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How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop
After a social media post gone wrong, a literary agent runs away to look after a seaside bookshop for the summer—and forms an unlikely friendship with a charming novelist struggling with his latest idea.
Petra doesn’t like books anymore—not since her career as a literary agent imploded after a social media typo went viral. Now she is stuck for six months, babysitting a little bookshop by the sea—surrounded by books that just remind her of her failure.
Ross McCloud’s award-winning debut novel blew the minds of the world’s literati, but that was five years ago. Now Ross and his keenly awaited second work have vanished. Something has gone wrong—horribly wrong—and Ross doesn’t want to talk about it.
Marooned in Capelthorne’s Bookshop miles from London, Petra can’t stop thinking about all the ways she has let people down. Then she discovers Ross lurking, incognito, in the second-hand books section. Misery loves company it seems, and a kinship tentatively forms.
In the meantime, the magic of the bookshop slowly begins to enchant Petra. Soon, her book recommendations assume legendary status; she is chairing the newly formed Beach Reads Book Club; leading a weekly writing group and hosting a series of popular talks and signings by local authors. She is even starting to read again.
Petra is also finding time to help her new best friend Jess—owner of a local telephone box library—to launch the inaugural Portneath Literary Festival. What better opportunity to put the Festival on the map—says Ross—than for Petra to unveil his second novel to the world there, before re-launching her career representing him at the Frankfurt book fair? What a comeback! But can Petra find the courage to help the man she loves?
Their love of books may be re-ignited, but is that enough to save them both from their own worst enemy—themselves?
Friends to loversGrumpy x GrumpySmall-town romanceSlow burn
Petra doesn’t like books anymore—not since her career as a literary agent imploded after a social media typo went viral. Now she is stuck for six months, babysitting a little bookshop by the sea—surrounded by books that just remind her of her failure.
Ross McCloud’s award-winning debut novel blew the minds of the world’s literati, but that was five years ago. Now Ross and his keenly awaited second work have vanished. Something has gone wrong—horribly wrong—and Ross doesn’t want to talk about it.
Marooned in Capelthorne’s Bookshop miles from London, Petra can’t stop thinking about all the ways she has let people down. Then she discovers Ross lurking, incognito, in the second-hand books section. Misery loves company it seems, and a kinship tentatively forms.
In the meantime, the magic of the bookshop slowly begins to enchant Petra. Soon, her book recommendations assume legendary status; she is chairing the newly formed Beach Reads Book Club; leading a weekly writing group and hosting a series of popular talks and signings by local authors. She is even starting to read again.
Petra is also finding time to help her new best friend Jess—owner of a local telephone box library—to launch the inaugural Portneath Literary Festival. What better opportunity to put the Festival on the map—says Ross—than for Petra to unveil his second novel to the world there, before re-launching her career representing him at the Frankfurt book fair? What a comeback! But can Petra find the courage to help the man she loves?
Their love of books may be re-ignited, but is that enough to save them both from their own worst enemy—themselves?
Friends to loversGrumpy x GrumpySmall-town romanceSlow burn
352 pages, Paperback
Published August 18, 2026
About the author
Poppy Alexander
12 books646 followersPoppy's first published book - the bestselling 25 Days 'Til Christmas - has been translated into several languages and optioned for TV.
Poppy Alexander wrote her first book when she was five. There was a long gap in her writing career while she was at school, and after studying classical music at university, she decided the world of music was better off without her and returned to writing instead. She takes an anthropological interest in family, friends and life in her West Sussex village (think, The Archers crossed with Twin Peaks) where she lives with her husband, children and various other pets.
She is generally lurking on social media as @PoppyAlexanderBooks on Instagram and Facebook.
Poppy also writes as Rosie Howard.
Poppy Alexander wrote her first book when she was five. There was a long gap in her writing career while she was at school, and after studying classical music at university, she decided the world of music was better off without her and returned to writing instead. She takes an anthropological interest in family, friends and life in her West Sussex village (think, The Archers crossed with Twin Peaks) where she lives with her husband, children and various other pets.
She is generally lurking on social media as @PoppyAlexanderBooks on Instagram and Facebook.
Poppy also writes as Rosie Howard.
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Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Advanced Reader Copy from HarperCollins Publishers
I was so excited to recieve this copy. I really enjoyed reading Battle of the Bookshops and then to see how Jules and Roman's life played out while getting a new love story in How To Find Romance In a Bookshop. I loved how Poppy connected this book to the first one.
I wasn't sure about Petra in the beginning but the more she faced Portneath and the lovely people, she began to really grow on me. She had to start fresh in a place where she knew no one. Then she meets Ross. He's mysterious and he's closed off to literally everyone. Ross faced a pretty hard mental battle by himself.
I could not put this book down. I needed to know that Ross and Petra would end up together in Portneath. which really makes me wish I too, could belong in Portneath.
I was so excited to recieve this copy. I really enjoyed reading Battle of the Bookshops and then to see how Jules and Roman's life played out while getting a new love story in How To Find Romance In a Bookshop. I loved how Poppy connected this book to the first one.
I wasn't sure about Petra in the beginning but the more she faced Portneath and the lovely people, she began to really grow on me. She had to start fresh in a place where she knew no one. Then she meets Ross. He's mysterious and he's closed off to literally everyone. Ross faced a pretty hard mental battle by himself.
I could not put this book down. I needed to know that Ross and Petra would end up together in Portneath. which really makes me wish I too, could belong in Portneath.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2026
I really wanted to love this one. Between the British seaside setting, cozy independent bookshop, and a story centered around books and readers, it sounded like it would be exactly my kind of comfort read. Unfortunately, it never quite came together for me.
My biggest issue was the marketing. With romance right there in the title, I expected the relationship to be the heart of the story. Instead, this felt much more like general fiction with a romantic subplot. Even then, the romance was easily the weakest element. Petra and Ross go from awkward encounters to dating and declarations of love with very little development in between. I never believed their relationship because there simply wasn’t enough buildup, and the chemistry never clicked for me.
What kept me reading was everything happening around the romance. The seaside bookshop is undeniably charming, and I loved spending time with the quirky residents of the town. The members of the book club and the local literary community brought warmth, humor, and personality to the story, making those scenes far more enjoyable than the central romance itself.
Perfect for Readers Who Love
* Cozy British seaside settings
* Independent bookshops and book clubs
* Quirky small town communities
* Women’s fiction with a literary focus
My biggest issue was the marketing. With romance right there in the title, I expected the relationship to be the heart of the story. Instead, this felt much more like general fiction with a romantic subplot. Even then, the romance was easily the weakest element. Petra and Ross go from awkward encounters to dating and declarations of love with very little development in between. I never believed their relationship because there simply wasn’t enough buildup, and the chemistry never clicked for me.
What kept me reading was everything happening around the romance. The seaside bookshop is undeniably charming, and I loved spending time with the quirky residents of the town. The members of the book club and the local literary community brought warmth, humor, and personality to the story, making those scenes far more enjoyable than the central romance itself.
Perfect for Readers Who Love
* Cozy British seaside settings
* Independent bookshops and book clubs
* Quirky small town communities
* Women’s fiction with a literary focus
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I wanted to like this book, but let's just say I was disappointed. Everything seemed so promising, but the execution was just not okay. I struggled to find anything I liked here besides the cover.
I didn't really like the writing style. The book uses 3rd person POV, but the narration feels like a diary or something being written live while going through every scene. Whether it's Petra or Ross, both feel the same. I ended up thinking they have the same personality. They don't have distinct voices. Then, the book promised grumpy x grumpy. But where is it? Is the grumpy x grumpy even here with us? I don't think Petra or Ross are grumpy at all, I can already tell this from their very first interactions. Which, as I kept reading, made me think they're kinda childish. They don't act their age.
I guess this just isn't the right book for me. Very unfortunate.
I didn't really like the writing style. The book uses 3rd person POV, but the narration feels like a diary or something being written live while going through every scene. Whether it's Petra or Ross, both feel the same. I ended up thinking they have the same personality. They don't have distinct voices. Then, the book promised grumpy x grumpy. But where is it? Is the grumpy x grumpy even here with us? I don't think Petra or Ross are grumpy at all, I can already tell this from their very first interactions. Which, as I kept reading, made me think they're kinda childish. They don't act their age.
I guess this just isn't the right book for me. Very unfortunate.
August 25, 2026
Set in the charming little town of Portneath, Poppy Alexander gives another adorable romance centered around Capelthorne's Bookshop between a writer who's gone off the grid and a 'mess' of a book publisher.
