Not Quite by the Book is far from a debut in the traditional sense. Author Julie Hatcher writes under several other names in the mystery and romance genres. You may know her as Jacqueline Frost, Julie Chase, or Julie Anne Lindsey. As a long-time reader and fan, I eagerly accepted an ARC of this contemporary book club read from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. Following are my honest opinions.

Bookshop manager Emma longs for the love she sees between her parents, sister, and brother-in-law. She grew up surrounded by romance books, drawing strength and inspiration from Emily Dickinson's poetry. Emma works hard in all areas, prioritizing her family and work above everything else. It's no wonder she feels taken for granted and needs a fresh start. When the opportunity presents itself to stay in a historic home in Amherst, Emma grabs on with both hands. Convinced she is destined to be alone, she uses her wedding savings to rent the estate for six weeks and retreats to reflect and restart.

I felt for Emma, who wants so badly to be and do everything for those she loves to the point of neglecting herself and her dreams. As she settles in for her retreat, Emma struggles with the solitude and simplicity in which Emily Dickinson lived. As if the cultural shift alone wasn't enough, she also battles the historic property--cold water, a lack of heat, no cell service or WiFi, and spotty success with her goal of "embracing her inner Emily."

I appreciated Emma's determination, even when frustrated by her rigid dedication to a future she feels is set in stone. Her emotional, physical, and mental journey was my favorite part of Not Quite by the Book.

I didn't quite feel the chemistry between Emma and historic architect Davis. Their romance emulates "You've Got Mail," but the characters didn't really click together for me. The story felt a little long in the telling, and there was perhaps one too many plot puzzles to piece together.

Overall, the story is sweet; it is a heart-warming book from a favorite author. No matter which name she is using, Julie always crafts detail-rice scenes with characters who feel like friends.

The book was more than just a romance. It was about Emma finding herself. It was sweet and adorable. Felt very much like a classic romance movie like You've Got Mail.

Thank you for the ARC!

This was a cute read. Who wouldn’t want to live in the shoes of the great Emily Dickinson? The way Amherst was described was great.

The secret identity trope got a tiresome though, mostly because it wasn’t one BUT two (who were the same person) and Emma was just questioning anyone she crossed paths with (that guy at the grocery store, the 18 year old intern at the bookshop) but the obvious person and the obvious person was keeping it their identity secret for no reason for so long. It also just ends too.

I’d still recommend this to lovers of Emily Dickinson

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.

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet.Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, into a prominent family with strong ties to its community. After studying at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she briefly attended the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's home in Amherst. Evidence suggests that Dickinson lived much of her life in isolation. Considered an eccentric by locals, she developed a penchant for white clothing and was known for her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even to leave her bedroom. Dickinson never married, and most of her friendships were based entirely upon correspondence.

Although Dickinson was a prolific writer, her only publications during her lifetime were one letter and 10 of her nearly 1,800 poems.The poems published then were usually edited significantly to fit conventional poetic rules. Her poems were unique for her era; they contain short lines, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation.Many of her poems deal with themes of death and immortality (two recurring topics in letters to her friends), aesthetics, society, nature, and spirituality.

Dickinson also studied botany from the age of nine and, along with her sister, tended the garden at Homestead. During her lifetime, she assembled a collection of pressed plants in a 66-page leather-bound herbarium. It contained 424 pressed flower specimens that she collected, classified, and labelled using the Linnaean system.The Homestead Garden was well known and admired locally in its time. It has not survived, but efforts to revive it have begun.Dickinson kept no garden notebooks or plant lists, but a clear impression can be formed from letters and recollections.

Additionally, Dickinson used baking to express her fondness for friends, often sending cakes and candies as gifts.

Emily's life and works continue to inspire.

I absolutely loved this book and adored the FMC, Emma. I have read multiple cozies from this author, but this was her first contemporary romance and she did not disappoint. I have always felt that Julie excels at character development. Emma is a character that I think many of us can relate too. She has discovered she's not so happy with her life at the moment. Feeling overwhelmed and under appreciated. She decides on a whim to try and do something about that. Everyone thinks she's being dramatic, but she follows through with her plan and learns to not only love herself along the way, but to stand up for herself and in turn loves finds her. I enjoyed seeing this character grow and learn so much about herself while on this journey. I highly recommend this book!!

