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A Novel Love Story
10 hours, 56 minutes
A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction…literally, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Year Slip and The Dead Romantics.
Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.
But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…
Because it is.
This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.
Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.
Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.
Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.
A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction…literally, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Year Slip and The Dead Romantics.
Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.
But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…
Because it is.
This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.
Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.
Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.
Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.
Audiobook
First published June 25, 2024
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About the author
Ashley Poston
33 books23.4k followersNew York Times best-seller by day, fanfic author by night.
Viist her at www.ashposton.com.
Viist her at www.ashposton.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 24,593 reviews
July 5, 2024
"If I was a poet, I could liken love to your eyes. If I was a gardener, I could plant a kiss on all the places you despise yourself. If I was a writer, I could write epics to your lovely lips. If I was a painter, I could explore every bend and curve so when my eyes failed me, I would paint you by memory."
Well, am speechless. I went in expecting absolutely nothing and was absolutely AMAZED by this book. When the fmc crashes her car into the love interest while it's raining, and finds herself in her favorite book world. You know that book is going to be good 🤌 Potentially one of the best books I've read this year and it's going to stay in my head for a few weeks for sure 👀
This is the first book I've read by this author and am really impressed. Looking forward to checking out more of her books 🤭
All I knew about this book was its magical realism and about a girl who gets to go inside her favorite fictional world and live it. If that doesn't peak your curiosity, idk what will. I don't read a lot of magical realism, so not sure if this book explained the "whys and hows" well but I found it to be slightly confusing but also too deeply invested and was vibing with it, I couldn't help but fall into it too.
"Love was a bunch of small things that added up to bigger things.
Love was feeling valued. And accepted.
Just the way you were.
It was never feeling too much, or not enough, even though often you were both, because Love loved you anyway. Not in spite of it, but because of it."
Eileen is quite relatable. The way she sought peace, escapism, romance in books when in reality life isn't doing so well was written perfectly. The way she got so excited to see her favorite characters and world come to life was so exciting to read. It did irk me a little when she meddled a bit too much in their lives but that's explainable. I mean, if I see Azriel in Velaris, you bet am gonna push him towards Gwyn, if not me, instead of the other one 😂 Sorry.
Anders is a character that takes warming up to. He does come across as a grump with a cold exterior but a total swooner at heart. I liked his backstory but mostly I liked how passionate he ended up being when it came to showing Eileen love. He gets cute when he's jealous and does a really good job at being Eileen's book boyfriend.
The romance is angsty and the chemistry between them works out great. I adored how they didn't just jump into the spice, they took time with emotional intimacy and balanced it well with physical attraction. The two had me swooning together. The spice was tasteful and felt perfect in that moment for the two. I do however wish that Eileen could have controlled her emotions better in one scene when she ends up slapping Anders for him hurtful to her but the two have a talk about it and it gets resolved.
"Because this story was good, and it was sweet.
And it was home."
The ending had me going through so many emotions. I wish I could read it again for the first time 😭😭 This is in no way a perfect book but it worked out quite well for me.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Do give it a read if you're in the mood for something lighthearted and good fluff. It will make you feel the emotions and it's a treat for any book lover who just wants to enter their favorite fictional world and meet its characters.
~•~•~
A book about a reader who ends up in her favorite romance book? I AM READYYYYY
Well, am speechless. I went in expecting absolutely nothing and was absolutely AMAZED by this book. When the fmc crashes her car into the love interest while it's raining, and finds herself in her favorite book world. You know that book is going to be good 🤌 Potentially one of the best books I've read this year and it's going to stay in my head for a few weeks for sure 👀
This is the first book I've read by this author and am really impressed. Looking forward to checking out more of her books 🤭
All I knew about this book was its magical realism and about a girl who gets to go inside her favorite fictional world and live it. If that doesn't peak your curiosity, idk what will. I don't read a lot of magical realism, so not sure if this book explained the "whys and hows" well but I found it to be slightly confusing but also too deeply invested and was vibing with it, I couldn't help but fall into it too.
"Love was a bunch of small things that added up to bigger things.
Love was feeling valued. And accepted.
Just the way you were.
It was never feeling too much, or not enough, even though often you were both, because Love loved you anyway. Not in spite of it, but because of it."
Eileen is quite relatable. The way she sought peace, escapism, romance in books when in reality life isn't doing so well was written perfectly. The way she got so excited to see her favorite characters and world come to life was so exciting to read. It did irk me a little when she meddled a bit too much in their lives but that's explainable. I mean, if I see Azriel in Velaris, you bet am gonna push him towards Gwyn, if not me, instead of the other one 😂 Sorry.
Anders is a character that takes warming up to. He does come across as a grump with a cold exterior but a total swooner at heart. I liked his backstory but mostly I liked how passionate he ended up being when it came to showing Eileen love. He gets cute when he's jealous and does a really good job at being Eileen's book boyfriend.
The romance is angsty and the chemistry between them works out great. I adored how they didn't just jump into the spice, they took time with emotional intimacy and balanced it well with physical attraction. The two had me swooning together. The spice was tasteful and felt perfect in that moment for the two. I do however wish that Eileen could have controlled her emotions better in one scene when she ends up slapping Anders for him hurtful to her but the two have a talk about it and it gets resolved.
"Because this story was good, and it was sweet.
And it was home."
The ending had me going through so many emotions. I wish I could read it again for the first time 😭😭 This is in no way a perfect book but it worked out quite well for me.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Do give it a read if you're in the mood for something lighthearted and good fluff. It will make you feel the emotions and it's a treat for any book lover who just wants to enter their favorite fictional world and meet its characters.
~•~•~
A book about a reader who ends up in her favorite romance book? I AM READYYYYY
June 25, 2024
3🌟
this book is such a cozy fun time! I love the uniqueness in the plot, because I too would love to live in the world of my favorite characters and talk to them. good luck getting me to leave!
however, this did fall a little flat for me. the romance felt non existent until it was needed, then we went 3x speed to attempt to sell me on their chemistry which we did not succeed in. which is sad because bookish couples are my thing! I feel like we spent the whole book diving into her past, her love for the specific book series we're living in and her helping these fictional characters she loves (which I know is to help aid her to see the lesson blah blah blah) but all of that just made the romance a big question mark in my mind. not to mention the (almost) ending third act conflict that we pulled out of no where (literally leaving town he decides to stay??) and then for it to be mended within like 10 pages.... what.
all in all, I thought it was a fun time! but that is about it. I would still recommend and it will be put in a fall book rec category because it's just too dang cozy!
this book is such a cozy fun time! I love the uniqueness in the plot, because I too would love to live in the world of my favorite characters and talk to them. good luck getting me to leave!
however, this did fall a little flat for me. the romance felt non existent until it was needed, then we went 3x speed to attempt to sell me on their chemistry which we did not succeed in. which is sad because bookish couples are my thing! I feel like we spent the whole book diving into her past, her love for the specific book series we're living in and her helping these fictional characters she loves (which I know is to help aid her to see the lesson blah blah blah) but all of that just made the romance a big question mark in my mind. not to mention the (almost) ending third act conflict that we pulled out of no where (literally leaving town he decides to stay??) and then for it to be mended within like 10 pages.... what.
all in all, I thought it was a fun time! but that is about it. I would still recommend and it will be put in a fall book rec category because it's just too dang cozy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2024
I wanted to love this book so much more than I did😭 especially since it has such a cool premise and I've loved Ashley Poston's previous books.
What I DID like:
1. The fictional book town! It was so cute & cozy & like every book lover's dream
2. the fictional book characters. they were so fun! I loved reading about Elsy helping them
3. that we got to see what the book characters' lives were like even after they got their romance book happy ending
What I DIDN'T like:
1. the pacing felt so weird to me with the romance. It was like nothing, followed by sudden romance, sudden conflict, and sudden make up.
2. I didn't feel any passion, longing, etc. between our main characters
3. I feel like Elsy acted wayyyy too chill upon discovering she was in a fictional book town. I'd be freaking out!
Overall a fun premise. I'm glad I read it but bummed it wasn't a 4+ star read.
What I DID like:
1. The fictional book town! It was so cute & cozy & like every book lover's dream
2. the fictional book characters. they were so fun! I loved reading about Elsy helping them
3. that we got to see what the book characters' lives were like even after they got their romance book happy ending
What I DIDN'T like:
1. the pacing felt so weird to me with the romance. It was like nothing, followed by sudden romance, sudden conflict, and sudden make up.
2. I didn't feel any passion, longing, etc. between our main characters
3. I feel like Elsy acted wayyyy too chill upon discovering she was in a fictional book town. I'd be freaking out!
Overall a fun premise. I'm glad I read it but bummed it wasn't a 4+ star read.
February 7, 2025
Each time I start another emotional romance-meets-fantasy book by Ashley Poston, I tell myself, "Don't let her wreck your heart and don't shed any more of your ugly tears; you're making disgusting noises." But each time, I eat my words and cry like an evil incarnated baby girl, making people nearby pray to be deaf not to hear me any longer.
I think I loved this book even more than "Dead Romantics." Yes, I admit, it's my favorite Ashley Poston book. It ruined me for other romances, making it hard to enjoy them as well. Yes, I fell for this book and the entire fictional small town with a romantic couples theme, reminding you of Wizard of Oz meets Once Upon a Time with Gilmore Girls and Groundhog Day vibes.
When everything in life sucks—still in pain after being dumped a week before your wedding ceremony, stuck in a job you don't like, seeing everyone in your life already found happiness, moving on with their lives while you're suffering in your miserable, lonely life—don't you want a chance for a quick escape like the fictional small town your favorite romance author created? That's what Eileen Merriweather did, not intentionally but accidentally.
After each book club friend ditched her for a reunion, including her best friend who decided to fly to Iceland with her boyfriend for a probable wedding proposal, she decides to drive 18 hours to reach a cabin in the woods to drown her sorrows, read romances until her eyes bleed (just like my regular day routine :)), but her plan fails when she takes a wrong turn and finds herself in another small town, breaking her car by hitting the brakes too hard to avoid hitting the gorgeous man appearing in the middle of the road. That's how she arrives in Eloraton.
There's no place like Eloraton. Where a rain shower comes in the early afternoon, though it clears up in minutes, the inn is always under renovation, the burgers at Gail's bar are always burnt, the honey taffy is always sweet, and the starlings always make their nests in the eaves. Nothing changes, and its fictional townsfolk, created by Rachel Followers, live the same day over and over until Elsy finds her path accidentally into this town that doesn't exist and creates ripples in their universe. Things start to move. She finds herself in the middle of a romance manuscript her favorite author couldn't finish because Rachel Flowers died two years ago. Could the reason she's here be that she has to help the rest of the characters have their happily ever afters?
The grumpy bookstore owner, Anders, she was about to hit with her car, is the only person who realizes these ripples, and he doesn't like how Elsy has affected the townsfolk's lives. Elsy realizes she has complex feelings about this man who denies his own HEA. Could she help him with a sunshiny attitude to defeat his grumpiness, to save him and save herself? What if helping the Eloraton people may also help her find her own path, her own home that she needs to find?
No more words. I love Elsy's self-worth exploration, her facing the choices she's made, her development, and of course, her slow-burn, heartwarming love story. This book is like a realistic fairy tale if you consider it a brand new genre. I wholeheartedly loved it and absolutely recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this AMAZING book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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I think I loved this book even more than "Dead Romantics." Yes, I admit, it's my favorite Ashley Poston book. It ruined me for other romances, making it hard to enjoy them as well. Yes, I fell for this book and the entire fictional small town with a romantic couples theme, reminding you of Wizard of Oz meets Once Upon a Time with Gilmore Girls and Groundhog Day vibes.
When everything in life sucks—still in pain after being dumped a week before your wedding ceremony, stuck in a job you don't like, seeing everyone in your life already found happiness, moving on with their lives while you're suffering in your miserable, lonely life—don't you want a chance for a quick escape like the fictional small town your favorite romance author created? That's what Eileen Merriweather did, not intentionally but accidentally.
