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Love Story
She’s a small-town schoolteacher.
He’s a hotshot marketing director.
Together, it’s hate at first sight.
Sophie Taylor has a secret and Joe Walsh thinks he knows it (all). He’s devilishly handsome, incredibly hot – and far too sure of himself.
Unfortunately, Sophie desperately needs his help. She has lost her laptop – and her sequel to the sensational, spicy romance that everybody’s talking about.
Because Sophie is not just hiding something small. She is Este Cox, the mysterious romance author the entire world is desperate to unmask.
When a trip to Sophie’s home town leads to the disgruntledpair sharing a one-bed cottage, it’s a short step to sharing a whole lot more besides… Can Sophie trust Joe with the truth – and be herself?
He’s a hotshot marketing director.
Together, it’s hate at first sight.
Sophie Taylor has a secret and Joe Walsh thinks he knows it (all). He’s devilishly handsome, incredibly hot – and far too sure of himself.
Unfortunately, Sophie desperately needs his help. She has lost her laptop – and her sequel to the sensational, spicy romance that everybody’s talking about.
Because Sophie is not just hiding something small. She is Este Cox, the mysterious romance author the entire world is desperate to unmask.
When a trip to Sophie’s home town leads to the disgruntledpair sharing a one-bed cottage, it’s a short step to sharing a whole lot more besides… Can Sophie trust Joe with the truth – and be herself?
Audiobook
First published July 4, 2024
About the author
Lindsey Kelk
50 books5,003 followersLindsey Kelk is the Sunday Times bestselling author of books including the I Heart series, On A Night Like This, The Christmas Wish, and One in a Million, along with the middle grade Cinders & Sparks series.
As well as writing books, Lindsey co-hosts the award-winning beauty podcast, Full Coverage, and Tight and Fights, a pro-wrestling podcast on the Maximum Fun network.
Born and raised in South Yorkshire, Lindsey lived in Nottingham, London and New York before settling in LA, where she lives with her husband and two very rude cats.
As well as writing books, Lindsey co-hosts the award-winning beauty podcast, Full Coverage, and Tight and Fights, a pro-wrestling podcast on the Maximum Fun network.
Born and raised in South Yorkshire, Lindsey lived in Nottingham, London and New York before settling in LA, where she lives with her husband and two very rude cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 650 reviews
September 2, 2024
Oof. With a cover this pretty and the expectations I had for this book - this sucks having to say that I really wasn't a fan of this one.
2 Stars
╰┈➤ 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓯 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂
Love story is a lighthearted rom-com that follows our FMC Sophie as she grapples with becoming a best selling author of an erotic romance novel she published under a pen name. Growing up in a family that has always worked in publishing, Sophie opted to become a teacher.
Her parents being 'pinkies up' literary scholars, they would never approve of their daughter being a romance novelist.
Gathered for the weekend at her family's home for her father's 60th birthday, Sophie is bombarded with several obstacles to keep her Este Cox alter-ego under wraps. Including her ex boyfriend CJ who's recently a best selling author, along with a hot colleague/childhood friend.
What could possibly go wrong?
╰┈➤ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
On the positive side- I did like like that the pacing moved fairly quickly. The short chapters and punchy lines were a great way to start and pull me in.
Unfortunately, it didn't take long for me to start scoffing and rolling my eyes lol. I'm super picky when it comes to rom-coms, for a while there I just refused to read them. I'm not usually a fan of the hokiness and the cartoon like character personalities.
Some of the humor actually had me laughing out loud but as the I continued reading the author mentions BookTok, TikTok, Instagram, Bookstagram, tropes and several authors by name over and over again and it just threw me out of the story - If it was just a couple of times, I'd be able to just forget about it but it's super frequent.
Instalove isn't a favorite for me and the insta of this love match goes hard, it didn't feel like any chemistry was really developed between the two of them. Kelk was just like 'and now you kisssss.' And so it was.
The supporting characters - while in some aspects had me giggling, in other aspects I didn't really like them very much. Sophie's parents speak about her as if teaching isn't a noble career and I don't understand why our FMC is I'm assuming in her late 20s or early 30s, I don't remember if it's mentioned. But she acts like a child. In her mannerisms, in seeking approval from her parents.
╰┈➤ In short, by 45% I was skimming and speed reading to get to the end being so put off by all of the characters, except maybe Sophie's brother, William. The general hokey feeling and the constant pop-culture references soured my enjoyment of this one.
2 Stars
╰┈➤ 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓯 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂
Love story is a lighthearted rom-com that follows our FMC Sophie as she grapples with becoming a best selling author of an erotic romance novel she published under a pen name. Growing up in a family that has always worked in publishing, Sophie opted to become a teacher.
Her parents being 'pinkies up' literary scholars, they would never approve of their daughter being a romance novelist.
Gathered for the weekend at her family's home for her father's 60th birthday, Sophie is bombarded with several obstacles to keep her Este Cox alter-ego under wraps. Including her ex boyfriend CJ who's recently a best selling author, along with a hot colleague/childhood friend.
What could possibly go wrong?
╰┈➤ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
On the positive side- I did like like that the pacing moved fairly quickly. The short chapters and punchy lines were a great way to start and pull me in.
Unfortunately, it didn't take long for me to start scoffing and rolling my eyes lol. I'm super picky when it comes to rom-coms, for a while there I just refused to read them. I'm not usually a fan of the hokiness and the cartoon like character personalities.
Some of the humor actually had me laughing out loud but as the I continued reading the author mentions BookTok, TikTok, Instagram, Bookstagram, tropes and several authors by name over and over again and it just threw me out of the story - If it was just a couple of times, I'd be able to just forget about it but it's super frequent.
Instalove isn't a favorite for me and the insta of this love match goes hard, it didn't feel like any chemistry was really developed between the two of them. Kelk was just like 'and now you kisssss.' And so it was.
The supporting characters - while in some aspects had me giggling, in other aspects I didn't really like them very much. Sophie's parents speak about her as if teaching isn't a noble career and I don't understand why our FMC is I'm assuming in her late 20s or early 30s, I don't remember if it's mentioned. But she acts like a child. In her mannerisms, in seeking approval from her parents.
╰┈➤ In short, by 45% I was skimming and speed reading to get to the end being so put off by all of the characters, except maybe Sophie's brother, William. The general hokey feeling and the constant pop-culture references soured my enjoyment of this one.
August 3, 2024
Writing: trademark Lindsey Kelk (punchy and conversational) | Plot: unique | Ending: again, I humbly ask for an epilogue (which I never do)
my opinion
People in China heard me scream when I opened my email to find a NetGalley widget for this absolutely stunning book. I am nothing but a Lindsey Kelk stan and once again, she did not disappoint. I can't wait to receive my pre-ordered copy to sleep with under my pillow because this cover is EVERYTHING!!!
This was different than her past books for 2 reasons. 1: Kelk catches a lot of flack for her lack of ding dongs, so horndogs rejoice, this is her horniest book yet. It's not completely open doors, but it's like not all the way closed until one of them realizes you're creepin on them and shuts it in your face. Lots of talk about ~moisture~ and ~tingling~ in this one. And by a lot, I mean for Kelk, not Elsie Silver levels. I wouldn't be surprised if this is her best rated book as there seems to be a direct correlation between spice levels and rating in the romance arena.
And 2: there was A LOT of romance for a Kelk book. I mean it was mostly horniness, but still, the MMC was fully in the frame. In some of her past books, the male love interest has less on-page time than the FMCs cat. I like how she addressed head-on that it was insta-love (everyone's least fave trope), instead of pretending they had some deep, meaningful connection they built over time like some other books ahem Heartless by Elsie Silver (sorry for the double drive-by).
I really enjoyed her take on the popular online discourse surrounding romance novels. Namely: are romance novels everything literature isn't supposed to be? Are they thinly disguised porno mags? Has the genre been boiled down to a bunch of tropes? Are they actually feeding the monster we call misogyny? She does it in a way that doesn't feel too Ted Talk-ish or navel-gazey, but her points are made. Given the topics covered in this book, I feel like it would make for a lot of great, potentially heated, discussions.
As always, I laughed and laughed and laughed. I won't lie, the middle was a bit slow for me, but it picked back up with some classic Kelk jokes. Warning: there's one scene involving the MMC and a horned-up old lady that is a bit... iffy... to say the least. Perhaps it got the chop as this is the uncorrected proof (several typos are afoot). Other than that, fun times were had.
pros & cons
pros: unique premise, funny as always, loved that it addressed the popular discourse about the romance genre without it feeling like a lecture, good bants between Joe and Sophie, side characters add colour to the story, the fight scene reminded me of that backyard scuffle in Crazy, Stupid, Love (a classic. Fight me)
cons: iffy scene between Joe and horned up old lazy, middle a bit slow for me
__
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my opinion
People in China heard me scream when I opened my email to find a NetGalley widget for this absolutely stunning book. I am nothing but a Lindsey Kelk stan and once again, she did not disappoint. I can't wait to receive my pre-ordered copy to sleep with under my pillow because this cover is EVERYTHING!!!
This was different than her past books for 2 reasons. 1: Kelk catches a lot of flack for her lack of ding dongs, so horndogs rejoice, this is her horniest book yet. It's not completely open doors, but it's like not all the way closed until one of them realizes you're creepin on them and shuts it in your face. Lots of talk about ~moisture~ and ~tingling~ in this one. And by a lot, I mean for Kelk, not Elsie Silver levels. I wouldn't be surprised if this is her best rated book as there seems to be a direct correlation between spice levels and rating in the romance arena.
And 2: there was A LOT of romance for a Kelk book. I mean it was mostly horniness, but still, the MMC was fully in the frame. In some of her past books, the male love interest has less on-page time than the FMCs cat. I like how she addressed head-on that it was insta-love (everyone's least fave trope), instead of pretending they had some deep, meaningful connection they built over time like some other books ahem Heartless by Elsie Silver (sorry for the double drive-by).
