The Great Popcorn Romance

by Georgia Beers, Lori Prince (Narrator)

Opposites attract, and Riley Shaw stands no chance of resisting Hannah Kramer’s magnetic pull. But opposites know just how to drive each other crazy...

How it Her best friend Kyle suggests Riley take a job at Poptacular, his grandmother's gourmet popcorn shop. Spending the summer mixing caramel and cheddar sounds like fun, right?

Spoiler It’s not fun.

Enter Kyle’s little sister Hannah and her stubborn refusal to try any ideas that aren’t her own. Their working styles are completely different. In short, she is infuriating. And hot. Why does she have to be hot?

How it’s Years have passed, and Riley’s no longer a victim of her teenage hormones. She’s a high-powered consultant who travels from city to city, helping struggling businesses. Distance weakens a magnetic field, and Riley doesn’t think about Hannah Kramer. Not ever.

So, when Kyle calls to say Poptacular is in trouble and on the brink of closing its doors, her first thought definitely isn’t of Hannah. No, heading back to her hometown is not on her bingo card. But for Poptacular’s co-owner, popcorn is Hannah’s whole life, and Riley can’t stand to see her dream fail.

How it With the Great (hot and buttery) Popcorn Romance, of course.

Genres: Audiobook, Femme Femme, Romance, Queer, Lesbian Fiction, Lesbian, Contemporary

Audible Audio

Published December 4, 2025

About the author

Lambda and Golden Crown Literary Award-winning author Georgia Beers lives in Rochester, New York. She has been writing for as long as she can remember, and published her first lesbian novel in 2000.

Reviews

[Stuffl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy, that was so sweet. Not only because of the popcorn theme, but also because of the love story, which was incredibly sweet and heartwarming. It's a lighthearted romance with low angst.

I also learned from the novel that there are so many different popcorn flavors that I've never heard of before. I mean, pickle? I could have used that when I was pregnant.

The plot is quickly explained: Hannah's popcorn shop is in trouble. Her brother Kyle calls on his old friend Riley, who helps companies in financial difficulty. The only problem is that Hannah and Riley had a crush on each other as teenagers, but neither knew about the other's feelings. Hannah isn't thrilled about the whole idea, but she has no other choice... both quickly realize that a lot of that crush is still there.

I liked the pace and structure of the love story. The slow burn was delicious, and the chemistry and attraction were lovely. It took me a little while to warm up to Hannah, as she was very closed off and grumpy at first. I liked Riley's direct manner and was a little surprised by the third act breakup. I had expected something different, but it worked for me.

All in all, a cozy book with light holiday vibes. I loved the details about making popcorn and Hannah and Riley's relationship. So beautifully written. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed a good chunk of books by this author. She reliably has main characters that I really like and root for, and this one was no exception. I haven’t listened to too many of her recent books, because I didn’t connect as much with the narrator she was using, but as soon as I saw this one was Lori Prince again, I grabbed it. She’s a narrator that I personally really love and her performance in this one really enhanced the experience. Def a great listen and though it’s not the focus, enough of a winter, some Christmas vibes to get me slightly in the mood.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Bold Strokes and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Great Popcorn Romance! As always, all opinions are my own and this review is being left voluntarily.

✨ Adult Contemporary Romance
✨ Third Person, Dual POV
✨ 3/5 Spice Level
✨ Standalone
✨ Rep: lesbian

I recommend if you enjoy…
- Childhood Crush Romances
- Older Brother’s Bestie/Ex
- Small Town Romances
- Small Business Owner
- Popcorn!

Content warnings after review.

General thoughts…
While this was an ARC, I was lucky enough to also be able to buddy read this with my friend! I’m a big fan of small town romances, and I loved that one of the MC’s owns a popcorn shop. All the different popcorn flavors being mentioned… definitely worked up my appetite and made me thing about what the different flavors mentioned in the book would taste like (totally not the “point” of the book but an aspect I enjoyed nonetheless!)

Some things I loved…
- Big fan of the whole former childhood crush aspect (especially after that got revealed to the crush in question).
- As mentioned before… popcorn!
- I loved Hannah’s interactions with the customers and how her passion for her work shined through.
- The older brother’s ex/older brother’s bestie trope worked well for me. I liked how Riley and Hannah’s history together played out as well as their current, very obvious, attraction to one another.
- I thought the romance overall was very cute/sweet. The spice is there, but it definitely leans more into the sweet romance vibe.

Some things to consider…
- This is a romance book with spice; however, the spice is a little on the lighter side imo. That being said, it still includes explicit content.
- The third act drama… I could have taken it or left it. It wasn’t the worst because I could see where it was coming from, but it isn’t my favorite plot device in romance books.

