Love at First Book may be my favorite Jenn McKinlay book yet. It has everything I want in a contemporary romance, from likable characters to a beautiful setting to a love of all things literary. This definitely leans towards women’s fiction, too, but in a way that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Emily Allen is a character I felt I could understand, even in the previous novel, Summer Reading. Shy and bookish, she longed to travel far away from her stifling home. With her anxiety, hypochondria, and troubled relationship with her mom, Emily needed a major change of pace, and it landed her in County Kerry, Ireland. Now helping her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, finish the final book in her series, and working at the author’s son Kieran’s bookstore, Emily is immersed in a close-knit family and a world of literature. But as much as she gets along with everyone she meets, Kieran is proving to be an unwelcoming grump and a thorn in Emily’s side.

What starts off as seeming incompatibility swiftly blossoms into something more. Enemies to lovers? Or just people with conflicting goals who happen to actually have a lot in common? Em and Kier have instant chemistry, from their insistence on using the wrong nicknames for each other to their literary quote battles. I loved seeing them realize the kind of relationship they could actually have with each other. (And, of course, I loved all the bookish banter and discussion!)

Partly due to Siobhan’s need for creative inspiration, she and Emily travel locally, giving readers a wonderful glimpse of western Ireland. Castles, some Irish history, and the quaint town they’re living in all paint a lovely picture of Ireland. I’ve only gotten to visit Ireland once before (and my sister lives there!), and Love at First Book brought me back in the best way.

There are some heavier themes throughout the book, from Emily’s mental health and toxic relationship with her mother, to some traumas in Kier’s childhood, to a health battle that has impacted Siobhan’s writing. As much as it can bring about tears, though, Love at First Book portrays everything with tenderness and a glimmer of hope.

While this absolutely works as a standalone—and seems to be marketed as a standalone—it does tie into at least two previous books. Love at First Book is set in the same world as Summer Reading; indeed, Emily is Samantha’s best friend from that novel. And if you remember Colin from Paris Is Always a Good Idea… it turns out he’s an off-page friend of Kier’s and the reason for a lovable Border Collie who occasionally steals the show here.

Love at First Book is a smart, emotional, and sweet book for anyone who loves literature or the Emerald Isle. It has chemistry and charm throughout, with a rich cast of supporting characters and a world that feels real enough to fall into. This has only further solidified my love of Jenn McKinaly’s writing, and I’m eager to read all of her back catalogue as well as anything that comes in the future.

This book took me completely by surprise and left me wrecked but so good.
Emily, a librarian, uproots her life to move halfway around the world in a small Irish village to work for her favorite novelist. She divides her work between helping with Siobhan’s new novel & working for her curmudgeon of a son Kieran in the family bookstore. Emily has her work cut out for her and with the Irish family’s secrets coming to light, she finds herself in deep with this beautiful and heartbreaking life.
I found myself crying while reading but loved this so much more than I thought i would.
Thank you to Berkley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Leaving or rather escaping the quiet of Martha’s Vineyard is something Emily Allen has finally found the courage to do. Although she equally adores her job at the library and her best friend Sam, her mother’s erratic and abusive behavior has ran its course. Emily gets a job as an assistant for her all time favorite author, Siobhan (pronounce Shi-vawn) Riordan who lives in a quaint village in Ireland. A dream come true, Emily packs her bags. She rents a lovely cottage and also works part time at The Last Chapter, a idyllic bookshop in the center of town. The shop owner and new boss happens to be the son of Siobhan. Kieran Murphy also happens to be the most handsome guy she has ever laid eyes on. As Emily learns the local speak and merits of a good whiskey Kieran begins to grow on her. The surly boss man has a soft spot for literature lovers and red heads giving Emily a grand start in the right direction. Their relationship is as impossible to keep secret in this small town as is Siobhan’s cancer which is back with a vengeance. Her dying wish is to finish the book series that has been on hiatus for a decade. As this latest chapter in Emily’s life is turned upside down there is only one solution. Filled with family, love and books, books and more books. This delightful story is simply unputdownable and I loved every minute of it!

Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay is a terrific enemies to lovers story. After the female lead, Emily Allen contacts her favorite author; Siobhan Riordan (what a name) she gets an out of this world response with a job offer. Emily jumps at the chance to work with Siobhan. And what makes it even better, is that she will have to travel to Ireland to do it. When she meets her new boss at the bookstore, little does she know that he is Siobhan's grumpy son. The banter through out the novel is laugh out loud funny. Eventually the grump and Emily start falling for one another. If you love enemies to lovers stories and would love a picturesque view of Ireland at the same time. Pick up Jenn McKinlay's new book today!

