Julie is such a gifted author. She seamlessly floats from cozy mysteries to this new genre. This fascinating story of self discovery kept me glued to the pages. Emma has been running her parents' bookstore and can't remember her last vacation. She's over worked and over looked. When they decide to retire and assume she'll take over the bookstore without even asking her, Emma decides to put herself first for once. She looks to poet Emily Dickinson for inspiration for growth for her life. Watching Emma begin to take care of herself in new ways was so exhilarating. I wanted to cheer out loud for her. She's learning to love herself and that just might bring love to her. This feel good story will will help you put some magic back into your own life. Thanks to the author, Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy.

It is a fun and fascinating story about love and self-discovery! This book was so wholesome!! Set in an autumnal town, featuring cosy bookstores, baking, cute fluffy animals and a 19th-century manor.
I love how much Emma's growth was highlighted in this book, it showed her journey to re-discover herself for the majority of the book and I appreciated that the focus wasn't on the romance, but on Emma learning to love and accept herself. The highs and lows of attempting to be more like Emily Dickinson, including gardening, letter writing and learning to cook were both cosy and comical, keeping me intrigued in the story, I was thoroughly excited to see how Emma's journey would progress. I think this book will especially hit home for overachieving, people-pleasing eldest daughters who appreciate a good cliche romantic gesture (e.g. letter writing, flowers).
This book was a 3-star to me because the focus on Emily Dickinson left me a little bit bored and meant that I couldn't fully connect to Emma. Additionally, it felt a lot of the time like we were being told what was happening instead of being shown, especially during particular moments of dialogue. I also wish the side characters had more on-page interactions, and it would've been nice to have learnt more about the people living in the town, instead, it felt like they were just there for something to talk about instead of letting us get to know them. I wish we'd seen Grace's meddling instead of just constantly hearing about it, especially because she often invited Emma to join her and her friends for things but then nothing came of it. Finally, Davis felt quite one-note and he made the romance elements a lot more complicated than they needed to be which led to it feeling a bit dragged out.
Overall, this was a quick, cosy read and I would recommend it.

Emma needs a bit of a break before taking over her parent’s bookstore, and with her love of Emily Dickinson, an extended stay in Amherst is the perfect idea for her.

This story is about found family, finding yourself, with a hint of You’ve Got Mail.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Not Quite by the Book to come out January 28, 2025.

This is an incredible story of a woman in her early thirties that decides to take a chance and go on a six week adventure. Emma and her relationships are a little complicated because she has placed herself in the role of parent to her sister and mom and dad. Emma does not think of herself as being in this role and realizes during her get away how much resentment she has been building. Her quest to become more like her favorite author Emily Dickinson, turns into her repairing the relationships with her family by realizing what she wants to do.

Emma’s quest to become more like Emily Dickinson ends with Emma probing you can reset your life in your thirties. Emma goes through a lot of soul searching to figure out that she does indeed want to take over the family bookstore. She also ends up giving up on her goal of giving up on love, and instead falling for someone.

This story just made me feel like I was watching a hallmark movie and I loved it!

Emma Rini's life is books. She works tirelessly managing her family's bookshop while her sister approached motherhood and her parents kick off retirement assuming Emma will take the reigns on the store once they retire (without asking). With everything happening, Emma begins to think about what she truly wants and realizes she needs to escape. Her destination? The nineteenth century. Channeling her inner Emily Dickinson, her favorite poet, she uses a "how to be like Emily" checklist to try to learn how to be happily alone.

What she didn't plan on is her new direction to be challenging. Writing haikus, gardening and giving up on love isn't as easy as she had hoped and the pesky, handsome handyman who is remodeling the manor she resides in throws her plans further off track. As the book continues, Emma discovers that her dream escape ended up was not what she actually wanted.

This book is easy-paced with extremely likeable characters. It follows Emma's self-growth from being a people pleaser to finally putting herself first. The reader gets glimpses of why Emma has always put everyone else first and never focused on her own needs. A beautiful lesson is conveyed, when you learn to love yourself--love finds you. I enjoyed the feel-good aspect of this book and thought it was a wonderful demonstration of self discovery and finding self worth.

