WHAT IF?

Eileen (Elsy) Merriweather loves to get lost in a good “happily-ever-after” . Reading romance novels helps her to cope with the heartbreak caused by her fiancé, Liam, who called off their wedding only a week before it was supposed to take place.

And, this year, especially, she is REALLY REALLY looking forward to going to her annual book club retreat, with her best friend, Pru, and the other members of the “Super Smutty Book Club”. She NEEDS her good friends, the cheap wine, and the grand romantic gestures found in fiction.

But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels eerily familiar-like it’s right out of her favorite novel-DAFFODIL DAYDREAMS-by Rachel Flowers.

But, how can that be?

In Eloraton, the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon, and lasts until midnight.

As, she begins to meet its residents, she realizes that she already knows who they are…all except for Anders, the grumpy bookstore owner with the “minty green eyes”.

Could she possibly, somehow, actually be IN the town written by the late author who unexpectedly died at age 32, before the could finish the five book series?

Could she actually be trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story? Was Anders going to be the MC of the final book, and if so, who was he meant to meet?

As it starts to feel like MAYBE it could be her, she has to wonder WHAT IF?
Is it possible to STAY?

For romance readers who have WISHED they could visit their favorite fictional small town, or WISHED they could actually date their favorite “book boyfriend”, this charming, delightful book is for YOU!! I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in Eloraton.

Do you believe in magic?

You just MIGHT after reading this book!

The only reason it earns 4 stars instead of 5 stars, is because we were TOO frequently reminded of the town’s charms, and of Anders “minty green eyes” which started to feel a bit repetitive-but that is just a very MINOR complaint!

4.5 stars! ⭐️

This was a buddy read with DeAnn and MarilynW. Be sure to watch for their AMAZING reviews for additional insight!

Thank You to Berkley for the gifted ARC provided by NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

I feel like those people who go to museums and stare at a piece of artwork until they cry—you know those people, right? And then you ask why they're crying and they vaguely gesture to the portrait or whatever while tears stream down their face. That's me. I'm them. Just imagine me standing there sobbing horribly while wildly gesturing towards a framed picture of this book's cover.

Ashley Poston is a master at using magical realism to communicate deeper themes, and this one just hits DIFFERENT. At its heart its a book about the love we have for our favorite series and authors—but also a story about friendship, moving forward, grief, and what it means to have a happily ever after. I think any bookworm can think of a time where they've tried to envision themselves living in the world their favorite book series was set in.

Ashley Poston takes those late-night thoughts that every bookworm has and crafts them into a beautiful romance between a woman who's desperate for an escape and a man who hasn't figured out how to move forward. The cast of characters was charming, the romance tender and intimate, and the story comparable to a warm hug <3

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

What an interesting story. I had a lot of thoughts, questions, and "what the hecks" as I read the story but I mostly decided not to think too hard on some things and just enjoy the happenings. This is Eileen (Elsy) Merriweather's story, or at least it's about one of her favorite series except this time she is IN the story, a story that was started and never finished. A story that left the characters hanging, some more than others.

Elsy has been stuck herself. She thought life was pretty awesome when her fiancé asked her to marry him. When she made all the wedding plans and thought about her future married to the man of her dreams. But then something happened and it's as if Elsy's life sort of ended. Yes, she still taught at the university, she still went through the motions of living. But really, it was her best friend who pushed her to get out of bed, to go anywhere, to do anything. But now her best friend is getting married and leaving Elsy behind. Along with everyone else in their book club, even her best friend isn't going to be able to make their yearly book club get together.

Fine! Elsy will go to the remote cabin alone. Except Elsy gets lost. Not just lost but lost in the town of Eloraton, the fictional town in her favorite romance series, a series that was never finished, left hanging after the fourth book. Elsy knows almost everything about this town except for the grumpy book store owner who looks so familiar but who was very unimpressed by her accidental "meet cute" run in. Oops! Was he going to be the focus of book five? Does Elsy need to figure out how to complete the plot of book five so that she can get on with her boring, depressing life? Does she even want to leave this fictional town that she loves so much?

I'd never want to end up in a favorite series because I'm pretty sure I'd be the nameless nobody that get's murdered in the prologue...ha ha But Elsy likes it in Eloraton and she warms up to the grumpy book store owner. Plus she thinks she can "fix" some of the recurring characters, knock them out of their ruts in ways she never knocked herself out of her own ruts. I stopped my critical thinking and just let the story progress and I enjoyed it even though I'm glad I don't have to eat the famous burned burgers smothered in hot sauce, for which Eloraton is known.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"'I want to be a beginning, and a middle,' he went on. 'I want a first chapter, and a second and a third—those long chapters, you know, the ones you have to take a break halfway through. I want all of it, not just the end.' He looked down at my hands, and took them in his, and squeezed them tightly. 'And I want it with you.'"


