Sophie is the daughter of two editors who hate romance novels. So naturally when she wrote one, she did so under a pseudonym, Este Cox. The book became a huge hit and she was signed for two more. When she goes home for her dad's birthday party, she finds out that her sister is opening a bookstore and is obsessed with Este Cox and doing everything in her power to unveil her. On her way home, she misplaces her bag with her laptop and her draft of Book #2. Who should show up to her door with the book but Joe Walsh, the son of her dad's arch-rival. Over the course of the weekend, the two have a love-hate relationship. Can they overcome their differences and be together?

Not going to lie this book was hard for me to get through because of the writing style. I wanted to like it a little more than I did.

Sophie is a school teacher who is also is a best selling author of a really smutty book but no one know she wrote the book, Joe Walsh is annoying, cocky, arrogant, no relationship kinda guy. They two meet briefly, but they Joe ends up at Sophie fathers birthday weekend where they are forced to share a small cottage and things get interesting.

Sophie family is a messed up group of people, just awful:
-charlotte is the younger sister who steals a very expensive purse from her room.
-pandora is her mom and she is a book snob that thinks romance books are beneath her when makes Sophie think she can’t tell her about the books she has written. No go mention letting Charlotte get about with everything she does.
-Aunt Carol-tries to seduce Joe by cornering him in a bedroom when she thinks he is the author of Sophie’s book.
CJ (not family but they treated him like it)-Sophie’s ex tried to get back together with her when he discovered she was the author and when she said no he started insulting her, and when Joe came to defend her his insults became about their sex life

I felt like there was a LOT of lead up to this relationship between Sophie and Joe and then it just is ended in a rush, it kinda leaves you wanting to know what happens after that, even just a flash to the future.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of this book. So i want to start out by saying that this book took me a while to read because honestly the beginning of the book was fairly slow and did not hook me right away. I'm glad i stuck with it as once I got past the first 8% or so it took a turn for the better and I really enjoyed it. The book took several turns that I didn't expect with the story line. Honestly I thought it was going to be like most Rom com books but it had a few new and interesting ideas.

I really enjoyed this enemies to lovers book!!

Lindsey Kelk wrote this hate at first sight perfectly! The chemistry between Sophie and Joe is SO good and who can resist the one bed trope?!

Sophie Taylor is a small town schoolteacher but she has a secret - she is the mysterious romance author everyone is obsessed with! Joe is our handsome MMC who is way too confident and sure of himself. Unfortunately for Sophie she needs his help! Here is where our enemies to lovers story starts!

This book was such a fun read and feels like a rom-com! I definitely recommend reading this one!

Thank you netgalley and harper360 for this ARC!

WOW!!
What a novel. What a story. What an adventure we were just taken on. Thank you, Netgalley for giving me a copy of this ARC because this was just pure gold.
I've never heard of Lindsey Kelk before, but when I read the description for Love Story, I thought it sounded interesting and I wanted to read it immediately. I didn't have high expectations, I was just excited. But oh my goodness, this book was unbelievable. Not only was the writing spot on, but the plot line and characters were so believably written and executed that I was impressed. Fans of Emily Henry will love this book, I just know it (as a fan of Emily Henry).
Sophie and Joe had your typical we-hate-each-other-but-we'll-get-over-it vibes, but it wasn't forced like so many other novels that just want to push an enemies to lovers romance. This was just dislike and frustration at one another, but the romance developed so sweetly that the tension had me on the edge of my seat. I was just begging for them to finally become a couple. The author plot line was interesting as well, and I wasn't sure where that was going to go, but ultimately I was glad with how she and her family worked through their issues and made amends.
Another thing I adored was the humor. Sure, British writing is just so entertaining, but this author also had an uncanny dry humor that had me chuckling to myself. It was just so chaotic at times that I found myself laughing out loud. Keep that up.
And on another note, Charlotte was a brat. It made me so mad at times, so I wasn't sure if that was intended or not, but if I could change her, I would. Otherwise, this book was amazing.
5 stars, I will be reading more from this author.

I’m stuck between 3.5 or 3.75 ★. Like overall I’m conflicted on how I feel about this book. I enjoyed it, I was having fun with it but is it really a romance book? I mean up until maybe 50% this book just covers the FMC wanting to remain anonymous about a book she wrote, and then the MMC ends up falling in love with her at the speed of light. Okay, I will say, insta love? Not my favorite, now boy obsessed? I do enjoy but he was not that lol. Anyways, I LOVED William, my king, he was really funny. Charolette (I hope I’m spelling that right) I wanted to strangle her. I just felt like for a book to be called love story, the love story kind of fell flat and was overlooked by everything else that was going on. Also, don’t love that the MMC’s name is JOE.