Final thoughts…
Overall this was such a cute and fun small town romances! It read more sweet than spicy. This was my first book by the author, and I would be interested in reading more by Georgia!

(beware potential spoilers below)

Content Warnings
(may not be all inclusive)
past parental de*th, s*xually explicit content

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ This is a story about Hannah who runs a small popcorn shop in a small town in upstate NY. She inherited the business from her grandmother and it’s struggling to survive. Her brother Kyle asks an old friend of his to come to town and help his sister get the business through this tough time. Riley agrees to help, she’s a businesswoman whose company advises struggling companies get back on their feet. Problem is Hannah is stubborn and doesn’t want her help.

I loved all the popcorn flavors Hannah creates. Yummy and I want to try them all. 😋

Beers is such a quality writer both in her style and prose. I really enjoyed this sweet romance. It was a perfect read for me after 3 really long and mediocre books.

I recommend it to all my book friends looking for good story. Thanks to Net Galley and BSB for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

[Vita L. Licari · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic enemies to lovers love story! When Hannah's brother Kyle calls his childhood best friend Riley to come to town to help her business, she is pissed. Well, she finds out from Riley after she gets back into town. So Hannah's hackles are up. Riley sees a challenge. It's sweet and loving.
I LOVE THIS BOOK! 5 stars!

[Aleana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.


Riley is business consultant who helps resurrect struggling businesses when she was a teen she work with her best friend Kyle and his younger sister Hannah who she doesn’t get along with despite the fact they have a crush on each other at his grandmother's gourmet popcorn shop, Poptacular. When Kyle asked Riley to help Poptacular which is struggling she back in Hannah orbit and obviously there still an attraction between them. Hannah is reluctant to have Riley help but in time she starts to see the value in Riley from there they start to grow close. I enjoy the read I like the descriptions of making popcorn made me want popcorn and I’m not even a popcorn eater.

[Minna Perälä · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got free ARC of the book in advance from the publisher via Netgalley. However, I was behind with ARCs and didn't have time to read the book before it was published although it sounded really interesting. I ended up buying the audiobook version when it was published on December 4th. The review is written after listening to the audiobook which is narrated by the talented Lori Prince.

Georgia Beers has delivered really fun, usually somehow food related sapphic romances lately. The Great Popcorn Romance was entertaining and light fall & holiday season romance. It is probably the spiciest Georgia Beers book I've read. And it makes you want to eat popcorn in all the flavors.

There's comedy and some heart break, a bit of "movie magic", and tight small town community. The story would make a great holiday romcom movie. The romance is sweet and Hannah and Riley are really cute together.

Lori Prince fits really well to this story. The Great Popcorn Romance is my favorite of her recent work. She amps the novel's holiday romcom vibe to the next level.

4.5 stars rounded up.

[Nicolette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC from NetGalley!!

This was an incredibly sweet story. Each character was likeable and it was interesting to learn more about their backstories. I loved the popcorn-making scenes; I am not a popcorn person, but I felt like one of those beloved caressed kernels with how well they were written. It gets corny and cliched at times, but in a way it fits.

If you are looking for a cute sapphic story, I would recommend this.

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poptastic!

Riley is reunited with Hannah, her best friend Kyle’s little sister, years after they used to work together in his grandmother’s popcorn shop. Kyle has called on Riley to come and help his sister make a success of the store as it struggling. There is tension at first, but as the two of them become reacquainted Riley learns some home truths about the past, and about what she wants for life now, as she has been moving for so long she isn’t sure how not to.

This was as good a toffee popcorn, the good kind, with a cosy blanket, a hot drink, and the ultimate romance film. I adored every second of this story and didn’t want to put it down, excited for whether these two would have the great romance their connection and past revelations seemed to suggest was possible. That tension between them when Hannah realised why Riley was really back in town was intense, but it didn’t take long for Riley have her understand what a good impact little changes could make, and in turn, although neither of them new it yet, being back was doing the same for Riley.

You could tell that when they had younger they had all been close, and somewhere deep down Riley was missing it all, but when she travelled as much as she did it was easy for her to ignore and deny those feelings. The project provided them an opportunity to rekindle the connection and unconsciously they both wasted no time in doing just that. That connection between them was so special, but there were lots of other characters around who were also influencing them both and sharing opinions. There was one that was hitting deep and Riley wasn’t understanding what was being shared subtly, but I really hoped she was going to get.

Of course this wouldn’t be the great romance promised in the title without some drama, and Georgia delivered that alongside the all cutest moments you’d expect as well. I loved this and highly recommend it! It’ll also make you want some popcorn, so make sure you get some to accompany your reading.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fine, but I expected so much more.