Emma needs a break from running her family's small-town bookstore all by herself and so she decides to take a six weeks vacation in an old manor in Amhurst, MA and live like her favorite author Emily Dickinson. When she gets there she keeps running into Davis, whom she feels attracted to but he doesn't seem to be into her and also Emma decided to swear off love.
From reading the blurb I thought this book would be right up my alley but sadly I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Emma ist kind of annoying and the story drags on a lot. Most of the problems between Emma and Davis just seem unbelievable or inconsequential and all of them could have been solved by a simple conversation. So I'm sorry to say that while the book was well written, this story just wasn't for me.

A tough decision and a love of Emily Dickinson, lead Emma through a journey of self discovery and a realization that what she believed was the dream life but in reality was a life she wasn't truly happy with.
A few bumps along the way and reconciliation with family are other themes throughout this journey.
The love story was almost secondary to the story of self discovery but with unexpected and complicated surprises.

A fast paced read with likeable characters. A nod to the independent bookstores out there.

Overall I would recommend. It was a fun read.

Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

Julie Hatcher’s Not Quite by the Book is a witty, heartwarming tale about finding yourself when life refuses to follow the script. Emma Rini, a burnt-out bookseller, escapes to a crumbling manor to embrace solitude like her idol, Emily Dickinson—only to face meddlesome wildlife, cryptic love notes, and a grumpy-but-irresistible architect.

Hatcher’s sharp humor and tender storytelling make Emma’s journey from reclusive dreamer to bold risk-taker both relatable and deeply satisfying. With a delightful cast of characters and a perfect mix of humor and heart, this book is a love letter to growth, independence, and unexpected romance.

A must-read for fans of quirky protagonists and charming contemporary romance!

I adored this book. Following Emma as she embarked on her journey to find herself was so beautiful! It was such a reminder to step back and be in the moment. To cherish the relationships around you, and especially the relationship you have with yourself. Davis was * S W O O N * .. I can’t even. He is a keeper for sure! Absolutely loved the way this was written and I felt all the emotions to my core.

Not Quite By the Book is a really charming read but to be honest, it was a little slow for me. This book follows Emma Rini who runs her family’s bookstore but is feeling overworked and overwhelmed so to takes herself on vacation down the road to a quaint town to get in touch with her more creative, chill side and tries to sort of reinvent herself.
It’s a lot of emotional back and forth and while the writing and storyline are solid, I found it slightly “plodding” along at times while Emma tries to weigh the pros and cons of her existence. Maybe this hit too close to home, hahaha!
There is a touch of romance from the local heartthrob, Davis, who is everything he should be!
This is for sure one of those cozy little reads that I will be recommending to all of my book-loving friends!

I really enjoyed this book. The drama with Emma's family was so relatable and I liked her growth throughout the story. I would have liked more growth from some of the other characters, but overall it was still a good story.

What I really enjoyed about this book is that it is technically a romance book but it's way more subtle than others. It felt like the romance wasn't the main part of the story. It's a story about Emma's way to finding herself and finding happiness again after only working at the family bookstore for years and getting more miserable. She spontaneously decides to stay in an old manor in another town for six weeks, and even though she wanted to be alone and become her best Emily (Dickinson) she made new friendships along the way whilst trying new hobbies and dealing with how she's feeling deep down. It also did make me think about my own life whilst reading.

Unfortunately I found this hard to get into, the writing style didn’t flow in a way that soothes or draws my brain in.

This novel by Julie Anne Hatcher is different from most of her previous books. This isn't a murder mystery but it's a feel good story of a woman discovering herself. While at times, I thought this could have been shorter but yet, all the details really make you get to know the main character and see her self in a new light. Thank you Julie for another good read!

