Get your romance novel trope BINGO card ready! You will hit a handful of them and each one will make you chuckle, smile, and swoon. They're even better because our MMC Ryan, romance bookstore manager, is completely aware they are happening and is able to conquer them.

Then you have his perfect counterpart, Josie, who brings order to his chaotic life, even if she's unaware that she's doing it.

Josie and Ryan will be your new favorite bookish couple! This book was an absolute joy to read. It felt like a love letter to romance readers with insightful reflection on the truths behind the genre. This is a must-read and must-gift to yourself and all you romance book besties.

A wonderful love letter to books and indie bookstores. I thoroughly enjoyed the enemies to lovers story with other romance tropes called out a long the way. The writing was enjoyable and I read more title from Ali Brady.

Reminiscent of The Shop Around the Corner and You’ve Got Mail, this is a fast, flirty read. The adversaries become friends who eventually become lovers is a familiar trope but the main characters have depth, experience growth and are very relatable. Their individual passion for each other is equal to their passion for bookselling. The book is a love letter to indie bookstores and those who inhabit them, employees and customers.

I had a little trouble getting into this at first, despite being a bookseller myself. However, once I was in I was hooked. I found a few moments genuinely funny and I did not feel that the ending was too drawn out. I will for sure recommend this to romance readers!

What an unexpected surprise this book turned out to be. This wonderful book was my first read by Ali Brady (pen name for best friends/co-authors Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey).

When rival bookstore managers are forced to compete for a job by the new owner of both of their stores (and the coffee shop in between them), Josie and Ryan are thrown into a whirlwind of competition.

They are complete opposites, but you know what they say about opposites... Josie is all about the details and focuses on serious literature. Ryan is all about the romance. Their opposing book preferences initially pit them against each other, but despite their stubbornness their able to become friends. There is also a bit of "mistaken identity" that comes into play and honestly their messages to each other where some of my favorite bits of the book.

This is a wonderful story about figuring out who you are alone and who you can be if you just open up to others. There was a lot of great tension and longing that made me want to keep reading and I know I will seek out more books by this author(s).

I'll include that their store owner is a complete loser and I am so glad that he wasn't around much.

*Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for the arc, all opinions are my own.

Battle of the Bookstores was a breath of fresh air. When their boss decides to merge their beloved bookstores, Romance-reader Ryan and Literary "Ice Queen" Josie are opposites at war when vying for the title of bookstore manager. As it turns out, they have more in common than they think. The banter was witty, the cast of characters was loveable, the scenes were perfectly spicy, and the literary references were the perfect addition to this gem of a novel. I especially enjoyed how the book represented the romance genre and romance bookstores - not just fluffy, happy endings but inclusive stories and places for anyone and everyone to find themselves.

This book is full of enemies-to-loves banter, the setting of the bookstores is perfect. Josie’s bookstore has a variety of genres while Ryan’s is a romance bookstore. When they are both up for a promotion, they’re unstoppable. They book events, and make the most of it. They each need to be on their A game and makes lots of sales. It doesn’t matter how passionate they are for their respective stores; their boss is only going to pick one winner.
Josie is strong and has dealt with a lot including quitting college to help her disabled sister. She loves her bookstore, and will do anything to make it succeed. Ryan is dyslexic and never thought he would enjoy reading until he tried romance. That was all it took for him to be hooked. His bookstore means everything to him. In a sort of secret way, they unknowingly get to know each other, and hit it off.
The characters are likeable and realistic, and fun. They each have their own struggles, and may feel stuck because of circumstances, but they explore and dive into taking chances. The big question being, if I don’t get the promotion, what will I do?
This is a fun, quick read that all booklovers will enjoy.

Will be posted on 1/1/6/2025 to instagram.

"Battle of the Bookstores" by Ali Brady delivers a delightful love story set in rival bookstores. I immediately wanted to go visit our nearly independently owned book store. Josie and Ryan are well-developed characters, and their witty, entertaining interactions make the story engaging. While the plot is somewhat predictable, it was still an enjoyable and quick read. This is a perfect beach read for the summer.
Thank you to NetGallery and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the journey of this book. The characters were fun, and the relationship between the two love interests was great to read. With being well written and witty banter this book kept me interested from beginning to end. It also helped that two of my favorite books were referenced.

This book fell somewhere in the middle of just okay and I liked it. It had its moment, but more often than not, I found myself disconnecting. In some parts, the characterization didn't feel quite believable. I'm still not sure how I feel about Ryan's character as a whole. Overall, just okay.

This is a genuine love letter to Boston, books, and love as a concept. There are so many beautiful moments in this novel, but I particularly enjoyed the references to real-life works of literature, locations in the city of Boston. and representation of different types of love - self, romantic, supportive, etc. Beautifully done Ali Brady - you have a new fan!! Thank you to NetGalley, Ali Brady, and Berkley in exchange for my honest feedback.

2.5 or 3 stars as of now based on the reading of ARC

There is nothing that the book people love more than reading itself is reading about bookstore(s) and the goings on of said bookstore(s).. And that this book is homage to Nora Ephron's "You've Got Mail" grab my interest to check out the book.