I warmed to both Ross and Petra over the course of the story, and to the two finding themselves together. While it took quite a bit of time during Petra's six-month ownership of the bookshop for her and Ross to admit their feelings, no time had passed, and they were proclaiming their love for each other. I really enjoyed Poppy's highlight and background for Ross's experience with a previously manipulative relationship with his previous editor and seeing him overcome such a dark time in his career. I would have loved to see more of his experience with overcoming his toxic editor attempting to come back into his life, but I truly loved the ending both MC's received.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC!
I warmed to both Ross and Petra over the course of the story, and to the two finding themselves together. While it took quite a bit of time during Petra's six-month ownership of the bookshop for her and Ross to admit their feelings, no time had passed, and they were proclaiming their love for each other. I really enjoyed Poppy's highlight and background for Ross's experience with a previously manipulative relationship with his previous editor and seeing him overcome such a dark time in his career. I would have loved to see more of his experience with overcoming his toxic editor attempting to come back into his life, but I truly loved the ending both MC's received.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC!
September 4, 2026
After a major gaff at her job as a literary agent, Petra decides she needs a break from work and London. The perfect opportunity presents itself to run a bookshop for 6 months in a seaside town while the owners are away. The town soon enchants her, as does Ross, a former literary wunderkind who is hiding out in a cottage in town. Petra hopes she can find her way forward during her time away - and maybe love while she’s at it.
I wanted to love this one!! The set up is everything I could want!! Unfortunately, this book in practice is both boring and annoying - my two cardinal sins. I didn’t care about either main character, and the pacing of the book was wildly off. There was no chemistry whatsoever, and I did not care about them ending up together. I also felt like this book spent a loooot of time quoting other pieces of media instead of just standing on its own two feet. Anyway, this is a skip from me.
August 18, 2026
How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop was one of those slow-burn romances that focused more on building the relationship than on the shmexual tension between the couple. Petra is a literary agent trying to keep a low profile because of an unfortunate incident. She wants nothing to do with books but ends up at a bookstore, where she meets Ross, a writer going through his own issues. I liked how the story centered on books and on saving the bookstore. Also, I liked how the two characters helped each other—both went through significant growth throughout the story.
Thank you to Avon Books for the gifted e-copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thank you to Avon Books for the gifted e-copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 18, 2026
Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Collins for the early edition of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Another amazing romance from Poppy Alexander. A continuation from Battle of the Bookshops, the memorable town characters are just as fun and lovable as I recall. I wish I could visit Portneath myself or even move there. It just sounds like so much fun. And the relationship between and Ross is so wonderful. I adored how realistic and quirky the characters were and gosh do I relate to Petra with the clumsiness and my mouth saying things before my brain has been able to filter them. If you like sweet romances this book is absolutely for you.
Another amazing romance from Poppy Alexander. A continuation from Battle of the Bookshops, the memorable town characters are just as fun and lovable as I recall. I wish I could visit Portneath myself or even move there. It just sounds like so much fun. And the relationship between and Ross is so wonderful. I adored how realistic and quirky the characters were and gosh do I relate to Petra with the clumsiness and my mouth saying things before my brain has been able to filter them. If you like sweet romances this book is absolutely for you.
August 25, 2026
This book just checked every box for me. It was sweet and charming. The bookshop and the town were painted in such an idyllic way and I wanted to spend my days there. I loved Petra and connected with her so much. I loved the awkward moments, the sweet moments and everything in between. This was such a cozy story and it made me feel genuinely happy to sit in this world and with these characters. It was everything I needed in this moment.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon and Harper for the advanced copy. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon and Harper for the advanced copy. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
Read
March 6, 2026Has anyone ever had as much self doubt as Petra? I think the answer is probably no. I liked the first of these books, and the town and quirky British people are fun. And parts of this book are great - the relationship is fun, the book info is fun, etc. - but parts just drag through the world of book publishing, the failure of these people to have a normal conversation, Petra's CRIPPLING SELF DOUBT - and it took me a long time to finish.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley.
Did Not Finish
August 7, 2026DNF 50%. This had all the makings of a book I would love. A book about book people in a bookstore?! Sign me up. Unfortunately, this just didn't hold my attention. I found myself skimming a lot and having a hard time keeping focus. It made me sleepy. I might come back around to this another time, but for now I can't push through.
August 17, 2026
The literary setting for romance books can get to be a little much lately, but this one was so much fun. I enjoyed the characters and their relationship felt authentic. It was nicely paced and not too lengthy, a fast and fun read!
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted arc
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted arc
August 31, 2026
Just the cozy I needed 📚
Did Not Finish
August 7, 2026I was hoping to fall in love qith this bookish-themes romance, but unfortunately, I had to DNF at 16%. I just couldn't get into this one. The FMC comes across as a bumbling, insecure, immature woman, and after several interactions already with the MMC, there is zero chemistry. Third POV is not a deal breaker for me, but the characters personalities aren't defined enough to easily identify the POV switches mid-chapter. Will they find romance in a Bookshop? I'll never know... I appreciate they opportunity to read and review in advance from Netgalley and Avon/Harper Voyager.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"Was it even a good book though?" he demanded, suddenly animated, turning to face her, eyes blazing. "Who says it was a good book? Who decides? Do they even know? Who are the book police who decree which writer floats to the top of the pile and who spends years and years slaving away invisibly?"
quote from this novel as our two protagonists debate the future of the literary novel as two people naturally do while “not” dating. Which is completely adorable.
I am hardly the book police. I am a mere lover of books and romance. But I'll encourage you to move this cute little book to the top of your TBR pile this August when it's released.
What Is It About:
London based literary agent, Petra, has committed an error that has led to a brief moment of career suicide. A brief moment that sends her to manage Capelthorne's Bookshop for six months and essentially regroup. The publishing industry has chewed her up and spit her out. Change is in order and the next six months will help shape that change. Petra meets Ross McCloud, an author with a resounding first novel success that has disappeared entirely from the literary scene. They begin a begrudging friendship that sweetly evolves through the entirety of the book. Petra keeps Ross's incognito secret from the bookish townsfolk while also encouraging him to write again. With the impending town literary festival, so much opportunity hangs in the balance for both Petra and Ross.
Why I'll Encourage You to Move It to the Top of the Pile:
- Poppy Alexander mentions Virago Modern Classics (VMC). Petra is mentioned wanting a copy of the VMC "Frenchman's Creek". I knew immediately Poppy Alexander knows her book stuff is she is mentioning VMC. For those that aren't familiar with VMC, this publishing house is instrumental in both celebrating and restoring the voices of female writers. And their greenback paperbacks have a special place on my bookshelf. Many female voices (especially in the interwar years) would be lost without the dedication of Virago. Alexander mentioning VMC made me sit up and pay attention.
-The most adorable NOT Valentine's Dinner: in which our couple spend time guessing famous first lines from novels. A girl can dream to have such a meeting of the minds.
-A seaside bookshop in Portneath. Small town literary atmosphere. (no explanation needed here, friends)
- When Petra meets Ross, she mistakes him for a pirate. Setting the stage for a lovely image of our male lead.
-Slow Burn. Friends to Lovers. But what I adored was truly a meeting of the minds. These are two people who have built their entire lives around literature. It is practically encoded in their DNA and when they interact, it's beautiful to read.
-Small town drama. I mean, when there is a hostile takeover of the local book club, get the popcorn popping!
-Poppy Alexander throwing in a small, forced proximity for warmth scene... loved it.
-Bookshop interactions including our male lead reading for children. Lovely.
-Petra and Ross experienced character evolution both individually and as a couple. I really enjoyed having a seat watching each come back from the ashes, experience vulnerability that is met with compassion, and get a second chance at happiness again. I'm not speaking romantically (this isn't a second chance romance). But professionally and personally, each has been knocked down.
- The literary references, quotes, author name dropping, Shakespeare plot influences. This book has it all!
-You get a Happily Ever After
My many thanks to Avon, Harper Voyager US, and Netgalley for graciously allowing me to read and review this charming novel. The opinions below are freely and completely my own.
quote from this novel as our two protagonists debate the future of the literary novel as two people naturally do while “not” dating. Which is completely adorable.
I am hardly the book police. I am a mere lover of books and romance. But I'll encourage you to move this cute little book to the top of your TBR pile this August when it's released.
