How to Slay a Lion: A sweet small town rom-com

by Jen Carpenter, Ally Haney (illustrator)

Amelia Anderson has always been the queen of the library, but when the town’s most historic building, her library, is threatened by a demolition order, she’s ready to become a heist mastermind. The target? A manila envelope containing the document that could save the library. The obstacle? Lucas Chernov—her high-school crush turned infuriatingly handsome billionaire contractor.

She wants her library. He wants to push it over. This. Is. War.

Lucas is no stranger to tough decisions, but Amelia is unlike any challenge he’s ever faced. As the eldest of ten brothers, each as enigmatic as the next, Lucas carries the weight of a family curse and the expectations of a town. But when Amelia, with her frizzy hair and fierce determination, stumbles into his life—or rather, his mansion—Lucas finds himself questioning more than just his building plans.

With a Newfoundland dog named Nemean at her side, Amelia is determined to save the library, even if it means facing down her old feelings for Lucas. What she doesn’t expect is for Lucas to be drawn to her quirky charm and a proposal that could change both of their lives forever.

In a town where everyone knows your business, can Amelia and Lucas find common ground—and maybe something more—before the wrecking ball swings?

How to Slay a Lion is a sweet, laugh-out-loud, enemies-to-lovers, Hercules retelling romantic comedy about finding courage, love, and the unexpected places where you might discover both.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2024

Reviews

[Alicia (aliciasbooksanctuary) · Rating 4 out of 5]

OVERALL STAR RATING: 4/5
CLEAN RATING: 5/5

Listen…never come between a girl and her books! When will these guys learn!? LOL I had a fantastic time reading Amelia and Lucas’ story. Amelia is madly in love with the historic library where she works. Lucas is a billionaire contractor looking to tear it down to build apartments. Obviously, Amelia has no intention of going down without a fight. I loved her feisty redheaded vibes and the banter between the two was so much fun to read.

Lucas comes from the well-known Chernov family. He’s one of ten sons and quite honestly, they are accustomed to getting what they want when it comes to real estate. Although his enemy at the moment, landing the bookish librarian who is slowly winning over his heart may not come as easily. They’re both a little quirky, but they learn a lot about each other over the course of this library war.

Sweet small-town vibes, enemies-to-lovers, cozy, engaging and it’s always a great time reading books when one of the MCs is book obsessed. You’ll be drawn into the story right from the start.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

*For more reviews and bookish content, be sure to follow me on Instagram @aliciasbooksanctuary

[Kristalyne, love.lovely.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Lucas stands up, brushes off his clothes, and stands way too close to my face. His man soap is faint today. Good, he’ll be less poisonous.”

This is the sweetest romantic comedy. It’s a small town enemies to more story. The main character Amelia is a librarian bookworm who is stubborn, quirky and cute. Lucas is a dreamy hero who is stoic and so much more! This book has humor, heart, and the sweetest romance that had me smiling so soo much!

This is Jen‘s debut novel and I’m amazed by her talent. I love the complex characters she created. I love the character growth they go through together as they get to know one another and truly see each other! Their journey from enemies to more is amazing and paced so well!

I loved getting to know Lucas and Amelia. They are so cute together. I loved the witty dialogue, the text messages throughout the book and the fun scenes! It was so enjoyable from beginning to end.

Read for:
🤍The small town romance
🤍Library
🤍Dual POV
🤍Excellent enemies to more
🤍Endearing characters
🤍A Hercules retelling
🤍A smile inducing love story
🤍Beautiful Fall setting
🤍Amazing debut novel

The ending made me so happy as everything tied up perfectly. If you enjoy libraries, romantic comedies with amazing characters, plus a sweet and swoony romance set in a small town, then you are going to love this fun and original book.
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Content:death in the past, grief, kisses only

[Halie Halling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a sweet book! It gave me You’ve Got Mail vibes and made me ache for libraries, especially those old fashioned, small town ones.
I’m all for a good enemies-to-lovers, and watching the main couple find each other amidst their opposite circumstances was so fun. They bring their separate personalities and life experiences to the front and make the budding romance lovely to experience!
This book never got boring—there’s so much going on, but it never felt cluttered or sporadic. The characters were engaging and I really rooted for both of them, even though they were on opposing sides of the main issue.

