

Short Synopsis: Drew is a self proclaimed book hater, but when she inherits a book store from her grandma she meets swoony romance author Jasper Williams.

My thoughts: This story hit close to home to me because I recently lost my grandma too. Grandmas are special, and mine was no exception.

I loved the relationship Drew had with her grandma, and we could see that based on the way she talked about Alice but also how Alice wanted Drew to ultimately find happiness for herself.

It was so fun seeing the author side of a story, especially coming from a male romance author. I enjoyed watching Jasper explore and do research for his new book using Drew’s expertise in the subject.

Read if you love:
* Books about Books
* Photography
* Swoony romance authors
* Bookclub
* Grandmas meddling friends

I'm swooning as I write, because BETTER THAN FICTION involves a young woman, Drew, who inherits her grandmother's bookshop, and meets bestselling author Jasper there. When he learns she's not a bibliophile, he takes her under his literary wing and into his heart as she squires him around Colorado, my fav place in the world.

I felt I was back in the Mile High City as I read, browsing through a beloved bookstore while falling in love amidst the mountains and vast azure sky. BETTER THAN FICTION is a compelling read for lovers of all things literary, heartwarming romance, and the astonishing American West. Highly recommended!

I've enjoyed all of Alexa Martin's books, and it comes as a surprise that I think I liked this more than the Playbook series. Maybe it's because my heart is more easily swayed by a male lead that's an author than a football player, but I found this sweet and occasionally steamy romance to be just the thing. It will make you want to plan a trip to Colorado and see all the things Drew loves about her state, and the people Drew has around her are all fantastic.

Drew was hard for me to connect with and I liked Jasper. I would have liked to see Drew in the self help section and the travel/nature section. To start off her reading journey. I feel it would have made sense for her to connect with those books. I was surprised at how the book ended and think it was rushed. There are part a I really enjoyed so over all 3.5 stars for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the Arc. This is my honest review.

I wanted to enjoy this but was overly unimpressed with the relationships, the dynamic, and the plot felt convoluted.

When I started this ARC I was longing for a lighthearted read and, man, Better Than Fiction checked every fluffy box. I’m always a fan of a grumpy x sunshine trope, but a book hater forced to run her grandmother’s book store and a shy but sexy romance author were the duo I didn’t know I needed!

As someone who grew up with her grandmother as her second mom, I instantly connected with Drew and the sense of familial obligation she felt to continue her grandmother’s legacy. I also really related to her messed up dad situation, the bonds between best friends, and found/chosen family. I am obsessed with all of the secondary characters (I aspire to be a Dirty Bird when I grow up) and wouldn’t mind another book telling Daisy’s story. 😉

Overall, Better Than Fiction was an absolute delight. Drew and Jasper’s chemistry and instant magnetism had me hooked right away. But Alexa Martin really makes you work for it with the slow burn in the first half of the book. I really enjoyed their relationship building, and the descriptions of their dates throughout Colorado had me itching to book a flight. It was a dreamy read and needless to say, when I’m in need of a pick-me-up, I’ll be reaching for an Alexa Martin book from now on. Highly recommend, friends!🖤

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯, 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺. 𝘈𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I wholeheartedly adore anything and everything written by Alexa Martin! This was such an endearing romance, it had a bit of everything. It had compelling and lovable characters at the middle but also included some hilarious side characters who provided so much more to the story. I feel like this book was created for those people who absolutely love books but also have hobbies outside of it such as hiking or photography. If you're looking for a quick read with a sweet romance in the center - look no further!

Almost immediately, I could tell that Better Than Fiction was going to be the perfect read for me. Right away, I found Drew Young to be a captivating character, and the balance of comedy and romance with serious topics, like grief, was compelling.

On the one hand, although this is a romantic comedy, Better Than Fiction does have its fair share of weight. Drew was close to her grandmother, who died a year ago and left her the bookstore she’d run, the Book Nook. Drew isn’t a reader, and she’s had to put her photography career on hold, but she’s determined to keep her grandmother’s legacy alive. In addition to grieving her grandmother, Drew feels the pressure of the book industry she knows so little about, she’s feeling burnt out and mourning the loss of her dream career, and she’s dealing with her evil dad trying to steal the Book Nook from her. This book tackles grief and mental health, giving both time to unfold here, but also balances that with levity elsewhere.