What Is It About:
London based literary agent, Petra, has committed an error that has led to a brief moment of career suicide. A brief moment that sends her to manage Capelthorne's Bookshop for six months and essentially regroup. The publishing industry has chewed her up and spit her out. Change is in order and the next six months will help shape that change. Petra meets Ross McCloud, an author with a resounding first novel success that has disappeared entirely from the literary scene. They begin a begrudging friendship that sweetly evolves through the entirety of the book. Petra keeps Ross's incognito secret from the bookish townsfolk while also encouraging him to write again. With the impending town literary festival, so much opportunity hangs in the balance for both Petra and Ross.
Why I'll Encourage You to Move It to the Top of the Pile:
- Poppy Alexander mentions Virago Modern Classics (VMC). Petra is mentioned wanting a copy of the VMC "Frenchman's Creek". I knew immediately Poppy Alexander knows her book stuff is she is mentioning VMC. For those that aren't familiar with VMC, this publishing house is instrumental in both celebrating and restoring the voices of female writers. And their greenback paperbacks have a special place on my bookshelf. Many female voices (especially in the interwar years) would be lost without the dedication of Virago. Alexander mentioning VMC made me sit up and pay attention.
-The most adorable NOT Valentine's Dinner: in which our couple spend time guessing famous first lines from novels. A girl can dream to have such a meeting of the minds.
-A seaside bookshop in Portneath. Small town literary atmosphere. (no explanation needed here, friends)
- When Petra meets Ross, she mistakes him for a pirate. Setting the stage for a lovely image of our male lead.
-Slow Burn. Friends to Lovers. But what I adored was truly a meeting of the minds. These are two people who have built their entire lives around literature. It is practically encoded in their DNA and when they interact, it's beautiful to read.
-Small town drama. I mean, when there is a hostile takeover of the local book club, get the popcorn popping!
-Poppy Alexander throwing in a small, forced proximity for warmth scene... loved it.
-Bookshop interactions including our male lead reading for children. Lovely.
-Petra and Ross experienced character evolution both individually and as a couple. I really enjoyed having a seat watching each come back from the ashes, experience vulnerability that is met with compassion, and get a second chance at happiness again. I'm not speaking romantically (this isn't a second chance romance). But professionally and personally, each has been knocked down.
- The literary references, quotes, author name dropping, Shakespeare plot influences. This book has it all!
-You get a Happily Ever After
My many thanks to Avon, Harper Voyager US, and Netgalley for graciously allowing me to read and review this charming novel. The opinions below are freely and completely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I won't lie this is the third or fourth book I had read this year that had a romance set in a bookshop or bookstore. I wasn't sure I was going to have high hopes for this book. But, Poppy Alexander did a great job of making this story feel unique and giving us characters that felt different. I had a good time with this book.
In How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop, we are following the characters of Petra and Ross. Petra is a down on her luck publishing agent and Ross is a "washed up" author trying to hide and find the words for his second book. Petra's introduction was so much fun. We got dropped into the immediate aftermath and of an inadvertent autocorrect typo that was called one of her authors a less than pleasant word. She asked to quietly step back and take a short leave of absence. Enter the opportunity to spend six months running a small town bookstore. Ross is in hiding. His first book shot to so much fame and success, he wasn't sure he could write another one. So he's been a nomad constantly moving and running away from the fame and the shame of not having a second book in him. This easily could have been set up to be enemies to lovers and the initial meeting of Petra and Ross had me wondering if that was the direction this story would go. But no, instead they created a friendship, somewhat begrudgingly. This friendship was built on a love of books and somewhat silly games. This friendship begins to develop into more as both Petra and Ross begin to share their hearts and secrets.
As the story moved forward, I felt that we got to know the characters, both main and side, in the charming town of Portneath. The characters as much as the setting had me coming back for more. I also really enjoyed that the characters seemed to love reading, as much as, us, well readers. The use of the bookstore as the backdrop for the romance made a lot of sense. But I loved that the author didn't shy away from kind of drawing the readers in when it came to the Valentine's Day window and the topic what makes a romance book a romance? How do we decide what's good? And what should be recommended? I found myself agreeing and disagreeing with the picks. While simultaneously, considering my own choices and the arguments I would make.
I also really enjoyed the conversation around how the publishing world can be hard and it can spit out authors left and right. I found that it was important conversation to have and I felt that the fact that the author was the male character gave a different spin to the age old tale. I also liked that this story dived into what toxic relationships could look like and how they don't always look the same.
But the best part of this book was the relationship between Petra and Ross. I loved their growth together and separately. I felt that, as a reader, I got the front row seat to their growth (and regression). I also found myself nodding along with Petra as she rediscovered her love for reading. It something I bet a lot of us can relate to.
My only complaint - it ended too soon. I hope we get to go back and meet the characters all over again and perhaps see where they ended up after the epilogue concluded.
Thank you to Harper Collins and Avon for this early release digital arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
In How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop, we are following the characters of Petra and Ross. Petra is a down on her luck publishing agent and Ross is a "washed up" author trying to hide and find the words for his second book. Petra's introduction was so much fun. We got dropped into the immediate aftermath and of an inadvertent autocorrect typo that was called one of her authors a less than pleasant word. She asked to quietly step back and take a short leave of absence. Enter the opportunity to spend six months running a small town bookstore. Ross is in hiding. His first book shot to so much fame and success, he wasn't sure he could write another one. So he's been a nomad constantly moving and running away from the fame and the shame of not having a second book in him. This easily could have been set up to be enemies to lovers and the initial meeting of Petra and Ross had me wondering if that was the direction this story would go. But no, instead they created a friendship, somewhat begrudgingly. This friendship was built on a love of books and somewhat silly games. This friendship begins to develop into more as both Petra and Ross begin to share their hearts and secrets.
As the story moved forward, I felt that we got to know the characters, both main and side, in the charming town of Portneath. The characters as much as the setting had me coming back for more. I also really enjoyed that the characters seemed to love reading, as much as, us, well readers. The use of the bookstore as the backdrop for the romance made a lot of sense. But I loved that the author didn't shy away from kind of drawing the readers in when it came to the Valentine's Day window and the topic what makes a romance book a romance? How do we decide what's good? And what should be recommended? I found myself agreeing and disagreeing with the picks. While simultaneously, considering my own choices and the arguments I would make.
I also really enjoyed the conversation around how the publishing world can be hard and it can spit out authors left and right. I found that it was important conversation to have and I felt that the fact that the author was the male character gave a different spin to the age old tale. I also liked that this story dived into what toxic relationships could look like and how they don't always look the same.
But the best part of this book was the relationship between Petra and Ross. I loved their growth together and separately. I felt that, as a reader, I got the front row seat to their growth (and regression). I also found myself nodding along with Petra as she rediscovered her love for reading. It something I bet a lot of us can relate to.
My only complaint - it ended too soon. I hope we get to go back and meet the characters all over again and perhaps see where they ended up after the epilogue concluded.
Thank you to Harper Collins and Avon for this early release digital arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I've enjoyed quite a few of Poppy Alexander's books in the past, so I went into How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop fully expecting to love it. While there was a lot to enjoy, this one ultimately fell a little short for me.
The beginning took a few chapters to find its footing. I wasn't immediately hooked, but once the story settled into the charming seaside town of Portneath, I found myself much more invested. The setting was easily one of my favorite parts of the book. In fact, it reminded me of a Scottish Airbnb I stumbled across while doom scrolling Instagram one night. Guests can stay in a cozy apartment above an independent bookshop for a week and even run the shop during their stay, setting their own hours. It's been sitting on my travel bucket list ever since. I couldn't help but wonder if Poppy Alexander knew about that little bookshop and drew inspiration from it. Whether she did or not, this story only made me want to visit even more. But I've digressed.
The premise of the book is inviting. Petra, a literary agent whose career has hit a rough patch after a public misstep trades the chaos of the publishing world for the quiet of a cozy seaside bookshop, where she soon crossed paths with Ross, a novelist struggling to write a second book. It sounded like the perfect recipe for a cozy romance.
That said, as much as I genuinely enjoyed spending time with Petra, Ross and the welcoming community around them, there were a few things that kept the story from fully clicking for me. The biggest was Instead, I was left wishing the romance had been developed and resolved a little differently.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad read by any means. The picturesque setting, lovable townspeople, and cozy atmosphere made it an enjoyable escape, and I never regretted picking it up. Romance storyline aside, that is.
Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager via NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for my honest review.
