Lately I have really been enjoying books written by two authors! This Townsend knotty novel was a great read by another dynamic pair! I really enjoyed it and am so glad it’s only the first in a series of Townsend stories to be told. This book had everything I love in it: books, mystery, romance, humor, mental health representation and more! The authors did a great job writing from both MC points of view and I enjoyed the timing of the POV switches throughout the story. I loved getting to know the main characters, Fox and Cady; as well as the supporting characters. The tight knit family of misfits Cady is in made my heart have all the feels. Caryn Townsend was the worst but necessarily so! This story had just the right amount of suspense/sexual tension between Fox and Cady to keep me wanting to keep reading late into the night.

One of my favorite parts about this book was the representation of all different types of people. I enjoyed that Cady and Fox both has struggles (physically and mentally). Showing that even those of us with mental hardships can still find hope and healing is such an important message to bring to readers.

This book made me blush one minute and laugh out loud the next. I can’t wait to read the next installment of this series! This book was terrific and I think will be a huge hit for many other readers!

There were a few things I really liked about Nevermore Bookstore: for one, I love anything bookish related to the plot. Also, the disability representation was done well. The beginning was cute and I liked Cady for the most part. But Fox was a hot mess for me and it's really hard to root for a couple when you really dislike one half. His POV was weird and he came off as inappropriate instead of seductive. It wasn't quite a dark romance so it didn't really work for me. The humor is a mixed bag but I was interested enough with the plot to finish so 3/5 stars.

3.5.

I really struggled to rate this as I really liked references to other books, I liked some of the characters, I liked the premise of the storyline but sometimes it just fell flat.

I was so confused as to why he was stalking her and it still never really answered my question apart from “he went into the woods to die and lived for her ohone alls” but like how did he find her number? Why was he even looking if he wanted to just die? He made it sound like it was a mission and a job but it wasn’t…

I did prefer his pov more as she just seemed a little immature at times and the writing style for her was just irritating.

I did like the rep for chronic illness and trauma and it was written quite well but overall this just wasn’t a fave.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this arc in exchange of my Honest review

This book was not what I was expecting, but I liked it. At first I was like what's going on, is this going to be a voyeur type situation, but then it got better. I loved the disability rep in this, but could have gone without some of the miscommunication. But overall, I really liked this and I'd probably read any others in the series.

Cady and Fox each dealt with their own kind of pain and found the perfect level of comfort with each other.

The highlight of Cady’s week was her Thursday evening phone calls with a man she only knows as Fox. His sexy voice made her dream of all kinds of impossible things. Meanwhile, she was sort of dating the sheriff, dealing with chronic pain, and trying to keep the building her aunt had left her. Fox was content to keep Cady confined to a phone fantasy, but he couldn’t help himself getting involved when mysterious things started to happen at the bookstore.

It was difficult to figure Fox out at the beginning. The way he was described was somewhat confusing at times. That made it harder to pinpoint his character and personality. On the other hand, we knew exactly who and what Cady was at this point, but Fox? Not at all. He remained a mystery for most of the story. All you could tell about him was that he had severe PTSD, he was a recluse, and Cady seemed to be the only thing that could draw him out.

Cady was a wonderful character, very genuine and without artifice. She cared with all her heart, but she was maybe a bit too quick to forgive. Her friend, Gemma, was a treat. I also liked Ethan a lot, and I feel that Cady didn’t always treat him so well. The best part about Fox and Cady’s relationship was how they accepted each other and never tried to change anything about the other person.

The plot flowed well and the council proceedings at the end were super tense with all the shocking revelations coming one after the other. Overall, I enjoyed the writing the style and the story. All the name calling had me chuckling out loud, like Hot Hagrid and Sheriff Square Pants. (You’ll have to read it to appreciate it fully.)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

‘Sometimes passion was a whisper, other times a roar. This time? It was a storm.’

Nevermore Bookstore by Kerrigan Byrne and Cynthia St. Aubin was completely different from what we were expecting, once again the curse of the cartoon cover strikes with the dreaded thumb people, however, we ended up really enjoying it. It deals with very heavy topics and mental health which is not indicative by the cover. Once we started reading, we’re not going to lie, we thought this was paranormal and Fox was some type of shapeshifter. It had such an intriguing start that we honestly didn’t have a clue where Fox and Cady’s story was going to go, both together and individually, it was like all the romance tropes challenged each other to a duel for supremacy, and the winning trope was ‘last one’ standing.

