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A Novel Love Story
A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction… literally.
Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.
But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…
Because it is.
This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.
Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.
Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.
Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.
Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.
But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…
Because it is.
This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.
Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.
Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.
Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.
384 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2024
About the author
Ashley Poston
26 books13.7k followersNew York Times best-seller by day, fanfic author by night.
Viist her at www.ashposton.com.
Viist her at www.ashposton.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,149 reviews
June 25, 2024
3🌟
this book is such a cozy fun time! I love the uniqueness in the plot, because I too would love to live in the world of my favorite characters and talk to them. good luck getting me to leave!
however, this did fall a little flat for me. the romance felt non existent until it was needed, then we went 3x speed to attempt to sell me on their chemistry which we did not succeed in. which is sad because bookish couples are my thing! I feel like we spent the whole book diving into her past, her love for the specific book series we're living in and her helping these fictional characters she loves (which I know is to help aid her to see the lesson blah blah blah) but all of that just made the romance a big question mark in my mind. not to mention the (almost) ending third act conflict that we pulled out of no where (literally leaving town he decides to stay??) and then for it to be mended within like 10 pages.... what.
all in all, I thought it was a fun time! but that is about it. I would still recommend and it will be put in a fall book rec category because it's just too dang cozy!
this book is such a cozy fun time! I love the uniqueness in the plot, because I too would love to live in the world of my favorite characters and talk to them. good luck getting me to leave!
however, this did fall a little flat for me. the romance felt non existent until it was needed, then we went 3x speed to attempt to sell me on their chemistry which we did not succeed in. which is sad because bookish couples are my thing! I feel like we spent the whole book diving into her past, her love for the specific book series we're living in and her helping these fictional characters she loves (which I know is to help aid her to see the lesson blah blah blah) but all of that just made the romance a big question mark in my mind. not to mention the (almost) ending third act conflict that we pulled out of no where (literally leaving town he decides to stay??) and then for it to be mended within like 10 pages.... what.
all in all, I thought it was a fun time! but that is about it. I would still recommend and it will be put in a fall book rec category because it's just too dang cozy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2024
"If I was a poet, I could liken love to your eyes. If I was a gardener, I could plant a kiss on all the places you despise yourself. If I was a writer, I could write epics to your lovely lips. If I was a painter, I could explore every bend and curve so when my eyes failed me, I would paint you by memory."
Well, am speechless. I went in expecting absolutely nothing and was absolutely AMAZED by this book. When the fmc crashes her car into the love interest while it's raining, and finds herself in her favorite book world. You know that book is going to be good 🤌 Potentially one of the best books I've read this year and it's going to stay in my head for a few weeks for sure 👀
This is the first book I've read by this author and am really impressed. Looking forward to checking out more of her books 🤭
All I knew about this book was its magical realism and about a girl who gets to go inside her favorite fictional world and live it. If that doesn't peak your curiosity, idk what will. I don't read a lot of magical realism, so not sure if this book explained the "whys and hows" well but I found it to be slightly confusing but also too deeply invested and was vibing with it, I couldn't help but fall into it too.
"Love was a bunch of small things that added up to bigger things.
Love was feeling valued. And accepted.
Just the way you were.
It was never feeling too much, or not enough, even though often you were both, because Love loved you anyway. Not in spite of it, but because of it."
Eileen is quite relatable. The way she sought peace, escapism, romance in books when in reality life isn't doing so well was written perfectly. The way she got so excited to see her favorite characters and world come to life was so exciting to read. It did irk me a little when she meddled a bit too much in their lives but that's explainable. I mean, if I see Azriel in Velaris, you bet am gonna push him towards Gwyn, if not me, instead of the other one 😂 Sorry.
Anders is a character that takes warming up to. He does come across as a grump with a cold exterior but a total swooner at heart. I liked his backstory but mostly I liked how passionate he ended up being when it came to showing Eileen love. He gets cute when he's jealous and does a really good job at being Eileen's book boyfriend.
The romance is angsty and the chemistry between them works out great. I adored how they didn't just jump into the spice, they took time with emotional intimacy and balanced it well with physical attraction. The two had me swooning together. The spice was tasteful and felt perfect in that moment for the two. I do however wish that Eileen could have controlled her emotions better in one scene when she ends up slapping Anders for him hurtful to her but the two have a talk about it and it gets resolved.
"Because this story was good, and it was sweet.
And it was home."
The ending had me going through so many emotions. I wish I could read it again for the first time 😭😭 This is in no way a perfect book but it worked out quite well for me.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Do give it a read if you're in the mood for something lighthearted and good fluff. It will make you feel the emotions and it's a treat for any book lover who just wants to enter their favorite fictional world and meet its characters.
~•~•~
A book about a reader who ends up in her favorite romance book? I AM READYYYYY
Well, am speechless. I went in expecting absolutely nothing and was absolutely AMAZED by this book. When the fmc crashes her car into the love interest while it's raining, and finds herself in her favorite book world. You know that book is going to be good 🤌 Potentially one of the best books I've read this year and it's going to stay in my head for a few weeks for sure 👀
This is the first book I've read by this author and am really impressed. Looking forward to checking out more of her books 🤭
All I knew about this book was its magical realism and about a girl who gets to go inside her favorite fictional world and live it. If that doesn't peak your curiosity, idk what will. I don't read a lot of magical realism, so not sure if this book explained the "whys and hows" well but I found it to be slightly confusing but also too deeply invested and was vibing with it, I couldn't help but fall into it too.
"Love was a bunch of small things that added up to bigger things.
Love was feeling valued. And accepted.
Just the way you were.
It was never feeling too much, or not enough, even though often you were both, because Love loved you anyway. Not in spite of it, but because of it."
Eileen is quite relatable. The way she sought peace, escapism, romance in books when in reality life isn't doing so well was written perfectly. The way she got so excited to see her favorite characters and world come to life was so exciting to read. It did irk me a little when she meddled a bit too much in their lives but that's explainable. I mean, if I see Azriel in Velaris, you bet am gonna push him towards Gwyn, if not me, instead of the other one 😂 Sorry.
Anders is a character that takes warming up to. He does come across as a grump with a cold exterior but a total swooner at heart. I liked his backstory but mostly I liked how passionate he ended up being when it came to showing Eileen love. He gets cute when he's jealous and does a really good job at being Eileen's book boyfriend.
The romance is angsty and the chemistry between them works out great. I adored how they didn't just jump into the spice, they took time with emotional intimacy and balanced it well with physical attraction. The two had me swooning together. The spice was tasteful and felt perfect in that moment for the two. I do however wish that Eileen could have controlled her emotions better in one scene when she ends up slapping Anders for him hurtful to her but the two have a talk about it and it gets resolved.
"Because this story was good, and it was sweet.
And it was home."
The ending had me going through so many emotions. I wish I could read it again for the first time 😭😭 This is in no way a perfect book but it worked out quite well for me.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Do give it a read if you're in the mood for something lighthearted and good fluff. It will make you feel the emotions and it's a treat for any book lover who just wants to enter their favorite fictional world and meet its characters.
~•~•~
A book about a reader who ends up in her favorite romance book? I AM READYYYYY
July 15, 2024
Each time I start another emotional romance-meets-fantasy book by Ashley Poston, I tell myself, "Don't let her wreck your heart and don't shed any more of your ugly tears; you're making disgusting noises." But each time, I eat my words and cry like an evil incarnated baby girl, making people nearby pray to be deaf not to hear me any longer.
I think I loved this book even more than "Dead Romantics." Yes, I admit, it's my favorite Ashley Poston book. It ruined me for other romances, making it hard to enjoy them as well. Yes, I fell for this book and the entire fictional small town with a romantic couples theme, reminding you of Wizard of Oz meets Once Upon a Time with Gilmore Girls and Groundhog Day vibes.
When everything in life sucks—still in pain after being dumped a week before your wedding ceremony, stuck in a job you don't like, seeing everyone in your life already found happiness, moving on with their lives while you're suffering in your miserable, lonely life—don't you want a chance for a quick escape like the fictional small town your favorite romance author created? That's what Eileen Merriweather did, not intentionally but accidentally.
After each book club friend ditched her for a reunion, including her best friend who decided to fly to Iceland with her boyfriend for a probable wedding proposal, she decides to drive 18 hours to reach a cabin in the woods to drown her sorrows, read romances until her eyes bleed (just like my regular day routine :)), but her plan fails when she takes a wrong turn and finds herself in another small town, breaking her car by hitting the brakes too hard to avoid hitting the gorgeous man appearing in the middle of the road. That's how she arrives in Eloraton.
There's no place like Eloraton. Where a rain shower comes in the early afternoon, though it clears up in minutes, the inn is always under renovation, the burgers at Gail's bar are always burnt, the honey taffy is always sweet, and the starlings always make their nests in the eaves. Nothing changes, and its fictional townsfolk, created by Rachel Followers, live the same day over and over until Elsy finds her path accidentally into this town that doesn't exist and creates ripples in their universe. Things start to move. She finds herself in the middle of a romance manuscript her favorite author couldn't finish because Rachel Flowers died two years ago. Could the reason she's here be that she has to help the rest of the characters have their happily ever afters?
The grumpy bookstore owner, Anders, she was about to hit with her car, is the only person who realizes these ripples, and he doesn't like how Elsy has affected the townsfolk's lives. Elsy realizes she has complex feelings about this man who denies his own HEA. Could she help him with a sunshiny attitude to defeat his grumpiness, to save him and save herself? What if helping the Eloraton people may also help her find her own path, her own home that she needs to find?
No more words. I love Elsy's self-worth exploration, her facing the choices she's made, her development, and of course, her slow-burn, heartwarming love story. This book is like a realistic fairy tale if you consider it a brand new genre. I wholeheartedly loved it and absolutely recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this AMAZING book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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I think I loved this book even more than "Dead Romantics." Yes, I admit, it's my favorite Ashley Poston book. It ruined me for other romances, making it hard to enjoy them as well. Yes, I fell for this book and the entire fictional small town with a romantic couples theme, reminding you of Wizard of Oz meets Once Upon a Time with Gilmore Girls and Groundhog Day vibes.
When everything in life sucks—still in pain after being dumped a week before your wedding ceremony, stuck in a job you don't like, seeing everyone in your life already found happiness, moving on with their lives while you're suffering in your miserable, lonely life—don't you want a chance for a quick escape like the fictional small town your favorite romance author created? That's what Eileen Merriweather did, not intentionally but accidentally.
After each book club friend ditched her for a reunion, including her best friend who decided to fly to Iceland with her boyfriend for a probable wedding proposal, she decides to drive 18 hours to reach a cabin in the woods to drown her sorrows, read romances until her eyes bleed (just like my regular day routine :)), but her plan fails when she takes a wrong turn and finds herself in another small town, breaking her car by hitting the brakes too hard to avoid hitting the gorgeous man appearing in the middle of the road. That's how she arrives in Eloraton.
