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Bookworm
Bookworm (buk-werm): Someone who loves books, reading, and/or studying. For reference, see Charlotte Kent.
Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Kent likes happy endings. Not that she's looking for one herself. Awkward, never been kissed, and bookish to the core, Lottie would rather read about love than experience it.
But she enjoys helping others find their HEA in books.
Lottie loves working at the library…even if it means running into Bo Stryker.
Broody, athletic, and unfairly attractive when he frowns, Bo works at the flower shop across the street. Lottie is about to get rejected…when surprisingly, Bo steps in, pretends to be her boyfriend, and steals her first kiss.
One viral video later, everyone thinks they're together.
Bo wants to keep pretending. Lottie wants to make amends—long story short: she was on a ladder; he startled her; the book slap was an accident.
A fake relationship may be the solution. But as they grow closer, Lottie can't help falling for Bo—which is a disaster because grumpy sunshine only works in fiction…right?
This book features two opposites with undeniable chemistry, one lovable librarian, so many stolen kisses and answers the question:
What happens when a nerd falls for the grump-next-door?
Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Kent likes happy endings. Not that she's looking for one herself. Awkward, never been kissed, and bookish to the core, Lottie would rather read about love than experience it.
But she enjoys helping others find their HEA in books.
Lottie loves working at the library…even if it means running into Bo Stryker.
Broody, athletic, and unfairly attractive when he frowns, Bo works at the flower shop across the street. Lottie is about to get rejected…when surprisingly, Bo steps in, pretends to be her boyfriend, and steals her first kiss.
One viral video later, everyone thinks they're together.
Bo wants to keep pretending. Lottie wants to make amends—long story short: she was on a ladder; he startled her; the book slap was an accident.
A fake relationship may be the solution. But as they grow closer, Lottie can't help falling for Bo—which is a disaster because grumpy sunshine only works in fiction…right?
This book features two opposites with undeniable chemistry, one lovable librarian, so many stolen kisses and answers the question:
What happens when a nerd falls for the grump-next-door?
393 pages, Paperback
Published April 13, 2023
259 people are currently reading
1915 people want to read
About the author
Cookie O'Gorman
25 books1,117 followersCookie O'Gorman writes YA & NA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her novels ADORKABLE, NINJA GIRL, The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder, The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad, The Kissing Challenge (YA novella), WALLFLOWER, CUPCAKE, FAUXMANCE, BOOKWORM, SWEETHEART, and INTROVERT are out now! She is also the author of NA sports romances The Best Mistake, The Perfect Play, The Sweetest Game, The Total Knockout, and The Merriest Christmas! Her newest release The Nicest Thing came out on October 9, 2025!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
April 20, 2023
Reading never failed me. Unlike people, books were reliable; they always provided a welcome escape.
And I needed that now.
Bookworm was an adorable, feel good romance that will keep you smiling from that first page to the last! With grumpy sunshine mixed with fake dating, it was impossible not to fall in love with this story. The characters leapt from the pages, the storyline made it impossible to put down and this book easily landed on my favorites list! This story was not only laugh out loud hilarious but it was filled with heart and so much charm too! If you love young adult romance, you definitely need this book in your life!
"I make you nervous," he said.
"One hundred percent," I said back. There was no use lying. My cheeks were starting to hurt I was smiling so hard.
Bo, on the other hand, looked like he was gritting his teeth.
Bo Stryker worked at the flower shop across the street from the library where Charlotte Kent volunteered. When Bo stepped in, and saved Charlotte from an embarrassing situation, he stole her first kiss. And that kiss went viral. That moment was swoon worthy, sigh worthy, and had me absolutely obsessed! What followed was a beautiful journey filled with opposites attracts, friendship, first love, bookcussions and fabulous banter! And I have to say that I didn't read the synopsis close enough because when I got to their last names I was screaming out loud! I couldn't wait to see how this was tied to her other books. But don't worry, you don't have to read any other story before jumping into this one.
Bo didn't want to talk about The Kiss.
He wanted to pretend as if it never happened.
I could do that.
I could.
Even if he was my first.
Even if I could still feel the press of his mouth against mine.
Charlotte cracked me up and is one of my favorite heroines! I loved how honest and forthcoming she was. Her thoughts made me feel connected to her. And I loved how she helped others find happiness in a book and also had no qualms about spying on others. But what I loved most of all, was how she could make Bo feel. Charlotte could be such a ray of sunshine to Bo's grumpy clouds. And the moment she could get him to smile or react had me glued to the pages. So while it was beautiful watching their friendship progress, I was shocked that Charlotte didn't believe in HEAs....outside of a book. That hurt my heart. I kept my fingers crossed that Bo could get her to have a change of heart, even if they were only fake dating.
"I thought you hated having me around," I admitted.
"I don't."
"You even told me how much you hate people."
"Not you," he said.
My heart skipped a beat.
"I could never hate you, Kent."
Bo was the star soccer player at his high school who had a perpetual frown on his face. He was given the nickname iceman because of his stellar personality haha. But when he was around Charlotte, we got tiny glimpses of who Bo was underneath it all. We got to see that he was capable of feeling. And if we paid close enough attention to his words, it seemed like he felt more towards Charlotte. Bo is my favorite type of a character, where you have to look for hints and clues to figure out how they feel and who they truly are. Because they guard their emotions and their thoughts with their whole body and soul. So when Bo would mess with Charlotte, awww it was like the clouds parted from the skies. And that led to the most delicious banter ever!
Taking my hand, he placed a kiss on my thumb, removing the leftover sugar with a brief but devastating brush of his tongue. I couldn't have spoken then even if I'd wanted to.
The fake dating in this story unfolded so brilliantly, and there quite a few moments that made my toes curl while sighing out loud. And besides Bo and Charlotte, my favorite side character was Charlotte's sister, Scar. I would love for Scar to get her own book *fingers crossed*! Plus it was so much fun seeing characters from quite a few of Cookie's previous books! So with a list of suitors, flower deliveries, the cinnamon roll, soccer games, lunch moments, and kisses in a library, this book was so fabulous! With a fun and flirty vibe, Bookworm was so easy to fall head over heels in love with! And this is one of those stories where you just can't stop smiling all the way through. It's happiness in a book! And you definitely need this happiness in your life!
As a bookworm, I'd read tons of romance novels with countless happily-ever-afters. I would read a ton more.
And I knew our book would always be my favorite.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
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June 7, 2023
Estuvo bien CUTE!! 🥰
Grumpy/Sunshine
Fake Dating
Estos libros de esta autora son bien WHOLESOME.
Amo que todos estén entrelazados e ir encontrándome personajes de otros libros.
No tienen fueguito pero cuando se dan al fin se dan un beso UFFF EXCITED.
No es mi favorito de la autora sin embargo, se disfruta mucho.
Grumpy/Sunshine
Fake Dating
Estos libros de esta autora son bien WHOLESOME.
Amo que todos estén entrelazados e ir encontrándome personajes de otros libros.
No tienen fueguito pero cuando se dan al fin se dan un beso UFFF EXCITED.
No es mi favorito de la autora sin embargo, se disfruta mucho.
May 25, 2023
cute simple little book to pass time
April 18, 2023
Title: BOOKWORM
Author: Cookie O’Gorman
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
My Rating: 5 ”cinnamon rolls”!
💘𝔽𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝔻𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘
💘𝔾𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡𝕪 𝕩 𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕖
💘𝔹𝕠𝕪 ℕ𝕖𝕩𝕥 𝔻𝕠𝕠𝕣
💘𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕖
💘𝕁𝕠𝕔𝕜 𝕩 ℕ𝕖𝕣𝕕
"𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒔," 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅.
"𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕," 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌.
Charlotte & Bo couldn’t be more opposite! He’s the grumpy jock who lives next door and she’s the bookish wallflower who lives vicariously through the romance she reads about in fiction. Charlotte (Lottie) can’t deny the attraction she has for her next door neighbor; who is known as the “iceman” at their high school. She believes there’s more that meets the eye concerning Bo and that behind his perpetual frown-face, there’s a story worth discovering.
Bo doesn’t like people. Well—except Lottie. He can’t seem to get the girl next door out of his head. Her smiling face and cheery disposition lights up his world in a way no one else has.
