I've been a fan of Jenn McKinlay's since I began reading her cozy mysteries nearly a decade ago. I preferred one or two of her series over the others, but then I noticed she was writing romance books too. I had way too many novels on my TBR, so I held out... caught up on her series and then added this one just in case I wanted to sample it. NetGalley granted my wish, and well... it hit my queue this week. All I can say is... droolworthy, in a good way. Kier is my new fantasy, and I am moving to Ireland. Okay, that can't happen but seriously, why don't things like this happen in real life? Loved the setup. Loved the characters. Cried at a death. Imagine a writer loosely based on someone with the success of the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, and toss in some imaginary family and connections, and this pulled at every emotion I have. I will definitely go back to read her earlier romance novels now too.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Love at First Book follows Emily, an American desperate for change who travels to Ireland to be an assistant to the author of her favorite books, as well as work in the bookstore that she owns. However, when she arrives, she is not greeted by the author, but her grumpy, handsome son. And thus begins a grumpy/sunshine, annoyances-to-lovers situation. TWs- parental abuse (verbal and physical), death of a parent.

This was, in all honesty, a little of an underwhelming read for me. While I was enticed by the premise- I mean, a book set in an Irish bookstore? Yes, please!- but there were some things about the plot, characters, and writing that made this a book that was enjoyable, but not totally rememberable. To start, I really enjoyed the relationship between Emily and Siobhan. The idea of being able to meet your favorite author, let alone work for them, is every book lover's dream, and their dynamic and connection was really beautiful. I love that Emily had the opportunity to experience the maternal love that she desired and I think the author did a good job fostering that.
However, I wish that we got more of Emily's relationship with her actual mother. While I know that the book is centered around the idea that she is distancing herself from her mother's abuse, there was no closure. They had one on page fight and then that was it. There was no conclusion as to how Emily was going to navigate that, and I think that would have been a really meaningful addition, especially as she and Siobhan got closer.

I also appreciated the cast of side characters and the home that Emily began to make for herself, but I do wish we got a little more time with her and the other women of the bookshop. Their interactions were fun and gave a lot of insight not only into the side characters, but into Emily herself, and I had hoped for a little more of that.

Personally, I felt like too much of the book revolved on the will they/won't they between Kier and Emily, and while it worked for a little bit, it began to feel redundant and ineffective, especially when they finally did connect with each other. It just didn't feel truly organic, rather like the author knew she wanted them together and had to find a rapid way to do it.

The small moments of spice were done well, and I think that Emily and Kier did have chemistry (I just think it could have been explored differently/less repetition), and the ending of the book was truly sad. However, that grand gesture at the end felt too rushed. I won't spoil it, but after everything Emily and Kier just went through, his big moment just felt rushed.

Overall, this was a read that I vaguely enjoyed, but will not be remembering.
I also saw this author behaving poorly on Threads, specifically in regards to reviewers, and that left an impression poor enough that I do not think I will be picking up another book by them.

So many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay. I fell in love with this story and the characters and the setting immediately. For me, this is a perfect book. Did I cry? Yes, yes, i cried. ❤

Oh my goodness I just devoured this book in one sitting! I was completely charmed by it. I could identify with Emily's devotion to her favorite author and I'm so happy that it ended up being a positive experience for her. Loved the quaint Irish small town, and I loved the romance between Em and Kieran. The only thing I wish there had been was more of a resolution to her narcissistic mother storyline. I mean, in a perfect world someone like Emily would have been able to cut her mother off, but I suppose the way it was handled in the book was more realistic.

This was a heartwarming story about starting over and finding yourself. Emily moves across the pond to Ireland to assist her favorite author with her new book. She is surprised with an attractively gruff man, who just so happens to be the son of said author. While her mornings are spent with Siobhan, trying to spark inspiration for the next book, her afternoons are slow as Kiernan Murphy tries to make things a little too difficult for her to help his mother.

I wanted be transported into the town of Finn's Hollow. The community was so welcoming to Emily and you slowly see her open up and find a place for her working at the bookstore and with Siobhan. Emily's transformation is what we were all hoping for, for her. I went into this book ready for a romance driven story, and it for sure had a huge part focusing on Emily and Keirnan's flirtation. Their banter was so cute and their chemistry, off the charts!! Though, as I kept reading the relationships that Siobhan has with both her son and Emily was what captured my attention. It was so emotional to go through the ups and downs with them, and I did not expect a few tears shed at the ending.

Please read this book! It is perfect for all bookish girls and who daydream about men with accents in the best place in the world (a bookstore).

