I really enjoyed this book. It’s just as fun as the synopsis suggests. I found myself also getting lost in this little town as the main character did. I do wish there was a little more build up with the love interest earlier on. It felt like we spent a lot of time being given the storylines of the side characters from the book series so that it was only really about 50% in that we started to get development with the love interest.

I think Ashley Poston is losing her touch. Interesting premise but I don't think she did enough with it.

I received an ebook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ohmygosh this was such a sweet, fun, heartwarming book that actually made me cry (in a good way). I enjoyed The Dead Romantics a decent amount, and was a little underwhelmed by The Seven Year Slip but I can safely say that this has been my favourite Ashley Poston book so far.

I'm a sucker for a small town romance trope, and this was no exception. It's the perfect escapism and I love the cosy and calm feelings that come with losing yourself in a small town like Eloraton. I also loved the author's take on small town romances in this book, and the exploration of what actually happens to these book couples after the last page. Do they continue their happily ever after? Do they break up? How do they deal with the life obstacles and relationship obstacles that will inevitably come their way? It was a really fresh and fun take on the genre and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

If I'm being nit-picky, I didn't love the romance at the start and it did take me until almost the very end to really get invested in Anders & Elsy as a couple. It's grumpy x sunshine but in my opinion, Anders was mostly just being grumpy for grumpy's sake and the set-up of their (initially) antagonistic relationship was clunky at best. However, there is so much more to this story than just the romance and so there was more than enough to keep my interest until the romance finally clicked for me.

The magical realism elements this author weaves into her stories are so unique and well-done and are a big part of the reason I keep coming back to her books. I appreciate that they add something special to the story but that we don't get too bogged down in the how & why of the magic and instead just go along for the ride. I can't wait for this book to come out so everyone can get a chance to read it & I hope you end up loving it as much as I did!

On paper this book is my absolute dream but in practice it was... just fine. The premise is delightful - woman takes a wrong turn on a rainy night and ends up in the fictional small town setting of her favourite romance books. Inject it into my veins!

But the execution of it wasn't completely successful for me. Elsy was quite wet and a bit gormless (apart from you, a Real Person, there's only been one other visitor to town but sure keep believing that Anders, the one person who you don't remember reading about who works in the bookshop you don't remember changing hands WHO ALSO KNOWS THIS IS A BOOK, is a secondary character who needs to find his fictional lady) and I often wanted to shake her. And Anders felt like he was being grumpy because everyone knows the MMC in a romance must be grumpy rather than for organic/natural reasons.

The romance when it happened was perfectly pleasant, and I enjoyed the ending but overall Eloraton is not a place I'd particularly want to return to!

Thankyou so much for this ARC. I started it straight away. Ashley Poston is my favourite romance author - I love the fantasy element in all her books and this one was no different.

Although I was confused at first, it all came together by the end and I loved the make believe element of her landing in the fictional town. The descriptions of the bookshop were amazing, I felt as if I could picture myself there and I loved all the characters.

It was somewhat predictable towards the end but it didn’t take away from the story at all. It ended the way I wanted it to and it was a lovely comfort read. I will definitely recommend this to my followers.

this was such a perfect premise because let’s be real what book girlie doesn’t want to be in the world of their favourite book series. But for some reason this fell flat I just feel like the romance was a sub plot and it was focusing more on the other characters lives than the romance between the two mmc’s. I did still enjoy the way the story panned out and was really rooting for the two mmc’s to find their happily ever after.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this arc. I was sold completely off the description and I do feel the concept was there. I'm not sure if it was how the arc was laid out but I did have take a break throughout reading this. Although I wasn't overly a fan of the end product I do think it wouldn't put me off reading others by Ashley Poston

‘A Novel Love Story’ by Ashley Poston is a magical, beautiful and intriguing homage to romance novels with loveable leads and - as always with Poston’s books - huge emotional depth.

We meet Eileen as she is driving from her home in Atlanta to her annual book club meet-up in a cosy New York State cabin with a trunk full of books… sounds idyllic, but we soon learn that her friends from across the country have all pulled out of the trip. The group (which includes at least one familiar face!) bonded as fans of late author Rachel Flowers and her prematurely stalled Quixotic Falls series, and still meet virtually to discuss spicy reads, but Eileen feels like the others’ lives are moving on while hers is standing still. Something else is standing still - her car, which breaks down en route, almost hitting a man and trapping her in a small Hudson Valley town.