When Lottie decides to finally put herself out there, prompted by her sister, and is rejected—Bo comes to her rescue by pretending to be her boyfriend. One fake relationship and viral library kiss later; Bo & Lottie are left deciding what to do about all the real feelings they have for each other.
𝑩𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒐. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏.
Cookie O’Gorman is the 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦 👑. There, I said it! Not only is ʙᴏᴏᴋᴡᴏʀᴍ the cutest grumpy x sunshine rep I’ve read in a long time; but Lottie & Bo’s fake relationship is *chef’s kiss*. Stolen glances. Hand holding. Cinnamon roll mmc. The ANGST. 😍 Bo is the fictional boyfriend of all my teenage dreams. Lottie is a girl after my own bookish heart. And these two together?…the kind of fictional couple you root for.
ʙᴏᴏᴋᴡᴏʀᴍ was yet another Cookie book that was an easy ✨𝓯𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼✨. It’s so easy to fall in love 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 the way she writes it. The YA romance genre is a better place because of her positive, lighthearted stories. To date, I’ve read every single one of her books and I must say ʙᴏᴏᴋᴡᴏʀᴍ has now taken the number one spot as my fave! Bo & Lottie have the kind of chemistry you hope for when you read a fake dating romance. Also, loved how the author incorporated characters from her other books (Wallflower, Adorkable, Ninja Girl..) while still having ʙᴏᴏᴋᴡᴏʀᴍ be a complete standalone. Lovely surprise revisiting characters from her other works that I missed!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this story from the author. I voluntarily reviewed this ebook. All views are my own.
Author: Cookie O’Gorman
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
My Rating: 5 ”cinnamon rolls”!
💘𝔽𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝔻𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘
💘𝔾𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡𝕪 𝕩 𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕖
💘𝔹𝕠𝕪 ℕ𝕖𝕩𝕥 𝔻𝕠𝕠𝕣
💘𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕖
💘𝕁𝕠𝕔𝕜 𝕩 ℕ𝕖𝕣𝕕
"𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒔," 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅.
"𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕," 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌.
Charlotte & Bo couldn’t be more opposite! He’s the grumpy jock who lives next door and she’s the bookish wallflower who lives vicariously through the romance she reads about in fiction. Charlotte (Lottie) can’t deny the attraction she has for her next door neighbor; who is known as the “iceman” at their high school. She believes there’s more that meets the eye concerning Bo and that behind his perpetual frown-face, there’s a story worth discovering.
Bo doesn’t like people. Well—except Lottie. He can’t seem to get the girl next door out of his head. Her smiling face and cheery disposition lights up his world in a way no one else has.
When Lottie decides to finally put herself out there, prompted by her sister, and is rejected—Bo comes to her rescue by pretending to be her boyfriend. One fake relationship and viral library kiss later; Bo & Lottie are left deciding what to do about all the real feelings they have for each other.
𝑩𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒐. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏.
Cookie O’Gorman is the 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦 👑. There, I said it! Not only is ʙᴏᴏᴋᴡᴏʀᴍ the cutest grumpy x sunshine rep I’ve read in a long time; but Lottie & Bo’s fake relationship is *chef’s kiss*. Stolen glances. Hand holding. Cinnamon roll mmc. The ANGST. 😍 Bo is the fictional boyfriend of all my teenage dreams. Lottie is a girl after my own bookish heart. And these two together?…the kind of fictional couple you root for.
ʙᴏᴏᴋᴡᴏʀᴍ was yet another Cookie book that was an easy ✨𝓯𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼✨. It’s so easy to fall in love 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 the way she writes it. The YA romance genre is a better place because of her positive, lighthearted stories. To date, I’ve read every single one of her books and I must say ʙᴏᴏᴋᴡᴏʀᴍ has now taken the number one spot as my fave! Bo & Lottie have the kind of chemistry you hope for when you read a fake dating romance. Also, loved how the author incorporated characters from her other books (Wallflower, Adorkable, Ninja Girl..) while still having ʙᴏᴏᴋᴡᴏʀᴍ be a complete standalone. Lovely surprise revisiting characters from her other works that I missed!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this story from the author. I voluntarily reviewed this ebook. All views are my own.
May 27, 2023
I would do anything for bo stryker.
April 20, 2023
I didn’t realize how much my soul needed another Cookie O’Gorman YA contemporary romance until I started on page 1 of BOOKWORM. My goodness, her characters and her writing are so much fun! And, I was pleasantly surprised to find out the main characters are the offspring of some of my favorite Cookie characters! Bonus! Yes, I’m using lots of exclamation points because I just loved this story so much. I smiled constantly as I read about Charlotte-Lottie-Lotte and her family and friends. And Bo Stryker is exactly my kind of guy — hot, dark and brooding with a heart of gold (Jon Snow anyone?). Bo is a soccer phenom who lives next door to Charlotte, Lottie, Kent and they’ve been at odds with each other since Kindergarten. That doesn’t stop Lottie from watching him workout every morning from the safety of her bedroom window, though.
When the girls at school make a bet to see who can land Bo first, he seeks out Lottie as his fake girlfriend to get them to back off. The only problem is, Lottie realizes she likes Bo. A lot. And the whole fake thing has the potential to turn into something real. For her at least. So she establishes ground rules: first and foremost is no kissing. Too bad, because the one and only kiss they’ve shared was out-of-this-world hot!
Plot
The plot was so fun. It was primarily the relationship between Bo and Lottie, but there was some subplotting around Lottie’s library fundraising event and some cute food-centered super minor subplots. There’s also Lottie’s relationship with Bo’s grandmother and a minor character arc on her part. The story moves at a typical O’Gorman pace with lots of laughs on every page.
Characters
The characters are always what I love best about Cookie’s books and BOOKWORM is no exception, though I think I adore Lottie the most. She’s me in teenage form. Upbeat, insecure, opinionated, bookloving, smiles all the time. I could identify with her so much. I think what I loved most about her is that she’s different than a lot of teen protagonists. She just goes with the flow and speaks her mind. It’s a rare combination that I just loved. As I mentioned above, Bo is the swooniest of swoon-worthy book boyfriends. His gruff exterior and marshmallow center were a delight to read. It was also fun to see some familiar characters as well (Ninja girl!!!).
What I Loved About BOOKWORM
1. Lottie. I love her optimism, the way she handles the “bad guys”, how she’s always up for a challenge, her sense of humor. Really, I just love everything about her. She may be my favorite YA female protagonist of all time.
2. Bo. Gruff, scowly on the outside, soft as a marshmallow on the inside. Plus, those arms.
3. Books. I love how books and reading are such an integral part of the story.
4. Scarlett. Lottie’s younger sister is the yin to her yang. I sure hope she gets her own book soon (Cookie, if you’re reading this…)
5. Swoony One-Liners. Bo is a man of few words, but when he says something, it’ll make any girl’s knees weak. I mean, just his favorite flower about undid me.
Bottom Line
This might be O’Gorman’s best young adult book so far. At least it’s my favorite! I loved everything about it.
When the girls at school make a bet to see who can land Bo first, he seeks out Lottie as his fake girlfriend to get them to back off. The only problem is, Lottie realizes she likes Bo. A lot. And the whole fake thing has the potential to turn into something real. For her at least. So she establishes ground rules: first and foremost is no kissing. Too bad, because the one and only kiss they’ve shared was out-of-this-world hot!
Plot
The plot was so fun. It was primarily the relationship between Bo and Lottie, but there was some subplotting around Lottie’s library fundraising event and some cute food-centered super minor subplots. There’s also Lottie’s relationship with Bo’s grandmother and a minor character arc on her part. The story moves at a typical O’Gorman pace with lots of laughs on every page.
Characters
The characters are always what I love best about Cookie’s books and BOOKWORM is no exception, though I think I adore Lottie the most. She’s me in teenage form. Upbeat, insecure, opinionated, bookloving, smiles all the time. I could identify with her so much. I think what I loved most about her is that she’s different than a lot of teen protagonists. She just goes with the flow and speaks her mind. It’s a rare combination that I just loved. As I mentioned above, Bo is the swooniest of swoon-worthy book boyfriends. His gruff exterior and marshmallow center were a delight to read. It was also fun to see some familiar characters as well (Ninja girl!!!).
What I Loved About BOOKWORM
1. Lottie. I love her optimism, the way she handles the “bad guys”, how she’s always up for a challenge, her sense of humor. Really, I just love everything about her. She may be my favorite YA female protagonist of all time.