The beginning took a few chapters to find its footing. I wasn't immediately hooked, but once the story settled into the charming seaside town of Portneath, I found myself much more invested. The setting was easily one of my favorite parts of the book. In fact, it reminded me of a Scottish Airbnb I stumbled across while doom scrolling Instagram one night. Guests can stay in a cozy apartment above an independent bookshop for a week and even run the shop during their stay, setting their own hours. It's been sitting on my travel bucket list ever since. I couldn't help but wonder if Poppy Alexander knew about that little bookshop and drew inspiration from it. Whether she did or not, this story only made me want to visit even more. But I've digressed.
The premise of the book is inviting. Petra, a literary agent whose career has hit a rough patch after a public misstep trades the chaos of the publishing world for the quiet of a cozy seaside bookshop, where she soon crossed paths with Ross, a novelist struggling to write a second book. It sounded like the perfect recipe for a cozy romance.
That said, as much as I genuinely enjoyed spending time with Petra, Ross and the welcoming community around them, there were a few things that kept the story from fully clicking for me. The biggest was Instead, I was left wishing the romance had been developed and resolved a little differently.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad read by any means. The picturesque setting, lovable townspeople, and cozy atmosphere made it an enjoyable escape, and I never regretted picking it up. Romance storyline aside, that is.
Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager via NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for my honest review.
August 2, 2026
Poppy Alexander’s How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop made me forget all about the laundry waiting for me because somehow “just one more chapter” turned into half the afternoon with a cup of coffee that had gone completely cold. Avon Books, thank you so much for the gifted copy.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There are books you read, and then there are books that make you want to pack a suitcase and move into their world. Portneath is officially on my list.
Petra grabbed my heart almost immediately. After one awful mistake turns her professional life upside down, she’s carrying around so much embarrassment that she’s forgotten why she ever loved books in the first place. Watching her slowly rediscover that joy inside Capelthorne’s Bookshop felt like watching a friend find herself again. I smiled every time another customer walked through the door or another book recommendation brought people together.
Then there’s Ross.
He’s grumpy, guarded, and quietly carrying wounds of his own. I loved that neither Petra nor Ross magically fixed each other. Instead, they became the safe place the other needed. Their friendship grew naturally into something deeper, making every little moment between them feel earned. I caught myself grinning through their banter more than once.
I spent one evening reading on the patio until it was too dark to see the pages, carried this book into the kitchen while making dinner because I wasn’t ready to leave Portneath, and, of course, Faith decided my lap belonged to her the minute the story reached an emotional scene. Timing has never been her strong suit.
What stayed with me most wasn’t just the romance. It was the reminder that sometimes we lose the things we love because life gets messy, but they’re still waiting patiently for us when we’re ready to come back. The bookshop, the seaside village, the book club, the literary festival, and Jess’s friendship created the kind of community I wished I could step into for a weekend.
I honestly wanted another chapter…then another. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Petra, Ross, or the wonderful people of Portneath.
This is absolutely staying on my recommendation shelf, and I already know I’ll be pressing it into another book lover’s hands the first chance I get.
If you could spend one week living inside any fictional bookshop, which one would you choose—and do you think you’d ever want to leave?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There are books you read, and then there are books that make you want to pack a suitcase and move into their world. Portneath is officially on my list.
Petra grabbed my heart almost immediately. After one awful mistake turns her professional life upside down, she’s carrying around so much embarrassment that she’s forgotten why she ever loved books in the first place. Watching her slowly rediscover that joy inside Capelthorne’s Bookshop felt like watching a friend find herself again. I smiled every time another customer walked through the door or another book recommendation brought people together.
Then there’s Ross.
He’s grumpy, guarded, and quietly carrying wounds of his own. I loved that neither Petra nor Ross magically fixed each other. Instead, they became the safe place the other needed. Their friendship grew naturally into something deeper, making every little moment between them feel earned. I caught myself grinning through their banter more than once.
I spent one evening reading on the patio until it was too dark to see the pages, carried this book into the kitchen while making dinner because I wasn’t ready to leave Portneath, and, of course, Faith decided my lap belonged to her the minute the story reached an emotional scene. Timing has never been her strong suit.
What stayed with me most wasn’t just the romance. It was the reminder that sometimes we lose the things we love because life gets messy, but they’re still waiting patiently for us when we’re ready to come back. The bookshop, the seaside village, the book club, the literary festival, and Jess’s friendship created the kind of community I wished I could step into for a weekend.
I honestly wanted another chapter…then another. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Petra, Ross, or the wonderful people of Portneath.
This is absolutely staying on my recommendation shelf, and I already know I’ll be pressing it into another book lover’s hands the first chance I get.
If you could spend one week living inside any fictional bookshop, which one would you choose—and do you think you’d ever want to leave?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop by Poppy Alexander
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop is a super sweet small-town romance with lots of bookish charm. The seaside bookshop setting is one of the best parts of the story and forms such a cozy atmosphere that feels perfect for a summer read.
Since Petra’s career as a literary agent was destroyed after a social media typo went viral, she doesn’t like books anymore. Now she is stuck taking care of a bookshop by the sea, being surrounded by books that remind her of her failure. The award-winning debut novel that Ross wrote stunned everyone but now he and his long awaited second work have vanished. Something has gone wrong and he doesn’t want to talk about it. Petra discovers Ross in the second-hand books section and a connection forms between them. Soon, Petra begins to love the bookshop and even starts to read again. Petra and her new friend Jess launch a literary festival as well. Ross says the festival is the best way to announce his second book to the world before re-launching her career and representing him. But, Petra is unsure whether she has the courage to do so and to help the man she loves.
How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop is a charming, atmospheric read full of bookish charm. The bookshop and small-town community are absolutely wonderful and the romance is super sweet.
Petra and Ross are both well-written characters. They are each carrying their own struggles, disappointments, and worries. Their friendship develops authentically and makes their romance later on feel genuine and meaningful. The grumpy x grumpy dynamic is unique and the slow-burn between them is well-developed. The community element, from the book club to the festival to the townsfolk, gives the story such warmth.
Overall, How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop is a delightful and cozy read full of books, character development, friendship, and romance all within a charming, small town seaside setting!
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop is a super sweet small-town romance with lots of bookish charm. The seaside bookshop setting is one of the best parts of the story and forms such a cozy atmosphere that feels perfect for a summer read.
Since Petra’s career as a literary agent was destroyed after a social media typo went viral, she doesn’t like books anymore. Now she is stuck taking care of a bookshop by the sea, being surrounded by books that remind her of her failure. The award-winning debut novel that Ross wrote stunned everyone but now he and his long awaited second work have vanished. Something has gone wrong and he doesn’t want to talk about it. Petra discovers Ross in the second-hand books section and a connection forms between them. Soon, Petra begins to love the bookshop and even starts to read again. Petra and her new friend Jess launch a literary festival as well. Ross says the festival is the best way to announce his second book to the world before re-launching her career and representing him. But, Petra is unsure whether she has the courage to do so and to help the man she loves.
How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop is a charming, atmospheric read full of bookish charm. The bookshop and small-town community are absolutely wonderful and the romance is super sweet.
Petra and Ross are both well-written characters. They are each carrying their own struggles, disappointments, and worries. Their friendship develops authentically and makes their romance later on feel genuine and meaningful. The grumpy x grumpy dynamic is unique and the slow-burn between them is well-developed. The community element, from the book club to the festival to the townsfolk, gives the story such warmth.
Overall, How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop is a delightful and cozy read full of books, character development, friendship, and romance all within a charming, small town seaside setting!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
One mistake turns Petra’s whole life around. As a literary agent, she has many clients and the last thing she wants to do is insult any of them. However, that’s exactly what she does when one of her social media postings features a typo she can’t fix. She deletes it, but not after everyone has seen it.
Her boss takes it in stride, but her clients quickly turn towards other representation. Petra’s boss suggests she get away from London for a bit. There’s a bookshop in Devon needing help as the owners will be away for six months. It will give Petra a chance to reassess her life and future. Petra agrees, but there’s one big problem - she never wants to read another book and now she will be surrounded by them.
When Petra meets Ross McCloud, she’s overcome with excitement. Five years ago he wrote a best seller and then he vanished. He never wrote a second book and Petra is determined to find out why.
Petra quickly settles in the bookshop and the town. She makes many friends and sets up book clubs and festivals. Maybe books aren’t out of her life after all. She’s, also, determined to help Ross get through his writer’s block.