There's no place like Eloraton. Where a rain shower comes in the early afternoon, though it clears up in minutes, the inn is always under renovation, the burgers at Gail's bar are always burnt, the honey taffy is always sweet, and the starlings always make their nests in the eaves. Nothing changes, and its fictional townsfolk, created by Rachel Followers, live the same day over and over until Elsy finds her path accidentally into this town that doesn't exist and creates ripples in their universe. Things start to move. She finds herself in the middle of a romance manuscript her favorite author couldn't finish because Rachel Flowers died two years ago. Could the reason she's here be that she has to help the rest of the characters have their happily ever afters?
The grumpy bookstore owner, Anders, she was about to hit with her car, is the only person who realizes these ripples, and he doesn't like how Elsy has affected the townsfolk's lives. Elsy realizes she has complex feelings about this man who denies his own HEA. Could she help him with a sunshiny attitude to defeat his grumpiness, to save him and save herself? What if helping the Eloraton people may also help her find her own path, her own home that she needs to find?
No more words. I love Elsy's self-worth exploration, her facing the choices she's made, her development, and of course, her slow-burn, heartwarming love story. This book is like a realistic fairy tale if you consider it a brand new genre. I wholeheartedly loved it and absolutely recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this AMAZING book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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July 1, 2024
OH MY HOPELESS ROMANTIC HEART!!!!!! A Novel Love Story written by Ashley Poston wasn't perfect, but it was SO FREAKING CUTE. I absolutely loved and adored The Seven Year Slip by this author, so when I saw this stunning cover I knew I had to get my hands on this book immediately. Ashley Poston never fails to amaze with her beautiful writing, magical story telling, and relatable characters. Ashley, thank YOU for writing this book for all of us. A Novel Love Story is for all of the book girlies who want to escape from the real world and live in the fictional world, who fall for the fictional boyfriends, who want to feel seen, and those who dream of owning their own bookstores. The twists and turns were so unpredicatable, I didn't see them coming at all. I went into this book completely blind, and honestly I recommend doing that because it makes the reading experience so magical and you will be completely surprised. I laughed so much I had tears streaming down my face, I smiled a numerous amount of times while reading this beautiful book. The butterflies in my heart and my stomach were fluttering. I can't recommend this book enough, so please do yourself a huge favor and grab a copy of this book immediately on June 25th, 2024.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!
First off, I would like to thank my girl, Jess❤. for buddy reading this beautiful and magical book with me. I had the best time swooning and sharing my thoughts with you. You made this reading experience a thousand times better because we got to fangirl together over these fictional characters.
"💅I looked forward to a week where I could shuck off my professorial robes and disappear into the twisting roads that hugged the soft hills of the Catskills, and read about impossible meet-cutes and grand romantic gestures, and no one would judge me for it💅".
"🍺I needed to get drunk on cheap wine and cry over happily ever afters🍺".
"😭I knew that feeling-being frozen because you hurt too much to move. Life just felt easier when nothing changed, but that was only because you'd grown numb to the world around you😭".
"💓If you loved something-someone-sometimes you had to let them go. And if they loved you too, they'd come back. Love-true love- always came back💓".
Eileen Merriweather is a part time English professor that loves to get lost in a happily ever after. But only the fictional kind, anyway because imaginary men from books don't leave you standing at the altar. Eileen feels safe reading her books at home, which might be why she's so excited on going to her annual book club retreat this year. Eileen and her best friend Prudence are in a book club with a bunch of other book lovers called the Super Smutty Book Club and each year they all take a trip together to read and discuss their favorite book. The Super Smutty Book Club was brought together by Rachel Flowers, an author that wrote their favorite book series. Rachel suddenly passed away and left the series unfinished. Everyone made excuses to back out of this trip, Prudence was getting engaged and the others made lame excuses not to go, but Eileen was dead set on going. When Eileen's car unexpectedly breaks down on the way there, Eileen finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it's right out of a novel, well that's because it is. Eloraton, New York is the town in which Eileen's favorite series takes place. Rain always comes in the afternoon, the local candy stores honey taffy is always sweet, and the local bar's burgers are always a little burnt, it's like it's almost too good to be true.
In Eloraton, Eileen meets a fictional book character that she almost runs over in the pouring rain. Anderson Sinclair has minty green eyes and he's a grumpy bookstore owner that owns Ineffable Books. Eileen is in Eloraton to finish the last book in the series, but Anderson "Anders" doesn't want her to finish it. As Anders and Eileen spend time together, they talk about their lives and want it means to be a fictional character. Anders has a cat named Butterscotch, oh my gosh, he was just the cutest little fur baby who had a mind of his own, he was grumpy just like his grumpy owner, Anders. I absolutely loved and adored watching Anders and Eileen form a bond, it was just so cute to witness, their banter was just top tier and absolutely hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing. When Anders and Eileen were visiting Quixotic Falls, a magical waterfall, I just wanted to jump into my kindle and visit this magical and beautiful place. I loved the idea of the Super Smutty Book Club, in all honesty, it makes me want to start my own book club, it's almost like a dream come true. Eileen is such a relatable character, she's basically living the dream so many book girls dream of happening one day. I absolutely loved and adored all of the side characters, they were so welcoming with open arms to Eileen, ugh it was just so bittersweet and so memorable to witness.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!
First off, I would like to thank my girl, Jess❤. for buddy reading this beautiful and magical book with me. I had the best time swooning and sharing my thoughts with you. You made this reading experience a thousand times better because we got to fangirl together over these fictional characters.
"💅I looked forward to a week where I could shuck off my professorial robes and disappear into the twisting roads that hugged the soft hills of the Catskills, and read about impossible meet-cutes and grand romantic gestures, and no one would judge me for it💅".
"🍺I needed to get drunk on cheap wine and cry over happily ever afters🍺".
"😭I knew that feeling-being frozen because you hurt too much to move. Life just felt easier when nothing changed, but that was only because you'd grown numb to the world around you😭".
"💓If you loved something-someone-sometimes you had to let them go. And if they loved you too, they'd come back. Love-true love- always came back💓".
Eileen Merriweather is a part time English professor that loves to get lost in a happily ever after. But only the fictional kind, anyway because imaginary men from books don't leave you standing at the altar. Eileen feels safe reading her books at home, which might be why she's so excited on going to her annual book club retreat this year. Eileen and her best friend Prudence are in a book club with a bunch of other book lovers called the Super Smutty Book Club and each year they all take a trip together to read and discuss their favorite book. The Super Smutty Book Club was brought together by Rachel Flowers, an author that wrote their favorite book series. Rachel suddenly passed away and left the series unfinished. Everyone made excuses to back out of this trip, Prudence was getting engaged and the others made lame excuses not to go, but Eileen was dead set on going. When Eileen's car unexpectedly breaks down on the way there, Eileen finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it's right out of a novel, well that's because it is. Eloraton, New York is the town in which Eileen's favorite series takes place. Rain always comes in the afternoon, the local candy stores honey taffy is always sweet, and the local bar's burgers are always a little burnt, it's like it's almost too good to be true.
In Eloraton, Eileen meets a fictional book character that she almost runs over in the pouring rain. Anderson Sinclair has minty green eyes and he's a grumpy bookstore owner that owns Ineffable Books. Eileen is in Eloraton to finish the last book in the series, but Anderson "Anders" doesn't want her to finish it. As Anders and Eileen spend time together, they talk about their lives and want it means to be a fictional character. Anders has a cat named Butterscotch, oh my gosh, he was just the cutest little fur baby who had a mind of his own, he was grumpy just like his grumpy owner, Anders. I absolutely loved and adored watching Anders and Eileen form a bond, it was just so cute to witness, their banter was just top tier and absolutely hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing. When Anders and Eileen were visiting Quixotic Falls, a magical waterfall, I just wanted to jump into my kindle and visit this magical and beautiful place. I loved the idea of the Super Smutty Book Club, in all honesty, it makes me want to start my own book club, it's almost like a dream come true. Eileen is such a relatable character, she's basically living the dream so many book girls dream of happening one day. I absolutely loved and adored all of the side characters, they were so welcoming with open arms to Eileen, ugh it was just so bittersweet and so memorable to witness.
February 8, 2024
upon further reflection: 2 (deserved) stars.
half of this book is just some variation of one of the following:
“his minty gaze”
“he smelled like black tea”
“in the sunlight, his hair looked golden”
it desperately needs an editor. why were these descriptions repeated so many times?? i don’t have the best memory, i’ll be the first to admit, but it’s not THAT bad. i don’t need to be reminded every two seconds that his eyes are green — and not even just green, there had to be some useless adjective in front of it like minty or emerald or forest. if i never hear those words again, it’ll be too soon.
now i know this is trivial, and it’s probably not too difficult to look past if you’re enjoying the story. but guess what? yes, that’s right. i wasn’t enjoying it. at least not the romance. and that is quite possibly the worst way to feel when you are reading a romance book. they fell in love in like… five days. where is the chemistry?? where is the angst and the tension and the longing? i was utterly unconvinced of their feelings toward each other. the way he just randomly started calling her sweetheart too? where did that come from?? it felt like a cheap way to further their relationship without actually adding depth to it.
the reason i’m giving this three stars though (i lied, it’s not getting three stars) is because there’s just something about ashley poston’s writing. it’s like being cocooned in a warm blanket. her words and stories never fail to comfort and reassure me, and as someone who often feels lost and unsure of who she is and what she wants, i welcome that feeling. in this book, she stresses the importance of the journey rather than the destination. and she writes a character who, at first, isolates herself from the rest of the world to make sure she never has the opportunity to get hurt again and, later, decides that going after what she wants is worth it, even if it doesn’t quite end up how she expected it to. there’s a lot of good in this book (once again, i lied — a lot is a stretch) but it unfortunately wasn’t enough to outweigh the parts i disliked.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc 🫶
—
well that was… something 😃 rtc
—
because i need something sweet and comforting 🥹❤️🩹 please deliver!!! 😩😩
half of this book is just some variation of one of the following:
“his minty gaze”
“he smelled like black tea”
“in the sunlight, his hair looked golden”
it desperately needs an editor. why were these descriptions repeated so many times?? i don’t have the best memory, i’ll be the first to admit, but it’s not THAT bad. i don’t need to be reminded every two seconds that his eyes are green — and not even just green, there had to be some useless adjective in front of it like minty or emerald or forest. if i never hear those words again, it’ll be too soon.
now i know this is trivial, and it’s probably not too difficult to look past if you’re enjoying the story. but guess what? yes, that’s right. i wasn’t enjoying it. at least not the romance. and that is quite possibly the worst way to feel when you are reading a romance book. they fell in love in like… five days. where is the chemistry?? where is the angst and the tension and the longing? i was utterly unconvinced of their feelings toward each other. the way he just randomly started calling her sweetheart too? where did that come from?? it felt like a cheap way to further their relationship without actually adding depth to it.
the reason i’m giving this three stars though (i lied, it’s not getting three stars) is because there’s just something about ashley poston’s writing. it’s like being cocooned in a warm blanket. her words and stories never fail to comfort and reassure me, and as someone who often feels lost and unsure of who she is and what she wants, i welcome that feeling. in this book, she stresses the importance of the journey rather than the destination. and she writes a character who, at first, isolates herself from the rest of the world to make sure she never has the opportunity to get hurt again and, later, decides that going after what she wants is worth it, even if it doesn’t quite end up how she expected it to. there’s a lot of good in this book (once again, i lied — a lot is a stretch) but it unfortunately wasn’t enough to outweigh the parts i disliked.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc 🫶
—
well that was… something 😃 rtc
—
because i need something sweet and comforting 🥹❤️🩹 please deliver!!! 😩😩
July 4, 2024
this was a love letter to romance readers and i will be re-reading my annotation until further notice
June 25, 2024
2.75 Stars rounded to 3 because I adore Poston.
HiS mInTy GrEeN eYeSsSsSsSsS - 🙈🙉🙊
I'm a little at a loss here. I really thought I was going to love this one despite some of the reviews that I saw prior to release, but - meh.