I really enjoyed her take on the popular online discourse surrounding romance novels. Namely: are romance novels everything literature isn't supposed to be? Are they thinly disguised porno mags? Has the genre been boiled down to a bunch of tropes? Are they actually feeding the monster we call misogyny? She does it in a way that doesn't feel too Ted Talk-ish or navel-gazey, but her points are made. Given the topics covered in this book, I feel like it would make for a lot of great, potentially heated, discussions.
As always, I laughed and laughed and laughed. I won't lie, the middle was a bit slow for me, but it picked back up with some classic Kelk jokes. Warning: there's one scene involving the MMC and a horned-up old lady that is a bit... iffy... to say the least. Perhaps it got the chop as this is the uncorrected proof (several typos are afoot). Other than that, fun times were had.
pros & cons
pros: unique premise, funny as always, loved that it addressed the popular discourse about the romance genre without it feeling like a lecture, good bants between Joe and Sophie, side characters add colour to the story, the fight scene reminded me of that backyard scuffle in Crazy, Stupid, Love (a classic. Fight me)
cons: iffy scene between Joe and horned up old lazy, middle a bit slow for me
__
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July 10, 2024
I wanted to love it, but unfortunately didn’t.
August 3, 2024
This might be my favourite Lindsey Kelk book (I’ve read three others), her humour is unmatched! It had me laughing out loud so many times. The pop-culture/British references, banter, and one-liners are comedy gold.
I loved the story overall, but for once, I wanted a bit more spice! Our main character, Sophie, has used a pseudonym to write a best-selling romance novel known for the smut…yet we didn’t get much in here, booo!
Besides that, I loved all the side characters and now dream of visiting a real-life version of Charlotte’s Bookshop. I loved the focus on the romance genre, the literary references and the behind-the-scenes of publishing. Lindsey does a great job of spotlighting the industry and how it’s often misunderstood. It’s fresh, relevant, and fun for a romance reader.
You know I loved this when I stayed in my pjs on the sofa all day to finish it. It’s not very often that a book has me that hooked.
I loved the story overall, but for once, I wanted a bit more spice! Our main character, Sophie, has used a pseudonym to write a best-selling romance novel known for the smut…yet we didn’t get much in here, booo!
Besides that, I loved all the side characters and now dream of visiting a real-life version of Charlotte’s Bookshop. I loved the focus on the romance genre, the literary references and the behind-the-scenes of publishing. Lindsey does a great job of spotlighting the industry and how it’s often misunderstood. It’s fresh, relevant, and fun for a romance reader.
You know I loved this when I stayed in my pjs on the sofa all day to finish it. It’s not very often that a book has me that hooked.
August 23, 2024
Lindsey Kelk is one of the queens of romance who never ceases to amaze me with her heartfelt and entertaining romcoms. Especially when she adds obnoxious, very eccentric family members into the equation, so much is guaranteed. I have to admit I never resist the charm of my favorite tropes: forced proximity (separated by curtains is a great tribute to "It Happened One Night") and enemies to lovers! (Later it added love at first sight and he fell first tropes that I don't much enjoy, like main character Sophie Taylor does, but they still blended perfectly into the entire formula I truly enjoyed.) There's even Montague vs. Capulet-like fight between enemy families that made me guffaw a lot!
The steamy chemistry that set most of the chapters on fire between Sophie and Joe was brilliant! Hate at first sight slowly turns into lust when they first meet under the wrong circumstances: when Sophie makes a secret meeting about her book, perfectly hiding her identity using the pseudonym Este Cox, she's ambushed by the creative director of their publishing company, the smug, privileged, but also hot-as-hell Joe Walsh, who's questioning the identity of the author and mocking her book. Sophie doesn't leave without a fight, even though she has a train to catch to her family's countryside house to celebrate the festivities of her powerful editor father, who has already secretly shared his activity spreadsheets and invited tons of people created to irritate her.
Sophie stays for lunch to share a few shots of Baileys with the disgusting-at-first-sight Joe Walsh while their pissing contest banters take an extra turn. They continue day drinking, finding themselves singing duets on the stage of a karaoke bar. But drinking fuels the lust, and hatred forces Sophie to dramatically leave the bar to hop on her train.
When she's ushered by her brother William, who's also her agent and one of the few people who knows her secret bestseller identity, at the train station, she realizes she forgot her tote bag carrying a special edition of her book, her drafts for her second book, and her laptop! This is truly a disaster! Anyone who finds it will also discover the secret identity she's kept from her very literary snob parents: her criticizing editor father and harshest book critic mother who easily end authors' careers. And let's not forget her 19-year-old sister Charlotte, who is spoiled and extremely self-absorbed, recently opened a bookstore, conducts marketing campaigns as a BookToker on TikTok, slams books, and is interestingly a big fan of Sophie's "Butterflies" (Sophie is not sure her sister would highly defend her book if she found out her big sister wrote it!)
When William and Sophie arrive at the family house, Sophie thinks she can manage only a few days without killing anyone, plastering a smile on her face as her parents talk trash about her book in her vicinity (what if they find out she wrote it?!) Yes, she knows her father is a typical drama king wearing clown costumes to emphasize his sarcasm towards the literary world, her mother keeps spoiling her younger sister, creating disasters in the kitchen, and gossiping with her pretentious bunch of friends, while her sister Charlotte makes it her biggest mission to reveal the real identity of Este Cox on her TikTok account, nosing around Sophie's belongings. They've also invited her least favorite misogynistic, xenophobic uncle and aunt! Her father even invited her ex C.J.: the same man she knew as Colin and dated, lived with for five years, and even financed so he could concentrate on his book, who then stole her book idea and, as soon as he had a publishing agreement, dumped Sophie. The reason? Well, he became too famous to date a small-town school teacher.
But this is not the only disaster she has to get through. Her father also invited his arch-nemesis Geoffrey with a secret agenda, and Geoffrey's son decides to join his father: his son is none other than Joe Walsh! And that's not all: her father forces them to share a cottage because there's not enough space at the house for their guests! Oh boy, you think this is the last straw! Nope, this is just the beginning because it seems like Joe Walsh has found out her secret and, interestingly, he calls a truce and helps her keep it safe! But why? Does he have a secret agenda other than getting into her pants? Well, she can let him do that even though she highly doubts she can trust him, but sparks keep flying, attraction is palpable, and she doesn't know where to stop. Oh boy, does she even want to resist his charms?
Overall: It seems like the end part of the book is a little rushed and a big conflict is solved a bit faster than expected, which made me feel there could be a sequel because I had some unanswered questions in my mind, and it felt like there should be more adventures awaiting them. I wish there would be another book! I'm so open to spending more time with Sophie & Josh and Sophie's eccentric family! (In the beginning, I found them too irritating, but they kept growing on me! William is an exception, whom I loved from the first chapter he was introduced.)
I highly recommend this very entertaining romcom! It's captivating, funny, and so much fun is guaranteed! I'm looking forward to reading more Lindsey Kelk books in the near future! She never disappoints me!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for sharing this entertaining romcom's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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The steamy chemistry that set most of the chapters on fire between Sophie and Joe was brilliant! Hate at first sight slowly turns into lust when they first meet under the wrong circumstances: when Sophie makes a secret meeting about her book, perfectly hiding her identity using the pseudonym Este Cox, she's ambushed by the creative director of their publishing company, the smug, privileged, but also hot-as-hell Joe Walsh, who's questioning the identity of the author and mocking her book. Sophie doesn't leave without a fight, even though she has a train to catch to her family's countryside house to celebrate the festivities of her powerful editor father, who has already secretly shared his activity spreadsheets and invited tons of people created to irritate her.
Sophie stays for lunch to share a few shots of Baileys with the disgusting-at-first-sight Joe Walsh while their pissing contest banters take an extra turn. They continue day drinking, finding themselves singing duets on the stage of a karaoke bar. But drinking fuels the lust, and hatred forces Sophie to dramatically leave the bar to hop on her train.
When she's ushered by her brother William, who's also her agent and one of the few people who knows her secret bestseller identity, at the train station, she realizes she forgot her tote bag carrying a special edition of her book, her drafts for her second book, and her laptop! This is truly a disaster! Anyone who finds it will also discover the secret identity she's kept from her very literary snob parents: her criticizing editor father and harshest book critic mother who easily end authors' careers. And let's not forget her 19-year-old sister Charlotte, who is spoiled and extremely self-absorbed, recently opened a bookstore, conducts marketing campaigns as a BookToker on TikTok, slams books, and is interestingly a big fan of Sophie's "Butterflies" (Sophie is not sure her sister would highly defend her book if she found out her big sister wrote it!)
When William and Sophie arrive at the family house, Sophie thinks she can manage only a few days without killing anyone, plastering a smile on her face as her parents talk trash about her book in her vicinity (what if they find out she wrote it?!) Yes, she knows her father is a typical drama king wearing clown costumes to emphasize his sarcasm towards the literary world, her mother keeps spoiling her younger sister, creating disasters in the kitchen, and gossiping with her pretentious bunch of friends, while her sister Charlotte makes it her biggest mission to reveal the real identity of Este Cox on her TikTok account, nosing around Sophie's belongings. They've also invited her least favorite misogynistic, xenophobic uncle and aunt! Her father even invited her ex C.J.: the same man she knew as Colin and dated, lived with for five years, and even financed so he could concentrate on his book, who then stole her book idea and, as soon as he had a publishing agreement, dumped Sophie. The reason? Well, he became too famous to date a small-town school teacher.
But this is not the only disaster she has to get through. Her father also invited his arch-nemesis Geoffrey with a secret agenda, and Geoffrey's son decides to join his father: his son is none other than Joe Walsh! And that's not all: her father forces them to share a cottage because there's not enough space at the house for their guests! Oh boy, you think this is the last straw! Nope, this is just the beginning because it seems like Joe Walsh has found out her secret and, interestingly, he calls a truce and helps her keep it safe! But why? Does he have a secret agenda other than getting into her pants? Well, she can let him do that even though she highly doubts she can trust him, but sparks keep flying, attraction is palpable, and she doesn't know where to stop. Oh boy, does she even want to resist his charms?