Love at First Book takes American Emily Allen, who is a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard, and transport her to Finn’s Hollow, Ireland where she’ll work together with her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan. Emily was nine when she started Siobhan’s series, Tig McMorrow, which she read as a comfort for her home life. She lived away from others, suffered from being psychologically abused by her mother, and having hypochondria. Escaping to Ireland for a new journey is exciting for a woman who only dreamed of it. The character who is trapped and dreams of going somewhere else before magically having the opportunity is nothing new in the literary world. At first, I was worried about how the author would set Emily apart, so I did like her family history to give her something unique to the character.

Emily not only works for her favorite author, but she also takes a job at a local bookstore, The Last Chapter, which is owned by Kieran Murphy (Siobhan’s son). There are essentially three pieces to this story: Emily exploring her new life in Ireland and going through her emotional journey, Emily forming a relationship with Siobhan, and Emily’s attraction to Kieran. While the story may be a romance, Siobhan was the center of the story for me. I loved Emily and Siobhan connecting and Kieran’s mother/son relationship with Siobhan. The romance was still good, but it wasn’t the main draw while reading. I think the three characters were well-done, but I think I wanted a little more Emily focus as the main character. There was a lot of exploration, but I expected more. Overall, this was a great light novel in a way as all the pieces worked together with ease mixed with some deeper emotions.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Berkley, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

5/5 stars

trigger warnings: cancer, terminal illness, mental illness and talks of child abuse

Jenn McKinlay can do no wrong in my eyes. I fall in love with each of her books because they are filled with incredible characters that have depth to them, mental illness representation, a beautiful sense of adventure, amazing endings and of course books!

I LOVED this setting and all the side characters in this quaint Irish town. I just wanted to live in this bookstore along with the cafe.

Kieran's character was a great grumpy to Emily's sunshine. I saw so much of myself in Emily and my heart grew for her each time I picked up the book. I loved their banter and the way they worked together at the end. Of course the steam was just enough and well written too.

If you love books about books, amazing characters, beautiful settings and a wholesome, emotional story, this one is for you!

A librarian moves to Ireland to help her favorite author write their final book, only to be met by his grumpy bookstore owning son. I loved this take on the fresh start and escaping your problems only to be met by new ones. The romance was sweet but the FMc growing into her own was stronger. This one is for book lovers who adore books about books, small town, dislike to love, and workplace romance. Strong family themes in this one but I really liked how both the mental (abuse) and physical (cancer) were handled.

As soon as I saw this cover, I knew this book would hit me right in the feels. Who wouldn't want the opportunity to pack your bags and just escape to Ireland.

This is what happened to our protagonist, Emily Allen. She is a librarian in Martha's Vineyard, but when her favorite author offers her the chance to help with a new book, Emily couldn't resist. Unfortunately, the author's health is declining, and her son is determined to stop the writing process in order for her to rest. Kieran is a very handsome bookish person, but kinda on the grumpy side. Emily and Kieran will have to put aside their differences and learn to put aside their differences to help Siobhan. I loved seeing the way the relationships evolved in this book. Emily's passion for books and writing was contagious and, of course, Kieran. Jenn Mckinlay is such a fantastic writer. Her way with words is just exquisite.

It is one of my truths that I long to read the books that characters are reading or writing. The book series that Siobhan is known for sounds delightful. Em is a great character, dealing with the trauma of her past, taking a chance on a job with her literary idol, being an asset to a book shop. Kier is an enigma I couldn't wait to unpack. Wonderful insights into family dynamics, forgiveness, bravery......enjoyable!

I have a personal rule: if a book manages to make me cry, then it gets an automatic five stars. Which is why I am giving this book an enthusiastic five stars with zero hesitation. A story has to really reach your heart in order to bring on a physical, emotional reaction. What elevated this book to another level was the fact that not only was it a deep-diving, emotional story, it managed to give the feel of a lighthearted rom-com at the same time.

Within the first few pages, I immediately connected to Emily. She's a romantic dreamer, a book lover, and occasionally a bit socially awkward. Her inner dialogue was often a funny daydream or a connection between her current situation and something in classic literature.

Her anxiety and insecurities produced a hilarious meet cute with the hero who happens to also be her new boss. Judging by the synopsis, I was imagining an enemies-to-lovers trope, but I wouldn't exactly call them enemies. Kieran was unwelcoming, sure, but his animosity was shown and explained in a way that made you understand his reasoning behind it. One of the big problems I tend to see with this trope is that the animosity/rivalry is written in a way that their behavior or attitudes make no sense. Their anger feels very contrived and surface level in order to present them as enemies. She never really, truly dislikes Kier, she is upset that he's trying to drive her away and that he uses underhanded tactics in order to do so, but she's crushing hard from minute one. On his side, he may be a bit of a jerk early on, but there are subtle hints that he thinks she's cute and that he respects her intelligence and backbone. Their shared encyclopedic minds filled with infinite book quotes is something that he can't help but challenge her with. He is constantly surprised and impressed with her ability to match his knowledge of books. I really loved that about these two.

