Eileen (Elsy) is bummed when her annual book club retreat is canceled. She decides to take the trip on her own even though the rest of the group is busy. She needs to get lost in the love stories and escape for a bit. On her way in, she actually gets lost and her car breaks down in a small town. The small town, she soon discovers, is the fictional town from her favorite book series. A series left unfinished after the author passed away. She sees her favorite characters, scene settings, and one out of place man she doesn’t remember from the story. She isn’t sure what’s going on, but she wants to wrap the story up for the characters so they can have a happily ever after.

This book was pure magic for my soul! I think we all have read a book and imagined what it would be like to be part of the story. This was a premise I didn’t realize was missing from my life and Ashley Poston absolutely killed it! Though Elsy had her moments, I found her and her story so relatable, down to the awful ex behavior and the inability to take her own advice. I chuckled, I teared up, and I couldn’t quite predict the ending, though I was close! I have yet to find a miss by this author, and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

4.5 (for the sheer uniqueness if nothing else)

The title says it all! This was a romcom like no other romance. I don’t even know how to describe it. When I glanced at the summary before I dove into the book, I focused on the part where Elsy is the only one aware that she’s in a made up story. I was so relieved that Anders was fully aware as well because stories where only one person knows something for most of the story are frustrating.

This is for die-hard Fabio-covered romance readers (though without the erotica), but could also appeal to those who are a little above that and more likely to make fun of those but still like a good romcom or have a weakness for Virgin River or Hallmark movies and series. Sidenote, it’s funny how they talk about how the books are really steamy, but they are pretty PG in their “real life” depictions of those romances.

I loved “Dead Romantics” and I enjoyed “The Seven Year Slip” for the most part, so I knew I was in for some sort of fantasy storyline. I have to give this book credit though, because I’ve never read a story like it and really got into it, eventually. I know, why such a score it was slow going for a while. I can’t explain it, but the later parts made up for the rest. I’m often undecided about how I feel about books afterwards and I’m still in a bizarre mindset over this one… in a good way. Even though I haven’t read a series quite like the one in this book, who hasn’t really wanted to escape to made up place full of happy ever after?

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review

*Received as a free ARC*
Not my all time favorite book, but it was still pretty good. Elsy and Anders were very cute. I appreciate how the chapter titles indicate Elsy's true love is her best friend--platonic love is just as important as romantic. The ending felt a little drawn out and clunky but overall was good. I'd certainly recommend as a lighthearted summer read.

As readers, I think we have all felt at one time the need or want to live in the pages of our favorite book. That’s what Eileen ends of doing. Somehow she finds herself living in the pages of her favorite romance novels. Along the way she finds herself and, maybe, finding love along the way.

I was really excited by the premise of this book, but I was a little nervous to read it since the author’s other two adult romances weren’t my favorite. Sadly, neither was this one.

It started off well, and I was eager to find out how the story would pan out. I had several theories going on in my head at one time, trying to determine which direction it would go in. If you had asked me in the middle of book, I would say well! I was enjoying it.

Unfortunately, the momentum just did not last. Not a whole lot happened in the book, and the romance between our hero and heroine felt flat and weirdly paced. I didn’t get much chemistry between them, and I didn’t fully understand the progression of their relationship. There’s a thing that happens in the third act that I felt was strange and did not vibe well with me.

The other relationships in the book didn’t quite make sense to me either. There’s a lot of talk of how close Elsy and Pru (her best friend) are, but I didn’t feel any of that.

I wouldn't say it was a bad book or anything necessarily, it just wasn't great? I don't know. I feel very lukewarm about it.

There are some things I liked about it. The town of Eloraton was cute and quaint just how one would expect a small-town romance to be, and honestly, I was more interested in these fictional fictional characters than I was in our main fictional characters.

I loved Butterscotch the bookstore cat even though he wasn't in it a ton; he had so much personality even with his few appearances. And again, I loved the premise and idea of the story. Stumbling upon the fictional town of your favorite book in real life would be pretty amazing (as long as your favorite book is, like, not a horror novel or something haha).

But there were also several times when I was confused by the writing – I didn’t understand what was going on or what point was trying to be made, and other times when it felt like it was trying too hard to be something it wasn’t.

It just felt very disjointed – like it was trying to be too many things in one book, but didn’t really do any of them well. I think my problem is that it feels underdeveloped. Like it should have gone through a couple more drafts and a couple more rounds of editing before being determined as finished.

I don’t know. I always feel bad when I write reviews like this, because I know writing a book in and of itself is difficult, but yea. That’s what I thought of this one.