As she sees familiar cafés and businesses and meets characters whose quirks and stories she recognises, Eileen realises she has somehow ended up in the setting of her favourite series. The only unknown face is the man she almost ran over, a mysterious and handsome bookshop owner called Anders who seems to have become part of the Eloraton furniture…

I adored the sparkling magical realism of this novel and the small town vibes, as well as the exploration of happily ever afters. At its heart, it’s a tale of loneliness, kindness and the life-changing healing powers of books. There are so many wonderful moments of joy - the waterfall, the possum, the book re-binding - but for me it was the relatable, raw scenes about Eileen’s past and current doubts that were the most impactful.

This was a five star read for me, and any romance fan who wants to be reminded why they love reading should pre-order immediately!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher HQ via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This wasn't my favourite book by the author and about 25% in, I was a little confused about where it was heading but I kept going and am glad I did. The mystery of who the Anders character was kept me hooked.

So here's the things that I liked:
- The author's humour and style of writing flows well/is easy to read
- The mystery of the unknown character
- Unexpectedly dropping into the setting of a favourite book series? Yes please!

And the things I wasn't feeling:
- The book was kind of repetitive at times (description of settings, how the mmc had a penchant for glowering and how the fmc couldn't believe she was there, knew the town by heart gush gush etc) these are the things that really kept jumping out at me
- I didn't really care much about the two love interests until over 90% into the book🙈 I felt more invested in side characters if I'm being honest and only cared about the main characters to find out who the mmc was.

I feel like I could have adored some of the side characters if we'd seen a little bit more of them. I love small town reads but the relationships between the fmc and other characters were all a little fast for me and quite surface.

I still liked this overall and will read more by the author in future. The thing that I probably loved most about this book was the love the author clearly has for reading/books/the romance genre and the dedication seemed so special and heartfelt❤

3.75⭐ rounded up to 4 for rating

Thank you to Netgalley, HQ and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Firstly, what an interesting premise for a book! At times this book was a love letter for the power of reading which I personally thought was a nice touch. Unfortunately the execution was just a bit off for this to be as impactful and memorable a book as I’d hoped. There was a lot of repetition of cliches (tasted like black tea, his minty gaze) which I understand is probably due to it being a romance book within a romance book but it got quite tedious and unimaginative due to the sheer number of times they were used. The romance was a slow burn which I personally like but fell a little flat for me near the end. I think I just didn’t really know the characters enough to properly emotionally invest in how they find happiness.


Overall a decent read and a nice attempt at something a little different in a romance book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I devoured and thoroughly enjoyed Ashley Poston's first two romance books and was really excited to read A Novel Love Story. The premise was excellent - absolutely original and fun and unexpected. The main characters, Elsy and Anderson were great, I really enjoyed their chemistry, but it was the rest of the town that fell flat for me. The people were just 'too sweet' and not realistic. The ending was really good and I liked Elsy's overall journey and character development. I love Poston's writing and how much she cares about books and stories, so will definitely be on a look out for her next book.

Also - nothing to do with the book - but the formatting of this e-ARC was appalling. Each page was a mess with random words and numbers thrown around, which made it really hard to read. Luckily, Ashley Poston's writing is so good, I got through it really quickly and enjoyed it despite the mess this e-ARC was, but it could've affected the reading experience in a bad way.

I love reading about magical realism and this book had the perfect dose of it. Romance concerning women and their struggles are truly my kryptonite. This book was all sorts of magical , romantic, and heart-warming. I have heard of Ashley poston but i never checked out any of her releases so this really lived up to the hype.

Thank you to netgalley and HQ for providing me this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I want to preface this review by saying that I really enjoyed Ashley Poston’s previous works. However, this one didn’t have the same emotional impact and in many parts felt unimaginative. The book follows Elsy as she stumbles upon a magical town from her favourite romance novel, where she encounters characters and places from the much adored books that got her through a hard time.

While the premise of the book sounds original and interesting, the flawed logic of the world building irritated me to no end. I guess this was one of those “shut off your brain and enjoy kind of book” as our protagonist does, just roaming through town, not interested in how or why things happen. Oh, the grumpy bookshop owner is self aware he is in a book? He must be the main character of the said fictional book, like there weren’t 4 previous installments and none of those main characters have any idea what’s happening. I mean imagine the existential dread of knowing you have no free will, but Elsy just rolls with it. At one point she says the bookshop floor plan is “tattooed on her lids” because she reread the book so much. I mean how detailed is this book? Every house has an extremely detailed floor plan but menus are a blur? I completely understand the feeling of wanting to immerse yourself in a fictional world as a form of escapism, and maybe I wouldn’t question the logic behind it if the fictional world is interesting. But that’s the thing - it wasn’t. I guess I just couldn’t connect with any of the main characters and that’s why I started nitpicking. Both the antagonism and love between the main characters felt like it came out of nowhere, the supporting characters were boring and the setting is your basic Hallmark small town.

