DNF at 45%.

I didn’t hate this book in the slightest, I tried to give it a chance I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters or the story.

The premise is great and I was really excited for it, they only started the whole deal at around 40% and Drew herself was just a bit bland for me. Jasper was just too perfect to be true. I didn’t particularly like the writing style and some of the phrases used really pulled me out of it. I don’t want to hate on this too much so I’ll leave it there.

This was such a cute book with lovable characters. Although some times it felt flat it was interesting.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I had never read anything by Alexa Martin and was curious of her writing since I've seen her books around a lot.

This was too slow for me. I didn't feel like the story took hold until 80 % in which it's a long time. The last part though was great and I could finally connect to Drew as a character when she showed the grief, not just talked about it. Drew was for me too insistent that she hated books and went on and on about it. A lot of things got repetitive, like how she was bound to the Book Nook and had to carry it on for her grandmas sake. I heard it loud and clear the first ten times.

Jasper was too perfect and again, repetitive about how hot he was and how all the ladies swooned. He didn't have a flaw?

Hopefully Alexa's next book will be more mature and I'm looking forward reading it!

I started reading this book multiple times, but unfortunately this book just isn’t for me; I DNF at 20%

A great read.
Drew runs the bookshop which was her grandmothers pride and joy, despite not reading books herself. Will a meeting with author Jasper change her mind?

I liked the idea behind this but it fell a little flat for me. The stakes didn't feel as high as they were meant to, and there wasn't the right level of tension to make the payoff satisfying. Regardless it was sweet, easy, Sunday afternoon kind of read.

I loved the concept of the story that for once, the man (Jasper) is portrayed as a hopeless romantic soul and the woman (Drew) is the one who hates books and has ironically inherited her grandma's bookstore! When two completely opposite people meet, will they be able to connect or will they never get their own chance at a happily ever after? You've got to read this book to find out. I loved the side characters that is Drew's mom, sister, bestfriend and her grandma's bestfriends. They were so funny, vibrant and sometimes a bit too meddling. Jasper wanted to change Drew's opinion about books so they form a deal of some sorts which takes them on a new adventure. I liked both Jasper & Drew from the start and Drew's grief over losing her grandma was portrayed very deeply. Though towards the end, her attitude became unreasonable and her behaviour just ruined the ending for me. Though Jasper's patience, care and his perfect romantic thinking made me love them together! Overall, this was a wonderful book but the conflict could've been portrayed a little less dramatically, so in my opinion it was a 3.5 star read.

ARC received in exchange of an honest review

Such a sweet story, I loved this book. Although the romance had me giggling and smiling like an idiot this story was made amazing by the sense of community and friendship surrounding our main character. There was also the element of self awareness in this books, as the love interest is a romance writer, which I found very entertaining to read. Overall this was a feel good read and although it had the classic third act break up which I’m not the biggest fan of I appreciated that the drama was resolved quickly.

Better than fiction by alexa Martin

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to netgalley, headline eternal and alexa Martin for the opportunity to read this book

Firstly I think we can all agree that the the dirty birds are pure side character gold, I'd read about that book club of elderly women all day. Most the side characters were great to be fair.

I'd definitely say the book is more character driven than plot with its main focus being the grief of the main character after the loss of her nan and her romance with a famous author. As far as romances go it felt like it had a solid foundation and despite their differences they make sense together. But the best part of the book is seeing the main character realise the extent of her support system and that they can help her cope with her loss.

I was a tiny bit worried about how the book was going to end after the twist but I'm glad it ended the way it did. Overall I've given it 4 stars and recommend it to other readers

cw: Bereavement, grief

Drew Young is the owner of the Book Nook, having inherited the store from her late grandmother, Alice. Once thriving, Drew needs to find a way to keep the Nook going. Unfortunately, she hates books. Drew prefers her art to be more visual. Jasper Williams is a popular romance author and a visual work of art. When he moves to Denver to write his latest novel, he holds an author event at the store and asks Drew to help him discover the sights. In exchange, she agrees to read a list of books of his choosing.

There is a lot to love about this book. Several of the scenes are hilarious, especially those involving The Dirty Birds book club. I loved their meddling. Jasper is so sweet and kind-hearted that it was impossible not to fall for him. I also appreciated the pages dealing with Drew's grief. It felt raw and tangible. I loved the friendships in this book, and particularly enjoyed watching Daisy and Drew's growth as sisters.