(Sidenote – the copyediting job on this book was not well done. I truly hope if they go back to print, they fix the multiple issues, typos, and repeats in the book first. (I’m not taking these errors into consideration when rating the book, as this wasn’t completely the fault of the author, since the publisher has a team of people to catch errors like the ones in this book.) And yes, I was reading a finished printed copy – not an uncorrected galley.)

2.75 stars rounded up!

Unfortunately, I think Ashley Poston was a one hit wonder for me. I loved The Dead Romantics, and I’ve been chasing that same feeling in her other two adult romances, and I have yet to find it in either The Seven Year Slip or A Novel Love Story.

There was no relationship development in this book. The two main love interests didn’t even interact that much! I didn’t feel moved by Eileen’s personal journey. I thought the concept was cool, but the rest of the plot just didn’t measure up.

Will I keep returned to see if Poston can strike gold again like with The Dead Romantics? We shall see.

Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Ashely Poston never disappoints! From my first book by them (Among the Beast and Briars) to this latest rom com delight, I can’t recommend this author enough! Always a thoughtful FMC and lots of character growth with some intrigue and interesting twists sprinkled in for good measure. Please pick up A Novel Love Story, it’s a book lovers delight.

I really love Ashley Poston's other two books and was so thrilled to get the chance to read A Novel Love Story early.

The story here started off really strong and engaging, but I found the middle reallyyyyy dragged on - to the point where some days I didn't even want to pick it up. While I really love the premise, I kept waiting for more to happen in the story. I don't always need a lot of plot in my romance reads, but this issue became more apparent because I also wasn't super invested in the story's main characters. In The Seven-Year Slip, specifically, the relationship developed in a beautiful and natural way, but here, Elsy and Anders as a couple just weren't developed enough for my liking.

In the end, I liked it, and I think some people will adore it (it does have a premise tailor-made for book lovers, of course!) but it wasn't my favorite.

I’ve never reached the end of an Ashley Poston novel with my heart unscathed. Unfailingly she manages to pull on specifically tender parts of my heart, those deeply human feelings, and I enjoy every second. This novel felt like a love letter to the entire genre of romance, and I’m sure every romance reader will find a piece of themselves in it. It is filled with a sense of whimsy and mysticism that I’ve come to love from this author, the impossible is written in a way that still feels very tangible. A beautiful addition to her other two novels based in this universe.

Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth (penname for Olivie Blake) (YA Romance)

"𝑰 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒋𝒐𝒃 𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔."

My nostalgic little heart!

Read this for:
🗡️ romcom perfection meets coming-of-age story
🏈 a brilliant YA Shakespeare retelling a la She’s The Man, 10 Things I Hate About Your or Clueless
🩼 Slow burn, “enemies” to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, electric dialogue, nerdy cuteness

🎮 vulnerable, real, nuanced characters navigating journeys of self-discovery and growth

Look, I will devour anything resembling romantic comedies' golden era. And this one is a gem, simply enchanting! If you’re a Shakespeare fan (or enjoy retellings), Twelfth Knight makes brilliant use of the source material! If you like heartwarming and relatable characters discovering how to open their hearts and stay true to who they are, you’ll love this one. If you enjoy gaming culture or fandom to any degree, you’ll be delighted by the story. If you, like me, were raised on late ’00s and early ’90s romcoms, this will have you kicking your feet. Moreover, it’s further proof that YA doesn’t mean simple- these characters are complex and universally relatable. (YA Romance reader for life 🙋‍♀️)

Go read this new release for a delightful, sweet, fun summertime read ✨

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Another fun one from Poston! She excels at the art of cutesy magical realism stories that just bring joy and escape. Loved this one and look forward to the next!

I absolutely love Ashley Poston’s writing. Every story she gifts us truly feels so incredible and magical.

A Novel Love Story follows Elsy, an English professor who has had her heart broken and been left at the altar. She finds solace and safety between the pages of romance novels. She’s set on going to her annual book club retreat even when all of her friends can’t make it. But on the way her car breaks down and she ends up in the fictional town of her favorite book.

I love books about books. And this book is such a love letter to romance novels. I loved being in Eloraton. It was so quaint—the coziest small town romance setting. Very stars hollow. I’m also so jealous because hello I want to visit my fav fictional small towns.

