Love on the Shelf

by Sheila Roberts

A Witty Enemies to Lovers Rom Com about a Bookseller and Radio Host

The battle lines are drawn—between a romance-loving bookseller and the shock jock determined to tear happily-ever-afters apart.
Alice Willoughby and her mom run HEA Books, a cozy shop devoted to love stories and the people who crave them. Alice is great at matching customers with their perfect happily-ever-after…she just can’t seem to find her own.
Enter Parker Black, a disillusioned radio host who’s reinvented himself as a romance-bashing shock jock. Bitter from his breakup with a romance author who turned love into a four-letter word, Parker takes aim at the entire genre—and his on-air rants start stirring up trouble for Alice’s loyal customers and their partners. He’s arrogant, aggravating, and absolutely not book-boyfriend material.
Parker’s crusade leads to spirited debates and bookstore protests, but when unexpected sparks fly between the two of them Alice begins to wonder if her favorite trope—enemies to lovers—might actually be playing out in real life. Parker may claim romance is a lie…but is he protesting a little too much?
With sharp wit and plenty of charm, USA Today bestselling author Sheila Roberts delivers a modern battle of the sexes where the biggest question is simple:
Are romance novels ruining love—or rewriting it?

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Fiction, Books About Books, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Chick Lit

336 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2026

About the author

With fifty books to her credit, both fiction and non-fiction, Sheila Roberts is a frequent USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller - and a fan favorite. Her books have sold over three million copies and have been turned into movies for the Hallmark, Lifetime and Great American Family channels. Before settling into her writing career, Sheila owned a singing telegram company and played in band. When she's not traveling, Sheila can be found hanging out with friends, playing tennis, and, of course, writing and reading. Sometimes she even remembers to post books she's read!

Reviews

[Berry (busy, semi-hiatus) ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Sheila Roberts, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 / 5 ⭐ rounded up

I thought this book was cute, and the premise was so cute! But unfortunately I did think the chemistry between Alice and Parker was just not strong enough for me to give this a solid enjoyable review.

Love on the Shelf was definitely a cozy read, and I loved the characters on their own! But together? Not so much. I wasn't entirely convinced Parker even truly liked Alice after all the buildup.

I feel that this one wasn't for me, but it was still a decent read.

♡ pre-read ♡

Slowly getting through my ARCs! This one seems interesting :D

[Bree Doby · Rating 1 out of 5]

yeah, sorry but this was not it & i don’t even know if it’s completely fair for this to be categorized as a “romance” since the MCs didn’t even spend significant time together or have a real conversation until ~70% in.

this was 3rd person POV and followed just about every character in the book, which for a <350 pg book prevents you from connecting with any one character.

the entire premise of enemies-to-lovers felt a little unbelievable to me due to the MMC being a woman-hating podcast bro that felt pretty irredeemable from the start. and maybe he could change? but since we spent so little time with him i wasn’t believing it by the end when he “completely” changed.

in all honesty, i wanted to DNF but pushed through and held out hope & i kinda wish i hadn’t. i could say the premise was there but starting off characters with fundamentally/morally different views doesn’t set them up for success in the end, in my opinion.

thank you to netgalley & harpercollins for the arc!!!

[Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday)]

This is my first romance by Sheila Roberts, though I read her debut mystery, The Man Next Door.

Love by the Book had an extremely fun premise: Nola and Alice, a mother and daughter who run a romance bookstore in Seattle face off against Parker, a trash talking radio DJ who mocks and belittles romance novels. As a romance lover and reader, it’s infuriating when romance is treated like less than other commercial fiction!

The rivalry was entertaining. Nola and Alice debate Parker on the radio, there’s social media sparring, a men’s strike, and a job swapping stint. The bookstore community was lively and fun and I enjoyed reading about them, and Parker made a great quasi-villain. The hate to love vibes in this were strong.

But I have to question whether Love by the Book was a romance.

The main characters don’t meet in person until over a third of the way through the book. The hate to love concept was so much fun, but didn’t give me any romantic chemistry at all. I don’t think the characters even kiss until the very end. The characters talk about romance, but there really isn’t any. This isn’t an open door or closed door book; there is NO DOOR at all. (Or no bedroom with a door I suppose).

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when a dejected radio host decides to take on the world of romance? An awakening, for him.

Parker has baggage galore, and Alice is something of a wallflower. But that doesn't stop the attraction between the two. It is a rocky start, but over time, they both grow and learn something from one another.

The great thing about fiction, is that it isn't always realistic to what we experience in the world. Parker is petulant based on his past relationships, but that doesn't excuse bad manners. He does start to redeem himself at various points when the stunts that his producer creates that go against his principles, at least the ones he has. However, he doesn't really step up to stop the onslaught of negativity or the men who think that women should be in the kitchen and do what they want. Alice is mild mannered, but with everything she experiences, she does learn to step out of her comfort zone. 

While not the main characters, I liked Alice's mom and Parker's uncle. They seemed grounded in reality. 

I was not wild about Alice's sister, Scarlet, or Scarlet's husband Matt. They were not communicating and treated each other badly. Both are too bull-headed to look beyond their hurt and understand the other person's position. 

There are some funny moments, and while it took quite some time before Parker and Alice met, and discovered their interest in each other, the story was a fun read. It was a great way to escape.

We give this book 4 paws up. 

[Courtney · Rating 0.25 out of 5]

I genuinely cannot believe this book is being marketed as a romance. The MMC, Parker Black, is not “grumpy” or “misunderstood” — he’s openly misogynistic, cruel, and emotionally immature for the majority of the story. Watching the FMC fall for a man who publicly humiliates her interests, mocks women, and behaves like a middle-aged edgelord shock jock was not romantic; it was exhausting.

The biggest issue is that there is almost no actual relationship development. Alice and Parker barely have a meaningful conversation until about 75% into the book, yet somehow we’re supposed to believe they’re soulmates because…he smells good? There’s no emotional intimacy, no believable character growth, and certainly no convincing redemption arc. Parker remains insufferable nearly the entire time, and the book bends over backward to excuse him anyway.