And truly, Better Than Fiction is otherwise a lot of fun. Let’s start with Drew’s romance with Jasper Williams, Author. (That’s how she often refers to him, full name and comma included! So funny.) Jasper is described as being so overwhelmingly attractive that everyone who comes into contact with him momentarily forgets how to function as a human. Strangers will see him and drop the drink they were holding or fumble with the credit card he just handed them, unable to process his transaction. It’s so over-the-top that I can’t help but think that the author was poking a bit of fun at how *hot* men often are in romances.

Another self-aware element is how meta this romance gets. Drew is learning to like books, and with Jasper being a romance author — and her friends being big fans of his novels — there are conversations about what stage of their romance Drew and Jasper are in. This is the part where there’s a final act conflict tearing them apart. This is the part where either Drew or Jasper needs to make a grand gesture. Drew and her friends talk about their love story as if they’re characters in a romance novel… not realizing that they are, in fact, characters in a romance novel.

Beyond those funny elements, Jasper and Drew also have such a sweet and solid relationship. They develop slowly and naturally, and I love how they usually communicate well and allow the other to open up and be vulnerable. Even when conflict does arise, it’s not so bad and is something that can realistically be overcome.

The side characters add to the story, too. Drew’s best friend Elsie is so excitable, and I love how she shouts and punches the air when something gets exciting. She also ships Drew and Jasper hard and is in love with their romance. Drew’s grandmother’s friends — the “Dirty Birds” who set Drew and Jasper up in the first place — are also a hoot and are the original fans of this cute couple. Elsie, Daisy, and the Dirty Birds are a solid support group for Drew, and I love how much presence they have here.

It’s fun to get to know Colorado with Drew and Jasper — I was living vicariously through these adventures! I also love that Drew is learning to appreciate reading. Her initial aversion to reading is, in my opinion, a fallacy. Girl, not all books end happily. Go read some sad books if that’s more your style. But in any case, I do support nurturing an appreciation for reading.

I adored Better Than Fiction from start to finish. It’s such a sweet book, filled with fun and laughs as well as grief and tears. Even with the different themes, it’s balanced and is a delightful read.

An author visits a bookstore that has been recently left by it’s owner to granddaughter. Sparks fly, feelings start… There is so much more to this story.



When Drew inherits the bookstore, she is a non-reader! Her grandmother friends set up a meet-n-great with a well-known author, Jasper, and it draws in a huge crowd. Jasper decides he can show Drew the fun in reading. Showing Drew how to enjoy books includes fun dates, quirky conversations, and talks about life.



Better than Fiction is a book of family drama and opposites attract. I really enjoyed the story. It was easy to read, the characters were relatable and fun, and the family drama…well every family has drama and it made the story more realistic.

Better than Fiction is a fun and smart rom-com that is the perfect book for any romance bookworm.

Y’all know that I love a book that has a bookstore in it! And this book lived up to all the romantic expectations I had for it. This book caught my attention because the main character Drew doesn’t like reading books, even though she owns a bookstore. In my mind, I thought that was such a unique twist to add to the overall story, and I wanted to see what Alexa would do with it. The story is this wonderful mix of witty dialogue, fabulous friendships, family drama, and spicy romance. I really just enjoyed reading this story; everything made my romantic bookish heart happy.

There are really two love stories in this book, the one between Drew and Jasper and the other between Drew and books. Drew’s hatred for reading comes off strong at the beginning of the book, and as a bookworm, I felt this need to find a book that she could connect with. This dislike of reading and books stems from childhood issues and hating that books can make you believe that happy endings are always possible. For me, I love and will only read a book with a happy ending. I really never thought of a happy ending being a bad thing. But listening to Drew’s thoughts on the matter opened my eyes to why sometimes a perfect happy ending isn’t always the best for a book. Drew’s character has tremendous emotional growth around her work and relationship with books. I loved watching Drew slowly start to fall in love with reading and getting excited about talking about books. I thought Jasper’s approach to opening up Drew to the wonderful world of books was cute and brilliant at the same time.

The romance between Drew and Jasper is wonderful and will have you swooning. There are plenty of fun, cute moments and moments of pure embarrassment. Jasper is such a delight, and I adored the fact that he was a romance writer. There was this instant chemistry between these two, and it was fun and steamy watching them explore Colorado together.