Petra and Ross grow closer and they can’t deny their attraction. Unfortunately, they each have a past that just won’t go away.
At first, I found Petra to be a bit too immature and Ross to be a bit too reserved. I couldn’t see these two as a romantic duo. However, Poppy Alexander makes it work. Although I did want to nudge both characters along the way.
I first “met” that bookshop in a previous book “The Battle of the Bookshops” and I was happy to have another visit. We caught up with a couple of characters, but in no way do you have to read that book to read this one. It’s fun if you do, but this is a standalone book. I actually enjoyed this one even more than the previous one.
It’s the perfect book to read at the beach or anywhere. It’s fun with delightful characters. They are people you can really care about.
Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Her boss takes it in stride, but her clients quickly turn towards other representation. Petra’s boss suggests she get away from London for a bit. There’s a bookshop in Devon needing help as the owners will be away for six months. It will give Petra a chance to reassess her life and future. Petra agrees, but there’s one big problem - she never wants to read another book and now she will be surrounded by them.
When Petra meets Ross McCloud, she’s overcome with excitement. Five years ago he wrote a best seller and then he vanished. He never wrote a second book and Petra is determined to find out why.
Petra quickly settles in the bookshop and the town. She makes many friends and sets up book clubs and festivals. Maybe books aren’t out of her life after all. She’s, also, determined to help Ross get through his writer’s block.
Petra and Ross grow closer and they can’t deny their attraction. Unfortunately, they each have a past that just won’t go away.
At first, I found Petra to be a bit too immature and Ross to be a bit too reserved. I couldn’t see these two as a romantic duo. However, Poppy Alexander makes it work. Although I did want to nudge both characters along the way.
I first “met” that bookshop in a previous book “The Battle of the Bookshops” and I was happy to have another visit. We caught up with a couple of characters, but in no way do you have to read that book to read this one. It’s fun if you do, but this is a standalone book. I actually enjoyed this one even more than the previous one.
It’s the perfect book to read at the beach or anywhere. It’s fun with delightful characters. They are people you can really care about.
Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Avon Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
https://jenninsf.wordpress.com/2026/0...
Petra makes a blunder (again) at work and is given a sabbatical in a seaside town, running a bookshop, to see if she even still wants to be an book agent any longer. Ross McCloud is stopping in Portneath as another place to hide away from everyone during his self-imposed exile from the literary world after having a smash debut novel that came out of an abusive relationship. They keep running into each other in this tiny town and decide they should be friends…or maybe more?
This book was fine. There were some genuinely good scenes and the side characters are felt distinct and necessary, without making it seem like this is a town of CHARACTERS. The author does a good job of describing this beautiful seaside British town, with lovely cottages, nice people, plenty to do (even without working internet?), and a slower lifestyle that everyone always dreams of when they live in a big city. And who doesn’t want to be given a six-month sabbatical to run a bookshop in Devon?
But there were pacing problems from the start (there’s feelings by 60% but the conflict doesn’t happen until 85% and the epilogue feels more like those log lines at the end of an 80s movie than a real chapter about what happens next), and everyone was entirely too affable. Any time there might have been a conflict about who he is, that he’s writing, what he’s writing, the literary festival, her career, wanting to stay in Portneath, it was all just fine, no problems. So then when the Big Bad comes in with like 10% of the book to go, it doesn’t feel like there are any stakes because this is a romance novel. There was far too much telling and not showing, so their big declarations felt a bit hollow. Besides a couple of silly gaffes at the very beginning, he’s just into her, she’s into him, and there’s no tension. I wanted more from Petra and Ross and instead, it was just fine. *shrug*
https://jenninsf.wordpress.com/2026/0...
Petra makes a blunder (again) at work and is given a sabbatical in a seaside town, running a bookshop, to see if she even still wants to be an book agent any longer. Ross McCloud is stopping in Portneath as another place to hide away from everyone during his self-imposed exile from the literary world after having a smash debut novel that came out of an abusive relationship. They keep running into each other in this tiny town and decide they should be friends…or maybe more?
This book was fine. There were some genuinely good scenes and the side characters are felt distinct and necessary, without making it seem like this is a town of CHARACTERS. The author does a good job of describing this beautiful seaside British town, with lovely cottages, nice people, plenty to do (even without working internet?), and a slower lifestyle that everyone always dreams of when they live in a big city. And who doesn’t want to be given a six-month sabbatical to run a bookshop in Devon?
But there were pacing problems from the start (there’s feelings by 60% but the conflict doesn’t happen until 85% and the epilogue feels more like those log lines at the end of an 80s movie than a real chapter about what happens next), and everyone was entirely too affable. Any time there might have been a conflict about who he is, that he’s writing, what he’s writing, the literary festival, her career, wanting to stay in Portneath, it was all just fine, no problems. So then when the Big Bad comes in with like 10% of the book to go, it doesn’t feel like there are any stakes because this is a romance novel. There was far too much telling and not showing, so their big declarations felt a bit hollow. Besides a couple of silly gaffes at the very beginning, he’s just into her, she’s into him, and there’s no tension. I wanted more from Petra and Ross and instead, it was just fine. *shrug*
August 21, 2026
How to Find Romance in a Bookshop is a friends to lovers read set in a small town with grumpy x grumpy and slow burn tropes. The cover is so cute and I was excited to give a-new-to-me author a go. This book has so many tropes and things I usually love but it was a big miss for me. The book starts with Petra upending her literary agent life due to a public typo towards an author that no one really seems to even like. She walks away from publishing to help run a bookshop while its owners take an extended vacation which is where she meets Ross, who also seems to have his own gray cloud above his head.
I found the pacing off- the beginning happens so quickly and there doesn’t seem to be any consequences from Petra’s typo but she is quick to jump ship. Petra settling into the shop is a blur for me but any time she is with Ross drags on. I found the main characters extremely unlikable, even towards each other, and I did not connect with them at all. I’m also very confused how it went from friends to “I guess I love you now” so quickly. And maybe It was because the setting is an ocean away from me, but I could not keep up with the English conversations. I never knew who was saying what and at times the conversations seemed to not reply to each other, like they were on different topics. The book is also written in second person POV which comes off a bit rambly or diary- like and then switches between the characters mid chapter with a break instead of a new chapter so things get muddy a lot. The scary nighttime hiking was very out of place and character for me. I was excited to read more about the small town but we really just get the bookshop and a couple nearby shops with a few “beach” scenes. I felt like there were too many characters, some are introduced and never seen again. I also wish we could have been briefed on The Tempest. Petra and Ross loved The Tempest enough to write a fanfic off of it but I have never read it so I don’t know who these characters are or why they have such a strong connection to them.
I found the pacing off- the beginning happens so quickly and there doesn’t seem to be any consequences from Petra’s typo but she is quick to jump ship. Petra settling into the shop is a blur for me but any time she is with Ross drags on. I found the main characters extremely unlikable, even towards each other, and I did not connect with them at all. I’m also very confused how it went from friends to “I guess I love you now” so quickly. And maybe It was because the setting is an ocean away from me, but I could not keep up with the English conversations. I never knew who was saying what and at times the conversations seemed to not reply to each other, like they were on different topics. The book is also written in second person POV which comes off a bit rambly or diary- like and then switches between the characters mid chapter with a break instead of a new chapter so things get muddy a lot. The scary nighttime hiking was very out of place and character for me. I was excited to read more about the small town but we really just get the bookshop and a couple nearby shops with a few “beach” scenes. I felt like there were too many characters, some are introduced and never seen again. I also wish we could have been briefed on The Tempest. Petra and Ross loved The Tempest enough to write a fanfic off of it but I have never read it so I don’t know who these characters are or why they have such a strong connection to them.
August 27, 2026
While Capelthorne's Bookshop is full of cozy seaside charm, the main relationship between Petra and Ross seems to spend way too much time trapped in emotional traffic to actually feel romantic.
Petra, a disgraced former literary agent, flees to a coastal village to manage the shop, where she crosses paths with Ross, a reclusive, award-winning author struggling with writer's block. While the small-town atmosphere is wonderfully done, the core pairing suffers from a lack of healthy communication and heavy emotional baggage.
What worked:
👫 Returning Favorites: It was so nice to see Jules and Roman from The Battle of the Bookshops again, and Great Aunt Flo remains a total delight. Their presence added a wonderful layer of familiarity and warmth to the shop.
📚 Bookish Aesthetic: Capelthorne's Bookshop, the local book clubs, and the seaside town setting are pure comfort.