Overall: It seems like the end part of the book is a little rushed and a big conflict is solved a bit faster than expected, which made me feel there could be a sequel because I had some unanswered questions in my mind, and it felt like there should be more adventures awaiting them. I wish there would be another book! I'm so open to spending more time with Sophie & Josh and Sophie's eccentric family! (In the beginning, I found them too irritating, but they kept growing on me! William is an exception, whom I loved from the first chapter he was introduced.)
I highly recommend this very entertaining romcom! It's captivating, funny, and so much fun is guaranteed! I'm looking forward to reading more Lindsey Kelk books in the near future! She never disappoints me!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for sharing this entertaining romcom's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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July 1, 2024
Publication Date: 04th July 2024
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Enjoyable as always but need an epilogue!
Sophie Taylor is a small-town elementary school teacher with popular figures as parents. Not just that, she is the mysterious Este Cox, the author of Butterflies, a book flying off the shelves faster than it can be printed.
Joe Walsh is arrogant, annoying, overconfident, and way too handsome to be a good man. However, sparks fly between the two and intensify when they meet again.
Sophie needs help when her bag with her laptop and the latest manuscript is lost. But is Joe the man to help her or will take advantage of her situation? Let’s find out!
The story comes in Sophie’s first-person POV.
My Thoughts:
I was excited when I got a widget for the author’s latest book. While I have a few teeny issues with some aspects, no denying that I enjoy her work. And look at that cover. Isn’t it pretty?
NGL, I was a bit surprised when the MMC entered the story right in the first chapter. I also forgot the premise and spent a while wondering if he was the one or not, lol. A quick look at the blurb cleared things up.
As you can guess from the premise, this is an enemies-to-lovers trope with insta-love thrown into the mix. There’s no pretense about it, though. It starts as insta-lust which makes sense given how handsome the guy is. *swoon*
The book deftly deals with the bias against romance (never mind that it is one of the bestselling genres). The conversations are scattered throughout the book and raise many points I cheered for. I came across this post on Facebook , which aligns with what the book discusses.
Considering the FMC’s family background, many authors get a mention. It can be a wee excessive for some readers. The names can get too many at times.
The writing has a lot of humor, something the author does with ease. It is fun reading and chuckling at the banter between different characters.
The side characters are distinct and do their bit to keep the story flowing. Charlotte is what we call a chota packet bada dhamaka (small in size but a huge impact). She brings a lot of drama and laughter to the plot.
There’s one scene that is uncomfortable but is presented with a humorous touch. Just saying that if the roles were reversed, it would never be funny. At least, there’s an acknowledgment that it is not supposed to be funny, so that’s something.
There is a dreaded third-act breakup, which did leave me with mixed feelings. I’m not a fan of this trope and feel it could have been better with an epilogue. This brings me to the next point – why is there no epilogue?
When the book advocates the importance of romance reads, it makes sense to have an epilogue and provide readers with the full satisfaction of seeing the characters get their HEA. And if the author hates epilogues, why not extend the last scene to another page and let the happiness sink in? Some of us are fast readers. It doesn’t work well if the book ends before we fully feel the lead couple getting back together. Give us a little something to enjoy and then end the book. Ugh!
The book has some spice but not as much as I expected. Somehow, the main scenes fade out despite it being (or supposed to be) an open door. So, I’d put it around steam level 2.
To summarize, Love Story is an enjoyable read with many lighthearted moments and some emotional ones. It makes a strong case for the romance genre without shoving the theme into the readers’ faces. Naturally, I’m ready for the next book by the author.
Thank you, Vicky Joss, NetGalley, and HarperCollinsUK, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #LoveStory
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Enjoyable as always but need an epilogue!
Sophie Taylor is a small-town elementary school teacher with popular figures as parents. Not just that, she is the mysterious Este Cox, the author of Butterflies, a book flying off the shelves faster than it can be printed.
Joe Walsh is arrogant, annoying, overconfident, and way too handsome to be a good man. However, sparks fly between the two and intensify when they meet again.
Sophie needs help when her bag with her laptop and the latest manuscript is lost. But is Joe the man to help her or will take advantage of her situation? Let’s find out!
The story comes in Sophie’s first-person POV.
My Thoughts:
I was excited when I got a widget for the author’s latest book. While I have a few teeny issues with some aspects, no denying that I enjoy her work. And look at that cover. Isn’t it pretty?
NGL, I was a bit surprised when the MMC entered the story right in the first chapter. I also forgot the premise and spent a while wondering if he was the one or not, lol. A quick look at the blurb cleared things up.
As you can guess from the premise, this is an enemies-to-lovers trope with insta-love thrown into the mix. There’s no pretense about it, though. It starts as insta-lust which makes sense given how handsome the guy is. *swoon*
The book deftly deals with the bias against romance (never mind that it is one of the bestselling genres). The conversations are scattered throughout the book and raise many points I cheered for. I came across this post on Facebook , which aligns with what the book discusses.
Considering the FMC’s family background, many authors get a mention. It can be a wee excessive for some readers. The names can get too many at times.
The writing has a lot of humor, something the author does with ease. It is fun reading and chuckling at the banter between different characters.
The side characters are distinct and do their bit to keep the story flowing. Charlotte is what we call a chota packet bada dhamaka (small in size but a huge impact). She brings a lot of drama and laughter to the plot.
There’s one scene that is uncomfortable but is presented with a humorous touch. Just saying that if the roles were reversed, it would never be funny. At least, there’s an acknowledgment that it is not supposed to be funny, so that’s something.
There is a dreaded third-act breakup, which did leave me with mixed feelings. I’m not a fan of this trope and feel it could have been better with an epilogue. This brings me to the next point – why is there no epilogue?
When the book advocates the importance of romance reads, it makes sense to have an epilogue and provide readers with the full satisfaction of seeing the characters get their HEA. And if the author hates epilogues, why not extend the last scene to another page and let the happiness sink in? Some of us are fast readers. It doesn’t work well if the book ends before we fully feel the lead couple getting back together. Give us a little something to enjoy and then end the book. Ugh!
The book has some spice but not as much as I expected. Somehow, the main scenes fade out despite it being (or supposed to be) an open door. So, I’d put it around steam level 2.
To summarize, Love Story is an enjoyable read with many lighthearted moments and some emotional ones. It makes a strong case for the romance genre without shoving the theme into the readers’ faces. Naturally, I’m ready for the next book by the author.
Thank you, Vicky Joss, NetGalley, and HarperCollinsUK, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #LoveStory
Read
July 9, 2024Hate to DNF an ARC but hate this book more.
Pop-culture references are overused to the point of exhaustion and make the book feel like it's trying too hard to be hip and cool. Maybe I set myself up for this when I failed to realize the title is a Taylor Swift song, but still. Cringe-worthy lines aside, everything was so shallow it crumbled on a breeze.
Maybe I'm too old or not cool enough to read stuff like this.
The narrator did a wonderful job but I still can't shake the feeling that she's more suited for historical fiction.
Read if you like Taylor Swift and that one author I refuse to support, I guess.
Thank you NetGalley/HarperCollins for the ALC.
Pop-culture references are overused to the point of exhaustion and make the book feel like it's trying too hard to be hip and cool. Maybe I set myself up for this when I failed to realize the title is a Taylor Swift song, but still. Cringe-worthy lines aside, everything was so shallow it crumbled on a breeze.
Maybe I'm too old or not cool enough to read stuff like this.
The narrator did a wonderful job but I still can't shake the feeling that she's more suited for historical fiction.
Read if you like Taylor Swift and that one author I refuse to support, I guess.
Thank you NetGalley/HarperCollins for the ALC.
September 30, 2024
Actual rating: 3,5
Review to come.
Reading this with my BookBestie Amanda and I don't think I've ever read a book with so many rude ppl in one place.
Review to come.
Reading this with my BookBestie Amanda and I don't think I've ever read a book with so many rude ppl in one place.
May 1, 2024
I don't know what I was expecting, but this definitely exceeded any expectations I had!
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book follows Sophie Taylor, a primary school teacher with a big secret. She is leading a double life as the mysterious author, Este Cox, who everyone is trying to unmask.
What I really enjoyed about this book is the fact that the plot is actually unique and it held my attention the whole way through. I genuinely could not put this book down! The fact that the book also went into the discourse surrounding romance novels and how they are perceived by some people was very interesting to me.
For me personally I love a good romance novel with spicy scenes, but I like to KNOW to expect the level of spice I am getting. I find that BookTok sometimes tends to hide that while promoting a book which can be misleading (understandably so though considering how censored you have to be on TikTok). But I guess that's why I enjoy Goodreads as a platform, I know I'll get a more realistic review from here.
Speaking of spice,,,, this one definitely has a good amount to prepare for that! Had me holding my damn breath bc of how INTENSE the chemistry is between Sophie and Joe.
Now for what I really did not like. (some parts may contain spoilers- they will be hidden!)
✧ The mention of real life authors in the book and the T Swift references. I don't know what it is, but when I am trying to read a book I don't want to be thinking of real life. I understand I might be one of the few people who doesn't like references to real life, but it's the same feeling as when TV shows started incorporating Covid-19 into their shows and it just made the escape from reality impossible.
✧ Are we just going to brush off the fact that
✧ Miscommunication trope!! Are you kidding meeeeeee.
✧ Third Act Breakup BECAUSE of the stupid miscommunication trope.... Can we scrap those please?? If it was a third act breakup for a different reason I would be more understanding but it wasn't...
That being said, this book really surprised me in a good way and even though I have never read anything by Lindsey Kelk before, I am officially a fan!
4⭐️
Pre-read: Hyped to read this now that I am on break from work~~ Got a huge list of things to catch up on! So glad I got the ARC~
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book follows Sophie Taylor, a primary school teacher with a big secret. She is leading a double life as the mysterious author, Este Cox, who everyone is trying to unmask.
What I really enjoyed about this book is the fact that the plot is actually unique and it held my attention the whole way through. I genuinely could not put this book down! The fact that the book also went into the discourse surrounding romance novels and how they are perceived by some people was very interesting to me.