I really love how Ashley Poston is able to put a spin on what would be a traditional romance trope. I loved everything about the idea of this story but I wasn't a fan of the characters, or really the actual story I got here.
The FMC is pretty boring - she's also super self-deprecatory which I'm not a fan of. Talk about several eye roll moments. I don't even know enough about the MMC to have an opinion about him one way or another - but rest assured, I'll never forget that he has minty green eyes.
The magical-realism didn't come through very much in this book which is a little disappointing considering how magical her previous books have felt. This is a really generous 3 stars.
Le sigh- on to the next one.
Well. Not only did Berkley decline me on this one earlier this year but then the not so great reviews came in. Sigh. I love Ashley Poston so I'm hoping for the best.
The time has come! 🎉💙💗💛💚
HiS mInTy GrEeN eYeSsSsSsSsS - 🙈🙉🙊
I'm a little at a loss here. I really thought I was going to love this one despite some of the reviews that I saw prior to release, but - meh.
I really love how Ashley Poston is able to put a spin on what would be a traditional romance trope. I loved everything about the idea of this story but I wasn't a fan of the characters, or really the actual story I got here.
The FMC is pretty boring - she's also super self-deprecatory which I'm not a fan of. Talk about several eye roll moments. I don't even know enough about the MMC to have an opinion about him one way or another - but rest assured, I'll never forget that he has minty green eyes.
The magical-realism didn't come through very much in this book which is a little disappointing considering how magical her previous books have felt. This is a really generous 3 stars.
Le sigh- on to the next one.
The time has come! 🎉💙💗💛💚
July 6, 2024
The fireflies danced around us, the wind winding through the trees, and when he set his eyes on me, I felt like the only story he wanted to read. And that was dangerous, because he was fictional and Rachel had written someone for him. Someone good. And it wasn’t me
hi, Ashley Poston is back with another magical realism-modern romance story and good luck not absolutely falling in love with the love story 🥺🦋
no insta-love here, no extreme world building that makes it hard to follow, just a heartbroken Eileen who loves a good romance novel who travels for a book club meeting that got canceled last minute and finds herself living in a real life version of her favorite novel series 😭💙💙 and she meets all her favorite characters and fictional locations and a hero whose story is quite uncompleted. how cute is that? just magical 🍭✨️
I do not exactly have a favorite romance series but if I found myself in ✨️grishaverse✨️... Ketterdam to be specific, I'd die😭😭😭 like no I'm not even being dramatic, I would be dead on page 2 and it would be so worth it omg
would you survive being in your favorite series? tell me in the comments ❤️❤️
***
SK made me do it 🤭🤭
May 21, 2024
“Sometimes all you need is to see life from a different angle, to make it look new again.”
i’m one of the few people on this planet who loved The Dead Romantics, so i’m kind of disappointed that A Novel Love Story didn’t work for me. i loved the concept of the book within a book, but the way the magical realism was done didn’t make sense.. like how did the main characters not question being transported into a fictional novel world? there’s some attempts at exploring grief and the aftermath of breaking up with a partner who you thought you’d spend forever with but i really just didn’t care about any of it to be honest.
“Nothing ever stopped. Nothing was permanent. Art lived and breathed, like love, like friendship. Life—like works of art— was transformative. It persisted.”
my main issue is the romance between Eileen and Anders. i had no clue why they were even into each other since they had zero chemistry. the amount of times Eileen mentioned his “minty eyes” and “golden hair” drove me so far up the wall i was stuck to the ceiling. i also just didn’t like Eileen much in general cause the way she was written made her seem almost desperate and a bit pitiful, while Anders was stale with no personality. the whole secrecy behind Anders’ identity and why he’s aware of being in the town kept my interest, only for the reveal to be anticlimactic. i wanted to enjoy this cause the fmc’s love of books and the escape from reality they bring was relatable (of course), but this never stopped being a chore to read.
shout out to my girl Daniella for buddy reading this with me! (our next one must be better) lol🩵✨
➯ many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the arc, all opinions are my own.
i’m one of the few people on this planet who loved The Dead Romantics, so i’m kind of disappointed that A Novel Love Story didn’t work for me. i loved the concept of the book within a book, but the way the magical realism was done didn’t make sense.. like how did the main characters not question being transported into a fictional novel world? there’s some attempts at exploring grief and the aftermath of breaking up with a partner who you thought you’d spend forever with but i really just didn’t care about any of it to be honest.
“Nothing ever stopped. Nothing was permanent. Art lived and breathed, like love, like friendship. Life—like works of art— was transformative. It persisted.”
my main issue is the romance between Eileen and Anders. i had no clue why they were even into each other since they had zero chemistry. the amount of times Eileen mentioned his “minty eyes” and “golden hair” drove me so far up the wall i was stuck to the ceiling. i also just didn’t like Eileen much in general cause the way she was written made her seem almost desperate and a bit pitiful, while Anders was stale with no personality. the whole secrecy behind Anders’ identity and why he’s aware of being in the town kept my interest, only for the reveal to be anticlimactic. i wanted to enjoy this cause the fmc’s love of books and the escape from reality they bring was relatable (of course), but this never stopped being a chore to read.
shout out to my girl Daniella for buddy reading this with me! (our next one must be better) lol🩵✨
➯ many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the arc, all opinions are my own.
July 17, 2024
“Follow your heart, Even if it leads you wrong, will you really regret it?”
Ohhhh how cute and heartwarming💓 All I knew about this book going in, was that it was a book about books, and that was enough for me. How can you go wrong when the author is literally writing to all the hearts of readers just like us? The beautiful writing Poston uses speaks to every single one of us who runs to books to escape reality, or to feel the emotions we seek throughout the pages of the books we read.
💕Slow-burn romance
💕Magical Realism
💕Books about Books
💕Small town romance
💕Forced proximity
*:･ﾟ✧Eileen/Elsy*:･ﾟ✧
Eileen is a girl who has had her heartbroken, who runs to books for comfort and to escape her reality. She turns to books to read stories that help her out of her trauma and sadness. She finds love in her books because fictional boyfriends don't dissapoint and love exists between the pages. When she doesn't run to her books she has her best friend Pru to lean on. Elsy looks forward to one time of the year, where her annual book club meets up to drink wine and talk about their favorite books. However, this year Pru and everyone else can't make it, so Elsy decides to go to the cabin by herself to get away and escape the reality of her life. On her way, she gets lost and ends up in the town of her favorite romance series.
Even though this book did have a slow-burn romance in it, it was really the relationships between all the side characters that had me completely intrigued. Following Elsy as she finds ways to meddle in all the side characters lives while building relationships with them was entertaining. I mean who wouldn't want to go into their favorite book and meet their favorite characters. It's everyone of our dreams to dive into a fictional world and thats what we do everytime we sit down and pick up a book. Elsy is such a relatable character and I absolutely adored the characters, the writing, and the story.
*:･ﾟ✧Favorite Quotes*:･ﾟ✧
"Sometimes a book can change your life. It's hard to explain that to someone who doesn't read, or who has never felt their heart bend so strongly towards a story that it might just snap in two."
"So who could blame me for sinking into books, where I knew the people weren't real, but they also never disappointed me?
"The fireflied danced around us, the wind winding through the trees, and when he set his eyes on me, I felt like the only story he wanted to read."
"I couldn't remember the last time someone had kissed me that passionately--savored me, like I was the last sentence in his favorite book."
"You don't like naps? What's wrong with you? Who hurt you as a child?"
"It wasn't the end that mattered, but every word leading up to it."
"Love was a bunch of small things that added up to bigger things. Love was feeling valued. And accepted. Just the way you were."
Thank you to everyone who voted on the poll! This gem is the winner ✨I can't wait to get started on this one and see what all the rave is about, I have heard such amazing things so I'm excited!💓
June 25, 2024
WHAT IF?
Eileen (Elsy) Merriweather loves to get lost in a good “happily-ever-after” . Reading romance novels helps her to cope with the heartbreak caused by her fiancé, Liam, who called off their wedding just one week before it was supposed to take place.
And, this year, especially, she is REALLY REALLY looking forward to going to her annual book club retreat, with her best friend, Pru, and the other members of the “Super Smutty Book Club”. She NEEDS her good friends, the cheap wine, and the grand romantic gestures found in fiction.
But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels eerily familiar-like it’s right out of her favorite novel-DAFFODIL DAYDREAMS-by Rachel Flowers.
But, how can that be?
In Eloraton, the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon, and lasts until midnight.
As, she begins to meet its residents, she realizes that she already knows who they are…all except for Anders, the grumpy bookstore owner with the “minty green eyes”.
Could she possibly, somehow, actually be IN the town written by the late author who unexpectedly died at age 32, before the could finish the fifth book of the five book series?
Could she actually be trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story? Was Anders meant to be the MC of the final book, and if so, who was he meant to meet?
As it starts to feel like MAYBE it could be her, she has to wonder WHAT IF?
Would it be possible to STAY?
For romance readers who have WISHED they could visit their favorite fictional small town, or WISHED they could actually date their favorite “book boyfriend”, this charming, delightful book is for YOU!! I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet but not spicy romance and my time spent in Eloraton.
Do you believe in magic?
You just MIGHT after reading this book!