“You’re a good man…”
“No, Cady, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. You can try to convince yourself of that all you want. But you’re not going to convince me. Where you came from, what you did – it doesn’t matter to me.”
“It would…If you knew.”

We also went into it thinking it was a rom-com at heart, but overall, it was much more than that, to be fair. Sure, it was funny, even hilarious in parts, however, the humour came from the fabulous book club cast and Myrtle in particular. Whereas Cady and Fox, between them, had stories of heartbreak, violence, and suffering. With all this being said though we absolutely enjoyed it and despite the story being all over the place at times, it actually kept us invested and falling in book love by the end.

“I know you think you’re some kind of big, strong hermit who’s too broken to love, but you don’t get to decide that for me.”

Fox was an intriguing character. Who or what even was he? We didn’t have a clue, but what we did know is that he felt fiercely protective of Cady and he protected her with his life, in whatever shape or form that may be. We couldn’t help but fall in love with this gruff enigmatic character. He was a conundrum we just had to unravel. He displayed questionable behaviour at times, and he kept us guessing right until the end when we finally got his backstory, which explained a lot! His anxiety and PTSD were really well written with sensitivity, he had a plethora of issues that affected how he viewed himself and the world alike. Who doesn’t love a man who reads and quotes fiction?! With Fox though comes not only heat, love, protection, and passion but a lot of angst, a lot of disappearing acts, worrying, and heartache.

“You quoted f**king Shakespeare, Poe, and Plath to me. And then you come to my house, to my business, and protect me and help me and make yourself an indispensable part of my life until I’m so seduced, I can’t see straight…..”

When Cady’s aunt died, she inherited a bookstore and flat housed in a building that has historical value to the small town which is pretty much politically run by the Townsends. A family with shady skeletons in their closet and a hot sheriff son who fancies Cady like mad. Cady is not interested though as she’s been wooed by the mysterious deep-voiced Fox, a customer she’s never met, yet who loves reading and will read anything Cady sends him. Swoony and hot, this relationship is a simmering pot ready to boil over! Oh, and it has one of the hottest phone-nookie calls we’ve read in a very long time!!

‘She was everything. Just everything. A warrior. A Boss. A lover. A survivor. A woman who clutched her compassionate humanity with both hands and refused to let the world turn her bitter.’ ‘I can’t be another thing she has to survive, he thought. I can’t be another burden on her shoulders.’

Cady is a fierce warrior fighting to keep her head over water, what with her chronic illness and struggling book shop. Not only that, strange and scary things are happening that are clearly signs someone wants her run out of business. Ever the optimist, Cady fights on with the help of the mysterious stranger and the man who has stolen her heart on the other end of the phone. Our favourite moment in this story was the banter in the book club. It had us laughing out loud and reminded us of chatting books with fellow readers. And on that note, no truer words were said: “We don’t yuck someone else’s yum…”

Thank you to NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for allowing me a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Nevermore Bookstore” promised small towns vibes, a hilarious romance and disability representation and boy did it deliver!

Cady is a lonely, chronically I’ll bookstore owner who’s favourite part of the week are the calls from mystery customer Fox.

Fox is a discharged veteran convinced of his violence and lack of control, set on banishing himself to the woods.

When both worlds meet identities are hidden and revealed and feelings are hurt then mended.
“Nevermore Bookstore” provides a great set of interesting characters you can’t help but care for and root for.

The ending is also sickly sweet!

For this I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Nevermore Bookstore is the first book in the Townsend Harbor series by Kerrigan Byrne and Cynthia St. Aubin. This romance story is about Cady and Fox. Cady the new owner of Nevermore Bookstore and who suffers from some painful health conditions looks forward to Fox’s weekly call to place his special book order. Fox lives a reclusive life because of his painful past, but Cady makes him wish for a normal life where they could be together. Will Fox and Cady wind up getting together? Read Nevermore Bookstore to find out.
If you like a bit of a racy romantic story full of quirky characters, then Nevermore Bookstore is probably for you.

arcs review!!!