2. Bo. Gruff, scowly on the outside, soft as a marshmallow on the inside. Plus, those arms.
3. Books. I love how books and reading are such an integral part of the story.
4. Scarlett. Lottie’s younger sister is the yin to her yang. I sure hope she gets her own book soon (Cookie, if you’re reading this…)
5. Swoony One-Liners. Bo is a man of few words, but when he says something, it’ll make any girl’s knees weak. I mean, just his favorite flower about undid me.
Bottom Line
This might be O’Gorman’s best young adult book so far. At least it’s my favorite! I loved everything about it.
May 29, 2023
I am always jazzed when Cookie O'Gorman releases a new book. I can always expect an adorable and swoony story that will leave me with a smile on my face. Bookworm did just that.
O'Gorman has impeccable writing skills that always leave me enamored. I adore her writing style and I love how well I mesh with it. The plot of this book really drew me in. I mean, who doesn't love a book about a bookworm? I am also a huge fan of fake romance as well as stories with nerdy girls that end up with alpha athlete boys. So this one was a win for me on so many levels. This one also had a dose of the grumpy/sunshine trope that was delightful. The world-building was very vivid as well. I loved the flower shop and the library scenes.
These characters were just great. I really connected with Charlotte and grew to really adore Bo. Charlotte has this vibrant personality that you can't help but fall for. She is so bubbly and she speaks her mind so she was always amusing. Bo was definitely a grump-like character but deep down he had a heart of gold, or as Charlotte puts it, a marshmallow center. The cast of secondary characters was excellent. I really loved Bo's halmeoni. She cracked me up with her seriousness. I loved seeing the crossover characters from other Cookie O'Gorman books as well.
The romance in this book really tickled my heart to pieces. I loved the chemistry between Bo and Charlotte. Charlotte never let Bo's grumpy demeanor get her down. She always let her smile shine through, even in his company. I adored their first memories of each other. They really melted my heart. And the fact that Bo has been pining over Charlotte since they were kids is just too adorbs. I loved when she asked him why he didn't have a girlfriend and he basically replied that there was no point when he only wanted one person. (Her!) Their romance was so cute and so swoony. So many feels going on.
Overall, this was another YA romance from Cookie O'Gorman that captured my heart completely. O'Gorman has such a relatable writing style that makes me feel so content. Her stories are always expertly crafted and her characters always win me over. I can't recommend her books enough and I can't wait for the next one!
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⛔My bookshelves can sometimes be spoilers.
O'Gorman has impeccable writing skills that always leave me enamored. I adore her writing style and I love how well I mesh with it. The plot of this book really drew me in. I mean, who doesn't love a book about a bookworm? I am also a huge fan of fake romance as well as stories with nerdy girls that end up with alpha athlete boys. So this one was a win for me on so many levels. This one also had a dose of the grumpy/sunshine trope that was delightful. The world-building was very vivid as well. I loved the flower shop and the library scenes.
These characters were just great. I really connected with Charlotte and grew to really adore Bo. Charlotte has this vibrant personality that you can't help but fall for. She is so bubbly and she speaks her mind so she was always amusing. Bo was definitely a grump-like character but deep down he had a heart of gold, or as Charlotte puts it, a marshmallow center. The cast of secondary characters was excellent. I really loved Bo's halmeoni. She cracked me up with her seriousness. I loved seeing the crossover characters from other Cookie O'Gorman books as well.
The romance in this book really tickled my heart to pieces. I loved the chemistry between Bo and Charlotte. Charlotte never let Bo's grumpy demeanor get her down. She always let her smile shine through, even in his company. I adored their first memories of each other. They really melted my heart. And the fact that Bo has been pining over Charlotte since they were kids is just too adorbs. I loved when she asked him why he didn't have a girlfriend and he basically replied that there was no point when he only wanted one person. (Her!) Their romance was so cute and so swoony. So many feels going on.
Overall, this was another YA romance from Cookie O'Gorman that captured my heart completely. O'Gorman has such a relatable writing style that makes me feel so content. Her stories are always expertly crafted and her characters always win me over. I can't recommend her books enough and I can't wait for the next one!
BLOG FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM GOODREADS TIKTOK TWITTER BOOKBUB AMAZON PINTEREST KO-FI
⛔My bookshelves can sometimes be spoilers.
April 21, 2023
**I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest voluntary review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**
I think my cheeks hurt from smiling to much! This book was just a great read! It made me laugh, swoon and have all the feels. I couldn't help but love this book!
Cookie writes the best book boyfriends! I instantly fell in love with Bo. The quiet, brooding type never ceases to win my heart. He was the perfect balance to Charlotte so I truly enjoyed the banter in their scenes together.
And I loved Charlotte's personality. She's bubbly (but not annoying) and I loved her confidence in herself. She knows she's a little weird (but who isn't?) but she never tries to be someone she isn't.
The plot was light, but had substance that allowed both leads to grow. It also kept things interesting in terms of drama. I never felt like anything was stagnant and I always wanted to keep reading as a result.
Plus, I loved all the little cameos from other Cookie books! I think this is easily in my top 3 Cookie O'Gorman novels.
I think my cheeks hurt from smiling to much! This book was just a great read! It made me laugh, swoon and have all the feels. I couldn't help but love this book!
Cookie writes the best book boyfriends! I instantly fell in love with Bo. The quiet, brooding type never ceases to win my heart. He was the perfect balance to Charlotte so I truly enjoyed the banter in their scenes together.
And I loved Charlotte's personality. She's bubbly (but not annoying) and I loved her confidence in herself. She knows she's a little weird (but who isn't?) but she never tries to be someone she isn't.
The plot was light, but had substance that allowed both leads to grow. It also kept things interesting in terms of drama. I never felt like anything was stagnant and I always wanted to keep reading as a result.
Plus, I loved all the little cameos from other Cookie books! I think this is easily in my top 3 Cookie O'Gorman novels.
March 25, 2023
She has done it again folks! She's written yet another love story that just gives you all the feels! IT WAS JUST SO CUTE!!! AHHHHHH!!!!! Anyway, I LOVED all the happy surprises that she put in the book! So if you've read any of her previous books you're in for a surprise!! Oh my god all the banter going on between Bo and Charolette was EVERYTHING! There is one seeing where I was just dying of laughter and it involves a book and a ladder that is all I'm saying! Everyone check this book out if you-like me- are also a sucker for witty banter, romance, and just a wholesome story that just gives all the feels.
Thank you Cookie O'Gorman for the eARC!!!
Thank you Cookie O'Gorman for the eARC!!!
January 5, 2025
OMG!! All the feels!! Lottie and Bo are my favorite characters ever!! Their chemistry and witty banter really made me laugh and cry! I loved how they are with each other and how Bo would do anything for Lottie. Even agreeing to a Fake relationships with both having hidden feelings. THE CONFESSION!! I can’t!! It brings the story more to life with young love and figuring out their feelings for each other. It makes you push for the characters to have their HEA.
January 12, 2025
Another fantastic book by Cookie!
I loved Bookworm! It had me hooked the whole time. I laughed a lot as well as gasped at a few parts. I loved both main characters as well as the side characters too!
Bo (the grump) and Charlotte (the sunshine) were so cute together. I loved their chemistry and the way you could see they both really cared about each other.
This was a friends to lovers and fake dating troupe that was written fantastically. If you’re a book lover and you love these troupes you will devour this book!!
I loved Bookworm! It had me hooked the whole time. I laughed a lot as well as gasped at a few parts. I loved both main characters as well as the side characters too!
Bo (the grump) and Charlotte (the sunshine) were so cute together. I loved their chemistry and the way you could see they both really cared about each other.
This was a friends to lovers and fake dating troupe that was written fantastically. If you’re a book lover and you love these troupes you will devour this book!!
May 12, 2023
God, this book raised my standards in a way I can't describe!
I enjoyed reading this because I am a bookworm myself and, like Lottie, I love to lose myself between the pages of a good book. And I lost myself between the pages of Bo and Lottie's story.
The grumpy × sunshine trope, plus bookworm × football player and the soft, innocent, sweet and lovely vibe of this made me smile 90% of the time. The way Cookie wrote down their story, the way she wrote about the love Lottie has for books and the library, the way she made Bo a grumpie but yet a softie melted my heart in a way that no boy has ever made it :))
About the characters, I really enjoyed reading Lottie's thoughts. Her love for reading is a real thing, and I felt some quotes about being a hopeless romantic. Also, I empathized with her fear of being in love fighting with the desire to feel how is, actually, to be in love.