🕯Relatable Burnout: Both leads genuinely reflect the exhaustion and fear of failure that come with high-pressure creative careers.
What held it back:
💔 Ross’s Self-Loathing: Ross is so consumed by insecurity and tortured-writer angst that he constantly withdraws and lashes out, making him hard to root for.
❌️ The Henrietta Situation: Ross acts like a proper dick when it comes to Henrietta. Instead of setting boundaries with his manipulative ex-editor or being transparent with Petra, he retreats into secrecy and unfairly projects his resentment onto Petra simply because of her publishing background.
🎭 Petra’s Drama: Petra isn't without fault—she can be overly dramatic, frequently catastrophizing minor misunderstandings and spiraling into self-pity instead of communicating like an adult.
⛰️ Strained Dynamics: Because both leads are hyper-defensive and wallowing in their own trauma, their relationship feels constantly strained and exhausting rather than romantic.
It’s an easy, low-stakes read if you want to revisit the seaside town and catch up with Jules, Roman, and Flo, but the main romance left a lot to be desired.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book!
Petra, a disgraced former literary agent, flees to a coastal village to manage the shop, where she crosses paths with Ross, a reclusive, award-winning author struggling with writer's block. While the small-town atmosphere is wonderfully done, the core pairing suffers from a lack of healthy communication and heavy emotional baggage.
What worked:
👫 Returning Favorites: It was so nice to see Jules and Roman from The Battle of the Bookshops again, and Great Aunt Flo remains a total delight. Their presence added a wonderful layer of familiarity and warmth to the shop.
📚 Bookish Aesthetic: Capelthorne's Bookshop, the local book clubs, and the seaside town setting are pure comfort.
🕯Relatable Burnout: Both leads genuinely reflect the exhaustion and fear of failure that come with high-pressure creative careers.
What held it back:
💔 Ross’s Self-Loathing: Ross is so consumed by insecurity and tortured-writer angst that he constantly withdraws and lashes out, making him hard to root for.
❌️ The Henrietta Situation: Ross acts like a proper dick when it comes to Henrietta. Instead of setting boundaries with his manipulative ex-editor or being transparent with Petra, he retreats into secrecy and unfairly projects his resentment onto Petra simply because of her publishing background.
🎭 Petra’s Drama: Petra isn't without fault—she can be overly dramatic, frequently catastrophizing minor misunderstandings and spiraling into self-pity instead of communicating like an adult.
⛰️ Strained Dynamics: Because both leads are hyper-defensive and wallowing in their own trauma, their relationship feels constantly strained and exhausting rather than romantic.
It’s an easy, low-stakes read if you want to revisit the seaside town and catch up with Jules, Roman, and Flo, but the main romance left a lot to be desired.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is my second trip through Portneath. First time around, Jules was making her way back to Portneath to save a bookshop in the last installment. This time Petra is escaping a horrible mistake made in the publishing world. Caplethorme Books is still the hub for these novels.
Spoiler alert: if you haven’t read Battle of the Bookshops, you may not want to read further.
Petra makes a social media blunder and finds herself being sent away from London for a little reflection time. Jules and Roman are taking an extended honeymoon and need someone to take care of Caplethorne while they’re away. Petra’s boss thinks this is the perfect place for Petra to collect herself and decided what’s next in her journey. She’s a literary agent who can’t seem to make right with her clients or the rest of the publishing group. So, reluctantly, Petra agrees to it.
When she arrives in Portneath, she has a rather inauspicious jump off the train, thinking she’s missed her stop. She’s assisted by a scruffy man, whom she assumes is a tramp. Turns out he is not a tramp, but someone that Petra might want to know better. As Petra settles in to both the bookshop and life in Portneath, she starts to regain some of the confidence that was lost in London. Petra also learns who that mystery tramp is in the course of becoming very good friends.
As always, Poppy Alexander’s books are charming. I’d move to Portneath myself if it were an option. This book is full of fun, drama, romance. The characters from book one are mostly present. Petra has some serious soul searching, which Alexander writes with depth and beauty. While the last book had nods to Romeo and Juliet, this one actually discusses Shakespeare’s The Tempest, with Petra filling in for Miranda.
These novels aren’t Shakespeare, but they’re not meant to be. They are fun, quick reads that will transport you to a seaside Devon town full of love. That’s what books should do.
Spoiler alert: if you haven’t read Battle of the Bookshops, you may not want to read further.
Petra makes a social media blunder and finds herself being sent away from London for a little reflection time. Jules and Roman are taking an extended honeymoon and need someone to take care of Caplethorne while they’re away. Petra’s boss thinks this is the perfect place for Petra to collect herself and decided what’s next in her journey. She’s a literary agent who can’t seem to make right with her clients or the rest of the publishing group. So, reluctantly, Petra agrees to it.
When she arrives in Portneath, she has a rather inauspicious jump off the train, thinking she’s missed her stop. She’s assisted by a scruffy man, whom she assumes is a tramp. Turns out he is not a tramp, but someone that Petra might want to know better. As Petra settles in to both the bookshop and life in Portneath, she starts to regain some of the confidence that was lost in London. Petra also learns who that mystery tramp is in the course of becoming very good friends.
As always, Poppy Alexander’s books are charming. I’d move to Portneath myself if it were an option. This book is full of fun, drama, romance. The characters from book one are mostly present. Petra has some serious soul searching, which Alexander writes with depth and beauty. While the last book had nods to Romeo and Juliet, this one actually discusses Shakespeare’s The Tempest, with Petra filling in for Miranda.
These novels aren’t Shakespeare, but they’re not meant to be. They are fun, quick reads that will transport you to a seaside Devon town full of love. That’s what books should do.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Petra wakes up to realize she’s committed job suicide. After posting a social media update about a client, a typo turns a regular post into truly awful. As her client list shrinks, Petra takes time off to decompress and lands in Portneath, where she takes on running a local bookstore. Enter Ross: a hermit-ish man also hiding out, but for very different reasons. Ross is a wildly successful literary fiction darling, reeling from the fallout of a damaging professional and personal relationship and a mad case of writer’s block. The two strike up a slow, steady, and deeply healing friendship, each working toward reclaiming their lives.
Poppy Alexander is the queen of the cozy English romance, and I will forever run toward one of her books. I inhaled this one just like the others. Petra and Ross are wonderfully sweet, the setting is a lovely dip into a coastal town where people quietly find their footing again, and the calming tone feels like a salve. This is a gentle but complex novel about two people with real baggage, handled without slipping into a stereotypical trauma dump. Alexander’s heroines are often demure, thoughtful, and quietly strong, and I love experiencing these stories through their eyes. This novel also offers insight into the competitive and sometimes predatory world of high-profile publishing, injecting an unexpected thread of tension into the plot. I did wish the ending lingered a bit longer, as the wrap-up felt rushed and left me wanting more time with their resolution.
I highly recommend Alexander’s novels. She writes her characters with heart, places them in dreamy settings, and allows readers to live in their gentle, subtle orbit for a couple hundred pages.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Poppy Alexander is the queen of the cozy English romance, and I will forever run toward one of her books. I inhaled this one just like the others. Petra and Ross are wonderfully sweet, the setting is a lovely dip into a coastal town where people quietly find their footing again, and the calming tone feels like a salve. This is a gentle but complex novel about two people with real baggage, handled without slipping into a stereotypical trauma dump. Alexander’s heroines are often demure, thoughtful, and quietly strong, and I love experiencing these stories through their eyes. This novel also offers insight into the competitive and sometimes predatory world of high-profile publishing, injecting an unexpected thread of tension into the plot. I did wish the ending lingered a bit longer, as the wrap-up felt rushed and left me wanting more time with their resolution.
I highly recommend Alexander’s novels. She writes her characters with heart, places them in dreamy settings, and allows readers to live in their gentle, subtle orbit for a couple hundred pages.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I fell in love with Poppy Alexander’s “The Battle of the Bookshops,” so I was delighted to have the opportunity to read “How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop.”
The story begins with Petra, a literary agent who makes a ghastly typo on a social media post about a client that went viral. Desperate to escape, she takes a job minding a bookshop in Portneath while the owners Jules and Roman are away on six-month holiday.
During her time there, Petra meets Ross, a well-known writer who wrote a widely touted bestseller and then disappeared for the next five years. Hiding out in Portneath while suffering from a bad case of writer’s block, Ross is running from his own demons and facing the daunting task of trying to write his next book. The two have a series of run-ins and hit it off over a shared passion of literature.