For me personally I love a good romance novel with spicy scenes, but I like to KNOW to expect the level of spice I am getting. I find that BookTok sometimes tends to hide that while promoting a book which can be misleading (understandably so though considering how censored you have to be on TikTok). But I guess that's why I enjoy Goodreads as a platform, I know I'll get a more realistic review from here.
Speaking of spice,,,, this one definitely has a good amount to prepare for that! Had me holding my damn breath bc of how INTENSE the chemistry is between Sophie and Joe.
Now for what I really did not like. (some parts may contain spoilers- they will be hidden!)
✧ The mention of real life authors in the book and the T Swift references. I don't know what it is, but when I am trying to read a book I don't want to be thinking of real life. I understand I might be one of the few people who doesn't like references to real life, but it's the same feeling as when TV shows started incorporating Covid-19 into their shows and it just made the escape from reality impossible.
✧ Are we just going to brush off the fact that
✧ Miscommunication trope!! Are you kidding meeeeeee.
✧ Third Act Breakup BECAUSE of the stupid miscommunication trope.... Can we scrap those please?? If it was a third act breakup for a different reason I would be more understanding but it wasn't...
That being said, this book really surprised me in a good way and even though I have never read anything by Lindsey Kelk before, I am officially a fan!
4⭐️
Pre-read: Hyped to read this now that I am on break from work~~ Got a huge list of things to catch up on! So glad I got the ARC~
Shelved as 'arc-queue-2024'
August 10, 2024I’m excited to read this one 🩷🩵
What to expect:
~ single 1st POV
~ an enemies-to-lovers rom-com
*Thanks to Sophia from Harper Collins for sending me a paperback copy due to release September 17, 2024.
What to expect:
~ single 1st POV
~ an enemies-to-lovers rom-com
*Thanks to Sophia from Harper Collins for sending me a paperback copy due to release September 17, 2024.
August 21, 2024
~Romance, Enemies-to-Lovers, Secret Identity, and more!~
Love Story by Lindsey Kelk follows Sophie Taylor, a teacher by day and secret romance writer by night. Hiding behind the pen name Este Cox, her debut novel Butterflies is an internet sensation and enormous success. The problem? She worries about what her parents and the school she works at might think if they find out. After a run-in with the handsome but infuriating marketing director Joe Walsh and losing her bag that would reveal her secret identity, Sophie heads to her hometown for her father's birthday. Only to discover Joe is there and there is only one bed. Will Sophie be able to find her bag and keep her identity a secret? Will Joe and her keep things civil?
2.5| First, I wanted to like this book. The cover is gorgeous, and the title is adorable. The book's premise is unique and one I was excited to read. Unfortunately, this book just fell flat for me. I found the love interest, Joe, unlikable and condescending. While he had some redeeming qualities later in the book, I could not get over their first encounter. As in most contemporary romance novels, the enemies-to-lover trope just doesn't work. There isn't a valid reason for Sophie to hate Joe until later in the book, making her seem overly judgmental. I didn't feel Joe and Sophie had much chemistry at all. Most of the story happens within three days, so the characters don't have much time to evolve. While I'm not against the Insta-love trope, it unfortunately didn't work well here. The characters seemed one-dimensional, and I wish I had seen more of their good qualities instead of just their issues and insecurities. I did enjoy some of the side characters. William’s character was fantastic and one I wish I had seen more of. I also loved Sarah and the little of her backstory we got to see.
I found Sophie frustrating. I wish she would have just stuck up for herself. I often just wanted her to say something, even a tiny thing, to stick up for herself. She was so much of a pushover at times I had to put the book down. I mainly felt this with her sister, who I found incredibly distasteful—instead of giving in every single time, I wish she would have stood her ground against her. Besides not liking some of the characters, I found this book hard to read. I don't mind a couple of well-placed pop culture references, but there were so many that it was too much. Some of them worked well, but there were too many, which took me out of the story. The sentences were long, and I felt I had to reread them constantly because I didn't know what it was saying. While I enjoy detailed descriptions, it felt like too many words in one sentence without anything breaking it up. Some descriptions, especially about nature, were beautifully written, but too many words made it overwhelming and confusing. I also felt the story didn't feel complete. I wish there were an epilogue to wrap everything up.
Overall. I wanted to like this story. Unfortunately, too many things just did not work for me. Some parts were enjoyable, like the banter, but I found most of the characters too unlikeable to enjoy. The concept of the story is excellent and I wish I enjoyed it. This book was not for me, but I'm sure others will love and enjoy it.
*I received this book through Harper 360 via NetGalley as an eARC reader. This will not in any way affect my thoughts or opinions on the book*
Love Story by Lindsey Kelk follows Sophie Taylor, a teacher by day and secret romance writer by night. Hiding behind the pen name Este Cox, her debut novel Butterflies is an internet sensation and enormous success. The problem? She worries about what her parents and the school she works at might think if they find out. After a run-in with the handsome but infuriating marketing director Joe Walsh and losing her bag that would reveal her secret identity, Sophie heads to her hometown for her father's birthday. Only to discover Joe is there and there is only one bed. Will Sophie be able to find her bag and keep her identity a secret? Will Joe and her keep things civil?
2.5| First, I wanted to like this book. The cover is gorgeous, and the title is adorable. The book's premise is unique and one I was excited to read. Unfortunately, this book just fell flat for me. I found the love interest, Joe, unlikable and condescending. While he had some redeeming qualities later in the book, I could not get over their first encounter. As in most contemporary romance novels, the enemies-to-lover trope just doesn't work. There isn't a valid reason for Sophie to hate Joe until later in the book, making her seem overly judgmental. I didn't feel Joe and Sophie had much chemistry at all. Most of the story happens within three days, so the characters don't have much time to evolve. While I'm not against the Insta-love trope, it unfortunately didn't work well here. The characters seemed one-dimensional, and I wish I had seen more of their good qualities instead of just their issues and insecurities. I did enjoy some of the side characters. William’s character was fantastic and one I wish I had seen more of. I also loved Sarah and the little of her backstory we got to see.
I found Sophie frustrating. I wish she would have just stuck up for herself. I often just wanted her to say something, even a tiny thing, to stick up for herself. She was so much of a pushover at times I had to put the book down. I mainly felt this with her sister, who I found incredibly distasteful—instead of giving in every single time, I wish she would have stood her ground against her. Besides not liking some of the characters, I found this book hard to read. I don't mind a couple of well-placed pop culture references, but there were so many that it was too much. Some of them worked well, but there were too many, which took me out of the story. The sentences were long, and I felt I had to reread them constantly because I didn't know what it was saying. While I enjoy detailed descriptions, it felt like too many words in one sentence without anything breaking it up. Some descriptions, especially about nature, were beautifully written, but too many words made it overwhelming and confusing. I also felt the story didn't feel complete. I wish there were an epilogue to wrap everything up.
Overall. I wanted to like this story. Unfortunately, too many things just did not work for me. Some parts were enjoyable, like the banter, but I found most of the characters too unlikeable to enjoy. The concept of the story is excellent and I wish I enjoyed it. This book was not for me, but I'm sure others will love and enjoy it.
*I received this book through Harper 360 via NetGalley as an eARC reader. This will not in any way affect my thoughts or opinions on the book*
April 30, 2024
I already know this will be all over the place, so bear with me. I have so many thoughts but I keep getting caught up in reading highlighted quotes and giggling.
If you like banter, you’ll like this book. Simple as that. There were a few passages early on that I chuckled at but didn’t highlight, thinking it would be fine and I probably wouldn’t care to go back once I was done the book. Now that I’m done, and I have 10-12 other things highlighted, I wish I had. These characters were so quick witted and a lot of fun to experience. It was funny but not in a “trying to be funny” type of way, but rather a sarcasm/dry humour and wit kind of way. Big fan.
‘Mostly just scared of her mother,’ the butcher countered. ‘She’s a very exacting woman. Last month, she returned a chicken because the legs were different sizes.’
They both gave me a look, as though I was the one who went around judging chickens on their appearance.
‘He shouldn’t have skipped leg day?’ I offered.
Neither of them laughed. Harsh but fair.
Now let me set a scene for you… it’s lunch time on a Monday afternoon. I check my email and see HarperCollins has sent this ARC, and think oh cool, I’ll check that out later. Granted I thought the story sounded fun but I have never read anything by this author, so wasn’t sure what to expect. I finish work, scarf down a sandwich and run (late) to class, because of course Monday’s are my busiest days. Class finishes at 8pm, I get snuggled up like a bug in a rug with the window open and a new book. It’s raining. Life is good. I then proceed to read this entire book in one sitting until the wee hours of the morning because I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down. I couldn’t! Nor did I want to. I had that much fun while reading this.
‘Never marry a lawyer. That’s the best romantic advice I could ever give you. They’re always weaselling in or out of something.’
I looked up at him with one raised eyebrow. ‘You said the best romantic advice you could ever give me was to shag as many men as humanly possible because they’re all so terrible, you might as well go with the one who knows how to bang?’
‘When did I share that nugget of wisdom?’ ‘
On my sixteenth birthday.’
‘I clearly left it too late because you didn’t bloody listen, did you?’
I’ll be completely honest in that when I see books with the main characters as writers/editors/publishers etc., I run the other way. It feels too close to the fourth wall for me, and often quickly becomes that character’s entire personality. While yes, I knew Sophie was going to be a writer, I decided to give this a go anyways because enemies to lovers is my kryptonite. Screw candy, I’ll get into a stranger’s van if they offer an enemies to lovers book for my travels. But I digress. What I think differentiates Love Story is that Lindsey used these characters to challenge societal stereotypes. While we are doing better, even over the 5 years (BookTok you are helping), there is still a perception that romance books are just smut, or “porn on a page” for lonely, unfulfilled women (don’t come for me I don’t agree!). And with that in mind, I think sometimes we as romance readers aren’t as loud with our love for these books.