The only reason it earns 4 stars instead of 5 stars, is because we were TOO frequently reminded of the town’s charms, and of Anders “minty green eyes” which started to feel a bit repetitive-but that is just a very MINOR complaint!
4.5 stars! ⭐️
This was a buddy read with DeAnn and MarilynW. Be sure to watch for their AMAZING reviews for additional insight!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Thank You to Berkley for the gifted ARC provided by NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
Eileen (Elsy) Merriweather loves to get lost in a good “happily-ever-after” . Reading romance novels helps her to cope with the heartbreak caused by her fiancé, Liam, who called off their wedding just one week before it was supposed to take place.
And, this year, especially, she is REALLY REALLY looking forward to going to her annual book club retreat, with her best friend, Pru, and the other members of the “Super Smutty Book Club”. She NEEDS her good friends, the cheap wine, and the grand romantic gestures found in fiction.
But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels eerily familiar-like it’s right out of her favorite novel-DAFFODIL DAYDREAMS-by Rachel Flowers.
But, how can that be?
In Eloraton, the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon, and lasts until midnight.
As, she begins to meet its residents, she realizes that she already knows who they are…all except for Anders, the grumpy bookstore owner with the “minty green eyes”.
Could she possibly, somehow, actually be IN the town written by the late author who unexpectedly died at age 32, before the could finish the fifth book of the five book series?
Could she actually be trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story? Was Anders meant to be the MC of the final book, and if so, who was he meant to meet?
As it starts to feel like MAYBE it could be her, she has to wonder WHAT IF?
Would it be possible to STAY?
For romance readers who have WISHED they could visit their favorite fictional small town, or WISHED they could actually date their favorite “book boyfriend”, this charming, delightful book is for YOU!! I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet but not spicy romance and my time spent in Eloraton.
Do you believe in magic?
You just MIGHT after reading this book!
The only reason it earns 4 stars instead of 5 stars, is because we were TOO frequently reminded of the town’s charms, and of Anders “minty green eyes” which started to feel a bit repetitive-but that is just a very MINOR complaint!
4.5 stars! ⭐️
This was a buddy read with DeAnn and MarilynW. Be sure to watch for their AMAZING reviews for additional insight!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Thank You to Berkley for the gifted ARC provided by NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
July 8, 2024
Thirty-two-year-old English professor Elsy Merriweather’s life hasn’t exactly been going to plan lately. She was jilted by her fiance, her best friend Pru is going to Iceland with her boyfriend rather than on their annual Super Smutty Book Club trip to New York, and none of their other friends can make it this year either. It’s the 10-year anniversary of her late favorite author Rachel Flowers’ book Daffodil Dreams, though, and she really wants to commemorate it.
Her solution? Go alone, of course! Elsy packs up her green Ford Pinto ‘Sweetpea’ and hits the road. Unfortunately, her car has other ideas and she finds herself lost and stranded one rainy night in a little town off the beaten path. Where is this place?
To quote the opening line of Flowers’ first book:
There was only one road in and one road out of Eloraton, New York, and most people never took it.
Well … Elsy isn’t most people.
In a twist of fate and circumstance, she now finds herself in the story of her favorite characters and series - people and places she knows almost as well as if she’d written the books herself! One character she doesn’t recognize, though, is the guy she almost ran over in the rain her first night in town: Anders, the grumpy bookstore owner. Where was he in the series?
Elsy finds out that just because a story has been written, doesn’t mean it can’t change, and her presence in Eloraton has more effect on the characters’ lives than she OR they bargained for. The author may be gone now, but THE END hasn’t been written yet!
First, let me say that every time I see a new book by Ashley Poston, I get so excited because I know she’s going to bring her own unique magic to it. She’s a master at blending romance and magical realism - two of my favorite genres - and once again her vivid imagination has taken me someplace truly special. Eloraton is a charming place with diverse and entertaining characters … and even a haunted toilet. You’ll have to discover THAT one for yourself!
With so much going for it, I had high hopes that it would be a 5-star read, but some things did miss the mark for me this time around.
The biggest issue is that I wanted more page time with the characters and story OUTSIDE of Eloraton. There was so much potential for fun with the members of the Super Smutty Book Club and with Elsy and Pru’s friendship, and I was bummed not to get to know them as well. While I was charmed by Eloraton and its characters, I found myself more interested in her real-life friends.
A minor but very noticeable issue was the REPETITION. There was an irritating overuse of “minty-green eyes” in describing Anders, as well as abundant references to his “white-blonde hair” and him smelling of “cedarwood and black tea” or “old books”. No reader needs that many reminders! (Around thirty for his minty eyes alone, in case you’re wondering.)
The PACING within the Eloraton part of the story, which was the majority of the book, was a little slower than I prefer. It’s a small town, so the opportunities of interest were limited and had shades of Groundhog Day in the sense of certain things in the town always being the same.
Those aspects aside, I DID enjoy the book and really liked the relationship arc with Elsy and Anders. There was a surprising sweetness and melancholy to the story, which are qualities I always enjoy. I’m hoping a future book revisits some of these characters - especially the Super Smutty Book Club friends (which includes Benji from Poston’s The Dead Romantics). They’re a hoot!
Ashley Poston will continue to be an auto-request author for me. Her mind is a fun place!
★★★ ½ (rounded to 4)
Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley and author Ashley Poston for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s out now.
Her solution? Go alone, of course! Elsy packs up her green Ford Pinto ‘Sweetpea’ and hits the road. Unfortunately, her car has other ideas and she finds herself lost and stranded one rainy night in a little town off the beaten path. Where is this place?
To quote the opening line of Flowers’ first book:
There was only one road in and one road out of Eloraton, New York, and most people never took it.
Well … Elsy isn’t most people.
In a twist of fate and circumstance, she now finds herself in the story of her favorite characters and series - people and places she knows almost as well as if she’d written the books herself! One character she doesn’t recognize, though, is the guy she almost ran over in the rain her first night in town: Anders, the grumpy bookstore owner. Where was he in the series?
Elsy finds out that just because a story has been written, doesn’t mean it can’t change, and her presence in Eloraton has more effect on the characters’ lives than she OR they bargained for. The author may be gone now, but THE END hasn’t been written yet!
First, let me say that every time I see a new book by Ashley Poston, I get so excited because I know she’s going to bring her own unique magic to it. She’s a master at blending romance and magical realism - two of my favorite genres - and once again her vivid imagination has taken me someplace truly special. Eloraton is a charming place with diverse and entertaining characters … and even a haunted toilet. You’ll have to discover THAT one for yourself!
With so much going for it, I had high hopes that it would be a 5-star read, but some things did miss the mark for me this time around.
The biggest issue is that I wanted more page time with the characters and story OUTSIDE of Eloraton. There was so much potential for fun with the members of the Super Smutty Book Club and with Elsy and Pru’s friendship, and I was bummed not to get to know them as well. While I was charmed by Eloraton and its characters, I found myself more interested in her real-life friends.
A minor but very noticeable issue was the REPETITION. There was an irritating overuse of “minty-green eyes” in describing Anders, as well as abundant references to his “white-blonde hair” and him smelling of “cedarwood and black tea” or “old books”. No reader needs that many reminders! (Around thirty for his minty eyes alone, in case you’re wondering.)
The PACING within the Eloraton part of the story, which was the majority of the book, was a little slower than I prefer. It’s a small town, so the opportunities of interest were limited and had shades of Groundhog Day in the sense of certain things in the town always being the same.
Those aspects aside, I DID enjoy the book and really liked the relationship arc with Elsy and Anders. There was a surprising sweetness and melancholy to the story, which are qualities I always enjoy. I’m hoping a future book revisits some of these characters - especially the Super Smutty Book Club friends (which includes Benji from Poston’s The Dead Romantics). They’re a hoot!
Ashley Poston will continue to be an auto-request author for me. Her mind is a fun place!
★★★ ½ (rounded to 4)
Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley and author Ashley Poston for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s out now.
June 12, 2024
I went into this book expecting exactly what we’ve been getting so far from Ashley’s adult romances: a charming plot, loveable characters (and secondary characters), and a brilliant twist. We got most of all of that in this, but I will elaborate about other things we didn’t get later.
Ahhhh, how many times have I dreamed about moving to my favorite book settings? Especially small towns… I can’t count them, but I’d say… everytime. This book is exactly THAT, so it was like reading a dream! I loved Eloraton, its people (characters) and Elsy getting to meet and even befriend them. It was so beautiful and emotional. I think only true romance book lovers will get to appreciate the charm of this story.
The romance was wonderful as well but I have to say, it’s not my favorite from Ashley. I loved Anders, he was the perfect soft grumpy hero, but the twist in this story was kind of obvious to me, and even though I still liked it, ‘’knowing’’ what was coming made it to be not as exciting as her previous romances.
Now, for the negative. This book felt like Anders’s journey, but we only get Elsy’s POV so it felt underwhelming at some moments. I also don’t think this story has a good closure like her other books. This is magical realism, obviously, but we end up with several plot holes that made it hard for me to feel satisfied about the ending.
This special book will make so many romance lovers happy!
Rating: 3.5/5
Steam level: Fade to black with a subtle open door scene
ARC provided by Berkley and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!
Ahhhh, how many times have I dreamed about moving to my favorite book settings? Especially small towns… I can’t count them, but I’d say… everytime. This book is exactly THAT, so it was like reading a dream! I loved Eloraton, its people (characters) and Elsy getting to meet and even befriend them. It was so beautiful and emotional. I think only true romance book lovers will get to appreciate the charm of this story.
The romance was wonderful as well but I have to say, it’s not my favorite from Ashley. I loved Anders, he was the perfect soft grumpy hero, but the twist in this story was kind of obvious to me, and even though I still liked it, ‘’knowing’’ what was coming made it to be not as exciting as her previous romances.
Now, for the negative. This book felt like Anders’s journey, but we only get Elsy’s POV so it felt underwhelming at some moments. I also don’t think this story has a good closure like her other books. This is magical realism, obviously, but we end up with several plot holes that made it hard for me to feel satisfied about the ending.
This special book will make so many romance lovers happy!
Rating: 3.5/5
Steam level: Fade to black with a subtle open door scene
ARC provided by Berkley and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!
July 16, 2024
A book about a book about book lovers loving books.
Make it make whimsical sense because this is a book lovers safe haven of a story.
Y’all know when you meet your favorite book, and treasure it with all of your being? Because the experience belongs to you, you and you?
Yes. That is what this book is - a soft breathing reminder of inexplicably that.
Eileen is craving a getaway vacation. Bombarded with her overwhelming mountains of anxiety, stress, and lingering heartbreak. She yearns to drive out in a stranded cabin to have alone time where she can freely bask in the divine invention that all of us are obsessed with, books.
Beautifully blessedly benevolent books.