After each book club friend ditched her for a reunion, including her best friend who decided to fly to Iceland with her boyfriend for a probable wedding proposal, she decides to drive 18 hours to reach a cabin in the woods to drown her sorrows, read romances until her eyes bleed (just like my regular day routine :)), but her plan fails when she takes a wrong turn and finds herself in another small town, breaking her car by hitting the brakes too hard to avoid hitting the gorgeous man appearing in the middle of the road. That's how she arrives in Eloraton.
There's no place like Eloraton. Where a rain shower comes in the early afternoon, though it clears up in minutes, the inn is always under renovation, the burgers at Gail's bar are always burnt, the honey taffy is always sweet, and the starlings always make their nests in the eaves. Nothing changes, and its fictional townsfolk, created by Rachel Followers, live the same day over and over until Elsy finds her path accidentally into this town that doesn't exist and creates ripples in their universe. Things start to move. She finds herself in the middle of a romance manuscript her favorite author couldn't finish because Rachel Flowers died two years ago. Could the reason she's here be that she has to help the rest of the characters have their happily ever afters?
The grumpy bookstore owner, Anders, she was about to hit with her car, is the only person who realizes these ripples, and he doesn't like how Elsy has affected the townsfolk's lives. Elsy realizes she has complex feelings about this man who denies his own HEA. Could she help him with a sunshiny attitude to defeat his grumpiness, to save him and save herself? What if helping the Eloraton people may also help her find her own path, her own home that she needs to find?
No more words. I love Elsy's self-worth exploration, her facing the choices she's made, her development, and of course, her slow-burn, heartwarming love story. This book is like a realistic fairy tale if you consider it a brand new genre. I wholeheartedly loved it and absolutely recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this AMAZING book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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August 1, 2025
so this was not my favorite romance novel of all time, but it would've been a really, really good dream. i'm 100% giving this 3 stars, but i would've been, like, super bummed to wake up after spending a sleep in it.
so that has to count for something.
the problem with this book, which follows our (still) (unfortunately) heartbroken protagonist (who was dumped several years ago and is still being kind of a bad hang to her friends about it) as she somehow ends up in the fictional setting of her favorite romance series for a love story of her very own, is not what i thought it would be (that it makes less than no sense).
i'm willing to overlook the little things, like logic and things adding up in any way.
what i'm not as cool with is that the fake story was better than the real one.
the fake town: rocked. the fake characters: amazing. the fake love stories: dreamy.
the real romance, real characters, real setting, real setups, and oh man the real happily ever after ish ending...meh.
but if they open up an eloraton amusement park i'll be there for a honey surprise and a quirky side quest with my name on it.
until then, i wish ashley poston wrote the other story she made up for this one instead.
bottom line: i often don't love a frame story, but this was the first time i loved one too much.
---------------------
tbr review
i like one (1) romance and suddenly the author's whole backlist is on my tbr
so that has to count for something.
the problem with this book, which follows our (still) (unfortunately) heartbroken protagonist (who was dumped several years ago and is still being kind of a bad hang to her friends about it) as she somehow ends up in the fictional setting of her favorite romance series for a love story of her very own, is not what i thought it would be (that it makes less than no sense).
i'm willing to overlook the little things, like logic and things adding up in any way.
what i'm not as cool with is that the fake story was better than the real one.
the fake town: rocked. the fake characters: amazing. the fake love stories: dreamy.
the real romance, real characters, real setting, real setups, and oh man the real happily ever after ish ending...meh.
but if they open up an eloraton amusement park i'll be there for a honey surprise and a quirky side quest with my name on it.
until then, i wish ashley poston wrote the other story she made up for this one instead.
bottom line: i often don't love a frame story, but this was the first time i loved one too much.
---------------------
tbr review
i like one (1) romance and suddenly the author's whole backlist is on my tbr
February 8, 2024
upon further reflection: 2 (deserved) stars.
half of this book is just some variation of one of the following:
“his minty gaze”
“he smelled like black tea”
“in the sunlight, his hair looked golden”
it desperately needs an editor. why were these descriptions repeated so many times?? i don’t have the best memory, i’ll be the first to admit, but it’s not THAT bad. i don’t need to be reminded every two seconds that his eyes are green — and not even just green, there had to be some useless adjective in front of it like minty or emerald or forest. if i never hear those words again, it’ll be too soon.
now i know this is trivial, and it’s probably not too difficult to look past if you’re enjoying the story. but guess what? yes, that’s right. i wasn’t enjoying it. at least not the romance. and that is quite possibly the worst way to feel when you are reading a romance book. they fell in love in like… five days. where is the chemistry?? where is the angst and the tension and the longing? i was utterly unconvinced of their feelings toward each other. the way he just randomly started calling her sweetheart too? where did that come from?? it felt like a cheap way to further their relationship without actually adding depth to it.
the reason i’m giving this three stars though (i lied, it’s not getting three stars) is because there’s just something about ashley poston’s writing. it’s like being cocooned in a warm blanket. her words and stories never fail to comfort and reassure me, and as someone who often feels lost and unsure of who she is and what she wants, i welcome that feeling. in this book, she stresses the importance of the journey rather than the destination. and she writes a character who, at first, isolates herself from the rest of the world to make sure she never has the opportunity to get hurt again and, later, decides that going after what she wants is worth it, even if it doesn’t quite end up how she expected it to. there’s a lot of good in this book (once again, i lied — a lot is a stretch) but it unfortunately wasn’t enough to outweigh the parts i disliked.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc 🫶
—
well that was… something 😃 rtc
—
because i need something sweet and comforting 🥹❤️🩹 please deliver!!! 😩😩
half of this book is just some variation of one of the following:
“his minty gaze”
“he smelled like black tea”
“in the sunlight, his hair looked golden”
it desperately needs an editor. why were these descriptions repeated so many times?? i don’t have the best memory, i’ll be the first to admit, but it’s not THAT bad. i don’t need to be reminded every two seconds that his eyes are green — and not even just green, there had to be some useless adjective in front of it like minty or emerald or forest. if i never hear those words again, it’ll be too soon.
now i know this is trivial, and it’s probably not too difficult to look past if you’re enjoying the story. but guess what? yes, that’s right. i wasn’t enjoying it. at least not the romance. and that is quite possibly the worst way to feel when you are reading a romance book. they fell in love in like… five days. where is the chemistry?? where is the angst and the tension and the longing? i was utterly unconvinced of their feelings toward each other. the way he just randomly started calling her sweetheart too? where did that come from?? it felt like a cheap way to further their relationship without actually adding depth to it.
the reason i’m giving this three stars though (i lied, it’s not getting three stars) is because there’s just something about ashley poston’s writing. it’s like being cocooned in a warm blanket. her words and stories never fail to comfort and reassure me, and as someone who often feels lost and unsure of who she is and what she wants, i welcome that feeling. in this book, she stresses the importance of the journey rather than the destination. and she writes a character who, at first, isolates herself from the rest of the world to make sure she never has the opportunity to get hurt again and, later, decides that going after what she wants is worth it, even if it doesn’t quite end up how she expected it to. there’s a lot of good in this book (once again, i lied — a lot is a stretch) but it unfortunately wasn’t enough to outweigh the parts i disliked.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc 🫶
—
well that was… something 😃 rtc
—
because i need something sweet and comforting 🥹❤️🩹 please deliver!!! 😩😩
October 25, 2024
2.75 Stars rounded to 3 because I adore Poston.
HiS mInTy GrEeN eYeSsSsSsSsS - 🙈🙉🙊
I'm a little at a loss here. I really thought I was going to love this one despite some of the reviews that I saw prior to release, but - meh.
I really love how Ashley Poston is able to put a spin on what would be a traditional romance trope. I loved everything about the idea of this story but I wasn't a fan of the characters, or really the actual story I got here.
The FMC is pretty boring - she's also super self-deprecatory which I'm not a fan of. Talk about several eye roll moments. I don't even know enough about the MMC to have an opinion about him one way or another - but rest assured, I'll never forget that he has minty green eyes.
The magical-realism didn't come through very much in this book which is a little disappointing considering how magical her previous books have felt. This is a really generous 3 stars.
Le sigh- on to the next one.
Well. Not only did Berkley decline me on this one earlier this year but then the not so great reviews came in. Sigh. I love Ashley Poston so I'm hoping for the best.
The time has come! 🎉💙💗💛💚
HiS mInTy GrEeN eYeSsSsSsSsS - 🙈🙉🙊
I'm a little at a loss here. I really thought I was going to love this one despite some of the reviews that I saw prior to release, but - meh.
I really love how Ashley Poston is able to put a spin on what would be a traditional romance trope. I loved everything about the idea of this story but I wasn't a fan of the characters, or really the actual story I got here.
The FMC is pretty boring - she's also super self-deprecatory which I'm not a fan of. Talk about several eye roll moments. I don't even know enough about the MMC to have an opinion about him one way or another - but rest assured, I'll never forget that he has minty green eyes.
The magical-realism didn't come through very much in this book which is a little disappointing considering how magical her previous books have felt. This is a really generous 3 stars.
Le sigh- on to the next one.
The time has come! 🎉💙💗💛💚
July 4, 2024
this was a love letter to romance readers and i will be re-reading my annotation until further notice
July 1, 2024
OH MY HOPELESS ROMANTIC HEART!!!!!! A Novel Love Story written by Ashley Poston wasn't perfect, but it was SO FREAKING CUTE. I absolutely loved and adored The Seven Year Slip by this author, so when I saw this stunning cover I knew I had to get my hands on this book immediately. Ashley Poston never fails to amaze with her beautiful writing, magical story telling, and relatable characters. Ashley, thank YOU for writing this book for all of us. A Novel Love Story is for all of the book girlies who want to escape from the real world and live in the fictional world, who fall for the fictional boyfriends, who want to feel seen, and those who dream of owning their own bookstores. The twists and turns were so unpredicatable, I didn't see them coming at all. I went into this book completely blind, and honestly I recommend doing that because it makes the reading experience so magical and you will be completely surprised. I laughed so much I had tears streaming down my face, I smiled a numerous amount of times while reading this beautiful book. The butterflies in my heart and my stomach were fluttering. I can't recommend this book enough, so please do yourself a huge favor and grab a copy of this book immediately on June 25th, 2024.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!
First off, I would like to thank my girl, Jess❤. for buddy reading this beautiful and magical book with me. I had the best time swooning and sharing my thoughts with you. You made this reading experience a thousand times better because we got to fangirl together over these fictional characters.
"💅I looked forward to a week where I could shuck off my professorial robes and disappear into the twisting roads that hugged the soft hills of the Catskills, and read about impossible meet-cutes and grand romantic gestures, and no one would judge me for it💅".
"🍺I needed to get drunk on cheap wine and cry over happily ever afters🍺".
"😭I knew that feeling-being frozen because you hurt too much to move. Life just felt easier when nothing changed, but that was only because you'd grown numb to the world around you😭".
"💓If you loved something-someone-sometimes you had to let them go. And if they loved you too, they'd come back. Love-true love- always came back💓".
Eileen Merriweather is a part time English professor that loves to get lost in a happily ever after. But only the fictional kind, anyway because imaginary men from books don't leave you standing at the altar. Eileen feels safe reading her books at home, which might be why she's so excited on going to her annual book club retreat this year. Eileen and her best friend Prudence are in a book club with a bunch of other book lovers called the Super Smutty Book Club and each year they all take a trip together to read and discuss their favorite book. The Super Smutty Book Club was brought together by Rachel Flowers, an author that wrote their favorite book series. Rachel suddenly passed away and left the series unfinished. Everyone made excuses to back out of this trip, Prudence was getting engaged and the others made lame excuses not to go, but Eileen was dead set on going. When Eileen's car unexpectedly breaks down on the way there, Eileen finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it's right out of a novel, well that's because it is. Eloraton, New York is the town in which Eileen's favorite series takes place. Rain always comes in the afternoon, the local candy stores honey taffy is always sweet, and the local bar's burgers are always a little burnt, it's like it's almost too good to be true.
