4.5 stars⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the early e-arc of this amazing and cute book. This was everything I thought it was going to be and I loved the characters in this! I fell in love with Kieran in this book and I loved how this was mostly set in a bookshop which made it so wonderful! I will definitely be reading more books by this author

‘Love At First Book’ by Jenn McKinlay tells the story of Emily who uproots her lift and travels to Ireland to assist her favourite author Siobhán and work part-time in the cute bookshop her grouchy but romance-hero-handsome son Kieran runs… It’s an adventurous move for usually-introverted Em, but once it becomes apparent that her grumpy boss Kieran doesn’t want her around, she becomes more determined to stay.

I loved all of the emotional layers of this book - the contrast between Kier and Siobhán’s relationship with Em and her mother’s, the secret Em had to keep, and Kier’s awakening to just why his mother’s character Tig McMorrow was so important to her. I also enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers trope and the hilarious banter between the couple and Em’s likeable colleagues at the bookshop.

I’d highly recommend this novel to bookophiles, lovers of Irish charm and anyone who wants a romantic read with some family drama sprinkled in.

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

Firstly, I would like to say a big thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this wonderful book – a five star read without a doubt!

Firstly, the setting of this book is just wonderful. A small town in Ireland, with a strong community feel, and the background of a cosy bookstore. I’ve really started to become a big fan of small town romances – there’s such a cosy and warm vibe about them. I loved all of the characters in this book – they all helped to bring this story to life.

The chemistry and tension between Emily and Kieran is electric. The enemies to lovers trope is done exceptionally well in this story. The connection between these two wasn’t rushed, but their chemistry is obvious from the get go with the way they butt heads and clash. Everything between them is fiery and intense, it’s brilliant.

I love a story with a backdrop of a bookshop, so that gave the book brownie points from the offset, but I love that Emily gets to help her favourite author finish the final instalment to her favourite series – isn’t that every bookworms dream? The friendship between Siobhan and Emily is so sweet and they form such a strong bond so quickly.

This book has a very bittersweet ending, one that had me in tears but also had my heart bursting with love at the wonderful romantic gesture from Kieran to tell Emily how he feels.

Jenn McKinlay is definitely one of my favourite authors and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I loved this! I found all the characters really lovable, the writing flowed well and the story was engaging. The author clearly did her research on Irish sayings, towns, foods and history, meaning the setting felt authentic and immersive. There are many funny and lighthearted moments throughout that make it a joy to read. The heavier themes of this book, such as illness, were handled really well and the book was emotional without being depressing. I would definitely read books by this author again and would recommend this book to anyone looking for a cosy romance.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I have read Summer Reading by this author and absolutely loved it so was overjoyed when I was offered this new one to read and review. Again this book had me hooked and kept my interest throughout. A real treat of a book. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Emily has escaped the clutches of her toxic mother and travelled to Ireland to take up a job as assistant to a writer - specifically, the author of the books that got her through her adolescent years. Part of the job, however, involves working in a bookshop, and the owner of said shop really doesn't seem to want her there.
There's a lot to like about this book, in particular the relationship that forms between Emily and Kier. He reluctantly thaws to her as she discovers her newly-confident self with him, and their closeness develops through sharp dialogue, book quotes and a shared love for Siobhan, who is a finely-drawn character in her own right. As well as romance, there's tear-jerking moments and the residual effect of family trauma - which seemed strangely unresolved by the end. Emily's mother takes up a large proportion of her thoughts and actions in the first part of the book, and then disappears completely from the plot; some sort of resolution, even just a paragraph, would have been good. Despite that, this is a great read with a wonderful Irish backdrop, and Emily's journey to found family and love is a thoroughly heartwarming one.

Wow wow wow!
This book certainly messed with my emotions!
One line in the story was ‘books became her friends and there was one for every mood’ which I can agree with.

I was not expecting to cry, I thought it was just a sweet romance story which is set in a book shop in Ireland, but it’s so much more than that and I’m not ashamed to say that I ugly cried!
Buy this book! You won’t regret it!