Things go unplanned, though. And oddly enough, on the way to her desired getaway, Eileen ends up lost finding herself in in a town thats unknown but intimately familiar since its a exact mirror of the universe in her favorite novel, by her favorite author.
Ah, welcome to Eloraton. A small enchanted place of pure wholesomeness.
While I was stepping in Eileens world, I was blissfully reminiscing about the wonderland of books that I’ve stepped foot into and continue to step feet into. Books of different genres, moods, appeal, and humanizing quotes that leave one spellbound.
So on an imaginative level, Elorthan is your favorite adventuresome escapade breathing life through pages. Its mine. It’s all of ours.
Since Eileen is indeed in the universe of her favorite book - she becomes awed by the characters, sentiments, and significance around her. While also finding that romance burning desire In Anders.
Eileen and Anders have minimal romcom coded moments that served right, but besides that it felt underdeveloped as I wanted more.
This is a minor complaint though because yes I picked this up for adoringly swoon type moments of love and witty banter, which there are though a few)
but ended staying for that one undying love that is found in a book and the reasons we are so binded to them.
What a time to be a reader 💙
“Love was patient and meticulous and it never ceased to surprise me. It wasn’t something that I needed, something that I deserved, that I was worthy of— but love was what I wanted.”
“Follow your heart. Even if it leads you wrong, will you really regret it?”
“Those books are like, armor that protected me from the world when life got too hard. It was a love that I knew wouldn’t fail me. “
Ashley, I got you on auto-buy at this point ‼️
Make it make whimsical sense because this is a book lovers safe haven of a story.
Y’all know when you meet your favorite book, and treasure it with all of your being? Because the experience belongs to you, you and you?
Yes. That is what this book is - a soft breathing reminder of inexplicably that.
Eileen is craving a getaway vacation. Bombarded with her overwhelming mountains of anxiety, stress, and lingering heartbreak. She yearns to drive out in a stranded cabin to have alone time where she can freely bask in the divine invention that all of us are obsessed with, books.
Beautifully blessedly benevolent books.
Things go unplanned, though. And oddly enough, on the way to her desired getaway, Eileen ends up lost finding herself in in a town thats unknown but intimately familiar since its a exact mirror of the universe in her favorite novel, by her favorite author.
Ah, welcome to Eloraton. A small enchanted place of pure wholesomeness.
While I was stepping in Eileens world, I was blissfully reminiscing about the wonderland of books that I’ve stepped foot into and continue to step feet into. Books of different genres, moods, appeal, and humanizing quotes that leave one spellbound.
So on an imaginative level, Elorthan is your favorite adventuresome escapade breathing life through pages. Its mine. It’s all of ours.
Since Eileen is indeed in the universe of her favorite book - she becomes awed by the characters, sentiments, and significance around her. While also finding that romance burning desire In Anders.
Eileen and Anders have minimal romcom coded moments that served right, but besides that it felt underdeveloped as I wanted more.
This is a minor complaint though because yes I picked this up for adoringly swoon type moments of love and witty banter, which there are though a few)
but ended staying for that one undying love that is found in a book and the reasons we are so binded to them.
What a time to be a reader 💙
“Love was patient and meticulous and it never ceased to surprise me. It wasn’t something that I needed, something that I deserved, that I was worthy of— but love was what I wanted.”
“Follow your heart. Even if it leads you wrong, will you really regret it?”
“Those books are like, armor that protected me from the world when life got too hard. It was a love that I knew wouldn’t fail me. “
Ashley, I got you on auto-buy at this point ‼️
July 21, 2024
very sad about this one🥲
July 1, 2024
ashley poston 🤝 magical realism
i’ve seen so many mixed things about this, and i have to agree. on one hand, it’s embarrassing how fast i’d jump at the opportunity to stumble into my favorite fictional world, but when it’s lowkey as boring as this one…the chances become slimmer.
it started off so solid and that’s what kills me 😫 i knocked out the first 100 pages and then it kinda fell flat? or stayed stagnant. whichever i mean to mean right now bear with me. the romance was so weird 😭 like, things that were supposed to be romantic gave me the ick because he came on so strong fresh outta nowhere even though it was building up a niceeee lil grumpy x sunshine moment.
i had an objectively good time and i feel like i’m focusing on the negative but i don’t have much to say about it in retrospect. while i would still recommend it, i wouldn’t personally reread it or even really think about these characters again which is so unfortunate after reading the seven year slip 💔
i’ve seen so many mixed things about this, and i have to agree. on one hand, it’s embarrassing how fast i’d jump at the opportunity to stumble into my favorite fictional world, but when it’s lowkey as boring as this one…the chances become slimmer.
it started off so solid and that’s what kills me 😫 i knocked out the first 100 pages and then it kinda fell flat? or stayed stagnant. whichever i mean to mean right now bear with me. the romance was so weird 😭 like, things that were supposed to be romantic gave me the ick because he came on so strong fresh outta nowhere even though it was building up a niceeee lil grumpy x sunshine moment.
i had an objectively good time and i feel like i’m focusing on the negative but i don’t have much to say about it in retrospect. while i would still recommend it, i wouldn’t personally reread it or even really think about these characters again which is so unfortunate after reading the seven year slip 💔
June 26, 2024
Long distance I could travel, language barriers I could learn, but fictional?
This was a love letter to readers. It wasn’t really a love story between two main characters, but more of a love story between the heroine and fictional characters, books, and reading romance.
It was about the heroine’s obsession with that series and those characters that took up a huge part of her life. Those characters she loved so much and was so attached to in an unexplainable way. Relatable much??
I loved hearing her talk about romances, books, grand gestures, book tropes, and book boyfriends. It was truly heartwarming and so relatable. Like talking to someone who truly understands you. The amount of relatable quotes I highlighted was too many!
At first I picked this book up because ever since I watched the show; W Two Worlds long time ago and I’ve been obsessed with that kind of story line. And the idea of the heroine getting to live in her favorite romance series?? What a magical feeling!
The story was so magical and bittersweet and I loved it so much. It made me feel so cozy and warm inside. Ashley Poston’s books really do have some kind of charm.
Huge Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing this copy.
July 23, 2024
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Elsy Merriweather has a few things in her life she knows she can count on: her best friend, Pru, their shared love of Romance novels, and their annual book club retreat.
Elsy, a literature professor, loves getting lost in the pages of a happily-ever-after story, even if she feels like she'll never live one herself. Been there, tried that.
But things are changing. Pru is on the cusp of getting engaged, her upcoming trip with her boyfriend unfortunately falling on the same week as the book club retreat. Additionally, the rest of the book club has sent their regrets for this years trip; everyone is busy.
Elsy needs the retreat though, whether or not anyone else will be attendance. She decides to go, solo-road trip it to the remote cabin, where she will drink copious amount of wine and read all the Romance.
Honestly, this sounds like heaven to me too, so I was fully supportive of Elsy's plans. On her way there though, her car breaks down and she finds herself stranded in a quaint little town that seems all too familiar.
It's Eloraton, the small town setting of her favorite Romance series! How the heck is this possible? Eloraton is a fictional place, yet here she is...
Rachel Flowers, the author of the series, passed away while writing the final novel, so the story was never finished. Because of that, Eloraton is trapped in time, where everything remains the same even as time passes.
Elsy feels like that could be the reason why she's ended up here. To help the town, and thus all the people in it, find their perfect storybook ending.
There's a character she doesn't know however, and wasn't counting on, a grumpy bookstore owner named Anders, with minty green eyes, and his own reasons to want the town to continue on forever just the way it is.
We follow Elsy, trapped in her favorite fictional town, as she meets the characters she has grown to love over the years of reading this series. It's so cute, because it's like she's meeting celebrities. Of course, they have no idea how infatuated she is with all of them, or why.
I really did love this set-up. It's so Poston, to have such a creative and quirky twist to an otherwise normal Contemporary Romance story.
I appreciate how unique Poston's style is now. She's really created a nice little niche for herself within the genre and her writing is so distinct. You could tell this was one of her books just from the writing and characters alone.
I did enjoy the dynamic between Elsy and Anders; their back-and-forth was entertaining and there was definite chemistry smoldering away.
The middle portion wasn't quite as exciting for me as some of Poston's other works. I found some elements a bit repetitive and there were times that I wanted more actual substance from her interactions with the townspeople. I wish it could have had some more drama in that regard.
The highlight of this for me was the growth of Elsy's character over the course of the story. She comes to some solid revelations about her life while she's in Eloraton, and I especially enjoyed the exploration of her friendship with her best friend, Pru.
With this being said, this is still an amazing story. I am just comparing it, maybe unfairly, to The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip, both of which I 5-star level loved.
So, while this isn't my favorite of Poston's Adult Contemporary novels, it's still hella cute and enjoyable. I would absolutely recommend it to all Contemporary Romance Readers, particularly if you've enjoyed Poston's style in the past.
There's just something so cozy and comforting about her stories. It's almost required to cuddle up under a blanket with a hot drink to read them.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me a copy to read and review. I always look forward to Poston's new releases and this didn't disappoint!
Elsy Merriweather has a few things in her life she knows she can count on: her best friend, Pru, their shared love of Romance novels, and their annual book club retreat.
Elsy, a literature professor, loves getting lost in the pages of a happily-ever-after story, even if she feels like she'll never live one herself. Been there, tried that.
But things are changing. Pru is on the cusp of getting engaged, her upcoming trip with her boyfriend unfortunately falling on the same week as the book club retreat. Additionally, the rest of the book club has sent their regrets for this years trip; everyone is busy.
Elsy needs the retreat though, whether or not anyone else will be attendance. She decides to go, solo-road trip it to the remote cabin, where she will drink copious amount of wine and read all the Romance.
Honestly, this sounds like heaven to me too, so I was fully supportive of Elsy's plans. On her way there though, her car breaks down and she finds herself stranded in a quaint little town that seems all too familiar.
It's Eloraton, the small town setting of her favorite Romance series! How the heck is this possible? Eloraton is a fictional place, yet here she is...
Rachel Flowers, the author of the series, passed away while writing the final novel, so the story was never finished. Because of that, Eloraton is trapped in time, where everything remains the same even as time passes.
Elsy feels like that could be the reason why she's ended up here. To help the town, and thus all the people in it, find their perfect storybook ending.
There's a character she doesn't know however, and wasn't counting on, a grumpy bookstore owner named Anders, with minty green eyes, and his own reasons to want the town to continue on forever just the way it is.
We follow Elsy, trapped in her favorite fictional town, as she meets the characters she has grown to love over the years of reading this series. It's so cute, because it's like she's meeting celebrities. Of course, they have no idea how infatuated she is with all of them, or why.
I really did love this set-up. It's so Poston, to have such a creative and quirky twist to an otherwise normal Contemporary Romance story.