Something I really appreciated was that a good part of the book was focused on Emma’s journey to re-discover herself. Emma wanted to live her life like Emily Dickinson, which wasn't as glorified as she first thought. If you've read "Book Lovers" by Emily Henry and loved it, this book is for you. I devoured Not Quite By the Book in a 24-hour span. It's a cute story about family and self-discovery with a hint of romance set in a beautiful autumn in Amherst.
Quick summary;
A bookstore owner discovers that life as a recluse isn’t for everyone in this sharp yet sweet novel about how sometimes you need to abandon the quest for love to find your true passion.
Emma Rini is in a rut so deep she could shelve books there. While her sister awaits her first baby, and her parents kick off retirement with vow renewals and travel, Emma stays put among the stacks of the family bookshop.

Till I loved I never lived.

Emily Dickinson

The same can be said for this book. I've never related so much to a character as Emma, from Jane Eyre to her lists... the literary references are spot on, never forced. I felt transported into the pages, seeing and feeling everything. Just when you think you have your "I've got it," moment, you are dipped and turned wondering if you were even on the right path. Hatcher takes you from fluffy (like Violet) to despondent in this rollercoaster of a romance. If you arent engrossed in your own self-reflection after this book, you must not be alive. Dare I say, I think (I hope) that she left the door open for Cecily (Emma's best friend) to find her own love story.

I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. I was really looking forward to this book but sadly, it didn’t quite do it for me. I ultimately had to throw in the towel around the 30% mark. I had a hard time connecting with the main character, whose fixation on Dickinson was so overwhelming that it became a bit draining.

Plus, the writing style didn’t help much either. While I wouldn't call the writing bad I felt like there was a constant “telling” instead of “showing,” especially in the dialogue. The conversations between characters often felt awkward and unnatural, almost like the author was more focused on explaining everything rather than letting things unfold naturally.

There were also a few instances where it seemed like there was missing or conflicting information. For example, it is mentioned that the manor house does not have service yet the host tells the character to call them if anything is needed. Maybe there is a landline that comes up in later chapters or the host meant for the character to call while in town but it just felt inconsistent.

Emma, age 30 something & single, finds herself yearning for more. She sets out for a 6 week vacation alone in Amherst, MA to immerse herself in the life of her favorite author Emily Dickinson. It’s an adventure that delves into the dark side of working too much, self-love, and family healing as much as it is about finding an epic romance. This book may be paving the way for a new genre, romantic mysteries, as Emma exchanges letters with a mysterious secret admirer who is revealed at the very end of the book.

Fans of bookish romances will enjoy this book which is reminiscent of the New York Times Bestsellers title Book Lovers.

Emma Rini hits a rut and decides to take a 6 week vacation to find herself. She rents a mansion and channels her inner Emily Dickinson (her favorite poet), but the outside world keeps knocking. There's also the matter of the grumpy (but hot) architect she keeps clashing with...

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I was really intrigued by the cover and the premise of this book, but unfortunately it just fell flat for me. I struggled to connect with the main character and the plot just didn't catch my interest. I ended up DNF'ing the book at about 25%.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc! Emma's family really pissed me off and I felt so bad for her but I'm glad it all worked out in the end. Also, kinda suspected that there would be a "you got mail" kind of situation and I wasn't disappointed.

Sweet read. This is about a woman who needs to get away from her life and have some time for herself to reflect. Emma has always loved books and Emily Dickinson’s poetry in particular. Deciding to channel her inner Emily ,she rents a historic manor and proceeds to emulate the hobbies from that era. Having no luck with cooking or cross stitching she falls in love with gardening, journaling and making lists. Abandoning modern technology due to no service at the manor , she finds that she prefers writing letters. Joining the local writing group she is given the task of writing multiple letters. In writing these letters she has been able to say what she hasn’t to her family and friends and to herself. Her stay at the manor is life changing and is the catalyst she needs to start her new life. With a new plan for the family bookstore, a stronger relationship with her sister and a possibility of new love. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy . I am leaving this review voluntarily

Ok this is different. I like the plot and how is a whole journey to rediscover. I like the interaction of the characters and how they develop. Enjoyed quite a bit . Will definitely recommend

I devoured Not Quite By the Book in 24 hours! A delightful story about family and self-discovery with a backdrop of romance. I appreciated that the first 60% of the book focused on Emma’s journey to re-discover herself. The highs and lows of her quest to live the life of Emily Dickinson, complete with gardening, letter writing, and making Victorian-era foods were both cozy and comical. The writing also painted a beautiful portrait of an idyllic autumn in Amherst that made me extra excited for fall. This book is quite reminiscent of Emily Henry’s Book Lovers and will especially hit home for overachieving eldest daughters with people-pleaser tendencies who love classic romantic gestures (flowers, letter writing, and just overall SEEING a person). I will be recommending this to friends! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. #NotQuitebytheBook #NetGalley

Wow! This book was so good! I loved the storyline. The main character is so relatable. I loved her journey. I also loved reading about the old activities she tried and what some of them meant. This book was hard to put down.