Only Lindsey Kelk could get me to read a meta romance book! More like a 3.5 because while I didn't enjoy the premise and the over-reliance on pop culture/Book-social media references, it's still LINDSEY KELK and I love her writing!

This wasn't my favourite Kelk - unfortunately I can see her leaning more into what's trending rather than writing those amazing heartfelt and funny rom-coms I'm used to reading from her, but she'll always still be one of my favourite authors of all time. I love she's getting steamier in her writing, but not over the top smutty too!

First off, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for feedback.

I just didn’t love it?! Everything felt a little wobbly & there was wayyyyy too much monologue & details for me, so I got bored. The romance felt instant and then all of a sudden things changed with finding out who she really was & I just was not a fan hahaha. I felt like the end was abrupt and didn't even seem that believable or happy?

I am definitely disappointed because the cover is so darling & it had good bones! Just need to be edited more. I’m sure some will love it, but a miss for me!

Sophie is the daughter of publishing and literary criticism royalty who surprised her parents by going into teaching instead of writing or editing. But, the greater surprise is that she’s actually Este Cox, the unidentified romance author taking the world by storm. While being Este has done wonders for her bank account, the threat of being found out by her parents—who loathe the genre—is almost too much for Sophie. Secrets start to slip at her father’s giant birthday festivities, aided along by her much younger sister (one of the most annoying and hated characters I’ve ever read) who is determined to unmask Este at any cost. Unfortunately, the only person who can help Sophie keep it all together is Joe, a man she adamantly dislikes.

I enjoyed Kelk’s On a Night Like This, and I loved Love Me Do. While this book had some hilarity in the madcap details of the family party, it was lacking the same emotional depth as Kelk’s previous books. In fact, the relationship between Sophie and Joe never felt more than superficial, and occasionally how Joe approached it felt a little toxic. I might have enjoyed this more had I not liked two of her other books so much and had such high expectations. While there were parts that were thoroughly entertaining, on the whole, it just felt okay as a read.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy to review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Sophie is a schoolteacher with a secret...she is also Este Cox who penned the wildly popular romantic (and spicy) book "Butterflies." Her literary snob parents already look down their noses at her profession as an educator and would never accept a romance writer in the family. Sophie's brother (agent) and godfather (publisher) are the only people aware of the secret identity until Joe Walsh, creative director at the publishing house finds her bag containing proof of who she is.

This is a hate to lust to love story. I wasn't quite convinced of the quick stages of the relationship, however. There were parts I adored and laughed out loud at. There were parts that were kind of cringey (her parents and sister! her ex, CJ! the aunt trying to take advantage of Joe! Gregory...) There are some over the top happenings at Sophie's dad's birthday bash mixed with a dash of romance/lust and juggling the true identity of Este. I did enjoy Sophie and Joe as a couple or at least the potential of them. The love was just a little too instant and felt much of the relationship was based on the physical attraction.

While I wanted a happy ending, the conflict resolution seemed a tad quick. Especially when it came to the parents and "Este's outing..."

3 stars

4 Stars Books about authors (especially romance writers) is such an underrated trope! Love Story is such a fun and sweet read. If you are a fan of enemies to lovers and forced proximity--only one bed in this instance--you will enjoy this one! I really liked Sophie's and Joe's characters, and their love story. A cute easy read!

I was not familiar with Lindsey Kelk's previous works. Love Story had a fun punchy banter that I appreciated it.

Sophie Taylor is hiding behind her school teacher persona while being the hottest author on the market today.

Sophie has a big problem. She has lost the manuscript to the sequel to her hot release and the public would love to know who the mysterious author is.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so sad to turn the final page of Love Story! It is a such a clever plot - loved the school teacher/steamy romance writer main character. Joe seems so loveable. As with all relationships (new and old!) , a little communication could have gone a way and prevented some of the angst - but where is the fun in that! I found myself laughing out loud several times!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC ."Love Story" by Lindsey Kelk promises an enemies-to-lovers romance, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The premise has great potential, exploring the complexities of love and relationships, yet the execution felt lackluster. The frequent references to BookTok and the heavy focus on smut became repetitive and detracted from the overall narrative. While the protagonist experiences significant success with her writing, her reluctance to share this with her parents felt inconsistent, especially when she displays jealousy over her love interest taking the fall for her.

I was hooked. This book was so cute and I was constantly yelling at Sophie to just rip the band aid off and tell everyone!

