Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5

This book was a funny easy read. I was so close to giving it 4 stars but some parts of the book fell a bit short, I just wished we saw more between Sophie and Joe because they had some cute comments but I can't see where the love came from and the moments we did get were so far and few between I wanted more. William, Sophie and Charlotte's siblings banter was hilarious and any book that can make me laugh is a good book in my eyes.


Thank you HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for
the eARC of Love Story via Netgalley

Oh, I love a Lindsey Kelk book. I mean, who doesn't love a bit of Lindsey Kelk?
And wasn't I excited to read a book about a teacher who was writing, albeit secretly, unlike myself, and had published a massive hit of a book, even though critics were labelling it as escapism/romantic fluff/smut?
Este Cox has a massive hit on her hands, Butterflies, but no one, bar her agent (her brother William) and publisher (her godfather, Mal), knows who Este Cox is.
The problem is that Sophie Taylor, daughter of a publishing powerhouse father, highly acclaimed book critic mother, and the author of Butterflies, cannot take the credit, knowing how her family feels about romance.
She's fulfilled a dream of writing a novel that has been widely acclaimed and become a TikTok BookTok sensation, as well as reams of women and some men raving about the writing and enjoying the naughty bits. Now she needs to finish that sequel before the publisher goes wild with frustration. However, something is just not clicking as she writes.
Joe Walsh is a hugely attractive man who manages to push many of Sophie's buttons, some good, some not so good, within a short space of time. Then, when she thinks she is safe, she finds herself stuck with him for a whole weekend! Plus, he becomes someone who can relate to many of her familial problems with his publishing powerhouse dad.
Both have secrets and are trying to forge their own paths in the literary world without having their achievements branded 'nepo-baby'.
Kelk's brilliant creation of sexual tension between these two made me root for them, especially in their forced proximity situation.
There were some hilarious scenes, too, and one of my favourites has to be the older men who end up in a bouncy castle trying to have a duel over some work-related rivalry.
This story has plenty of layers, and it definitely waves the #RespectRomFic hashtag flag that all of us Romance readers and writers support.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC.

Readers of romance will love this novel with it's many references to other romance novels and authors.
Typical predictable storyline but isn't that what we enjoy. I liked the way Sophie and Joe's relationship developed and enjoyed Sophie's interactions with other characters. The last scene was a little too cheesy for me but other than that a very enjoyable read.

I’m an avid fan of all of Lindsey’s books BUT this one is out of this world! She is most definitely ‘The Queen’ of romance. I desperately did not want this book to end. Be prepared to start this and not want to leave the house until it’s finished!

Perfect for those who enjoy:
- Enemies to lovers romance
- Books that make you laugh out loud
- Funny, sexy, emotionally intelligent novels
- Stories filled with chemistry
- Beach reads

With thanks to Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story centers around Sophie Taylor, a primary school teacher harboring a significant secret. She is living a double life as the elusive author Este Cox, whose true identity everyone is eager to uncover.

What I particularly enjoyed about this book is its genuinely unique plot, which kept me hooked from start to finish. I found it impossible to put down! Additionally, the book’s exploration of the perceptions surrounding romance novels was fascinating to me.

Personally, I love a well-written romance novel with spicy scenes, but I prefer to know in advance the level of heat to expect. Sometimes, BookTok can be misleading in this regard, possibly due to the need for censorship on TikTok. This is one reason why I appreciate Goodreads as a platform; it offers more realistic reviews.

Speaking of spice, this book certainly delivers! The chemistry between Sophie and Joe is so intense that it had me holding my breath.

This book pleasantly surprised me. I’ve never read anything by Lindsey Kelk before, but I am now a fan!

Despite the book being full of errors, words in the wrong place, missing words etc I still really enjoyed the read.

It did feature one of my most hated tropes so that kinda spoiled the ending for me and Charlotte irritated me to no end... But the romance was cute and the friendships and relationships were in true Kelk style.