nevermore bookstore by Kerrigan Byrne and Cynthia St. Aubin

not exactly sure how i want to relate this book yet it around a two star or three star honestly i liked this book like the plot was spectacular the only down side of this book was the big words it used for me at least person i’m not a fan of big words and i usually i don’t have a problem with some big words thrown into a big from chapter to chapters but in this book it was constantly and i mean constantly like pretty much in every sentences and i swear some of these words i have never heard of before i couldn’t even go through a single chapter without having to search words up 10+ times but i mean i didn’t learn some new words i would probably never use but 🤷🏻‍♀️good to know

other then that (which made the book really freaking confusing at times) i really enjoyed read this like the tensions and in general the whole story plot between fox? (is that what i even call him now?) and cady was EVERYTHING and don’t even get me started on the smut chef’s kiss (but some scenes like the watching her though her window i don’t know if i loved that scenes or am weirded out by it either way i enjoyed reading about it :)

I had trouble getting into this one unfortunately. I love the premise but the delivery was just OK. I do love a little bookstore romance but this one fell a little flat for me.

When I started this book, I was immediately drawn in by the writing. Though this book is written by two authors, you'd never know; their writing style is seamless, the descriptions were immersive, and the dialogue was witty.

But pretty quickly, there were some flaws in this story for me. First, the book starts when Fox and Cady have already been talking on the phone for a while and already have established feelings for each other. For a romance book, that didn't leave a lot of room for them to go, when they both already knew they had those feelings. It felt a bit lazy to leave all that exposition behind and just start the story with them already having an established relationship, even if they hadn't met in-person yet.

And while I adored Cady, Fox didn't hold the same appeal for me. For most of the book, Fox is hiding his dark past from Cady and thinks he doesn't deserve her because of it. However, contradictory to that, he is fiercely protective of Cady, coming out of his solitude in the woods to live in the alley outside Cady's bookstore and guard the building, since there have been sudden break-ins occurring.

Then, he watched her through her windows while they would have their weekly phone conversations, and when she discovered he was out there, he lied about his identity and took a job at her store. It was very Alpha-male protective in a way I would've once found romantic, but now just gave me creepy Edward from Twilight vibes where he's watching her all the time and we're supposed to think that's romantic instead of stalkerish.

In all, not my favorite romance story and not one I can recommend either.

Content warnings: PTSD, chronic pain, violence, parent in prison (off-page), death of a loved one (off-page), grief

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I picked this after watching a review describing it as funny and cute but imperfect. I hoped the flaws would be compensated by a good story. They weren’t.

The writing was not good at all. The vocabulary was very odd, the characterization poor and the timing weird. There were plot lines that could have been potentially interesting, but they were not explored. It was such a waste because there were so many elements that could have been interesting if only the were fledged out rather than just being thrown in the mix.

The writing style gave me a bit of an headache and made me think this book was written over whatsapp audio messages. I know Kerrigan Byrne usually writes historical romance and that may have contributed to the general weirdness of the vocabulary. It was cringe. Also it felt like pieces were missing, it required an excessive amount of fantasy to patch it together.

It would have made more sense if the male main character was a time traveller because at least it would justify the way he acted and talked. All in all, I think the authors (and the editor) just didn’t commit to this. They obviously didn’t care for the characters or what was at stake so it’s difficult for the reader to do so.

2- more for the things that could have worked that for the ones that did

A very enjoyable read, the plot and the setting were just perfect. I wasn’t expecting the twist and I found the main characters unique and quirky which made this a very interesting read.

Nevermore Bookstore also has an element of mystery and heady romance which was one of many reasons why I really couldn’t put this book down. I highly recommend this to any fellow romance readers especially those who enjoy YA.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the arc in exchange for my review.

3.5*

This was a quirky and hilarious (sometimes cringy) read surrounding the Nevermore Bookstore in a cozy town in the Pacific Northwest.

Fox is an army ranger retiree who has seen a lot and is dealing with a severe case of PTSD. The only person who connects him to the human world is bookstore owner Cady, who recently lost her aunt, is trying to keep her bookstore afloat, and deals with a chronic disease that impacts her life.

This book is set in a small town with an unusual cast of characters that made me LOL a lot. They’re quirky, loving, funny, and supportive (mostly).

Fox is possessive, obsessive, and can’t help but caring for Cady, despite telling himself that he’s all wrong for her.

Favorite Quote: “Sometimes passion was a whisper, other times a roar. This time? It was a storm.”