The first word in this book is caramel and the last is popcorn, and that pretty much says it all. Hannah was practically just making popcorn and inventing new flavors. How many flavors can you come up with? It's bound to end eventually, you'd think.

For me, it was definitely a bit too much about popcorn. There was barely a page without the word "popcorn." It almost felt like a triangular romance between Riley, Hannah, and popcorn. At least for the first 75% of the book. Then the popcorn finally faded into the background somewhat.

Nevertheless, I still liked Riley and Hannah and enjoyed the book, although I did find it one of Georgia Beers' less enjoyable books. 3.5 ⭐️

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best romances feel more like a negotiation of feelings and circumstances, and this one is no exception. Lori Prince brings her melted butter voice in, to sprinkle this winner of a popcorn love story, and it's made all the better for it.

Every romance has its tropes, but I believe Beers eschews the '3rd act breakup' trope for something far more complex, emphasizing the assumptions and mis-assumptions on both sides. Without detailing any spoilers, you can feel the characters heal and grow up in their interactions with each other, and in their thinking through their experiences. It gave me a lot to think about in my own life; how we're not always able to immediately figure ourselves out.

I look forward to more from Beers, this was truly a joy to listen to!!

[kelsee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great Popcorn Romance is, in fact, great. You'll be rooting for Hannah and Riley all along the way. I related so much to Riley and her journey felt so personal and meaningful.

I also loved the side characters, especially Shana and Mr. Daniels! I was so engrossed in everyone's growth and character arcs and every single character was so well-written.

As a popcorn lover, I highly recommend having some popcorn at the ready...the descriptions in the book made me desperately wish Poptacular was real (and The Coffee Cup, too!)

If you love sapphic romances and popcorn, definitely pick this one up!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Elsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

[Alena · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star for a Beers hurts me a little bit, but whichever way I look at it, I didn’t like it and just skimmed through the second half, and that really doesn’t feel like a 2 star read.
Formally, there’s nothing wrong with the writing. It’s just me not connecting to the characters at all and consequently not caring. I’m just so over a lot of the things Beers does. The small town, the small business… reading her acknowledgments, it’s not looking good for me and Beers in the future, which is a shame. Not giving up, just adjusting my expectations.

[Sue Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this awesome book

georgia beers certainly knows how to write a good storyline and this one was no different

riley shaw is a high powered consultant travelling around the country helping businesses out and when she gets the call from her childhood friend kyle to help his family business she knows she is going back to help..... how could she not....

even if it means meeting kyles sister hannah again

they hadnt parted on the best of terms, there was the before kiss and after kiss that had happened between kyle and riley and hannah was never the same to riley after she witnessed it...

but riley could put her past behind her after all she was good at her job and she was just going to do just that to save the business that had been so involved in her teenager years...... she could work with hannah ....right....

omg this storyline has you on tenterhooks right from the beginning when riley walks in to hannahs realisation of why she is there and hannah isnt happy

tension knows no bounds in this great storyline and man do i fancy popcorn now.....

cant wait to see what is next from this great author that set me on this path of sapphic books that i love so much

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A special thank you to NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books and Georgia Beers for this great ARC opportunity! Happy to leave my honest review.


Yaayyy Georgia Beers! I have enjoyed a number of really fun to read sapphic romances by this author and felt so excited to read another! The Great Popcorn Romance did not disappoint and was a warm, sweet and fun second chance sapphic romance that kept me smiling and well entertained. I would be remiss if I didn't comment on the fabulous cover art! The bright and wonderfully animated cover sets a tone for the book as being a vibrant and light hearted story, which it most certainly was. This was a charming and satisfying quick read that I finished in one sitting! A story set around my most favorite snack, delicious popcorn? I had a lot of fun reading this book and, much like a big bag of caramel popcorn, it really hit the spot.

The story centers around a fun opposites attract scenario sprinkled with second chance hope. We meet Riley and Hannah who are really sweet characters that I grew to like more and more with each passing page. When Rile was a teenager she worked at her best friend Kyle’s grandmother's gourmet popcorn shop, Poptacular. Riley is forced to work with Hannah, Kyle’s younger sister, who is as stubborn as she is hot! The two but heads on a regular basis and despite having major crutches on one another, the summer ends and that’s that. They grow up and move on, such is life. Now, many years later, Hannah runs and co owns Poptacular with her brother and Riley is a business consultant who helps resurrect struggling businesses. Kyle has asked Riley to return to their small town and help a struggling Poptastic out of the red and into the black…and this is where the real story begins. Riley and Hannah are thrust back together and it's clear that the attraction and chemistry is still very much there.