Not going to lie though, for a book that's about a smutty romance book, this lacked in the smut department and it was a bit disappointing. Was hoping for a bit more spice.

Regardless, it was another great read from Kelk and I'll probably end up buying a copy to sit on my shelf.

A perfect summer read, this is Kelk through and through. Lovely characters, great dialogue and very well written. A book clearly written as a love letter to books themselves. Highly recommended.

I am a huge Lindsey Kelk fan and this book did not disappoint! This is the perfect summer read. The story is addictive and funny! If you are looking for a book to bring on holiday, this is perfect! Thank you to NetGalley and Lindsey Kelk for the opportunity to read and review this book.

First of all I just need to mention the cover of this book because it is absolutely gorgeous.

📖 enemies to lovers
📖 secret author identity
📖 laugh out loud moments
📖 taylor swift references
📖 family drama

This book has a great mix of humorous, angsty and romantic moments mixed in with a somewhat dysfunctional family dynamic while also exploring the way both romance writers and readers are perceived as somehow lacking and less than others because of what they enjoy to read/write.

I loved spending time with Sophie and Joe and when a comment was made towards the end of the book about them only knowing each other for three days I did a double take because Lindsey made me feel like I’d know these characters for so much longer.

Funny, romantic and as a swiftie I appreciated all the Taylor references!
Highly recommend

If you're looking for a fun, laugh out loud, romantic read, then this is the book for you! We meet school teacher Sophie, who has written a best selling smutty romance under the pen name of Este Cox. Nobody, apart from the select few, know who she is, and she's keen to keep it that way. But when she has to head to her parents for birthday celebrations and leaves her unfinished debut copy on the train, things just go from bad to worse!

I absolutely loved this book! It was just so much fun to read that I was genuinely sorry to finish it! Sophie's character is fabulous and is very likeable! I loved the idea of her alter-ego being Este Cox and it was great watching her trying to hide her secret from the rest of the family. The book is full of characters which will just make you laugh and I particularly liked Sophie's parents! The male main character, Joseph was gorgeous and I loved watching their relationship move along.

The storyline is full of family dramas, friendship and of course romance (with a little spice thrown in!) I loved the publishing references and thought these were cleverly integrated into the storyline - the author was teaching me how the publishing world works as well as making me laugh! The storyline flowed along so well, and I was hooked as soon as I started the book. I just knew I would love it, and how quickly I flew through the book proved it! I'm sure I'm not the only person who also wants to read Este Cox's Butterflies!! A wonderful read, which I would recommend!

Sophie is a small-town school teacher who is hiding a very big secret, she is Este Cox, the mysterious romance writer that the entire world wants to unmask. Joe is a hotshot creative director, who is devilishly handsome, incredibly hot and far too sure of himself, together it is hate at first sight. When he discovers her secret she desperately needs his help &, when they are thrown together for a whole weekend, their relationship starts to take a whole new turn. Can Sophie trust Joe and be herself after all this time?

Lindsey, Lindsey, Lindsey, seriously you’ve knocked it out the park once again! The familiar Kelk writing style is warm, comical & friendly, in every one of her books I feel like the characters become your best friends and the bad guys (CJ - what a prat!!) rile you just as they would in real life. And oh the nostalgia (hello Groovy Chick notepaper!) and the relatable facts - seriously, has anyone ever not burnt their mouth on a McDonalds apple pie?? And of course the Taylor Swift references, well, with the title of Love Story there couldn’t not be could there?

In case you hadn’t guessed I LOVED this book, a beautifully written title that also encapsulates the importance of women in the world of publishing, I loved the insight and the clever references that the romance genre doesn’t deserve mockery but instead should be recognised for being that escape that readers need in their lives at times.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book? The fact I couldn’t put it down and therefore it was over so quickly! Thank you for bringing Sophie and Joe into our lives Lindsey, can’t wait for the next one!