The tone of this novel also felt deeply uncomfortable at times. Instead of critiquing misogyny, it often felt like the narrative was defending it with a giant “not all men” shrug. Sure, not all men are awful. But Parker Black absolutely is, and the story repeatedly asks readers to overlook his behavior because he’s secretly wounded or attractive or whatever. I’m not interested in “romances” where women are rewarded for tolerating toxic men until they become slightly less terrible.

Also, someone please explain why the author keeps using “psychic” when she very clearly means “psychotic.” That happened multiple times and drove me insane.

Most of the characters were unbearable, immature, or cartoonishly written. Jerome was the only person I actually liked, which is probably not the reaction you want from a romance novel.

Overall, this felt less like a love story and more like patriarchal propaganda wrapped in enemies-to-lovers packaging. If you enjoy believable chemistry, mature communication, or actual character development, this probably isn’t the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Karin (Kay) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, I am so sad to write this review because I was so excited for this book. The premise was incredible - enemies-to-lovers, a bookstore owner and radio host, and multiple book clubs! I was invested! The first third of the book was pretty good - a demure, never-the-main-character FMC who believes in love but has never experienced it first hand and a man who was hurt by an ex, causing him to lash out on his radio show. Multiple book clubs were described, including lovely conversations with the book club members about the amazing benefits of reading romance books.

BUT that's where the goodness ended.

TLDR All in all, this book is my least favorite read- possibly of all time. If you want a book about terrible men who are forgiven by women who have internalized misogyny so deeply that they cannot hold a man truly accountable, then this is the book for you!


Parker - the MMC but really the main character in the book

First of all, Parker is the WORST. From the beginning to the end, he never fully redeems himself. EVER. He started this book as Mr. Manosphere, a woman-bashing angry man child who lashed out at anyone who was female, liked romance books, bought romance books, or was in a relationship with a man. I was skeptical the author could convince me that this man was redeemable, but I believe in change and growth and was interested in how it would all play out. WELL, my skepticism was valid because this man never learned. I will talk more about the ending later in this review (which is long!) but the gist is that he does ONE thing and he thinks that all his actions are absolved, because of course they would be the moment he decides to "change". Nary a consequence in sight.


Ew. The “let’s fix a man” trope is NOT IT. This man has a lot of growing to do, and he needs to do it on his own time and away from Alice (or any other woman for that matter).

He is a spoiled, entitled man child! He literally needed his UNCLE to convince him to apologize! AND THE APOLOGY WAS HALF-ASSED! HARD NO. I don’t care if this man looks like Henry Cavill’s twin brother - he is a toxic red flag and needs YEARS of therapy to untangle his shit and get to a place where he does not feel like punching down and hate talking women because someone hurt his little bitty feewings.

The premise of this book is literally “Man will start a podcast segment bashing women, relationships, and romance books instead of going to therapy and reflecting on WHY his ex would write a book about why he’s a bad boyfriend and lover”

Nope. No no no no no. NO.

Also, when some of his team and followers decide to host a “strike”, he rejects any and all responsibility because “he wasn’t there” and “it wasn’t his idea”. Then when he gets in trouble, he plays the victim as if his followers did this to him. UGH. This man is unbelievable.

Then, around the 60% mark, the radio station - in response to losing advertising dollars (NOT BECAUSE THEY REALIZED THEY ARE ASSHOLES!)- want to try and “undo the damage” done by the podcast/show and decide to have   Alice trade places with Parker, with Alice running the radio show to “learn about sports” and “help men with their women problems” and Parker working in the bookstore to learn about romance and the benefit of romance books.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK? The false equivalency here is truly ASTOUNDING. This man bashes women, bashes relationships, gives TERRIBLE relationship advices, bashes an entire genre of books- which of course is written predominantly by women, bashes small local businesses that are trying to survive because they sell things he doesn’t like, etc etc etc - all because a girl hurt his feeling and he’s too much of a toddler to go to therapy or do an OUNCE of self reflection.

And her? She is a bookseller. The end. That’s her “crime”. So the idea in this book is that she has to go on his podcast to help these men and “undo the damage” , which is just her being bashed by the listeners/followers he polarized and radicalized against women. SP SHE HAS TO DO THE WORK TO CLEAN UP HIS MESS?? All while he goes and has a nice warm welcome by a bunch of sweet women trying to sell books who believe in love and kindness. So he benefits from her labor of cleaning up his mess - all for the hopes that they can change his mind about love?

FUCK THAT.

Oh yea, I forgot about his book deal. His 2-book book deal. His woman-bashing manifesto. Parker’s issue is literally that he may lose the book deal by being a good person. Am I supposed to feel bad for him at the potential loss of the book deal? Because I don’t. In fact I hope he loses it. But guess what? At the end his big “heroic” move is that he gives up his book deal for her. And that causes her to forgive him INSTANTLY and call him a HERO. SHE LITERALLY CALLS HIM A HERO and everyone fawns over this toddler because he gave up the book deal that he shouldn’t have sought out to begin with because it was a piece of trash rant where he bashes women and books. EW. This is not accountability. This is not heroism. THIS IS STEP ONE OF OWNING YOUR MISTAKES. STEP ONE.

He faces ZERO CONSEQUENCES for his actions and barely takes a look in the mirror, because if he did then he would see that he is the asshole here. Its him. He’s the problem, it’s him.

Mark and Scarlet

OH!! And don’t get me started on Mark. This man does not deserve Scarlet. His apology is a good FIRST step, but it’s just the first one. He tells her:

“I miss you baby”
“I don’t want to lose you” -
“I watched you at the strike being nice to all those guys”
“I want us to be together”

Notice how all of these are about him - and none of them are apologizing for his actions, taking any accountability, or addressing any of the real issues in their relationship.