Despite some initial reticence both girls recognize that they have something special between them. Riley is charismatic and driven. She left small town Sunset Valley without a second thought and has become quite the success. Nevertheless, the loss of her mother creates a sense of vulnerability that I could see as a huge reason for her aversion to commitment. It’s hard to allow anyone in so close when you have experienced loss, you really know how much it hurts to lose the people that mean the most. Hannah is hardworking and cares so much about her family business that she kind of loses herself in it. Poptacular becomes so entrenched in her identity that she takes any criticism of the business as a personal critique. While not initially accepting of Riley's help, in time she sees not only the value that RIley can bring to her business but to her personal life. Their chemistry is so bold that it just jumps off the page. They are electric together and their attraction is built on years of suppressed feelings so it seems to just erupt. Their relationship grows from a sort of rivalry to friendship and then to so much more. I felt like there was so much genuine emotion between them and I appreciated the slow burn style intensity. I honestly just really liked Riley and Hannah together. I felt like they balanced each other out quite nicely. I was thrilled when they took a chance on each other and was rooting for them all along. I must admit, I very much enjoyed their spicy scenes and felt like their sexual chemistry was off the charts! Smokin 'hot!

Georgia Beers does a wonderful job of pacing out this quick red and fitting so much in. I never felt that the story was lagging or contrived. Hannah and Riley's relationship grew organically and even the brief break up just world well. Beer's writing style is one of my favorites as she always delivers an entertaining read. Beers writing is accessible and wonderfully character centred. This book was written with a heartfelt and warm tone punctuated with humor and emotional nuance. I enjoyed the dialogue and felt that it highlighted who Riley and Hannah truly are. I have to mention that the popcorn element added an element of whimsy throughout the story and helped to maintain it as a lighthearted romance versus a dense emotional one. Plus, the descriptions of making popcorn made me crave popcorn so much that I had to pop myself a bag of butter flavored popcorn in the microwave…not nearly as good as Poptastic but it did the trick.

Overall, this is a really sweet and heartwarming sapphic love story. I loved the popcorn ship setting and felt that it added to the story in a unique and inventive way. Riley and Hannah are a great couple and I was thrilled to read their HEA! If you enjoy swoon worthy sapphic rom com with wit and whimsy then you will love this small town, second chance sapphic romance! Must read!

[MaReads Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a struggling popcorn shop risks closing its doors, its owner is forced to work with the last person she expected: her brother’s best friend and unresolved first crush. In a small town where proximity is unavoidable, old feelings resurface alongside unfinished business.

3⭐️ / 5 — 2.5🌶️ / 5 (4/19 chapters)

👯‍♀️ Brother’s best friend
💘 Childhood crush / First love
💞 FF romance / Lesbian romance
⚡️ Forced proximity
🌆 Small town

This was my first FF romance, and overall, it was an enjoyable and easy read. I loved the originality of the setting: a popcorn shop instead of the usual bakery or café, and the cozy small-town atmosphere. While the tropes were appealing, the story didn’t fully pull me in emotionally, and I felt something was missing to make the romance truly memorable. A pleasant read, but not one that deeply lingered with me.

⚠️ Spoilers ahead
🌍 Worldbuilding & Setting
The story takes place in a small town centered around Poptacular, Hannah’s popcorn shop, which is facing serious financial trouble. The small-town setting is present, but I personally wished it played a bigger role through stronger interactions with local residents and neighboring businesses. The shop itself is a fun and refreshing concept, but the world around it felt underexplored.

👩‍❤️‍👩 Main Characters
I had mixed feelings about Hannah. I appreciated her stubbornness and determination to run her business her own way, especially at the beginning. However, her refusal to accept help (even when it’s offered freely) became frustrating at times. I did enjoy her blunt honesty, especially when she openly admits her long-standing crush on Riley, but that directness also reduced the build-up of romantic tension.
Riley started as my favorite: strategic, professional, and genuinely motivated to help Hannah save her business. Unfortunately, her character lost consistency toward the end. Her instability, lies, and sudden behavioral shift felt abrupt and underdeveloped, which made it harder for me to stay emotionally invested.

💘 The Romance
The romance is very much at the center of the story, perhaps a bit too much. While the emotional connection and internal feelings are clearly expressed, I missed more on-page tension, physical closeness, and gradual build-up. Because Hannah is so straightforward about her feelings early on, the story skips some of the yearning and slow-burn moments I personally love.

