So wholesome! Great banter and a delightful play on you’ve got mail. As a bookseller this was such a beautiful tribute to local indie shops. Would love to see more of these characters!

Oh, I do adore books by dynamic duo Ali Brady. Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson are the best bookshop rivals since Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox. Do men like Ryan Lawson exist in the wild? No! But, that's not the point. It's a delightful, escapist romance.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

[Thank you to Berkley Romance and netgalley for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.]

Initially, Josie and Ryan seem like opposites, just like their bookstores. As you get to know these characters, you see that they have a lot in common.

Growing up, Josie watched her mom prioritize a revolving door of failed relationships instead of her two daughters. She didn't have anyone she could truly trust so it makes sense that as an adult she's closed off and has a hard time connecting with people as she needs to feel in control.

While Ryan seems more open, he's closed off when it comes to romantic relationships. After having his heart broken, he's reluctant to try again, even though he desperately wants what his parents have.

But their most obvious similarity is their love of books, which is how they found themselves as booksellers (both following unconventional paths).

The representation (dyslexia, disability after an accident, Jewish, LGBTQ) is naturally woven into the story, giving it a lot of depth. This was such an easy and pleasant read and is very much for people who love books.

I came to Ali Brady’s books a little late, but I’m so glad I did! This one was such a fun read, packed with bookish charm and basically a love letter to romance tropes. From enemies-to-lovers to the classic one-bed situation, it had a little bit of everything, and I was here for it. The bookstore rivalry made for great tension, and the anonymous online friendship twist was super cute. If you love stories set among books with a big heart and even bigger banter, this one’s worth picking up.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When their landlord decides to merge their bookstores with a coffee shop, Josie and Ryan are left competing for the single manager position. This was a super cute romcom that hits you in the feels. The banter, chemistry, the emotional depth, and swoon worthy MMC made this such a good read. I also really liked the twist of of her being the literary fiction reader and him the romance. I will definitely have to read more books by Ali Brady.

You’ve Got Mail vibes
Forced proximity
One bed
Enemies to lovers
Competition

Battle of the bookstores
By Ali Brady
Release date: June 3, 2025
4.5🌟
LOVE LOVE LOVE 💗 this book was perfect! I absolutely adored both characters and their banter. I could not put this book down! I could not stop giggling, smiling, even crying happy tears.

Josie & Ryan both manage neighbouring bookstores. Their bookstores could not be more opposite of each other and when the owner says he will be closing one and letting go of the manager of the other, Josie & Ryan have to compete to show which store can be more successful.
Under the pressure they both turn to online forums to discuss their favourite books and mutual struggles with daily life with their anonymous friends.. 🤭

This book was funny, cute, and relatable to every bookish guy gal & non binary pal.
It was inclusive of all book genres and really captivated the book stereotypes within the book community.

There were a lot of cliches & references to popular books/authors which normally I would have found cringy but I actually found the way Ali Brady did it, not over the top & made me find the story that much more likeable!

I related to Josie in a way I haven’t seen written before. She is seen as a know-it-all, pretentious, stuck up, but underneath she is just girl carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Thank you @netgalley @alibradybooks @berkleypub for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Tropes
🤍 Rivals to Lovers
🤍 Slow Burn
🤍 Sunshine MMC
🤍 Books about Books
🤍 Dyslexia rep
🤍 Forced Proximity
🤍 One bed (my fav micro trope) 🤭

I LOVED SO MANY THINGS ABOUT THIS!!!

1. The bookish references. I absolutely loved the author name drops, bookish icks, discussion of favorite tropes, the fact that they read ARCs, and the discussion of having FUN with reading and not making it feel like a job. This is something I’m guilty of and I just loved how relatable and fun it was to read about so many bookish things.

2. The characters were genuinely likable and funny! I audibly giggled so many times throughout! Josie frustrated me at times but I ultimately understood her reasoning for specific choices.

3. The TENSION. I was about to burst by the time our characters finally got together. I was speed reading because I just couldn’t wait anymore!

Ultimately this was such a fun and engaging book with lovable characters and great romance/spice. I highly recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and Ali Brady for the eARC of this story! I can’t wait to buy a physical copy and make everyone I know buy one too!!!

Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson adore books and manage bookstores beside each other. Josie's bookstore caters to serious literature, while Ryan's sells romance only. You would think the pair would bond over their love of words, but they've been bitter rivals since their first meeting. After learning that the new owner plans to combine the two store, leaving room for only one manager, Josie and Ryan set out to outsell the other. Type-A Josie is constantly butting heads with the more easygoing Ryan, and the only comfort either has is venting their frustrations to their anonymous friend they met in an online book forum. Little do they know, they've been talking to each other. As the rivalry heats up in person, so does their online chemistry. But when their secret friendship comes to the surface, will it be a HEA or a DNF?

I love books about books but throw in a You've Got Mail-ish scenario and I'm sold. I've never read anything by this duo before, and it was a fun time. It took me some time to warm up to Josie, but I adored Ryan from the start. I liked how different they were, not only in their reading tastes but their personalities and how they viewed things. Josie was more closed off and came across as cold because she had all these insecurities she felt she had to hide from others. Ryan was charming and thoughtful. He was patient with Josie, and I liked watching their relationship develop. I also enjoyed watching them work together to better both of their stores. The bookish elements of the story worked well. Other moments felt like they tried too hard to be cutesy, but I still liked it and would recommend it if you're in the mood for a summer read.

I just had to let this one go. It was like every angry instagram graphic from the past 3 years was shoved into this story. I love a bookstore romance. I love how AB writes sister stories. I wanted their romance to be so good but they just kept being mean for the sake of mean and it was so filled with rants about things that it read like angry social media. And we get enough of that already.

The premise of this book is bouncy and screams bookish romcom. The experience of it, however, was that it lacked the tension and anticipation that it should have. Josie and Ryan seem to be set up for predictable banter and rivalry, but it just didn’t land for me. I think it was a deliberate choice to have Ryan run the Happy Endings romance bookstore, because who has ever heard of a straight man doing so? I think this book would be more fun if the reader didn’t know they were the ones messaging each other the whole time - there just wasn’t anything for the reader to look forward to.

I really, really loved this one. I love letter to readers, indie book stores, and libraries.
If you are not one of those, some of the current lit references may be irksome, but this librarian ate. it. up.
The You've Got Mail parallels are golidlocks levels of just right.
Enough spice, charming banter, awesome b characters, what more could you want?
I will definitely be seeking out more by these authors.

Josie and Ryan!!!

I'm pretty sure I went from extreme like to love for this book since it takes place in Davis square Somerville Ma and I lived there for 6 years ❤️💜💙.

We get this super fun -rivals to friends to lovers story through Dual POV

When the owner of the building that houses the bookstores that Ryan and Josie manage decides to combine them with the coffee shop separating them the true face to face war begins. So our Josie is a serious literature reader that wants to create a quiet space for patrons. Sweet Ryan runs the Romance book store with fun events an eccentric staff (we love you Cinderella). Ryan is the youngest son and least successful in a loving family, while Josie is super ambitious and supports her sister due to an absent and emotional unstable mother. How they compliment each other was so swoon to read.

While competing for revenue what Josie and Ryan don't realize is that online they have a connection and friendship on a book forum.

The sexual tension, competitive nature and build up the relationship between Josie and Ryan was 👩‍🍳💋.

Thank you @bookswithnopictures @just_talking_to_my_shelf for having me on #TeamForbiddenLove on the @alibradybooks @berkleyromance traveling ARC!

Josie and Ryan are both managers of bookstores on the same Boston street when their shared owner lets them know he’s combining their stores into one. The two managers will compete for a few months to have the most sales and may the best manager win. Josie manages Tabula Inscripta which focuses on serious literary fiction and Ryan is the manager of Happy Endings, a romance focused shop. They both come up with creative ideas to bring more business, but usually yo the detriment of the other shopkeeper.

There’s also an adorable “You’ve Got Mail” style online relationship where Josie and Ryan chat as anonymous bookstore managers and they don’t know they are talking to each other. I love epistolary novels so I loved their shared chat messages.

I love Ryan from the beginning. We find out why as a straight male that he loves the romance genre and how the previous manager, Elaine got him involved when he was just a teen. It was also interesting that the book kept talking about Ryan’s massive height (he’s 6-7) and his insecurity that it brings. Josie was a character I had to grow to love. She’s absolutely insufferable at the beginning, but as she starts to wonder what life might be like with the bookstore, she becomes more chill. She also has a contentious relationship with her mother that causes a lot of stress.