Even when he does eventually own up to something, he literally just said “I was wrong, okay?” Meaning, he brushed it off because he knew he had to say the words but had no intention of fleshing out his actions or how they impacted her or their relationship.

She called him out and I love that, but then he says one thing that shocks her - aka “I felt whipped” - she caves. He offers for them to start over and to date again, and she says yes.

NOPE.

I am not known for being a second chance romance kind of person, but I do forgive if there is enough groveling or ownership of their part. This man’s “apology” to her literally lasted 3 minutes. Half a page, if that!

AND it started off with all selfish notions and motivations - he only stated anything remotely redeeming after she told him multiple times that this was not good enough. I believe in second chances, and I believe In working on your marriage and just like EVERY OTHER MAN IN THIS BOOK, he faces ZERO consequences.

Even on his first date they go on after making up, he passes all the blame onto her! He says he didn’t speak up about his needs because of her (she’s a “tornado”) and talks about how she mothered him (not taking responsibility for being a child and putting her in a situation where she needed to solve a problem he created!). And when she calls him out he rushes out “Yea yea I know, my bad ..BUT….” And shifts it back onto her and how she’s made HIM feel! I can’t even begin to explain how toxic this is.

FMC - Alice

Ok, and let’s talk about the FMC. (If you can even call her that. She is barely on the page - you will hear more from her sister and her mom than her throughout the entire book. But fine, let’s pretend for a moment that she is the FMC here.) I honestly almost forgot about her because she is that inconsequential- and also the worst.

Alice is meek, demure, shy, and lacks confidence in… well, everything. She self describes herself as “almost pretty” and compared her looks to her sister multiple times. She also is apparently obsessed with being pretty and thinks being pretty means your life is better because she comments multiple times across the book about “what’s the point of being pretty if your life is ugly?” Or “a person as sexy as him wants me” etc etc etc. Fine, a person can have low self esteem but this glamorization of beauty is weird.

It is even weirder if you think about that she “falls” for Parker simply because he is attractive. I mean, it’s certainly not his actions or his personality (see rant above). He is not particularly nice to her until the end of the book and she is already flustered and bumbling around him. And their “falling in love” moments were literally him showing her sports movies (because a woman should know these things). Their conversations towards the end when he asks her about what she loves to do, he even makes fun of her for only liking to read. DUDE, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! Let the girl love what she loves and you love what you love. Why does she need to love what you love and you get to shit on her for liking to read?

ANYWAY, Alice falls for this idiot because he’s good looking and gives her an ounce of attention. And then he does ONE nice thing - nice-ish - and she instantly forgives him and calls him a HERO.

Yes, my friends, she calls him a HERO.

Apparently she owns a bookstore, but does not own a dictionary.


Summary
All in all, this book is my least favorite read- possibly of all time. If you want a book about terrible men who are forgiven by women who have internalized misogyny so deeply that they cannot hold a man truly accountable, then this is the book for you!

[Susan Z (webreakforbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love On The Shelf is a love story to all romance readers AND WRITERS. Full of bookstores, romance readers, authors (even some well known ones mentioned) all with an enemies to lovers backdrop.

I should have loved it, but I found it hard to connect and care about the characters

[Courtney Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute had a lot of fun with tropes and actually would want to chat about this with people but like for real and not just fake book club questions

[Izzy Rutkey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve never written a review before but I needed to for this book because I hated it.

The MMC Parker is an insufferable woman hater. Yet the reader is expected to like him by the end and forgive everything?

The FMC and her mom regularly blame her sister/daughter for her marital problems with her misogynist husband. I couldn’t get past this. The husband would do something awful and the mom would be like “well you are kind of a big personality so it makes sense he would do that awful thing” (such as plan/lead a strike and rally against Valentine’s Day to stick it to women).

The FMC forgives the MMC for his terrible opinions and behaviors, including sabotaging her family business. And this forgiveness happens in the last 60ish pages of the book during which the MMC “changes.”

The MMC says that having different opinions doesn’t make him a bad person. Meanwhile those different opinions are that all women are manipulative liars, romance books lead to delusion and unrealistic ideas of men, and that men need to reclaim power. That sounds more like bigotry than different opinions.

I know this book is technically supposed to be denouncing the woman-hating, but the author seemed significantly more sympathetic to the woman-hater than the women themselves. Would NOT recommend this book to anyone.

Also, every random character has at least one section from their POV, but it’s never stated whose POV it is. So you have to figure out, oh yes of course it’s the MMC’s uncle speaking right now. Weird and unnecessary IMO.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book hurt my head more than anything unfortunately. I wanted big enemies to lovers that made me swoon but it made me think "they just shouldn't be together" and it took so long to get together that it was pretty unbelievable. I thought a girl who worked in a romance bookstore would give more intimate relationships a chance, she never wanted to even date anyone.

Jay was not even the main MC but he made the MC Parker look like a saint even when he wasn't acting nice. All the things Jay did made me burn and not in a good way. I think his antics really ruined what could have be an ok book for me.

[Vriii]

DNF'ed at 64%

There is so much wrong with this book and I just absolutely can't. I had to DNF it because what the hell is wrong with these people? They are selling misogynistic, man-child, patriarchal, rude, egoistic, selfish, inhuman male leads as romance. I mean, what the hell?

The male protagonist is absolutely insufferable. Just because he had a bad breakup, just because someone cheated on him, he suddenly became a self-proclaimed love guru and the defender of men's rights. Fine, you were hurt. Fine, you had a bad experience. But that does not give you the right to be a misogynistic ass. It does not give you the right to insult women, disgrace romance authors, or spew anti-woman nonsense.

And every single time he's called out, it's the same excuse: "I was hurt too. My emotions matter. One woman broke my heart, so all women are bad." Stop being a man-child.