Better than Fiction is a swoonastic rom-com!

Drew Young never thought she would be running a bookstore instead of taking nature and travel pictures. When her grandma passed and left her the Book Nook, Drew gave everything up to continue on with her grandma’s legacy. Enter her grandmothers friends and book club, Dirty Bird’s, and their meddling ways. They talk Drew into letting an author come for a book signing at the store, with a secret motive of setting the two up.

Jasper Williams is a romance writer looking for a little help on his next book. He proposes a deal with Drew: she shows him around Colorado and he makes a list of books she would like with a date that goes along with the story. He gets the background info for his next story and dates with a girl he likes, she finds a love for reading she never expected and interest in a man she never saw coming.

My thoughts:

Overall I enjoyed this one. I liked the setting and the characters. I hated her dad, loved Jasper and Daisy, liked Drew for the most part, adored the Dirty Birds, and wanted a friend like Elsie. The one thing that got on my nerves a bit? How Drew referred to Jasper as “Jasper Williams author” all of the time.

I needed so much more of this in my life. I wanted to just fully immerse myself in Drew and Jasper and never come up for air.

I have also added a LOT of things to my Colorado bucket list.

I can't personally understand what it would mean to own a bookstore like Drew and not be a reader, but I would surely give it a try!

Jasper was book bookfriend goals for sure! I never wanted this to end.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this read for my honest review! I loved it so much.

📚 Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin 📚

📚 I think I’m officially a rom-com lover. 😂

📚 Drew inherits her grandma’s bookstore, even though she doesn’t read 😮! But when Jasper, a swoon worthy romance author, needs material for a new book, Drew offers to show him around town.

📚This rom com was made even better by Drew’s grandma’s group of book club friends! I love books with sassy elderly women 😂

📚Add in all the bookshop vibes, messy family dynamics and good witty humor and this rom com is so much fun!

📚 Thank you @berkleypub and @letstalkbookspromo for my gifted copy and spot in this fun buddy read!

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an arc!

Better than Fiction was such a fun read! The romance was very cute, and as someone who loves books, photography, and hiking, I thought it was super relatable.

Definitely recommend it if you're looking for a quick read with great characters and a sweet, clean romance. There's no spice in this if that's what you're looking for!

Special shout out to the Dirty Birds, who were the highlight of the book!

I adored this book! This was my first book from this author and I'm so glad I read it.

Jackson was an absolute dream and was everything I love in a love interest. This book was so sweet, while also giving the spice and romance I could've asked for. I really enjoyed that this book is for the girls who never really thought it was possible to get their own happy ending and to really experience their own book love story. I am already looking to get a physical copy of this book and am definitely going to keep my eye out for more titles by this author!

Better Than Fiction
Alexa Martin


Buy This Book
Better than Fiction is the sensational, charming, sexy new novel from the talented Alexa Martin. While not centered around Thanksgiving or Christmas I’d still describe it as a perfect holiday read because it definitely spreads joy and cheer.

If there’s one thing Drew Young can’t stand it’s a novelized HEA. Sure, she enjoyed fairy tales and romances as a girl, but if her parents’ divorce has her anything it’s that love stories are for suckers. Her folks’ bitter split left her hating books and pretty much everything about them, even if those stories didn’t deserve the blame and her father most definitely did. Her unreasonable hatred of all things novelized, however, did not extend to her grandmother’s shop, The Book Nook. Drew spent many hours of a happy childhood there, playing among the stacks, doing homework in the office, and just hanging out with the grandmother she loved so much. Still, it comes as a surprise to her when, after her nana’s death, she receives not just the necklace she promised but the store as well. Drew is determined to honor her gran’s legacy but can a self-proclaimed book hater really become a successful bookseller?

Fortunately, she has help. The Dirty Birds, her grandmother’s book club made up of seven dear older women who refuse to act their age, are determined to make Drew a success. And not just with the store – they have plans for her personal growth, too. And those plans include getting Drew to be interested in romance in narrative form – which she is actively resisting – and in real life. Which Drew also plans to resist.

But the Dirty Birds like to play, well, dirty. Making sure that Drew has a date with non-other than bestselling romance author – and hottest man alive – Jasper Williams is their first step in changing Drew’s mind about love both on and off the page. Drew tries to hold out, but Jasper’s request that she play his tour guide around her beloved Colorado is one she simply can’t say no to. It isn’t long before she finds herself living the kind of romance she believed only happened in books. But the course of true love never did run smooth and our characters are about to discover how little problems can turn into big hurdles on the way to an HEA.