I loved a lot about this book. In fact, I couldn't really put it down for most of the day. It was cute, chaotic, and very heartfelt. After all the family drama everyone was clearly communicating which was a little strange but nice to see.
There were a few really annoying things that kept it from being a five-star read for me.
1) At the beginning of the book mentions that Emma is going to be renting the house for 6 weeks. But then she keeps saying that it's going to be for 30 days and then counting down from 30 days. Then again later, she mentioned 6 weeks. 6 weeks and 30 days are quite different, The inconsistency was annoying and had me flipping back a few times.
2) Davis clearly states that he helps his aunt with IT issues and social media soon after meeting Emma. The aunt who owns the bookshop is clearly not the person who she's been conversing with online - And she does realize that quickly. But I don't know why she was so confused about who exactly she was talking to. I kind of understand her thinking some of it was Michael, however, Davis literally said he managed his aunt's social media for the book store- so why is she not understanding who she had been talking to right away? I know the whole confusion was supposed to create extra drama and angst, but if you're going to do that then don't make it so obvious up front.

I enjoyed the part about the letters, but Davis really should have made an excuse why he couldn't be at the the cafe rather than accompanying her to meet what was supposed to have been himself. It would have made it a little bit more believable and him getting waylaid by his father would have made getting stood up All the more heartbreaking. He also had an opportunity afterwards to tell her who he was and he chose not to anyway. So I don't really understand that part.

Emma is ready to step away from being treated like a doormat and heads to a historical home in Emily Dickinson's hometown for a much-needed break. There, she meets Davis, the grumpy nephew of her landlady, and sparks fly between them.
This was an adorable read, and I really appreciated the slow-burn romance. Both Emma and Davis have their flaws, and it was rewarding to see their personal growth throughout the story. Told from Emma's perspective, the book features some wonderful relationships, highlighting love in its many forms—familial, platonic, and romantic. It was refreshing to read something that didn’t focus solely on romance.
I would have loved an epilogue, just to see how everything turns out down the road

This was a quick and enjoyable read. I found the pacing good but it was a little slow in the middle. The story definitely focused mostly on Emma's struggles and settling in to life. I would recommendit to anyone looking for a quick and light read :)

This was a really cozy romance book. Perfect for autumn, these characters became so dear to me. The setting is gorgeous and so well described. It’s a bit of a slow romance so be aware of that. Emma is a very relatable character and Davis has such an interesting background that I just wanted to know them even better. The only thing that I didn’t love was when Forever Yours was introduced, I think it should have been earlier but that’s just my opinion. It doesn’t make the story worse in any way. Really cute and cozy, definitely read it with a cup of tea and a blanket.

"Not Quite by the Book" by Julie Hatcher is a charming, warm, short novel about finding your passion. It’s the first I’ve read from Julie Hatcher.
The book follows Emma Rini, a bookstore owner who’s unhappy and wants to find herself. Feeling overwhelmed by the expectation to take over the family bookshop without a break, Emma decides to escape by renting a historic manor in Amherst to connect with her long time online friend.
Emma’s character is relatable, and I found myself rooting for her as she navigated her desire for solitude. Davis’s character raises some red flags. From the very beginning, it’s clear he is hiding something, and it doesn’t take long to figure out he’s the one behind the iboom messages. Yet, his reluctance to reveal this to Emma drags on, making his motives confusing. His eventual betrayal, sabotaging her stay at the house, feels unnecessarily cruel and undermines the romantic element, I’m wondering why he’d sabotage something so important to her.
I liked all the Emily Dickinson references, but sometimes Emma was a bit obsessed with her.
Overall, it was a fun, easy read. Thank you netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book early!

Emma trabaja en el negocio familiar, una librería. Desde niña, ha hecho todo lo posible para que su familia esté bien: los ayuda en todo, ha sacrificado cosas que le gustaría hacer para que sus padres y su hermana no tengan que preocuparse y puedan llevar una vida feliz y tranquila. Ella está bien con vivir de esa manera hasta que se da cuenta de que sus padres dan por sentado que ella se hará cargo de la librería. A pesar de que pide ayuda, no se la ofrecen, y, por si fuera poco, descubre que tienen cenas familiares a las que ella no está invitada. Entonces se da cuenta de que ha tenido suficiente y que es hora de empezar a vivir su propia vida.

Disfruté el 70% del libro. Me gustó cómo se fue desarrollando la historia y fue entretenido, pero la última parte se me hizo repetitiva y, para colmo, no hay epílogo.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.