In Eloraton, Eileen meets a fictional book character that she almost runs over in the pouring rain. Anderson Sinclair has minty green eyes and he's a grumpy bookstore owner that owns Ineffable Books. Eileen is in Eloraton to finish the last book in the series, but Anderson "Anders" doesn't want her to finish it. As Anders and Eileen spend time together, they talk about their lives and want it means to be a fictional character. Anders has a cat named Butterscotch, oh my gosh, he was just the cutest little fur baby who had a mind of his own, he was grumpy just like his grumpy owner, Anders. I absolutely loved and adored watching Anders and Eileen form a bond, it was just so cute to witness, their banter was just top tier and absolutely hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing. When Anders and Eileen were visiting Quixotic Falls, a magical waterfall, I just wanted to jump into my kindle and visit this magical and beautiful place. I loved the idea of the Super Smutty Book Club, in all honesty, it makes me want to start my own book club, it's almost like a dream come true. Eileen is such a relatable character, she's basically living the dream so many book girls dream of happening one day. I absolutely loved and adored all of the side characters, they were so welcoming with open arms to Eileen, ugh it was just so bittersweet and so memorable to witness.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!
First off, I would like to thank my girl, Jess❤. for buddy reading this beautiful and magical book with me. I had the best time swooning and sharing my thoughts with you. You made this reading experience a thousand times better because we got to fangirl together over these fictional characters.
"💅I looked forward to a week where I could shuck off my professorial robes and disappear into the twisting roads that hugged the soft hills of the Catskills, and read about impossible meet-cutes and grand romantic gestures, and no one would judge me for it💅".
"🍺I needed to get drunk on cheap wine and cry over happily ever afters🍺".
"😭I knew that feeling-being frozen because you hurt too much to move. Life just felt easier when nothing changed, but that was only because you'd grown numb to the world around you😭".
"💓If you loved something-someone-sometimes you had to let them go. And if they loved you too, they'd come back. Love-true love- always came back💓".
Eileen Merriweather is a part time English professor that loves to get lost in a happily ever after. But only the fictional kind, anyway because imaginary men from books don't leave you standing at the altar. Eileen feels safe reading her books at home, which might be why she's so excited on going to her annual book club retreat this year. Eileen and her best friend Prudence are in a book club with a bunch of other book lovers called the Super Smutty Book Club and each year they all take a trip together to read and discuss their favorite book. The Super Smutty Book Club was brought together by Rachel Flowers, an author that wrote their favorite book series. Rachel suddenly passed away and left the series unfinished. Everyone made excuses to back out of this trip, Prudence was getting engaged and the others made lame excuses not to go, but Eileen was dead set on going. When Eileen's car unexpectedly breaks down on the way there, Eileen finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it's right out of a novel, well that's because it is. Eloraton, New York is the town in which Eileen's favorite series takes place. Rain always comes in the afternoon, the local candy stores honey taffy is always sweet, and the local bar's burgers are always a little burnt, it's like it's almost too good to be true.
In Eloraton, Eileen meets a fictional book character that she almost runs over in the pouring rain. Anderson Sinclair has minty green eyes and he's a grumpy bookstore owner that owns Ineffable Books. Eileen is in Eloraton to finish the last book in the series, but Anderson "Anders" doesn't want her to finish it. As Anders and Eileen spend time together, they talk about their lives and want it means to be a fictional character. Anders has a cat named Butterscotch, oh my gosh, he was just the cutest little fur baby who had a mind of his own, he was grumpy just like his grumpy owner, Anders. I absolutely loved and adored watching Anders and Eileen form a bond, it was just so cute to witness, their banter was just top tier and absolutely hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing. When Anders and Eileen were visiting Quixotic Falls, a magical waterfall, I just wanted to jump into my kindle and visit this magical and beautiful place. I loved the idea of the Super Smutty Book Club, in all honesty, it makes me want to start my own book club, it's almost like a dream come true. Eileen is such a relatable character, she's basically living the dream so many book girls dream of happening one day. I absolutely loved and adored all of the side characters, they were so welcoming with open arms to Eileen, ugh it was just so bittersweet and so memorable to witness.
July 24, 2025
im not gonna lie… this has me worried in the beginning. its sooo beyond cheesy, it makes hallmark movies seem realistic. so i was scared this was going to be more cringy than anything else. BUT! if you choose to really lean into the whole imagination of it all, its actually quite a sweet story.
i didnt really care much about the side characters in the fictional town. i get the purpose they serve and how they connect to elsys favorite book series, but they arent compelling enough for me to want to know more about them. what really sells this story is elsy and anders. everything could take a back seat to them, as far as im concerned. i loved their bickering, how it turned into a tentative friendship, and then into something more. i enjoyed seeing how their relationship progressed and was really rooting for them by the end of the book.
so while not exactly the kind of romance story i would typically go for, this definitely has its moments!
↠ 3.5 stars
i didnt really care much about the side characters in the fictional town. i get the purpose they serve and how they connect to elsys favorite book series, but they arent compelling enough for me to want to know more about them. what really sells this story is elsy and anders. everything could take a back seat to them, as far as im concerned. i loved their bickering, how it turned into a tentative friendship, and then into something more. i enjoyed seeing how their relationship progressed and was really rooting for them by the end of the book.
so while not exactly the kind of romance story i would typically go for, this definitely has its moments!
↠ 3.5 stars
March 6, 2025
2 stars
This book was honestly so boring, and I don’t even know why I didn’t dnf it. It’s not like it got better—it was just that nagging feeling that I had to finish what I started, even though I really didn’t want to.
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston follows Eileen Merriweather, a literature professor who loves getting lost in fictional happily-ever-afters. When her car breaks down on the way to her book club retreat, she ends up stranded in Eloraton, a town straight out of her favourite romance series. Everything feels perfect, except the town is frozen in the unfinished story of a late author. As Eileen becomes determined to help bring the town to its happy ending, she’s confronted by Anders, a grumpy bookstore owner who doesn't want her to finish the book—yet his connection to the town’s story might just intertwine with hers.
From the start, it felt like I was reading a cheap copy-paste of the last two Ashley Poston books I read, and trust me, I was so ready to give up on it. But for some reason, I didn’t. Why? I honestly have no idea. Maybe I was just hoping something would change, but... ahaha, it didn’t.
Let’s talk about the characters, because Eileen was beyond annoying. I can’t even count how many times I wanted to scream at her to just shut up. She’s so similar to Florence from The Dead Romantics, and I couldn’t stand her either. So, yeah, that didn’t help. I get that she’s supposed to be quirky and relatable, but instead, she came across as desperate and pitiful—self-deprecating to the point where it was grating. I just couldn’t stand her.
Anders, the grumpy bookstore owner. I couldn’t understand why anyone would fall for him. He was a total asshole. Sure, there were moments when I could sympathise with him, but more often than not, he was just rude and unlikeable. And don’t even get me started on the constant references to his “minty green eyes.” Seriously, how many times do I need to be told that his eyes are minty green? I got it the first time, thanks! Then I had to be reminded 18 MORE TIMES. It was absolutely ridiculous.
Now, let’s talk about the romance. Because, honestly, that’s what this book was supposed to be about, right? This romance was a joke. I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why Eileen and Anders were even remotely interested in each other. There was zero chemistry between them. None! The forced references to his “minty eyes” only made it worse. The kiss scene came out of nowhere, and there was no build-up to it. Their entire relationship felt forced and awkward, with chemistry that was completely unbelievable.
The side characters were forgettable. I couldn’t bring myself to care about a single one of them. They were just as bland as Eileen and Anders.
I could go on and on about how much this book didn’t work for me, but the bottom line is it just wasn’t engaging. The concept had potential—Eileen’s love of books and the idea of escaping into a fictional world sounded so fun. Who wouldn’t want that? But the execution? Flat. Uninspired. Boring. After this, I can confirm that I’ve liked only 1 out of 3 of Ashley Poston’s books.
Don’t mind my pissy mood. Maybe I was just in a horrible headspace when I read it, or maybe it’s because I just finished The Poppy War trilogy and was still trying to recover from the emotional wreckage of that. Either way, I absolutely hated everything about this book. 2 stars is honestly too generous. Watch me come back and drop it to a 1 eventually.
This book was honestly so boring, and I don’t even know why I didn’t dnf it. It’s not like it got better—it was just that nagging feeling that I had to finish what I started, even though I really didn’t want to.
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston follows Eileen Merriweather, a literature professor who loves getting lost in fictional happily-ever-afters. When her car breaks down on the way to her book club retreat, she ends up stranded in Eloraton, a town straight out of her favourite romance series. Everything feels perfect, except the town is frozen in the unfinished story of a late author. As Eileen becomes determined to help bring the town to its happy ending, she’s confronted by Anders, a grumpy bookstore owner who doesn't want her to finish the book—yet his connection to the town’s story might just intertwine with hers.
From the start, it felt like I was reading a cheap copy-paste of the last two Ashley Poston books I read, and trust me, I was so ready to give up on it. But for some reason, I didn’t. Why? I honestly have no idea. Maybe I was just hoping something would change, but... ahaha, it didn’t.
Let’s talk about the characters, because Eileen was beyond annoying. I can’t even count how many times I wanted to scream at her to just shut up. She’s so similar to Florence from The Dead Romantics, and I couldn’t stand her either. So, yeah, that didn’t help. I get that she’s supposed to be quirky and relatable, but instead, she came across as desperate and pitiful—self-deprecating to the point where it was grating. I just couldn’t stand her.
Anders, the grumpy bookstore owner. I couldn’t understand why anyone would fall for him. He was a total asshole. Sure, there were moments when I could sympathise with him, but more often than not, he was just rude and unlikeable. And don’t even get me started on the constant references to his “minty green eyes.” Seriously, how many times do I need to be told that his eyes are minty green? I got it the first time, thanks! Then I had to be reminded 18 MORE TIMES. It was absolutely ridiculous.
Now, let’s talk about the romance. Because, honestly, that’s what this book was supposed to be about, right? This romance was a joke. I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why Eileen and Anders were even remotely interested in each other. There was zero chemistry between them. None! The forced references to his “minty eyes” only made it worse. The kiss scene came out of nowhere, and there was no build-up to it. Their entire relationship felt forced and awkward, with chemistry that was completely unbelievable.
The side characters were forgettable. I couldn’t bring myself to care about a single one of them. They were just as bland as Eileen and Anders.
I could go on and on about how much this book didn’t work for me, but the bottom line is it just wasn’t engaging. The concept had potential—Eileen’s love of books and the idea of escaping into a fictional world sounded so fun. Who wouldn’t want that? But the execution? Flat. Uninspired. Boring. After this, I can confirm that I’ve liked only 1 out of 3 of Ashley Poston’s books.
Don’t mind my pissy mood. Maybe I was just in a horrible headspace when I read it, or maybe it’s because I just finished The Poppy War trilogy and was still trying to recover from the emotional wreckage of that. Either way, I absolutely hated everything about this book. 2 stars is honestly too generous. Watch me come back and drop it to a 1 eventually.
December 8, 2024
4.5⭐️* this was such a fun story!
May 21, 2024
“Sometimes all you need is to see life from a different angle, to make it look new again.”
i’m one of the few people on this planet who loved The Dead Romantics, so i’m kind of disappointed that A Novel Love Story didn’t work for me. i loved the concept of the book within a book, but the way the magical realism was done didn’t make sense.. like how did the main characters not question being transported into a fictional novel world? there’s some attempts at exploring grief and the aftermath of breaking up with a partner who you thought you’d spend forever with but i really just didn’t care about any of it to be honest.
