The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander was a very cozy, lighthearted read that I thoroughly enjoyed at the end of the day before bed. I loved the general atmosphere of Aunt Flo's bookshop and the town of Portneath. However, the chemistry between the two main characters Jules & Roman was lacking for me. I found the overall dialogue between the two to read a bit like a news story - very concise and modest (which is personally not my cup of tea when it comes to romance). It was a nice to story to read to relax at the end of the day but not too exciting to keep me up reading all night.

Thank you NetGalley + Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC and chance to read and review this in advance. All opinions are my own.

An enemies to lovers story in the tiny seaside town of Portneath, England, from Poppy Alexander. I really enjoyed this story in a little town adjacent to Middlemass, in Storybook Ending, with a glimpse into Imo and Gabriel's relationship too. This story is about Julia (Jules) Capelthorne and Roman Montbeau; okay, think a current day Romeo and Juliet story with a nicer ending. Jules and Roman were about the same age and he and his "crew" would often attend dances and such in town even though they went to prestigious schools for the wealthy. Gabe happens to be a close friend of Roman's. The Caplethorne's and Montbeau's have had a family feud for about 100 years and no one really remembers why. Jules has her back to the wall trying to save her Aunt Flo's store; that will be celebrating its 100th year in business. Roman opens a newer, classier, book shop across the street. Of course, Roman says it's business, nothing personal.... and thus the battle begins.

This is such a delightful story about finding love in the worst possible "person" for either of these characters; according to their families. How love tends to bring out the best and sometimes the worst in people. How everyone tries to shield their hearts from heartache and heartbreak. How diversity can bring people together.

This story has beautiful writing, heartwarming characters, and a great storyline. A true delight.

First time reading a work by author Poppy Alexander. The title and book cover caught my attention. It's a cute story, very Romeo and Juliet-like; hence the names of the characters. It was a good story in the beginning, but felt a bit rushed and not as impressive as I would've liked it to be. The relationships between the characters in the story seem a bit superficial all around. I was hoping there would be more action or something to look forward to as the story goes, but it fell a bit flat. I am thankful for this ARC, though. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book as an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

The premise had so much potential but sadly fell flat. Slow beginning with lots of backstory, telling instead of showing, and stiff dialogue.

Not a lot of interaction between Roman and Jules for a good chunk of the beginning. I wanted to make it to when the romance and tension started up, but by 25%, it just didn’t seem worth it. I ended up DNFing.

A lot of the events seem cliche. There wasn’t a lot of depth, and characters seemed thrown in for convenience. The FMC goes on and on about her love and gratitude for Flo, but she stayed away for years and doesn’t even know how old the woman is? A friend she hasn’t seen in 10 years asks her to be her maid of honor for her wedding she’s planning in just a few weeks? Yeah, I’m not buying it.

.. ' . This novel started out strong. Jules and . Roman ( yes a direct reference to Shakespeare) both return to their hometown. Unfortunately he opens a new shiny bookstore across the street from Julie’s 100-year-old store. Yes, their families have a history. Just like Romeo and Juliet.

Somewhere around the 30% mstk the storyjust got draggy. . And I'm sorry to say I jumped ver the bulkof the rest of thestory a dread the conclusion..

This book was cute! It was a little bit cheesier than I usually like, but the story was sweet. I liked the character of Aunt Flo, but I will say her name was a little distracting 😂

dnf @ 6%

I think I’m being a hater today.

This just isn’t for me like at all - I don’t like fmc even a little bit (eveything is SO dramatic), and I’m just extremely bored I don’t even care what will end up happening tbh.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC. This novel resembled a Romeo & Juliet type love story without the tragedy. I had such a hard time getting through this book I almost DNF. I just didn't connect with the story or the characters. Normally, I love a little light romance but this one just didn't do it for me. Overall, its as just okay.

Sadly this was an DNF for me about at 25%. I found the writing style to be a bit choppy. I was not a fan of the whole Romeo/Juliet style family enemy thing. I found the characters overly exaggerated and hard to connect to. The premise was promising but the execution failed.

I had such high hopes for this.
It started out very you’ve got mail-ish and I was so excited. But the rivalry between the two bookstores didn’t go anywhere. Overall it was still a good read. The love story between Jules and Roman was so cute ❤️

I hate to do it but I’m DNF’ing this one.

I thought I’d love it, I wanted to love it, I cannot stay focussed on it. It’s just so dull. The story just drags and there’s just so much detail we don’t need to know - I can’t continue, must move on.

Though I’m not far in I’m pretty flabbergasted that the big reason she can’t stand Roman is because when they were in high school he laughed at her once. Honestly, that set this whole book up to be a flop for me. What immaturity!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to early read this book. All opinions are my own.

Sweet and quick read. Very closely tied to Romeo and Juliet-- in this version, we have the Capelthornes and the Montbeaus. Jules Capelthorne and Roman Montbeau manage competing bookshops. One is a historical business (Capelthornes) and the other is a new upstart from a wealthy family. Sometimes the connections to R&J were a bit much, but I did enjoy this light read with a happy ending!

