I wasn’t expecting much from this book, but it intrigued me. It was a little melancholy to start but once Eileen arrived at her destination it was all go! I particularly enjoyed bringing a fictional series to life and understanding what influence a random secondary character could have. An interesting take on life as an author and a reader - this book has so many layers and angles that it would make a great Bookclub read. Again, I can see it could be frustrating as many great love stories are alluded to, but, given the situation Eileen finds herself in, they are scant on details and development - so a little too neatly wrapped up. My favourite character had to be Butterscotch the cat! I’m a true romantic!!!

Good development and some eerie scenes make for an amusing tale that drew me in - and made me root for Eileen. I don’t usually enjoy fantasy books but this book really worked for me.

5* as I think this will stay with me - which book would I want to be part of? Probably the Seven Sisters series!

One of the best romance books I’ve read, was so good! I don’t think this author can do any wrong in my opinion and I can’t wait for the world to read it

I enjoyed this, though to be honest I didn’t enjoy it as much as Undead Romantics, which to be honest would be a pretty tough challenge.

This took a little while to get going.

It would have been nice to see more scenes and moments between Anders and Elsy, it would’ve made more sense in understanding the attraction between them.

Additionally why did it take Elsy so long to realise he wasn’t a fictional character unlike the others? The obvious clues were there.

The talk of his minty eyes and blonde hair got somewhat repetitive too.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

This book is just joyful to read. It felt really relevant & as a lifelong reader I felt seen, like this a dream for any reader, you stumble among your favourite characters & there’s a love interest waiting for you…what’s not to love?! I loved the mix of magic & realism. How did she end up there? Who cares? It’s adorable. This is my first novel by this author but I have since purchased 2 more of hers to read & can’t wait to read more.

Thank you so much to Net Galley for this Arc! ☺️💗

I absolutely love anything Ashley Postin writes. She is an auto buy author for me!
I would say this book is the perfect cosy bookish read! She writes so beautifully!

I did find that the romance part of the plot was a bit lacking for me and I didn’t quite enjoy this book as much as The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip however that’s not to say it wasn’t an enjoyable read because it definitely was ☺️

Would I still recommend this book? Absolutely

3.5

I feel like this is one of those books that I need to sit with for a while to properly appreciate it, but on first finishing it, I don't think I loved this as much as The Dead Romantics or The Seven Year Slip. I loved the setting and the concept - who doesn't want to get lost in the world of their favourite book series? This is truly a book about books, full of bookish references and quotes and cosy corners. I think that my gripe with this book was that the romance really took a background role, and I would have loved to have seen more of Anders and Eileen developing the romance, whereas the vast majority of this book was Eileen trying to solve the problems of the town - I just would have preferred more of a balance. And I just didn't feel the ANGST that I felt with her previous two works, which is arguably one of the strongest elements to the unique spin she puts on a romance. I did enjoy this though; it's a sweet, gentle, slow time and honestly one that will appeal to so many, it just wasn't exactly what I was wanting, but as I said, one that I think will grow on me. And I will always read any Ashley Poston romance.

P.S. Benji is obviously her favourite child, but I wanted an appearance from Clementine so much!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, HQ, for granting me access to an ARC of this book!

This was a cosy read and I did enjoy reading it more than I didn't, but that being said, I did find it hard to get into for the first half. I think this is likely because I don't usually read 'fantasy' as such - I kept finding myself asking "ok but WHY ISN'T EILEEN QUESTIONING HOW SHE'S FOUND HERSELF IN A LITERAL DIFFERENT WORLD?". But books are meant to be fun and not necessarily answer every question!, and this was definitely a fun and light read, which I appreciated. Ashley Poston did a great job at writing a sweet romcom - though I would have loved a bit more character development from Anders, and maybe some more chemistry between Anders and Eileen. I still don't know how I felt about the plot twist with Anders though - I felt it was a bit underdeveloped.

All in all, I did enjoy this one!