Let me ask you: Have you ever felt judged for what you’re reading? Or had someone ask, and you feel a bit embarrassed to tell them about a book you liked? I certainly have. And I think it’s because we’re still not at a place where we feel there will be no judgement. There will always be people who like the classics, or literary greatness, which is wonderful for them. But that does not make their opinions, or tastes, any more important or correct than ours, nor does it make their books better. Romances embody so much more than smut. This is exactly the message that this story challenges and I was HERE FOR IT!
Lord knows instalove is down near the bottom of tropes we will accept. Has anyone ever read an instalove book and thought “yes, this is the one. The best book I’ve ever read”? I doubt it. But you know what else? I think Lindsey doubts it too. Because she called out her own characters for this and I was cackling. I like that she pushed it to the forefront to discuss this instead of just trying to play it off as *romantic*.
William, Charlotte, Sarah, even Gregory were great characters. The comedic timing was spot on, they added excitement, and supported the story quite well.
‘Even better, he’s staying at the house,’ I told her, attempting to laugh but failing miserably. It really wasn’t funny but Sarah seemed to disagree.
‘Sophie!’ she exclaimed. ‘That’s the best news I’ve heard so far!’
‘It is?’
‘Yes! It’s so much easier to kill someone when they come to you. Less lurking, more unaliving. Please let me do it. Please, please, please?’
And can I just say, that twist?! I was flabbergasted. I feel like not everyone will be, but I was trying to think ahead about what could happen and this was NOT what I expected! I gasped. Honest to goodness gasped and then put my kindle down to collect myself. I think I loved it more because of how unexpected it was. But then of course I started freaking out thinking how are we (yes, I’m a part of this now) going to get out of that little pickle. I’ll likely be thinking about this for a while.
I must say, after finishing this book and sitting with it for a while, I’m really happy with the growth, acceptance, and bravery that as shown by these characters. And I’m not talking only about Sophie or Joe. Several of these characters had different areas to grow in, and from knowing that to the conclusion of this story, there were several character arcs. Reading the last chapter especially I was THRILLED.
I’m sure some people will want an epilogue to this story, but personally I’m happy without. I find epilogues forced (and tbh I begrudgingly read them but dislike 95% of same) and I’m glad Lindsey did not go there. I believe this story was wrapped up in the perfect way for these characters. It’s hard for me to say otherwise when I had a stupid silly smile slapped on my face but come on.
Final thoughts:
1. I am buying a paperback for my shelf as soon as they are available
2. From here on out, beside ROM-COM in the dictionary you’ll now find the cover of Love Story.
*An ARC was received from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.
If you like banter, you’ll like this book. Simple as that. There were a few passages early on that I chuckled at but didn’t highlight, thinking it would be fine and I probably wouldn’t care to go back once I was done the book. Now that I’m done, and I have 10-12 other things highlighted, I wish I had. These characters were so quick witted and a lot of fun to experience. It was funny but not in a “trying to be funny” type of way, but rather a sarcasm/dry humour and wit kind of way. Big fan.
‘Mostly just scared of her mother,’ the butcher countered. ‘She’s a very exacting woman. Last month, she returned a chicken because the legs were different sizes.’
They both gave me a look, as though I was the one who went around judging chickens on their appearance.
‘He shouldn’t have skipped leg day?’ I offered.
Neither of them laughed. Harsh but fair.
Now let me set a scene for you… it’s lunch time on a Monday afternoon. I check my email and see HarperCollins has sent this ARC, and think oh cool, I’ll check that out later. Granted I thought the story sounded fun but I have never read anything by this author, so wasn’t sure what to expect. I finish work, scarf down a sandwich and run (late) to class, because of course Monday’s are my busiest days. Class finishes at 8pm, I get snuggled up like a bug in a rug with the window open and a new book. It’s raining. Life is good. I then proceed to read this entire book in one sitting until the wee hours of the morning because I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down. I couldn’t! Nor did I want to. I had that much fun while reading this.
‘Never marry a lawyer. That’s the best romantic advice I could ever give you. They’re always weaselling in or out of something.’
I looked up at him with one raised eyebrow. ‘You said the best romantic advice you could ever give me was to shag as many men as humanly possible because they’re all so terrible, you might as well go with the one who knows how to bang?’
‘When did I share that nugget of wisdom?’ ‘
On my sixteenth birthday.’
‘I clearly left it too late because you didn’t bloody listen, did you?’
I’ll be completely honest in that when I see books with the main characters as writers/editors/publishers etc., I run the other way. It feels too close to the fourth wall for me, and often quickly becomes that character’s entire personality. While yes, I knew Sophie was going to be a writer, I decided to give this a go anyways because enemies to lovers is my kryptonite. Screw candy, I’ll get into a stranger’s van if they offer an enemies to lovers book for my travels. But I digress. What I think differentiates Love Story is that Lindsey used these characters to challenge societal stereotypes. While we are doing better, even over the 5 years (BookTok you are helping), there is still a perception that romance books are just smut, or “porn on a page” for lonely, unfulfilled women (don’t come for me I don’t agree!). And with that in mind, I think sometimes we as romance readers aren’t as loud with our love for these books.
Let me ask you: Have you ever felt judged for what you’re reading? Or had someone ask, and you feel a bit embarrassed to tell them about a book you liked? I certainly have. And I think it’s because we’re still not at a place where we feel there will be no judgement. There will always be people who like the classics, or literary greatness, which is wonderful for them. But that does not make their opinions, or tastes, any more important or correct than ours, nor does it make their books better. Romances embody so much more than smut. This is exactly the message that this story challenges and I was HERE FOR IT!
Lord knows instalove is down near the bottom of tropes we will accept. Has anyone ever read an instalove book and thought “yes, this is the one. The best book I’ve ever read”? I doubt it. But you know what else? I think Lindsey doubts it too. Because she called out her own characters for this and I was cackling. I like that she pushed it to the forefront to discuss this instead of just trying to play it off as *romantic*.
William, Charlotte, Sarah, even Gregory were great characters. The comedic timing was spot on, they added excitement, and supported the story quite well.
‘Even better, he’s staying at the house,’ I told her, attempting to laugh but failing miserably. It really wasn’t funny but Sarah seemed to disagree.
‘Sophie!’ she exclaimed. ‘That’s the best news I’ve heard so far!’
‘It is?’
‘Yes! It’s so much easier to kill someone when they come to you. Less lurking, more unaliving. Please let me do it. Please, please, please?’
And can I just say, that twist?! I was flabbergasted. I feel like not everyone will be, but I was trying to think ahead about what could happen and this was NOT what I expected! I gasped. Honest to goodness gasped and then put my kindle down to collect myself. I think I loved it more because of how unexpected it was. But then of course I started freaking out thinking how are we (yes, I’m a part of this now) going to get out of that little pickle. I’ll likely be thinking about this for a while.
I must say, after finishing this book and sitting with it for a while, I’m really happy with the growth, acceptance, and bravery that as shown by these characters. And I’m not talking only about Sophie or Joe. Several of these characters had different areas to grow in, and from knowing that to the conclusion of this story, there were several character arcs. Reading the last chapter especially I was THRILLED.
I’m sure some people will want an epilogue to this story, but personally I’m happy without. I find epilogues forced (and tbh I begrudgingly read them but dislike 95% of same) and I’m glad Lindsey did not go there. I believe this story was wrapped up in the perfect way for these characters. It’s hard for me to say otherwise when I had a stupid silly smile slapped on my face but come on.
Final thoughts:
1. I am buying a paperback for my shelf as soon as they are available
2. From here on out, beside ROM-COM in the dictionary you’ll now find the cover of Love Story.
*An ARC was received from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2024
It’s rare but it happens: I didn’t like a book.
This book had the potential to be a really great story, but unfortunately, the female main character’s pettiness made it difficult to enjoy. The plot itself is well-crafted—she writes a novel that she’s ashamed of because it’s a bit spicier than usual. Despite her success, earning tons of money from it, she’s too embarrassed to tell her publishing family that she’s the author. The mother would never accept her daughter wrote a romance , she is too good and to choose such a worthless genre.
At 70% no one still has a clue she is the real author and she is still firm in the decision not to tell anyone.
At some point, the younger sister nearly outs her secret, which really bothered me. Why would anyone want to expose someone’s pen name so much? That felt so wrong to me. I understand what the author was trying to do with this plot point, but instead of adding tension or depth, it just dragged the story down due to the main character’s pettiness.
Another issue is the lack of a dual POV. We only get the FMC’s perspective, so we never really know what the MMC is thinking, and that feels like a missed opportunity. Because of this, I struggled to finish the book. Despite the voice actress doing a fantastic job with the narration, the story was difficult to get through.
I feel like the author wanted to make a tribute to all our beloved romance books and the amazing people that are behind it, but she did it by exposing and using one of the worst stigma there is on this genre.
Overall, I’m disappointed. While the main concept is positive, the execution is poor. I found very few redeeming qualities in the story, and more than once, I considered not finishing it.
The voice actress did an amazing job with it, the problem definitely wasn’t hers or the production.
This book had the potential to be a really great story, but unfortunately, the female main character’s pettiness made it difficult to enjoy. The plot itself is well-crafted—she writes a novel that she’s ashamed of because it’s a bit spicier than usual. Despite her success, earning tons of money from it, she’s too embarrassed to tell her publishing family that she’s the author. The mother would never accept her daughter wrote a romance , she is too good and to choose such a worthless genre.
At 70% no one still has a clue she is the real author and she is still firm in the decision not to tell anyone.
At some point, the younger sister nearly outs her secret, which really bothered me. Why would anyone want to expose someone’s pen name so much? That felt so wrong to me. I understand what the author was trying to do with this plot point, but instead of adding tension or depth, it just dragged the story down due to the main character’s pettiness.
Another issue is the lack of a dual POV. We only get the FMC’s perspective, so we never really know what the MMC is thinking, and that feels like a missed opportunity. Because of this, I struggled to finish the book. Despite the voice actress doing a fantastic job with the narration, the story was difficult to get through.
I feel like the author wanted to make a tribute to all our beloved romance books and the amazing people that are behind it, but she did it by exposing and using one of the worst stigma there is on this genre.