Jules Capelthorne is living in London and trying to make it in the publishing world, even though her boss is seemingly unimpressed with all her work. A family emergency has her traveling back home to her small hometown of Portneath to check on the health of her elderly great Aunt Flo. Jules is relieved to find out her aunt will be fine, but distraught at the news of the family named and bookstore isn't doing as well. While at the same time being unceremoniously fired by her boss via email. Without a job to go back to in London, Jules decides to stay on and try and turn around the family bookstore. What Jules doesn't expect though is competition in the form of Roman Montbeau, the latest heir to the Montbeau fortune, and the Capelthorne's sworn rivals for generations. Roman opens up a competing bookshop across the way, one that will drive Jules' family out of business. But even with all the animosity between their families, Romand and Jules can't seem to fight their attraction to one another. But Roman is holding a bigger secret close to his chest, one that might destroy them before they even really get to begin.

This was an enjoyable read. I did really like the cozy settings and the bit of history relating to the Caplethorne family. Jules unfortunately fell a bit flat at the beginning of the book for me, so it was hard to become invested in her story initially. She was very self-deprecating, which I get is one of the plot points, but sometimes it became too much. The relationship between Jules and Roman seemed slow at first, but then almost as if it was a bit too rushed at the end. I did really enjoy the side plot of the Caplethorne family history but would have liked a little more connection of it to the current storyline. Overall, though, it was a quick and enjoyable read. The romance is very pure and closed door, so if spicy scenes aren't your deal, then this is a good romance novel for you!

Three and a half stars rounded up. I wanted to read Poppy Alexander’s “The Battle of the Bookshops” because the premise seemed interesting to me. Jules Capelthorne returns to her hometown of Portneath for the weekend. Her great-aunt Florence fell and has a couple broken bones so she needs a little help.

It quickly becomes apparent to Jules that Florence will need help longer than just the weekend. She also discovers the family’s bookshop, Capelthorne’s Books, is not doing well financially. Jules gets fired from her job in London after letting her boss know she needs more time off than just the weekend. Jules is determined to help Florence during her recovery and help turn things around financially for the bookshop. Especially since the bookshop is approaching its centenary (aka centennial) anniversary of being in business.

Also entering the mix is Roman Montbeau. He’s part of the Montbeau family who owns most of the property/land in Portneath. The Montbeaus have been feuding with the Capelthornes for decades, if not centuries. Roman has returned from the States and has decided to open a competing bookshop directly across the street from Capelthorne’s Books.

This book was a challenge at first to read. The premise was interesting and the writing style was okay. However, I didn’t feel like Jules or Roman had much chemistry. For at least the first half of the book they did not even have many one-on-one interactions or conversations. Therefore, it was a little jarring to have Jules saying she knew Roman and then a few pages later, Roman telling himself he loves Jules. Luckily, the author did do a slight pivot plot-wise and Jules and Roman started spending time together and got to know each other.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

I really didn’t like that this was so similar to Romeo and Juliet just without the tragedy. It was really hard for me to keep picking up but I didn’t want to DNF it either.

2.5, rounded up — The writing style itself was okay, I guess. But the plot was clunky in numerous places. Plot twists, but not in a good way. It left some characters underdeveloped. Maybe because it’s a spin off of Romeo & Juliet that gives an author a free pass to do that but for me it made a slow arduous read…until it just suddenly ends.

I really wasn’t a big fan of this one. It took me a long time to get through and I considered DNFing several times. I thought Jules was annoying and I could not get into a lot of the plots of this book. Giving two stars because I really liked the idea of the premise. Thank you for the ARC

Battle of the Bookshops was a traditional Romeo and Juliet retelling with all the melodrama and none of the tragedy. Jules returns from a career in London to Middlemass, where her great Aunt Flo is recovering from a nasty fall. As Jules steps in to run Aunt Flo’s bookstore, she notices a new bookstore pop up right across the road. Not only that but the store is run by none other than Roman Montbeau, as in the Montbeaus that have rivaled Jules’s family for ages. Can the two overcome their family’s differences? Or will Roman put Jules out of business? I loved the bookish plot, but I found the development from enemies to lovers to be a bit clunky and underdeveloped. I wish the retelling wasn’t so on the nose.

**The Battle of the Bookshops** by Poppy Alexander is an absolute delight — charming, warm, and full of heart. It’s a love letter to books, community, and finding the courage to fight for what matters most. The characters are endearing and easy to root for, and the cozy bookshop setting makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea and stay a while. It’s uplifting and feel-good in all the best ways, perfect for anyone who loves stories about second chances and the magic of books.

This book is ideal for readers who enjoy charming small-town stories where emotional stakes and witty rivalry spark romance, particularly between passionate individuals divided by family history but united by a love for books.