A Novel Love Story was beyond freaking cute. If you could jump into a town where your favorite book series was set, would you? I would do so with zero hesitation. I wouldn't even look back either. So, it's fair to assume that I enjoyed getting to know Elsy and watching her grow throughout this book.

Our girl, Elsy, is heartbroken. She was with a guy that she thought she was in love with, only to be dumped right before their wedding. If that isn't enough salt in the wound, she's frozen in life (or so it seems), and everyone is moving on with theirs. It also doesn't help that her ex-fiancé is now married to someone else.

So, she goes on this trip because, why the hell not? Unfortunately, things don't go her way, and she never reaches the cabin she was heading for. She does, however, happen to find her way into a town. A town that seems so familiar... because it is. She runs into characters that she knows so well and a guy that just keeps her on her toes.

Enter Anderson. God, I absolutely adored this man. He loves books and works in a bookstore. The only downfall is his cat, Butterscotch. I feel like he deserves points on the name alone, but I'm just not a cat person. Still, he redeemed himself with so many other qualities because the guy is a book boyfriend dream. Heck, he could be a book husband wet dream.

The romance that brews between these two is just one for the books. I enjoyed every second of it and just wanted them to get together. They deserved happiness, right? RIGHT! Anyway, without spoiling anything, it was all very cute, and I'm happy that I got the chance to read this. Romance is in the air, and I would hands-down go to the bookstore Elsy and Pru have now.

⭐️: 3.5/5

When English professor Eileen Merriweather’s car breaks down on the way to her book club retreat, she finds herself stranded in a small town. Soon, she finds that it isn’t a normal small town, it’s straight off the page of her favorite romance series, trapped in the author’s last, unfinished story. Eileen is sure that the reason she’s there is to help bring the town to its happily ever after, but there’s one person in the town who she doesn’t remember from the books, a grumpy bookstore owner who seems intent on her not changing anything in the town.

I loved The Dead Romantics, and adored The Seven Year Slip, and Ashley Poston was soon becoming a favorite romcom author of mine, but this one was honestly a bit of a miss for me. From the start, it just didn’t have as much of a magical feel, and I didn’t feel as drawn into the characters lives and emotions as either of her first two books. Elsy was also relatively…dense, honestly, and I couldn’t get over her blatant overlooking of certain facts, even with the tongue-in-cheek way that Poston references how it’s hard to see the whole story when you’re in it, as opposed to reading it. It was just a little too much though. The saving grace though was really the fake small town romance series in the book, since it made the setting and idea of the book a lot more interesting than just the love story between Elsy and Anders. I love that Poston’s MO is little supernatural stories set in a contemporary romance, but this one just felt less thought out than the other two, and I just wasn’t as in to it. I’ll still read anything she writes, but this one was just okay for me.

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for this free eARC for my honest review!!

A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction… literally. I knew from the first line of this blurb that this book was going to be a hit and it does not disappoint.

Like all romance readers, Eileen Merriweather has had her fair share of disappointment and loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after because fictional men can't break your heart. That's why she’s so set on going on her annual book club retreat this year despite none of her friends being able to attend. But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town and her entire world as she knows it, gets turned upside down.

A Novel Love Story captivated my interest from the very first page. The idea of this book was so fun and original. I mean, could you imagine getting swept up unexpectedly into your favorite fictional series? This story is completely unique. It could never happen in real life and feels like a total dream. The dream that each book lover shares and wishes for and I was totally here for it.

I loved the characters and the writing. I felt like I was experiencing the story right along with Eileen. The romance between Anders and Eileen was the perfect slow burn and I LOVED all the twists along the way.

It is always so easy to fly through any Ashley Poston book and this one is no different. This book was such a cozy experience to read and definitely one worth checking out. Think Pleasantville meets Gilmore Girls. Elsy is such an adorable character and all too relatable while the supporting cast of characters felt written straight from a 2000s sitcom. A Novel Love Story is a good road-trip or beach read, cute and quirky with heart and soul and an added gut punch of emotion for good luck.

