I'm sad I didn't love this one more, but something about it just didn't work for me. I love books and I love writing, so both of those being core interests of the main character really intrigued me. But it fell a bit flat. I found Emma to be a little one dimensional and a bit dramatic for my liking. I also felt like the romance part of it was really underdeveloped.

I also found the pacing to be off. It felt like there was so much conflict (a lot of it really unnecessary) that dragged throughout, but then it all got resolved quite quickly right at the end.

It was an adorable setting though and I loved all the bookshops and letter writing classes. I do think I'm the outlier on this one since a lot of people really liked it, but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Bookstore owner-to-be, Emma, is reeling when her parents tell her they plan on retiring and passing along their family bookstore to her and her sister was on board with this plan. All Emma has set out to do was successfully run the bookstore because that was always her role, while her sister went on to do other things, like start a family. In her almost tailspin, she embarks on an adventure to channel her inner Emily Dickenson in a secluded historical home for 6 weeks. During this time, she meets some wonderful people, as well as people she has met online through a bookseller group chat. I loved seeing Emma progress through her self discovery journey while balancing her family expectations and always around Davis. Along with the romance, there is a hint of mystery with who her secret admirer is who keeps sending flowers. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted eARC. All opinions are my own.

Instagram post went live 27Feb25

This was a cute, fun yet predictable romance. I love books about books and bookshops and this one was delightful. An enjoyable book for a beach read in summer or a cozy fire in the winter.

Emma feels like she’s not in control of her own life. Her parents have been showing up less and less to help out at the family bookstore, her sister is pregnant and has become distant, and Emma doesn’t know what *she* wants from life. A long-time Emily Dickinson fan, she decides to make a six-week visit to Amherst, to stay in an historic house about to undergo renovation.
What follows are Emma’s attempts, often clumsy but sweet, to rediscover herself, through Dickinson’s poetry and lifestyle. While a few moments are telegraphed, this is a sweet story. Tales of self-discovery can be tricky, but the author includes failures as well as successes, and the self doubts, while painful, become stepping stones to Emma’s own future.
The characters - and their misunderstandings - are well written, though occasionally not as fully developed as I would have liked. The house is a character more than a setting, drawn with both foreboding and humor. Dickinson’s poetry and prose is referenced throughout, an almost mystic presence in the face of modern tensions.

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Since I'm a sucker for anything centering bookstores, of course I had to read this. It was... not good. It had a great start, but unfortunately as so often happens in women's fiction, the conflicts are blown way out of proportion, they could have been easily resolved, and depended heavily on miscommunication and just general stupidity of the characters. Every conceivable romantic and family trope was dragging in and put through the meat grinder, which wore me down after a while. My one quibble, which grew into a mountain from a molehill involves Emily Dickinson, who is centered in different ways in the story. The female protagonist grew up 40 miles from Amherst, home of Emily Dickinson - you mean to tell me she's a mega-fan and has never made it up the road to Amherst in all her 30+ years? Not to mention the general lack of research on basic Dickinson facts and the gay erasure of Emily Dickinson. Nope. Not having it.

The story was fun and lighthearted and I had a good time reading it.
This was a wonderfully written romantic comedy.
I absolutely loved these characters and really enjoyed getting to know them.
A sweet, funny and heartwarming read!

I really wanted to love this one, but I was left with a feeling a wanting more - in an unfinished kind of way.

The connection between the MC's just didn't resonate with me. But, if you love a softer romance with plenty of things going on outside the love story, this it the perfect book for you.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

Emily Dickinson has a heavy influence on the storyline if Not Quite by the book, as main character Emma takes off for a historic home in Amherst to sort out her life and figure out what she wants - all while trying to live like Emily did. I learned so much about Dickinson’s life and now I’m more curious about how it influenced her writing.

This romance had a fun mix of tropes, including enemies-to-lovers, mistaken identity, and forced proximity. The blossoming romance is so sweet as Emma and Davis clumsily get to know each and avoid pursuing anything despite their chemistry.

I loved that so much of this book was focused on Emma’s personal growth and her family relationships. Sometimes I was so frustrated with Emma, but that made the story extra gratifying when she finally starts to value herself and her dreams more.

This book is one for the romantics, who will appreciate the love letters and bouquets with intentional meanings based on the flower type. And it’s definitely for anyone with a fondness for Emily Dickinson!

Follow Emma on her journey to self discovery, happiness, and absolutely no romance, none whatsoever. Will what Emma thinks that she needs and wants turn out to be what she truly needs and wants? Read Not Quite by the Book to find out.
I loved reading Emma’s story. It was very entertaining, especially all the funny little hiccups that happen along the way. It was full of realistic characters, that you can’t help but root for. The story was stellar, but the ending felt a bit abrupt in comparison.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing the ARC.

I really wanted to like this book, but everything about it fell flat for me. Emma likeable enough, but she was not an interesting or dynamic character. I absolutely disliked Davis, especially as the love interest. He kept so many things from Emma, even when he had every opportunity to come clean. He sabotaged his relationship with Emma and made things worse by constantly hiding the truth about everything.