✨ What I Wish Had Been Developed More
-More scenes with Shanna, ideally deeper and more impactful
-More presence from Kyle, who felt underused
-Additional interactions with Justin, Riley’s assistant (great potential there)
-A stronger small-town vibe through memorable side characters
-More space to develop romantic tension instead of resolving it quickly

What I liked:
-The popcorn shop concept 🍿
-Small-town setting (even if underused)
-Brother’s best friend & childhood crush tropes
-FF romance representation

What I liked less:
-Lack of depth in side characters
-Romance felt rushed in execution
-Riley’s late-character shift felt abrupt
-Limited exploration of the town and community
-At the end, Riley and Hannah kept repeating themselves, it felt weird to me:

« I keep moving. I keep moving, that’s what I do. »

« I want to stay still. I want to stay still. With you. Can I do that? »

« Oh, baby, yes. Yes, of course you can. Of course you can. It’s all I want, you know. It’s all I want. Just you. Just you. »

Recommended for: readers looking for a short, cozy FF romance with light angst and familiar tropes.
Might disappoint: those craving strong romantic tension, rich side characters, or immersive small-town dynamics.

Thank you Georgia Beers, Bold Strokes Books and Net Galley for sending me this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

[jayden abel · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Possible Spoilers*

The Great Popcorn Romance, by Georgia Beers is a short little Hallmark-style read. Small town entrepreneur Hannah falls for big city/former small town girl Riley. That’s the plot start to finish. For me, Hannah and Riley didn’t work as a couple. I found Hannah to be fairly selfish and unempathetic towards Riley’s demons and baggage.

Neither woman had enough character development for me to get invested in their lives. I don’t know what they enjoy doing outside of popping corn and avoiding emotional connection like the plague. It felt like they only had enough personality to serve specific plot points, but not enough to memorialize them as unique characters. Riley worked through her grief really fast, and conveniently just in time to woo Hannah with a heart-wrenching speech about belonging. Hannah kind of just exists. She didn’t really grow; her world outlook didn’t expand. Things just fall into place at the end, saving her store from bankruptcy.

Hannah’s little kid crush on Riley didn’t evolve to fit where the two are as full grown adults. It still reads like she has a thing for her older brother’s pretty best friend. It felt like the attraction between the two women was more physical than intellectual. They always commented on how sexy the other one looked. Intelligence, humor, and wit didn’t seem a part of the appeal. I wish Hannah had been more understanding when Riley fled town scared of commitment. Obviously skipping town and lying about it isn’t cool, but from Riley’s perspective, trusting someone with vulnerability feels like a toss up. Maybe the door will stay open but maybe it’ll slam closed with a bang. I wanted Hannah to handle the aftermath with more delicacy before blowing up and making the situation about how betrayed she felt. Taking time to think about whether Riley’s baggage is too much to handle is fair, but getting mad at her for trying to be open and honest about messing up is counterproductive. The one thing I liked was how Riley proposed to Hannah at the end of the book. It felt very full circle for her to be the one to ask for forever given her former unease with commitment

The book didn't have enough plot or personality to keep me enraptured by it. There were a few unpopped kernels that made the story fall through for me. I wish that Hannah and Riley’s enjoyment of making popcorn together had been capitalized on. It would’ve been cute to see them have dates centered around brainstorming flavors and making batches of snacks. Like any good Hallmark movie, the side characters were sweet and more reliable than the main couple. The entire plot felt like an idyllic cable channel small town romance. If that’s your vibe, then this might be up your alley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Riya Kataria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked this one — more than I expected to!

The book is really what’s written on the tin: it’s a cute, low angst sapphic rom com with a touch of that holiday magic. It does that super well, and I was pleasantly surprised by the depth it managed to create in a decently low stakes story.

I think what really makes this shine are (a) the likable characters and (b) the integration of an external conflict.

In terms of the characters, it’s easy to root for them. I think Riley was especially well-explored, with her motivations and emotions coming across as realistic and easy to follow; even when she’s being unreasonable, it’s not difficult to see where that’s coming from, and that makes a huge difference. Both Hannah and Riley are likable in their own ways, and it boasts an impressive ensemble of supporting characters that really fortify the story whilst also standing on their own.

The external conflict is never overly intrusive to the point of taking away from the central romance, but it is always present, which provides some really clear stakes and a really satisfying payoff. I enjoyed how the world-building coalesces into a very fulfilling conclusion, and I found it worked really well to uplift the love story.

I would have liked to see Hannah’s character slightly more fleshed out — I think Riley is super well-explored, but sometimes at the behest of building upon Hannah’s internal monologue and psyche. It’s not as if she’s a shallow character; I just wish the depth would have been closer to Riley’s.

