Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

The premise of this book sounded so cute that I just had to read this! And it did deliver on some points. I loved the setting of the two competing bookshops, the small town vibes and Kate with her amazing bookstore. The story behind the little notes the main characters found was also really cute.

However, I wasn't the biggest fan of the MMC, Sebastian, and the relationship between him and the Kate. At first I was rooting for them, but after a while I got tired of him being so stubborn. They also kept having the same discussion over and over. Then the resolution of their conflict was wrapped up so quickly that I felt it was just too rushed.
One other, small, thing that bothered me was the use of male and female to describe things. To me, that's just too vague and just kinda weird to do??

Overall, this book was still quite a cute and quick read. I did enjoy it for the most part, so I would still recommend it.

A grumpy hero and a heroine with scars of her own trying to rediscover joy meet in “Book People”, by Jackie Ashenden, finding more affinities than the shared passion for books.
I loved the leads’ personalities and the clash between Sebastian’s grumpiness and apparent coldness and Kate’s optimism and openness.
They both have emotional wounds and react differently.
Jackie Ashenden’s talent at writing intense, fierce and deeply devoted heroes is shown through Sebastian’s character.
His intensity and honesty are fascinating.
The apparently fragile heroine turns out to be a strong individual fighting for her dreams after a period of loss and heartache.
I liked the balance, the dialogue between the two bookshops and the owners’ personalities in the small community, and how they cooperated in the end.
The secret love story in the past was intriguing and also very endearing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for giving me access to an eARC of this book.

This could’ve been so good but it sadly fell flat for me.

We have two, hot, rivaling bookstore owners who hates each other (or at least dislikes each other a little bit). Just there we have a recipe for a great love story. Instead we got smut. Which isn’t a bad thing but in this book it just feels like… eh…

The relationship between these two people move from hate to sex real fast. A bit too fast if you ask me. There’s nothing wrong with two consenting adults engaging in sexual activity because of lust. I just feel like their whole relationship is built upon that lust and nothing more.

And let me just write out how “alpha male” this male character is. Dude, this isn’t a werewolf romance book, you’re 30 years old please act like it. Stop being so creepily territorial of a woman you barely know. And when you’re at it please contact a psychiatrist, your friend obviously knows someone.

Overall it was a book I don’t regret reading but one that will not stay with me. I do think some of my friends would LOVE it. Because of the smut.

I didn't like it. I like a brooding and moody guy, don't get me wrong. But I don't like a brooding and moody guy who judges the MC for reading science fiction, thrillers, fantasies, or romance because it's 'not real literature' while also reading those genres himself and knowing full well he's being a hypocrite. Now, it could have been pulled off if there was a genuine exploration into the characters mental states instead of remaining surface level focused. But this book did not do that for me. Also, the twist wasn't a twist. I don't know if it was supposed to come across as one, but there's one line in particular that irritated me. Sebastien and Kate are trying to figure out who his great-grandfather's lover was - spoilers, it was Kate (Kate's great-grandmother). They spend some time through the book trying to consider it. And then Kate learns who it was and her immediate thought is 'I probably should have guessed it, but I didn't.' It felt lazy and underwritten.

This is an adorable story – very nicely tuned to appeal to book lovers! Misses being very memorable – my review will hopefully explain that.

Kate, has moved to the village of Wychtree and launched her bookshop “Portable Magic”. This was always her dream and she decides to use the property left to her by her mother who passed away 2.5 years back. Opposite her shop is “Blackwood Books”, run by Sebastian Blackwood. Thankfully the genres they cater to are different – she stocks romance, cozy mysteries, thrillers, escapist reads and some non-fiction such as cookbooks & biographies. He concentrates on mainstream novels including Booker prize winners and some true crime. Kate tries to strike up a conversation with Sebastian but he is terse and avoids speaking to her. Both of them have business challenges and are keen to get their bookshops to be successful. Sebastian has planned a literary festival and very reluctantly agrees to include Kate in the planning & hosting of the event. As they work with each other, they learn more about each other and their families. Kate has broken off with her boyfriend Jasper, who was very controlling. Both of them find the other attractive, but are not seeking another relationship.