Then comes the female protagonist. What the hell is wrong with her? She owns a bookstore. She literally lives among romance books, yet when she's asked to defend romance authors, she completely folds. I understand stage fright. I understand lacking confidence. But finding that misogynistic ass attractive, constantly thinking about him, and agreeing to all his conditions? How much of a doormat can you be?

And then there's the mother. I absolutely couldn't stand her. She keeps preaching that "communication solves everything," yet when her eldest daughter is struggling in her marriage, instead of listening to her or telling her, "You can always come to us," she blames her. She calls her controlling, competitive, difficult, and acts as if the husband is never at fault.

Can you please, for once, just listen to your daughter?

It's not like she never tried to communicate. She did. Meanwhile, that man-child kept running away, hiding behind excuses, playing football, and living comfortably while she carried every financial burden and cried alone. Yet somehow, the mother couldn't see any of that. I absolutely hated her. She was so diplomatic and dismissive.

And finally, the producer. I wanted to slap him through the pages. He is a chauvinistic, misogynistic, money-hungry piece of crap. He keeps making decisions without permission, throws Parker under the bus for publicity, and then shrugs it off because "it's good for ratings." The consequences fall on Parker, not him.

Seriously... fire that man already.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is one of those books that will really work for the right reader, but it wasn't quite the right fit for me.
The premise immediately caught my attention, and I loved the idea behind the story. Unfortunately, the execution felt a little underwhelming. For a romance, I struggled with the fact that the main characters don't really start interacting until around the 80% mark. By then, I wanted more time to see the relationship develop. Can I still call it insta-love if the romance only gets about 20% of the book?
I also realized while reading this that I'm probably just not a huge fan of third-person POV. That's entirely a personal preference, but it did make it harder for me to feel fully connected to the characters.
That said, if you're looking for a cozy, easy-to-read romance with plenty of sweetness and a guaranteed happily ever after, this could absolutely be your cup of tea. It's charming, heartwarming, and leans all the way into the cheese factor. And honestly, sometimes that's exactly what a reader is looking for.

[Britney Dillon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't normally post negative reviews, but I just can't help this one. I loathed every minute I spent reading this book. Why didn't I DNF, you ask? Because I was on a plane and it was the only book I had downloaded on my device for the trip.

My reasons:
First, I hated every single character. All of them. They were unbearable. The FMC was unbelievably wishy-washy. The MMC was just a good-looking manchild. The producer was a complete and utter jackwagon. The boroter-in-law is a frat boy who never grew up. Two characters - the sister and the Latina friend - were just every cliche one could think of that could apply to a redhead and a Latina female.
Second, the idea of angry, male radio hosts/podcasters who complain about women taking over the world isn't far-fetched. At all. But the author made them into such buffoons it almost removed the seriousness from the reality.

Harsh, I know. But my honest opinion.

[Katie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fun story about a man who disses the HEA community and gets a taste of his own medicine. I thought this was going to be a romcom but it turned out to be more general fiction. The romance part didn’t come in until much later. I loved the characters and the bookstore theme. Perfect for any book lover!

[theleighbrary]

Yeah, I just couldn’t believe the characters - the plot just didn’t make sense with who they were. The girls went on a podcast to debate the merit of romance novels but the “debate” was so weak. Then miraculously the guy decides he’s been too mean about romance novels and does an about face. They just changed their strongly held convictions with wild abandon and I couldn’t believe it. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. Shades of Desk Set (and awesome movie with Hepburn and Tracy).

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you @uplitreads @readmirabooks @sheilarobertswriter for the gifted copy of this book.

This is a fun read, but it does take place in Winter. If you are looking for a Summer read this may not be the one, but definitely put it on your TBR for later on this year.
Even though this didn’t give me Summer vibes I really enjoyed this book. It was sweet and cute closed door romance with strong Hallmark vibes.

This book is a battle of the sexes. Parker thinks romance books are ruining love and Alice runs a romance bookstore. They are opposites all the way and there are some strong enemies to lovers vibes. In fact, for a good portion of the book they are enemies, which made for a slow burn and lots of tension.

At times, I wasn’t a huge fan of Parker, but I think he was intentionally written that way. We aren’t supposed to like him in the beginning. I loved watching Alice and Parker grow and develop as characters. We see him soften some and we see her learn to stand out a little. There were a lot of fun side characters in this book. Lina and her husband were two of my favorites. It was fun how they showcased the way romance books can actually benefit a relationship. 😉

The audiobook was great. I loved how Ann Marie brought the characters to life.

[MontyReadsThickBooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love romance! It’s one of my favorite genres. I’m here for the banter, the tension, the yearning, and romance with actual emotional depth. Unfortunately, this missed the mark for me on almost every front.

My first issue was the central conflict itself. It revolves around the idea that women can’t separate fictional men from real men and therefore expect real men to live up to romance-book standards. On top of that, the plot mainly consisted of two adults doing increasingly petty things to each other. It felt incredibly juvenile.

The story also felt strangely unfocused. Half the book barely centered on the main couple at all and instead spent a huge amount of time on Mark and Scarlet’s issues (Alice’s sister and her husband). Then around the 60% mark it felt like the author suddenly remembered who the actual main characters were and completely switched gears only to rush Parker and Alice into a relationship that felt glued together at the last minute. One dinner later and suddenly we’re in love? The romance as a whole felt more like teenage drama than an adult relationship.

Third Issue - The characters also did absolutely nothing for me. Word “man child” comes to mind in describing the male characters. Parker was clearly supposed to be the redeeming character but he mostly felt like a wet blanket. The only reason this got a star from me was because I appreciated his realization that judging all women based on a couple of relationships was unfair, but for a 31-year-old he acted more like a 16-year-old. Alice was… fine, I guess. She was there. I didn’t hate her, but I didn’t feel much for her either.

The whole story lacked personality. While it had the ingredients of a romance, the book was missing the chemistry and emotional depth that actually makes me love the genre.