I appreciate how unique Poston's style is now. She's really created a nice little niche for herself within the genre and her writing is so distinct. You could tell this was one of her books just from the writing and characters alone.
I did enjoy the dynamic between Elsy and Anders; their back-and-forth was entertaining and there was definite chemistry smoldering away.
The middle portion wasn't quite as exciting for me as some of Poston's other works. I found some elements a bit repetitive and there were times that I wanted more actual substance from her interactions with the townspeople. I wish it could have had some more drama in that regard.
The highlight of this for me was the growth of Elsy's character over the course of the story. She comes to some solid revelations about her life while she's in Eloraton, and I especially enjoyed the exploration of her friendship with her best friend, Pru.
With this being said, this is still an amazing story. I am just comparing it, maybe unfairly, to The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip, both of which I 5-star level loved.
So, while this isn't my favorite of Poston's Adult Contemporary novels, it's still hella cute and enjoyable. I would absolutely recommend it to all Contemporary Romance Readers, particularly if you've enjoyed Poston's style in the past.
There's just something so cozy and comforting about her stories. It's almost required to cuddle up under a blanket with a hot drink to read them.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me a copy to read and review. I always look forward to Poston's new releases and this didn't disappoint!
June 12, 2024
Hmm well that’s a real quick no !
I have many thoughts but I was genuinely so excited for this so I’m going to enter an unknown period of mourning until I can come to terms with the loss of one of my most anticipated reads of the year. (Probably once the book comes out because I just need to talk spoilers, I’m sorry.) I was/am a HUGE Dead Romantics and Seven Year Slip stan so this one hurts 💀
✨
Long story short, there was just no chemistry (no matter how many times I tried to convince myself otherwise) and the romance just didn’t do it for me at all (especially when it all was wrapped up with a very jarring f2b moment). The romance took a while to start, then they had a really great kiss, then they kept getting interrupted. Then when they were FINALLY under the hot and steamy waterfall they had openish door foreplay…and then one “and after it was over” sentence to sum up the penetration and any subsequent details.
Like it wasn’t even a new chapter break, it was just a new paragraph on the same page as his dirty talking telling her what he was going to do it her!! Just on a craft level, it was really weirdly done. Real bummer guys, real bummer. I would’ve preferred full closed door because I was not expecting a spicy book! But then he made me think it was going to go kinda hard!!
What’s the point of explicitish foreplay but then giving absolutely NOTHING on the same page for the full scene? He was talking such a big game too like WHAT DO YOU MEAN ??? I felt led on. I was also hoping the sex would help fix the chemistry issues for me (I know it’s not a fix but I’m just a girl who wanted to love this book) so it doubly ruined any momentum I had.
Oh and I hated the twist in the third act and was really skeeved by the breakup bc WHAT DO YOU MEAN ???? Shit was morbid fam ???? And then a final thing happened right at the end and I was like “nope two stars that makes me sad and I didn’t like how that made me feel.” The ending was so rushed and random and this book definitely suffered from the absence of Anders’ POV because wtf happened during that break bc explain yourself sir???? I’m a notorious single POV lover but I really didn’t know that man, which neither did Elsy…and she mentioned it…and then it was magically fixed with a time jump. I’m sorry to that man but I really just did not care about him by the end.
The magic element was also just confusing in this one and somehow harder for my brain to make sense of than seeing dead people or a time traveling apartment. Either the magic was semi explained in the other books…or I’ve seen Just Like Heaven and The Lake House enough so I could grasp the concepts and just go for a ride. Further, I just never fully got invested in the fantasy element. Since she already knew all the side characters there was way more telling rather than showing and I felt pretty removed from most characters in the book.
Further, the book felt more about the writing than the plot/romance if that makes sense? Like it sounded beautiful but there wasn’t much substance plot wise. So I didn’t truly hate the book at any moment because I enjoyed the writing, and part of me was like “it’s three stars at least” but I am getting angrier the more I’m thinking about it, so two stars it stays. It was ~fine, but still a major disappointment.
Overall, in the grand scheme of things, the f2b did not truly impact my enjoyment of the book! That was really just a weird craft thing to me. But I really needed more chemistry throughout the entire book and I just was never feeling the romance. The thing that really made me angry was the third act reveal/breakup/twist/whatever. I simply didn’t like what it did for the story and the characters. Oh, and I was more confused than intrigued by the fictional book town. Le sigh.
⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️/5
Spoiler (I guess but also it doesn’t actually spoil what happens)
I really wish the end twist would’ve been that she was in a side character in a book the entire time and she found this town right when the author was starting her book LOL. Idk if I would’ve been fully into that ?? but I like it better than what we got. Omg and the author could’ve been Florence or someone we knew 👀
I received an eARC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.
I have many thoughts but I was genuinely so excited for this so I’m going to enter an unknown period of mourning until I can come to terms with the loss of one of my most anticipated reads of the year. (Probably once the book comes out because I just need to talk spoilers, I’m sorry.) I was/am a HUGE Dead Romantics and Seven Year Slip stan so this one hurts 💀
✨
Long story short, there was just no chemistry (no matter how many times I tried to convince myself otherwise) and the romance just didn’t do it for me at all (especially when it all was wrapped up with a very jarring f2b moment). The romance took a while to start, then they had a really great kiss, then they kept getting interrupted. Then when they were FINALLY under the hot and steamy waterfall they had openish door foreplay…and then one “and after it was over” sentence to sum up the penetration and any subsequent details.
Like it wasn’t even a new chapter break, it was just a new paragraph on the same page as his dirty talking telling her what he was going to do it her!! Just on a craft level, it was really weirdly done. Real bummer guys, real bummer. I would’ve preferred full closed door because I was not expecting a spicy book! But then he made me think it was going to go kinda hard!!
What’s the point of explicitish foreplay but then giving absolutely NOTHING on the same page for the full scene? He was talking such a big game too like WHAT DO YOU MEAN ??? I felt led on. I was also hoping the sex would help fix the chemistry issues for me (I know it’s not a fix but I’m just a girl who wanted to love this book) so it doubly ruined any momentum I had.
Oh and I hated the twist in the third act and was really skeeved by the breakup bc WHAT DO YOU MEAN ???? Shit was morbid fam ???? And then a final thing happened right at the end and I was like “nope two stars that makes me sad and I didn’t like how that made me feel.” The ending was so rushed and random and this book definitely suffered from the absence of Anders’ POV because wtf happened during that break bc explain yourself sir???? I’m a notorious single POV lover but I really didn’t know that man, which neither did Elsy…and she mentioned it…and then it was magically fixed with a time jump. I’m sorry to that man but I really just did not care about him by the end.
The magic element was also just confusing in this one and somehow harder for my brain to make sense of than seeing dead people or a time traveling apartment. Either the magic was semi explained in the other books…or I’ve seen Just Like Heaven and The Lake House enough so I could grasp the concepts and just go for a ride. Further, I just never fully got invested in the fantasy element. Since she already knew all the side characters there was way more telling rather than showing and I felt pretty removed from most characters in the book.
Further, the book felt more about the writing than the plot/romance if that makes sense? Like it sounded beautiful but there wasn’t much substance plot wise. So I didn’t truly hate the book at any moment because I enjoyed the writing, and part of me was like “it’s three stars at least” but I am getting angrier the more I’m thinking about it, so two stars it stays. It was ~fine, but still a major disappointment.
Overall, in the grand scheme of things, the f2b did not truly impact my enjoyment of the book! That was really just a weird craft thing to me. But I really needed more chemistry throughout the entire book and I just was never feeling the romance. The thing that really made me angry was the third act reveal/breakup/twist/whatever. I simply didn’t like what it did for the story and the characters. Oh, and I was more confused than intrigued by the fictional book town. Le sigh.
⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️/5
Spoiler (I guess but also it doesn’t actually spoil what happens)
I really wish the end twist would’ve been that she was in a side character in a book the entire time and she found this town right when the author was starting her book LOL. Idk if I would’ve been fully into that ?? but I like it better than what we got. Omg and the author could’ve been Florence or someone we knew 👀
I received an eARC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.
Read
May 22, 2024br reading with krysta 💙🌷
April 17, 2024
ashley poston wrote this for the 'right where you left me' girlies
June 23, 2024
"I had buried my head in stories so long that I'd forgotton to live the real thing."
•••••
Foremost, I want to thank my girl Cara for buddy reading this with me 💗 Thank you for the lovely time, and I'm so happy we both enjoyed this 🫶🏻
•••••
This book is for us! It is for all the book lovers out there who dream of their book characters, the fictional worlds, and fall for the book boyfriends. It is for all of us that dream of living in the book worlds along with the characters and lose themselves in the happily ever afters of their romance novels ❤️
Ashley Poston set the bar with The Seven Year Slip pretty high, but this was in no way a disappointment. I went in blind, and I will make this my way to go with Ashley Poston's books. I did not want to take away any surprises, and it was perfect that way ❤️ Ashley, you made it with only two books (well, actually only one), and I will buy your books blind and love it.
"You're cute," he went on, "when you're pretending to be angry with me."
This book, like The Seven Year Slip, combines a beautiful love story with magical, surreal, but unique scenarios. AND I AM OBSESSED. This was exactly the kind of book that I CRAVE.
"Your mouth is better at kissing than lying, Elsy."
This was cute, full of different romance stories, had an amazing smutty book club, STUNNING world building, relatable main characters, and plot twists that I did not see coming. It had supporting female friends, and that's what I really love to see. It missed a tiny little thing that's very hard to describe and did not get the full 5 stars by a margin. But, oh, how I will recommend this book to you all ❤️❤️ And I envy all of you who will go in blind and be surprised for the very first time. My butterflies tip their hats to you 🎩
"Well, I was certainly in trouble tonight.
And the worst part was, I feared I was going to like it."
Thank you, Netgalley, HQ, and Ashley Poston for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
•••••
Pre-read:
I have been blessed with arcs lately!!! AHHHH! I'm so excited. I LOVED The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston so much, and I can't wait to read her next novel this month. I'm so grateful 😍😍
Here is the review to the Seven Year Slip:
Review to "The Seven Year Slip" 4.5 ⭐
June 28, 2024
Ashley’s writing talent is undeniable, and her style is absolutely stunning. However, I have to admit, this particular piece didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It didn't sweep me off my feet with a whirlwind romance. I was craving more depth from these characters, but alas, I found myself yearning for just a bit more. 2.5 rounded up.
July 11, 2024
this story feels like a warm hug and reading in a rainy day with a cup of hot chocolate and sunny days 🫶🏻 it’s so cute and refreshing 💗
July 12, 2024
This book is for every reader out there. It describes the feeling you get when you dwell into an unknown story, a new person, their lives, their loves, their passion. For that period, you live in their stead. You chase their happily ever after.