“Nothing ever stopped. Nothing was permanent. Art lived and breathed, like love, like friendship. Life—like works of art— was transformative. It persisted.”
my main issue is the romance between Eileen and Anders. i had no clue why they were even into each other since they had zero chemistry. the amount of times Eileen mentioned his “minty eyes” and “golden hair” drove me so far up the wall i was stuck to the ceiling. i also just didn’t like Eileen much in general cause the way she was written made her seem almost desperate and a bit pitiful, while Anders was stale with no personality. the whole secrecy behind Anders’ identity and why he’s aware of being in the town kept my interest, only for the reveal to be anticlimactic. i wanted to enjoy this cause the fmc’s love of books and the escape from reality they bring was relatable (of course), but this never stopped being a chore to read.
shout out to my girl Daniella for buddy reading this with me! (our next one must be better) lol🩵✨
➯ many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the arc, all opinions are my own.
i’m one of the few people on this planet who loved The Dead Romantics, so i’m kind of disappointed that A Novel Love Story didn’t work for me. i loved the concept of the book within a book, but the way the magical realism was done didn’t make sense.. like how did the main characters not question being transported into a fictional novel world? there’s some attempts at exploring grief and the aftermath of breaking up with a partner who you thought you’d spend forever with but i really just didn’t care about any of it to be honest.
“Nothing ever stopped. Nothing was permanent. Art lived and breathed, like love, like friendship. Life—like works of art— was transformative. It persisted.”
my main issue is the romance between Eileen and Anders. i had no clue why they were even into each other since they had zero chemistry. the amount of times Eileen mentioned his “minty eyes” and “golden hair” drove me so far up the wall i was stuck to the ceiling. i also just didn’t like Eileen much in general cause the way she was written made her seem almost desperate and a bit pitiful, while Anders was stale with no personality. the whole secrecy behind Anders’ identity and why he’s aware of being in the town kept my interest, only for the reveal to be anticlimactic. i wanted to enjoy this cause the fmc’s love of books and the escape from reality they bring was relatable (of course), but this never stopped being a chore to read.
shout out to my girl Daniella for buddy reading this with me! (our next one must be better) lol🩵✨
➯ many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the arc, all opinions are my own.
September 4, 2025
── 3.75 stars ୨ৎ
꒰ minor-spoiler review ⊹₊ ⋆
┆ ⤿ 📖 ⌗ thoughts
⟡ imagine my surprise when i picked up this one (notoriously ashley poston's least loved book) and it turns out i actually really enjoyed it! i've read two other books by her, and i've always felt as if they have stunning covers, amazing plots, and beautiful writing, but when you actually read the book it's very underwhelming. this one, for me, was not the case.
⟡ was this the best book i've ever read? definitely not. was i obsessed with the romance and feel their love in my bones? no. but the thing i loved about this one was that it was so perfectly crafted for the romance book girlies. for one, the literal plot of this book is that eileen gets lost one night while driving and ends up in the fictional world of her favorite romance series. tell me that's not the most perfect plot ever? i really loved all of the romance book references as well, such as interconnected series, each book being about a different couple, and book boyfriends. it got a little cliche sometimes, but it was a fun read nonetheless.
⟡ the thing about this book for me was that the romance felt a little boring and flat to me, but the other characters of her favorite series were the best part for me. it reminded me a lot of stars hollow, where everyone loves each other and it just feels like a big friend group. seeing all the couples from each book was so fun, and i loved seeing elsy's interactions with everyone that she's loved.
┆ ⤿ ☕ ⌗ characters
⋮ ⌗ ┆ eileen "elsy" merriweather
꒰ come on eileen by dexys midnight runners ⊹₊ ⋆
so she is literally me! there are so many quotes from her that really just spoke to me, and it felt like i was in her head the entire time. she spends her life between the pages of books, and whenever something bad happens in her life she just wants to escape into her romance books.
those are just a few of the many relatable quotes from her, and i feel them so deeply in my bones. it also felt a little like a slap in the face, especially when she would compare herself as the boring side character in her main-character best friends life, and i just get her.
⋮ ⌗ ┆ anders sinclair
꒰ i hate it here by taylor swift ⊹₊ ⋆
days later and i still don't know how to feel about this man. to me, he was just kind of there when it came to the romance. in theory, though, he really is the "perfect" guy, and he reminds me a lot of luke from gilmore girls. not only is he good at bantering, but elsy compares him a lot to old books, which i loved. he also reads romance books and calls her "sweetheart", which was so cute. and yes he was unessisarily rude at times, and was closed off, he loved everyone in that town with his entire heart, and basically signed the rest of his life away to protecting these beloved characters. the storyline with his fiance broke my heart for him, and the ending was really fufilling to read about. he deserved his happy ending <3
⋮ ⌗ ┆ anders + elsy
꒰ the lakes by taylor swift ⊹₊ ⋆
though i loved this book, i wasn't absolutely dying in love with their relationship. while elsy was very relatable and most of the stuff she did is what i would have done in her situation, i didn't love the way that anders treated her at times. but i honestly understood him a lot, because with her messing up the flow of things in a town that means so much to him, i would've done anything to get her to leave. especially after he's spent so long trying to keep these characters happy. on a better note, it was fun seeing them banter, and i loved getting to see her charming personality slowly ripping the armor he carefully protecting himself with away. getting to uncover what was happening to the town through the eyes of elsy, and i liked anders helping her. their dynamic was so cute, where they are both romance readers. her walking into the bookshop after a long day to see him relaxing on the couch and reading melted my heart. i desperately want a love like theirs 🥹 and the epilogue also made this entire book worth it!
┆ ⤿ 📚 ⌗ eloraton's town characters
⟡ and finally i can talk about my favorite part of this book, the town's characters! getting to see all of elsy's favorite characters and seeing all their interactions was the cutest part, and the found family in this book was immaculate. all the characters were so different from each other in different ways, and all the surprise appearances made me giggle. ruby + jake were both cute, and the plot of getting them back together was really was entertaining but frustrating at times. i really wished that ruby would've been able to continue her dream of pursueing a musical career, but it wasn't really touched upon in the end like i wanted. which made no sense to me, because i felt like the reason ruby wanted a small break was because she wasn't happy running the diner all the time. i liked seeing jake's yearning for ruby though. junie + will were my favorite couple, and seeing them running an inn together was sweet, as well as their funny banter. the problems with the inn were so funny to me, especially when will got stuck in the middle of the room. gemma was my favorite character of the side characters, she was so cute and i loved how she never stopped yapping. i can't remember if she had an on-page romance subplot, but she was so interesting that she didn't need one. maya's story was interesting but a little forgettable.
┆ ⤿ 🐝 ⌗ final thoughts
⟡ i really recommend this one for any romance reader who wants to see themselves through the eyes of another relatable romance reader. it also was fun imaging this story but with my favorite series, though it wouldn't be as fun + bubbly as this one considering my favorite series is boys of tommen..... HAHA. i'm really excited for the next ashley poston book i read, because after this one, i have hope that i'll be able to love another one of her books.
started ➤ august 1, 2025
finished ➤ august 2, 2025
꒰ minor-spoiler review ⊹₊ ⋆
⊹ ࣪ ˖ “sometimes, a book can change your life. it's hard to explain to someone who doesn't read, or who has never felt their heart bend so strongly towards a story that it might snap in two. some books are a comfort, some a reprieve, others a vacation, a lesson, a heartbreak.”
┆ ⤿ 📖 ⌗ thoughts
⟡ imagine my surprise when i picked up this one (notoriously ashley poston's least loved book) and it turns out i actually really enjoyed it! i've read two other books by her, and i've always felt as if they have stunning covers, amazing plots, and beautiful writing, but when you actually read the book it's very underwhelming. this one, for me, was not the case.
⟡ was this the best book i've ever read? definitely not. was i obsessed with the romance and feel their love in my bones? no. but the thing i loved about this one was that it was so perfectly crafted for the romance book girlies. for one, the literal plot of this book is that eileen gets lost one night while driving and ends up in the fictional world of her favorite romance series. tell me that's not the most perfect plot ever? i really loved all of the romance book references as well, such as interconnected series, each book being about a different couple, and book boyfriends. it got a little cliche sometimes, but it was a fun read nonetheless.
⟡ the thing about this book for me was that the romance felt a little boring and flat to me, but the other characters of her favorite series were the best part for me. it reminded me a lot of stars hollow, where everyone loves each other and it just feels like a big friend group. seeing all the couples from each book was so fun, and i loved seeing elsy's interactions with everyone that she's loved.
┆ ⤿ ☕ ⌗ characters
⋮ ⌗ ┆ eileen "elsy" merriweather
꒰ come on eileen by dexys midnight runners ⊹₊ ⋆
so she is literally me! there are so many quotes from her that really just spoke to me, and it felt like i was in her head the entire time. she spends her life between the pages of books, and whenever something bad happens in her life she just wants to escape into her romance books.
- "because love stories were enough. they were safe. they would never fail me."
- "they were words that tucked me into bed at night when i was alone, they were words that played the soundtrack of my heartbeat, the what-ifs, the second-guesses, the nights i sat alone, and wondered, why not me? those books were like arms i fell into, armor that protected me from the world when life was hard."
- "so who could blame me for sinking into books, where i knew the people weren't real, but they also never disappointed me? i knew everything would work out in the end. i knew happy endings were destined, even afters fated, and no matter what trials and tribulations and, well, surprise fuckups happened, things would end up okay."
those are just a few of the many relatable quotes from her, and i feel them so deeply in my bones. it also felt a little like a slap in the face, especially when she would compare herself as the boring side character in her main-character best friends life, and i just get her.
⋮ ⌗ ┆ anders sinclair
꒰ i hate it here by taylor swift ⊹₊ ⋆
days later and i still don't know how to feel about this man. to me, he was just kind of there when it came to the romance. in theory, though, he really is the "perfect" guy, and he reminds me a lot of luke from gilmore girls. not only is he good at bantering, but elsy compares him a lot to old books, which i loved. he also reads romance books and calls her "sweetheart", which was so cute. and yes he was unessisarily rude at times, and was closed off, he loved everyone in that town with his entire heart, and basically signed the rest of his life away to protecting these beloved characters. the storyline with his fiance broke my heart for him, and the ending was really fufilling to read about. he deserved his happy ending <3
mini spoiler : i didn't enjoy the little plot with bea at the end. the idea of it made complete sense to me, but if anders and elsy were going to end up together in the end, i think it was dumb for that to be included. it made me a little hesitant about their relationship, and whether or not anders was going to be a reliable partner in the end. but to be honest i completely understand him, so its not really that big of a deal.
⋮ ⌗ ┆ anders + elsy
꒰ the lakes by taylor swift ⊹₊ ⋆
though i loved this book, i wasn't absolutely dying in love with their relationship. while elsy was very relatable and most of the stuff she did is what i would have done in her situation, i didn't love the way that anders treated her at times. but i honestly understood him a lot, because with her messing up the flow of things in a town that means so much to him, i would've done anything to get her to leave. especially after he's spent so long trying to keep these characters happy. on a better note, it was fun seeing them banter, and i loved getting to see her charming personality slowly ripping the armor he carefully protecting himself with away. getting to uncover what was happening to the town through the eyes of elsy, and i liked anders helping her. their dynamic was so cute, where they are both romance readers. her walking into the bookshop after a long day to see him relaxing on the couch and reading melted my heart. i desperately want a love like theirs 🥹 and the epilogue also made this entire book worth it!
┆ ⤿ 📚 ⌗ eloraton's town characters
⟡ and finally i can talk about my favorite part of this book, the town's characters! getting to see all of elsy's favorite characters and seeing all their interactions was the cutest part, and the found family in this book was immaculate. all the characters were so different from each other in different ways, and all the surprise appearances made me giggle. ruby + jake were both cute, and the plot of getting them back together was really was entertaining but frustrating at times. i really wished that ruby would've been able to continue her dream of pursueing a musical career, but it wasn't really touched upon in the end like i wanted. which made no sense to me, because i felt like the reason ruby wanted a small break was because she wasn't happy running the diner all the time. i liked seeing jake's yearning for ruby though. junie + will were my favorite couple, and seeing them running an inn together was sweet, as well as their funny banter. the problems with the inn were so funny to me, especially when will got stuck in the middle of the room. gemma was my favorite character of the side characters, she was so cute and i loved how she never stopped yapping. i can't remember if she had an on-page romance subplot, but she was so interesting that she didn't need one. maya's story was interesting but a little forgettable.