The portrayal of Kate and Sebastian as two very different personality types is brilliant – he is circumspect & brooding (many issues constantly preying on his mind) while she is open, social & great with bonding with others. I loved the initial tensions between the two and the banter they engage in. There are nice, cozy backstories of both of their families. The only real disappointment for me was the stale descriptions of the sexual tension & attraction between the two. This really detracts from a very good story & excellent loveable characters.

A book I much recommend – it is brilliant for the most part and the characters are charming.

My rating: 4.25 / 5.

Oh my GOODNESS what a cute, cozy read! I loved every second of this book and can't believe I've never read anything else from Ashenden prior to this one! Kate and Sebastian had amazing chemistry, witty banter, and plenty of laugh out loud moments along the way. Not only was their relationship enjoyable to follow, but it was well developed and focused on more relatable and deeper themes that many romances tend to skim over. Regardless of the tropes you favor, any romance reader needs to pick this one up!

Perfect for book lovers! What’s more to want than a cosy romantic and funny storyline with some great characters! I really enjoyed this easy read and will definitely be recommending it. Very well written and grabbed me into the story from the very beginning.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC

Book People come in many different shapes, forms and convictions - in this cute romance we meet two of those from vastly different ends of the spectrum: Kate, the cosy fiction lover with themed bookshop windows and Sebastian, the literary lover with somewhat of an upturned nose against genre books - or so it seems. Both of these own bookshops that are as different from each other as their owners are but share the same road, as they are right across from each other. Cue a love story between two characters that should not get along.
I really enjoyed the bookish theme of this romance, as it sometimes feels like a bit of a meta read, but still is not too on the nose to verge on ridiculousness. Book People plays with the fact that even if two people love and live by books, there's still so much variety that they can be completely different at the same time. Both characters bring their baggage and own struggles so they have some stuff to get over but the way it is done in this book, especially with a backwards glance into the historic past of the town's shops is easily consumable and makes for a quick, cute and funny read.
At some point the baggage did get in the way of the story when the characters tripped over the same piece one too many times and it almost got to the point of being a little bit draggy, but the side characters and banter the main characters had made up for it in no time.
This is a book for book lovers who can't get enough of their love stories and books at the same time. I highly recommend!

Thank you to the author and publisher who provided me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Book People is a rom-com perfect for book lovers. This is an enemies-to-lovers, small- town, grumpy-sunshine story of two rival bookstore owners.
The story is set in a charming small town with two competing bookstores owned by main characters Kate and Sebastian. Kate has a new bookstore in town and is a welcoming personality, while Sebastian is very reserved and keeps to himself.
Kate and Sebastian organize a literary festival together, providing opportunities for witty banter and growing attraction.
Book People is a sweet romance with humor and spice, which was a lot of fun to read as it celebrates a love for books.
.

I wanted to love this book desperately. The summary made it sound so good, and I was so eager. However the MMC is so unlikable, let alone someone I could imagine wanting to fall in love with. Sebastian is overly pretentious and really leans into the Grumpy trope. Kate is a joy, but even she can’t carry the whole novel by herself. At one point I found myself saying “he’s literally just a guy. Hit him with your car.” I had high hopes for this story, that unfortunately weren’t met.

With rival bookshop owners as the main characters, and the potential for an enemies-to-lovers dynamic, this story should have been right up my street. I did like the hint of mystery surrounding old love letters, which kept me interested for a while, but the main plot is a rivals-to-lovers story and the rivalry doesn’t last long. The characters have sunshine/grumpy personalities, although Sebastian isn’t too consistent as a grump. Overall, the story and characters are fine, but I found it didn’t hold my attention and I was easily distracted. I made it to the 50% mark but chose not to continue beyond that point. Thanks to NetGalley and Headline books for allowing me to get an early copy of this book, which is out on January 28, 2025.

