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.

Lindsey Kelk just knows how to have fun. her books always feel like a quintessential rom-com and I love it. I wasn't totally obsessed with the romance itself, but I don't even really care because everything else was just so fun.

Love Story
by Lindsey Kelk
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Love Story had me laughing, swooning, and tearing up. It’s a beautiful celebration of romance, reminding us to embrace our dreams and worth. I loved it and can’t recommend it enough! This was my first book by Lindsey Kelk, and I’m definitely a fan now!

Thank you to Lindsey Kelk and Harper 360 for the ARC of Love Story.

I really enjoyed Love Story! This was my first read from this author and it did not disappoint. The banter, the tension, the character growth, the plot - it all delivered for me!

I loved how complex many of the characters were in this story. Many likeable characters and a few unlikable characters. I like that it explored negative stigmas around the romance genre and provided a unique perspective of what are typically considered “good” or even “great” books. It was thoughtful around what makes romance such a popular genre for many. But, this was accomplished in a witty romance and not in a dull narrative.

I like that the book also tackled topics like trust, commitment struggles, and confidence in oneself and one’s art. It explored family dynamics and the struggles of making parents proud as children but also doing right by your children as parents and the mistakes and learnings along the way.

While this was my first Lindsey Kelk book, I know it will be far from my last!

A love letter to romance novels with the normal witty and funny writing. This was such a fun one and loved the TS references!

This was a cute one! Think Romeo and Juliette meets the Crazy, Stupid, Love party scene sprinkled with ALL the TS references and heavy on the bookish talk/storyline. This enemies to lovers book has the quirkiest characters and it’s a wild ride.

I'm so happy to have discovered the wit and talent that is Lindsey Kelk. This is my first read of hers, and I will definitely add her to my TBR list. This was a cute romcom that alludes and honors so many of our favorite romcoms, by mentioning current authors and books. It had me laughing and swooning. It's closed door, so I think it's appropriate for both YA readers and adults. I will definitely recommend this to my fellow romcom readers!

A quick read for me that I enjoyed. It's a romantic comedy where we see Sophie, an erotic romance author, fights with becoming a best selling author, under a pen name. This book had banter and has great humor, though family expectations were somewhat relatable.

Lindsey Kelk is an auto-read, auto-buy author for me! I fell in love with her writing when I read Love Me Do last year and was so excited to see she was back with Love Story.

This is a bookish, enemies-to-lovers romance... some of my favorites! Sophie and Joe are both hardened by life and didn't exactly start their relationship out on the wrong foot. This is a classic "I know exactly who you are" without actually getting to know someone and then discovering that they are so much different. I loved the banter between these two, the cast of characters that Kelk included to surround Sophie and Joe, and all the quirky, bookish details that popped up throughout. I loved the ending and the different approach she took with it being a romance novel.

While I didn't love it quite as much as I loved Love Me Do, I certainly couldn't put this one down and thought it was super cute!