Overall, I’m disappointed. While the main concept is positive, the execution is poor. I found very few redeeming qualities in the story, and more than once, I considered not finishing it.
The voice actress did an amazing job with it, the problem definitely wasn’t hers or the production.
July 6, 2024
Stupid. So stupid. At first it felt like this book was going to be an interesting commentary on the public perception of romance books and how TikTok has effectively ruined how books are talked about, marketed, and become popular for all the wrong reasons. But then we did a complete 180 and the book became all the things it was critiquing at first and Kelk felt that she had to suck up to all the popular TikTok authors and their shitty books, and for what? It became the ultimate cliche.
Too much name dropping of shitty authors, a lacklustre romance littered with quickly aging references, and at the end of the day the central villain was an 18 year old spoiled brat. Should’ve kept this in the drafts.
My iPad died before I could finish the last chapter so even it knew I shouldn’t waste my time with this garbage. Lindsey Kelk I am beyond disappointed, you sell out.
Too much name dropping of shitty authors, a lacklustre romance littered with quickly aging references, and at the end of the day the central villain was an 18 year old spoiled brat. Should’ve kept this in the drafts.
My iPad died before I could finish the last chapter so even it knew I shouldn’t waste my time with this garbage. Lindsey Kelk I am beyond disappointed, you sell out.
August 12, 2024
‘I pulled back, just far enough to find his lips, smiling at the fluttering feeling in my chest. It floated down to my belly and exploded inside me right as his mouth met mine. Butterflies.’
Lindsey Kelk writing a book for us book lovers = my unconditional love!
This is a book for the romance girlies - Sophie Taylor is happy with her life, happy with teaching children, happy now she’s not with her boyfriend anymore and happy with being the anonymous best selling author of the popular steamy romance novel, Butterflies. Well, that’s until she meets Joe Walsh. Arrogant, extremely overconfident, very annoying and too handsome to be a good man. And he may or may not suspect she’s Este Cox, the author of Butterflies. Oops!
After she loses her latest manuscript on the train, she fears her identity will be discovered and her future career as head of English could be compromised. While trying not to spiral into a panic, she visits her literary bigwig parents for her dad’s birthday, and guess who’s there, the last person she ever expected to be there: Joe Walsh himself.
Could this man help her? Is Joe someone she can be truthful with about her writing?
I really liked this book! As a romance reader and lover, this book felt like it was written for me.
I love an enemies to lovers romance done right, and I think, Sophie had a very valid reason to hate Joe with some of the stupid things he said. The insta-lust/insta-love is not my thing, but I think Lindsey Kelk gave enough reasonable conflict throughout the story to combat that. I liked their banter - it was very witty and fun, made a lot of scenes hilarious. Though, I just didn’t fully feel the spark between them both - thinking back, I can’t pinpoint a memorable scene between them where I thought ‘yes, this is why they suit. The chemistry was there most definitely, however Joe felt rather underdeveloped compared to Sophie that had the relationship feeling unbalanced. Perhaps it would’ve helped if we had Joe’s perspective?? A 5 stars rating was possible however the utter ridiculousness of the third act breakup made me consider otherwise. If you’ve read it, then you’ll know - like wtf?
I also really loved how the topic of romance novels came up in conversation a lot - how people in the publishing industry may view it, how men view women who read/write romance books and how women themselves view romance novels. It was not something I’ve seen a lot in romance books themselves - so I loved it! Lindsey Kelk, as a romance author, is possibly speaking from experience there.
Perhaps Love Story would’ve benefited from an epilogue or maybe another 50+ pages? I finished this book feeling like I’d read a good book, but having let my thoughts stew for a few days, I can conclusively say, it has its mini flaws. Will it stop me from reading more from Lindsey Kelk? Nope. I love her writing style, her humour that made be cackle out loud.
I liked this book enough to recommend it to two of my friends so that might speak more volumes than all the words I’ve just typed out.
Lindsey Kelk writing a book for us book lovers = my unconditional love!
This is a book for the romance girlies - Sophie Taylor is happy with her life, happy with teaching children, happy now she’s not with her boyfriend anymore and happy with being the anonymous best selling author of the popular steamy romance novel, Butterflies. Well, that’s until she meets Joe Walsh. Arrogant, extremely overconfident, very annoying and too handsome to be a good man. And he may or may not suspect she’s Este Cox, the author of Butterflies. Oops!
After she loses her latest manuscript on the train, she fears her identity will be discovered and her future career as head of English could be compromised. While trying not to spiral into a panic, she visits her literary bigwig parents for her dad’s birthday, and guess who’s there, the last person she ever expected to be there: Joe Walsh himself.
Could this man help her? Is Joe someone she can be truthful with about her writing?
I really liked this book! As a romance reader and lover, this book felt like it was written for me.
I love an enemies to lovers romance done right, and I think, Sophie had a very valid reason to hate Joe with some of the stupid things he said. The insta-lust/insta-love is not my thing, but I think Lindsey Kelk gave enough reasonable conflict throughout the story to combat that. I liked their banter - it was very witty and fun, made a lot of scenes hilarious. Though, I just didn’t fully feel the spark between them both - thinking back, I can’t pinpoint a memorable scene between them where I thought ‘yes, this is why they suit. The chemistry was there most definitely, however Joe felt rather underdeveloped compared to Sophie that had the relationship feeling unbalanced. Perhaps it would’ve helped if we had Joe’s perspective?? A 5 stars rating was possible however the utter ridiculousness of the third act breakup made me consider otherwise. If you’ve read it, then you’ll know - like wtf?
I also really loved how the topic of romance novels came up in conversation a lot - how people in the publishing industry may view it, how men view women who read/write romance books and how women themselves view romance novels. It was not something I’ve seen a lot in romance books themselves - so I loved it! Lindsey Kelk, as a romance author, is possibly speaking from experience there.
Perhaps Love Story would’ve benefited from an epilogue or maybe another 50+ pages? I finished this book feeling like I’d read a good book, but having let my thoughts stew for a few days, I can conclusively say, it has its mini flaws. Will it stop me from reading more from Lindsey Kelk? Nope. I love her writing style, her humour that made be cackle out loud.
I liked this book enough to recommend it to two of my friends so that might speak more volumes than all the words I’ve just typed out.
September 27, 2024
Anyone who loves the romance genre NEEDS to read this amazing new book by Lindsey Kelk. Hands down my new favorite from her. This story features a schoolteacher and secret bestselling romance author whose parents work in publishing and she fears would be horribly embarrassed to learn their daughter was a best-selling steamy romance author. In a twist of fate, the main she hates shows up at her father's birthday party and the find themselves falling in love but he's got a BIG secret. Can she forgive him to find her own HEA?? Great on audio and perfect for fans of Katherine Center's The rom-commers. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
Steam level: tons of chemistry, mild details, more fade to black than anything
Steam level: tons of chemistry, mild details, more fade to black than anything
July 7, 2024
In één ruk uitgelezen en enorm genoten. Maar de constante Taylor Swift references waren me wat veel van het goede (zegt deze lopende TS reference)
July 5, 2024
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as ‘Love me do’ but it was still funny and entertaining 😂 very full of tropes and at some point it just became saturated 😅
Props to the unique plot though!
Props to the unique plot though!
July 20, 2024
LOVE STORY - LINDSEY KELK
- ARC AUDIO BOOK
This is only the second audio book I have listened to and I can I say the storyline does make a massive difference to how much you enjoy them. The storyline was gripping straight away and I really enjoyed the narration! I just wanted to listen to it none stop!
The book follows a romance author Sophie who has published a spicy bestseller under a pseudonym and how her life unfolds after she meets the lovely Joe! A wonderful insight to how romance books make women feel!
I listened over 2 days on a 1.75 speed!
@rachaelmcreads
- ARC AUDIO BOOK
This is only the second audio book I have listened to and I can I say the storyline does make a massive difference to how much you enjoy them. The storyline was gripping straight away and I really enjoyed the narration! I just wanted to listen to it none stop!
The book follows a romance author Sophie who has published a spicy bestseller under a pseudonym and how her life unfolds after she meets the lovely Joe! A wonderful insight to how romance books make women feel!
I listened over 2 days on a 1.75 speed!
@rachaelmcreads
August 9, 2024
Sadly this fell a little bit flat for me overall, and it was mostly the audio narration that carried it for me. Great to pass the time, but not particularly swoony or memorable.
June 7, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for giving me an ARC of this book. I really enjoyed Lindsey Kelk’s books from back in the day when she first released them, e.g. I Heart London, About A Girl, but it’s been a long time since I’ve read anything of hers.
Sophie is a schoolteacher who has written a bestselling debut romance novel under a secret pen name, and the world is trying to discover her secret identity. Joe is the creative director at her publisher and has no idea who she is. I thought the opening between them was odd. Two strangers who dislike one another who decide to get drunk and spend the next few hours together. It just didn’t make sense to me or sounded plausible. Why would you spend time with someone you didn’t like? What’s the point in getting drunk with them?
I liked Sophie and I loved her family. Each of their own personalities shone through and I loved seeing Sophie’s dynamic with them. Charlotte is a privileged selfish brat but harmless. Her character was a fun read. Sarah, her best friend, was also a riot. Kelk’s side characters are so well-written.
I did love the obsession with the special edition of Sophie’s book, Butterflies. It really reminded me of all this FOMO culture over book boxes and special releases of books, which I’m guilty of. The love of books is really shown throughout this book and it felt really relatable.
Over time, Sophie and Joe’s dynamic grew on me. I did like their banter even though she could be unnecessary prickly and it definitely annoyed Joe. I could feel their sexual tension, and the ending was sweet (but not amazing). I didn’t love Joe though - I never felt he fully redeemed himself from the annoying arrogant man at the start - so that makes me feel a bit meh about the book. However, I did love Sophie and really rooted for her.
I did find the book annoyingly too trendy. It talks about TikTok, Taylor Swift, current popular books and authors like Iron Flame and Emily Henry, nostalgic mentions of Twilight and Hunger Games. It’s not something I would re-read 5 years or even 2 years down the line.