Unfortunately, this book was my least favorite of all of Ashley Poston's novels. I absolutely loved The dead romantics and The seven year slip and had quite high expectations for this one! However, I still liked it a lot and this it was a fun read! The magical twists brought to her work is always fun! As a huge reader and book lover, I found myself loving some of the elements of the books. It was endearing to see such an avid reader getting her story with a book boyfriend. We all wish we could discover our favorite fictional worlds and characters. It was touching and so fun to follow Elsy along as she was discovering the world of her favorite romance series. Some part were definitely relatable as someone who loves books and I'm sure many other readers would agree and enjoy that aspect of the book!

That said, some parts surrounding the love interest and the unfolding of the romance were quite cheesy and predictable. As much as some parts surrounding art and books and the power of words were beautiful, some other parts felt forced.

All things considered, I had fun reading it and will continue to recommend Poston's novels, including this one, as I enjoy the magical aspect she always beautifully incorporates into her stories! Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

This book was perfect and I expected nothing less from Ashley Poston. It is the ultimate book lover's dream, entering the world of their favorite book series and getting to meet the characters they've loved so much.

This had all of the romance and heart, lots of emotions (I'm still tearing up), and was such a unique and refreshing story. I absolutely loved this and will continue to read every single title from this author.

4.5⭐️

“It wasn’t the end that mattered, but every word to it.”

What in the magical romance world did I just read?! Ashley Poston, is known for her emotional romances with a splash of magical realism. I will say for me The Seven Year Slip is like Top Tier… so with this one it’s falling just below that. Don’t judge but I set Dead Romantics aside when it first came out, I blame the hype but have plans on revisiting.

All that said A Novel Story felt very much like a fever dream, my quick 10% in thoughts was that it felt like Once Upon a Time… which yes please… as I continued it kept giving me fantastical vibes from many classic dream state movies/shows. I think it’s good to know that going into this one… don’t ponder all the questions you may have… I got caught up and it started taking me out of the story/magical world Poston has created.

Can we also a get an around of applause for the cover color scheme her books are always so dang eye catching.

If you’re looking to get lost in a book 😉 about books. Then might I suggest this one.

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the advanced digital copy
Releases 6/25/2024

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.Andthebookshelf/

Ashley Poston wrote this one for the hopeless romantic romance readers who fall in love with more fictional men the real ones (aka me!!). She gets it, you know?

“So who could blame me for sinking into books, where I knew the people weren’t real, but they also never disappointed me?… I just needed a story—or maybe a few hundred stories of happily ever after—to escape mine.”

I loved everything about this and I know I say that a lot, but this had me at the edge of my seat never knowing what was going to happen next. After Eileen (Elsy) was dumped pretty much at the alter, she goes on a solo trip to just drink shitty wine and read smutty books (same girl) since none of her friends were able to make it. On the drive, Elsy somehow stumbles upon a town that’s from her favorite romance series and meets all the characters she knows well and loves dearly. Until she meets one that she’s never met before, the grumpy bookstore owner, Anders.

Since Elsy is a people pleaser (really, Ashley wrote this one about me), she is determined to help everyone in town since technically the series was never finished, so they’re stuck in limbo. But that comes with some small consequences that Elsy mush fix as well.

The chemistry between Elsy and Anders is so incredibly delicious that I was giggling so much and yelling at my kindle for them to kiss!! Anders is the perfect amount of grumpy and sassy, but is so gentle and caring with Elsy, he’s literally a perfect book boyfriend that I’ve fallen in love with. Adding him to the never ending list.

This felt like a warm hug but also made my heart ache in a way that made me feel seen and valid as a romance reader. They say Ashley writes magic realism is phenomenal and I’m convinced she can’t write a bad book.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange of my honest review!

3.75⭐️ Thank you so much Berkeley Romance for the ARC and free final copy!💙

Overall, I enjoyed this! The concept of the MC finding the town in her favorite book series was so fun and it’s definitely a love letter to all readers, especially romance ones.
The romance was sweet, and I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and their personalities in the small town.

This did start out a bit slow for me, and it took me a while to get into it. I never really felt super invested or connected, which is why this was a 3.75 read-maybe my expectations were too high?

That being said, I did enjoy this and would recommend!

The biggest problem for me was the love story between Eileen and Anders. I couldn't figure out why they were attracted to each other because there was no spark between them. Eileen constantly talking about his "minty eyes" and "golden hair" annoyed me so much.

Meh this was average. Nothing special. It had some solid points but nothing to run home to mama about.

Maybe I was spoiled with Dead Romantics and the Seven Year Slip but I did not love Novel Love Story. Which was disappointing because it was an anticipated read this year. I had a hard time understanding why she was still pinning for a boyfriend from 3 years ago. But what took it down from 3 stars to 2 was the 3rd act breakup. I'm not going to spoil but it didn't make sense with how far they had come.
There was no real chemistry between the 2 main characters and I just wish it was so much more than it was.