And, of course, this book explores the impact of books, knowledge, and libraries, so how could a former English Major not love it?

This book is cozy, fluffy, and feel good. Kind of a nice break from the other books I’ve been reading lately…

My favorite line was definitely “oh my holy book stack.” I’ve gotta start using that 😂

[Jami Pruitt (My.lovely_readingcorner) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite parts: 
- Fannie's Diner
- Mikey's Note
- Bat day at the library
- Morning run
- Library roof inspection
- On the roof
- Getting a haircut
- Baba
- Raccoons
- Brainstorming
- Olympus
- Halloween
- Saving the library
- The last chapter

Why did I wait so long to read this book?! This book was so much fun to read. I loved the Enemies-to-lovers and the forced proximity along with their banter. It was perfect!

I loved Amelia's personality. She is so happy and spreads joy wherever she goes, she also is very determined to save the library.

I love how we see Lucas change throughout the story. He starts off pretty rough around the edges, but seeing him soften a bit was just so great.

I loved how Amelia and Lucas interacted with each other and the romantic tension between them that they both fought so hard against.

Thanks to the author for the copy! I truly enjoyed this book. All opinions are my own.

[Carlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me HOOKED! A brilliant debut from Jen Carpenter. I'm not usually a contemporary fan but she nailed it and wrote one of the rare exceptions for me.

Amelia and Lucas were both great as individuals and together. Their relationship and motives made sense, and both their arcs were satisfying. Their relationship was perfectly paced and full of swoooon. The tension was cranked just right and I loved and hated (in the best way) the almost kisses, the witty banter, and flirting.

The plot was gripping and tied together perfectly as well. This town was so cute, and as someone living in the Blue Ridge Mountains, filled with satisfying nostalgia. Jen captured the small-town Virginia vibe perfectly 🥰

[Sarah Beth G. (a.neverending.tbr) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great debut. It has a cozy vibe that is perfect for fall and fans of contemporary enemies-to-lovers, small town stories. Amelia is a spunky, quirky librarian that loves her town and her library. She pours her heart and soul into her work and fights passionately (and at times humorously) to save her library. Lucas is a complex character with a lot of emotional baggage that he needs to face. He just wasn’t ready for Amelia and it was really sweet how he fell for her. I liked the large family dynamics of his family and Amelia’s sweet relationship with her grandfather and dog. I’m also always there for an almost kiss in the rain.

Content Notes: Kisses

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This felt like the perfect autumn read—light and fun! I loved how it centered around a library, a librarian, and her passion for books. (And I’m always a fan when the romance is clean!)

Fantastic debut from a bright new author I had the privilege to meet in person last month—I can’t wait to see what else she comes up with!

[Laura Rigby]

This was a fun, quick book. I was reading something else when I started this, but I got sucked in and couldn't stop.

I liked all the nicknames given to Amelia and that she just went along with them.

The banter between Amelia and Lucas was cute.

[Denise Skripka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable reading

From the very beginning it drew me in. I enjoyed the content and the characters were interesting. I would recommend this book to my friends. I may even read it again. It's a keeper!

[Elissa Wardell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cutie! Having been to BV it felt very similar to the town. I read a draft so that might have been why, but it felt disjointed in a lot of places. Kinda jumpy and made me question the plot a little. But overall cute.

[Melynne (mels_booknook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so fun!! I loved the enemies to lovers. Loved the tension. Loved the subtle ties to Hercules mythology. Loved the characters. I hope there are more to come! Such a fun read!!

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a delightfully fun, clean romance book. It was the perfect book to read on vacation when I had time to get sucked in. This author nailed it on her debut novel!

[Kristen Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet, cozy read. I had a great time with Milly and Lucas. Would definitely recommend for any rom com readers.

[Greg Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read romcom's. However, this book was entertaining from start to finish. Its small town charm and fully developed characters drew me in. I can't wait to see what Jen Carpenter writes next!