“Because anything that lets you take a much needed step back from everything going on in the world today seems very fucking important to me”

I haven't loved a book this much in a very long time. It's a bookish, enemies-to-lovers romance with a bit of family drama and I am all here for it. I literally could not put this book down, it's really that good and addictive. It's the first Lindsey Kelk book I've read even though Love Me Do has been sitting on my shelves for almost a year, but I can't wait to read more from this author. If you're an Emily Henry girlie like me, this is 200% for you. I loved the pop culture references - I'm sorry but if he listens to TayTay and only to Taylor's Versions, I am down bad. Also the FMC's little sister is a true queen! Loved the character development, the storyline, the bookish theme... 100% would recommend to all my bookclub besties. Such a fluent, fun, summer read that you will want to finish in one sitting.

The story centres on Sophie Taylor, who is keeping a significant secret from her friends and family: she is the author of the latest romantic bestseller. During a trip to her hometown to celebrate her father's 60th birthday, she is reunited with strangers, and her secret risks being exposed.

This book turned out to be a real page-turner for me. The love-hate relationship between Sophie and Joe kept me engaged throughout. There was so much chemistry, tension, and just the right amount of spice. There are numerous comedic moments, with jokes and sarcasm that will have you laughing out loud.

I particularly enjoyed the discussion in this book about the importance of romantic fiction and how it is often disregarded and not taken seriously in the publishing world.

I am a huge fan of Lindsey's writing and was extremely excited for this one (not just because the FMC is called Sophie) and it honestly did not disappoint. What a book. It had me laughing and crying in all the right places, and I completely fell in love with both Sophie and Joe, with their separate vulnerabilities but also their relationship together.

I also really enjoyed the take on romance as a genre, and also how people form opinions on things they don't like and then belittle others for them. This has firmly become my favourite Lindsey Kelk book!

A huge thank you to Lindsey Kelk, HarperCollins and NetGalley for this arc - I truly cannot wait to read it again!

An enemies-to-lovers, one bed, forced proximity romance with just the right amount of spice. Yet another masterpiece by Lindsey Kelk. This woman can do no wrong in my eyes!

Five out of five for Love Story by Lindsey Kelk. I love the characters she writes about, and her humour makes me snort (unattractively) with laughter. More please!

Another Lindsey triumph left me smiling as always Sophie is so witty and Joe a hunk the book and Taylor references were brilliant. As always sat when I finish a Lindsey book but can’t wait for the next one be that standalone or part 2!! Here’s to the bell witches!!

I’ve been a fan of Kelk’s writing for what feels like forever, when she has a new book out you can guarantee I’ll be reading it! This book is exactly the kind of reason why ; the perfect mix of storyline, spice and drama alongside relatable situations that made me laugh out loud. Kelk has an amazing way of writing characters that you truly feel like you know and you keep wondering about long after you’ve read the book. I read this in one day as I just couldn’t put it down and needed to read it all! A perfect summer holiday read.

First of all I just wanted to say this cover is so pretty! Well done to the designer for nailing the vibe of the book. Enemies to lovers, the one bed trope, plus a secret author of spicy romance books. Brilliant plot. Brilliantly executed. I’ve been a fan of Lindsay’s books for a long time (a friend of mine was a huge fan and got me onto them, sadly she died 11 years ago of cancer, so I always think of her when a new Lindsay Kelk book comes out. I know she’d have loved this one). Some really funny moments as usual, plus a sweet connection between the MC’s Sophie and Joe. I really enjoyed the author and publishing part of this, especially the fact Sophie (Este) is a romance author. This genre, though much loved by readers, is often ignored or made fun of by many in the industry who really should know better, Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for this wonderful read,

I am a big fan of Lindsey Kelk and was really excited to read Love Story. As expected, I enjoyed the banter, the storyline, and the characters. It's a great read, perfect for any time of the year, either wrapped up in a blanket or at the pool.

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.