Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the arc of Bookishly ever after by Mia Page.

My first Mia Page book, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I did however struggle to get into it at first, but I persevered and I’m glad I did. It was such a beautiful read, with a bit of tension thrown in. Recommended.

I'm a sucker for bookish books. Reading stories that have a bookish storyline will always pull me in.
Lexi Austen inherited her grandmother's bookstore in DC. As a bookworm, obviously she takes on the ownership of the bookstore. While managing the store, she's also trying to live life, find love.
Dating apps continuously fail her.
On top of that, the rival bookstore just up the corner was bought out a few years back and the store owner is just awful. Lexi watched him as he changed his store into some soulless chain-like box store. She decides to take a page from Jane Austen's work and makes a plan to charm him in hopes to knock him off his game, and save her shop.
This is a hilarious, enemies to lovers, bookish book that I truly enjoyed. There are also little to do lists, and a dog. Those are important!
I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC, and everything I've said above is my honest opinion. I cannot wait to add this book to my collection of "bookish" books.

3.5🌟
I enjoyed this book and the enemies to lovers vibe but towards the later stages their relationship becomes a bit like a yo-yo and you don't know what's coming next. I didn't really enjoy reading that aspect of it very much as it felt entirely predictable and a little toxic at times too with very little communication.

That being said, this book centres around books, book shops and booksellers so if that's something you like to lose yourself in then it's ideal!

In a way, it also represents the issue that a lot of independent bookshops, and shops generally, have had since the COVID pandemic.

A reasonably cute romance with some amusing parts and lots of hard times too.

As soon as I saw that it had so many Jane Austen references, I knew I needed to read this! It was set up for a very good plot, very You Got Mail-esque if you’re a fan of that movie.

However, I could not figure out if this book was meant to fully be in third person or first person as it switched from time to time. I didn’t believe the love story between Lexi and Sam as I don’t find that it was developed well. They are very much back and forth. While the tension is fun, it made me scratch my head a bit.

I was also confused with the timeline. There was no real fluidity between it and the chapters as well. It just ended very abruptly.

Again, it is a very fun book. The competition between the shops and what happens is a good time. Just wish there was more fluidity.

Thank you so much Avon Books UK and Mia Page for the ARC!

Bookshop owner Lexi Austen’s problems are stacking up. Her dating life is a mess and Sam Dickens – devastatingly handsome, arrogant, and fiercely competitive rival bookshop owner – is hellbent on stealing all of her customers.

Frustrated, Lexi turns to her shelves for answers. And what have the classics taught her? That when lovers start as enemies, there’s no distraction quite like love…
Lexi plots to charm Sam: she invites him to a ball (well, a party), drags him to a dance class (does it matter if it’s not a quadrille?) and swoons into his arms while taking a turn in the park (note: next time, make sure he isn’t holding a hot drink).
As their rivalry reaches scorching levels, it’s not just Lexi’s beloved bookshop at stake, but her heart too…
This is a cozy quick read...a fun read. Curl up in a comfy chair with a warm afghan, a cup of steaming tea, a delicious scone and enjoy...

An interesting read. I did struggle with the first half but it got better. Set in America. A story of two books shops who are in competition with each other . Lots of references to Jane Austin, romance, being British in America. Two strong owners who like each other. A nice read . A neat ending which I liked.