Book people was a very interesting story!
Absolutely loved the dynamic between Kate and Sebastian.
Kates life has turned upside down so she moves to a new town to open a bookshop. A dream she’s had for years. But not everyone in the town is so welcoming. Across the street another bookstore owner despises everything Kate does.
In this thrilling enemies to lovers story you fall in love with both characters and how their differences don’t set them apart but draw them together!
Really enjoyed this story! Highly recommend!
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the arc!

* I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. HUGE fan!

Oh man, I really wanted to love this book. Rival bookstore owners? A cozy small-town setting? A hint of enemies-to-lovers? That’s basically my dream setup. But somewhere along the way, it just didn’t work for me.

First off, everything moved "so fast". One minute Kate and Sebastian are at odds, the next they’re tangled up together like they’ve been secretly yearning for years. Except… they weren’t. The build-up was barely there, which made the romance feel less like slow-burn tension and more like an abrupt plot jump. And Sebastian? I don’t know, something about him just gave me "the ick". He had this weird superiority complex about books (dude, you run a bookstore, not a literary court), and the whole “brooding alpha male” act felt way over the top.

There were some nice moments; the small-town book festival subplot was charming, and Kate was likable enough. But overall, I just didn’t feel the chemistry. It was like watching two people be told they’re supposed to fall in love rather than actually "falling" in love.

Would I recommend it? Maybe, if you’re just here for the steamy moments and don’t mind the romance being all lust and little depth. But if you’re looking for that longing, tension-filled rivals-to-lovers magic? This one might leave you wanting more.

Thank you NetGalley and Headline for this ARC publication for an honest review.
#BookPeople #NetGalley

Still grieving after her mother passing, Kate leaves behind her narcissistic boyfriend to open a delightful little bookshop. Unfortunately the other bookstore owner in town, Sebastian, is not so happy with her arrival...

Seb is organising a bookfestival to support his bookshop, and although he doesn't really wants to, he finds himself suddenly working with Kate on it together. Seb and Kate are starting to get to know each other and realising there is space for 2 bookshops in one little village especially when they can built on eachother's strengths.

Kate's bookschop sounded like such a wonderful place to visit and he has built a real reading community in a short amount of time. I would love to join Kate's romance novels bookclub!

I loved this book about books. The plot was well written and I loved the characters of Kate and Seb. It's a perfect feel-good read!

I loved this book so much!!!! It was such a joy to read!

I don’t know if I can properly articulate just how much this book has my whole heart.

It was beautifully written! There was so many layers to this story. It transcends generations and it was such an incredible read!

I would definitely read more from this author especially if there’s another book based on this little town.

Sebastian and Kate were just such a wonderful pair to read about!!

There was discussions of the realities of running an independent bookshop, dealing with loss and grief, vulnerability associated with love, etc.

Thank you NetGalley, Headline, Headline Eternal and Jackie Ashendenfor giving me an ARC for this spectacular book! I definitely see myself re-reading this in the future. It’s one of my fave books I’ve ever read.

I had a great time reading this. The bookshop setting is always a plus, and I really enjoyed the characters' chemistry! Emotion and romance were expertly balanced in this book. This story captivated me right away! The clichés of opposites attract and enemies to lovers go hand in hand. enjoyable and simple to read!

I really enjoyed the idea behind this story - two rival bookstore owners falling in love and discovering their shared history - but the execution just didn't work for me. I thought both characters were too busy denying their feelings in a way that felt completely unneccesary for the story.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Jackie Ashenden for this arc.

My Review:

If you loved Beach Read by Emily Henry you will love this.

Think beach read but instead of authors, they are book store owners and instead of a summer holiday they are in a small english village, with snoopy neighbors and old ladies that like to read smut 😂

The Plot:
They are book store rivals, he is uptight and uppity with his beautifully historic bookstore that has been in his family for generations, while she is light and bright and a romance lover (a girl after my own heart ❤️). So naturally they clash!

After finding some old letters they start to unravel a whole lot of family history that brings them surprisingly closer together.

Unfortunately we do get a “you shouldn’t love me” walk away, but in true HAE fashion all is right in the end.

Its light, its funny at times, it touches on some deeper issues like emotionally abusive relationships and addiction, all in all its an easy read.

What's not to love about dueling bookshops and enemies to lovers and small town. Kate's book shop includes everything that's popular and fun while Sebastian's is more highbrow. So add in opposites attract. I didn't think that I would like this one but I ended up loving it.

Want a contemporary romance with a literary twist? Check out BOOK PEOPLE by Jackie Ashenden. While the book has many great qualities, for me, it fell short.

The good?
I loved the writing style - it was captivating and really created a sense of place. The premise is unique, and the romance that develops between the two main characters feels genuine, with emotional depth and chemistry.

The bad?
Pacing. Some parts are a bit repetitive at times while others are fully fleshed out. Some of the character development also felt rushed - leaving you feel disconnected with parts of the story

If you’re looking for a light, heartwarming story with a bit of predictability, this book will fit the bill

I wanted to love this book - I find myself often really loving books about bookstores/readers. However, the characters just didn't do it for me.