The beginning of the book with the witty banter and comedic scenes instantly reeled me in. While this is a standalone book, I loved that it brought readers back to Portneath and that several of the loveable characters from The Battle of the Bookshops played prominent roles in the story. It felt like coming home.
This was a story about finding yourself, love, found family, friendship and community. I loved that it incorporated so much about literature, both past and present. By the time I finished I had a laundry of classic books I wanted to go back and reread.
Author Poppy Alexander has a special way of creating sweet, innocent and pure love stories that will warm your heart and soul. This book left me with a smile on my face and hoping for more to come.
Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this book. It was every bit the wonderful story I hoped it would be!
The story begins with Petra, a literary agent who makes a ghastly typo on a social media post about a client that went viral. Desperate to escape, she takes a job minding a bookshop in Portneath while the owners Jules and Roman are away on six-month holiday.
During her time there, Petra meets Ross, a well-known writer who wrote a widely touted bestseller and then disappeared for the next five years. Hiding out in Portneath while suffering from a bad case of writer’s block, Ross is running from his own demons and facing the daunting task of trying to write his next book. The two have a series of run-ins and hit it off over a shared passion of literature.
The beginning of the book with the witty banter and comedic scenes instantly reeled me in. While this is a standalone book, I loved that it brought readers back to Portneath and that several of the loveable characters from The Battle of the Bookshops played prominent roles in the story. It felt like coming home.
This was a story about finding yourself, love, found family, friendship and community. I loved that it incorporated so much about literature, both past and present. By the time I finished I had a laundry of classic books I wanted to go back and reread.
Author Poppy Alexander has a special way of creating sweet, innocent and pure love stories that will warm your heart and soul. This book left me with a smile on my face and hoping for more to come.
Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this book. It was every bit the wonderful story I hoped it would be!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.5 stars
This was a cute romance set in the same world as last year's The Battle of the Bookshops, but I enjoyed this one more because the Shakespearean retelling, in this case, The Tempest, wasn't as heavy handed as the Romeo and Juliet retelling in the former.
Petra is a disgraced literary agent, who takes a temporary job running Capelthorne's Bookshop in Portneath while owners Jules and Roman are on their honeymoon after an unfortunate typo puts her on sabbatical. Ross is a former literary darling, in hiding in Portneath after a 5 year absence from the writing scene, brought on by the aftermath of an unhealthy relationship with his editor. After a chance encounter, the two newcomers realize they're a part of the same world and develop a friendship which turns into something more.
I really liked Petra and found her way of being slightly mean to Ross and then just adopting him and deciding they would be friends to be relatable, because let's face it, that's how I accrue male friendships too. Ross could be a little frustrating at times, because he was very much in his head and was letting past relationships prevent him from seeing what was in front of him in the present. Their relationship also went very hot and cold, with him disappearing for weeks at a time to brood, so there was the emotional whiplash from them waxing rhapsodically about their potential to just "here, help me with my new book." Writers, man.
This started out strong for me, but then kind of hit a wall, with the third person narration making it hard to feel an emotional depth to their relationship, as well as some personal issues with the plot that was definitely just a me problem.
🌪️ Thank you @avonbooks #EpicTastemakers for the advanced copy
This was a cute romance set in the same world as last year's The Battle of the Bookshops, but I enjoyed this one more because the Shakespearean retelling, in this case, The Tempest, wasn't as heavy handed as the Romeo and Juliet retelling in the former.
Petra is a disgraced literary agent, who takes a temporary job running Capelthorne's Bookshop in Portneath while owners Jules and Roman are on their honeymoon after an unfortunate typo puts her on sabbatical. Ross is a former literary darling, in hiding in Portneath after a 5 year absence from the writing scene, brought on by the aftermath of an unhealthy relationship with his editor. After a chance encounter, the two newcomers realize they're a part of the same world and develop a friendship which turns into something more.
I really liked Petra and found her way of being slightly mean to Ross and then just adopting him and deciding they would be friends to be relatable, because let's face it, that's how I accrue male friendships too. Ross could be a little frustrating at times, because he was very much in his head and was letting past relationships prevent him from seeing what was in front of him in the present. Their relationship also went very hot and cold, with him disappearing for weeks at a time to brood, so there was the emotional whiplash from them waxing rhapsodically about their potential to just "here, help me with my new book." Writers, man.
This started out strong for me, but then kind of hit a wall, with the third person narration making it hard to feel an emotional depth to their relationship, as well as some personal issues with the plot that was definitely just a me problem.
🌪️ Thank you @avonbooks #EpicTastemakers for the advanced copy
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book (my first from Alexander) centers around the book publishing industry, and I must admit that I learned a bit about the ins and outs of that field.
Our heroine, Petra, is a media-disgraced literary agent who has taken a 6-month sabbatical to run a bookshop in a charming coastal town where she plans to decide what to do with her career going forward. She meets Ross, a one-book wonder who is basically hiding out in town after a 5-year radio silence and no follow-up books. The two begin a friendship, tackle some personal issues together (some past emotional abuse, lack of self-confidence, etc.) and move toward a possible future together. When Ross comes out with a new manuscript (with Petra as his new agent), he must decide whether he will allow past mistakes to dictate how he moves forward in his career and with Petra.
I liked the atmosphere of the town. Great supporting characters, good growth from the mains as they gain insight and belief in themselves. My caveats were twofold though. The friendship was top-notch and sweet, but the romance just didn't have the "feels" for me...it just basically felt like more of the friendship. There's also a moment of indecision on Ross' part that felt harsh and a little out-of-character for his newfound confidence, and I did not like the way he handled that situation and how easily Petra let that slide. And finally, the ending felt too rushed with the epilogue a bit too cliched and sweet/perfect.
The writing was good, the premise was good, so overall, it was a good book. I just had a few personal asides with parts of it.
My thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager / Avon for providing the free early arc of How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
Our heroine, Petra, is a media-disgraced literary agent who has taken a 6-month sabbatical to run a bookshop in a charming coastal town where she plans to decide what to do with her career going forward. She meets Ross, a one-book wonder who is basically hiding out in town after a 5-year radio silence and no follow-up books. The two begin a friendship, tackle some personal issues together (some past emotional abuse, lack of self-confidence, etc.) and move toward a possible future together. When Ross comes out with a new manuscript (with Petra as his new agent), he must decide whether he will allow past mistakes to dictate how he moves forward in his career and with Petra.
I liked the atmosphere of the town. Great supporting characters, good growth from the mains as they gain insight and belief in themselves. My caveats were twofold though. The friendship was top-notch and sweet, but the romance just didn't have the "feels" for me...it just basically felt like more of the friendship. There's also a moment of indecision on Ross' part that felt harsh and a little out-of-character for his newfound confidence, and I did not like the way he handled that situation and how easily Petra let that slide. And finally, the ending felt too rushed with the epilogue a bit too cliched and sweet/perfect.
The writing was good, the premise was good, so overall, it was a good book. I just had a few personal asides with parts of it.
My thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager / Avon for providing the free early arc of How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
August 15, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️½
I’m continuing my trend of “just okay” ARCs… and I really wanted to love this one more. 😬
Petra’s life falls spectacularly apart after an unfortunate (and VERY cringey) online incident, sending her to the charming little seaside town to work in a bookshop. And honestly? Move to a small town and work in a bookshop—it fixes everything! 😂 The bookshop setting was an absolute dream, the town was ridiculously charming, and I loved the fascinating insider look at the publishing industry. The incident that brought Petra to town was also such a great setup—funny, painfully embarrassing, and basically every person with an online presence’s worst nightmare.
The side characters were another highlight. I especially loved Jules and Roman and kept thinking, Too bad we don’t get their story! 🤦♀️ Turns out… we do! I had no idea The Battle of the Bookshops was their book, so now I need to go back and read it.
But here’s where this book lost me: the romance. And when romance is right there in the title, that’s a problem. 😂 Petra and Ross develop this sweet friendship, but I wouldn’t call it a slow burn. It was more like friendship → wait, suddenly we’re in love?! And then they basically moved in together immediately, Ross ghosts her for SIX WEEKS, and Petra takes him back without any real explanation. Ma’am. Please make better choices. 😩
So while there was plenty I enjoyed—the bookshop, the setting, the publishing insight, the side characters, and that wonderfully cringey inciting incident—the romance just didn’t feel believable enough for me.