My favorite parts were when Elsy was dealing with the issues in town. Elsy helps move their stories forward and solve problems that were happening post ending. I loved the cameos of previous characters. I wish we had gotten more out of the romance, but I loved the ending and it was the perfect HEA.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC! Eileen Merriweather loves to escape into a good book (romances more specifically), but her current love life is at a bit of a standstill after a difficult breakup, and to make matters worse, her book club is bailing on their annual trip one by one, including her best friend who is heading off on a romantic trip that Eileen is sure means a pending engagement. Frustrated and anxious, Eileen embarks on the trip on her own, but when a sudden storm, and appearance of a man in the middle of the road, causes her to swerve and damage her car, Eileen finds herself stranded in a strangely familiar town. Somehow Eileen finds herself in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series! As she grows closer to the town's grumpy bookstore owner, who just so happens to be the man she almost hit with her car, Eileen not only questions who he is in the series, but who he was meant to be with and whether or not she should stay. A great romance for book lover's who have longed to get lost in their favorite serie's settings (literally). A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston tackles moving on after loss, self discovery, and accepting love.

“Not all love happens at first glance-sometimes, it takes a reread at the exact right (or wrong) time in your life.”

“I sort of felt like the giving tree, chopping myself smaller and smaller, and I guess I finally realized, if I kept this up, I’d be nothing but a stump by the end.”

Eileen loves a happy ending. When her book club all cancels on their week away, she is devastated but decides to go to the cabin for the week anywhere to drink wine and read as many romance books as she can. When her car breaks down in a small town, she notices something off. She knows these people, they are all characters in her favorite series, the series that unfortunately will never be finished since the author passed away. The town appears to be trapped at the end of the 4th book, unable to move on without the author. Can Eileen help them find their happy ending?

DELIGHTFUL. This book was just so damn delightful! I love how Ashley’s books have just a little bit of magic included, and I adored this one. While the town was a bit stuck, Eileen was also pretty stuck in her life, and I loved how they all helped each other to move on in their stories. I don’t even want to say much more, because I went in blind to this one and I think that’s the way to go! I just loved the concept of Eileen coming across the town from her favorite books! Can you imagine rolling up and being like omg that’s my favorite character? I mean seriously, book boyfriends come to life? Yes please! Needless to say, this is a must read!

Thank you to @berkleyromance for my gifted copy of this book!

Ashley Poston always gets it!! Elsy finds herself (with a broken-down car) in the fictional town where her favorite romance novels are set. She meets her beloved characters, eats at the diner, enjoys all the little joys and quirks of the area - and then she meets Anders. She doesn't remember him from the books, but he does seem a bit familiar. He runs the local bookstore, and is a total grump. She just needs to get her car fixed and find her way out of here before she rocks the boat and causes ripples within the fictional community.... AND before the falls for a grumpy bookseller.

This book is a precious ode to romance novels, to bookstores, to friendship, and to book clubs. Every single thought in Elsy's head is about one of those things, and I absolutely related to them all. Quixotic Falls is a charming town full of charming people, and Elsy being in the midst of it all made it seem much more real to her, and I could picture that being the case for anyone dropped into their favorite book! Poston just adds this bit of magic into everything she writes, and makes it a perfect blend of believable and unbelievable (does. that make sense?) so that I can't put the book down.

This had a slightly slower start than her others, and felt less like a traditional romance arc, but I loved that about it! Highly recommend picking up any of Poston's titles, including this one!!!

There was such a unique, magical element to this book, Although the book within a book concept was unbelievable at times, it was still a very fun read. I loved the Elsy/Pru/Anders characters and storylines and how Elsy was able to come to terms with her past and move forward with her relationships. There were a lot of characters in this book between the book club and the fictional town, and it was hard to follow who was who. Overall, a fun, romantic summer read!

ashley poston knows the strings of my heart and yanks them every single time 😭❤️ every time I think she can’t possibly write a book as good as her last, she surpasses herself again and again!!!!

I once again completely relate to FMC elsy, who feels like she’s being left behind in life with nowhere to turn to. on a solo trip to a remote cabin (which she normally takes with her bookish friends but they’re all too busy this year 🥲), she gets stranded in a small town that turns out to be … the small town of her favorite book series… which is seriously every romance reader’s dream I swear 😮‍💨😮‍💨

while the cast of characters is quite large and overwhelming, seeing elsy’s joy at meeting her heroes was worth every bit of confusion 🥹 she kept it wayyyy cooler than I would be let’s just say

and while I absolutely knew this was a budding romance between her and bookshop owner anders (because who doesn’t love an enemies to friends to lovers come ON), my heart shattered into a million little pieces at the last 20% oh my goodness just when I thought ashley couldn’t make me cry AGAIN 😭😭

and while the characters broke my heart and put the pieces back together again, I completely love the message ashley sent about finding your own adventure and destiny 🥹🩷 it is such an important concept and I loved seeing how elsy was able to find her true love within herself first

plus can we talk about those cameos?? I screamed so hard because I fully live in a delulu world that this could happen to me too it’s fine

will this follow the trends of the dead romantics and the seven year slip and become my book of the year? TBD

thank you a million times over to berkley and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!!!

rating: 5 stars
wine pairing: niagara on the lake vidal ice wine

“Because even after the people were gone, there were still stories. There were always stories.”