I loved all the bookstore and working at bookstore anecdotes (wink, wink), the importance of General Fiction, Romance, and all other genres of books to coexist without prejudice. The camaraderie of the Happy Ending's hodgepodge staff and their meetings provided much needed humor. And as expected some popular, well know titles are recommended and mentioned through out the book, including the final parts of the book. However, no specific romance titles, just the authors names are mentioned, which was strange.

But, I found the romance itself, enemies to lovers trope, good but not great. It felt flat in a few places, and the story could have been concluded faster. And there was a part in the book that eek me out with a couple (not the main protagonists), who rented the bookstore for a romantic night.

This book was so cute! I read it a few weeks ago and am still thinking about it--the main characters had great banter. Battle of the Bookstores is fun and lighthearted, and has well fleshed out characters that really make the book stick with you. I'll definitely be recommending this to romance readers in my life.

What happens when the owner of a building pits 2 booksellers against each other? You just might have a bit of drama, walls breaking down and maybe even the sought after HVE. One of the best books I have read in awhile!

I think objectively this is a good book and we have patrons who will want to read it. I personally didn't enjoy it as much as other enemies to lovers romances.
I didn't really like this enemies to lovers relationship. As a librarian and book lover myself, I enjoyed that the premise was about two competing bookstores and bookstore owners, but I didn't enjoy the relationship and it felt a bit flat at times; I had a tough time feeling invested in the relationship between the two characters.

Advanced Book Review! Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I recently finished reading all of Ali Brady’s backlist books, which are more women’s fiction about friendships, with romance on the side. Battle of the Bookstores is their first full romance novel (other than their recent holiday novella).
“Rivalry and romance spark when two bookstore managers who are opposites in every way find themselves competing for the same promotion.”
This really was a love letter to indie bookstores. I do feel sometimes that there was a lot of “inside baseball” with the talk of book tropes and ARCs and literary name dropping. You basically have to know the book world to understand a lot of the references. I liked how each of the main characters had a more serious events in their past, which did give the book greater depth.
Ali Brady chose for the male main character, Ryan, to manage the romance bookstore and be passionate about romance novels, while Josie, the female main character, prefers literary fiction in her store. Because it was probably a bit unexpected, I thought it was a great choice to demonstrate that books don’t need to be gendered and people should read what they like and what resonates with them.
I can definitely see the similarities to When Harry Met Sally, my favourite romcom. I loved that there was a side character named Nora (Nora Ephron wrote When Harry Met Sally), and other references that fans of the movie will definitely pick up on.
I was excited for this book but it didn’t quite measure up for me to their previous books. Overall, I love Ali Brady’s writing and I was engaged but I did think it was too long, too sexually explicit in certain places that felt like they were kind of trying too hard in their first romance novel, and too many literary references that may not age well and that not everyone will understand.

I look forward to seeing what Ali Brady writes next.

3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars.

*Battle of the Bookstores* by Ali Brady is a charming, enemies-to-lovers romance set in the heart of Boston. Josie, the serious literature lover, and Ryan, the laid-back romance bookstore manager, are forced into a rivalry when their stores are merged under new ownership. The sparks fly as they clash over competing events, but their chemistry is undeniable.

What makes this book so fun is not only their banter and growing attraction, but also the twist of them unknowingly connecting through an online book forum. The story beautifully balances humor, heart, and a slow-burn romance, making it a perfect read for fans of witty dialogue and bookstore settings. With a delightful mix of competition and love, *Battle of the Bookstores* is a heartwarming, feel-good story you won’t want to put down. Highly recommend!

What an amazing read from Ali Brady! Battle of the Bookstores is the perfect bookish romance complete with tons of references to literary knockouts. I loved following Ryan and Josie's story and their competing bookstores and I never wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the best for both of them. I highly recommend this one! Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Josie and Ryan are both bookstore owners on the same Boston street - she specializes in literary fiction and his store is focused on romance in all its forms. But when the owner of both stores decides to consolidate and keep only one manager, the competition between the two to be the one left standing becomes fierce. Each turns to a friend in an online book community for support and solace - only they don't realize that the person they're talking to is the same person they're fighting against. To make matters worse, both of them are starting to develop real feelings for their online counterpart. So what happens when each of them realize that they've been falling for their enemy? And how will the decision to keep only one as manager complicate things?

I love a good reverse grumpy/sunshine and this one delivered. Josie isn't quite grumpy but she's buttoned up and exacting and she has few friends and is still dealing with some past traumas. Ryan is outgoing and friendly, beloved by his staff and his family, but he also feels like he doesn't quite measure up to his superstar brothers. My biggest complaint was the landlord/owner who I felt was too much like a caricature of the ruthless businessman. But overall a cute book with lots of fun nods to those of us in the book business.

Overall: 4/5
Spice: 1.5/3

This book had ALL my favorite things. Enemies to lovers, books about books, and bookstores (my fave place) and a You've Got Mail retelling. This reminded me so much of another holiday book favorite "The Mistletoe Motive" because of all the sweet pining, angst, and slow-burn. Good things come to those who wait so this really made the book for me, seeing the journey these two leads go on to find each other at the end.

There were two "bookstore" romances when I was looking through arcs to request, and I'm glad I picked this one. <3

A definite add to our collection!