This book is wonderful!

It's pitched liked a Hallmark movie but there is so much more under the surface. It's about starting over, relationships with parents, traveling and falling in love.

I would recommend this if you're in the mood for a grumpy x sunshine romance. I really liked Emily and Kier. Both are going through rough times and initially don't have a great start. But they are forced to work together and closed proximity allows them to bond and romance develops from that. I think the romance was done well. I couldn't wait for them to get together. The romance also felt believable.

I adored the Ireland setting, especially the bookshop. It gave cozy vibes.

Highly recommend this heartwarming love story!

Loved how lowkey and quaint this one was! I felt like I was THERE, in Finn’s Hollow with the characters in their small town and their famous author. I loved the connections and friendships of the characters and seeing how they grew to know and care for each other.

A slow burn enemies to lovers with a hypochondriac heroine coping with the trauma of a narcissistic mother, and Kier has his own childhood demons.
A great setting for book lovers—and as a former librarian I’m biased. The main conflict is clear a mile away and the ending is rushed, but I could not put this down. Great character development and banter. Top tier banter, friends!

I am a sucker for a story set in Ireland and Love at First Book was no exception. Emily is running from her suffocating life and possibly psychotic mother on the small island of Martha's Vineyard. Her destination is Ireland to work as an assistant for her favorite author and in a bookstore. This book is full of little nuggets of Irish culture, found family, friends and romance.

Mandy Harris
Angel Wings Bookstore

We first met Emily in the book Summer Reading as a librarian. She’s ready for some adventure and this adventure takes her all the way to Ireland. Oh, how I adore the setting in this book! She moves to Ireland, gets a job in a bookstore and starts working for her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan. There’s truly a special relationship between a young child and their favorite book series. Emily’s love and attachment to Siobhan’s series got her through a difficult childhood. Siobhan’s series is beloved by all but she’s had writer’s block for the last ten years and needs Emily’s help.
.
Kieran, Siobhan’s son is protective of his mother and nervous and the newcomer, but it’s not long before him and Emily start to bond. I loved the two of them and the way they recite book quotes to each other is seriously adorable. I love the writing in this book but be prepared to cry.
.

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

When I first started this book I was definitely in a reading slump and could not finish a book to save my life lol but with this book I got right out of that slump real fast! This story was so unique and unlike anything I have read. This book gave angst and tension between Emily and Kier which I absolutely loved. This book is honestly a perfect for us romance book lovers. A hot grumpy boss, working with your favorite author ever and having a cafe nearby with the tastiest food sounds like an absolute dream. The relationship between Shioban and Emily was so beautiful and I loved that it helped heal Emily's inner child because of what she went through with her maternal mother. When Shioban had that last talk with Kier before she passed away it had me so emotional. You could tell the love that she had for her son was so pure. I also loved that Tig was basically Kier and how they ended the last chapter very relatable to his current situation he was in with Emily. This book was everything I needed so thank you Jenn McKinlay.

This book is everything. I loved it.

The idea of a romance centered around a bookstore has been done before with mixed results. But I am happy to report this one of a rousing success. It was well-paced, the characters perfectly endearing, and the found-family aspect was well done.

Emily is a librarian who journies to Ireland to meet her favorite author and escape her mother's stifling narcissistic tendencies. Once there she truly comes into her own and makes a place for herself, surrounded by people who actually care about her.

She finds her perfect match in Kieran Murphy (whose name I just now realized sounds a lot like Cillian Murphy). He's a bit of a grump at first, but it's not overdone. The two share a love for literature and trading quips in the form of book quotes. They're always trying to stump each other. And honestly, I adored them. They were hesitant to pursue anything, given Emily's position as Sioban (Kier's mother) assistant and that Kier was technically her boss. But once they gave in to their obvious connection and attraction they were open and honest about their feelings. It felt realistic and mature, rather than some of the more silly pitfalls rom-coms sometimes fall into.

This book is like the perfect cup of tea on a dreary day. It's warm and delightful.

Absolutely adorable book. I loved the small village vibe and loved the Ireland back drop. Definitely related to having a narcissistic mother, who enjoys ruining trips. The reason for the 3rd act break up was absolutely predictable but I also feel Red made the right choice.