Love in reality is a total weird thing comparing to love from books. As a reader, I honestly think love in real life can suck sometimes because the boys we find between the pages, especially the ones written by a woman, are more sweet, gentle, passionate and, well, close to what a girl needs. And this leads me to Bo Stryker.
A sweet, yet grumpy boy with a heart of gold and a very big soul. I totally loved the way Bo payed attention to Lottie, the way he gave her hints, the way he spoke sincere and right to the point and the way his certain actions revealed the marshmallow out of him. Also, honestly, the way Cookie made him open up to Lottie over the course of the book, bit by bit, made me sigh dreamily many times.
In plus, for me, communication is a very important thing and Bo was a straight to the point boy. He is the reason why, at the end of the book, I was like: "Well, that's why I will die alone. Thank you, Stryker."
Therefore, this book was like a breath of fresh air for me, kinda the right book at the right time.
I loved it. ♡
I enjoyed reading this because I am a bookworm myself and, like Lottie, I love to lose myself between the pages of a good book. And I lost myself between the pages of Bo and Lottie's story.
The grumpy × sunshine trope, plus bookworm × football player and the soft, innocent, sweet and lovely vibe of this made me smile 90% of the time. The way Cookie wrote down their story, the way she wrote about the love Lottie has for books and the library, the way she made Bo a grumpie but yet a softie melted my heart in a way that no boy has ever made it :))
About the characters, I really enjoyed reading Lottie's thoughts. Her love for reading is a real thing, and I felt some quotes about being a hopeless romantic. Also, I empathized with her fear of being in love fighting with the desire to feel how is, actually, to be in love.
Love in reality is a total weird thing comparing to love from books. As a reader, I honestly think love in real life can suck sometimes because the boys we find between the pages, especially the ones written by a woman, are more sweet, gentle, passionate and, well, close to what a girl needs. And this leads me to Bo Stryker.
A sweet, yet grumpy boy with a heart of gold and a very big soul. I totally loved the way Bo payed attention to Lottie, the way he gave her hints, the way he spoke sincere and right to the point and the way his certain actions revealed the marshmallow out of him. Also, honestly, the way Cookie made him open up to Lottie over the course of the book, bit by bit, made me sigh dreamily many times.
In plus, for me, communication is a very important thing and Bo was a straight to the point boy. He is the reason why, at the end of the book, I was like: "Well, that's why I will die alone. Thank you, Stryker."
Therefore, this book was like a breath of fresh air for me, kinda the right book at the right time.
I loved it. ♡
April 12, 2023
Tropes
Fake relationship
Opposites attract
Jock/nerd
Grumpy/sunshine
Boy Next Door
YA romance
Charlotte(Lottie) is a girl after my own heart. She’s a major bookworm (see what I did there), who works in a library in her town. Lottie always has the best recommendations for anyone needing help. To Lottie books are the perfect place to experience things that haven’t really happened in her life. At seventeen she’s never found love, been kissed, or lived out any of the tropes she’s read about. So she takes joy in helping everyone else find their HEA in books of course.
Bo Styker is the athletic, grumpy, broody, boy next door. He works across the street from Lottie, at his families flower shop. Stryker is really much more than meets the eye, and his eyes are set on Lottie.
When Stryker steps in to save Lottie from a humiliating rejection by kissing her (which is caught on camera) their impromptu kiss goes viral. I can’t forget to mention the bookcussion (IYKYK). After the viral video everyone believes they’re a couple so obviously in comes the fake relationship.
This book is perfect for any opposites attract, fake relationship, grumpy sunshine lover. It is full of the tropes, the hilarious moments, and swoony quotes. Thank you so much cookie for allowing me to ARC read this. It’s definitely one of my favs by you 🫶🏻
Fake relationship
Opposites attract
Jock/nerd
Grumpy/sunshine
Boy Next Door
YA romance
Charlotte(Lottie) is a girl after my own heart. She’s a major bookworm (see what I did there), who works in a library in her town. Lottie always has the best recommendations for anyone needing help. To Lottie books are the perfect place to experience things that haven’t really happened in her life. At seventeen she’s never found love, been kissed, or lived out any of the tropes she’s read about. So she takes joy in helping everyone else find their HEA in books of course.
Bo Styker is the athletic, grumpy, broody, boy next door. He works across the street from Lottie, at his families flower shop. Stryker is really much more than meets the eye, and his eyes are set on Lottie.
When Stryker steps in to save Lottie from a humiliating rejection by kissing her (which is caught on camera) their impromptu kiss goes viral. I can’t forget to mention the bookcussion (IYKYK). After the viral video everyone believes they’re a couple so obviously in comes the fake relationship.
This book is perfect for any opposites attract, fake relationship, grumpy sunshine lover. It is full of the tropes, the hilarious moments, and swoony quotes. Thank you so much cookie for allowing me to ARC read this. It’s definitely one of my favs by you 🫶🏻
June 4, 2025
Adorable, G-rated, YA, "grumpy/sunshine," "boy next door," "enemies to romance," "fake dating" romantic comedy
Charlotte (Lottie, Lotte) Kent and Bo Stryker are both 17-year-old seniors. She is about to graduate and has never dated or been kissed, while he’s a star soccer player and a black belt in martial arts. He's never dated either, and he has a reputation for being cold and distant. Currently, some of the more obnoxious girls at their high school have a bet to see who can be the first to thaw his cold demeanor. Girl after girl boldly comes up to him, asking him out, and with obvious discomfort at the attention, he turns them all down.
Charlotte works at the local library and loves books. Bo has a part-time job at a florist shop directly across the street from the library. For the past few months, he has been coming to the library at the same time every afternoon with a list of titles of steamy romances that he finds on his own and checks out on his library card. But then, suddenly one day, he insists that Charlotte show him where that day’s list of books is. Charlotte is amazed because, given that they've never really talked to each other, and he frowns all the time, she had assumed that he disliked her. In addition, even though they have been living next door to each other for many years, they have never had a single neighborly conversation. But, every morning, without fail, Charlotte watches Bo exercising in front of his house. She hides behind the curtains of her bedroom window, and assumes he doesn't know she's there. She tells herself she doesn't have a crush on him, but her beloved younger sister, Scarlett, who is 16, strongly believes that she does.
Around the same time that the bet gets started at their school, a teenage girl from their high school follows Bo into the stacks of the library. Charlotte's coworkers at the library, who are her closest friends, had just been talking about how many different people they'd caught kissing in the stacks of the library, and they suggest that Bo will probably kiss that girl. Under the pretext, in her own mind, that she is going to go break it up if that is going on, Charlotte follows the girl and Bo into the stacks. She overhears the girl harassing Bo, after he refuses to go out with her, even though he is not rude. Bo catches Charlotte at what he calls spying on him and tells her that, instead of just reading romance novels, she should go out and find a romance of her own.
His words have a strong effect on Charlotte, and that very evening, she creates a list with the names of four boys on it as potential "suitors" and decides to give dating a shot by asking them out. Scarlett enthusiastically encourages Charlotte in this plan and insists on adding Bo's name at the bottom of the list. If not for Scarlett's egging her on, however, Charlotte very likely would have changed her mind before she even got started on this gutsy plan. Due to multiple hilarious circumstances, as Charlotte works her way down the list, Bo becomes Charlotte's first kiss and asks her to be his fake girlfriend, to protect him from all of the pushy girls asking him out.
This story is told solely from the first-person POV of Charlotte, but I liked her enough that it never got boring or oppressive being in her thoughts. Bo is the classic "strong and silent" type of male romantic interest, and we have to get to know him entirely from Charlotte's impressions. Fortunately, they turn out to be quite accurate, because this is not a typical "enemies to romance" plot. Charlotte has assumed that Bo dislikes her because he's never talked to her or smiled at her over all these years until the past few days. And she has never disliked him. The enemies trope is most likely to produce an unreliable narrator when there is true antipathy between the romantic partners.