This story is told solely from Sophie's POV. She comes from literary greatness. Her parents, sister, brother, and godfather are involved some way or another in the literary world. Her parents look down on romance novels which so happen to be Sophie's life. Teacher turned romance writer. She is hiding her identity as Este Cox, bestselling romance writer, from almost everyone. She eventually meets Joe Walsh. Joe is super cocky with charm for days but they have insta chemistry.

I felt Sophie's anxiety with the people around her, especially her family. Some of the things her mom said made me think if I was in Sophie's position I might have done everything in my power to hide it too. This story mostly spans the course of an extended weekend and is really fast paced with the insta connection. But the way Joe and Sophie were connecting I can see how they fell so quickly for each other.

William had to be my favorite. His sarcasm is my love language. Her ex, CJ, though deserves so much more than what he got. That dude is a major dick. I still don't know why he was invited to the party. He didn't seem to have that deep of a connection with the dad. But I guess to add the drama he needed to be there. The little sister got on my nerves. Her "baby sibling" stereotype was a little over the top.

Joe was almost perfection. The twist at the end seemed a bit excessive and unnecessary just to add to a random cause of a third act break up. But that ending was pure cuteness. I did find myself laughing throughout the book because the sarcasm and the banter from most of the characters was on point.

The mom, I didn't like her at first, especially with how snobbish she was but as the story goes on, she really is a great mother.

If you're into insta love, enemies to lovers, or forced proximity I would recommend this book. Definitely worth a read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This book was so much fun!! It has the classic Lindsey Kelk punchiness and charm that is so consistent across all her writing. Most of this book takes place over the course of two days, and yet it still feels like a slow burn. Not to mention, the tension was *delicious*! Sophie felt extremely relatable, despite being a wildly successful author with a secret double life. Joe felt very human while still pulling off the dashing MMC character. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed, but it did very much play into the big, romantic climax notion, so it doesn’t entirely feel out of place. Overall, this read was extremely enjoyable, and I do foresee myself reading again!

Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is my first read by Lindsey. First I fall in love with the gorgeous cover. It’s so pretty. It took me a few chapters to get into it. But once I got into it I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. There were moments that had me laughing so hard especially the banter between Sophie and Joe. Sometime It was a bit much and I do wish we got more of them as a couple. I feel like it was mostly banter and having to deal with the Este Cox secret. Wish it would have had a little more romance vibes to it. Overall it was a decent read. Not sure if I would reread it.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins360 for allowing me to read this book for a honestly review.

I loved this book so much, I read it in one sitting. This is definitely my favorite book of September and probably my favorite rom-com to read on Net Galley!

I found Sophie so relatable and down-to-earth. She’s worried about what her family thinks, she scared to chase her dreams and maybe lose her job, and she bites back with snarky remarks before hauling off the the garden for a small panic. I also love how Kelk uses Sophie’s book as a catalyst to talk about the benefits of the romance genre as well as its popularity, and to call out the misogynistic biases in the publishing industry and the women who are tired of being othered and considered trite. I also really loved the calling out of the pretentious, male-composed literary fiction that shows how little the male writer understands, knows, or even talks to women.

I really liked Joe— he was the perfect blend of annoying and attractive, and I found his actions and reactions to Sophie totally believable— he’s definitely in-love-with-but-denying-his-attraction-to-a-prickly-woman. I loved their story overall.

Kelk knows her genre, and she deftly uses— and often subverts— the tropes. We see enemies to lovers, forced proximity, secret past, one bed, and more of our favorite tropes but popping up in new and surprising ways.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Everyone believes Sophie is just an ordinary schoolteacher, but she’s hiding a big secret—she’s the author behind the bestselling romance novel Butterflies, written under a pen name. She can't stand his smug attitude when she crosses paths with Joe, a confident and charming marketing executive. But to her dismay, when she heads home for a family birthday, she discovers she’ll be sharing a cottage with none other than Joe.

I enjoy her writing style and will definitely read more of her books :)

Thank You Netgalley and Harper 360

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This had an interesting premise but overall fell flat for me.

What I liked:
The storyline of writing a romance novel and having it resonate with so many women. This was very meta for the state of booktok and bookstagram today. The here were some good humorous elements.
Resolution between FMC and her family.
Lots of Taylor Swift references.

What I didn’t like:
Too much booktok and name dropping of popular romance authors. I don’t mind it at first but it felt a little overdone and took me out of the story a bit. But this would have been okay if there had just been less of it.
The romance was a little insta-lust for me.
A lot of miscommunication.

With that said I am interested in reading other books by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This review is voluntary and includes my honest opinion of the book.