I did find that there was a lot of telling at times. Drew goes off on a lot of tangents mid-conversation in her inner dialogue which took me out of the scene and sometimes I even had to reread what the conversation was about. I also was a little frustrated with the conflict. While I appreciated Drew was still grieving, I wasn't keen on her reaction to Jasper.

That said, this was a cute (if occasionally predictable) story and the epilogue was satisfying. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️.5
Heat Rating: 🔥🔥
Emotional Rating: 😂💕😉🙈😡👏🏻😍😢🥰

This was overall a fun and cute Rom-com type book but I think the plot felt a little flat and could have been a little more elevated. But generally a very fluffy romcom

Thank you for my earc of this book.
I enjoyed this overall, and will definitely read the authors other books.
I have to admit I enjoyed the first half more than the 2nd, I found the set up really sweet and loved the community of bookish, older women. I also loved the location.
I thought some of the intimate/sex scenes felt a little rushed, and like I was being told rather than shown some things.
Some of the “twists” and reveals in the latter half of the book felt a little convenient and could have been built up a bit better but it was still an overall enjoyable read

A romance with a book store setting is what pulled me in. This was a fairly quick and easy read. Drew dealing with the loss of her grandmother and the pressure of living up to her legacy felt very real. Jasper and Drew had cute chemistry but I did wish he had been a little more fleshed out as a character beyond being incredibly hot and perfect book boyfriend. The issues Drew had with her dad I felt were a loose thread and I would have liked a bit more depth and closure to that aspect of the story. There were some enjoyable female friendships in this as well. Overall 3 ⭐️.

Drew recently inherited her gran’s beloved bookshop. It’s an unexpected bequest, but Drew doesn’t hesitate to put her photography dreams on hold in order to continue her gran’s legacy. The fact that she hasn’t read a book since school is inconsequential and when gran’s old book club take it upon themselves to arrange an author event, Drew takes it in her stride. That is until she meets the author, who looks exactly like one of his own romance heroes come to life…

This book is easy to read, with a smoothly flowing plot and a relatable tone of voice. Drew is a well thought out character with a lot of depth and a surprisingly fleshed out backstory. In contrast Jasper is a bit more two-dimensional, serving more as a plot point than anything deeper. Despite this I was really rooting for them throughout the whole book and I think this is a testament to how well the character of Drew was written. I felt fully immersed in her life and in her thought processes and was so glad when she sorted out more than just her love life by the end of the book.

If you are looking for a cute story but also characters who have some depth this book is for you. There is no angst (at least I didn't feel that) the romance was just on point and the plot was delightful not too much happening but keeps you entertained.

This was a very wholesome & a cute romance. The whole bookshop setting was perfect for a book lover to be engrossed in it completely.
I loved the meddling ladies so much and I think they were the best part of the book.

Drew & Jasper had an insta-love situation, which I'm not a huge fan of but their chemistry & connection was worth it. I loved how Drew slowly started reading books under the influence of Jasper. Her past story was really well portrayed.

Jasper was a complete cinnamon roll hero; swoony, nerdy & cute. He checked off all the boxes.
While I didn't love it as I has expected to, I definitely liked it and would recommend for a moody read!

<i>Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

I was well and truly sucked in by the synopsis of this book and although it was okay, I didn't love it.

I did like Jasper, and the whole bookstore, reading aspects of the book, especially reading a book and doing something related etc.

However I felt it was definitely TOO fast paced at times, there was too much jumping from one thing to the next, and then I also didn't love the writing style unfortunately.

To summarize, I did like aspects of the book, but I also disliked others

Better than fiction is a great read, fun, bubbly and engaging. I enjoyed the characters and their love story and would definitely recommend this book. It certainly made me smile.

A quick and easy rom com read. I absolutely loved the setting, and liked the way the heroine was introduced to reading, and having the male romance author as a love interest wasn't something I'd ever encountered before! The dialogue wasn't quite to my taste, but still a great read.

'Better Than Fiction' follows Drew, who now runs her grandmothers bookstore after she passed away, and Jasper, who is a famous romance author. I love a book set in a bookstore which is all about reading and love of books. I also love a romance book where one of the characters is a romance author.
This book was super cute. I loved reading about Drew and Jasper and seeing them become friends and then falling in love. The romance between them had a lot of chemistry and so I did find myself rooting for them to be together.
I devoured this book. I absolutely loved the writing and found it so easy to read and fall into the story and the characters.
I loved the adventures that Drew and Jasper go on together. I loved all the side characters, especially the book club filled with Drew's grandmothers friends. There was just so much about this book that I loved.
The cover of this book is one of my favourite romance covers and I just love it so much.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book.