Bottom line: A charming bookshop story with a delightful setting and some great supporting characters… that unfortunately didn’t quite deliver on the romance I was promised.
I’m continuing my trend of “just okay” ARCs… and I really wanted to love this one more. 😬
Petra’s life falls spectacularly apart after an unfortunate (and VERY cringey) online incident, sending her to the charming little seaside town to work in a bookshop. And honestly? Move to a small town and work in a bookshop—it fixes everything! 😂 The bookshop setting was an absolute dream, the town was ridiculously charming, and I loved the fascinating insider look at the publishing industry. The incident that brought Petra to town was also such a great setup—funny, painfully embarrassing, and basically every person with an online presence’s worst nightmare.
The side characters were another highlight. I especially loved Jules and Roman and kept thinking, Too bad we don’t get their story! 🤦♀️ Turns out… we do! I had no idea The Battle of the Bookshops was their book, so now I need to go back and read it.
But here’s where this book lost me: the romance. And when romance is right there in the title, that’s a problem. 😂 Petra and Ross develop this sweet friendship, but I wouldn’t call it a slow burn. It was more like friendship → wait, suddenly we’re in love?! And then they basically moved in together immediately, Ross ghosts her for SIX WEEKS, and Petra takes him back without any real explanation. Ma’am. Please make better choices. 😩
So while there was plenty I enjoyed—the bookshop, the setting, the publishing insight, the side characters, and that wonderfully cringey inciting incident—the romance just didn’t feel believable enough for me.
Bottom line: A charming bookshop story with a delightful setting and some great supporting characters… that unfortunately didn’t quite deliver on the romance I was promised.
August 25, 2026
This is the second book of Poppy's that I've read, and I think I need to stop expecting romance to be at the center of her stories.
While the title alludes to finding romance in a bookshop, I found the romance in this book to be very underwhelming. There was very little tension or yearning, and not much relationship development on the page, to be honest.
I wanted to see Petra and Ross growing closer but it felt like what we got were the aftershocks of their interactions rather than the interactions themselves. And the scenes we got with them together all felt very surface-level.
Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with the main characters in the first half of the story. The level of self-loathing and insecurity they seemed to have allowed for growth, but unfortunately the way it was illustrated felt repetitive and cliche.
I did love the found family aspect and enjoyed getting to spend time with some of the characters from Poppy's previous book (Battle of the Bookshops). And I loved the seaside small town setting and that the story revolved around the bookstore, books and the publishing industry.
The second half of the book was by far my favorite part. I liked seeing the Petra gain confidence as she managed the bookstore, supported local writers and helped with the literary festival. And I enjoyed Ross's return to writing and the way his confidence grew as well.
All in all, this was just an okay read for me.
3⭐️/5
Read if you like:
★ Books about books/bookstores/publishing/writing
★ Small town
★ Found family
★ Friends to lovers (ish)
Thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books and the author for an advanced digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
While the title alludes to finding romance in a bookshop, I found the romance in this book to be very underwhelming. There was very little tension or yearning, and not much relationship development on the page, to be honest.
I wanted to see Petra and Ross growing closer but it felt like what we got were the aftershocks of their interactions rather than the interactions themselves. And the scenes we got with them together all felt very surface-level.
Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with the main characters in the first half of the story. The level of self-loathing and insecurity they seemed to have allowed for growth, but unfortunately the way it was illustrated felt repetitive and cliche.
I did love the found family aspect and enjoyed getting to spend time with some of the characters from Poppy's previous book (Battle of the Bookshops). And I loved the seaside small town setting and that the story revolved around the bookstore, books and the publishing industry.
The second half of the book was by far my favorite part. I liked seeing the Petra gain confidence as she managed the bookstore, supported local writers and helped with the literary festival. And I enjoyed Ross's return to writing and the way his confidence grew as well.
All in all, this was just an okay read for me.
3⭐️/5
Read if you like:
★ Books about books/bookstores/publishing/writing
★ Small town
★ Found family
★ Friends to lovers (ish)
Thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books and the author for an advanced digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
March 29, 2026
I happily accepted a request from the publisher to review How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop by Poppy Alexander. I have read other books from the author and have thoroughly enjoyed them so it was no problem saying an enthusiastic yes.
Poppy Alexander is exceptional at pulling you into the story from the first chapter and you can’t help but fall in love with the characters. This was the case with her latest book, How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop. Books with stories that center around the love of literature, writing, books, quaint bookshops, seaside towns, and romance tick all the boxes for me and I couldn’t wait to delve into Poppy’s novel.
I was not disappointed. Petra, the main character, seeks solace and second chances in the seaside town of Portneath when she accepts a summer position to manage an old, family-run bookshop. She has run from her responsibilities as an agent in London when a terrible typo on an important document goes viral, undermines her confidence in the field, and ultimately brings her career to a standstill. The quaint seaside town of Portneath and Capelthorne’s Bookshop offers her the refuge she seeks and Petra soon finds her sense of self returning.
Being surrounded by books and a community of book loving individuals, Petra immerses herself in her new role at the bookshop. She soon meets Ross, a successful author from five years ago whose debut novel skyrocketed him to fame. Ross, though, is also seeking refuge in Portneath, as he is running away from the aftermath of a toxic relationship and the consequent effects it has had on his career. He suffers from writers’ block and seeks to reignite his passion for writing and complete his second novel.
Through a series of interesting twists and lots of turns, Petra and Ross meet, and the “romance at the bookshop” begins. They help each other to see their own potential and talent and they are able to reassess their worth amidst the ultra-competitive and tough book industry.They help each other grow personally as well as professionally along the way. Their love story follows the bumpy highs and lows of their careers, but they manage to make it work.
I love how Poppy Alexander can bring the “ordinary” to life. I find this one of my favorite things about her writing style and why her books have always been so satisfying to me. Her stories have a way of drawing you in, despite what you may initially think of the characters. I remember thinking I wasn’t a big fan of Petra in the beginning, as she seemed to be a reactive, somewhat self-centered character with whom I had trouble connecting with. But, what Poppy does so brilliantly, is grow your love for the characters, despite their flaws, as she peels back layers of their redeeming qualities and gives you glimpses into how they grow and change.
Thank you to Poppy Alexander and the publisher, Avon and Harper Voyager, for the opportunity to read the advanced copy of How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop. I look forward to reading more of Poppy Alexander’s books in the future.
Poppy Alexander is exceptional at pulling you into the story from the first chapter and you can’t help but fall in love with the characters. This was the case with her latest book, How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop. Books with stories that center around the love of literature, writing, books, quaint bookshops, seaside towns, and romance tick all the boxes for me and I couldn’t wait to delve into Poppy’s novel.
I was not disappointed. Petra, the main character, seeks solace and second chances in the seaside town of Portneath when she accepts a summer position to manage an old, family-run bookshop. She has run from her responsibilities as an agent in London when a terrible typo on an important document goes viral, undermines her confidence in the field, and ultimately brings her career to a standstill. The quaint seaside town of Portneath and Capelthorne’s Bookshop offers her the refuge she seeks and Petra soon finds her sense of self returning.
Being surrounded by books and a community of book loving individuals, Petra immerses herself in her new role at the bookshop. She soon meets Ross, a successful author from five years ago whose debut novel skyrocketed him to fame. Ross, though, is also seeking refuge in Portneath, as he is running away from the aftermath of a toxic relationship and the consequent effects it has had on his career. He suffers from writers’ block and seeks to reignite his passion for writing and complete his second novel.
Through a series of interesting twists and lots of turns, Petra and Ross meet, and the “romance at the bookshop” begins. They help each other to see their own potential and talent and they are able to reassess their worth amidst the ultra-competitive and tough book industry.They help each other grow personally as well as professionally along the way. Their love story follows the bumpy highs and lows of their careers, but they manage to make it work.
I love how Poppy Alexander can bring the “ordinary” to life. I find this one of my favorite things about her writing style and why her books have always been so satisfying to me. Her stories have a way of drawing you in, despite what you may initially think of the characters. I remember thinking I wasn’t a big fan of Petra in the beginning, as she seemed to be a reactive, somewhat self-centered character with whom I had trouble connecting with. But, what Poppy does so brilliantly, is grow your love for the characters, despite their flaws, as she peels back layers of their redeeming qualities and gives you glimpses into how they grow and change.
Thank you to Poppy Alexander and the publisher, Avon and Harper Voyager, for the opportunity to read the advanced copy of How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop. I look forward to reading more of Poppy Alexander’s books in the future.
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