Thank you to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for access to the ELC of Not Quite By The Book (audiobook) by Julie Hatcher read by Julie Anne Lindsey.
The audiobook production and voice talent were both well done.
The general concept of the book seemed interesting and I was really hoping the "You've Got Mail" plot line would make it great, but both the concept and the reimagining fell flat. The level of miscommunication and pettiness in the family dynamics and in the love story were all over the top and hard to get invested in. Overall, not a favorite.

I loved everything about this book. From the bookshop to the obsession with Emily Dickinson to the letter writing and gardening. The story is of Emma needing a break from running the family book store, from her retiring parents and her pregnant sisters. She hasn't had a vacation in years and now is the time to go, before everything changes and she'll be stuck in the store forever. She decides move to an old mansion outside of Amherst to live like her literary hero Emily Dickinson. She wants a simple life of cooking, solitude, and creativity. She thinks it's just the tonic she needs. But living like Emily is a lot tougher, and lonelier than Emma imagines and she takes to town to partake in a letter writing course and meet some new people.
What Emma doesn't count on is the house she's living in is a fixer up and the handsome, but grumpy handyman isn't helping. And finally, a secret admirer is sending specifically chosen flowers sending her confusing messages.

The narrator was lovely, perfect voice and tone for the story. She was terrific.

The author is fantastic. I hope to see much more of her in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for this sneak peek. I loved it.

✨📖A review of "Not Quite By the Book" by Julie Hatcher, with thanks to Brilliance Publishing for providing me with a copy of the audiobook to review📖✨

📚Summary:
After giving all of her time and energy to running her parents' bookstore, Emma is completely burnt out.

Sick of life passing her by, she decides to follow in the footsteps of her beloved Emily Dickinson and embrace a life of slow living and solitude, in a mansion just outside of Amherst.

What Emma doesn't count on is a crumbling home, a grumpy handyman and a secret admirer inserting themselves into her plans!

✏️My thoughts.
Mia Hutchinson-Shaw provided a lovely narration for the audiobook, which I found very relaxing to listen to.
I absolutely adored seeing Emma rediscover her joy as she begins living with intention. This is an uplifting and thought-provoking read for anyone who enjoys cozy settings and dreams of escaping to a different life (even if just for a short time).

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

The relationship that Emma had with her mom was written just perfectly. I have to say it brought tears to my eyes realized how much they truly loved one another. Sometimes people continue their patterns of behaviour because they THINK it’s what everyone expects, until they begin to expect it. Many of us think our families should just know what we want, but Julie Hatcher demonstrated beautifully that that is not always the case. I enjoyed the fact that Emma wanted to rediscover herself, so she went in her own private “adventure”. I’m not sure I would choose where she went, so isolated and a place she already knew so close to home, but I think it is a statement that we all lose ourselves sometimes. This started off quite slowly, and seemed rushed in the end. It was more of a rediscovery of family and self, than a romance in my opinion. While Davis did end up doing the right things, I still think he requires a little more redemption.

This story is so charming.

Books about books is my absolute favourite thing, so right away, we start off strong.

I loved the crumbling manor setting.

I, weirdly, loved that the romance was a big part of Emma’s story, but not the ONLY part.

I loved the self-reflection I did as I made my way through this story.

I loved everything except the bunnies. It’s stew for you furry lot.

The leaning into Emily Dickinson, the Language of Flowers, and all the Grumpy Neighbour Goodness, has me itching to track down more from this author.