In addition, while the romance is super satisfying and easy to enjoy, I feel like I would have appreciated a touch more development in the latter half of the story. The buildup was excellent, but it reaches a certain point where it slightly stagnates and then all of a sudden accelerates rapidly out of nowhere. It isn’t as extreme as I’m putting it — I think it’s slightly noticeable, but not enough to stop the reader from enjoying the story still.

Fundamentally, this is a cute and classic holiday rom com, and it does that really well. The story develops really naturally, and aside from a few bumps in the road, is largely well-written. I really enjoyed it! Definitely would recommend giving it a read. 4.3/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for providing an ARC!

[Unpopmary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐

This is an opposites attract, small-town romance between Riley, a renowned consultant, and Hannah, the owner of Poptacular—a gourmet popcorn shop. When Hannah’s brother, Kyle, asks Riley for help with the business, things get awkward fast. Hannah can’t stand Riley after a past “incident” involving her brother, so the tension is immediate. But as they’re forced to spend more time together, it becomes clear that something between them is slowly shifting.

I’ll be honest: at first, I really didn’t like Hannah’s attitude. Her dislike of Riley felt overblown, especially since she was holding onto a grudge over something that didn’t seem very significant in the present day. It came across as petty to me. Riley, on the other hand, was a character I mostly enjoyed, even if she was an absolute idiot toward Hannah near the end. Still, I appreciated her arc: watching her stop running away, face her fears, and confront challenges head-on. I also appreciated Hannah’s growth, especially when she finally lets Riley in, not just emotionally, but by accepting her help with the shop. She learns that needing support doesn’t make her weak, and in the end, they both help each other grow in unexpected ways.

The romance itself, though, didn’t fully work for me. While there were definitely cute moments and clear chemistry, much of it leaned a little too corny and cheesy for my taste. Because of that, their connection didn’t always feel entirely believable, and both the romance and the plot could have benefited from a more original approach.

What really stood out to me, though, were the popcorn descriptions. I loved how much care the author put into detailing the process, the recipes, and the fact that the shop’s legacy was passed down from grandmother to granddaughter. You could really feel how seriously Hannah took preserving that legacy. I also enjoyed the pacing, it was fast without ever feeling rushed, and I was never bored.

Overall, this is a lighthearted story about facing your fears and stepping outside your comfort zone. Maybe not one I’ll revisit anytime soon, but still a solid, cozy read that’s perfect for passing the time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah Kramer is half-owner of a specialty popcorn business, Poptacular, in the upstate New York town of Sunset Valley, along with her older brother, Kyle. Kyle is worried about the struggling business and places a call to childhood friend and corporate and small business fixer, Riley Shaw. Riley spent five years in Sunset Valley prior to attending college, so she agrees to help an old friend. However, Kyle fails to tell Hannah that Riley will be coming to town to provide recommendations about Poptacular. So, Hannah is very surprised when her childhood crush shows up one day and begins to make recommendations about the business. Not only is Hannah upset, but fifteen years later the crush remains on now a very beautiful woman. To complicate matters, Hannah can't get the vision of Kyle and Riley kissing when they were fifteen and she was a couple of years younger.

It takes several days for Hannah to stop resisting Riley's business suggestions before she slowly agrees to a few small recommendations. As they begin to work together Riley learns more about Hannah and vice versa. Then Kyle reveals something to Hannah that completely changes her view of what happened between Riley and him all those years ago. That forms the basis for a potential pairing between Hannah and Riley.

This was a quick read with the fun aspects of the story occurring in a popcorn shop and some of the story taking place over various holidays. But there is also an underlying emotional depth to this story that impacts the main characters and the reader. The chemistry between Hannah and Riley can be felt in the tension between the two women. Some additional things that I enjoyed about this story included references to Hannah's grandmother whom she inherited the shop from and whose picture hangs on the shop's wall. Finally, I liked that Georgia Beers only included references to the past while Hannah, Riley and Kyle were growing up and didn't devote entire chapters to that time period. 4.5 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georgia Beers is one of those reliable authors who I know will create likable characters with a sweet romance. Hannah Kramer loves her popcorn shop, Poptacular, that originally belonged to her Grandmother. She loves creating new flavors and enjoys her customers. But the shop is not flourishing. Months from possibly closing its doors, her brother Kyle asks his best friend Riley Shaw to come and see if she can help turn things around. Riley is a highly accomplished consultant who helps businesses become more profitable. She decides to return to the small town where she lived in her teens and see if she can help. She actually worked in the shop one summer with Kyle and his younger sister Hannah.