In this grumpy/sunshine plot, Charlotte's daily goal is to "try and be the rainbow in someone's cloud." But she doesn't do that with an attitude of "toxic positivity" (TP), trying to force others to not feel their sad feelings, because it makes the TP person herself uncomfortable. In particular, regarding Bo, even though Charlotte has a tendency to always see the best in everyone, she's not misrepresenting Bo in her own mind, because there are a lot of good traits in Bo which he gradually allows her to see.
One of my favorite things in a romantic comedy is witty repartee between the romantic partners, and there is plenty of fun banter between Charlotte and Bo throughout this book.
I consider this book G-rated because there is no sensuality beyond kisses, no foul language, no underage drinking, and no wild parties. It's also really clear that both Charlotte and Bo are virgins, which is a refreshing change from far too many virgin FMCs paired with promiscuous male athletes in YA and New Adult romance.
CO has a fun habit of creating crossovers between her YA novels. In this novel, Bo is the son of Snow and Ash from Ninja Girl, and this book serves as an extended HEA epilogue for their love story. They are still madly in love after almost 20 years of marriage. Snow has been working all these years in films as a stunt woman. Ash is a retired professional soccer player who coaches the soccer team that Bo plays on.
Hayden, Magnolia, and his grandmother Constance Davenport from Fauxmance have cameos.
Aurora Kent, Charlotte's cousin and the FMC of Introvert, has a cameo, as does the band HERS from Introvert.
Charlotte (Lottie, Lotte) Kent and Bo Stryker are both 17-year-old seniors. She is about to graduate and has never dated or been kissed, while he’s a star soccer player and a black belt in martial arts. He's never dated either, and he has a reputation for being cold and distant. Currently, some of the more obnoxious girls at their high school have a bet to see who can be the first to thaw his cold demeanor. Girl after girl boldly comes up to him, asking him out, and with obvious discomfort at the attention, he turns them all down.
Charlotte works at the local library and loves books. Bo has a part-time job at a florist shop directly across the street from the library. For the past few months, he has been coming to the library at the same time every afternoon with a list of titles of steamy romances that he finds on his own and checks out on his library card. But then, suddenly one day, he insists that Charlotte show him where that day’s list of books is. Charlotte is amazed because, given that they've never really talked to each other, and he frowns all the time, she had assumed that he disliked her. In addition, even though they have been living next door to each other for many years, they have never had a single neighborly conversation. But, every morning, without fail, Charlotte watches Bo exercising in front of his house. She hides behind the curtains of her bedroom window, and assumes he doesn't know she's there. She tells herself she doesn't have a crush on him, but her beloved younger sister, Scarlett, who is 16, strongly believes that she does.
Around the same time that the bet gets started at their school, a teenage girl from their high school follows Bo into the stacks of the library. Charlotte's coworkers at the library, who are her closest friends, had just been talking about how many different people they'd caught kissing in the stacks of the library, and they suggest that Bo will probably kiss that girl. Under the pretext, in her own mind, that she is going to go break it up if that is going on, Charlotte follows the girl and Bo into the stacks. She overhears the girl harassing Bo, after he refuses to go out with her, even though he is not rude. Bo catches Charlotte at what he calls spying on him and tells her that, instead of just reading romance novels, she should go out and find a romance of her own.
His words have a strong effect on Charlotte, and that very evening, she creates a list with the names of four boys on it as potential "suitors" and decides to give dating a shot by asking them out. Scarlett enthusiastically encourages Charlotte in this plan and insists on adding Bo's name at the bottom of the list. If not for Scarlett's egging her on, however, Charlotte very likely would have changed her mind before she even got started on this gutsy plan. Due to multiple hilarious circumstances, as Charlotte works her way down the list, Bo becomes Charlotte's first kiss and asks her to be his fake girlfriend, to protect him from all of the pushy girls asking him out.
This story is told solely from the first-person POV of Charlotte, but I liked her enough that it never got boring or oppressive being in her thoughts. Bo is the classic "strong and silent" type of male romantic interest, and we have to get to know him entirely from Charlotte's impressions. Fortunately, they turn out to be quite accurate, because this is not a typical "enemies to romance" plot. Charlotte has assumed that Bo dislikes her because he's never talked to her or smiled at her over all these years until the past few days. And she has never disliked him. The enemies trope is most likely to produce an unreliable narrator when there is true antipathy between the romantic partners.
In this grumpy/sunshine plot, Charlotte's daily goal is to "try and be the rainbow in someone's cloud." But she doesn't do that with an attitude of "toxic positivity" (TP), trying to force others to not feel their sad feelings, because it makes the TP person herself uncomfortable. In particular, regarding Bo, even though Charlotte has a tendency to always see the best in everyone, she's not misrepresenting Bo in her own mind, because there are a lot of good traits in Bo which he gradually allows her to see.
One of my favorite things in a romantic comedy is witty repartee between the romantic partners, and there is plenty of fun banter between Charlotte and Bo throughout this book.
I consider this book G-rated because there is no sensuality beyond kisses, no foul language, no underage drinking, and no wild parties. It's also really clear that both Charlotte and Bo are virgins, which is a refreshing change from far too many virgin FMCs paired with promiscuous male athletes in YA and New Adult romance.
CO has a fun habit of creating crossovers between her YA novels. In this novel, Bo is the son of Snow and Ash from Ninja Girl, and this book serves as an extended HEA epilogue for their love story. They are still madly in love after almost 20 years of marriage. Snow has been working all these years in films as a stunt woman. Ash is a retired professional soccer player who coaches the soccer team that Bo plays on.
Hayden, Magnolia, and his grandmother Constance Davenport from Fauxmance have cameos.
Aurora Kent, Charlotte's cousin and the FMC of Introvert, has a cameo, as does the band HERS from Introvert.
August 23, 2023
2.5 stars
Where to start... I am surprised I finished this. It had potentional but I wasn't a fan of the writing style. There were parts that I couldn't believe was actual dialogue in this book.
Examples:
"Seriously, Lotte? What the heck? My secret list is not up for discussion—especially in public." I held up my hands in surrender, and she dropped hers back to her side. "Sorry," I said. "No, you're not," she grumbled, "but I still love you." "And I adore you from your awesome lists to your somewhat dirty mind."
"You are not allowed to miss Bo Stryker's frowns. The guy isn't some kind of fae prince who cast a spell on you. Be a boss about this, Charlotte, and shake him off."
She was kind and beautiful, and I'd immediately liked her because her name was Snow, but her personality was like a warm blanket; I'd always appreciated the dichotomy.
It was at times almost like the author wanted the MC to be like Jess of New Girl but at the same time not so much. It was definitely the quirky girl trope and I wasn't much of a fan of it.
Also, two of the names of guys seemed like discount names from the 80s. Chester Copperfield= Chester Copperpot from Goonies. Lief George= Mixture of Leif Garrett and Boy George.
The MC at times didn't make sense. Like the time she interrupted a guy during his reading time and then a few chapters later says that it's rude to interrupt someone during reading time. I didn't like the supposed "betrayal" and then the resolution of that wasn't believable.
I didn't like the cussing. There were hints of sexual references but nothing too bad. I think the worst part was the MC was reading a book and we had to have the scene she was reading which was starting to steam up.
This is my second book by Cookie O'Gorman. I'm debating if I should even read another one of her books.
Where to start... I am surprised I finished this. It had potentional but I wasn't a fan of the writing style. There were parts that I couldn't believe was actual dialogue in this book.
Examples:
"Seriously, Lotte? What the heck? My secret list is not up for discussion—especially in public." I held up my hands in surrender, and she dropped hers back to her side. "Sorry," I said. "No, you're not," she grumbled, "but I still love you." "And I adore you from your awesome lists to your somewhat dirty mind."
"You are not allowed to miss Bo Stryker's frowns. The guy isn't some kind of fae prince who cast a spell on you. Be a boss about this, Charlotte, and shake him off."
She was kind and beautiful, and I'd immediately liked her because her name was Snow, but her personality was like a warm blanket; I'd always appreciated the dichotomy.
It was at times almost like the author wanted the MC to be like Jess of New Girl but at the same time not so much. It was definitely the quirky girl trope and I wasn't much of a fan of it.
Also, two of the names of guys seemed like discount names from the 80s. Chester Copperfield= Chester Copperpot from Goonies. Lief George= Mixture of Leif Garrett and Boy George.
The MC at times didn't make sense. Like the time she interrupted a guy during his reading time and then a few chapters later says that it's rude to interrupt someone during reading time. I didn't like the supposed "betrayal" and then the resolution of that wasn't believable.
