Thank you to the publisher for the earc!

Romance isn’t my go-to genre, but sometimes I need one between heavier fantasies. This sounded perfect for me, as it features rivaling bookshop owners. While it served its entertainment purpose perfectly, I still had some issues with the book.

I was very early in the story, when I considered DNFing, because of the following exchange:

“‘As I said, it’s a literary festival.’
‘Books are literature,’ I snap.
‘Not all books,’ he says, patiently.”

Now, I kept reading so I know Sebastian just said it to anger Kate, doesn’t mean it, but I had to stop for a while after reading it. I’m a firm believer that as long as you read, it doesn’t matter what it is. Mangas, comics, poetry, audiobooks, picture books, travel guides, art books, whatever, they all count. I really hate when someone says “You can’t be a reader if you didn’t read [include whatever classic/non-fiction you’d like]!” Like, I’m sorry, but I won’t read classics if I can avoid them. High school made me hate them along with poetry, so no I won’t pick up something that was written in the 1800s. Language changed so much, most of the time I had to read sentences 3 times to understand them and by the time I reached the bottom of the page I already forgot what happened on the top. So, no I won’t read them, and if that makes me a non-tóreader in some people’s eyes, I don’t care.

Now that my rant is over I can talk about the book! It was entertaining, maybe a bit cliche, but I didn’t have huge expectations. I admit the story with the love letters was extremely predictable for me, so not even the ending was a big surprise. I did love how each chapter started with one letter, and while it was a bit confusing at first (mostly because of the formatting) quickly realized what’s going on.

I loved Kate’s character, she was smart, a bit stubborn, but had a dream and was willing to do whatever it took her to reach it. Sebastian on the other hand felt a bit too much. I wasn’t a huge fan of his character.

I did love the setting so much! I always wish to visit a small English village and now the feeling is even stronger.

Not bad, especially because Bas is nice and intense as a male character, without trespassing on the alpha male, which is a pleasant novelty. The subplot is also particularly fascinating, and all together it completes a multifaceted contemporary romance, plus books.....

Non male, soprattutto perché Bas é bello intenso come personaggio maschile, senza per questo sconfinare nel maschio alfa, il che é una piacevole novitá. La sottotrama é anche particolarmente affascinante e tutto assieme completa un contemporary romance dalle molte sfaccettature ed in piú ci sono i libri....

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Book People tells the story of rival book shop owners, Sebastian and Kate, who end up working together to plan a book festival for their small town. I swear I have read this plot line before? They end up falling for each other, a little too quickly in my opinion. I enjoyed this book, and likely would have rated it higher if it wasn't for the insta-love. I would consider reading more from Jackie Ashenden in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Book People is available on January 28, 2025.

This is a cozy romance built entirely on tropes and bookstores. Kate has moved back to her mother’s hometown following her mother’s death and opened an adorable bookshop that specializes in genre fiction. Across the street is a lofty bookshop owned and run by Sebastian, as haughty as the name makes him sound. Of course, they are both gorgeous and attracted to each other. And so, a grumpy sunshine romance ensues.

Overall, this is a cute and enjoyable romance. It is not a particularly memorable romance but it functions quite well within itself.

I would recommend it to readers who are looking for a read that they can escape into.

Thank you to Net Galley and Headline Eternal for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

Book People by Jackie Ashenden gave me Book Lovers-vibes, so if you're a fan of that book, this one is for you. Sebastian and Kate make an ideal grumpy-sunshine pairing which leads to plenty of laughable moments. I loved the slow-burn romance. While the story was predictable and didn’t bring anything new to the contemporary romance genre, it made for a cozy, easy read, perfect for a snowy day cuddled on the couch. The pacing was a bit uneven, with some sections feeling less engaging than others but overall still a quick fun read.
Thank you to Headline Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#BookPeople #NetGalley

It was a quick and fun read. As a bookseller, I loved the concept of the book and would recommend it to others to read. At times I did feel like the main characters were both a little stubborn and too consumed with their past. However, it is understandable because it is what drove the plot. Ultimately, it was a great book. Thank you for allowing me to read it early!

Enemies to lovers but they're bookshop owners?! Sign me up! I really enjoyed this book from an author I haven't read before. Book People takes place in a small English village; Kate has just opened up a small bookshop right across the street from Sebastian, who also owns a bookshop. But the village is big enough for two book stores, right?

I loved the grumpy-sunshine banter between Kate and Sebastian, and his grumpy was next level. But as their friendship develops and they begin to work together, Kate breaks through his icy exterior to find the fire burning within. The storyline about their great-grandparents was a nice parallel storyline that I really enjoyed. I wish we would have been able to spend a little more time with Kate and Sebastian after they declared their love for each other but the bonus chapter about the original Kate and Sebastian was a nice ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

I wanted to love this, but it just didn't do it for me. I didn't think it was bad, it just wasn't my favorite. I really liked Kate, and the storyline as a whole, but I did not like Sebastian, and I think that's what ruined this for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Book People is an enemies/rivals to lovers, grumpy-sunshine romance.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this book at first. I almost DNF it because of the beginning.....Honestly, Kate annoyed me at first. She moves into the small village and opens up a bookstore right across the street from Sebastian's bookstore, which steals half his customers and she doesn't understand why he's annoyed/hates her. Then, he has an idea of having a book festival to help his now dying bookstore. Kate finds out about it and pretty much says he needs to include her shop or she's having a festival the same time as his and again is stealing half his customers. I would have been angry and not talking to her as well. But I'm glad I stuck with it and kept reading, because I did end up loving it at the end.