[Taylor Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I absolutely hate-listened this book through the end because I wanted it to be better than it is. Looking for a book that is absolutely infuriating and every character needs a good shake? Then check this one out. Spoilers below…

Parker is the worst. A man wronged by exes in the past so now he’s out for vengeance against all women. His radio show is giving Info War vibes. All women are the worst. They only want men to go above and beyond, and men shouldn’t have to change or compromise on ANYTHING for a woman. All women want is to make a man miserable. Romance books are trash! Women who read romance books are not smart. Romance books set unrealistic stands! (Oh and his mom is a best-selling romance author.) And then he writes a book about how much he doesn’t change for a woman.

Alice sucks. She is so wishy washy on EVERYTHING. “Omg I can’t possibly go on this call to radio show to defend romance books even though my mom owns a romance bookstore!” And then when she does she freezes up. But don’t worry, she somehow manages to put Parker in his place later and goes on to host his radio show for a week while he works in the bookstore so they can both learn about the other persons’ world. Oh, and of course she thinks Parker is just so HOT and she gets all worked up even though he is a total trash human. So naturally they end up engaged even though he’s a giant walking red flag.

There were other POVs thrown in as well with equally frustrating characters. Alice’s sister forgives her man-child husband after going on a man-hating rampage and proceeds to get knocked up even though her husband is selfish and self-centered, but don’t worry they had one talk so it’s fine.

Basically if you want a book women accepting the fact that men will treat them like shit, then read on. I had such high hopes for this one too.

[Kristie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow this book made me mad. I love a enemies-to-lovers, but not when the MMC is a misogynistic man-child.

Alice owns a romance bookshop but has never found her real life love. Parker hosts a sports podcast and has a vendetta against all things romance after being burned in the past. The two start out with a spirited debate on the pros and cons of romance books, which slowly leads them to each other.

Ooof this one was rough. I am all about a man changing his mind, but Parker has some serious deep rooted issues that are not well addressed in this book. He has a huge personal growth journey he needs to go on before any woman should ever get involved with him. Alice was a fine FMC, but didn't have much agency in the book and it never really explained why she'd give Parker even one moment of time except... he smelled good? Not a good enough reason to date a man who hates women.

Overall I can't recommend this book to anyone...

[Han Bento · Rating 1 out of 5]

~ NETGALLEY ARC REVIEW ~
so its one thing to be jaded but this mmc was straight up spreading misogynistic bs and uh....im not down with that !! and even a few of the fmcs desires and behaviors were lowkey kinda misogynistic. my feelings the entire time were very much "trying to be chill at the function but can't help noticing how misogyny bleeds through the cracks of normal interactions" i should have seen it going down hill fast when the fmc had internal monologue being like "smexy scenes arent for me" bc one: who calls it smexy other than a overly religious pear clutcher in the bible belt and two: why are you as a self proclaimed romance reader falling into the "im not like other girls" mentality !!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to throw this book across the room… and then immediately curl up inside its cozy bookstore and pretend everything was fine, because the emotional whiplash here? Oh, it’s real—but so is the charm.

Sheila Roberts’ Love on the Shelf is what happens when a romance reader and a romance hater enter the ring and neither of them leaves unchanged… or unbothered. Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted ARC—because this one had me side-eyeing characters, clutching my coffee, and occasionally muttering “be serious” under my breath like I was personally involved.

Alice Willoughby is the kind of woman who could sell you your next favorite book and maybe gently fix your life while she’s at it. She runs HEA Books with her mom Nola—a cozy little haven dedicated to happily-ever-afters, book clubs, and the quiet magic of believing love can actually work. Alice is soft in that steady, dependable way, the kind of person who shows up for everyone… except maybe herself. Because while she’s out here matching customers with their perfect fictional romances, her own love life is giving “spectator sport.”

And then there’s Parker Black. A man who took heartbreak and said, “You know what? Let me build a career out of this.” He’s a sports radio host turned full-blown romance-bashing shock jock, dragging love, women, and romance novels like they personally ruined his life. Bitter? Absolutely. Annoying? Frequently. Redeemable? …we’ll get there.

What kicks everything off is less of a meet-cute and more of a meet-combat. A debate gone wrong, a bookstore under fire, relationships around them starting to crack under Parker’s influence—it spirals into this larger conversation about love, expectations, and whether romance stories are setting people up… or saving them. And honestly? That part hit. Harder than I expected.

Because underneath the banter and the chaos, this book is quietly asking: what do we owe love? And what do we do when real life doesn’t look like the stories we’ve been told?

Now let’s talk about the reading experience, because whew—it’s a journey.

The premise? Elite. Like, five-star potential behavior. A romance-loving bookseller versus a romance-hating radio host? That’s catnip for readers like us. The bookstore setting? Cozy to the point of emotional support. The side characters—especially the women orbiting HEA Books—bring warmth, humor, and that sense of community that makes you want to move in and never leave.

But… yes, there’s a “but.”

This is a slow burn in the truest sense, and not always in the way you want it to be. Alice and Parker take their time getting to anything that resembles real connection, and for a while it feels like the story is orbiting the romance instead of diving into it. There are multiple perspectives, a handful of side plots, and moments where I found myself thinking, okay… but can we get back to the main event?

And yet—somewhere along the way—it started working on me.

Maybe it was the way Alice holds her ground, even when she’s clearly outmatched in volume. Maybe it was Parker’s slow, reluctant unraveling as he’s forced to confront the difference between his pain and the narrative he’s been pushing. Or maybe it was the realization that this isn’t just about two people falling in love—it’s about how a whole community processes love, loss, expectations, and change.

Because when it lands, it lands.

“Maybe happily-ever-after isn’t something you find. Maybe it’s something you choose.”

That line? Yeah. That’s the one that lingers.