This is a novel set inside a novel as Eileen (or Elsy) decides to go on a solo trip to a cabin in New York but gets lost and ends up in a charming small town that just so happens to be the main town in her favourite romance series. But she isn't the only one who has stumbled across the town from the outside, though she doesn't realise this until it's spelled out to her.

The author of the series dies before the last book is published and this seems to reflect in the town. When Elsy arrives, it's raining and the rain seems to come and go at the same time everyday, also the characters from the previous books seem to be stuck with whatever problem is happening to them which they can't move past. Elsy takes it upon herself to try and fix the things that are wrong, assuming the author would have left clues about the last book in the town. Though she doesn't actually find any clues until the very end of her time in the town anyway.

Elsy has her own "book boyfriend" in the small town. Anders is the grumpy bookshop owner and is someone she thinks she shouldn't be getting attached too because he must have his own HEA to look forward to. She thinks he must be who the final book was supposed to be about so she has to help him find the woman he's supposed to be with. But Anders is not what he seems and as he lowers his defensive wall and finally lets Elsy see who he really is.

I didn't really like the novel inside a novel idea, I thought it sounded like it would be quite good, but I don't feel like it really worked in this story. I couldn't really relate to any of the characters and I found Elsy to be quite self-involved and annoying, while inserting herself into everyone else's lives. She does get better as the story moves along and she finds something that will make her happy when she opens a bookshop with her best friend Pru, and she finally gets her own happy ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I read this in one sitting, literally! I needed to know what would happen next.

This is actually my first time reading a full length novel by Ashley Poston. I have read her novella from the Meet Cute series so I knew that I had liked her writing before and now I’m just going to have to read the rest of her books.

I loved the premise of this. I went into this expecting a stereotypical love story and I came out with all the feels. Magical realism is definitely my favourite genre. I love that it wasn’t just a love story; it was also about grief, heartbreak, learning to move on, and the uncertainty when making potentially life-altering decisions.

Now I’m off to read another magical realism book, and you should maybe also think of picking one up. Thank you to NetGalley for sending a review copy. All opinions are my own.

The premise of this novel was really good so I was really looking forward to reading it. I really wanted to like it, but I can’t say it’s my favourite book from this author. The writing is exceptional as always, although often repetitive, and I enjoyed the many friendships that develop throughout the novel, but I was expecting a more exciting romance and more chemistry between the two protagonists. All in all, it was an enjoyable read and I will certainly keep reading the author’s novels.

I loved the concept of this book, unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. I imagined it to be a page turner but it just didn’t have the hook for me. I’ve heard so many people love it though, so I think it’s just not the book for me, I’d still consider giving it a try, especially if you have enjoyed previous books by this author.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Such a good concept for a book, however I didn’t love the execution. I just thought it was quite boring. I did like the twist though, that was fun.. further thoughts posted on TikTok

What happens when your favourite series is left unfinished? What would you do if you found yourself in the setting of your favourite book series - are all the characters as you imagined? Are they all living their happy endings?

Cute, easy read.

unfortunately, every single time I tried to get into the book, I failed. I retarded it multiple times, and despite loving The Dead Romantics, I couldn't, for the life of me, enjoy A Novel Love Story. pretty sure its a me problem though.

🎧Audiobook Review🎧

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I want to thank NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book.

☀️Grumpy vs Sunshine
🏡Small Town Romance
💞Community
✨Magical Realism

Wouldn't we all love to travel to the setting of our favourite book? Ashley Poston delivers on all the well-loved bookish tropes and the magical realism is my favourite part of her stories. A fun, charming read!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved this lovely story with a touch of magical realism that the author brings to her books.

It’s such a lovely thought to think you could find yourself in a place that features in your favourite fictional series.

Eileen finds herself in Eloraton and we find out lots about the people who live there and she loves meeting them as these are characters she thinks she knows so well from reading about them in her books.

It’s a romantic story and Eileen and Anders find themselves falling in love with each other. There is a touch of grief and feelings of not being able to move forward and that added to the enjoyment of the story and the character development.

Do you ever imagine yourself accidentally in the world of your favourite book, where the characters are living breathing thinking beings? That's what happens to Elsy in A Novel Love Story, but things get more complicated...