I loved pretty much everything about this tale. I was initially concerned that a book hater and I would not click but Drew won me over almost immediately. It helps that there is no disrespect of readers or writers involved in her novel issues. It also helps that Drew is a warm, wonderful, independent woman who is a great friend, boss, and girlfriend. I loved that she is vulnerable in her relationship with her truly despicable father – his actions always left her hurt – but that doesn’t make her a pushover. She allows herself grief and anger while remaining strong and honorable. I also loved how she is open to change while still remaining true to herself.

I adored Jasper, too, although he is a touch too perfect. He’s kind, understanding, gentle, generous, and loving – I could fill the page with superlatives and still not do him justice. He’s the ultimate romance hero, which makes him the perfect foil for Drew in lots of ways . With the story revolving around Drew’s lack of faith in happily ever afters, it seemed fitting that her own love story would be the stuff of romance novels. It’s a sweet meta-style joke that lauds the genre while still giving a wink and a nod to the sheer unbelievability of some aspects of it.

As a couple, they’re solid gold. They bring out the best in each other, help each other grow, have natural, wonderful chemistry and it was nirvana to watch them fall in love. And for those wondering, yes he does encourage her to read but no, it is not a big issue between them. They have plenty in common without that.

I also absolutely adored how the secondary characters are handled here. They’re genuine support players, fleshed out enough to be more than cut-outs but not so much that they take up unnecessary page space. Elsie, Drew’s bestie, and her half-sister Daisy are especially well done. Elsie is the kind of friend everyone should have – blunt without ever being mean, honest only when they feel that’s what’s best for you but willing to lie to make you feel better, a cheerleader, a shoulder to cry on and the helping hand that’s always there when you need it. I absolutely loved her frank conversations about motherhood and her willingness to embrace the people who are important to Drew. Daisy has a more complicated relationship with Drew simply because they didn’t grow up together and come from very different backgrounds. Daisy’s rich, white mom had more power in the relationship with their dad than Drew’s own Black, middle-class mom ever did and that affected how their father treated each girl. They work through their issues fairly easily but I appreciated that it does take some effort, honesty, and vulnerability on both their parts.

I did have a few very minor quibbles with the tale, however. Drew makes too big a deal out of Jasper’s one mistake but hey, I understood the novel needed some conflict. Their reunion scenario more than made up for that. The story also really doesn’t resolve the daddy issue, but I’m hopeful that Daisy will get her own book and this situation will receive more attention there.

Better than Fiction is better than most fiction (sorry, couldn’t help myself). I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.

There are so many things I liked about this novel. Jasper was #1 on the list because of all the romance and fun, but I also really liked all of the Dirty Birds the old lady group who had Drew’s back, and her best friend Elsie and her sister Daisy. She totally had a great group of people backing her in life and love. There were some challenges she had to face in this book too, so it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but every good novel needs some conflict to overcome.

I love how this author has grown from her earlier novels. Don’t get me wrong, those novels were my introduction to Alexa Martin and are a big reason why she is a must-buy for me. Those were also the first novels this author had written and it isn’t weird to me that she is trying new things and working to find her voice. Better Than Fiction has some of the same qualities I loved in the Playbook series. Great friends who will see you through good times and bad, but also solid character development and heros who weren’t perfect but whom you could fall in love with despite their imperfections. I think Better Than Fiction is the best novel Alexa Martin has written to date and I hope she has many more stories inside her soul that need to be released to the world.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest.

Enjoyed this one so much!

It’s so witty and love that she inherited a bookstore from her beloved grandma but she doesn’t really read. It has major sentimental value though.

And Jasper the author who is gorgeous but he’s a romance author. That’s points against him according to Drew.

Drew and Jasper’s romance was so sweet from start as just helping get to know the area to the end with the dual grand gestures.

Her father was trying to get the bookstore out from under her and just seemed like a horrible guy. But through his actions she was able to see what her Grandma had envisioned for her.

The grief of losing her grandma was so real and present and reading the authors note that she had lost her mother while writing. This must have been cathartic, it’s really hard losing someone who is like a parent or is a parent.

Thank you berkleyromance and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.