┆ ⤿ 🐝 ⌗ final thoughts
⟡ i really recommend this one for any romance reader who wants to see themselves through the eyes of another relatable romance reader. it also was fun imaging this story but with my favorite series, though it wouldn't be as fun + bubbly as this one considering my favorite series is boys of tommen..... HAHA. i'm really excited for the next ashley poston book i read, because after this one, i have hope that i'll be able to love another one of her books.
started ➤ august 1, 2025
finished ➤ august 2, 2025
July 6, 2024
The fireflies danced around us, the wind winding through the trees, and when he set his eyes on me, I felt like the only story he wanted to read. And that was dangerous, because he was fictional and Rachel had written someone for him. Someone good. And it wasn’t me
hi, Ashley Poston is back with another magical realism-modern romance story and good luck not absolutely falling in love with the love story 🥺🦋
no insta-love here, no extreme world building that makes it hard to follow, just a heartbroken Eileen who loves a good romance novel who travels for a book club meeting that got canceled last minute and finds herself living in a real life version of her favorite novel series 😭💙💙 and she meets all her favorite characters and fictional locations and a hero whose story is quite uncompleted. how cute is that? just magical 🍭✨️
I do not exactly have a favorite romance series but if I found myself in ✨️grishaverse✨️... Ketterdam to be specific, I'd die😭😭😭 like no I'm not even being dramatic, I would be dead on page 2 and it would be so worth it omg
would you survive being in your favorite series? tell me in the comments ❤️❤️
***
SK made me do it 🤭🤭
June 25, 2024
WHAT IF?
Eileen (Elsy) Merriweather loves to get lost in a good “happily-ever-after” . Reading romance novels helps her to cope with the heartbreak caused by her fiancé, Liam, who called off their wedding just one week before it was supposed to take place.
And, this year, especially, she is REALLY REALLY looking forward to going to her annual book club retreat, with her best friend, Pru, and the other members of the “Super Smutty Book Club”. She NEEDS her good friends, the cheap wine, and the grand romantic gestures found in fiction.
But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels eerily familiar-like it’s right out of her favorite novel-DAFFODIL DAYDREAMS-by Rachel Flowers.
But, how can that be?
In Eloraton, the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon, and lasts until midnight.
As, she begins to meet its residents, she realizes that she already knows who they are…all except for Anders, the grumpy bookstore owner with the “minty green eyes”.
Could she possibly, somehow, actually be IN the town written by the late author who unexpectedly died at age 32, before the could finish the fifth book of the five book series?
Could she actually be trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story? Was Anders meant to be the MC of the final book, and if so, who was he meant to meet?
As it starts to feel like MAYBE it could be her, she has to wonder WHAT IF?
Would it be possible to STAY?
For romance readers who have WISHED they could visit their favorite fictional small town, or WISHED they could actually date their favorite “book boyfriend”, this charming, delightful book is for YOU!! I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet but not spicy romance and my time spent in Eloraton.
Do you believe in magic?
You just MIGHT after reading this book!
The only reason it earns 4 stars instead of 5 stars, is because we were TOO frequently reminded of the town’s charms, and of Anders “minty green eyes” which started to feel a bit repetitive-but that is just a very MINOR complaint!
4.5 stars! ⭐️
This was a buddy read with DeAnn and MarilynW. Be sure to watch for their AMAZING reviews for additional insight!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Thank You to Berkley for the gifted ARC provided by NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
Eileen (Elsy) Merriweather loves to get lost in a good “happily-ever-after” . Reading romance novels helps her to cope with the heartbreak caused by her fiancé, Liam, who called off their wedding just one week before it was supposed to take place.
And, this year, especially, she is REALLY REALLY looking forward to going to her annual book club retreat, with her best friend, Pru, and the other members of the “Super Smutty Book Club”. She NEEDS her good friends, the cheap wine, and the grand romantic gestures found in fiction.
But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels eerily familiar-like it’s right out of her favorite novel-DAFFODIL DAYDREAMS-by Rachel Flowers.
But, how can that be?
In Eloraton, the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon, and lasts until midnight.
As, she begins to meet its residents, she realizes that she already knows who they are…all except for Anders, the grumpy bookstore owner with the “minty green eyes”.
Could she possibly, somehow, actually be IN the town written by the late author who unexpectedly died at age 32, before the could finish the fifth book of the five book series?
Could she actually be trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story? Was Anders meant to be the MC of the final book, and if so, who was he meant to meet?
As it starts to feel like MAYBE it could be her, she has to wonder WHAT IF?
Would it be possible to STAY?
For romance readers who have WISHED they could visit their favorite fictional small town, or WISHED they could actually date their favorite “book boyfriend”, this charming, delightful book is for YOU!! I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet but not spicy romance and my time spent in Eloraton.
Do you believe in magic?
You just MIGHT after reading this book!
The only reason it earns 4 stars instead of 5 stars, is because we were TOO frequently reminded of the town’s charms, and of Anders “minty green eyes” which started to feel a bit repetitive-but that is just a very MINOR complaint!
4.5 stars! ⭐️
This was a buddy read with DeAnn and MarilynW. Be sure to watch for their AMAZING reviews for additional insight!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Thank You to Berkley for the gifted ARC provided by NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
July 17, 2024
“Follow your heart, Even if it leads you wrong, will you really regret it?”
Ohhhh how cute and heartwarming💓 All I knew about this book going in, was that it was a book about books, and that was enough for me. How can you go wrong when the author is literally writing to all the hearts of readers just like us? The beautiful writing Poston uses speaks to every single one of us who runs to books to escape reality, or to feel the emotions we seek throughout the pages of the books we read.
💕Slow-burn romance
💕Magical Realism
💕Books about Books
💕Small town romance
💕Forced proximity
*:･ﾟ✧Eileen/Elsy*:･ﾟ✧
Eileen is a girl who has had her heartbroken, who runs to books for comfort and to escape her reality. She turns to books to read stories that help her out of her trauma and sadness. She finds love in her books because fictional boyfriends don't dissapoint and love exists between the pages. When she doesn't run to her books she has her best friend Pru to lean on. Elsy looks forward to one time of the year, where her annual book club meets up to drink wine and talk about their favorite books. However, this year Pru and everyone else can't make it, so Elsy decides to go to the cabin by herself to get away and escape the reality of her life. On her way, she gets lost and ends up in the town of her favorite romance series.
Even though this book did have a slow-burn romance in it, it was really the relationships between all the side characters that had me completely intrigued. Following Elsy as she finds ways to meddle in all the side characters lives while building relationships with them was entertaining. I mean who wouldn't want to go into their favorite book and meet their favorite characters. It's everyone of our dreams to dive into a fictional world and thats what we do everytime we sit down and pick up a book. Elsy is such a relatable character and I absolutely adored the characters, the writing, and the story.
*:･ﾟ✧Favorite Quotes*:･ﾟ✧
"Sometimes a book can change your life. It's hard to explain that to someone who doesn't read, or who has never felt their heart bend so strongly towards a story that it might just snap in two."
"So who could blame me for sinking into books, where I knew the people weren't real, but they also never disappointed me?
"The fireflied danced around us, the wind winding through the trees, and when he set his eyes on me, I felt like the only story he wanted to read."
"I couldn't remember the last time someone had kissed me that passionately--savored me, like I was the last sentence in his favorite book."
"You don't like naps? What's wrong with you? Who hurt you as a child?"
"It wasn't the end that mattered, but every word leading up to it."
"Love was a bunch of small things that added up to bigger things. Love was feeling valued. And accepted. Just the way you were."
Thank you to everyone who voted on the poll! This gem is the winner ✨I can't wait to get started on this one and see what all the rave is about, I have heard such amazing things so I'm excited!💓
April 13, 2025
╰┈➤ 2 stars!
okay, maybe it wasn’t a good idea to start with the seven year slip because this felt a bit underwhelming, if i’m honestly speaking. i had a bit of high expectations because the first book i read of hers was really good and i consider it as one of my favorite books, but this one? it was such a bummer that it didn’t feel the same.
౨ৎ eileen. this woman lived my dream. oh to be able to go to my favorite book and get to meet my favorite characters. consider me jealous of her, but like i’m so happy because she literally needed THAT. i think that her character is so relatable. i, too, live in romance books to escape the harsh truth that nothing like that would happen in real life. she had been through so much and it’s completely valid to want to escape from all the bad things, but oh how it took quite a turn and made everything so much better.
౨ৎ anderson. i don’t know about you guys, but a man who’s grumpy but actually warm and all fuzzy will always be IT for me. although him having a cat whose name is butterscotch was such a give away that his grumpiness is just a façade! he wasn’t the most likeable character at first, especially with some of the mean remarks. but i swear, this man will grow on you, and you’ll swoon over him without you even noticing. he showed eileen without any hesitation what it is to be loved by him by getting himself back together as the person who eileen actually deserve.
all in all, i can say that this was a bit underwhelming, but i truly love how she makes her stories so magical. this is something that i’d definitely recommend if you’re a hopeless romantic or if you want some sort of escape from the real world.
・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・
pre-read:
another ashley poston book! i’m so excited because i’m truly loving the seven year slip!
okay, maybe it wasn’t a good idea to start with the seven year slip because this felt a bit underwhelming, if i’m honestly speaking. i had a bit of high expectations because the first book i read of hers was really good and i consider it as one of my favorite books, but this one? it was such a bummer that it didn’t feel the same.
౨ৎ eileen. this woman lived my dream. oh to be able to go to my favorite book and get to meet my favorite characters. consider me jealous of her, but like i’m so happy because she literally needed THAT. i think that her character is so relatable. i, too, live in romance books to escape the harsh truth that nothing like that would happen in real life. she had been through so much and it’s completely valid to want to escape from all the bad things, but oh how it took quite a turn and made everything so much better.
౨ৎ anderson. i don’t know about you guys, but a man who’s grumpy but actually warm and all fuzzy will always be IT for me. although him having a cat whose name is butterscotch was such a give away that his grumpiness is just a façade! he wasn’t the most likeable character at first, especially with some of the mean remarks. but i swear, this man will grow on you, and you’ll swoon over him without you even noticing. he showed eileen without any hesitation what it is to be loved by him by getting himself back together as the person who eileen actually deserve.
all in all, i can say that this was a bit underwhelming, but i truly love how she makes her stories so magical. this is something that i’d definitely recommend if you’re a hopeless romantic or if you want some sort of escape from the real world.
・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・
pre-read:
another ashley poston book! i’m so excited because i’m truly loving the seven year slip!
April 17, 2024
ashley poston wrote this for the 'right where you left me' girlies
May 13, 2025
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Elsy Merriweather has a few things in her life she knows she can count on: her best friend, Pru, their shared love of Romance novels, and their annual book club retreat.
Elsy, a literature professor, loves getting lost in the pages of a happily-ever-after story, even if she feels like she'll never live one herself. Been there, tried that.
But things are changing. Pru is on the cusp of getting engaged, her upcoming trip with her boyfriend unfortunately falling on the same week as the book club retreat. Additionally, the rest of the book club has sent their regrets for this years trip; everyone is busy.
Elsy needs the retreat though, whether or not anyone else will be attendance. She decides to go, solo-road trip it to the remote cabin, where she will drink copious amount of wine and read all the Romance.
Honestly, this sounds like heaven to me too, so I was fully supportive of Elsy's plans. On her way there though, her car breaks down and she finds herself stranded in a quaint little town that seems all too familiar.
It's Eloraton, the small town setting of her favorite Romance series! How the heck is this possible? Eloraton is a fictional place, yet here she is...
Rachel Flowers, the author of the series, passed away while writing the final novel, so the story was never finished. Because of that, Eloraton is trapped in time, where everything remains the same even as time passes.
Elsy feels like that could be the reason why she's ended up here. To help the town, and thus all the people in it, find their perfect storybook ending.
There's a character she doesn't know however, and wasn't counting on, a grumpy bookstore owner named Anders, with minty green eyes, and his own reasons to want the town to continue on forever just the way it is.
We follow Elsy, trapped in her favorite fictional town, as she meets the characters she has grown to love over the years of reading this series. It's so cute, because it's like she's meeting celebrities. Of course, they have no idea how infatuated she is with all of them, or why.