Elsy is totally relatable in that she's had her heart broken and doesn't believe love story endings are in the cards for her, so she'd rather get lost in a novel.

I also loved Eloraton and its people, I feel like it was representative of many of my most-loved fictional small towns.

Ashley Poston's writing just does something super special for me that I don't regularly experience, she leaves my heart aching in the best of ways. I love the way she writes love, and the reading experiences I have with her books are always standouts in my mind every year 🥹

If you love romance that comes with a fantasy twist but will always leave you deep in thought, I'm sure you'll enjoy this ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in return of a fair review!

I love the cover, concept and general feel of this novel. It’s the perfect escapist read for rainy summer days, full of beautiful details of a fairytale small town, charming characters and elements of magical realism. Ultimately however, after the first quarter of the book, the writing and plot line fell quite flat for me. I’ll definitely still be looking into Poston’s previous novels though!

Ashley Poston’s previous two romance novels have been some of my all-time favourite books. There were both the perfect combination of adorable romance, captivating characters and a magical realism twist. So, of course I was excited to read another romance by her as soon as I could.

A Novel Love Story is a magical romance made for book people. I loved the characters, the setting was charming and I loved the romance. It may not have lived up to the other the author’s other two romance novels in my opinion but it was still exceptional.

Elsy loves to get lost in a happily-ever-after. The fictional kind that is, because imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. Books are her safe place which is why she is so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year. But, when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a town that feels like it is right out of a novel. Because it is.

Somehow she finds herself in Eloraton, the town from her favourite romance series and it feels like home. Elsy is sure she must be there to help bring the town to its storybook ending. Expect, there is a character here she can’t place, the handsome and grumpy bookstore owner who doesn’t want her to finish the book. Which is an issue because Elsy is starting to think the town’s happily-ever-after might be intertwined with her own.

I think all readers will relate in some way to Elsy. In particular due to way she seeks escapism, peace and happiness in books. Her real life isn’t going well so she seeks the ‘perfect’ life through books like so many of us. She is an excellent main character but I did wish she would stop meddling in other people’s life as much as she did.

Anders is introduced to us a grump bookstore owner who is avoiding happiness. As we get to know him he in fact incredibly sweet, caring and trying to open up more. I loved his backstory and seeing how this has affected him as a person.

We get to meet quite a lot of side characters throughout this book and I loved so many of them. Each of them brings something unique to the story and they were all easy to distinguish between.

The romance in this book is wonderful. I was a big fan of the fact that there is time taken for the character to get to know one another on an emotional intimate level before the physical intimacy was shown. I think each of them could have controlled their emotions a little better at certain points but they worked well as a pair.

I loved that one of the focuses of this story is how books can change your life. Throughout the story there is a lot of focus on this as Elsy recovers from heartbreak and learns to love herself again. Books are a magical thing and this story highlights this perfectly.

The setting of this book is so well described that you can visualise it in your head perfectly. You can imagine exactly what the small town of Eloraton looks like, the sort of people who live there and how charming the location is. Ashley Poston always writes settings in such a beautiful way.

For me, this one was lacking something that I found in the other two romance novels by Ashley Poston. I can’t quite explain what it is but there was that spark missing that was very clear in the other two. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy this one though, it just didn’t quite live up to the hype. Ashley Poston is still going to be a romance author whose books are an auto-buy for me. She is spectacular.

Overall, A Novel Love Story is a sweet, emotional, funny and heart-warming romance novel which I would highly recommend. It is a romance made for book lovers about book lovers. It was a lovely read.

This was my second read by Ashley Poston, and it’s easily my favourite yet! We follow Elsy, who stumbled across the fictional town from her favourite book series after her car breaks down en route to her annual book club retreat. Amidst all the familiar and much-loved characters, she meets bookshop owner, Anders, who isn’t quite who he seems. Elsy finds herself in a plot all of her own, and has to work out if she wants to be a side story in her fictional world, or the main character back in reality…

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*