And I think that’s why, despite the pacing hiccups and the moments where I wanted more chemistry, more tension, more something between Alice and Parker—I still walked away feeling… good. Not butterflies-in-my-stomach, screaming-into-a-pillow good. But warm. Thoughtful. A little more reflective than I expected.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

This is for the readers who love a cozy, community-driven story with a romance thread woven through bigger conversations. If you’re here for pure, high-heat chemistry and nonstop swoon, you might feel like it takes its time getting there. But if you’re willing to settle into the vibe, let the characters breathe, and lean into the idea that love isn’t always loud or instant—this one has something to say.

And honestly? I’d still take a seat in HEA Books, sip something warm, and let Alice recommend me a story that promises everything works out in the end… even if real life takes the scenic route getting there.

So tell me—are romance novels raising the bar for love… or are we out here expecting fictional men to survive in real-world conditions? 👀📚

#LoveOnTheShelf #SheilaRoberts #Bookstagram #RomanceReads #WomensFiction #EnemiesToLovers #CozyReads #NetGalleyReads #ARCReview #BookReview #ReadersOfInstagram #BookishLife #RomanceCommunity #BooksAndCoffee #FeelGoodFiction

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick Summary: A then-came-you, enemies to lovers rom-com

My Review: Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts is " A Witty Enemies to Lovers Rom Com about a Bookseller and Radio Host." It is categorized as "Romance | Women's Fiction." This novel was released on 5/26/26.

About the Book: "The battle lines are drawn...

Alice Willoughby and her mom run HEA Books, a cozy shop devoted to love stories and the people who crave them.

...a disillusioned radio host who’s reinvented himself as a romance-bashing shock jock. Bitter from his breakup with a romance author who turned love into a four-letter word, Parker takes aim at the entire genre—and his on-air rants start stirring up trouble for Alice’s loyal customers and their partners.

Parker’s crusade leads to spirited debates and bookstore protests, but when unexpected sparks fly between the two of them Alice begins to wonder if her favorite trope—enemies to lovers—might actually be playing out in real life."

In My Own Words: A radio show host who has been bruised and battered by love gets body-checked and heart-checked by a bookstore owner who is a lover of romance.

About the Characters:

💘 - The main couple - Alice and Parker - were at odds over what amounted to a male vs. a female perspective on love, dating, and being accepted as is instead of what might be ultimately and ideally desired. It was nice to see their enemies to lovers situation develop into something more real.

💕 - The secondary couple - Scarlet and Mark - were a married couple going through growing pains. They were past the newlywed phase and needed to figure out how to exist in support of each other. Initially, they got it wrong...until they got it right. Unfortunately, they experienced some bumps and took some missteps along the way that could have cost them everything.

🩷 - The bonus couple - Nola and Jerome - were unexpectedly sweet. I loved the early hint of interest and the shout out in the epilogue that were mentioned. It was oh so subtle and oh so charming.

💛 - The supporting characters by way of the bookstore, HEA community (patrons, writers, and book club members), as well as some of the positive radio show listeners were hilarious. They were also protective, helpful, kind, and challenging in a way that made the story move forward in the way that it should.

About the Conflict: I loved how conflict was presented throughout the story. The author covered a number of points related to relationships and the challenges faced during the different phases. This included pre-dating, dating, marriage, and older-second-chance-at-love scenarios.

Also, the strong views and passionate positions taken came across very realistically.

About the Emotional Arc: There were moments in the story that tugged on my heartstrings. It all came down to key moments where critical choices had to be made. Three that stood out to me:

✨ - When Parker asked for his mom's help.
✨ - When Parker failed to mention the part he should have shared and Alice ended up hurt by his action/inaction.
✨ - When the meme came out.

What I Liked:

🌟 - I liked the killing with kindness power play.
🌟 - I liked the mentions of familiar books & authors sprinkled into the story.
🌟 - I liked the grand gesture.
🌟 - I liked the movies that were featured. That was a nice touch.

What I Wished:

- I wished we could have seen a bit more, regarding Parker's feelings of being inadequate. He assigned and perhaps projected his own feelings onto the women he was interested in. That was not necessarily on them. (Obviously, this can be flushed out in a book club discussion. Hint, hint.)

My Final Say: This was nice story. It was simple, unassuming, and very straightforward. At the core of it, it really dealt with hurt feelings, bitterness & resentment, and a disbelief in the possibility of being enough when it comes to relationships/partnerships.

There is much that can be analyzed in this novel. With that said, I give it a hearty book club recommendation.

Other: For readers who want a romantic comedy that is witty, contemporary, and teamed with tension, this may be to your liking.

Rating: 3/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status: ⭐⭐⭐
Level: Clean
Pacing: S to M
Format: 📱
Cover: +

Thank you to the author, to the publisher (Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA), and to NetGalley for granting access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. I appreciate the opportunity to review this work of fiction. The expressed thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love Love on the Shelf so badly. Like, aggressively. This book had everything I usually eat up with a spoon while kicking my feet in the air… cozy bookstore, romance discourse, enemies-to-lovers tension, a man who clearly needs therapy but instead gets a microphone. Delicious setup. Five-star potential behavior.

And yet. Somewhere between the shock jock ranting and the 47 side characters politely waiting for their own subplots, I realized I was not being romanced. I was… attending a town hall meeting about romance.

Alice, our bookstore queen, is genuinely lovely. She runs HEA Books with her mom, she believes in happily-ever-afters, she’s out here matchmaking customers like a literary Cupid, and yet her own love life is giving “spectator sport.” She’s easy to root for in that soft, cozy, Hallmark-adjacent way. You want her to get swept off her feet, preferably between shelves labeled “Slow Burn” and “Emotionally Unavailable Men Who Learn.”

Then we have Parker. Parker, who said, “What if I processed my breakup by becoming the human embodiment of a Reddit thread?” This man is out here on the radio dragging romance novels, dragging women, dragging joy itself like it personally keyed his car. And I get it, heartbreak does things to people. But sir. The leap from “my ex hurt me” to “romance is a societal disease” is… ambitious.

