This book follows Freya who is an aspiring literary agent and Jake Richard’s who is a renowned romance author on the brink of career ruin. The first part of the book the two are attending a work conference in New York and have to face the trials of repairing Jake’s career after he outted himself for “hating romance and writing the novels for money”. Here the two discover their attraction to each other but also their fate in regards to both have relations to Hayley (Freya’s boss and mentor). I absolutely LOVED the character development throughout the book. Freya eventually finding her voice and learning to stand up for herself, and Jake being more open and honest with his readers. I absolutely LOVED it. I’m so excited to add this to my bookshelf!

Cozy. Cute. Humours. Sometimes romantic. And had a great flow. I was not disappointed and really enjoyed the main characters banter back and forth. Thank you for an arc of this book.

I enjoyed the idea, i love a good book troupe. It wasn't bad, but it didn't wow me. Think there a lot of potential for the book.

This book was not exactly my cup of tea but that doesn’t mean it isn’t yours! In “Long Story Short,” Freya Harrison is a huge romance novel lover who dreams of becoming a literary agent. She’s been working at an agency as an assistant for a while so when her boss tells her to go to New York to help manage a client at a conference, Freya is excited. Except that this client is Jake Richards. Jake is one of Freya’s favorite authors, but a few months ago, Jake was overheard saying that writing romance is easy and his readers are dumb. Not a great look. Jake is also arrogant and cold (though, of course, very hot). Freya has her work cut out for her to try to rebuild Jake’s reputation. As she tries to figure out why Jake said what he said and they spend more time together, she has to try not to fall for him and keep her professional life professional.

I wanted to read this book because of its premise. I really liked the idea of a romance novelist who has become jaded and the mystery behind that. I thought that was executed well and the reason why he said what he said was not what I expected at all. It was a nice twist.

I just didn’t find myself invested in Freya and Jake’s relationship. I found that in New York, their conversations revolved around the same four topics over and over (including how their relationship may jeopardize her chances of advancing at work and how sorry he was for being rude) and because of that, I didn’t really see them grow together. I felt like Freya would often just say “me too” to many of the things Jake said so it didn’t feel like her character was developing within their relationship. I also found that the spicy scenes gave me a bit of whiplash because they felt out of character for both of them. They weren’t necessarily spicier or more out there than other things I have read but felt out of character for how Freya and Jake interacted with each other.

Where I did feel like a lot of Freya’s development occurred was within her career. I thought that she could have been written as naive and unprofessional (often putting her foot in her mouth), but that this was spun on its head and 1) it was acknowledged that she occasionally was those things and 2) it was then seen as her super power by others. I was most invested in her journey to becoming an agent.

I think this was a quick, easy read where the female main character comes into her own and I know that there are people who will like Freya and Jake’s relationship so I hope they enjoy it.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

Freya is an aspiring literary agent who is tasked with helping romance author Jake Richards rehab his campaign as a romance author after saying he's given up on love.

This is a sweet and fluffy romance that is as much as love letter to New York City and the romance genre as the love story between the two main characters. Some of the tension between the main characters felt a little bit forced, but in all this is a very cute romance that would make for a great vacation read.

3.5/5 stars

When I got this ARC, I was intrigued by the premise, but as I began reading, I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the writing. The idea was good, but I can't say I enjoyed the execution.

3.5/5

Long Story Short is a good quick read. I enjoyed the character development and the setting was wonderful. It made me feel like I felt when I first visited New York. The way it's seen through Freya and Jack is perfect.

Unfortunately, there were points where the dialogue felt a little stiff and I just didn't think that's how people would talk in real life. Also, for me the timing of the story felt a little rushed and everything seemed to fall into place too perfectly.

That said, I did like how everything came together in the end. I thought it was great that Davis turned into more than just the annoying character portrayed in the beginning and that Hayley got what she deserved.

Thank you to Boldwood Books, Victoria Walters and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

This book had an intriguing premise, but unfortunately, the execution didn’t fully work for me. While I enjoyed the idea of a romance between a literary agent and her client, the dialogue often felt stiff and unnatural, making it difficult to fully connect with the characters. Conversations didn’t always flow the way real people speak, which pulled me out of the story at times.

One particular aspect that stood out was the male main character’s reaction to overhearing the female main character mention a dry spell. Despite having only met her twice, he begins making overt sexual references, which felt forced and out of place given their professional relationship. Instead of building chemistry, it made their dynamic feel awkward rather than compelling.

That said, the story had potential, and I appreciated the unique setup. With stronger character development and more natural dialogue, this could have been a standout. Fans of workplace romances may still find aspects to enjoy, but for me, it missed the mark in creating a truly engaging connection between the leads.

3.5 ⭐️

This book felt simultaneously like a warm hug while also having some ups and downs that were really realistic and important to the story. I absolutely loved our main characters Jake and Freya. The setting of New York City was such a good choice for this book and it truly had me wanting to go there myself. Walters’ writing in this was such a delight to read and it was so easy to love our main characters. This book was written in a way that makes you feel like you’re experiencing it right alongside Freya.Having both of them as bookish people in publishing was also so interesting to read and offered a different perspective on the book world. I really liked this one!!

I'm utterly enchanted by this romance novel! The hero is absolutely swoon-worthy, and the story is filled with charm, wit, and a gorgeous concept that had me hooked from start to finish.

The twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end, and I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. This book is a true delight, offering a fun and romantic read that will leave you feeling uplifted and satisfied. A must-read for romance fans!