I didn't like the cussing. There were hints of sexual references but nothing too bad. I think the worst part was the MC was reading a book and we had to have the scene she was reading which was starting to steam up.
This is my second book by Cookie O'Gorman. I'm debating if I should even read another one of her books.
September 13, 2025
This book is genuinely funny! I laughed several times and had a smile on my face the whole time. Usually with high school books I can’t handle the teenage drama and angst and hormones. But this book did a great job with having the teens act like teens but not be overly dramatic. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still totally a YA book that I would recommend more to the teenagers in this world, but I still loved it! It’s a single point of view, which is great since our Bo here is an emotional and social icebox. Then you get to really feel like you are Lottie and have no idea what is going on inside his head for reals. Then the reveals at the end are that much sweeter. If you want a light fun read with opposites attract, fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, and bookworm and bodyguard vibes then read this boooooook. Just keep in mind the cheesiness factor bc they are high school kids haha. Also I love the Korean culture so that was an added bonus.
SPOILERS and book notes/fav quotes:
Charlotte Kent (great name btw) finds happiness in books. Soul sister. What a great hook: “To me, books were these little pieces of magic created by author-magicians for the purpose of making the world a better place. They created these worlds we could escape to when things got rough, places of refuge, safe spaces to breathe, feel, and imagine. I firmly believed there was a perfect book for everyone.” AND she works in a library. Gah! This girls living the dream. “He is pretty, like a member of a k-pop band.” “Or Batman”. Haha great descriptions. The little girl didn’t like her bc she smiled too much haha. That is something I do too. Next door neighbors trope. Color me intrigued. “Going to try and be the rainbow in someone’s cloud.” What a great way to live life and great motto as you walk out the door. I love how nice and normal the dad is. Oh my gosh I am actually laughing. I love our FMC. Her attempts to find a bf are hilarious. Oh my goodness the library scene when she is engrossed in reading a romance and gets startled and falls off the ladder??? Best scene ever! Haha Lottie’s favorites are mine too! Peanut m&ms are the BEST. He is part Korean!!! Bo is! I’m dying! She watches Korean dramas so she can respond to her greeting! Haha Bo reading romance novels reminds me of Blue castle by montgumery. Also it reminds me of the belle of belenger square by Mimi matthews. This grumpy/sunshine trope is so perfect. She is my kind of sunshine and he has the best dry/sarcastic humor. Also I love all the references to romance novels. Him and his Korean grandma own/work in a flower shop. Completely out of place with his personality. She helps him with the flower deliveries and it makes people so happy! No one can resist being happy after getting flowers! I like that when she feels bad for accidentally hurting his wrist, she not only says sorry and being sweets, she try’s to find ways to help him like take notes and help at his job! That is real repentance! And super Christlike! Also I love this “I hate everyone but you” trope going on here. “You even told me how much you hate people.” “Not you” he said “I could never hate you, Kent”. This book is actually really funny. I have laughed out loud. Gosh I love Charlotte so much! Her attitude is simply my goal in life!: “Again, was weirdo supposed to be an insult? I’d always liked that word” “calling someone weird just means they’re passionate about something you don’t understand. Weirdos are the ones who make life interesting.” “I don’t mind you calling me loser lottie-I’m a fam of alliteration.” ME TOOOOOO. AND Bo’s a black belt in karate as well as a super star soccer player?? He saved a freshman from being bullied. Mmmm I love kimshi and pickled cabbage! “Mrs Jenkins was a book dragon just like I hoped to be when I grew up.” Also I loved that their viral kiss at the library started a “literary movement”. (Teenagers starting coming to the library) For his soccer game she got school colors on her t shirt and ironed on icewoman. (His nickname is iceman) ok why does Bo remind me of Matthew Wycliffe from A lady on the chase??? He totally does though! No wonder I love this book so much. Bo is a secret MARSHMALLOW. I’m so happy Lotte cheers like a maniac at his games. “You should never skip dessert. It’s a mood lifter.” Karaoke is a classic korean scene I love that they added it in this book. Ugh the third act “break” was for a reason that could only happen in high school. Immature brains haha. But I do love the very low drama of it! And the quick forgiveness! “Kind without realizing it. Strong and gentle” those are great qualities together. A regency themed party/ball fundraiser at the library is so epic! I loved the confessions at the end. I like not knowing what the guy really thinks until the very end. It’s more exciting that way!
REREAD 2:
I listened to the audiobook this time and the narrator did a great job!! I just love the wittiness of this book. Lottie is such a character!!!! I highlighted so many lines that made me lol.
SPOILERS:
Lottie calls bo a “disgruntled koala bear.” “"Yeah, I prefer male authors." "That's funny," I said. "I've always enjoyed books by women more." I must prefer women bc 2/18 of my hall of fame books are written by men. lol. The hobbit and wingfeather saga. “"I know some people think romance isn't as deep or thought-provoking as some of the other genres, but her characters are so real and relatable. They feel like friends, you know?" I love this description: “"He's probably all sunshine, sweetness, and sparkles just like her." I gave a mental laugh at the description. Bo was definitely more shade, broodiness, and raindrops.” I love the falling off the ladder scene. Her last thoughts were: at least I had read a good book right before dying lol. “"Actually, historically books have been used as weapons. Today, women even carry them around in their purses. It goes right in there with the pepper spray. I read something about that recently." I love that delivering the flowers brings them both so much joy! I love that the first time Lottie made Bo laugh it was so funny that I the reader laughed out loud too! And I love that she didn’t even try to make him laugh. It was all her awesomeness. I 100% agree with this next statement. Harry Potter saved my cousin sawyers life out on his mission in Africa for this reason. “The right book could change a person's life forever. Kids needed books to remind them, even in the toughest of times, that life could still be good.” Oh my heck. I love that she confesses to watching his work outs every single morning. And then he says this: “"Good, because I have a confession too." I lifted a brow. "I knew you were watching," he said, stepping closer as my eyes widened. "I wanted you to. That's why I never took my workouts inside, even when the weather was awful."
SPOILERS and book notes/fav quotes:
Charlotte Kent (great name btw) finds happiness in books. Soul sister. What a great hook: “To me, books were these little pieces of magic created by author-magicians for the purpose of making the world a better place. They created these worlds we could escape to when things got rough, places of refuge, safe spaces to breathe, feel, and imagine. I firmly believed there was a perfect book for everyone.” AND she works in a library. Gah! This girls living the dream. “He is pretty, like a member of a k-pop band.” “Or Batman”. Haha great descriptions. The little girl didn’t like her bc she smiled too much haha. That is something I do too. Next door neighbors trope. Color me intrigued. “Going to try and be the rainbow in someone’s cloud.” What a great way to live life and great motto as you walk out the door. I love how nice and normal the dad is. Oh my gosh I am actually laughing. I love our FMC. Her attempts to find a bf are hilarious. Oh my goodness the library scene when she is engrossed in reading a romance and gets startled and falls off the ladder??? Best scene ever! Haha Lottie’s favorites are mine too! Peanut m&ms are the BEST. He is part Korean!!! Bo is! I’m dying! She watches Korean dramas so she can respond to her greeting! Haha Bo reading romance novels reminds me of Blue castle by montgumery. Also it reminds me of the belle of belenger square by Mimi matthews. This grumpy/sunshine trope is so perfect. She is my kind of sunshine and he has the best dry/sarcastic humor. Also I love all the references to romance novels. Him and his Korean grandma own/work in a flower shop. Completely out of place with his personality. She helps him with the flower deliveries and it makes people so happy! No one can resist being happy after getting flowers! I like that when she feels bad for accidentally hurting his wrist, she not only says sorry and being sweets, she try’s to find ways to help him like take notes and help at his job! That is real repentance! And super Christlike! Also I love this “I hate everyone but you” trope going on here. “You even told me how much you hate people.” “Not you” he said “I could never hate you, Kent”. This book is actually really funny. I have laughed out loud. Gosh I love Charlotte so much! Her attitude is simply my goal in life!: “Again, was weirdo supposed to be an insult? I’d always liked that word” “calling someone weird just means they’re passionate about something you don’t understand. Weirdos are the ones who make life interesting.” “I don’t mind you calling me loser lottie-I’m a fam of alliteration.” ME TOOOOOO. AND Bo’s a black belt in karate as well as a super star soccer player?? He saved a freshman from being bullied. Mmmm I love kimshi and pickled cabbage! “Mrs Jenkins was a book dragon just like I hoped to be when I grew up.” Also I loved that their viral kiss at the library started a “literary movement”. (Teenagers starting coming to the library) For his soccer game she got school colors on her t shirt and ironed on icewoman. (His nickname is iceman) ok why does Bo remind me of Matthew Wycliffe from A lady on the chase??? He totally does though! No wonder I love this book so much. Bo is a secret MARSHMALLOW. I’m so happy Lotte cheers like a maniac at his games. “You should never skip dessert. It’s a mood lifter.” Karaoke is a classic korean scene I love that they added it in this book. Ugh the third act “break” was for a reason that could only happen in high school. Immature brains haha. But I do love the very low drama of it! And the quick forgiveness! “Kind without realizing it. Strong and gentle” those are great qualities together. A regency themed party/ball fundraiser at the library is so epic! I loved the confessions at the end. I like not knowing what the guy really thinks until the very end. It’s more exciting that way!