The premise is honestly so fun. A romance-loving bookseller versus a romance-hating radio host? That’s catnip. Their on-air debates, the bookstore protests, the escalating chaos… it should feel like You’ve Got Mail but with more emotional damage and fewer dial-up noises. And to be fair, the banter does have its moments. There are flashes where you can see the version of this story that absolutely slaps.

But here’s the thing no one warned me about. These two barely interact in a meaningful way for a huge chunk of the book. I kept waiting for the tension to build, for the chemistry to simmer, for literally anything to make me believe these two people even liked each other beyond ideological sparring partners. And instead, the romance shows up fashionably late like it got stuck in traffic behind all the side plots.

And there are a lot of side plots. This book said, “What if we explored everyone’s inner world?” and I said, “What if we… didn’t?” We’re hopping between perspectives like it’s a group chat where everyone keeps replying at once, and meanwhile I’m squinting, trying to emotionally attach to the actual couple. It’s giving ensemble piece when I signed up for enemies-to-lovers.

Also, we need to talk about the chemistry. Or, more accurately, the lack of it. Individually? Alice works. Parker… exists. Together? It’s like watching two people get set up by mutual friends who insist, “No, trust me, you’re perfect for each other,” and you’re just sitting there like, are they though? ARE THEY?

And listen, I love a redemption arc. I love a man realizing he’s been emotionally stunted and deciding to grow. But that arc needs time. It needs moments. It needs me to believe the shift. Here, it felt like we went from “romance is a scam” to “wait, maybe love?” in a way that gave me narrative whiplash.

That said, the cozy vibes? Immaculate. The bookstore? I would move in immediately and never leave. The side characters, when they weren’t overwhelming the plot, had charm. There’s a version of this book that leans harder into the romance, tightens the focus, and absolutely devastates me in the best way.

Instead, this felt like a really cute idea that got a little lost in its own enthusiasm. Like it wanted to be about love, community, gender dynamics, personal growth, book culture, and also maybe a little chaos… and ended up stretching itself just thin enough that the central love story didn’t fully land.

I had a good time. I just didn’t have a butterflies-in-my-stomach, screaming-into-a-pillow, texting-you-at-2am kind of time. 2.5 stars. She’s cute. She’s trying. She just needed to kiss more and debate less.

And thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC, you chaotic enablers of my reading life.

[Sandy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

LOVE ON THE SHELF by Sheila Roberts is a stand alone, cozy, contemporary, adult, story line focusing on book store owner Alice Willouoghby, and radio host / podcaster Parker Black.


NOTE: I will be honest from the start, I struggled with the storyline, the characters, and who and what they represent.

Told from several third person perspectives including but not exclusive to Alice and Parker, LOVE ON THE SHELF focuses on the age-old war of the sexes. Alice and her mother Nola own and operate a bookstore where they host all genre book club meetings but when Alice, her sister Scarlet and their mother Nola hear about a sports podcaster disparaging romance novels, the lines are drawn in the proverbial sand, and all gloves are off.

The world building is a study in pathological misogyny and hidden patriarchy. All but one of the male leads is immature, selfish and their acts of vengeance are childish and demeaning. As Parker and his partner Jay’s podcasts and radio shows gain momentum with the male audience, women are cast as witches, and many men will jump on the ‘band wagon’ threatening families and marriages in the process.

The relationship between Alice and Parker never truly gets off the ground until the final chapter of the book, and even then, I felt no palpable sexual attraction. Alice fantasizes about the men in her books, and no amount of eleventh hour supplication or grovelling can make up for the rampant woman bashing of the male leads. There are no $ex scenes, and the few kisses are meant to be awkward and clearly uncomfortable.

There is a large ensemble cast of interesting and determined characters including several members of Alice’s book clubs. We are introduced to Alice’s mother and co-owner Nola Willloughby; Alice’s sister Scarlet and her troubling husband Mark; Parker’s mother Genevieve, and her brother Jerome, as well as Parker’s co-conspirator and fellow podcaster Jay Barker.

LOVE ON THE SHELF is a story of gaslighting, conflict and animosity, jealousy and vengeance, family and relationships, acceptance and moving forward. The premise is thought provoking, and often frustrating; the characters’ actions and behavior are troubling; there is no romance.


