Blind Date with a Book

by Emily Kerr

Molly Bramble thought running a bookshop on a narrowboat would be a dream come true – until her biggest challenge turned out to be her new neighbour, Jack, a former city trader with a penchant for crashing boats and hearts.

When a "Blind Date with a Book" night goes awry, Molly finds herself reluctantly paired with Jack and his lack of literary knowledge. Will their rivalry over mooring fees and a missing sign lead to a sinking ship – or a love story with a plot twist?

As Molly and Jack navigate the choppy waters of romance, sabotage, and the occasional dog rescue, will their blossoming romance prove that sometimes the best stories are the ones we never see coming?

350 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 10, 2026

Reviews

[☆Laura☆]

RTC

[Elizabeth Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love the premise of this book the main character Molly Bramble has a bookstore on water the Oxford Bookship. But all threatens to go wrong (or right) when her new neighbour arrives and they rival over moorings and signs. Full of sabotage and love.

I loved this book. It was cute and the characters were so good. They had wit and personality, but most important they had good sides and bad sides. The difference is they were able to talk about it and solve their problems eventually together. I really liked Jack as a character he had a lot of growth and he really added to the story. My personal favourite though is obviously Hilda the dog.

The plot was well written, it had a lot of intrigue and stakes. Although not too high a stakes to still make it a nice and cosy read. It was wel developed and most of the time I found it well paced. Something in between medium and fast paced, but it was the perfect sweet spot. One thing I did find which made me rate this slightly lower than I would have liked is the fact that the romance felt really rushed towards the end. Don't get me wrong it was really nice and sweet, you just didn't really get to see much of it. That is my only minus point to this book.

All in all I really love this book and would definitely recommend it. It is sweet and cosy and perfect for all book lovers. (maybe something for your spring TBR) Also last minute, just one moment for the beautiful cover of this book. I can't wait to see what else Emily Kerr will write to keep us entertained.

[Emma Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

🩷 Blurb-
Molly Bramble thought running a bookshop on a narrowboat would be a dream come true – until her biggest challenge turned out to be her new neighbour, Jack, a former city trader with a penchant for crashing boats and hearts.
When a "Blind Date with a Book" night goes awry, Molly finds herself reluctantly paired with Jack and his lack of literary knowledge. Will their rivalry over mooring fees and a missing sign lead to a sinking ship – or a love story with a plot twist?
As Molly and Jack navigate the choppy waters of romance, sabotage, and the occasional dog rescue, will their blossoming romance prove that sometimes the best stories are the ones we never see coming.
🩵 Review -
This was such a lovely story. I was hooked from the very first page and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know if Molly had the happy ending that she deserved. I loved the idea of Molly having a bookshop on a boat and I wanted her to do well with it. It made for a cute and entertaining read. I loved the characters and the place settings in the story. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💝 Thank you to One More Chapter, the author Emily Kerr and Netgalley for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly, una joven que llega a Oxford buscando empezar de nuevo después de una decepción que cambió sus planes de vida. Sin muchas expectativas y tratando de reconstruir su confianza, decide cumplir su sueño de tener una librería flotante poco convencional donde los libros se venden envueltos, dejando que el destino decida qué historia leer.

Mientras aprende a adaptarse a su nuevo entorno y a las personas que forman parte del barco, Molly comienza a cuestionar sus propias decisiones y la manera en que ha protegido su corazón. Un encuentro inesperado despierta emociones que creía superadas y la obliga a enfrentar aquello que ha estado evitando. En medio de recomendaciones literarias, segundas oportunidades y conversaciones sinceras, Molly descubre que algunas historias no llegan cuando una las busca, sino cuando está lista para vivirlas.

Gracias NetGalley por el ARC.

[Maggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute and a whole journey. I think Molly definitely had some misconceptions and prejudice issues in the beginning and I do love an antagonistic relationship, but I liked it even better when they finally communicated. And I think that Molly definitely had a good redemption from her wrong assumptions. They are a cute couple together and Jack really is a walking green flag. Also, I fear I need Hilda to be my dog, she’s a cutie.
Sure, there was a lot going on that could be conceived as farfetched and I did find it predictable, but it was entertaining and I had a good time reading it.

I’m hoping there might be a Matthias x Flick book in the future? Or maybe one for each of them? Or maybe Eva’s?

Thank you One More Chapter for the ARC!

[Roo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely feel good read. Molly and new dog Hilda live/work on a narrow boat, it’s a lovely bookshop, but when she has her mooring fees to pay for, she needs t9 try something. Along comes blind date with a book, a great idea to draw the crowds and make some money. Jack has just moved in next door, after meeting up at the bookshop date night. Will love blossom? I loved it, great characters, great writing and most of all the narrowboat bookshop sounds ideal. I like how this author writes as it’s fun, happy and most of all engaging. A brilliant 5 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

[Sara Oxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

When can I run away to Oxford to go book shopping on a canal boat. I love canal boats and books, so this was a winner from me, but then you throw in the Jericho wine barge to it, well that just settled the deal even if Molly has her concerns my girl Hilda had the right idea, and I always say if the dog likes them, then they are a decent sort, as they always know. Let yourself while away a couple of hours enjoying the gentle sway on the water with a book and a wine, and you have the perfect setting, just like with this you have the perfect book.

[Little Red · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute read and a much needed palette cleanser. It’s the kind of book that makes you feel good but also has enough suspense to keep you gripped. This had tropes of enemies to lovers, forced proximity and rivals. I also have to say I’m obsessed with Hilda and she definitely helped improve the book. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

[April Percia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book. The concept was great and I enjoyed the story. The only criticism I would have was with the FMC. It takes almost 3/4’s of the book for her to give the MMC a chance. It made her character a bit unlikable. Once that character develops more, I throughly enjoyed the story. It was well written and I enjoyed all the other characters in the story.