A Novel Love Story
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Those books were like arms I fell into, armor that protected me from the world when life got too hard.”

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

This book was written for everyone who has ever dreamt about living in their favorite book's fictional town and becoming best friends with their favorite characters. Let’s face it, that describes all of us! This book is for book lovers!!!
The first word I would use to describe this book is COZY. This story has the small town of my dreams. I don’t know how to describe it other than by saying that the story feels warm and comfortable. Every single character was so lovable!
If you’ve read The Seven Year Slip, you know that Ashley Poston's books always have a deeper meaning. In this book, you’ll read about the wonderful FMC Elsy as she learns a lot about friendship, love, and valuing herself! I enjoyed reading this aspect, there are a lot of notable quotes in this book that are really relatable.
I had a ton of fun reading this. I loved the dynamic between her and Anders. I loved how welcoming everyone in this story was. I loved all of the sweet stores in the town.
If you liked her last book, I bet you’ll like this one too! A Novel Love Story is available on June 25th!

Read If You Like:
🪺small-town romance
🪺magical realism
🪺grumpy/sunshine
🪺books about books
🪺a splash of mystery

The first time Elsy fell in love she believed she found her happy ever after, until her heart was obliterated when her fiance unexpectedly called off their wedding. Elsy was left to clean up the mess and pick up the pieces of her broken life. The experience has led her to avoid real-life romance and find comfort within the pages of romance novels.

Elsy, her best friend Pru, and their romance book club meet for a week once a year in an upstate New York cabin to indulge in a week of leisure and reading. However, when everyone else cancels, Elsy, who was left reeling after seeing a post of her ex-fiance's wedding, decides to embark on the annual trip on her own.

When Elsy becomes lost and nearly runs over a man standing in the middle of the road during a rainstorm her life takes an unexpected and unbelievable turn. The man is Anders Sinclair- a grumpy bookstore owner - who somehow lives in Eloraton, the make-believe small town featured in her favorite romance series.

Elsy is not sure how to explain her presence in Eloraton, but she feels oddly comforted while surrounded by the beloved characters of her favorite books. Anders on the other hand seems to have taken an immediate dislike to her - even if neither can deny their immediate attraction. However, Anders is the only one who seems to know that Eloraton is not a real place and he is keeping secrets that threaten any possibility of a real romance.

Ashley Poston continues to write compelling characters who face emotional challenges that lead them to find solace in magical realities. While A Novel Love Story did not match the emotions evoked by The Seven Year Slip or even The Dead Romantics, it still left me with a smile on my face.

→5 stars

Have you ever wanted to spend a day in your favorite fictional world? Maybe take a walk with your favorite character? See how their lives progressed after the last page? Well, this wish came true for our main character, Eileen. After reeling from the heartbreak of having her ex call off their wedding claiming “he wasn’t ready for the commitment” and then getting married to someone else six months later, Elsy is desperate for an escape. Luckily her book club's annual holiday trip is coming up and the outdoor oasis provides the perfect place to hide out, however, it ends up being a solo trip when everyone else is too busy including her best friend, who seems to be moving on without her. Elsy is feeling like she’s truly hit rock bottom when her car breaks down on the way to the cabin, the icing on the cake of the last few years of her life. The first place she enters upon her engine failure feels so familiar for some reason… it feels like home. This book is a love letter to romance readers everywhere; to those who wish they could have a conversation with their favorite fictional characters and have the happily ever after they read about. Poston absolutely blew me away with this one. I can’t wait to read more from her.

I am an Ashley Poston lover first and human second, but this one fell a little flat for me. The premise was fantastic I mean getting lost in your favorite fictional town? Sign me up! Still, I was a little underwhelmed with the execution. It felt like Eileen's character was just existing and that no real plot was truly happening. The romance left me wanting more and overall I just felt that the Ashley magic was missing.

I love how it was written for us readers and I love Ashley's writing, I just wish it was a little stronger.

There is something about Poston's writing that just draws me in. A simple story, easy plot and boom! I'm lost in the pages. I've read all of Poston's books - I enjoy the next more than the last.
Elsy needs a break - the annual book club retreat in fact. Due to some corny weather and an old car, she finds herself in her favorite fiction town. With her favorite fictional series characters.
And I was totally into it. Loved all the people, animals, haunted toilet and most especially Anders.
Thank you for a male character who not only READS but ENJOYS romance novels as well. Just a delight all around.