This felt like a warm hug in a book yet also made me think of my own life being in my 20s. I loved the grumpy x sunshine trope with a librarian and will be making the shortbread and booking a ticket to Ireland soon. I think the one issue is that I read Funny Story by Emily Henry straight after and before giving this review and the librarian and romance in that just made me so happy that it felt kind of like a better version of this book. I know that is unfair though and should not be comparing them, instead I will phrase it as … if you liked Funny Story by Emily Henry then I would recommend that you give this book a try.

A lovely read! An engrossing writing style mixed with likable and easy to root for characters and you get a quick and sweet romance.
This was genuinely a great time

Ever since I read Summer reading Jenn has been added to my “Whenever there is a release from this author take all my money list” ( I was extra pleased when I realised this follows the best friend of the main character Sam in summer reading,

I am from Ireland and grew up there and still Jenn managed to make me want to move to Finn’s Hollow (granted I’ve never been to Co.Kerry so it’s on my list).

The way she describes the writing process and the slow burn of Kier and Emily’s desire is gorgeous. I love the fact she has a knack for describing spicy scenes while still appealing to an audience who might prefer scenes that aren’t so graphic,

I am so sad that I’ve now caught up on her romance books and I will be eagerly awaiting the next!

Thank you NetGalley for this book!

A heart warming story about starting over mid adulthood. This story follows Emily moving to Ireland to work for her favorite author and help her with writers block, but she also had to deal with the broody authors son.

While the chemistry and banter between Kieran and Emily was amazing. My favorite part of the story was Emily finding the best version of herself. When we first meet Emily she’s this shy introverted girl, but we see her become who she’s always wanted to be. This book handles difficult topics like loss, grief, childhood trauma and mental illnesses incredibly well.

Thank you NetGalley for this book! This book was such a lovely book to read which handled sensitive topics very well. I do believe that the portrayal of the romance was very well dealt with and is very sweet. There was a few moments where I did have to shut the book to cry but I did read it in two days, I literally couldn't put it down. This book was such an emotional and heart wrenching read whilst also being a very sweet read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this lovely book.

Firstly I loved this book I laughed at certain things that only Irish/scots people might laugh at! Well researched.

The warm of this book the characters devotion to each other they weathered the storm and got back on dry land .

Lovely recipe from the book I’m definitely making the shortbread! And maybe drinking some Irish whiskey

The premise of the book is new beginning and the last chapter . I loved this book .

Please read it , it’s sweet funny deeply sad and quite reflective for me at least.

It makes me want to eat soda bread and find a dog called Shackleton.

Thanks again netgalley.

This was such a gorgeous read. I enjoyed this one a lot and binged this in no time at all. I love a grumpy sunshine trope and my goodness did Em and Kier deliver! Lots of tension and banter and longing. The pacing was great, and the addition of Siobhan to the plot was both wonderful and heartbreaking.

I definitely recommend this one for all you grumpy sunshine lovers!

4.5 stars from me 🌟 thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and Cornerstone for allowing me to read an ARC of Love at First Book, in return for an honest review.

I read Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay last summer, and I fell in love with McKinlay’s skill for creating beautiful scenery and imagery within her books. In Love at First Book, we learn more about Sam from Summer Reading’s best friend Emily, or Em. Em is an ex librarian, and she moves to Ireland to become an assistant to her favourite author, and book shop employee in her shop.

Quickly, Emily meets Kieran Murphy, the owner of the bookshop. He is grumpy, attractive, and very well-read. Ideal!

This book is a perfect grumpy x sunshine romance, filled with devastation, love, tenderness. I especially adored the intermittent literature quotes.

Make no mistake, Love at First Book does not read as a sequel, but it stands as its own triumph.

Jenn McKinlay is absolutely one of my favorite authors. I am honored and privileged to be chosen to read this early. I will be sharing a full review and thoughts upon completion. I’m slowly catching up on reviews due to an unexpected health issues but slowly getting there. I’m honored and thank you very much for the opportunity please watch this space.