I had the best time listening to this book!

It was so fun from the start, I love the humour and the plot line, I thought all the characters were so great and so unique

I really enjoyed the narrator and thought they did a great job with the different voices

- forced proximity
- only one bed
- secret identity

Sophie Taylor, a primary school teacher, has published a spicy romance novel under a pseudonym. Her debut is a huge hit, but with an ex who's an award-winning literary author and parents who are indifferent to the romance genre, she's keeping her success strictly confidential. That is until the one person she doesn't want to know figures it out.

What a treat this was from the first page! Only her brother and publisher knew. When the creative director of the publishing house, Joe Walsh, found out her secret, she wasn't elated of course.

I loved that even though Joe initially dismissed her work, he came around to it and worked to make her see she was talented and worthy of all the accolades. Their chemistry was off the charts though it took them a while to give in to the feelings and I loved the slow burn. There were shocking twists here and there that kept the story exciting as well.

This was an ode to romance book readers and authors. I loved that we don't need to explain why we read romance as opposed to other genres of fiction. I also loved that Kelk mentioned other current authors as the story unfolded.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the narration and found myself getting busy just to continue listening.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK Audio and Lindsey Kelk for this Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fun love story, filled to the brim with your favourite tropes and Taylor Swift Easter eggs! Lots of laugh out loud moments for me!

Here we meet Sophie, a primary school school teacher, who is hiding a very big secret. She is a well loved romance author, Esther Cox. She hides in fear of rejection from her parents. All is going well, her secret is hidden, until she meets Joe. Their chemistry is intense from the get go, but can either of them let go of their baggage and be who they truly are.

I loved this one, an action packed romance, enemies to lovers! Some spicy scenes. Insta-love and one bed trope. Lots of real life romance author name drops and tropes names... if that not for you.

Totally bingeable and lots or fun!

I loved this audio book, the narration was excellent. This is the perfect summer read and would be perfect for a holiday. The plot was interesting as it showed the stigma with romance books and loved that then characters were very bookish and loved the banter between the two main characters. I loved Charlotte and who doesn't want to own their own bookshop! I will definitely be checking out more by this author in the future and I made notes of the books mentioned also as I don't read romance enough! I would round this up to 4.5 stars ! Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this audio arc.

As an avid fan of Lindsey Kelk, I was ecstatic to experience her latest book once more, this time in audiobook format. I've cherished each of her books, yet this one stands out as truly remarkable. *Chef's Kiss*

The bookshop scene will forever be imprinted in my memory, particularly the quote:

"I want to be consumed," he whispered, his voice deepening as he drew nearer. "I want her very thought to set me ablaze. I desire to yield to the inferno and be consumed until only my love remains."

I couldn't help but shout, "Don't we all, Joe?! DON'T WE ALL!!!"

I extend my gratitude to Lindsey, her publishing team, and Netgalley for providing me with the opportunity to enjoy this as an audiobook.

This is only the second audio book I have listened to and I can I say the storyline does make a massive difference to how much you enjoy them. The storyline was gripping straight away and I really enjoyed the narration! I just wanted to listen to it none stop!
The book follows a romance author Sophie who has published a spicy bestseller under a pseudonym and how her life unfolds after she meets the lovely Joe! A wonderful insight to how romance books make women feel!
I listened over 2 days on a 1.75 speed!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

‘Love Story’ by Lindsey Kelk tells the story of schoolteacher Sophie Taylor, the daughter of two renowned figures in the publishing world who secretly moonlights as a romance author… and not just any romance author, but the writer of bestselling, TikTok trending, Austin Butler-in-talks-for-the-movie, super spicy hit novel ‘Butterflies’! Keeping her alter-ego Este Cox becomes more difficult when her father’s OTT birthday party thrusts her into the path of her literary-snobbish parents, BookTok obsessed sister, awful ex and a handsome recent acquaintance Joe who has piqued her attention. The story has plenty of laughs and a solid love story while also focusing on family dynamics and social pressure.

I adored how this was a book-lovers book from start to finish - from the publishing world setting, to passionate book club discussions in defence of smut, to the list of wonderful authors cited as ‘Este’s’ inspiration! There was also a healthy helping of TayTay references scattered throughout, which made this Swiftie very happy.

The characters in this novel were FABULOUS, especially the women:
- Sophie was likeable, relatable and super talented - her personality quirks were well rooted in her experiences and she grew beautifully throughout the novel
- Sarah was the perfect best-friend figure for Sophie, full of sage advice and always ready to provide coffee and a croissant from her café
- I want Sophie’s sister Charlotte to be MY best friend - she was fierce, determined and funny, AND owned a YA/romance-centric bookshop
The male lead Joe wasn’t half bad either - sensitive, generous and (mostly) communicative about what he wanted… and super hot!

This audiobook was narrated by Kristin Atherton, who I have listened to a few thriller audiobooks from but never a romance before… and I must say she did an excellent job! Her accents for some characters were fabulous and the depth of emotion she portrayed in key scenes was excellent.

Overall, this was a five listen read for me - if you loved ‘Beach Read’ or ‘Only And Forever’, you will ADORE this regardless of how you consume the story.

I received an advance copy of this audiobook from the publisher Harper Collins Audio via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed the premise of this novel. I love stories about romance writers; especially when they are experiencing their own romance!

The characters and the setting of this novel were brilliant, I really felt like I was there experiencing it all. I enjoyed the blossoming romance between our two main characters- the sparks were flying!! The narration of this novel was excellent.

A brilliant novel, great to enjoy on holiday!


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an audiobook of this novel in exchange for and honest review.