The pacing was really off with this book. It seemed like the author couldn't quite pick which trope she wanted the focus to be, so she included multiple. The result was a very disjointed story that made me confused as a reader.

This started off with Emma needing to get away and immerse herself into Emily Dickinson's way of life. She had given up on love and decided her favourite poet could be her inspo for her life henceforth.

I thought it a bit odd that she'd put so much stock in what a person from ages ago did and took it so personally when she failed at some of the things. I did like that she learned some lessons along the way no thanks to her current undertakings.

I loved the MMC Davis at the beginning. Loved the chemistry. When his reasons for being a jerk came to light, I was mad. He went on to lie or withhold information from her. I didn't want them together after that.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. It's out now.

Rating: 3⭐
Steam level: 1🌶️ Kissing only

What a great little romance novel. I loved the journey of the main character finding herself, finding friendships and what is important in life. Relationships, family and friends, reaching out, giving of self but learning to set limits, it all led to Love. This is a well written, feel good little novel to read on cold winter days with a cup of tea and a cat on your lap. LOVED THIS

¡¡¡¡2.5!!!!

I think I have a pattern of always being interested in romances that have a book related background (I'm just a simple girl),so here's another one, although it looked interesting and the cover is beautiful (that's what caught my attention to begin with).

It hasn't hooked me as I expected, maybe it's more my thing, but although it promises Emily Dickinson references to the prota having her as a reference (it would be me with Jane Austen) and to get out of her monotonous life, renting a mansion to imitate her (who like her), I don't know, I think neither the romantic interest nor the chemistry attracted me.

But it's still a quick read and maybe others might find it a catchy story (I'm not that person).

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

An ode to Dickinson...

Emma Rini is self absorbed. Selfish, even. She works in her family bookstore and has an obsession with Emily Dickinson, so its off to a retreat where she plans to write bad poetry, journal and bemoan not having a meet-cute. She's thirty and feels like she's thirteen. She lacks real life experience and embraces her lack of a love life.
Told first person, I guess I just wasn't feeling the vibe, though I did a semester on Dickinson.

This book by Julie Hatcher (AKA Julie Anne Lindsey) is a womens’ fiction/romance novel which is not my standard genre. I have read her mystery/romance as Bree Baker and thought this would be along those lines.

I found it slow to start and probably would not have finished it but I did promise to read it and give my honest opinions. It kind of reminded me of “You’ve got Mail” with a twist. It dragged in many places and I figured out who she would end up having a relationship.

I did like it but it was painful with all the Emily Dickenson references.

I was given and advanced e-copy from Netgally and it was the book I chose from the latest FIRST READS.

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of Not Quite By The Book.

Emma has decided to give up on love. Emma is in a rut and she feels like her family is all moving on with life while she is standing still. She decides to take a page out of her favorite author Emily Dickinson and she decides to rent a manor and learn how to be alone.

This was just not for me at all. The female main character was absolutely awful and she came off very whiny and it was honestly difficult to get through the book. It was also way too predictable.

I liked the basic idea of the plot, which tells the story of a romantic woman who always wished for an epic love story but has become a people pleaser and, after years of sacrificing for her family and business and putting her own life on hold, wants to do something for herself, turn her life around and most of all stop looking for true love (a bit ridiculous at thirty-one!). To do this, she books a historic mansion in the hometown of her idol Emily Dickinson and wants to spend her stay in the same way she lived. But Emma hasn't reckoned on the many obstacles she has to overcome and that life as a recluse like her idol in the 1800s isn't quite as romantic as she had imagined. And then there's the landlady's handsome nephew and her anonymous pen pal admirer...
The story has some humorous moments, but unfortunately I didn’t really like the first half of the book. It was boring and frustrating at times. I couldn't even say exactly what triggered me, but Emma's obsession with her idol and the relentless repetitions got on my nerves after a while.
But the story got better, although predictable, as the book progressed. The protagonist undergoes great character development, there are lots of likeable secondary characters, a few twists, a mystery, a budding romance that reminded me of "You've Got Mail" and a sweet happy ending.

If you like sweet and clean romances with heroines on a journey of self-discovery, poetry, mishaps of mishaps, secret admirers and dogs and rabbits as cute supporting characters, you might enjoy this book!

I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.

Cute easy to read closed door romance, which felt a little more of a women's fiction than romance. No real complaints about this one just fell a little flat for me and was ready for it to wrap up by the end. Would rate it 3 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

I was super excited to read this because the plot had the book/bookstore element, which is always my favourite type of read. Unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations. There wasn't a lot of chemistry between Davis and Emma. It just wasn't an enjoyable read overall. Quite predictable, as well.

Not By The Book is a warm and cheerful read which had me yearning to book an extended holiday in a drafty Victorian mansion.

Emma and Davis are delightfully earnest and kind, each on their own journey of self discovery. Emma’s energy and introspection was contagious and empowering. Whilst I found the plot a little scattered at times, with occasional lulls in the pacing, overall this was a quaint and warm read.

I enjoyed the many literary references, and the obvious homage to You’ve Got Mail. The town of Amherst made for an atmospheric and romantic setting, and the letter writing classes such a quaint setting. A lovely read for anyone looking for a cosy and bookish romance.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.