Jackie Ashenden has been a long-time favourite author of mine, especially for some of her earlier more erotic romances. Book People is a small-town contemporary romance about two rival booksellers, but there are some interesting family secrets that add some mystery and atmosphere to the story, making it a very enjoyable and entertaining read.

Kate Jones has inherited a property in Wychtree, a picture-perfect English Village. As a former book editor, she’s always wanted to own a bookshop so she’s opened one herself, named Portable Magic. She stocks all kinds of popular fiction and rotates her window display regularly to feature a fiction genre. Across the street is another bookshop, Blackwood Books, run by Sebastian Blackwood, which been passed down through his family and which stocks non-fiction and literary novels, more high-brow affairs than what Kate stocks.

Sebastian is not pleased, to say the least, that there is another bookshop in their small town. After all, even when residents wanted some popular fiction he didn’t stock, they’d always order it through him. But now they are going to Kate’s store instead, costing him sales. And it’s been a financially stressful time lately, not helped by having a rival bookshop to contend with. Plus Kate is just so annoyingly beautiful and friendly and charming – nothing at all like Sebastian’s reserved character.

But the two bookshop owners can’t keep out of each other’s circles for too long, especially when Kate hears that Sebastian is organizing a literary festival that she wants to be a part of. And when Sebastian’s headliner drops out, he has no choice but to accept Kate’s help with arranging another guest author, regardless of how he feels about her personally. And how he feels is… complicated.

As Kate and Sebastian plan the festival, they also get to know each other and Kate discovers Sebastian isn’t as cold as he seems. In fact, things between them get quite heated. And when they discover some historical letters that contain hints of a forbidden romance, they work at solving the mystery of the love affair together, discovering a window into a shared past. Can these two rivals find a way to help both their bookstores and get their own happy ending?

I was charmed by Book People from the outset! Enemies to lovers and opposites attract tropes blend well together and that’s what we have here for Kate and Sebastian. I loved the idea of two bookstores that cater to different customers collaborating together to ensure the survival of both, and the sexy romance between Kate and Sebastian unfolds at a brisk pace once they admit their attraction to each other.

I also really liked the historical mystery they work on together. Each chapter begins with a quote from one of the letters of the couple involved in the forbidden romance, and learning about them helps Kate and Sebastian come to terms with some of the more tragic events that have shaped their own lives. The overall result is a page-turning, enjoyable story I’m happy to recommend to bibliophiles and contemporary romance readers who like a little mystery with their romance.

They are book store rivals, he is uptight and uppity with his beautifully historic bookstore that has been in his family for generations, while she is light and bright and a romance lover (a girl after my own heart ). So naturally they clash!

I love reading stories about books and this one was just what I needed! I loved this cozy town and the banter between the main characters! A must read!

This is an absolutely swoon-worthy book. One of my favourite grumpy-sunshine books. Kate and Sebastian’s chemistry was palpable. I liked that Sebastian wasn’t an absolute asshole like many “grumpy” MMCs, he was just closed off. I feel like everything he did made me fall for him more and more. I also related to Kate in many ways. Her self discovery journey was so inspiring to read about, her search for the “real her” after the awful relationship from the past was so riveting.
I loved the journey of uncovering their ancestors’ history, it was such a an interesting driving plot. The never-ending plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat.
The main characters’ love of books is relatable as a book lover.

I enjoyed the overall storyline of this book and the connection Kate and Sebastian had to the past. My biggest hurdle was that I had a hard time connecting with the characters.

Thank you to Headline Eternal and NetGalley for the ARC!

This read felt really unique to me because the personalities of the characters were different than I've ever read, specifically the MMC. I found myself laughing and giggling at their dynamic quite often. It was a very true grumpy/sunshine dynamic the first half of the book and I really enjoyed that. The world building of the little town was really cute and I loved all the little aspects of small time life. Both of their bookshops also sounded really interesting and beautiful in their own ways. The plot had a steady pace which made it a fun read but not necessarily a quick read. The humor in this book is very much niche but if it finds the right audience I think they will adore it. Overall I really loved their story together and felt it was a great cozy romance!

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

While this is a contemporary book, it has a feeling of Jane Austen within the characters.

Rival bookstore owners, grumpy vs sunshine romance.

Sebastian was our stoic/grumpy, male lead with family issues who doesn't do relationships. He was a little over the top with his angst and stubbornness as he fought his feelings for our heroine.

Kate the newbie bookstore owner was super sweet and honestly deserved better than all the angry and dismissive behavior she received from Sebastian. I would love to visit her bookstore!

The two eventually let down their guard and had some sweet, romantic moments. The casual relationship statis was disheartening and the way Sebastian kept letting his thoughts and family history get in the way.

I enjoyed the subplot of the letters! And am glad Kate got to confront her ex!! The conclusion was kind of quick with the resolution and happy ending.

3.5 stars

mystery within discovered love letters...

Sometimes when I pass two stores that sell the same thing across the street from one another, my first thought is: "Wow. I wonder if those two stores, the actual physical stores, are in love". This book felt like the embodiment of that. An absolute blast of rivals to lovers goodness, would absolutely recommend to friends. Will be on the lookout for more from this author.

I usually love books that have to do with books. But this one fell short for me. I just couldn’t get into it and I found the MMC to be whiny. Unfortunately, I have to DNF @20%.