REREAD 2:
I listened to the audiobook this time and the narrator did a great job!! I just love the wittiness of this book. Lottie is such a character!!!! I highlighted so many lines that made me lol.
SPOILERS:
Lottie calls bo a “disgruntled koala bear.” “"Yeah, I prefer male authors." "That's funny," I said. "I've always enjoyed books by women more." I must prefer women bc 2/18 of my hall of fame books are written by men. lol. The hobbit and wingfeather saga. “"I know some people think romance isn't as deep or thought-provoking as some of the other genres, but her characters are so real and relatable. They feel like friends, you know?" I love this description: “"He's probably all sunshine, sweetness, and sparkles just like her." I gave a mental laugh at the description. Bo was definitely more shade, broodiness, and raindrops.” I love the falling off the ladder scene. Her last thoughts were: at least I had read a good book right before dying lol. “"Actually, historically books have been used as weapons. Today, women even carry them around in their purses. It goes right in there with the pepper spray. I read something about that recently." I love that delivering the flowers brings them both so much joy! I love that the first time Lottie made Bo laugh it was so funny that I the reader laughed out loud too! And I love that she didn’t even try to make him laugh. It was all her awesomeness. I 100% agree with this next statement. Harry Potter saved my cousin sawyers life out on his mission in Africa for this reason. “The right book could change a person's life forever. Kids needed books to remind them, even in the toughest of times, that life could still be good.” Oh my heck. I love that she confesses to watching his work outs every single morning. And then he says this: “"Good, because I have a confession too." I lifted a brow. "I knew you were watching," he said, stepping closer as my eyes widened. "I wanted you to. That's why I never took my workouts inside, even when the weather was awful."
May 20, 2023
This book has quickly become one of my favorites. It is a sweet read that is full of tension and humor. I found a lot of similarities between Lottie and myself throughout the book. As someone who has loved books her whole life it was nice to have a FMC that didn’t let people bring her down and continued to stay true to herself. The part about only believing Happily Ever Afters happens in books hit too close to home. She is over all a very happy, kind, talkative book lover that I would want to be friends with. Now it’s Bo’s turn:
Soccer player? ✅
Martial arts?✅
Reads books for her?✅
Loves flowers?✅
Confident?✅
Thoughtful?✅
Protective?✅
Fell in love first?✅
Extremely attractive? ✅✅✅✅
He’s everything you could want and more (at least for me)
I loved the chemistry between Bo and Lottie and the tension is perfect. Not only was I a fan of the two main characters but I also loved all of their friends and family members. I especially enjoyed seeing the relationship of Bo’s parents Snow and Ash. (Now that I know they have a book I am off to read that one now)
Cons:
I really enjoyed this read and my only complaints would be that at times Lottie gets a little bit “quirky” (think like 2010 tumblr aesthetic) and I wish the book cover was an aesthetic cartoon/drawing like a lot of the contemporary romances because I am personally not a fan of having people on the cover of books.
Final thought:
If you are looking for a book that has a happy ending, not a dramatic conflict, a FMC you can relate to, a MMC with confidence and flirty banter, cinnamon rolls and kimchi (not together) I highly recommend Bookworm :)
Soccer player? ✅
Martial arts?✅
Reads books for her?✅
Loves flowers?✅
Confident?✅
Thoughtful?✅
Protective?✅
Fell in love first?✅
Extremely attractive? ✅✅✅✅
He’s everything you could want and more (at least for me)
I loved the chemistry between Bo and Lottie and the tension is perfect. Not only was I a fan of the two main characters but I also loved all of their friends and family members. I especially enjoyed seeing the relationship of Bo’s parents Snow and Ash. (Now that I know they have a book I am off to read that one now)
Cons:
I really enjoyed this read and my only complaints would be that at times Lottie gets a little bit “quirky” (think like 2010 tumblr aesthetic) and I wish the book cover was an aesthetic cartoon/drawing like a lot of the contemporary romances because I am personally not a fan of having people on the cover of books.
Final thought:
If you are looking for a book that has a happy ending, not a dramatic conflict, a FMC you can relate to, a MMC with confidence and flirty banter, cinnamon rolls and kimchi (not together) I highly recommend Bookworm :)
March 30, 2023
bless my poor melted heart because this book is all cuteness and sweetness and oh my god, i can't stop blushingggg
• YA romance • Fake dating • Grumpy × Sunshine • Popular Jock × Bookworm • Highschool setting • Library kisses🤭 • Clean romance
BO IS SNOW & ASH'S SON AND OMG OMG OMG NINJA GIRL WAS THE FIRST EVER BOOK I READ OF COOKIE O'GORMAN !!!
Charlotte is amazing, full of smiles (which are sometimes too much) and a bookworm who's an eternal optimist and a hopeless romantic but doesn't believe in a HEA for herself.
Bo is the grumpy neighbour who's super hot, hard on the outside but a fluffy marshmallow in all honesty and knows the right thing to say and gives fantastic kisses.
These two argue more than everything but I knew nothing was ever "fake", feelings were involved even before they started dating.
It was a fun ride to see how oblivious a person can be😂😂 Bo dropped so many hints and all Charlotte was looking for was the mystery woman Bo has a crush on.
The story, pace and in all everything was perfect. Despite the storyline being nothing new, I was always in the present enjoying the story and never wanted to stop or predict the next scene.
@CookieOGorman even gave us cameos of the characters of her other books and that's like a cherry on top <3
"Seriously though, you have so many awesome names: Flower Boy, Marshmallow Bo, Iceman, best boyfriend ever, Stryker, of course. Which do you prefer?"
He shook his head.
"You don't like any of them?" I asked.
"I don't care what you call me," he said. "I just want to be yours."
^ NOW TELL ME YOU DIDN'T SIGH DREAMILY!!
Many reels to come for this book, everything's just so romantic ugshshs💗💗
• YA romance • Fake dating • Grumpy × Sunshine • Popular Jock × Bookworm • Highschool setting • Library kisses🤭 • Clean romance
BO IS SNOW & ASH'S SON AND OMG OMG OMG NINJA GIRL WAS THE FIRST EVER BOOK I READ OF COOKIE O'GORMAN !!!
Charlotte is amazing, full of smiles (which are sometimes too much) and a bookworm who's an eternal optimist and a hopeless romantic but doesn't believe in a HEA for herself.
Bo is the grumpy neighbour who's super hot, hard on the outside but a fluffy marshmallow in all honesty and knows the right thing to say and gives fantastic kisses.
These two argue more than everything but I knew nothing was ever "fake", feelings were involved even before they started dating.
It was a fun ride to see how oblivious a person can be😂😂 Bo dropped so many hints and all Charlotte was looking for was the mystery woman Bo has a crush on.
The story, pace and in all everything was perfect. Despite the storyline being nothing new, I was always in the present enjoying the story and never wanted to stop or predict the next scene.
@CookieOGorman even gave us cameos of the characters of her other books and that's like a cherry on top <3
"Seriously though, you have so many awesome names: Flower Boy, Marshmallow Bo, Iceman, best boyfriend ever, Stryker, of course. Which do you prefer?"
He shook his head.
"You don't like any of them?" I asked.
"I don't care what you call me," he said. "I just want to be yours."
^ NOW TELL ME YOU DIDN'T SIGH DREAMILY!!