It’s been a long time since I have read any of Kelk’s books and this didn’t impress me. However I will continue to read her books in future and am looking forward to her YA romantasy, The Bell Witches, releasing later this year.
This book, however, gets 2.5 stars from me, rounded up.
Sophie is a schoolteacher who has written a bestselling debut romance novel under a secret pen name, and the world is trying to discover her secret identity. Joe is the creative director at her publisher and has no idea who she is. I thought the opening between them was odd. Two strangers who dislike one another who decide to get drunk and spend the next few hours together. It just didn’t make sense to me or sounded plausible. Why would you spend time with someone you didn’t like? What’s the point in getting drunk with them?
I liked Sophie and I loved her family. Each of their own personalities shone through and I loved seeing Sophie’s dynamic with them. Charlotte is a privileged selfish brat but harmless. Her character was a fun read. Sarah, her best friend, was also a riot. Kelk’s side characters are so well-written.
I did love the obsession with the special edition of Sophie’s book, Butterflies. It really reminded me of all this FOMO culture over book boxes and special releases of books, which I’m guilty of. The love of books is really shown throughout this book and it felt really relatable.
Over time, Sophie and Joe’s dynamic grew on me. I did like their banter even though she could be unnecessary prickly and it definitely annoyed Joe. I could feel their sexual tension, and the ending was sweet (but not amazing). I didn’t love Joe though - I never felt he fully redeemed himself from the annoying arrogant man at the start - so that makes me feel a bit meh about the book. However, I did love Sophie and really rooted for her.
I did find the book annoyingly too trendy. It talks about TikTok, Taylor Swift, current popular books and authors like Iron Flame and Emily Henry, nostalgic mentions of Twilight and Hunger Games. It’s not something I would re-read 5 years or even 2 years down the line.
It’s been a long time since I have read any of Kelk’s books and this didn’t impress me. However I will continue to read her books in future and am looking forward to her YA romantasy, The Bell Witches, releasing later this year.
This book, however, gets 2.5 stars from me, rounded up.
July 28, 2024
Holy shit.
I would rather shoot myself than read this book again.
Please drag me through a desert and let me starve to death and dry out before I open the first page again.
If I had bothered, I would have written a longer and more detailed criticizing review.
But it’s not worth the author nor my time.
The biggest issue is not even the mentions of all the trope references, social media or 15 names of modern authors. (God help us)
The issue is that the girl’s parents are highly educated writers/critics. They know what makes a book popular and will sell.
So the author literally knows the recipe for a good book. Since it’s explained in this book.
The parents are shitty people who let their youngest child behave like this:
1. Admitting to go through someone’s private things in their bedroom.
2. Loudly blackmail someone and threaten to release a video online.
3. Steal a designer purse that everybody clearly can see is expensive.
And oh what’s that? The youngest sister did all these things to her big sister. In front of the parents. And a big crowd.
And through the book the parents talks bad about being a teacher. In 2024. No thank you.
1/1 star.
Yes, I’m offended how someone could write this and publish this.
The cover is so cute though. I thought I wanted this book in my bookshelf even if I considered to just Kindle this book. At least on my kindle I would have been able to delete it.
Now I have to give this book away.
Bye.
I would rather shoot myself than read this book again.
Please drag me through a desert and let me starve to death and dry out before I open the first page again.
If I had bothered, I would have written a longer and more detailed criticizing review.
But it’s not worth the author nor my time.
The biggest issue is not even the mentions of all the trope references, social media or 15 names of modern authors. (God help us)
The issue is that the girl’s parents are highly educated writers/critics. They know what makes a book popular and will sell.
So the author literally knows the recipe for a good book. Since it’s explained in this book.
The parents are shitty people who let their youngest child behave like this:
1. Admitting to go through someone’s private things in their bedroom.
2. Loudly blackmail someone and threaten to release a video online.
3. Steal a designer purse that everybody clearly can see is expensive.
And oh what’s that? The youngest sister did all these things to her big sister. In front of the parents. And a big crowd.
And through the book the parents talks bad about being a teacher. In 2024. No thank you.
1/1 star.
Yes, I’m offended how someone could write this and publish this.
The cover is so cute though. I thought I wanted this book in my bookshelf even if I considered to just Kindle this book. At least on my kindle I would have been able to delete it.
Now I have to give this book away.
Bye.
August 27, 2024
Final score: 3.75 stars rounded up for goodreads.
I loved this book!!!
It was slow burn romance set in England about an author and a creative director!
I loved the witty humour, the dialogue and the setting! There aren’t enough books set in London / England.
I will say that I don’t think they were enemies at all- frenemies, maybe? The entire book took place within three days and they didn’t meet prior to the book so that’s definitely not enough time to be enemies. I also didn’t like the fact they had all these feelings after three days, I just don’t think it would’ve ended the way it did.
I also personally hate the whole he’s married trope, even if it’s a green card marriage, he should’ve told her- even if he’s technically not with his wife, she’s still his wife and that’s cheating.
I like HEAs, but I just think this one shouldn’t have been one. But nevertheless, I love this book and I will definitely be re-reading it over and over.
I loved this book!!!
It was slow burn romance set in England about an author and a creative director!
I loved the witty humour, the dialogue and the setting! There aren’t enough books set in London / England.
I will say that I don’t think they were enemies at all- frenemies, maybe? The entire book took place within three days and they didn’t meet prior to the book so that’s definitely not enough time to be enemies. I also didn’t like the fact they had all these feelings after three days, I just don’t think it would’ve ended the way it did.
I also personally hate the whole he’s married trope, even if it’s a green card marriage, he should’ve told her- even if he’s technically not with his wife, she’s still his wife and that’s cheating.
I like HEAs, but I just think this one shouldn’t have been one. But nevertheless, I love this book and I will definitely be re-reading it over and over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2024
Thank you Harper Collins for the ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I've never read from Lindsey Kelk before, but after this banger I ordered almost her entire backlist because if anything will get me to love a book that has tropes I don't love, it's a sense of humour that's twisted the same way mine is.
‘You don’t think books like this give women unrealistic expectations?’ ... ‘Only if you don’t think you deserve love.’
"Love Story" is set mostly over one single chaotic weekend, so it's as insta-love as it gets. We follow Sophie, who's written a bestselling smutty romance novel under a pen name and has told noone, especially not her parents who work in publishing and are extreme snobs when it comes to literature. I absolutely loved Sophie, and could completely understand where she came from. Joe, on the other hand, I couldn't really put my finger on, which was definitely intended and resolved by the end, but I just couldn't trust the guy really.
The banter between Sophie and Joe as well as Sophie and her family were top notch, pee in my pants, water through my nose hilarious. The way they collectively roasted her ex will forever have a place in my heart.
Through Sophie's journey, Kelk opens up a conversation about the (internalised) misogyny that romance authors and readers face. The way women are belittled and insulted for writing and reading romance, even when it provides escapism in the same way as, say, fantasy is infuriating because the belittlement is aimed specifically at women. I don't exclude myself from that internalised misogyny, I used to be sort of a literary snob myself, only for the last few years I accepted the romance loving part of me. I loved how Kelk managed to give shout outs to her fellow romance authors.
Despite my rave, I have two quips with it. For one, the ending was a bit messy for my taste. The other was scene in which the MMC was sexually harrassed by a woman and it was kinda laughed off as a joke? Did I misinterpret that scene?
4.5
I've never read from Lindsey Kelk before, but after this banger I ordered almost her entire backlist because if anything will get me to love a book that has tropes I don't love, it's a sense of humour that's twisted the same way mine is.
‘You don’t think books like this give women unrealistic expectations?’ ... ‘Only if you don’t think you deserve love.’
"Love Story" is set mostly over one single chaotic weekend, so it's as insta-love as it gets. We follow Sophie, who's written a bestselling smutty romance novel under a pen name and has told noone, especially not her parents who work in publishing and are extreme snobs when it comes to literature. I absolutely loved Sophie, and could completely understand where she came from. Joe, on the other hand, I couldn't really put my finger on, which was definitely intended and resolved by the end, but I just couldn't trust the guy really.
The banter between Sophie and Joe as well as Sophie and her family were top notch, pee in my pants, water through my nose hilarious. The way they collectively roasted her ex will forever have a place in my heart.
Through Sophie's journey, Kelk opens up a conversation about the (internalised) misogyny that romance authors and readers face. The way women are belittled and insulted for writing and reading romance, even when it provides escapism in the same way as, say, fantasy is infuriating because the belittlement is aimed specifically at women. I don't exclude myself from that internalised misogyny, I used to be sort of a literary snob myself, only for the last few years I accepted the romance loving part of me. I loved how Kelk managed to give shout outs to her fellow romance authors.
Despite my rave, I have two quips with it. For one, the ending was a bit messy for my taste. The other was scene in which the MMC was sexually harrassed by a woman and it was kinda laughed off as a joke? Did I misinterpret that scene?
4.5
August 9, 2024
Wat gebeurt er met romantiek boeken? .... Dit boek is niet eens ge-edit volgens mij, het is de zoveelste op rij die enorm teleurstelt.. Love Story zit vol grammatica fouten en woorden en zinnen herhalen zichzelf constant. Ik kan niet geloven dat dit een gemiddelde rating van 4.03 sterren heeft.
Daarbovenop is de romantiek saai en soms zelfs toxic. Sophie gedraagt zich als een puber, de love interest Joe is onrealistisch perfect en ze hebben 0 chemie of reden om tot elkaar aangetrokken te zijn. Het boek beschrijft vanalles maar laat niks zien, waardoor er geen diepgang in zit. Laat een karakters acties voor ze spreken! Laat zien dat Joe afstand probeert te behouden, en dat Sophie moeite heeft om te vertrouwen, in plaats van dit alleen telkens te benoemen. Er missen ook een aantal belangrijke momenten die slechts worden beschreven na afloop, zonder dat we meelezen terwijl ze plaatsvinden - waar is de kwetsbaarheid?