While I didn't love or get Sebastian's and Kate's chemistry in the beginning...because there wasn't any. If it wasn't for the dual POV, you would have never known they even liked each other....I did love them together towards the end. I loved the backstory of Sebastian's great grandfather writing secret love notes back a forth to a mystery woman. That's pretty much what kept me reading. To find out who the mystery woman was and by then I started to fall for Sebastian and Kate together also.

Overall, It's a super cute, cozy romance. Read if you like:
📚Rival bookshop owners
📚Enemies-to-lovers
📚Small-town setting
📚Grumpy-sunshine
📚Forced proximity
📚Dual POV

Thank you Netgalley and Headline publishing for this eArc in exchange for my honest review

OMG this book was so good. I love an enemies to lovers and this one did it for me. Kate and Sebastian were soooooo right on so many levels. Rivals who realize there is a fine line between love and hate. THE KISS? bye the kiss had me going crazyyyy. read this! its so cute n fun, would recommend

A book, about book lovers who own bookstores, fall for each other and while that happens they host a book festival and uncover old letters about old family members.

A literal dream. I’m sorry but I would love to live in a small village and own a bookstore and fall for a fellow bookstore owner in the same village.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was so different to any books I’ve read and I was hooked on every aspect of the story.

The banter, the romance, the tension, just everything was done so well!

‘Of course she loves it. This woman doesn’t need a bed. A bookshelf is fine…’

I really wanted to love, but it felt short a little bit for me. I think it was trying to be Book Lovers by Emily Henry. Still not a bad read.

This was super cute! Love bookish books, they just hit. Plus the small town, forced proximity? I knew I was gonna eat this up before I even started.

Jackie Ashenden is a new to me author and it was so lovely! I'm a sucker for a grumpy MMC but it has to be done right, they can't be too mean or standoffish or else it's just offputting. Sebastian was the perfect kind of grumpy MMC, the kind that makes you swoon. 4 stars for this book!

💖💖💖💖💞
Book 99/100: This book has everything I want in a book: literary references, enemies to lovers, family secrets, small town vibes, a book about books and bookshops! I loved it!

Thank you @netgalley for my copy!

#bookpeople #bookpeoplebook #portablemagicbookstore

This was a cute and enjoyable read, a lovely end to 2024! It was a nice romance with the grumpy x sunshine trope and although it took me a fair amount of time to read, it was still good.

The characters are well developed, for example the two main characters; Kate and Sebastian, each have their own backstories, motivations and reasons why they act as they do. Sebastian is the grumpy, broody, insufferable at first MMC we love. Kate is the cute, funny, happy FMC we love. This is a slow burn romance, and it is sloooow, which I get, but sometimes slow burn can be TOO slow.

I really liked the premise of the book, two people owning bookshops opposite each other, becoming rivals and have petty windows display wars. It’s a very cosy and cutesy read, a little predictable in some parts but still throughly enjoyable. There were moments that felt kind of slow, not the romance, just the story in general, I found myself skimming and having to go back to actually take in the words.

Overall, despite the minor pacing issues and the too slow romance, everything else was incredible. A good book if you love slow burn, grumpy x sunshine and small town romances.

"Book People" by Jackie Ashenden is a delightful enemies-to-lovers romance with a charming setting. The witty banter between Kate and Sebastian, the rival bookstore owners, is a highlight, and their slow-burn attraction keeps you hooked. The story is a heartwarming celebration of books and the communities they foster, making it a perfect read for book lovers.

I especially enjoyed the unexpected twist involving a shared family secret, which added an intriguing layer to their already captivating relationship.

Thank you NetGalley, Headline Eternal, and Jackie Ashenden for the early access copy of Book People.

Book People is a dual point-of-view romance told by the perspectives of Kate and Sebastian. Set in a small town, Kate returns home to her roots where she opens a genre based bookstore opposite Sebastian’s literary bookstore. With heated exchanges by rival bookshop owners, the two must figure out how to work together for an upcoming literary festival. With high tension, literary references, and a small town mystery, Book People was hard to put down.

Book People will be a great fit for those who are fans of:
Dual POV’s
Enemies-to-lovers
Small-town setting
Grumpy-sunshine dynamic
Forced proximity

This is a fun romcom for book lovers who enjoy cozy bookstores, romance, and family secrets. I recommend this book for those who enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc!

So cute. I love a book about books or a bookstore or writers. This book hit a couple of those. And it was a rom com. Cozy vibes and banter

Imagine a small village. It has a very traditional bookshop that has been in one family for generations. It prides itself on being serious and is run by a Darcy like owner.

Imagine that a new bookshop opens and that it is right across the street. It is run by an Elizabeth Bennett like young woman. She stocks all of the genre books that a reader might dream about. She also offers many types of meetings and activities.

Imagine also that there is going to be a book event that these two may need to both embrace. And…imagine sparks flying in what is justifiably described as a “spicy” romance title.

Add to all of this, a collection of love notes from the traditionalist’s great grandfather and a mystery woman. They refer to each other as H and C-Wuthering Heights anyone? They add some intrigue to the plot.

Mix all of thesetogether to find an enjoyable read that will appeal to its intended audience. There may not be suspense but there most definitely is fun in these pages.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline for this title. All opinions are my own.