I really did love this set-up. It's so Poston, to have such a creative and quirky twist to an otherwise normal Contemporary Romance story.
I appreciate how unique Poston's style is now. She's really created a nice little niche for herself within the genre and her writing is so distinct. You could tell this was one of her books just from the writing and characters alone.
I did enjoy the dynamic between Elsy and Anders; their back-and-forth was entertaining and there was definite chemistry smoldering away.
The middle portion wasn't quite as exciting for me as some of Poston's other works. I found some elements a bit repetitive and there were times that I wanted more actual substance from her interactions with the townspeople. I wish it could have had some more drama in that regard.
The highlight of this for me was the growth of Elsy's character over the course of the story. She comes to some solid revelations about her life while she's in Eloraton, and I especially enjoyed the exploration of her friendship with her best friend, Pru.
With this being said, this is still an amazing story. I am just comparing it, maybe unfairly, to The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip, both of which I 5-star level loved.
So, while this isn't my favorite of Poston's Adult Contemporary novels, it's still hella cute and enjoyable. I would absolutely recommend it to all Contemporary Romance Readers, particularly if you've enjoyed Poston's style in the past.
There's just something so cozy and comforting about her stories. It's almost required to cuddle up under a blanket with a hot drink to read them.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me a copy to read and review. I always look forward to Poston's new releases and this didn't disappoint!
Elsy Merriweather has a few things in her life she knows she can count on: her best friend, Pru, their shared love of Romance novels, and their annual book club retreat.
Elsy, a literature professor, loves getting lost in the pages of a happily-ever-after story, even if she feels like she'll never live one herself. Been there, tried that.
But things are changing. Pru is on the cusp of getting engaged, her upcoming trip with her boyfriend unfortunately falling on the same week as the book club retreat. Additionally, the rest of the book club has sent their regrets for this years trip; everyone is busy.
Elsy needs the retreat though, whether or not anyone else will be attendance. She decides to go, solo-road trip it to the remote cabin, where she will drink copious amount of wine and read all the Romance.
Honestly, this sounds like heaven to me too, so I was fully supportive of Elsy's plans. On her way there though, her car breaks down and she finds herself stranded in a quaint little town that seems all too familiar.
It's Eloraton, the small town setting of her favorite Romance series! How the heck is this possible? Eloraton is a fictional place, yet here she is...
Rachel Flowers, the author of the series, passed away while writing the final novel, so the story was never finished. Because of that, Eloraton is trapped in time, where everything remains the same even as time passes.
Elsy feels like that could be the reason why she's ended up here. To help the town, and thus all the people in it, find their perfect storybook ending.
There's a character she doesn't know however, and wasn't counting on, a grumpy bookstore owner named Anders, with minty green eyes, and his own reasons to want the town to continue on forever just the way it is.
We follow Elsy, trapped in her favorite fictional town, as she meets the characters she has grown to love over the years of reading this series. It's so cute, because it's like she's meeting celebrities. Of course, they have no idea how infatuated she is with all of them, or why.
I really did love this set-up. It's so Poston, to have such a creative and quirky twist to an otherwise normal Contemporary Romance story.
I appreciate how unique Poston's style is now. She's really created a nice little niche for herself within the genre and her writing is so distinct. You could tell this was one of her books just from the writing and characters alone.
I did enjoy the dynamic between Elsy and Anders; their back-and-forth was entertaining and there was definite chemistry smoldering away.
The middle portion wasn't quite as exciting for me as some of Poston's other works. I found some elements a bit repetitive and there were times that I wanted more actual substance from her interactions with the townspeople. I wish it could have had some more drama in that regard.
The highlight of this for me was the growth of Elsy's character over the course of the story. She comes to some solid revelations about her life while she's in Eloraton, and I especially enjoyed the exploration of her friendship with her best friend, Pru.
With this being said, this is still an amazing story. I am just comparing it, maybe unfairly, to The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip, both of which I 5-star level loved.
So, while this isn't my favorite of Poston's Adult Contemporary novels, it's still hella cute and enjoyable. I would absolutely recommend it to all Contemporary Romance Readers, particularly if you've enjoyed Poston's style in the past.
There's just something so cozy and comforting about her stories. It's almost required to cuddle up under a blanket with a hot drink to read them.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me a copy to read and review. I always look forward to Poston's new releases and this didn't disappoint!
July 1, 2024
ashley poston 🤝 magical realism
i’ve seen so many mixed things about this, and i have to agree. on one hand, it’s embarrassing how fast i’d jump at the opportunity to stumble into my favorite fictional world, but when it’s lowkey as boring as this one…the chances become slimmer.
it started off so solid and that’s what kills me 😫 i knocked out the first 100 pages and then it kinda fell flat? or stayed stagnant. whichever i mean to mean right now bear with me. the romance was so weird 😭 like, things that were supposed to be romantic gave me the ick because he came on so strong fresh outta nowhere even though it was building up a niceeee lil grumpy x sunshine moment.
i had an objectively good time and i feel like i’m focusing on the negative but i don’t have much to say about it in retrospect. while i would still recommend it, i wouldn’t personally reread it or even really think about these characters again which is so unfortunate after reading the seven year slip 💔
i’ve seen so many mixed things about this, and i have to agree. on one hand, it’s embarrassing how fast i’d jump at the opportunity to stumble into my favorite fictional world, but when it’s lowkey as boring as this one…the chances become slimmer.
it started off so solid and that’s what kills me 😫 i knocked out the first 100 pages and then it kinda fell flat? or stayed stagnant. whichever i mean to mean right now bear with me. the romance was so weird 😭 like, things that were supposed to be romantic gave me the ick because he came on so strong fresh outta nowhere even though it was building up a niceeee lil grumpy x sunshine moment.
i had an objectively good time and i feel like i’m focusing on the negative but i don’t have much to say about it in retrospect. while i would still recommend it, i wouldn’t personally reread it or even really think about these characters again which is so unfortunate after reading the seven year slip 💔
July 8, 2024
Thirty-two-year-old English professor Elsy Merriweather’s life hasn’t exactly been going to plan lately. She was jilted by her fiance, her best friend Pru is going to Iceland with her boyfriend rather than on their annual Super Smutty Book Club trip to New York, and none of their other friends can make it this year either. It’s the 10-year anniversary of her late favorite author Rachel Flowers’ book Daffodil Dreams, though, and she really wants to commemorate it.
Her solution? Go alone, of course! Elsy packs up her green Ford Pinto ‘Sweetpea’ and hits the road. Unfortunately, her car has other ideas and she finds herself lost and stranded one rainy night in a little town off the beaten path. Where is this place?
To quote the opening line of Flowers’ first book:
There was only one road in and one road out of Eloraton, New York, and most people never took it.
Well … Elsy isn’t most people.
In a twist of fate and circumstance, she now finds herself in the story of her favorite characters and series - people and places she knows almost as well as if she’d written the books herself! One character she doesn’t recognize, though, is the guy she almost ran over in the rain her first night in town: Anders, the grumpy bookstore owner. Where was he in the series?
Elsy finds out that just because a story has been written, doesn’t mean it can’t change, and her presence in Eloraton has more effect on the characters’ lives than she OR they bargained for. The author may be gone now, but THE END hasn’t been written yet!
First, let me say that every time I see a new book by Ashley Poston, I get so excited because I know she’s going to bring her own unique magic to it. She’s a master at blending romance and magical realism - two of my favorite genres - and once again her vivid imagination has taken me someplace truly special. Eloraton is a charming place with diverse and entertaining characters … and even a haunted toilet. You’ll have to discover THAT one for yourself!
With so much going for it, I had high hopes that it would be a 5-star read, but some things did miss the mark for me this time around.
The biggest issue is that I wanted more page time with the characters and story OUTSIDE of Eloraton. There was so much potential for fun with the members of the Super Smutty Book Club and with Elsy and Pru’s friendship, and I was bummed not to get to know them as well. While I was charmed by Eloraton and its characters, I found myself more interested in her real-life friends.
A minor but very noticeable issue was the REPETITION. There was an irritating overuse of “minty-green eyes” in describing Anders, as well as abundant references to his “white-blonde hair” and him smelling of “cedarwood and black tea” or “old books”. No reader needs that many reminders! (Around thirty for his minty eyes alone, in case you’re wondering.)
The PACING within the Eloraton part of the story, which was the majority of the book, was a little slower than I prefer. It’s a small town, so the opportunities of interest were limited and had shades of Groundhog Day in the sense of certain things in the town always being the same.
Those aspects aside, I DID enjoy the book and really liked the relationship arc with Elsy and Anders. There was a surprising sweetness and melancholy to the story, which are qualities I always enjoy. I’m hoping a future book revisits some of these characters - especially the Super Smutty Book Club friends (which includes Benji from Poston’s The Dead Romantics). They’re a hoot!
Ashley Poston will continue to be an auto-request author for me. Her mind is a fun place!
★★★ ½ (rounded to 4)
Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley and author Ashley Poston for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s out now.
Her solution? Go alone, of course! Elsy packs up her green Ford Pinto ‘Sweetpea’ and hits the road. Unfortunately, her car has other ideas and she finds herself lost and stranded one rainy night in a little town off the beaten path. Where is this place?
To quote the opening line of Flowers’ first book:
There was only one road in and one road out of Eloraton, New York, and most people never took it.
Well … Elsy isn’t most people.
In a twist of fate and circumstance, she now finds herself in the story of her favorite characters and series - people and places she knows almost as well as if she’d written the books herself! One character she doesn’t recognize, though, is the guy she almost ran over in the rain her first night in town: Anders, the grumpy bookstore owner. Where was he in the series?
Elsy finds out that just because a story has been written, doesn’t mean it can’t change, and her presence in Eloraton has more effect on the characters’ lives than she OR they bargained for. The author may be gone now, but THE END hasn’t been written yet!
First, let me say that every time I see a new book by Ashley Poston, I get so excited because I know she’s going to bring her own unique magic to it. She’s a master at blending romance and magical realism - two of my favorite genres - and once again her vivid imagination has taken me someplace truly special. Eloraton is a charming place with diverse and entertaining characters … and even a haunted toilet. You’ll have to discover THAT one for yourself!
With so much going for it, I had high hopes that it would be a 5-star read, but some things did miss the mark for me this time around.
The biggest issue is that I wanted more page time with the characters and story OUTSIDE of Eloraton. There was so much potential for fun with the members of the Super Smutty Book Club and with Elsy and Pru’s friendship, and I was bummed not to get to know them as well. While I was charmed by Eloraton and its characters, I found myself more interested in her real-life friends.
A minor but very noticeable issue was the REPETITION. There was an irritating overuse of “minty-green eyes” in describing Anders, as well as abundant references to his “white-blonde hair” and him smelling of “cedarwood and black tea” or “old books”. No reader needs that many reminders! (Around thirty for his minty eyes alone, in case you’re wondering.)
The PACING within the Eloraton part of the story, which was the majority of the book, was a little slower than I prefer. It’s a small town, so the opportunities of interest were limited and had shades of Groundhog Day in the sense of certain things in the town always being the same.
Those aspects aside, I DID enjoy the book and really liked the relationship arc with Elsy and Anders. There was a surprising sweetness and melancholy to the story, which are qualities I always enjoy. I’m hoping a future book revisits some of these characters - especially the Super Smutty Book Club friends (which includes Benji from Poston’s The Dead Romantics). They’re a hoot!
Ashley Poston will continue to be an auto-request author for me. Her mind is a fun place!
★★★ ½ (rounded to 4)
Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley and author Ashley Poston for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s out now.
June 12, 2024
I went into this book expecting exactly what we’ve been getting so far from Ashley’s adult romances: a charming plot, loveable characters (and secondary characters), and a brilliant twist. We got most of all of that in this, but I will elaborate about other things we didn’t get later.
Ahhhh, how many times have I dreamed about moving to my favorite book settings? Especially small towns… I can’t count them, but I’d say… everytime. This book is exactly THAT, so it was like reading a dream! I loved Eloraton, its people (characters) and Elsy getting to meet and even befriend them. It was so beautiful and emotional. I think only true romance book lovers will get to appreciate the charm of this story.