Many reels to come for this book, everything's just so romantic ugshshs💗💗
June 7, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ MS. COOKIE, MA’AM. You ate with this book. OH my gosh I wish I read the books in order (now I’m very aware there is one), but regardless, this book was so freaking cute and fulfilled every giddy, romantic crave I had. First, the fmc slayed. She was so cute and quirky, but she was also very strong. Like if I was younger and I read this book, I would’ve felt very empowered. It was great representation of being true to yourself amidst a world (especially in a high school setting) in which most people try to mirror each other. The fmc was so funny, sensible, and independent, which made reading this book so much more enjoyable. Second, I loved the grumpy x sunshine trope. It fit this story so perfectly, and it captured those feelings of having a crush very well. Although I only read one other work (published in 2016) from this author, I noticed a huge improvement in her writing and articulation of emotions in this book (published in 2023), and I loved them. I am so incredibly glad I came across this author. Every story she has is just SO cute, connects to each other, and so funny. All the characters were fun, enjoyable to read about, unique, and downright adorable. I’m looking forward to going back and reading these books in order 😅 can’t wait to see the origins of the couples that were featured in this book and excited to see what the next books hold 😋😚💗💐
Read
April 20, 2023Cookie O'gorman is my go-to author for all things fake dating! Her newest book, out today, is another fun addition to that favorite romance trope.
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I loved the sister relationship in this story. I love it when sisters have each other's backs.
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The writing is quick-witted and snappy; I loved the banter between our grumpy hero and our sunshiny heroine.
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Add in a completely intimidating grandma, and you've got yourself a winner!
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Now, I consider myself something of a Kent Family expert, thanks to reading Adorkable a zillion times. While I appreciated the cameos from some of the family, I was personally offended that Sal & Becks never made an actual appearance . Don't tease me like this! 😂
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If you're looking for a light-hearted romance with a flower shop, a library, and great characters, perhaps Bookworm will fill that void in your life.
Bookworm is available today! Huge thanks to the author for sending me an advanced copy to read. All opinions are my own.
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I loved the sister relationship in this story. I love it when sisters have each other's backs.
.
The writing is quick-witted and snappy; I loved the banter between our grumpy hero and our sunshiny heroine.
.
Add in a completely intimidating grandma, and you've got yourself a winner!
.
Now, I consider myself something of a Kent Family expert, thanks to reading Adorkable a zillion times. While I appreciated the cameos from some of the family, I was personally offended that Sal & Becks never made an actual appearance . Don't tease me like this! 😂
.
If you're looking for a light-hearted romance with a flower shop, a library, and great characters, perhaps Bookworm will fill that void in your life.
Bookworm is available today! Huge thanks to the author for sending me an advanced copy to read. All opinions are my own.
April 29, 2023
Happy sigh
As per usual, Cookie knocked it out of the park with her latest story.
Lovely characters, love at first sight, grumpy vs. sunshine and a gal with a love of books.
Beautiful story that brought in some characters from her other books which is always a nice surprise.
Highly recommend! Thanks, Cookie for writing yet another perfect romance.
As per usual, Cookie knocked it out of the park with her latest story.
Lovely characters, love at first sight, grumpy vs. sunshine and a gal with a love of books.
Beautiful story that brought in some characters from her other books which is always a nice surprise.
Highly recommend! Thanks, Cookie for writing yet another perfect romance.
November 7, 2025
3 stars when I first started reading I was thinking about maybe ending it at one point but in the end I really liked it!
May 17, 2023
This author knows how to grab me and keep me turning pages, smiling and holding my breath at times. Loved it!
April 21, 2023
All the butterflies
This book was just as cute as the others that take place in Chariot, NC. I was so excited to see Dare and Viola, Maggie and Hayden, and Ash and Snow!
If you like boy next door, fake relationships, soccer, bookworms, happy girls and stoic boys, this one is absolutely for you. Plus, Cookie O'Gorman writes quality kisses. Just an FYI.
(Minor language, closed door)
This book was just as cute as the others that take place in Chariot, NC. I was so excited to see Dare and Viola, Maggie and Hayden, and Ash and Snow!
If you like boy next door, fake relationships, soccer, bookworms, happy girls and stoic boys, this one is absolutely for you. Plus, Cookie O'Gorman writes quality kisses. Just an FYI.
(Minor language, closed door)
April 22, 2023
Finished this on my flight from Toronto to Incheon South Korea! I enjoyed this read, it’s a new comfort read! I love the discussions on book and book tropes, specially romance reads! I love grumpy and sunshine and I love Bo! I love the character crossover from previous books! I was pleasantly surprised seeing Vi and Dare again! Overall 4.5 for me 💕✨
April 22, 2023
Good, sweet, romantic
Loved it! They are so cute and fit perfect. They are open and honest with each other for the most part. There is some secrets but nothing big that ruins the relationship.
Loved it! They are so cute and fit perfect. They are open and honest with each other for the most part. There is some secrets but nothing big that ruins the relationship.
May 17, 2023
loved it!!
Absolutely entertaining and heartfelt! Cookie has done it again! Such wonderful characters and nothing is better than being beat up with a book!!
Absolutely entertaining and heartfelt! Cookie has done it again! Such wonderful characters and nothing is better than being beat up with a book!!
April 21, 2023
So ooo ooo cute!!
I loved this book!!! I read it in one night!!! I absolutely loved Bo and Charlotte! They're so cute! I also loved how she tied in characters from previous books! Definitely recommend!!!
I loved this book!!! I read it in one night!!! I absolutely loved Bo and Charlotte! They're so cute! I also loved how she tied in characters from previous books! Definitely recommend!!!
April 26, 2023
Ahhhh... I'm so in love with them.
April 20, 2023
— 5 Stars ✩
"Bo's hand in mine was wonderful, thrilling, the stuff that inspires the best love songs to be written. That was how it felt."
— Charlotte Kent, Bookworm by Cookie O'Gorman
Definitely my favourite out of all the books I've read of hers thus far. The story follows 17-year-old Charlotte Kent, a bookish and inexperienced teen who prefers reading about love rather than experiencing it herself. Lottie works at the library and encounters Bo Stryker, an attractive but moody guy who works at the flower shop across the street. After a viral video makes it seem like they are dating, Bo suggests they continue pretending to be together, while Lottie develops real feelings for him. It's fake dating, grumpy-sunshine and we have a bookworm protagonist, it's bound to be a book that every bookworm would enjoy.
Bo Stryker is added onto my tally of fictional guys that have raised my standards even more and even after just finishing the book, I'm in dire need of more. I love the slow progression in their relationship and how they choose to learn about each other before putting their feelings out there. With Cookie's books, you'll find yourself relating to the protagonist most of the time and this book isn't an exception. I loved Lottie, her shining optimism and her determination to always choose happiness despite the circumstances.
I highly recommend that you read this book as it's the one that got me out of my months LONG reading slump. So if you're looking for a novel that explores what happens when a bookworm falls for the grumpy boy next door and features plenty of stolen kisses then this one's for you!
"Bo's hand in mine was wonderful, thrilling, the stuff that inspires the best love songs to be written. That was how it felt."
— Charlotte Kent, Bookworm by Cookie O'Gorman
Definitely my favourite out of all the books I've read of hers thus far. The story follows 17-year-old Charlotte Kent, a bookish and inexperienced teen who prefers reading about love rather than experiencing it herself. Lottie works at the library and encounters Bo Stryker, an attractive but moody guy who works at the flower shop across the street. After a viral video makes it seem like they are dating, Bo suggests they continue pretending to be together, while Lottie develops real feelings for him. It's fake dating, grumpy-sunshine and we have a bookworm protagonist, it's bound to be a book that every bookworm would enjoy.
Bo Stryker is added onto my tally of fictional guys that have raised my standards even more and even after just finishing the book, I'm in dire need of more. I love the slow progression in their relationship and how they choose to learn about each other before putting their feelings out there. With Cookie's books, you'll find yourself relating to the protagonist most of the time and this book isn't an exception. I loved Lottie, her shining optimism and her determination to always choose happiness despite the circumstances.
I highly recommend that you read this book as it's the one that got me out of my months LONG reading slump. So if you're looking for a novel that explores what happens when a bookworm falls for the grumpy boy next door and features plenty of stolen kisses then this one's for you!
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