copy supplied for review

[Hadeal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this book was incredibly cute, but the execution suffered due to an incredibly unlikable male lead and a very disjointed narrative structure.
Parker was a massive struggle for me. For the majority of the book, he came across as misogynistic, irredeemable, and just a flat-out jerk. His sweeping generalizations—specifically his commentary that "women who read romance can't tell fiction apart from real life"—made his perspective incredibly hard to sit through. While he does eventually undergo some character growth, it felt completely crammed into a small chunk at the end of the book. Because we spent over half the story enduring his negativity, it was nearly impossible to connect with or root for his perspective shift.
Connecting to the story was made even more difficult by the constant, jarring POV shifts. The book frequently cuts to a bunch of different side characters who don’t actually affect the leads. For example, Alice's sister felt like she could have had her own standalone book if the author really wanted to dive into Scarlet's head; otherwise, her exact POV wasn't necessary here. Because these random perspectives only popped up for a chapter or two, the overall narrative felt very disconnected from the main romance.
Speaking of the romance, I unfortunately didn't feel any chemistry between the leads. I didn't connect deeply with Alice, and she and Parker don't even have a genuine, real conversation until the 70% mark. I'm not exaggerating. There was a tremendous amount of buildup to the negativity without ever actually delivering that satisfying "enemies-to-lovers" vibe. Instead, the romance and personal growth felt like a total speed-run.
Finally, the meta-jokes (such as "good thing he wasn't in a romance book") didn't land for me. I was already losing interest because of the characters, and the self-aware humor only served to pull me further out of the immersion. It's a great concept, but unfortunately, it just didn't come together for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sheila Roberts for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Shelly Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheila Robert's is one of my all-time favorite "feel good' type of author. She just writes the cutest books with great characters and there is always a good bit of humor within the pages. This is a really good enemy to lover's trope so if you like that, you'll love this book.
Alice Wiloughby is a total and complete book fanatic. She and her mom fun HEA Books, a cute cozy book shop that is dedicated to romance and love stories. Alice has a real knack for matching people up with the perfect happily ever after. Now, if only she could find her HEA in real life!
Radio host Parker Black is a man with a grudge. He was burnt by a woman or two and reinvented himself as a shock jock romance bashing bitter man. You see, his past girlfriend is a romance author, and, in her book, she wasn't exactly nice when it came to her past relationship and made sure that her loser character strongly resembled Parker. Bitter and angry, he takes aim at the entire romance genre, ranting and raving about the damage romance novels cause when it comes to relationships/women.
Soon enough Parker's ranting and raving start to impact a lot of Alice's most loyal customers and their partners. Alice finds Parker to be an arrogant, annoying creep and, regardless of his absolutely adorable appearance, he is definitely not her idea of the perfect boyfriend! Then, to top it all off, Parker's crusade leads him to debates, protests at the bookstore, memes that are less than nice, and right to Alice. Alice hates him... or does she? She soon begins to wonder if the enemy-to-lovers trope might be coming true. Parker claims that romance is nothing but a lie, however, he can't seem to stop thinking about Alice.
This book is really cute, and I enjoyed it so much. I don't read a lot of romance books, but Sheila Roberts is 100% the exception for me. Her books always just make me so happy and every year I wait eagerly for her Christmas release! If you've read her books before you know what you are in for and if you haven't you've been missing out and should probably go read this book right now then go back and read all of her others!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love on the Shelf is a lighthearted women's fiction that is a nod to romance book lovers. With a plot centered around a mother/daughter owned romance bookshop, HEA Books, and an arrogant radio sports show host that is encouraging his listeners to keep their wives away from romance books because they give off false hope and set unrealistically high standards of what a relationship should look like.

I thought this story had a great premise, a cozy romance bookstore setting, and instant conflict between the MCs but I think it was written to be more about the concept of a romance novel and not necessarily a romance plot. I enjoyed the story line relationships between the mother and daughters and the sisters' relationship…as one sister is dealing with a struggling marriage, the other is looking for more than a book boyfriend. Unfortunately, I struggled with the lack of chemistry between the main characters' relationship. It had all the components for a great enemies-to-lovers trope but it took too long to get there and just didn’t feel like a genuine romance to me…I felt like it needed a little less “enemies” and more “lovers”. Thankfully the great side characters helped to keep the plot moving and added some fun sass…I got a kick out of the “Chili Peppers” book club group. I also loved all the literary references used, including a cat named Mr. Darcy. I thought the incorporation of how reading can affect your mood was a great addition and is so true.

The audio book narrator, Ann Marie Gideon, did a great job giving every character their own unique voice, personality, and emotions. Gideon’s tone and pacing were spot on and helped bring the characters and story to life all while delivering a flawless performance from start to finish.

Thank you to Uplit Reads, MIRA Books, and Harlequin Audio for the gifted ARC, ALC & physical copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Megan (sporadic hiatus due to law school) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 and I'm still debating rounding up or down.

The idea is cute, but Parker is such an unlikeable character. He was so misogynistic and irredeemable, and I struggled reading his pov for most of the book because he was just a jerk. Sure, he had some good points, but his sweeping generalizations and "women who read romance can't tell fiction apart from real life" were hard to sit through. I guess he goes through some changes, but it was crammed into a small chunk after we spent over half of the book with this mess of a character.

It would have been easier to root for his perspective shift if we had spent more time connecting to his character. Again, it was hard connecting because of who his character was, but it was also difficult because the povs kept changing to a bunch of different characters that didn't really affect the main characters. Alice's sister, for example, honestly could have been her own book if Roberts really wanted to get into Scarlet's head - otherwise, we don't need to read her exact pov. Especially since all the random points of view appeared for a chapter or two at best, it felt very disconnected from the leads and from the story.

I didn't feel any chemistry between the leads, either, which is partly because I didn't connect with Alice all that much and because they don't have a real conversation until 70% in. And I'm not exaggerating. There was so much buildup to the negative without actually giving me that "enemies to lovers" vibe, but then the romance and the growth were shown through a speed run.

All the meta jokes about "I should write you two in a romance novel" and "good thing he wasn't in a romance book" were not funny (in my opinion). I was already losing interest because of the characters, and the meta jokes only dropped me further out of the immersion.

thank you Netgalley and Sheila Roberts for the arc!

[Bethany Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5⭐

This book was not for me so I almost feel bad rating it so lowly, but it also had issues with the writing and development itself.

This book -- although a romance novel -- has such a low focus on the main couple that two other couples got together before they did and it took them till 2/3 of the way through the book to have a conversation longer than 5 minutes. There is zero spice, but more importantly I felt so little for their relationship that I almost didn't want them to be together in the end.

Alice is the meekest fmc I have ever read, especially considering it is implied she is around 30 years old and specifically mentioned that she admires romance heroines that are witty and spunky. She acts younger than she is (and why did we have to make her a virgin with practically no dating experience) and she desperately wants some prince charming even though she claims that she only wants a partner. Honestly, she also needed a character arc to get out of books a little and take charge of her life before trying to build a life with someone else.

Parker is a misogynist who you can only root for if you decide that guilt sufficiently exonerates bad behavior. I know he's been burned in the past, but it really can't take you until the last two chapters of the book to realize that not all women are manipulative golddiggers who want to live on a pedestal in their relationships. Seriously, if they had just gotten together sooner in the book (even just as friends) then he could've learned that most women just want respect and equal effort in a relationship first-hand. Ain't no way he was in love with her after 3 dinner dates, and he really needed to take the personal growth she began in him and develop it on his own before deciding she'll be his saving grace.

But whatever. This one wasn't for me, but I'm sure someone will still have a great time with it.