Hannah of course isn’t thrilled when Riley starts critiquing her store. Her flustering is compounded by the fact that as a teen she had a crush on Riley. I liked the small town setting and fun flavors of popcorn created. A very small point that bugged me was that Kyle owns half the shop and I didn’t know how that fits into the story other than allowing him to bring in Riley. Does he get profits from his sister’s life work? I liked that Hannah was at her best when creating but I wanted to see Riley helping her understand computerizing her bookkeeping, ordering and payables that would actually make her work easier. I felt there were missed moments to show how Riley excelled at her job. Side characters are limited, but Shana, the coffee shop owner and friend is a stand out.

I will say I paused reading to make popcorn after reading all the flavor descriptions. I only had butter and sea salt but it got me through the book. The sparks do fly when the pair figure out they are on the same team and when they are working together. I was cheering for them as a couple but knew there would be a conflict to overcome especially with Riley’s traveling schedule. I often read Beers’ books again for a light, pick me up and can see me doing that with this book as well. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review.

[FemmeFataleReviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're into slow paced romance books with lots of inner monologue, you might like this, but I still wouldn't recommend it.

The first half of the book was sweet, even though I already had so many issues with it. The first one being that it was just boring and underwhelming. Every scene or every promise the text made was just not fulfilled. There could've been so much more happening. Instead they just talked and sold popcorn. Which I guess is fine, but yeah boring.
The second issue is that I didn't know what to love about the characters. Like I very much knew their flaws, but that's the only thing I got out of the book. Expect that they were supposed to be hot and attractive... Don't know why though. That's honestly the same with everything else. I was just supposed to believe that they have chemistry and like each other, but I didn't know why they would.

The storyline about saving the business was actually pretty interesting (without having any kind of knowledge about that topic myself), but it did unfortunately fizzle out.

And in the second half, I got annoyed at one of the MCs because she was rather self-centred. And then their communication was horrendous. (And I don't usually mind miscommunications because I understand that sometimes people have reasons to not be able to talk about their feelings, but if I see someone struggling to talk I give them fucking time.)

I guess I should've written this after getting over my annoyance. Well, sorry for that. I liked the dialogues at least.

The audiobook was narrated by Lori Prince. While I usually like her narration, this definitely missed the mark for me. Both characters had a very high and squeaky voice and the intonation was a little weird. It made it seem like things were important or dramatic when they weren't.

[Scott Cutlip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georgia Beers’ The Great Popcorn Romance is a well-traveled road that has been done better and worse than here. Riley comes back to town to help her best friend with Poptacular,a gourmet popcorn shop. She worked there when she was a teenager and also butted heads with Hannah, her best friend’s younger sister. Now she’s trying to help the struggling business, despite Hannah’s animosity.

This is a typical Georgia Beers romance, with a little humor and well-meaning, but clueless friends. But there are two things that knock it down a little bit for me.

One, it seems to be of two individual part. In the first part, Hannah is the person who can’t get the stick out of her hindquarters and who is, quite honestly, a bit unlikeable in the first half. Then in the second half we get Riley’s relationship fear, which quite honestly hadn’t really been built up in the first half to make it quite believable. Sometimes romance writers pick a characters who is always in the wrong and who has to make amends, and it seems like we get it here, except Beers switches it in the middle of the book.

Second, I wasn’t really feeling the chemistry between the two main characters. The two were completely fine separately and Hannah was even somewhat likeable away from Riley, but I just never felt it when the two of them were together. I could see a fling between the two, but I guess The Great Popcorn Fling didn’t have as much pop as a title.

Overall, a decent read, but not one I’d be likely to revisit again, as I will with others of the author’s novels.

I rate this a 3.5, so I'll bump it to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast sweet read, with sweet I mean both story wise and the caramel flavored popcorns that Hannah makes fresh every morning that I just need a sample of now. It is a low angst books that has that given HEA from the very beginning.

Adorable Hannah that probably makes the best flavoured popcorn out there, is unfortunately not having any business nor marketing sense so her financial situation is not great. Her brother Kyle, co-owner of Poptacular, calls in a favour from his childhood friend Riley, a business consultant. Hannah is not happy about having Riley around at first pointing out everything she should improve, and she is also still struggling with the fact that Riley, her big childhood crush, had a fling with her brother Kyle as a teen and thus cracked her young heart. They soon see something new in each other as adults, first as friends and soon so much more. Hannah is all in but is Riley capable of giving her love life a chance or will she keep on running?

I personally would have loved to have a more depth into the minds of Riley and Hannah, their backstory. Why is Riley acting like she does after losing her mom and why is Hannah so set on running her grandmother’s old business. We get some glances, but I really would have liked way more of that as well way more of their budding romance and how that evolves. Instead, perhaps too much on how to make the best popcorns and build a sound financial and marketing plan.

