Sadly dnf’d relatively early into the book, I will give it another go another time to give it a stronger chance as I loved the concept

Only a portal away was a okay read that I did enjoy but didn't like the writing all that much. It was hard to get into.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

This is the most unique book I've ever read. Who would ever think one would come home to see their favourite fictional character in their lounge room in real life? Cause I'd really like that to come true !!

The premise of this book was great, but I felt we kept getting caught up in the descriptions/dialogue rather than the story line and character development. I didn't really feel connected to Aliya as I *still* feel I don't know her very well, even by the end of the book.

I would have loved a little more "meat on the bones" for this novel, however I enjoyed it all the same. That cliffhanger though!?!?

Great premise not so great execution. Aliya is a college junior and finds her favorite book character Enzo in her living room injured and confused. This just read younger and Aliya, who is suppose to be a super fan doesn't even use her knowledge of the books to help. This one just didn't pan out like I hoped it would. 2.5 stars

The idea of this book is really interesting, but the delivery was a bit underwhelming.

I liked how the FMC was obsessed with the whole franchise and had lots of merch. I like that still was more level-headed in comparison with the Prince, but they are both quite immature, and it is even stated in the book. I liked Sienna's backstory and her relationship with her wife.

What I didn't like however was the pacing, which was a bit too fast, the fact that the writing was repetitive. The leaps between reality/dream/past were a bit confusing at times. And I still don't understand why was Enzo so interested in Aliya, or why was she risking her life for him? I get that she liked the character super much, but he was kind of an a-hole and from liking a fictional character to doing everything to protect them is quite a bit of a leap.

For me, this book deserves a 3.5 stars. I would have loved to be able to give it more stars, but it still needs to be refined a bit, so it can really shine.

I really love the idea behind this book, but unfortunately the writing style was hard for me and I was unable to make it through this book.

I am sure this would have been a good read, but unfortunately I did not get a chance to get to this before the title was archived. I would be interested in finding a reasonably priced physical copy when I get a chance!

Enough cannot be said about how great the premise of this novel is! Your fictional crush shows up in your home and needs your help, what's a girl to do? Help obviously! The book started off great with Prince Enzo and Aliya meeting, him seeing all her collectibles, merch, art, fanfictions, etc. their kinda awkward and hilarious and Enzo trying to figure out how things work on Earth was great! The writing was veryyy fast paced and did get confusing towards the end with some changing timelines and all the jumping back and forth. Because of how fast paced it was, the character development wasn't the best but it is also the first in a series so there's time! The writing was often a little repetitive but overall it's a very fun story!

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I tried really hard to get through it but found myself at 57% and forcing myself which really affected my enjoyment overall.

DNF'd but I can definitely see this being for someone else.

Only a Portal Away, tells the story of Aliya, a college junior, whose world turns upside down when her favorite fictional character becomes real.

Rating: 3 stars.

I really loved the concept of this and it could have been really good if it had more editing. Some of the paragraphs are choppy and the dialogue feels unnatural in a few places. With edits to fix these, I think this book could be really good.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Only a Portal Away by Akira Varma was a really good story.
The development of the story was good and it moved at a good pace. I liked all of the supporting characters and felt that they were all good additions to the overall plot.
The writing was so beautiful, I absolutely loved the characters.

Thank You NetGalley and Akira Varma for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

meh. This wasnt something I thought about while not reading. I didnt crave the book if that makes sense. I feel like it definitely has potential but its lacking that fire i think. Unfortunately I did not finish and reading the other reviews Im glad due to the ending. Thank you for the read.

Aliya, a weary junior from the University of Georgia, faces an unexpected dilemma when she discovers her favorite fictional character, Crown Prince Enzo al’Deran, injured and confused in her living room. Enzo claims to be from the not-so-fictional world of Indresal, and he demonstrates the impossible: creating miniature portals. Determined to return home, Enzo enlists Aliya’s help. But danger looms—Enzo’s pursuer has followed him to Earth, intent on killing him. Aliya must decide whether to risk her life for a seemingly imaginary person.

“Only a Portal Away” is incredibly adventurous, blending humor, banter, and a touch of romance. The playful confusion Enzo experiences in the human realm adds a lighthearted touch. However, the writing style occasionally feels repetitive, and character development could be deeper. Despite these minor flaws, the novel’s unique premise and fast-paced plot make it an enjoyable read.

If you’re a fan of enchanting worlds and unexpected encounters, this book might just be your next portal to adventure!

Interesting concept that is very innovative. I wish this book had had more editing, as some of the words/phrases were repetitive and it just needed some excellent editing to really pull everything together. Also, at times, it felt the characters were out of character. They could have benefited from some serious character development. All in all, the plot has everything going for it, but what would set this book apart from a fanfiction was solid editing.

This book has an amazing premise. 'Your favorite book character appears in your living room needing your help.' I man please I've read the Tumbler posts for it... sadly the Tumbler posts are better.

For the good part of this series, The first chapter was fun... I'm happy we got a full lesbian relationship... Yeah, that's about it. If you want a watered-down 'Fourth Wing' story with no spice (If that's your thing) and no character development, then this might be a good read. But I'm going to get into the longer bit about why this is a disappointment.

1. The characters don't act how they should: This comes from a few parts. Enzo has instant love for the FMC (I forgot her name, it sounded like a fantasy name where she's the only non-fantasy character and I jumped over her name when I saw it). There's really no reason for him to fall for her. She's a fangirl, it would be funnier if he thought she was weird and was put off by her then learned she was a good person or whatever. But nah, we're getting the generic insta-love. I was trying to figure out why Enzo was this woman's favorite character. Cause to me, the big spooky guy seemed more interesting. Also, there are times when I wanted the FMC to use her book knowledge to figure stuff out. She's read the series, she has a map of the country on her wall. Why doesn't she know about the Berserkers or all the other stuff that gets revealed? She felt like a character who was a stand-in without any depth or growth.

2. It's a constant chase scene: 70% of this book is someone shouting to get into a car because something is after them. I wanted more than that and I wasn't getting it. The only times we're not getting a chase scene is when the POV shifts.

3. Flashbacks: I was so confused by how the flashbacks in this were done. I didn't know if Enzo was dreaming or reliving something, it wasn't well defined and I wish the author could have taken more time.

4. Neck break pacing: This book on my Kindle took me a little over two hours to read. That's not a book. That's not a long enough book to be telling any fantasy story. I felt like I found fanfiction for a fandom I'm not a part of and was missing 50% of the background information. I don't know or care much about the fantasy world Enzo is from. It feels like every generic fantasy world. I don't get a sense of anything interesting because we're going from plot beat to plot beat without any thought.

I feel like this book was a rough draft of an idea. I'm really sad the book that got published with this plot hook is so mediocre. This could have been an interesting book where we talk about our dependency on fictional characters. How our heroes aren't what the written word makes them out to be. Or how the love of a fictional character can give a person the strength to get through their every day. But we didn't get that... And now I'm disappointed.

LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. ONE OF THE BEST I'VE READ THIS YEAR SO FAR. SUPER BEAUTIFUL THE STORYLINE AND CHARACTERS.