Acties van de bijpersonen waren compleet onrealistisch. Sophies ouders grijpen niet in als haar jongere zusje haar chanteert of haar dure merktas van haar afpakt. Ze zijn allebei actief in de uitgeverswereld en weigeren romantiek als genre te respecteren, maar doen ineens een complete 180 zonder verklaring. Haar jongste zusje opent random een boekwinkel, wat absoluut 0 relevantie heeft voor het plot, maar CONSTANT benoemd wordt. Love Story verwart hoofd- en bijzaak, waardoor het plot niet te volgen is. Het boek probeert ook nog eens kritiek op het romantiek genre te weerleggen terwijl het vol zit met al het slechtste van het genre. Ik vond het pretentieus.
Ten slotte is de hoeveelheid pop cultuur/echte (romantiek) auteur references ronduit absurd. Als ik Emily Henry/Ali Hazelwood/whatever wie dan ook was, zou ik het Niet chill vinden om zomaar een rol te krijgen in iemands gepubliceerde werk - waarbij er aannames over diens gedrag en karakter worden gemaakt! Bizar. (Ik leer net dat zelfs de titel blijkbaar verwijst naar een Taylor Swift liedje)
Ronduit het slechtste romantiek boek dat ik ooit heb gelezen. Met 10 editing rondes erbovenop zou het leesbaar en misschien zelfs leuk zijn geweest. Maar de uitgevers zagen een boek in een populair genre bomvol "tropes" en references naar pop cultuur en dachten: het kan makkelijk op TikTok gepromoot worden, aka het gaat geld opleveren..... (en ik ben ervoor gevallen hahah)
Daarbovenop is de romantiek saai en soms zelfs toxic. Sophie gedraagt zich als een puber, de love interest Joe is onrealistisch perfect en ze hebben 0 chemie of reden om tot elkaar aangetrokken te zijn. Het boek beschrijft vanalles maar laat niks zien, waardoor er geen diepgang in zit. Laat een karakters acties voor ze spreken! Laat zien dat Joe afstand probeert te behouden, en dat Sophie moeite heeft om te vertrouwen, in plaats van dit alleen telkens te benoemen. Er missen ook een aantal belangrijke momenten die slechts worden beschreven na afloop, zonder dat we meelezen terwijl ze plaatsvinden - waar is de kwetsbaarheid?
Acties van de bijpersonen waren compleet onrealistisch. Sophies ouders grijpen niet in als haar jongere zusje haar chanteert of haar dure merktas van haar afpakt. Ze zijn allebei actief in de uitgeverswereld en weigeren romantiek als genre te respecteren, maar doen ineens een complete 180 zonder verklaring. Haar jongste zusje opent random een boekwinkel, wat absoluut 0 relevantie heeft voor het plot, maar CONSTANT benoemd wordt. Love Story verwart hoofd- en bijzaak, waardoor het plot niet te volgen is. Het boek probeert ook nog eens kritiek op het romantiek genre te weerleggen terwijl het vol zit met al het slechtste van het genre. Ik vond het pretentieus.
Ten slotte is de hoeveelheid pop cultuur/echte (romantiek) auteur references ronduit absurd. Als ik Emily Henry/Ali Hazelwood/whatever wie dan ook was, zou ik het Niet chill vinden om zomaar een rol te krijgen in iemands gepubliceerde werk - waarbij er aannames over diens gedrag en karakter worden gemaakt! Bizar. (Ik leer net dat zelfs de titel blijkbaar verwijst naar een Taylor Swift liedje)
Ronduit het slechtste romantiek boek dat ik ooit heb gelezen. Met 10 editing rondes erbovenop zou het leesbaar en misschien zelfs leuk zijn geweest. Maar de uitgevers zagen een boek in een populair genre bomvol "tropes" en references naar pop cultuur en dachten: het kan makkelijk op TikTok gepromoot worden, aka het gaat geld opleveren..... (en ik ben ervoor gevallen hahah)
July 9, 2024
Yes to this entire book. I could leave my review there but I should probably write some more words as to why this book was so epic!!
Not only is it book centred, with right on the nose insights to real world books, bookstagram, booktok and all that comes with being a bookfluencer, but the main central plot storyline was just perfection.
Our main character, an author come English teacher, is the anonymous best seller of the hottest romance novel around. And from the snippets we got from the book, I wouldn’t mind reading ‘Butterflies’ too. I think I would also be a hardcore fan groupie.
I loved Sophie’s character and her romance story was divine. The book was also so damn satisfying in its conclusions and mounting plots that fist pumping for joy when certain people got their comeuppance is inevitable.
And can I just say, the narrator of the audiobook (Kristen Atherton) did THE most amazing job ever and I think now is one of my favourite audiobook narrators. She voiced all of the characters perfectly and had the exact amounts of comedic timing to really do the humour justice and had me laughing, teary and so engaged that the book flew by.
I seriously loved this story and audiobook and it’s a definite reread for the future.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the audiobook on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
Not only is it book centred, with right on the nose insights to real world books, bookstagram, booktok and all that comes with being a bookfluencer, but the main central plot storyline was just perfection.
Our main character, an author come English teacher, is the anonymous best seller of the hottest romance novel around. And from the snippets we got from the book, I wouldn’t mind reading ‘Butterflies’ too. I think I would also be a hardcore fan groupie.
I loved Sophie’s character and her romance story was divine. The book was also so damn satisfying in its conclusions and mounting plots that fist pumping for joy when certain people got their comeuppance is inevitable.
And can I just say, the narrator of the audiobook (Kristen Atherton) did THE most amazing job ever and I think now is one of my favourite audiobook narrators. She voiced all of the characters perfectly and had the exact amounts of comedic timing to really do the humour justice and had me laughing, teary and so engaged that the book flew by.
I seriously loved this story and audiobook and it’s a definite reread for the future.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the audiobook on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
August 24, 2024
Did I read this book based on the title being a Taylor Swift song? Surprisingly, no! I had read two other Lindsey Kelk books before this one, so I knew she was a good writer. And I follow her on social media, where she does proudly let her swiftie freak flag fly. So while it is no coincidence this book shares a title with the song from the blonde singer, I read it because it seemed like it would be a fun story.
And fun it was! The characters are wonderfully quirky and the British wit throughout had me giggling and guffawing quite a bit. Lindsey Kelk has the ability to write love stories filled with witty pop culture references and silly little phrases that make her books feel very current and breezy:
“Could you off yourself in an electric oven? Where was Sylvia Plath when you needed her.”
“I’d been wrong in the past, but only on extremely rare occasions. Like the time I momentarily doubted Beyoncé’s ability to pull off a Country record. Shame on me.”
Amidst all of the fun banter, though, I was not at all invested in the love story between Sophie and Joe, our main characters that both work in the book business. So once the two leads started to explore their attraction I found myself zoning out. It made the last part of the book a bit of a drag. But overall it was a fun and very bookish story.
3.5 stars.
And fun it was! The characters are wonderfully quirky and the British wit throughout had me giggling and guffawing quite a bit. Lindsey Kelk has the ability to write love stories filled with witty pop culture references and silly little phrases that make her books feel very current and breezy:
“Could you off yourself in an electric oven? Where was Sylvia Plath when you needed her.”
“I’d been wrong in the past, but only on extremely rare occasions. Like the time I momentarily doubted Beyoncé’s ability to pull off a Country record. Shame on me.”
Amidst all of the fun banter, though, I was not at all invested in the love story between Sophie and Joe, our main characters that both work in the book business. So once the two leads started to explore their attraction I found myself zoning out. It made the last part of the book a bit of a drag. But overall it was a fun and very bookish story.
3.5 stars.
June 18, 2024
5/5★
🫶🏼🥹✨💕
🫶🏼🥹✨💕
July 17, 2024
this was so much fun i’m in love with the characters !! i had such a great time, spend the whole book laughing so hard loved it !! 4,75⭐️
August 21, 2024
Love Story is an absorbing, funny and heartwarming read that I really enjoyed. Lindsey is one of my auto buy authors as her books are always fantastic!
Firstly I absolutely loved the characters the author has created and I enjoyed getting to know them throughout the book. Sophie was such a real character who I found really relatable. She was super confident in some areas while being nervous about other parts of her life which I found very endearing. I loved hanging out with her madcap family and the scenes involving them were my favourite as they were often very funny.
The author is clearly a reader and I loved her accurate descriptions about how books can make a reader feel. Charlotte in particular does a great job of evoking the joy a book can give and I loved the sound of her bookshop filled with books she loved rather than books the critics deemed worthy. The author uses this book to have a dig about some people’s attitude to romance fiction which was good to see. Too often people look down at romance fiction, despite it being the top selling genre, and it was nice to see this being addressed.
Overall, as you can probably tell, I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait to read more from Lindsey in the future. I was quickly absorbed into the story and I thought the book had a great pace to it as there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. There were a few twists that kept me guessing and I often went from cringing to laughing out loud in one chapter which I always enjoy. If you’re a fan of romance fiction or just a great story then I highly recommend this book!
Firstly I absolutely loved the characters the author has created and I enjoyed getting to know them throughout the book. Sophie was such a real character who I found really relatable. She was super confident in some areas while being nervous about other parts of her life which I found very endearing. I loved hanging out with her madcap family and the scenes involving them were my favourite as they were often very funny.
The author is clearly a reader and I loved her accurate descriptions about how books can make a reader feel. Charlotte in particular does a great job of evoking the joy a book can give and I loved the sound of her bookshop filled with books she loved rather than books the critics deemed worthy. The author uses this book to have a dig about some people’s attitude to romance fiction which was good to see. Too often people look down at romance fiction, despite it being the top selling genre, and it was nice to see this being addressed.
Overall, as you can probably tell, I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait to read more from Lindsey in the future. I was quickly absorbed into the story and I thought the book had a great pace to it as there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. There were a few twists that kept me guessing and I often went from cringing to laughing out loud in one chapter which I always enjoy. If you’re a fan of romance fiction or just a great story then I highly recommend this book!
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