The romance was wonderful as well but I have to say, it’s not my favorite from Ashley. I loved Anders, he was the perfect soft grumpy hero, but the twist in this story was kind of obvious to me, and even though I still liked it, ‘’knowing’’ what was coming made it to be not as exciting as her previous romances.
Now, for the negative. This book felt like Anders’s journey, but we only get Elsy’s POV so it felt underwhelming at some moments. I also don’t think this story has a good closure like her other books. This is magical realism, obviously, but we end up with several plot holes that made it hard for me to feel satisfied about the ending.
This special book will make so many romance lovers happy!
Rating: 3.5/5
Steam level: Fade to black with a subtle open door scene
ARC provided by Berkley and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!
Ahhhh, how many times have I dreamed about moving to my favorite book settings? Especially small towns… I can’t count them, but I’d say… everytime. This book is exactly THAT, so it was like reading a dream! I loved Eloraton, its people (characters) and Elsy getting to meet and even befriend them. It was so beautiful and emotional. I think only true romance book lovers will get to appreciate the charm of this story.
The romance was wonderful as well but I have to say, it’s not my favorite from Ashley. I loved Anders, he was the perfect soft grumpy hero, but the twist in this story was kind of obvious to me, and even though I still liked it, ‘’knowing’’ what was coming made it to be not as exciting as her previous romances.
Now, for the negative. This book felt like Anders’s journey, but we only get Elsy’s POV so it felt underwhelming at some moments. I also don’t think this story has a good closure like her other books. This is magical realism, obviously, but we end up with several plot holes that made it hard for me to feel satisfied about the ending.
This special book will make so many romance lovers happy!
Rating: 3.5/5
Steam level: Fade to black with a subtle open door scene
ARC provided by Berkley and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!
April 1, 2025
Yeah. This one is going to be a hard NO for me. It’s every single literary no in the no universe. I’m so mad I paid money for this crap and that I actually preordered this dumpster fire of a novel. I’m so mad, I need a palate cleanse and am moving onto alien romance. Yes, you read that right, ALIEN ROMANCE. Why? Because that is more plausible than this turd blossom.
When I finished this book I sat in utter bewilderment, wondering WTF I just read. Then, when that feeling passed, I wondered why I had read it when I normally would have DNF'd something this terrible. I cannot provide a satisfactory answer except to say that I dove on this grenade so that others might be spared.
Why all the hatred? Because the ending was utter BS. Actually, if I'm being honest, the whole book was BS but the ending was what drove my blood pressure to boiling. I should have known after reading The Seven Year Slip that this author doesn’t know squat about writing romance and doesn’t know jack sh*t about magical realism. And, excuse me for saying this, but I almost feel like she has disdain for her audience. Like this entire novel was a wink of derision toward those of us who might actually feel like romance is a real genre.
So in case you haven't gathered from the above:
NEWS FLASH! This is NOT a romance. Not in the conventional sense. It’s women’s fiction at best and even that's a stretch. The author spent the entire story weaving together the leftover threads of a dead fictional author, which is fine, good on you, but then Poston decides she needs to market this as a romance because, as she states toward the end of this novel, “Romance sells about nineteen billion units a year.” Yes, that is an actual quote from the novel, she actually writes that. In her book. The book she is selling to you. As if we are sheep. As if we’re dumb, sightless, unknowing animals headed mindlessly off to slaughter and she’s the one holding the knife. As though we’re all just a bunch of romance reading idiots without two braincells to rub together. Yeah, it’s insulting. Reading this novel felt like page after page of jabs at her readers for buying her novel in the first place.
I see you Ashley Poston. I see you. You’re writing “fantasy fiction” and marketing it as a “romance” because it’s what sells. Screw you. Screw you and your condescension. It's why you chronically write fade to black scenes and why you can't actually write two compelling characters who can convincingly love each other. You have no idea how to write about people who are in love. You're clearly about the numbers and what your publisher and editors want. You’re clearly no more interested in creating a compelling story in the “romance” genre than the now (and again) current government is interested in bolstering sexual equality. I will NOT abide your trickery. You suck. And you're a fraud.
Rant over.
Here’s what went wrong. So, SO terribly wrong. The author spends the majority of the novel name dropping famous authors - an egotistical, narcissistic, intellectual muscle flex for all us wee simpletons - and rebuilding a story in a fictional town based on a now deceased author’s beloved romance series. The FMC, Eileen, is unwittingly sucked into this Brigadoon-like setting due to car trouble. Womp-Womp-Womp! How original. In this fantasy town she immediately meets Anders, and they form an unlikely truce until she can depart, because he's the supposed grumpy to her sunshine. As the story advances and Eileen explores this quirky little town, she's confronted with the inevitable truth that she's in Eloraton, the fictional town created by her favorite author, and that its residents are the characters from her favorite series. Sadly, said series is incomplete due to the untimely death of said author.
The balance of this novel is a foray into this unfinished fictional series. Fine. Whatever. Except that it's pretty much the ENTIRE book. Eileen spends 90% of this novel trying to repair the problems left behind by the now deceased author. Then, because we're all sheep, in the eleventh hour we’re dumped into a goddamn romance. Because, folks, again, that’s what sells. Romance. Let me remind you that she literally writes that. In her book. The one you’re plunking down money to buy. The one with the romance you’ve been promised but will never, ever, be realized. Not in any real sense.
What a slap in the face.
For a moment, when Eileen and Anders step beyond the walls of Eloraton and discover the “graveyard”, it felt as though we might actually be getting somewhere. I was briefly excited to see an actual plot take shape for these two. It was giving them something to work toward, it was a challenge they could face together which would offer them a chance to connect. Except it’s a story arc that was abandoned. Wholly and fully abandoned. Were we supposed to okay with never learning where that could go, Ms. Poston? Ah, that’s right, you don't care because we’re all just sheep. So, no, of course it went nowhere. Just like the rest of this craptastic journey.
To add insult to injury, there is no relationship development between the two “love birds” until the reader is shoved mercilessly into the end of the novel. None. Except some angsty, unimportant banter. No, instead, we're thrust back into the fake story and left to ponder... what ever will become of our MMC??? How will Anders factor into to the mystery of this quirky little town? *Gasp*
If you’ve been following along I’ll afford you one guess…
Yay, you guessed right, more stupidity.
Great, yay, I’m glad you fixed all the loose plot threads of a STORY THAT NEVER EXISTED. Yay for all those unimportant fictional people. However, you left poor Anders to flop around on deck like a discarded fish. Hey, Ashley Poston, you owe it to your actual, real human readers to create a real story. Remember that? Do you care at all about the masses who buy your books? No. No, you do not.
And now we’re back to how you cheated. That train wreck of an ending. Am I supposed to be okay with it? IYKYK. I am NOT okay with it. I am SO NOT OKAY. Am I supposed to be okay with the FMC being a boobie prize? A consolation, as it were? No. I am not okay with that. Ashley Poston, you made me hate the MMC at the end of this book and that’s quite a feat. I went from mildly liking him for being one of the only interesting characters you created to active loathing. Why did you destroy this character?? Why did you so blatantly make him an asshat?? And then, after you turn him into King A$$ Clown, you can expect me to just forget what you did and root for him??? Are you a nutbag?? How do you even justify that ending?? And why would you do it? Ashley Poston. You. Cannot. Write. For. Crap. 💩
Also, I am not okay with the way you strove to manipulate your readers into believing that this was a story about love and growth. Because it wasn't. There was no growth and there was no love. It was, chicklit. Barely. And that's affording you great latitudes.
Here's the problem with this author in a nutshell. She has way too many ideas which she tries to cram into her stories and she lacks the editorial mindset to understand that sometimes less is more. If she was paired with a better editor who could mentor and help focus her writing, I expect she could actually be quite good. But that hasn't happened and her lack of direction and focus is maddening.
So, in closing, I hated this book and I’m so pissed at this author that I hope my one star brings down her whole GR rating. And, yes, it’s personal. I hope the fleas of a million camels infest her snatch. That’s how mad I am. I’m so done. So utterly, unequivocally done.
When I finished this book I sat in utter bewilderment, wondering WTF I just read. Then, when that feeling passed, I wondered why I had read it when I normally would have DNF'd something this terrible. I cannot provide a satisfactory answer except to say that I dove on this grenade so that others might be spared.
Why all the hatred? Because the ending was utter BS. Actually, if I'm being honest, the whole book was BS but the ending was what drove my blood pressure to boiling. I should have known after reading The Seven Year Slip that this author doesn’t know squat about writing romance and doesn’t know jack sh*t about magical realism. And, excuse me for saying this, but I almost feel like she has disdain for her audience. Like this entire novel was a wink of derision toward those of us who might actually feel like romance is a real genre.
So in case you haven't gathered from the above:
NEWS FLASH! This is NOT a romance. Not in the conventional sense. It’s women’s fiction at best and even that's a stretch. The author spent the entire story weaving together the leftover threads of a dead fictional author, which is fine, good on you, but then Poston decides she needs to market this as a romance because, as she states toward the end of this novel, “Romance sells about nineteen billion units a year.” Yes, that is an actual quote from the novel, she actually writes that. In her book. The book she is selling to you. As if we are sheep. As if we’re dumb, sightless, unknowing animals headed mindlessly off to slaughter and she’s the one holding the knife. As though we’re all just a bunch of romance reading idiots without two braincells to rub together. Yeah, it’s insulting. Reading this novel felt like page after page of jabs at her readers for buying her novel in the first place.
I see you Ashley Poston. I see you. You’re writing “fantasy fiction” and marketing it as a “romance” because it’s what sells. Screw you. Screw you and your condescension. It's why you chronically write fade to black scenes and why you can't actually write two compelling characters who can convincingly love each other. You have no idea how to write about people who are in love. You're clearly about the numbers and what your publisher and editors want. You’re clearly no more interested in creating a compelling story in the “romance” genre than the now (and again) current government is interested in bolstering sexual equality. I will NOT abide your trickery. You suck. And you're a fraud.
Rant over.
Here’s what went wrong. So, SO terribly wrong. The author spends the majority of the novel name dropping famous authors - an egotistical, narcissistic, intellectual muscle flex for all us wee simpletons - and rebuilding a story in a fictional town based on a now deceased author’s beloved romance series. The FMC, Eileen, is unwittingly sucked into this Brigadoon-like setting due to car trouble. Womp-Womp-Womp! How original. In this fantasy town she immediately meets Anders, and they form an unlikely truce until she can depart, because he's the supposed grumpy to her sunshine. As the story advances and Eileen explores this quirky little town, she's confronted with the inevitable truth that she's in Eloraton, the fictional town created by her favorite author, and that its residents are the characters from her favorite series. Sadly, said series is incomplete due to the untimely death of said author.
The balance of this novel is a foray into this unfinished fictional series. Fine. Whatever. Except that it's pretty much the ENTIRE book. Eileen spends 90% of this novel trying to repair the problems left behind by the now deceased author. Then, because we're all sheep, in the eleventh hour we’re dumped into a goddamn romance. Because, folks, again, that’s what sells. Romance. Let me remind you that she literally writes that. In her book. The one you’re plunking down money to buy. The one with the romance you’ve been promised but will never, ever, be realized. Not in any real sense.
What a slap in the face.
For a moment, when Eileen and Anders step beyond the walls of Eloraton and discover the “graveyard”, it felt as though we might actually be getting somewhere. I was briefly excited to see an actual plot take shape for these two. It was giving them something to work toward, it was a challenge they could face together which would offer them a chance to connect. Except it’s a story arc that was abandoned. Wholly and fully abandoned. Were we supposed to okay with never learning where that could go, Ms. Poston? Ah, that’s right, you don't care because we’re all just sheep. So, no, of course it went nowhere. Just like the rest of this craptastic journey.
To add insult to injury, there is no relationship development between the two “love birds” until the reader is shoved mercilessly into the end of the novel. None. Except some angsty, unimportant banter. No, instead, we're thrust back into the fake story and left to ponder... what ever will become of our MMC??? How will Anders factor into to the mystery of this quirky little town? *Gasp*
If you’ve been following along I’ll afford you one guess…
Yay, you guessed right, more stupidity.