Julie Hatcher has written a lovely story about so many of my favorite things – a small town in the fall, cozy bookstores, and romantic walks under the downtown twinkle lights. I felt like I stepped into a Nancy Meyers film and never wanted to leave. Our leading lady, Emma Rini, loves her job managing her family’s bookstore, but with her sister headed into motherhood and her parent’s impending retirement, Emma starts to question if there could be more for her. She decides to overhaul her life, using the beloved poet Emily Dickinson as her muse. Following a list of “how to be like Emily” should be easy enough, right? However, Emma’s efforts are challenged at every turn and, despite her plucky determination to write haikus, learn to garden, and give up on love, an assortment of characters, especially the handsome handyman, prove to be quite the obstacle to Emma’s plan. Emma’s escape from her normal, everyday life has her realizing that maybe what she thought she wanted, isn’t what she wants at all. Maybe when you learn to love yourself, it opens you up to all kinds of affection and community from the people around you. Hatcher’s story will have readers understanding that sometimes, we have to let go of where we think we should be to end up where we are meant to be. This feel good story will warm your heart and have you rooting for Emma to find happiness the whole way through! Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Julie Hatcher for the chance to read this delightfully enjoyable book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and whimsical romance. I really enjoyed this and think it will be a perfect romantic read.

Emma is working at her parents bookshop all her life and she realises that is all she does the last years of her life . She takes six weeks of vacation to stay in a manon in Amherst where she will be like her favourite poet Emily Dickinson . The manson has no wifi , no hot water or heat . She spents her hours writing letters gardening and baking like Emily did . She has desided that she will not love any man but there is Davis the charming architect owner of the manor who always keeps calling him for help . Also who is the man who sent her letters ?
I received this book from netgalley , the author and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .

Baking, books, fixing a manor all some of my favourite things included in a book? Yes I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Julie Hatcher’s “Not Quite by the book” is an informative and fascinating story about self discovery and unexpectedly finding love in the midst of all.

“𝘐, 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘙𝘪𝘯𝘪, 𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴’ 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺.”

Emma can’t remember the last time she took a vacation. Or had a romance that hovered above disappointing. From the moment a tragedy struck her family when she was a child she was thrust into growing up quickly, taking care of her younger sister and making sure her father wasn’t stretched thin which progressively developed her tendency to pleasing was the only way to get their love.

Years later everyone in her family well and happy, she is overworked, she seems to be forgotten and her sister has found the romance she has been waiting diligently for whiles she is the only one who has been tirelessly keeping their family bookshop afloat.

However when her parents plans to retire and assumes she’ll take over the bookshop without asking for her input, together with the cold shoulder her little sister has been giving her for months,
Emma decides it was time to put herself first for once. She rents a crumbling manor in Amherst where she can learn how to be quietly and blissfully alone whiles she channels her inner Emily Dickson — her favourite poet recluse.

It was easy paced, with well liked characters.
Though hoped the side characters had more screen time especially Grace and her meddling friends, Paul and his kind letters. I think Davis was alright but he made their relationship much more complicated.

Emma growth was much highlighted, the story showed the discovery of how she thought being a people pleaser was the only way she could receive their love to realising she was already loved and adored not especially because of the things she does for them but because she was Emma rini, kind, hardworking and easily lovable. And making that discovery allowed her to love herself and be proud of who she is.

Thank you Netgalley , the author and the publisher for a review copy!

A solid 4 stars!! This book was actually so unexpectedly great! I really enjoyed everything about it (the main characters, the little town, even the historic house setting). I will always love reading a book in which the main characters also are book lovers!! I especially enjoyed all of the other literature quotes it had, and I feel like I learned a good bit about Emily Dickinson too which was random but nice! The writing was immediately captivating, and the story had me interested throughout the entire book. The FMC Emma was really someone I was able to connect to and root for! Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher, and Julie Hatcher for the opportunity to read this ARC! (also I am hoping there is a second book to this series for Clayton & Cecily?🤞🏻)