We find a shelter in these stories. We get to experience life from their eyes. To love someone without the risk of getting our own hearts broken in real life.
SOMETIMES, A BOOK CAN change your life. It’s hard to explain that to someone who doesn’t read, or who has never felt their heart bend so strongly toward a story that it might just snap in two. Some books are a comfort, some a reprieve, others a vacation, a lesson, a heartbreak. I’d met countless stories by the time I read a book that changed my life.
Reading this book got me thinking, where do these characters come from? Maybe the author took inspiration from his/her neighbor, or maybe someone close to them said something inspiring or funny that made place into the book. Or maybe the whole idea of a book surfaced from a real life incident that happened in front of them. Maybe they read about it in an article and thought: yes this is something I'll use as a basis for invention of an entirely new character. I had never thought of it that way.
Plot:
Eileen's life has stopped after an heartbreaking incident of her life. One day, determined to go on a book club meet in the middle of nowhere, she stumbles upon a town. As she meets all the people, she realizes that she has entered a fictional town of one of her favourite book series of all times.
"Not all love happens at first glance—sometimes, it takes a reread at the exact right (or wrong) time in your life. And sometimes, it takes a little help from your friends."
I love everything about this book. I was rooting for not only Eileen and Anders, but also Jake and Ruby, Lyssa and Maya, Junie and Will and all the other couples.
Anders was such a grumpy, sexy guy who read romance and works in a bookstore. If this doesn't sell any woman out there I don't know what will. His story was sad and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
The things he said to Elsy made me blush🥵 I need a guy like that lol.
“No, it’s not fine,” he caved, whirling around to me. “Because just the thought of another person doing things with you. For you.” And his voice dipped into a growl, his eyes darkening with the promise. “To you. It drives me crazy.”🥵🥰
The ending was perfect and I couldn't have it any other way.
There were so many thoughts and quotes that I was annotating every other page. This book was like a warm hug on a rainy night. 🥰
Some quotes that i loved:
~ “It’s when Darcy tells Elizabeth he loves her most ardently, when Mark brings Bridget a new diary, when Harry tells Sally he loves her, when Will buys Junie the inn.” I smiled up at the name, putting my hands on my hips. “The grand romantic gesture.”
~ I started to cry with her, because things weren’t perfect, and endings weren’t always happy, but it wasn’t always the destination that mattered.
~ “I feel like someone again.” My heart thrummed, bright and loud, in my throat. “Like a main character in your own life?” “Or … just someone important in yours.”
~~ • ~~ • ~~
We find a shelter in these stories. We get to experience life from their eyes. To love someone without the risk of getting our own hearts broken in real life.
SOMETIMES, A BOOK CAN change your life. It’s hard to explain that to someone who doesn’t read, or who has never felt their heart bend so strongly toward a story that it might just snap in two. Some books are a comfort, some a reprieve, others a vacation, a lesson, a heartbreak. I’d met countless stories by the time I read a book that changed my life.
Reading this book got me thinking, where do these characters come from? Maybe the author took inspiration from his/her neighbor, or maybe someone close to them said something inspiring or funny that made place into the book. Or maybe the whole idea of a book surfaced from a real life incident that happened in front of them. Maybe they read about it in an article and thought: yes this is something I'll use as a basis for invention of an entirely new character. I had never thought of it that way.
Plot:
Eileen's life has stopped after an heartbreaking incident of her life. One day, determined to go on a book club meet in the middle of nowhere, she stumbles upon a town. As she meets all the people, she realizes that she has entered a fictional town of one of her favourite book series of all times.
"Not all love happens at first glance—sometimes, it takes a reread at the exact right (or wrong) time in your life. And sometimes, it takes a little help from your friends."
I love everything about this book. I was rooting for not only Eileen and Anders, but also Jake and Ruby, Lyssa and Maya, Junie and Will and all the other couples.
Anders was such a grumpy, sexy guy who read romance and works in a bookstore. If this doesn't sell any woman out there I don't know what will. His story was sad and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
The things he said to Elsy made me blush🥵 I need a guy like that lol.
“No, it’s not fine,” he caved, whirling around to me. “Because just the thought of another person doing things with you. For you.” And his voice dipped into a growl, his eyes darkening with the promise. “To you. It drives me crazy.”🥵🥰
The ending was perfect and I couldn't have it any other way.
There were so many thoughts and quotes that I was annotating every other page. This book was like a warm hug on a rainy night. 🥰
Some quotes that i loved:
~ “It’s when Darcy tells Elizabeth he loves her most ardently, when Mark brings Bridget a new diary, when Harry tells Sally he loves her, when Will buys Junie the inn.” I smiled up at the name, putting my hands on my hips. “The grand romantic gesture.”
~ I started to cry with her, because things weren’t perfect, and endings weren’t always happy, but it wasn’t always the destination that mattered.
~ “I feel like someone again.” My heart thrummed, bright and loud, in my throat. “Like a main character in your own life?” “Or … just someone important in yours.”
~~ • ~~ • ~~
July 8, 2024
”SOMETIMES, A BOOK CAN change your life. It’s hard to explain that to someone who doesn’t read, or who has never felt their heart bend so strongly toward a story that it might just snap in two. Some books are a comfort, some a reprieve, others a vacation, a lesson, a heartbreak. I’d met countless stories by the time I read a book that changed my life”
Eileen is literally me if i get into a town and discovered that it’s the town of my favorite book and meet all my favorite characters! The only different is i’d have kissed anders a-lot sooner and kidnap him on my way out of town 😭🤍 THIS MAN IS PERFECT.
”I had buried my head in stories so long that I’d forgotten to live the real thing.
I adored this book!! It’s the second book i read by this author and so far she did not disappoint me! I found a-lot of myself in this book and i think every reader will also feel this way when they read it and it’s a major part of why i loved this book so much. I felt so seen and understood. The author made me live my dream by reading it through different character. Elieen acted exactly the way i’d have only i’d be so much more creeper 😭
“If I was a poet, I could liken love to your eyes. If I was a gardener, I could plant a kiss on all the places you despise on yourself.If I was a writer, I could write epics to your lovely lips.If I was a painter, I could explore every bend and curve so when my eyes failed me, I would paint you by memory”
It’s not just the love story between anders and elieen that i loved. I loved the love between every other characters, rudy and jack, juine and will, maya and lyss. I also loved the friendship between peru and elieen 🥹 it was so real and it reminded me of my own friendship with my bestie. It was such heartfelt book and i 100% recommend it. I loved it so much 🤍
“I love you,” he repeated. “I love the way your mouth always slides into a smile, even when no one’s looking. I love the way you go out of your way for people you’ve barely met. I love how your hair always curls right here, at the nape of your neck.And I love how you make me want to see the world in color, and I love how I feel when I’m with you. And maybe we won’t work out, but maybe we will—and I’ll run across cities, and I’ll show up with boom boxes outside your window, and I’ll meet you at the tops of buildings, and I’ll kiss you in the rain just to remind you that you’re worth every moment.”
July 16, 2024
While driving to a vacation destination, Elsy gets lost in a rainstorm and ends up in a small town. After staying the night, she wakes up to discover she's driven into her favorite book series. Now Elsy gets to meet all of her favorite characters and see all the places she's read about. As Elsy gets to know everyone, she notices the characters seemed to be stuck, but Elsy's arrival has changed everything.
This book hit me at the exact right time and I absolutely loved it. It reminded me a lot concept wise of that British TV miniseries Lost in Austen where the main character entered the world of Pride and Prejudice. There's something very endearing about this book with Elsy getting to know her favorite characters and realizing not everything is as it seems. Elsy getting over her past trauma was a big part of this book and I thought it was done very well. I also loved the romance with Anders: I did guess the twist early on because there was a huge hint, but knowing that just enhanced the story for me and didn't take anything away from it.
I've read three books by Ashley Poston and all of them have been a hit for me. I really cannot wait to see what she writes next, she's an auto-buy author now.
Thank you Berkley for my finished copy of this book for review!
This book hit me at the exact right time and I absolutely loved it. It reminded me a lot concept wise of that British TV miniseries Lost in Austen where the main character entered the world of Pride and Prejudice. There's something very endearing about this book with Elsy getting to know her favorite characters and realizing not everything is as it seems. Elsy getting over her past trauma was a big part of this book and I thought it was done very well. I also loved the romance with Anders: I did guess the twist early on because there was a huge hint, but knowing that just enhanced the story for me and didn't take anything away from it.
I've read three books by Ashley Poston and all of them have been a hit for me. I really cannot wait to see what she writes next, she's an auto-buy author now.
Thank you Berkley for my finished copy of this book for review!
June 9, 2024
Overall the premise and plot are different and intriguing you can’t just help wanting to read this.
I had a fun time reading this until I didn’t . It was different and i enjoyed it for the most part. At first it was a little hard to get into this, it started a little slow but after a while it picks up. I really, really wanted to love this more but it was just “okay”.
There’s three main things I didn’t quite like which were…
1: the romance seemed kind of bland ? It felt like the two main characters were missing a connection, they were basically in love after a week of meeting each other?
2: there were quite a few typos/grammar errors. I’m usually not picky but after a while of missing words and letters it got frustrating and confusing. (hopefully they fix this before the release date)
3: Repetitive descriptions. “His minty gaze” or “he smelled/tastedlike black tea” and not just that but a lot of other descriptions were being repeated that I was silently saying “please we got it the first 5 times”.
Things pick up the last quarter of the book and I really enjoyed that but thinking back at how hard it was to read this in the beginning of the book made it hard for me to rate this higher.
Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. 🫶🏼
—————
I GOT THE ARC!!!!
im gonna cry this is my first ever approved arc 🥹
I had a fun time reading this until I didn’t . It was different and i enjoyed it for the most part. At first it was a little hard to get into this, it started a little slow but after a while it picks up. I really, really wanted to love this more but it was just “okay”.
There’s three main things I didn’t quite like which were…
1: the romance seemed kind of bland ? It felt like the two main characters were missing a connection, they were basically in love after a week of meeting each other?
2: there were quite a few typos/grammar errors. I’m usually not picky but after a while of missing words and letters it got frustrating and confusing. (hopefully they fix this before the release date)
3: Repetitive descriptions. “His minty gaze” or “he smelled/tastedlike black tea” and not just that but a lot of other descriptions were being repeated that I was silently saying “please we got it the first 5 times”.
Things pick up the last quarter of the book and I really enjoyed that but thinking back at how hard it was to read this in the beginning of the book made it hard for me to rate this higher.
Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. 🫶🏼
—————
I GOT THE ARC!!!!
im gonna cry this is my first ever approved arc 🥹
July 14, 2024
Some books are a comfort, some a reprieve, others a vacation, a lesson, a heartbreak. I’d met countless stories by the time I read a book that changed my life.