Many thanks to publishers and NetGalley UK for this ARC.

I think I’ve read my favourite romance book of 2024, an irresistibly sweet homage to romance readers everywhere.
I adored every aspect of this book, the characters felt so real and I just fell in love with them. All the setting was perfect and so vivid, I felt I was a part of the story. The story was bitter sweet with the most raw and authentic portrayal of loss, grief and finding out who you are and how you want to exist in this world.
I’ve never felt more seen in a story. Ashley has created this magical story and I will be forever grateful for that.

“But sometimes people came into your life for brief moments, and changed you forever.”

“Because even after the people were gone, there were still stories.”

Ashley Poston is a gift to the romance genre. She breathes life into stories that have been becoming quite stale and manufactured over the past few years— she brings ingenuity, beauty and magic to her romance stories, and makes them so unique and memorable that you’re just left in awe when you finish.

I don’t know how to even articulate how much I adored this story! The story within a story format was so fabulously and effortlessly done alongside some really fun characters who actually did feel like romance couples I have encountered across my years of romance reading. It was super fun and meta honestly. Nothing about this was boring— it was just so unusual but delicately crafted.

I adored The Seven Year Slip and A Novel Love Story may be trying to vie for top spot!

"Because even after the people were gone, there were still stories. There were always stories."

Ashley Poston's niche in the romance genre is being able to make you sob uncontrollably about 80% of the way in. Always, without exception, her books have made me cry and because i'm a masochist, I love it.

'A Novel Love Story' was a love letter to the romance genre that I think will be a hit with readers. It was able to capture the very bittersweet feeling of happily getting lost in your books whilst simultaneously wishing for some of that magic in your own life as well - to be the main character in your story rather than just part of the cast in someone else's. Many readers will see themselves in Elsy. She was funny, sensitive and despite the heartbreak, an optimist at heart.

In particular, what made this feel like a full story was the focus on friendships both within the fictional town featured in the story and within Elsy's life as well. Even in the absence of a romantic partner, Elsy is loved and comes to learn this by the end. It makes the relationship between her and Anders just that more satisfying.

10 out of 10, would recommend. Can't wait for Ashley Poston to ruin my life again.

I did like this book but the plot really stagnates in the middle, and I got mightily fed up of reading “his minty green gaze”, I think this was mentioned about a hundred times…

This really felt like a romance for the book lovers and I fell in love with it myself and would 100% recommend it.

I think we’ve all wanted to enter our favourite story. To disappear within the pages and live the lives of our most beloved characters. It’s a dream for all us book worms but for Eileen Merriweather, it becomes a reality!

I’ve been a fan of Ashley Poston ever since I read Bishop Takes King which previously made me aware of this author and ever since then, I’ve been itching to read more of her work. I’m SO glad I followed up with this one because it was pure stunning. The writing was absolute chefs kiss.

And this book has such an intriguing aspect, coupled with the cover and the fact I know she’s an amazing writer made it a no brainer. And I LOVED IT. Like, 1000 stars love.

It was one of those books where you go down a whirlpool and emerge half way through feeling like no time has passed. I loved Eloration and following Eileen into this fictional town was so enjoyable. I loved her and wanted her to have her happily ever after (Under the waterfall of course…) also, I’d like to step into this town too because it was beautifully portrayed. The story itself was fantastically crafted and the ending was pure perfection.

Couldn’t give it less than 5 stars! Id give it more is that was an option!

Review
This book is every romance book lovers dream. I think the bookish community and anyone who reads romance will eat this up, as I did! I couldn’t put it down, read it in 2 sittings.

We follow Eileen who has been recently broken up with by her fiancée, and on her way to a trip she had planned, her car ends up breaking down in a small cozy town. As she discovers more about the town she realizes she is in the small town from her favorite romance novel series.

The story unravels from there. It’s magical and beautiful and romantic. It discusses romance book tropes, and book boyfriends, and the romance publishing industry, and has small town vibes, and your typical grumpy small town male love interest.

Aside from this book being a romance, it also touched on topics of friendship, heartbreak, new beginnings and fresh starts, moving on, finding yourself and what you want in life. It was perfect and I could relate so much to Eileen, which I think a lot of girls in their 20s/30s will.

I was enamored and enthralled while reading this, as an avid romance reader and bookish community member.

“Things weren’t perfect, and endings weren’t always happy, but it wasn’t always the destination that mattered.”

Honestly if you read romance books you need to read this. Possibly my favorite book of 2024 so far. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.