Fairly standard romcom featuring an American librarian looking to figure out her life (and escape her overly demanding mother) and an Irishman who owns a bookstore in a quaint tourist trap village (example? the pub, firmly in the valley, is named Top of the Hill). Obviously there are a ton of literary references and quotes, as well as lots of life in the bookstore, community building and, yes, romance. Oh, and did I mention that Emily (Em, or Red) is not just working in the bookstore but is the assistant to the author of her all-time favorite books, who is suffering a decade plus long case of writer's block? Nothing surprising, but that's ok in a romcom!

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay. I liked the previous book in the series Summer Reading and while they can be a standalone I do recommend reading that one first, though this can be a standalone..

I loved the Irish setting, especially at the cutest bookshop. I didn't love the two main characters Em or Kieran that much or really feel their chemistry. I liked the overall plot but just found this one kinda meh

This is my first book by this author and it won't be my last. I loved the 3D characters and how they all had quirks, talents, faults, and lovable traits that were unique to each one, including the secondary characters. The banter and chemistry between Emily and Kieran made me laugh and swoon as well as cheer them on to letting go of what was holding them back.

The voice of this novel is bursting with sarcastic humor as well as deep-rooted pain from past life losses and situations, making this novel so much more than a romance.

The setting is painted so vividly that I could imagine myself in Ireland (one of my bucket list places to visit). I loved the book shop and the author in residence and enjoyed Emily's relationship with her favorite childhood author. I'm still thinking about this book and will be recommending it to all.

This was such a cute, bookish romcom! It was so fun to read a book that takes place in Ireland while I’m in Ireland, and with our long drives through the Irish countryside, I managed to read this book in just 2 days. Love at First Book features a spunky librarian, a grumpy yet sweet Irish bookstore owner, and a wonderful cast of secondary characters in a quaint little village. I loved all the bookish elements and literary quotes, and some parts of this book reminded me of The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer (another book that I loved). This was a really sweet romance story, and I hope to read more from Jenn McKinlay!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending me an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

"When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author's prickly son...until their story becomes one for the books, from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.

Emily Allen, a librarian on Martha's Vineyard, has always dreamed of a life of travel and adventure. So when her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, offers her a job in the Emerald Isle, Emily jumps at the opportunity. After all, Siobhan's novels got Em through some of the darkest days of her existence.

Helping Siobhan write the final book in her acclaimed series - after a ten-year hiatus due to a scorching case of writer's block - is a dream come true for Emily. If only she didn't have to deal with Siobhan's son, Kieran Murphy. He manages Siobhan's bookstore, and the grouchy bookworm clearly doesn't want Em around.

Emily persists, and spending her days bantering with the annoyingly handsome mercurial Irishman only makes her fall more deeply in love with the new life she's built - and for the man who seems to soften toward her with every quip she throws at him. But when she discovers the reason for Kieran's initial resistance, Em finds herself torn between helping Siobhan find closure with her series and her now undeniable feelings for Kier. As Siobhan's novel progresses, Emily will have to decide if she's truly ready to turn a new page and figure out what lies in the next chapter."

There's two ways it can go when helping a famous author, murder or romance. This is definitely romance.

This book needs to be a movie! For one, it’s set in Ireland? What more could you ask for. The book lover in me loved all of the literary references and book quotes between the characters! The female main character describes the male main character as a modern day, Irish Jamie Fraser and I agree! He’s like a cross between Jamie and Darcy! Swoon! The female main character gets to help her favorite childhood author finish her last book, 10 years in the making. I do not cry easily and I bawled at the end of this book! More than once! It is so good!

⭐️ 5/5

“𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘙𝘦𝘥, 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this great ARC. This was such a cozy, swoon worthy rom-com! Emily and Kier are the perfect grumpy x sunshine duo. If you love a small town, cozy, charming bookstore romance this one is for you. Emily’s character was a breath of fresh air and I loved how unapologetic she was. Though Kiernan is overprotective of the bookstore and his mother, I enjoyed how he was warming up to Emily.