This book is a heartfelt tribute to all book lovers and romance readers. Who see books as an escape and a source of solace. Who loves getting lost in fictional worlds and getting to know fictional characters. Who buries their head in stories so long that they had forgotten to live the real thing. And to those who cannot find their happily ever after in real life so they cling to romances where happy endings are guaranteed.
Year after year after year, books that ferried me through heartbreak and hope and those terrible nights. They were words that tucked me into bed at night when I was alone, they were words that played the soundtrack of my heartbreak, the what-ifs, the second-guesses, the nights I sat alone and wondered, Why not me? Those books were like arms I fell into, armor that protected me from the world when life got too hard.
Elsy fulfilled every reader’s dream: meeting their favorite characters, having conversations with them, becoming friends, living in their fictional small town feeling like you’re in a Gilmore Girls episode, becoming part of their family, and, most importantly, falling in love with a fictional boyfriend. I loved the secondary romance between all the main characters of Eloraton, offering a unique kind of nostalgia for a book I’ve never read and doesn’t even exist. And no one prepared me for Anders—he is the epitome of a dreamy book boyfriend. The way he reads romance books and owns a bookstore had me sold immediately. His serenading words, witty banter, and heartfelt declarations of love for Elsy make me love him even more. All I want is to curl up against his side, rest my head on his chest, while he is propped up against the arm of the couch with one arm behind me and the other holding open a book as he reads. Isn't that the dream?
“I could serenade you with words, If I was a poet, I could liken love to your eyes. If I was a gardener, I could plant a kiss on all the places you despise on yourself. If I was a writer, I could write epics to your lovely lips. If I was a painter, I could explore every bend and curve so when my eyes failed me, I would paint you by memory.”
“I want to be a beginning, and a middle, I want a first chapter, and a second and a third—those long chapters, you know, the ones you have to take a break from halfway through. I want all of it, not just the end. And I want it with you.”
It captures the magic and beauty of reading books—discovering a new favorite story, resonating with a heroine who you see yourself in, falling in love with fictional men, encountering passages that articulate feelings you never could explain yourself, and using books as an escape when reality becomes overwhelming. However, it also reminds us to appreciate real life, acknowledging that their story isn’t ours. Our lives are stories unfolding in real time and we should still live the real thing. We are the main characters of our own tales, continually writing them as we go on.
“All around me, stories were meeting their ends, circles were connecting, periods and last pages and the soft thump of a book well loved and closed in adoration.”
I absolutely adored this book! I’ve never felt so understood as a reader. It was whimsical, cozy and magical, perfectly capturing the essence of how romance should be. The story captured the beauty and depth of figuring out what love actually looks like. However, I found myself craving more romance between the two main characters. While their interactions were enchanting, I longed for more moments that showed the intricacies of their relationship and allowed their love to grow more. And it needs to be said that it is disturbing how some descriptions in this book are repetitive. But overall, the idea and premise of this book is extraordinary and is definitely worth the read. I’m definitely getting a physical copy and re-read this as I need to annotate the heck out of this book!
Relatable 💌
“I had buried my head in stories so long that I’d forgotten to live the real thing.” / “I didn’t need love. I didn’t need to fall into it. I didn’t need to find it at all. Not again. Never again. Because love stories were enough. They were safe. They would never fail me.” / “My story wasn’t that interesting, anyway. A three-star read at best.” / “I’d distanced myself from love for so long, told myself that I didn’t need it, didn’t want it, that I wasn’t so sure I knew what love looked like anymore outside of a book.”
4.5 ★
This book is a heartfelt tribute to all book lovers and romance readers. Who see books as an escape and a source of solace. Who loves getting lost in fictional worlds and getting to know fictional characters. Who buries their head in stories so long that they had forgotten to live the real thing. And to those who cannot find their happily ever after in real life so they cling to romances where happy endings are guaranteed.
Year after year after year, books that ferried me through heartbreak and hope and those terrible nights. They were words that tucked me into bed at night when I was alone, they were words that played the soundtrack of my heartbreak, the what-ifs, the second-guesses, the nights I sat alone and wondered, Why not me? Those books were like arms I fell into, armor that protected me from the world when life got too hard.
Elsy fulfilled every reader’s dream: meeting their favorite characters, having conversations with them, becoming friends, living in their fictional small town feeling like you’re in a Gilmore Girls episode, becoming part of their family, and, most importantly, falling in love with a fictional boyfriend. I loved the secondary romance between all the main characters of Eloraton, offering a unique kind of nostalgia for a book I’ve never read and doesn’t even exist. And no one prepared me for Anders—he is the epitome of a dreamy book boyfriend. The way he reads romance books and owns a bookstore had me sold immediately. His serenading words, witty banter, and heartfelt declarations of love for Elsy make me love him even more. All I want is to curl up against his side, rest my head on his chest, while he is propped up against the arm of the couch with one arm behind me and the other holding open a book as he reads. Isn't that the dream?
“I could serenade you with words, If I was a poet, I could liken love to your eyes. If I was a gardener, I could plant a kiss on all the places you despise on yourself. If I was a writer, I could write epics to your lovely lips. If I was a painter, I could explore every bend and curve so when my eyes failed me, I would paint you by memory.”
“I want to be a beginning, and a middle, I want a first chapter, and a second and a third—those long chapters, you know, the ones you have to take a break from halfway through. I want all of it, not just the end. And I want it with you.”
It captures the magic and beauty of reading books—discovering a new favorite story, resonating with a heroine who you see yourself in, falling in love with fictional men, encountering passages that articulate feelings you never could explain yourself, and using books as an escape when reality becomes overwhelming. However, it also reminds us to appreciate real life, acknowledging that their story isn’t ours. Our lives are stories unfolding in real time and we should still live the real thing. We are the main characters of our own tales, continually writing them as we go on.
“All around me, stories were meeting their ends, circles were connecting, periods and last pages and the soft thump of a book well loved and closed in adoration.”
I absolutely adored this book! I’ve never felt so understood as a reader. It was whimsical, cozy and magical, perfectly capturing the essence of how romance should be. The story captured the beauty and depth of figuring out what love actually looks like. However, I found myself craving more romance between the two main characters. While their interactions were enchanting, I longed for more moments that showed the intricacies of their relationship and allowed their love to grow more. And it needs to be said that it is disturbing how some descriptions in this book are repetitive. But overall, the idea and premise of this book is extraordinary and is definitely worth the read. I’m definitely getting a physical copy and re-read this as I need to annotate the heck out of this book!
Relatable 💌
“I had buried my head in stories so long that I’d forgotten to live the real thing.” / “I didn’t need love. I didn’t need to fall into it. I didn’t need to find it at all. Not again. Never again. Because love stories were enough. They were safe. They would never fail me.” / “My story wasn’t that interesting, anyway. A three-star read at best.” / “I’d distanced myself from love for so long, told myself that I didn’t need it, didn’t want it, that I wasn’t so sure I knew what love looked like anymore outside of a book.”
4.5 ★
June 26, 2024
this is high on nearly everyone’s anticipated 2024 release list and i think the bookish girlies will enjoy it 💙🧺🌷📖✨🍯
read if you like: slow burn romance, small towns, books about books, magical realism, coming of age, enemies to lovers
A NOVEL LOVE STORY was so cute! the setting was my absolute fave part—a girl gets stuck in the small (fake) town of her favorite book series 🥹 i love small towns and also looooove Poston’s blend of magical realism and romance. this one was much heavier on the magical realism than the romance, so i think readers might have a bone to pick with that. but the QUOTES!!!! i looove when books are about books 🫶🏼 readers are saying this starts slow but i got pulled in right away—it’s the middle that dragged for me. i think it needed a stronger side plot or even a dual POV. for me, this isn’t nearly as good as THE SEVEN YEAR SLIP, but the small town setting, whimsical writing and overall vibe kept me invested!
A NOVEL LOVE STORY is about a girl who gets lost in a small town on the way to her book club retreat. the town feels like it’s right out of a book… because it is. her favorite book, actually. but there’s one character she can’t place. and he owns a bookstore. who is he? and why on earth is she trapped in her favorite novel’s town? 👀
enemies to lovers is not my fave trope but i didn’t mind it here. however for me, the 3rd act breakup happened a bit too quickly... all of the romance did actually 👀 Anders was also too broody and giving Conrad vibes (iykyk). Elsy was a girl goin through it, just trying to find her way. i enjoyed getting lost in her little bookish mind 💙
Poston’s writing has become one of my favorites—she has a way with words and pulls you into her settings and character’s worlds right away. i was thinking of this book when i wasn’t reading it and overall think readers will enjoy this story!
favorite quotes:
“i needed to get lost in a book. more than i needed anything else.”
“sometimes, a book can change your life.”
“there once was a town, and i was so certain that it would feel like home if i ever made it there.”
“because love stories were enough. they were safe. they would never fail me.”
“it’s okay to not know how something is going to work out.”
read if you like: slow burn romance, small towns, books about books, magical realism, coming of age, enemies to lovers
A NOVEL LOVE STORY was so cute! the setting was my absolute fave part—a girl gets stuck in the small (fake) town of her favorite book series 🥹 i love small towns and also looooove Poston’s blend of magical realism and romance. this one was much heavier on the magical realism than the romance, so i think readers might have a bone to pick with that. but the QUOTES!!!! i looove when books are about books 🫶🏼 readers are saying this starts slow but i got pulled in right away—it’s the middle that dragged for me. i think it needed a stronger side plot or even a dual POV. for me, this isn’t nearly as good as THE SEVEN YEAR SLIP, but the small town setting, whimsical writing and overall vibe kept me invested!
A NOVEL LOVE STORY is about a girl who gets lost in a small town on the way to her book club retreat. the town feels like it’s right out of a book… because it is. her favorite book, actually. but there’s one character she can’t place. and he owns a bookstore. who is he? and why on earth is she trapped in her favorite novel’s town? 👀
enemies to lovers is not my fave trope but i didn’t mind it here. however for me, the 3rd act breakup happened a bit too quickly... all of the romance did actually 👀 Anders was also too broody and giving Conrad vibes (iykyk). Elsy was a girl goin through it, just trying to find her way. i enjoyed getting lost in her little bookish mind 💙
Poston’s writing has become one of my favorites—she has a way with words and pulls you into her settings and character’s worlds right away. i was thinking of this book when i wasn’t reading it and overall think readers will enjoy this story!
favorite quotes:
“i needed to get lost in a book. more than i needed anything else.”
“sometimes, a book can change your life.”
“there once was a town, and i was so certain that it would feel like home if i ever made it there.”
“because love stories were enough. they were safe. they would never fail me.”
“it’s okay to not know how something is going to work out.”
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