I received a free ARC via NetGalley and leave a review voluntarily.

[Therese | therese's nook · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3/5 stars! I liked the setting of it being in a small town and the switch up of it being a popcorn shop instead of the usual bakery.

I had a couple of issues which for sure knocked down the rating. Most of it was the writing. There were for sure some weak writing points that I think should have been caught by the editor or even the author during line edits such as: “Hannah didn’t cry easily. She was not a crier.” and “Hannah was adorable. Riley could admit to that.” (this one being that we’re in the character’s POV, it’s already being admitted by the character, didn’t need the second sentence admitting that she was admitting to it.)

There were other sentences that felt… almost juvenile. “She felt the squeeze down to her—” and “Dampening her underwear” come to me in particular.

The sex scenes were lackluster and really felt like it was something out of the author’s wheelhouse — which is fine, not every book needs smutty scenes — but it was something reminiscent of a movie montage. Those work well visually, not so much in prose.

My other big issue lay with the miscommunication of it all. It felt manufactured (ironic since it’s a fiction novel) to create unnecessary tension. It didn’t feel like something that would happen between the characters organically, and made for a really weird 3rd act break up.

Last thing is that I was more focused on saving the popcorn shop over the characters and their plight and romance. I thought they were great friends rather than really loving the chemistry between the two of them and wanting them to kiss and get together.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Georgia Beers for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Summary:
The Great Popcorn Romance is a warm, low-stakes contemporary romance built around comfort, connection, and the simple joy of shared rituals. When two women find their lives intersecting in unexpected ways, what begins as a tentative acquaintanceship slowly develops into something deeper. Set against cosy, everyday moments (and yes, plenty of popcorn), the story focuses on emotional growth, vulnerability, and learning to open up to love again. Rather than big dramatic twists, the novel leans into gentle pacing and character-driven storytelling.

Review:
This was a sweet and comforting read overall, though the pacing was a bit uneven for me. The first half felt slow, taking its time to establish the characters and their dynamic, and I struggled to fully connect early on. However, once the story found its rhythm, I became much more invested. The emotional beats landed better in the second half, and the romance felt more natural and rewarding as it unfolded. Georgia Beers excels at writing soft, heartfelt connections, and that strength really shines later in the book. While it didn’t completely wow me, it was an enjoyable, cosy romance that I’m glad I stuck with.

[The Sapphic Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get your bowl of popcorn ready because The Great Popcorn Romance is a warm, small-town sapphic romance that absolutely knows how to work its tropes (opposites attract, returning home to a small town, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, and a festive holiday setting). And honestly? It’s just fun! Also, I’m serious about the bowl of popcorn…the descriptions in this book are certain to make you hungry.

Riley and Hannah are perfect foils: big-city consultant vs. small-town business owner. When Riley returns home to help save Poptacular, a local family-owned popcorn shop where she had worked as a teenager, the unresolved tension between her and Hannah is palpable. The shop itself is a standout setting and is written so vividly that you feel like you’re behind the counter with the characters!

Georgia Beers does a wonderful job pulling you into both characters’ perspectives, and once it starts, the physical chemistry is undeniable. The side characters add charm and grounding, and the small-town ensemble really rounds out the story.

While I would’ve loved a bit more emotional depth in places (and yes, I will always side-eye a third-act breakup), this was still a sweet, satisfying read that left me smiling. The Great Popcorn Romance is comforting, charming, and perfect if you’re in the mood for a classic sapphic small-town love story with a unique, buttery twist.

[Jeimy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Great Popcorn Romance is a small-town, second-chance romance with plenty of charm, but it ultimately asked for more suspension of disbelief than I was willing to give.

I appreciated Hannah’s creativity and genuine love for experimenting with popcorn flavors, but she never quite felt like a believable small-business owner. She reads more as an artist unwilling to engage with the realities of running a business, which made it hard to fully invest in the central conflict. Passion alone doesn’t keep the lights on, and the book doesn’t meaningfully grapple with that tension.

As a romantic pairing, Riley and Hannah were uneven for me. Their shared history explains some of the pull between them, but Hannah’s constant resistance—fighting Riley at every turn, no matter how minor the decision—made it difficult to understand why Riley remained emotionally drawn to her. Watching them collaborate and seeing Hannah reluctantly admit that Riley’s ideas were working was satisfying, but their first kiss felt accidental rather than earned.

That said, the book has a cozy, small-town vibe, a likable supporting cast, and an easy narrative flow. I listened to the audiobook in a single day, and Lori Prince’s narration added warmth and momentum that enhanced the experience. Enjoyable, if imperfect.