The end of the book made me an absolute wreck, and I still loved it even through the tears. It hit close to home for me with Siobhan but it was a heartwarming ending. All the characters are lovable (except for Emily’s mother), but I’m glad Jenn McKinlay portrayed how toxic and dependent some mothers can be. I think she brought light to issues like anxiety and toxic family relationships properly. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more from McKinlay!

Love at First Book

Thanks so much to @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley

This was a sweet story set in Ireland and is full of characters who love books.
The main character is a librarian in the United States and she takes on a new job across the globe. I love books about books!
I did struggle a bit with the pacing of this book, it was a touch slow for my preference. My attention span isn’t always fabulous so I was a bit bored at some points. I would have loved to see something crazier happen plot-wise.
Here is what worked for me. The MMC Kier. He was so wonderful and caring throughout the entire story. Him and his use of nicknames was perfect.
I also adored the banter. Both main characters were super witty and sarcastic, which made their conversations and banter quite funny.
I also love any book with mental health representation! This book delivered in that department! The FMC struggles with hypochondria, and both characters have their own mental health situations.
There is also an emotional punch in this book as well. I can’t say specifics because it’s a spoiler but be prepared- it gets sad.
This book would make a short and sweet read though! It’s a good choice when you want a hallmark-vibes, adorable romance!
This book is available super soon! You can read it on May 14th.

Read If You Like:
📚books about books
📚sarcastic banter
📚grumpy + sunshine
📚books set in Ireland
📚mental health/hypochondria rep

This was a fun and moving read. While it was hard to get into at first, it really picked up and became a great read by the end. I recommend it for any book lover and lover of contemporary romance.
The book started out a bit rough but found its footing after the first third or so. At first there were a few too many cliches, even for a romance novel, and the characters were a bit rough. However, once the book gained some momentum, it became a much more enjoyable read! By the end, I wished I had more time with the characters. This book became very moving and I found myself getting emotional with the characters.
This book is certainly one for book lovers. I loved how Kier and Em quoted books to each other. But besides that, the characters’ and author’s love of books shines through. Em’s love of a book series from her childhood was very relatable.
I look forward to future books by this author!

A book lover's dream of a heartwarming story with our FMC Emily moving to Ireland to work for her favorite author. The story picks up right away and dives into introducing us to the cozy bunch that run The Last Chapter, and it is filled with humor, romance and a bit of heartbreak. It's a delightful quick read that kept my attention & made me laugh and cry from the very first page. The only thing I would change is fleshing out Emily and her mother's relationship, the back and forth seemed flat, and one second, I was hoping for a resolution for the two but then we never went back to mentioning her again!

3.25

Thank you to the PUBLISHER for providing me a digital copy of “Love At First Book” for a review. This is a bit of challenging review to write because this wasn’t a top read for me but had moments that I appreciated and moved me emotionally (it did have me crying on a plane but I was also on a plane and a character died).

I’ll start off with the main character, Emily, and I was not a fan. She’s 29 years old, only a few months older than me, but she was written to be younger? Or she at least came off like that and it was odd. I think it was because she was created to be quirky/awkward but authors so often miss the mark because they go with stereotypes that are just outdated and don’t make sense anymore, and ultimately the character comes out cringe. I did feel for Emily with her family issues - her overbearing mother and her father who remarried one of her high school classmates.

I liked Kieran a lot and wished we were able to get his POV. He had a lot of emotions to unpack - his mother’s illness and eventual death, the book series his mother wrote, and more. That said, I needed more time between Kieran and Emily to understand their spark - it felt rushed.

The writing - random but it peeves me that there’s a cat on the cover when there’s a dog that poses a more prominent animal character. I think the writing could’ve been flushed out more - felt a bit one dimensional.

Overall, it was light-hearted read, despite a character dying and leaving an emotional path up to it, there were some things the authors left open. Mainly, Emily’s relationship with her mother - it’s simply never talked about again so what was the point of this drama? I will emphasize, the reason I rated this a bit higher is actually because of the Tig book series that is the foundation of relationships in the story.

Of course I want to read about a librarian, who takes a job with her favorite author & works in a book store! Super cute, fast paced romantic comedy that had me cracking up. Of course it wouldn’t be happily ever after without a meddling mama and a little drama. Love a good romance in between all the thrillers. ;)