I didn't know what to expect but I was surprised. I had read Kerrigan Byrne in historical romance and I liked it a lot and when I saw the cover I was very attracted to grab it from my tbr
.
It is one of the few books where the representation of characters with disabilities, chronic pain and neurodivergence is so well written throughout the story, it can be tricky because it tends to blur later when the romance go fordward
.
Cady has just inherited Nevermore bookstore from her aunt Fern, but keeping the business running in a small coastal town can be complicated counting Astrid as she usually calls the chronic illness that causes pain and limited mobility in her spine, hips and legs
.
With the town council pressing for him to pay the inheritance taxes and fix the building, the only highlight is the call from a mysterious customer who calls himself Fox, every Thursday night
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Fox has been interned in the forest for three years, trying to forget his past, even when the trauma of his past life in the army does not let him sleep. His only contact with the world is his satellital phone that he uses to talk to the girl in the bookstore every Thursday and the books she sends him every week
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But when someone breaks into the bookstore, Fox comes to her aid without thinking twice and decides to use all his knowledge to find out who is behind the strange things that happen and protect Cady
.
There were parts where I got lost, in descriptions and rephrasing, and had to go back a sentence or two, but the parts where Cady and Fox interact are so good that I can't give it less than four stars, almost five if it weren't for It took me a bit, the first chapters to enter the story and understand the characters
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But is an amazing group of characters and I will be looking forward to the next book in the serie, I mean I hope that let there be more books
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Thanks to Kerrigan Byrne , Cynthia st Aubin and Oliver Heber books for give me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

Nevermore bookstore is not only a romance that deals with self healing and chronic illness but has a small mystery and total alpha love vibes. This story was addicting to the point I wanted to call out of work just to keep reading. I love these characters and they feel so authentic and a couple you can really root for.

I received a free advanced copy of this novel and am providing my honest opinion Jon voluntarily.

To be honest, even though I am a rom com fan, I couldn't enjoy this book even though I tried. I have to admit that the characters seemed a bit flat and the plot wasn't interesting. I mostly enjoy books about bookstores, but not this one.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I am a fan of Kerrigan Byrne’s historical romance writings, but unfortunately this contemporary fell a little flat for me.

During the first half of the book I found myself going back and forth rereading and trying to keep up with the story to no avail. There was a lot of description and not enough plot for me. Along with this, there were a lot of tropes here that also caused a bit of confusion for me.

I did really love the disability representation in both the FMC and MMC as well as the extremely cute cover.

Overall, this book just wasn’t for me!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Nevermore Bookstore by Kerrigan Byrne, Cynthia St. Aubin is a typical grumpy meets sunshine romance. I enjoyed the disability representation (PTSD, ankylosing spondylitis) and the descriptions of the bookstore and town but they were short lived compared to the rest of the story. I felt like this book was one trope after another poorly strung together (Naive girl meets big strong protector man, love at first sight (phonecall), Mystery man of great prowess versus innocent baby girl). I just didn't find the characters endearing or interesting and even with the dangerous break in element I wasn't too invested. If you're looking for a quick m, tropey romance that involves no thoughts in your head this book may be for you. If you're looking for something with substance or even a hint of darker aesthetics that the title and cover suggests, then you may be disappointed.

Nevermore Bookstore is a quirky novel filled with laugh out loud moments. While it took me several pages to get into the story, it was well worth the struggle.

Cady is quirky and funny and her own person. She struggles with unseen pain that will often illicit childlike care from those around her - including her best friend, Gemma (whom I adore) and her love interests (both Ethan the Sheriff and Fox the mystery man). She speaks as I would - less the prose from Shakespeare - and cares a great deal more than her circumstances warrant.

Fox is a tortured soul who is filled with self loathing, CPTSD, and a desire to be with, and as far away as possible from, Cady. His military background and his service throw red flags for me but Cady finds him intriguing and interesting and infuriating. She wants nothing more than to break down the walls he’s carefully constructed over the years and he wants nothing more than to punish himself and keep his walls in tact.

Their stubbornness and need to not be pitied creates a roadblock for their relationship to grow.

I truly appreciated the authors showing an unseen physical illness in a way that explained but didn’t define and certainly didn’t limit. The way they presented mental illness as something that can be all encompassing and physically troubling.

I loved several new-to-me phrases found in this book but if I never have to read “meat suit” when referring to one’s body (or in any other context), it will be too soon.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital review copy in exchange for my honest feedback.