✔︎ cute author/mom character who is everything you want in a person
✔︎ silly little jobs in a silly little town that are just cute and don't need to make sense
✔︎ librarian in favor of a more modern cataloguing system
🆇 annoyingly flat main character and her annoyingly flat romance pærtner
🆇 the whole thing where they trade book quotes at random to try to quiz/stump each other? insufferable.
🆇 the supporting friend characters have no reason to be there
🆇 biggest miss of all imo: the lack of tension made the romance pairing feel unearned :(

many thanks to berkley publishing group and netgalley for the advance reader copy.

I enjoyed this book and I can see my patrons really loving it themselves. I am a sucker for a good book about bookish related things and this one was a hit.

A young librarian with issues (bad childhood, hypochondria, introversion) arrives in Ireland to spend a year assisting a famous author and working at a bookstore. The author's adult son, the book store manager, is the grumpy to the librarian's sunshine, I think. I honestly didn't get very far into this book to know for sure. The dialogue was unrealistic and overly dramatic, and it felt like a very new author's early work, although I understand this isn't a debut novel. I'm sorry but I DNF.

I received this early copy today and immediately started reading it and could not stop.

I fell in love with this setting, the characters, and the love of reading that is at this books’ core.

Books that centre around an American moving to Ireland or Scotland are some of my favourites, but they do tend to get repetitive. “Love at First Book” felt like a new approach to this romantic niche. The book focused on Em’s relationship with her favourite author who she was hired to assist in writing the last instalment of her immensely popular fiction series (very much Harry Potter x Percy Jackson: her name is literally Siobhan Riordan). I loved her relationship with Siobhan. It never felt forced or unrealistic; it truly felt like a relationship that a young woman would have with an older woman who is not her mother. Their relationship made me cry later into this book and I truly was not expecting that.

I really enjoyed the romance between Em and Kieran! I thought they had a very realistic romantic arc that never felt forced or insta-lovey. The third act breakup was quite predictable but it was relevant to the overall story, so I didn’t mind it.

I’m rating this book 4.5* and not 5 stars because I do wish there was some kind of closure to Em’s relationship with her mother. It was such a major part of her story that was not resolved or mentioned at the end.

I really loved this book and I’m so thankful that I was able to get an early copy! Thank you so much to Berkeley Publishing Group for this early copy.

I adored this book! The characters are so relatable!
The both struggle with mental health and their familial relationships.
The slow burn of them coming together had me on the edge of my seat. It was so satisfying when they finally connected. I couldn't put the book down, and I cried at the end.
So So good! Highly recommend.

Let me start off by saying that I now want to move to a small Irish town in the Fall and spend a year working in a bookshop, living in a cozy cottage, and befriending everyone I meet! This book is incredibly charming in its scenic descriptions and inclusive cast of incredibly kind and fun characters. McKinlay developed a strong main character in "Red"/Emily and a perfect love interest in Kieran. These two have chemistry immediately, even if they start off at one another's throats. Kier is suspicious that Em is in this position (of being an assistant to her favorite author) to fangirl out, and Em is equally annoyed and frustrated that Kier is doing everything possible to make her quit and move back to Martha's Vineyard. But when the two start to find similarities in their lives, their connection is hard to ignore.

I especially liked that Em is in Ireland to discover herself and to get away from an abusive family member, not because of a broken heart or break-up. To me, it makes this romance original. I loved the use of characters in the small town to help build her up, and accentuate her personality. The use of atmospheric imagery made this novel super cozy and just plain lovely! It's the kind of book that is perfect for a rainy day in with a scone and cuppa. :)

"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."

Love at First Book was a love story for booklovers. Who wouldn't want to end up in a cozy bookstore working for a favorite author? I enjoy a good Gumpy/Sunshine romance and this had those vibes. I sped through this book because it felt so enchanting. I will say though, I cried. I was reading at work and my coworkers saw me crying at the hands of a novel once again. It was a good cry, but Jenn McKinlay knew just how to pull my heart strings. A sweet, well done novel that made me want to reread a few of my favorite childhood books. Thank you for that.

Love at First Book
by Jenn McKinlay
Pub Date: May 14, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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.
Triggers: Toxic relationship with parent, hypochondria (researching illnesses, spiraling, etc), death (off-page but it’s happening throughout the book), breast cancer relapse
Love at First Book completely took me by surprise. While there were some parts of the story that I struggled with, I did find this book to be an enjoyable read. I thought Em and Kieran were great together. I enjoyed their banter. I liked the complexity and drama of Kieran's relationship with his mom. All in all, a sweet and enjoyable romance.

This is my first Jenn McKinlay romance, and I am in love. This is not my typical genre, (I tend toward horror/thriller) and there was just enough whisley drinking and fiesty banter between the two main characters to hold my interest. I was invested within the first couple of chapters and thrilled when there were twists! I fell in love with the whole cast as well as the setting of the cozy Irish village. I do wish the cover had Shackleton on it instead of the cat (no offense to cats!)