Great, yay, I’m glad you fixed all the loose plot threads of a STORY THAT NEVER EXISTED. Yay for all those unimportant fictional people. However, you left poor Anders to flop around on deck like a discarded fish. Hey, Ashley Poston, you owe it to your actual, real human readers to create a real story. Remember that? Do you care at all about the masses who buy your books? No. No, you do not.
And now we’re back to how you cheated. That train wreck of an ending. Am I supposed to be okay with it? IYKYK. I am NOT okay with it. I am SO NOT OKAY. Am I supposed to be okay with the FMC being a boobie prize? A consolation, as it were? No. I am not okay with that. Ashley Poston, you made me hate the MMC at the end of this book and that’s quite a feat. I went from mildly liking him for being one of the only interesting characters you created to active loathing. Why did you destroy this character?? Why did you so blatantly make him an asshat?? And then, after you turn him into King A$$ Clown, you can expect me to just forget what you did and root for him??? Are you a nutbag?? How do you even justify that ending?? And why would you do it? Ashley Poston. You. Cannot. Write. For. Crap. 💩
Also, I am not okay with the way you strove to manipulate your readers into believing that this was a story about love and growth. Because it wasn't. There was no growth and there was no love. It was, chicklit. Barely. And that's affording you great latitudes.
Here's the problem with this author in a nutshell. She has way too many ideas which she tries to cram into her stories and she lacks the editorial mindset to understand that sometimes less is more. If she was paired with a better editor who could mentor and help focus her writing, I expect she could actually be quite good. But that hasn't happened and her lack of direction and focus is maddening.
So, in closing, I hated this book and I’m so pissed at this author that I hope my one star brings down her whole GR rating. And, yes, it’s personal. I hope the fleas of a million camels infest her snatch. That’s how mad I am. I’m so done. So utterly, unequivocally done.
October 24, 2024
Hmm well that’s a real quick no !
I have many thoughts but I was genuinely so excited for this so I’m going to enter an unknown period of mourning until I can come to terms with the loss of one of my most anticipated reads of the year. (Probably once the book comes out because I just need to talk spoilers, I’m sorry.) I was/am a HUGE Dead Romantics and Seven Year Slip stan so this one hurts 💀
✨
The magic element was just really confusing in this one and somehow harder for my brain to make sense of than seeing dead people or a time traveling apartment. Either the magic was semi explained in the other books…or I’ve seen Just Like Heaven and The Lake House enough so I could grasp the concepts and just go for a ride. Further, I just never fully got invested in the fantasy element. Since she already knew all the side characters there was way more telling rather than showing and I felt pretty removed from most characters in the book.
Further, the book felt more about the writing than the plot/romance if that makes sense? Like it sounded beautiful but there wasn’t much substance plot wise. So I didn’t truly hate the book at any moment because I enjoyed the writing, and part of me was like “it’s three stars at least” but I am getting angrier the more I’m thinking about it, so two stars it stays. It was ~fine, but still a major disappointment.
Oh and I hated the twist in the third act and was really skeeved by the breakup bc WHAT DO YOU MEAN ???? Shit was morbid fam ???? And then a final thing happened right at the end and I was like “nope two stars that makes me sad and I didn’t like how that made me feel.” The ending was so rushed and random and this book definitely suffered from the absence of Anders’ POV because wtf happened during that break bc explain yourself sir???? I’m a notorious single POV lover but I really didn’t know that man, which neither did Elsy…and she mentioned it…and then it was magically fixed with a time jump. I’m sorry to that man but I really just did not care about him by the end.
Long story short, there was just no chemistry (no matter how many times I tried to convince myself otherwise) and the romance just didn’t do it for me at all (especially when it all was wrapped up with a very jarring f2b moment). The romance took a while to start, then they had a really great kiss, then they kept getting interrupted. Then when they were FINALLY under the hot and steamy waterfall they had openish door foreplay…and then one “and after it was over” sentence to sum up the penetration and any subsequent details.
Like it wasn’t even a new chapter break, it was just a new paragraph on the same page as his dirty talking telling her what he was going to do it her!! Just on a craft level, it was really weirdly done. Real bummer guys, real bummer. I would’ve preferred full closed door because I was not expecting a spicy book! But then he made me think it was going to go kinda hard!!
What’s the point of explicitish foreplay but then giving absolutely NOTHING on the same page for the full scene? He was talking such a big game too like WHAT DO YOU MEAN ??? I felt led on. I was also hoping the sex would help fix the chemistry issues for me (I know it’s not a fix but I’m just a girl who wanted to love this book) so it doubly ruined any momentum I had.
Overall, in the grand scheme of things, the f2b did not truly impact my enjoyment of the book! That was really just a weird craft thing to me. But I really needed more chemistry throughout the entire book and I just was never feeling the romance. The thing that really made me angry was the third act reveal/breakup/twist/whatever. I simply didn’t like what it did for the story and the characters. Oh, and I was more confused than intrigued by the fictional book town. Le sigh.
⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️/5
Spoiler (I guess but also it doesn’t actually spoil what happens)
I really wish the end twist would’ve been that she was in a side character in a book the entire time and she found this town right when the author was starting her book LOL. Idk if I would’ve been fully into that ?? but I like it better than what we got. Omg and the author could’ve been Florence or someone we knew 👀
I received an eARC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.
I have many thoughts but I was genuinely so excited for this so I’m going to enter an unknown period of mourning until I can come to terms with the loss of one of my most anticipated reads of the year. (Probably once the book comes out because I just need to talk spoilers, I’m sorry.) I was/am a HUGE Dead Romantics and Seven Year Slip stan so this one hurts 💀
✨
The magic element was just really confusing in this one and somehow harder for my brain to make sense of than seeing dead people or a time traveling apartment. Either the magic was semi explained in the other books…or I’ve seen Just Like Heaven and The Lake House enough so I could grasp the concepts and just go for a ride. Further, I just never fully got invested in the fantasy element. Since she already knew all the side characters there was way more telling rather than showing and I felt pretty removed from most characters in the book.
Further, the book felt more about the writing than the plot/romance if that makes sense? Like it sounded beautiful but there wasn’t much substance plot wise. So I didn’t truly hate the book at any moment because I enjoyed the writing, and part of me was like “it’s three stars at least” but I am getting angrier the more I’m thinking about it, so two stars it stays. It was ~fine, but still a major disappointment.
Oh and I hated the twist in the third act and was really skeeved by the breakup bc WHAT DO YOU MEAN ???? Shit was morbid fam ???? And then a final thing happened right at the end and I was like “nope two stars that makes me sad and I didn’t like how that made me feel.” The ending was so rushed and random and this book definitely suffered from the absence of Anders’ POV because wtf happened during that break bc explain yourself sir???? I’m a notorious single POV lover but I really didn’t know that man, which neither did Elsy…and she mentioned it…and then it was magically fixed with a time jump. I’m sorry to that man but I really just did not care about him by the end.
Long story short, there was just no chemistry (no matter how many times I tried to convince myself otherwise) and the romance just didn’t do it for me at all (especially when it all was wrapped up with a very jarring f2b moment). The romance took a while to start, then they had a really great kiss, then they kept getting interrupted. Then when they were FINALLY under the hot and steamy waterfall they had openish door foreplay…and then one “and after it was over” sentence to sum up the penetration and any subsequent details.
Like it wasn’t even a new chapter break, it was just a new paragraph on the same page as his dirty talking telling her what he was going to do it her!! Just on a craft level, it was really weirdly done. Real bummer guys, real bummer. I would’ve preferred full closed door because I was not expecting a spicy book! But then he made me think it was going to go kinda hard!!
What’s the point of explicitish foreplay but then giving absolutely NOTHING on the same page for the full scene? He was talking such a big game too like WHAT DO YOU MEAN ??? I felt led on. I was also hoping the sex would help fix the chemistry issues for me (I know it’s not a fix but I’m just a girl who wanted to love this book) so it doubly ruined any momentum I had.
Overall, in the grand scheme of things, the f2b did not truly impact my enjoyment of the book! That was really just a weird craft thing to me. But I really needed more chemistry throughout the entire book and I just was never feeling the romance. The thing that really made me angry was the third act reveal/breakup/twist/whatever. I simply didn’t like what it did for the story and the characters. Oh, and I was more confused than intrigued by the fictional book town. Le sigh.
⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️/5
Spoiler (I guess but also it doesn’t actually spoil what happens)
I really wish the end twist would’ve been that she was in a side character in a book the entire time and she found this town right when the author was starting her book LOL. Idk if I would’ve been fully into that ?? but I like it better than what we got. Omg and the author could’ve been Florence or someone we knew 👀
I received an eARC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.
September 13, 2025
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 4.25/5
This book was just so dang beautiful.
It has similarities to a normal romance book, but there was just something so much deeper in this book. I think it was a case of the right book at the right time, but it was just so good because I feel like I lived this book. I'm at a severe lack of words and I don't know if I could even explain everything that I felt while I read this book.
The two main characters. The plot. The rest of the book characters. The emotions. The descriptions. I just felt it all and to me it was just what I needed.
Also, I predicted the plot twist at the end with Rachel. I felt so proud of myself when I did because I had pieced it together this morning when I was listening to the part where Lily was talking about a bit of it, but I won't spoil it.
I think this is a must read book, but I do also know that people have mixed opinions about this. However, I 100% recommend it!!
Some of my other favorite quotes aside from the one at the top:
------
pre-read: well...this is my audiobook for the week. 🥺
“Because love stories were enough. They were safe. They would never fail me.”
This book was just so dang beautiful.
It has similarities to a normal romance book, but there was just something so much deeper in this book. I think it was a case of the right book at the right time, but it was just so good because I feel like I lived this book. I'm at a severe lack of words and I don't know if I could even explain everything that I felt while I read this book.
The two main characters. The plot. The rest of the book characters. The emotions. The descriptions. I just felt it all and to me it was just what I needed.
Also, I predicted the plot twist at the end with Rachel. I felt so proud of myself when I did because I had pieced it together this morning when I was listening to the part where Lily was talking about a bit of it, but I won't spoil it.
I think this is a must read book, but I do also know that people have mixed opinions about this. However, I 100% recommend it!!
Some of my other favorite quotes aside from the one at the top:
“I want a first chapter, and a second and a third—those long chapters, you know, the ones you have to take a break from halfway through. I want all of it, not just the end.” He looked down at my hands, and took them in his, and squeezed them tightly. “And I want it with you.”
“If you loved something—someone—sometimes you had to let them go. And if they loved you, too, they’d come back. Love—true love—always came back.”
“Sometimes, a book can change your life.”
“I couldn’t remember the last time someone had kissed me that passionately—savored me, like I was the last sentence in his favorite book.”
------
pre-read: well...this is my audiobook for the week. 🥺
July 21, 2024
very sad about this one🥲
November 6, 2024
manas' time of death—(chapter 9, page 81)—22%.
this is a copy + paste of all her books. i got this repetitive concept the first time, thanks!
this is a copy + paste of all her books. i got this repetitive concept the first time, thanks!
Read
September 21, 2024DNF @ 52%
August 4, 2024
3.5 ★
well, it wasn't disappointing but it didn't live up to my expectations. i had super high expectations going into this book, as i've seen so many good reviews but it was not what i expected. i can totally see how people would love this though.
i still definitely loved the story, but it was more insta lovey than a slow burn imo, which i wasn't a fan of but i still managed to enjoy despite that.
it's definitely a good book overall, and i might do a re read eventually!
--
if this disappoints me i will find a new level of upset
well, it wasn't disappointing but it didn't live up to my expectations. i had super high expectations going into this book, as i've seen so many good reviews but it was not what i expected. i can totally see how people would love this though.
i still definitely loved the story, but it was more insta lovey than a slow burn imo, which i wasn't a fan of but i still managed to enjoy despite that.
it's definitely a good book overall, and i might do a re read eventually!
--
if this disappoints me i will find a new level of upset
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