Lastly, I have to mention how much I loved that this book was set in one of my favorite neighborhoods in Boston, Davis Square. I have been to many of the locations mentioned like the Painted Burro and the Burren. It’s an added detail that really brought me into the story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you're a fan of You've Got Mail, you're gonna love this!

Rivals to lovers meets online pen pals in this delightful romance. Josie and Ryan are super relatable characters. Both are dealing with personal struggles and I think the author did a good job of showing that. I also liked how Ryan's dyslexia was handled. It felt realistic. The chemistry between these two is fun since this is definitely opposites attract.

An enjoyable read for classic romcom enthusiasts!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I loved the banter, chemistry, story, characters, everything. I didn't have any thoughts or feelings going into this book, but It was way better than I was expecting. I cannot wait for this to come out this summer so I can add it to my shelf.

This book was “meh” for me. Enjoyed: healthy relationship depiction, philosophical discussion of the romance genre. Disliked: the first half of the book feels like it’s trying too hard, the characters feel more like caricatures. The issues dissolve somewhat in the second half of the book, but they’re hard to overcome.

This books is like being swept off your feet in a whirlwind sweet romance from start to finish. I was attracted to the bookstores. I was romanced by the rivals to lovers and I fell in love with the plot. I absolutely loved all the fun book references and shout outs. This book wrapped me in a warm embrace and didn't let go. RJ is a romance bookstore manager with all the best merch, including crochet 'weens, bookmarks and flare. Josie store is the complete opposite with clean and modern appearance that matches Josies pristine hair, makeup, and penciled skirts. While running this competition both store give there best. This story also touches on some neurodivergent topics like dyslexia and sensitivity to sounds and maybe some hyperfixation. I felt like I could really related to this story and enjoyed how modern and open it was. I enjoyed the characters and couldn't put it down. This is my first Ali Brady book and I definitely want more.

Oh how I loved this book 💗

Josie and Ryan manage two indie bookshops that are about to be combined into one store, and the owner decides that a competition is the best way to choose who will manage the new shop.

Literary references galore pepper the pages, from author and book names to tropes, book events, and bookish swag. It felt like a love letter to indie bookshops, to readers, to book collectors and book clubs, and I absolutely ate it up.

Josie and Ryan begin as adversaries, though they also have an anonymous online relationship where they are close friends. The combination of their interactions made for fun reading as their online selves bonded over difficulties and their IRL selves sparred over sales and customers.

Read if you enjoy:
💗 Enemies to lovers
💗 Bookish references or books about books
💗 Online epistolary on the page
💗 Only one bed moment
💗 Opposites attract

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Battle of the Bookstores was such a joy to read- full of heart, heat, and the kind of bookish charm that made my inner literary nerd positively glow. From the moment I saw references to Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, and modern rom-com queens like Lucy Score and Ali Hazelwood, I knew I was in for something special. Every nod to beloved books and authors felt like a warm hug for readers, and it made my book-loving heart so, so happy.

The story follows Josie and Ryan, rival bookstore managers with totally opposite vibes- her store is all literary fiction and structure, his is chaotic, cozy romance heaven. When their shared (and shady) boss decides to merge the two stores and only keep one manager, sparks fly in every possible way. What they don’t realize? They’ve already formed a deep connection- as anonymous friends on a bookish online forum. You’ve Got Mail vibes, but with an updated twist that works oh so well.

Josie is relatable in her need for control and her struggle to open up, and Ryan is an absolute cinnamon roll of a romance-reading hero. Their banter is A+ (so many laugh-out-loud moments), and the slow build from enemies to lovers had me grinning like an idiot. The spice was perfect- a little steamy and a lot swoony.

The representation (dyslexia, disability, Jewish identity) is naturally woven in and adds meaningful depth to a story that could’ve easily just stayed light and fluffy but instead manages to hit emotional notes without ever losing its charm. Highly recommend for fellow book nerds looking for a warm, witty, and wildly lovable romance. I already want to re-read it with a highlighter in hand.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint one bit. I am a Maryland girl but a part of my heart will forever live in Boston and I absolutely adored this story about rival bookstore managers competing for a job, who perhaps have more in common than they imagined. My full review will be out on pub day (and it might take me that long to process it all because my heart was racing so fast with this one) but I can say that this is 💯 one to add to your TBR and pre-order at your local favorite indie bookstore.