This book was quick to read with likeable characters and an interesting story line. Though I love to read mysteries and thrillers, I wanted to read a book that had no terrorism, murders, etc. for a change. I enjoyed this book.

I loved this book from the cover to the very last page. From reading this book I know author Jenn Mckinlay is very witty because I caught myself smiling through the first half of the book. The banter between the two main characters reminded me of my husband and I and I was all for it. I loved that the story was set in a bookstore in Ireland and that the main character was doing something for herself for the first time ever. There is a handsome bookstore owner with an accent, a mangy loveable dog, nice coworkers, afternoon tea...I mean the only thing I didn't like was when it ended! As soon as I finished I knew I would pick Love at First Book for my book club!
Emily has left her job as a librarian to take on a job as a personal assistant for her favorite author in Emerald Isles. The town, the bookstore, her cottage...everything is so charming until she comes face to face with the bookstore owner Kieran Murphy. This man exudes grumpiness and if Emily lets him get to her he will surely steal all of the excitement she has for meeting her hero Siobhan. Being able to work closely with Siobhan and help her get the spark back for writing is a dream come true because these books basically helped Emily have hope when she was a young girl dealing with her parents martial troubles. Emily will split her day working at The Last Chapter doing inventory and spending time with Siobhan on her final book. Emily is a little confused when Siobhan takes her to tea At Hazels Tea Shop and off to get yummy desserts instead of making a writing schedule to stay on task. If Emily didn't know better she'd think that Siobhan has an ulterior motive to bringing her biggest fan to her town, but whatever the reason Emily loves her even more now that she's met her in person. The bookstore,the town, Siobhan, and maybe even Kieran....Emily didn't realize in the beginning but Emerald Isles feels like the home she always wanted.

One of the sweetest romances I've read in a while. The characters feel well-rounded with real interests, dislikes, quirks, and struggles. You want to root for Emily and Kieran and Siobhan in each of their respective journeys.

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…

Love at First Book is a cute and heartwarming romance. I adored Em and her introverted awkwardness. At first glance, Kieran appears to be a total grump and brings out the worst in Em. In the beginning, it seems as though they are destined to be enemies, but as time passes, the tension between them quickly turns into something more.

The reason I'm giving this book 3 stars is because I did feel like there were a few things that went unresolved. For example, the situation with Em's mom plays a huge part in why Em is the way she is and I just felt like that plot point never saw any resolution. Also, while I don't hate the singular point of view, I do think if we had Kieran's point of view, it would have really added to the story; helping readers see his struggles with his mom and wanting to overcome his fears. My only other issue with this story is the overall writing. Don't get me wrong, I do think this story was written well, however, there were quite a few moments that felt rough, like it needed to be fleshed out more.

Love at First Book completely took me by surprise. While there were some parts of the story that I struggled with, I did find this book to be an enjoyable read. I thought Em and Kieran were great together. I enjoyed their banter. I liked the complexity and drama of Kieran's relationship with his mom. All in all, a sweet and enjoyable romance.

Cute story about a women who wants a first start and loved to Ireland for a job. I wanted to love this one but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t connect to the characters. I’ve learned I’m not a fan of grumpy characters , lol. This is my first book by McKinlay, but I’ll definitely check out more by her
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LOVE AT FIRST BOOK follows librarian Emily Allen from Martha's Vineyard to the small Irish town of Finn's Hollow. While she is excited about her new job at a small local bookshop and the opportunity to finally travel, those aren't the big draws for Em. Rather, it's the opportunity to be an assistant to the author of a book series that was a vital lifeline to her younger self that has Emily eagerly relocating halfway around the world.

Faithful readers of the Tig McMorrow series have been waiting for ten long years to learn how their favorite character's story will either evolve or end. Unfortunately, Tig's creator, Siobhan Riordan, hasn't written a word in all those years. Both Em and Siobhan are eager to get to work, and both have personal reasons driving their desire. But a big obstacle stands in their way: Siobhan's son, Kieran, who seems set on foiling any progress. In fact, he actively tries to get Em to return home to the U.S.

In many ways, LOVE AT FIRST BOOK is a typical romantic dramedy. The story has moments of laughter and cringe-worthy awkwardness from Em that are endearing (at least to me!). There is family drama and romantic tension, and even scenes that seem to poke fun at themselves, calling out the Great Misunderstanding and the Grand Gesture that are staples of the genre. I let myself get swept into this story on St. Patrick's Day weekend, and it was the perfect tale for the time. It's a story of love, heartbreak, loss, redemption, and hope, all wrapped up in the package of a sweet and funny book.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Berkley, for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.