Kier is a protective son whose only concern about Emily's job assisting his mother is that her health will suffer again if she becomes too focused on writing again. After a 10 year writing hiatus, Siobhan wants to write the long awaited conclusion to her bestselling series, but a horrible case of writer's block has prevented her from doing so. After receiving an inspiring letter from Emily, she invited her there to help her find her passion for writing again. As much as I loved Emily and Kier's combative/cute connection, I loved Emily and Siobhan's equally so. What really touched me was the deep friendship that developed between them in a short amount of time that Emily so desperately needed. She became a loving mother figure that she had never had and it was wonderful to see her blossom under Siobhan's sass and affection for her.

Emily is still dealing with insecurities and issues with hypochondria because of her mom's manipulative control and verbal abuse. Through therapy, she's much better, but she desperately needed more people in her life to give her positive affirmations and care. Kier's mother gives that to her, but the small town as a whole gives her a feeling of home and family that was beautiful to read.

Finn's Hollow was a quaint small town in Ireland that was described to perfection. The small town was so picturesque that you could imagine yourself there along with Emily, exploring and seeing exciting new places with new friends. You can tell when a book has been well researched based on the descriptions of food, clothing, locations, and the culture in general. Without a doubt, the author did her homework because it shows without feeling too wordy. As well, I found the writing to be beautifully heartfelt in the most unexpected moments.

The ending really hit me in the feels. Some of it was bittersweet, but Kier and Siobhan's complex mother-son relationship was closely tied to her last book. The lingering resentment that he held for her writing tied into painful memories from his past. They both needed to make peace with some traumatic events and Emily helped bridge the gap between them. Just as Emily found comfort and peace in Finn's Hollow, she helped to bring the same to the new people in her life she had come to love. None of the characters were without their own flaws, but was what helped them shine. We saw the light and the shadow, the pain and the strength in all of them and it's what brought them to life so well. This book was grand (as Kier and Siobhan would say) and I recommend it to anyone who loves these things in books:

• small town destination story
• found family
• great banter and rivalry
• endearing heroine with quirks
• brooding but sweet and protective hero
• poignant/emotional plot with humor
• literature quotes and references

I'm a new fan and can't wait to read more from this amazing author! This is going on my 2024 favorites list for sure!

This book was sweet, fun, and quick! The beginning was a bit slow for me, but once I got into the thick of it I was really rooting for Keir and Em!! I loved the concept of Emily moving to Ireland to help the author of her favorite childhood series write another book, it was unique and intriguing! Emily’s growth throughout the story is wonderful and I enjoyed her character from start to finish. Em and Keir’s relationship is fun and sweet. I loved the grumpy x sunshine aspects, the development and all of their sweet moments. I wish this book was a little longer so that we could see more of their love story!!

Not this book making me tear up at the end. 😭
This was such a cute, fun, romance completely surrounded by books in Ireland. Classic grumpy x sunshine.

Love at First Book was the cutest slow burn, enemies to lovers story I have read in a long time.
Em packs up her life and heads to Ireland after a letter she wrote on a whim to her favorite author results in a job offer to be her new assistant after leaving the main character of her popular series in limbo for ten years. She didn't expect that the owner of the book store that she would also be required to work at part time would be so opposed to her helping get the last book of the series in motion. The banter between all the characters was top notch and the story was beautiful, funny and heart wrenching at times. I couldn't put it down and look forward to more books by Jenn McKinlay.

Not sure how one of my fav cozy mystery writers wrote a romance that almost made me cry, but here we are.

Kier and Em are 😘😘😘

A hot Irishman that owns a bookstore and knows and recites obscure quotes from literature? *Swoon* Where can I find one?

Kier and Em’s relationship starts off rocky but their banter makes it all worth it.

Does @mckinlayjenn set up a story with Kier’s mom/Em’s literary idol where you know you’ll end up crying at some point? Oh, for sure. Are the tears worth it? Most definitely.

I loved this so much, and McKinlay might now be one of my favorite cozy mystery AND romance authors.

Special thanks to @berkleyromance for the ARC. This book is out today!

I really liked Love at First Book so much. I loved grumpy Kieran and Em and loved the family she found. Emily leaves her life as a librarian in the States to work at a bookstore in Ireland. Watching them all find their way and their feet in this emotional journey was so heartwarming and rewarding. There was a pretty big piece of the story that I felt was unresolved, but the rest of the story is so cozy and warm that it almost made it ok.

Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay 💚
Standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Adult • Romance
ARC Review
368 pages
🗓️ May 14th

📖 small town romance
🖋️ workplace romance
📖 dislike to love
🖋️ close proximity
📖 found family
🖋️ writing books, reading books, selling books

📌 “Do you mean you’re willing to make changes?”
“For you, Red, I’ll change anything you want. Just come home and be with me where you belong.”

Was I planning on crying on Monday’s Day? No.
But this book and it’s last chapters tugged at my heartstrings and I just couldn’t hold it inside anymore. I’m a cry baby. But I dare even the ones who aren’t to read all of this and not feel these same emotions 😭

{don’t worry. It has a glorious HEA. Just sometimes things happen and we can’t do anything to change them. I mean, Jenn McKinlay totally could but then we wouldn’t be feeling all the feels and as a book dragon I must say… it just wouldn’t be the same🥹}

I also wasn’t expecting to already hold a copy of this book in my hands but I went to the bookstore and it was there. Literary looks were exchanged and just like that it was coming home with me 😜

If you love all things books.
If you love all things love.
If you love all things found family and small towns.
This one is a love letter to you 💞

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would at first. For the first quarter or so I thought it was cute but kept getting pulled out of the story because the language felt clunky and kept tripping me up. I kept running into phrases like "she threw off the throw" which are grammatically fine, but sound really weird. And the language in general felt a little bit simple or juvenile.

But then, around a third of the way through, the story hooked me. I fell in love with the characters and the language stopped tripping me up. I don't know if the story found its groove and flowed more smoothly, or if I just stopped noticing it because I was too focused on what was happening in the story. Either way, from that point I loved it.

And that ending! I cried, like a lot. More than I've cried at a book in quite a while. I wasn't crying at the romance for a change, but for the story as a whole and the relationships between all the characters.

I think I would place this more in the category of 'character discovers herself' rather than strict 'romance.' It's a romance, sure, but that's not all it is and it's not always even the driving force. The romance is just a piece of what drives Emily to reinvent herself into the person she was always meant to be.

I would also recommend reading with a box of tissues beside you.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an early copy for review.

Grumpy sunshine, enemies to lovers book set in Ireland?! Sign me up! Not only is this a rom com but it does get into some deeper conversations which I appreciated. Overall a great booK!

Love At First Book by Jenn McKinlay
Narrator: Brittany Pressley
Rating: 4.5 stars
Pub date: 5/14

Thank you so much to Berkley for my advanced copy and to PRH Audio for my complimentary audiobook.

Taking a break from her life, librarian Emily Allen heads to Ireland, where she’ll be working at a quaint bookshop in a small town and as her favorite author's assistant. Siobhan Riordan has had writer’s block for over a decade and can’t finish her popular series, which happens to be Emily’s favorite. She’ll thrilled to be there, with just one tiny problem: Keiran Murphy, Siobhan’s strikingly handsome, broody son who doesn’t want Emily anywhere near his mother.

Emily is instantly relatable with her dreams of adventure and her deep love for literature. Who hasn't fantasized about working with their favorite author in a picturesque setting like Ireland? But, of course, where would the fun be without a bit of friction? Kieran’s gruff exterior hides a heart of gold, and the dynamic between him and Emily crackles with witty banter and undeniable chemistry. It makes their journey from adversaries to lovers an absolute joy to witness.

Beyond the swoon-worthy romance, "Love At First Book" delves into deeper themes of family dynamics, personal growth, and overcoming adversity. Emily's journey towards independence and self-discovery is inspiring, while her efforts to help Siobhan find closure with her series was heartwarming.

The Irish backdrop, which leaps off the page with vivid detail and charm, was a big draw for me! I love books about books and anything that takes place in Ireland, so I was hooked on this story from the very start. Brittany Pressley does an incredible job voicing these characters and really elevated this story for me.

This book is a love letter to bookworms everywhere, serving up a delicious blend of romance, humor, and heart. With its lovable characters, engaging plot, and irresistible charm, it's a must-read for anyone looking for romance and a little adventure.

Read if you like:
*books about books
*grumpy/sunshine
*enemies-to-lovers
*mental illness rep
*small-town setting (in Ireland!)
*single POV

Thank you Penguin Random House Audio and Berkley Publishing Group for this complimentary audiobook and gifted copy.

I loved this book so much, it took me completely by surprise and it was just what I needed because I ended up with a smile on my face. It was swoony, funny, moving and addictive.
If you like books about books or just love a good romance this is a must read!

𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 by Jenn McKinlay is out today!

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