Ashley has done it again. This book was absolutely beautiful. The writing, the plot & the characters were everything.

This book is for the book lovers. For the ones who want to escape from reality and into words of their favorite book/series.

Elsy & Anders have my heart. They had me laughing with their banter & I adored those moments they had together.

Once this book hits stores, I’ll be picking up a copy!!

Thank you to netgalley for this arc.

read this if you like :
- small town
- grumpy x sunshine
- magical realism

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

this book was written for the people who find solace in books and people who found their best friends through books

imagine you’re actually in the world of your favorite book where you get to meet and interact with your favorite characters ! well this is what happens to elsy. elsy has been down on her luck and she was hoping time down in a cabin with the comfort of books will help her funk. however, on her way to the cabin, she ends up in a new town which feels all too familiar, as if she read about it before

“not all love happens at first glance—sometimes, it takes a reread at the exact right (or wrong) time in your life.”

i thought this story was quite cozy and comforting with a few unexpected moments/revolutions. however, it did felt like the story was dragging at times.

as for the romance, i wish there was more which is ironic since this book is basically an ode to romance readers. SLIGHT SPOILERS INCOMING “the third act breakup” wasn’t my favorite. It was realistic in a sense but I did not read for realism. It just took me out of the romance. even when, the love interest returned for elsy, it felt very obligatory as a love interest instead of love. yes there was the love confession but it felt typical and quick fast. also felt like elsy was a second choice. glad that elsy got her happy ending tho

“labyrinth" by taylor swift

A Novel Love Story is a magical realism contemporary romance featuring the books about books and “adversaries to lovers” tropes. I would highly recommend it to fans of magical realism or fantasy books like The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer, The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, or The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna as well as fans of contemporary romances like Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams, The Wrong Mr. Right by Stephanie Archer, Book Lovers by Emily Henry, Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren, and Only and Forever by Chloe Liese. A Novel Love Story features themes and topics like fantasy (or fiction) versus reality, past versus present, love and heartbreak, stories, fate versus freewill, growing up, loneliness and isolation, friendship, grief and lost love, sense of self, and happily ever after.

I think that adult romance readers of all ages are totally going to eat this book up! Elsy, the main character in A Novel Love Story, gets to live every romance readers’ not so secret fantasy of literally escaping into their favourite fictional worlds and getting to interact with their favourite fictional characters (and perhaps even a book boyfriend) in real life. A Novel Love Story as a whole was very bookish (the main characters are bookworms and most of the novel is literally set in a fictional town), which I think a lot of readers, like me, will love; there are also a ton of great bookish quotes in the novel, which I can’t wait to write in my reading journal! I found the main character Elsy’s experiences of finding comfort in and wanting to escape into fictional worlds as well as feeling left behind, lonely, and heartbroken to be very relatable (and I think that other readers will too). Additionally, her book club, the Super Smutty Book Club, sounded super cool and totally makes me want to join a book club in the near future! A Novel Love Story had a very magical or fantastical vibe, and I thought that the plot was very unique in that Poston almost had to write two books in one (Elsy’s story as well as the Rachel Flowers story). I also enjoyed the mystery elements surrounding the fictional town of Eloraton (e.g., what was the author’s plan for the unfinished book 5 and how does the new character Anders fit into the Rachel Flowers universe?) because they kept me engaged and guessing throughout. I won’t spoil anything, but I thought that the ending of Elsy’s story was simply perfect.

The only downside for me was that A Novel Love Story could be slow at times, and it wasn’t packed with action. Furthermore, chapters with flashbacks and Elsy’s inner musings interspersed throughout (albeit important) seemed like they slowed down the pace of the novel a bit.

A Novel Love Story is the first Ashley Poston book that I’ve read, and it definitely won’t be my last as it did not disappoint. A Novel Love Story is a “must add” to romance readers’ summer TBR lists!