“The one thing about books is that they never let you down, They offer solace and comfort, and knowledge and beauty. They offer an escape, even if it is only for a couple of hours.”

This book got me out of my reading slump and I read it in just a few days! I became immersed in the English village setting of Wychtree and I loved that it was focused on bookshops (I love any books that are about books!)

I was really rooting for the main characters and my favourite part of the story was the historical mystery element throughout which intertwined with the main plot of the book.

I think you’ll like this book if you’re an Emily Henry fan, specifically Book Lovers!

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc ☕️

Enjoyable read from Jackie Ashenden. Slow burn enemies to lovers between two book store owners in a small British town. the FMC is a sunny bright personable character who attracts customers, the MMC is the grumpy grump who is trying to keep their customers. There were parts of the book that frustrated me, but there were many parts I enjoyed, and the touch of mystery was a bonus. The character development is strong, and for anyone looking for an enjoyable rom-com to read, this one is not to be missed. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

The premise is interesting and the small town factor is cute. I also really enjoy books about books and reading. But the plot felt really predictable, especially the part about letters. I also got a bit confused sometimes cause the main characters had the same names as their great grandparents, who also play a big part in the book.

I read most of this in an airport in the early hours of the morning, I read the rest of it in the early hours of the next morning because I couldn’t not put it down. I was obsessed. The romance is perfect and the main characters are rival bookshop owners in a small English village (aka, my dream), it’s like this book was written for me. The chemistry between Kate and Sebastian crackles from the page. A perfect read to escape into!

Book People is a delightful business rivals-to-lovers story with a twist of romantic fate! Kate is starting fresh by opening her dream bookstore, but it just so happens to be next door to Sebastian’s multigenerational bookstore and he’s not thrilled about it. Despite their stores offering completely different vibes and selections, Sebastian sees her as competition. But Wychtree, being the small town that it is, does what small towns do best: meddle. The townsfolk set out to help these two stubborn bookstore owners find common ground, especially with the upcoming book fair Sebastian is reviving to save his family business.

Their chemistry is undeniable even though they work hard to deny it until the very end, haha. Both Kate and Sebastian carry the weight of traumatic pasts, which they later discover are more connected than they ever imagined. This story had me feeling all the emotions: excitement for their budding connection, frustration when they let their pasts get in the way, and heartbreak over some gut-wrenching dialogue that made me want to scream, “Noooo, go back and fix it!”

Overall, I really enjoyed this story but found myself wishing for more about their future together. A second epilogue or bonus chapter would be the perfect addition!

This book follows Kate and Sebastian in a small village in England. Kate is new to town after getting out of a bad relationship, and inheriting her recently late grandma's storefront/apartment. It just so happens that she has always dreamed of opening a bookstore, and her storefront is across the street from Sebastian's family bookstore. We get to see how they learn to love while navigating through their rivalry, the struggling business of bookshop ownership, and uncovering family secrets.

I absolutely adored this grumpy sunshine, rivals to lovers romance. There was so much depth to each character. Kate was healing from an emotionally abusive ex and escaping to the place her family was from, while Sebastian seemed to be trapped by his family legacy right where he'd been his whole life. There was quite a bit of insta-love/lust, but having it take place in a small village makes that make a little bit more sense. Generally it's a really good romance that wasn't too fluffy or trying to be too much of anything. I loved the humor, pacing, and side plot of uncovering family secrets while trying to boost business for the bookshops.

I would definitely recommend this spicy romance to anyone that wants something with a little more substance than your average fluffy romance read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book for an honest review! All thoughts are my own.

While the premise of this book is certainly not new (I feel like there are three with similar descriptions on NetGalley right now) it was fairly well done. I do think it was a little insta-lovey, and the hero’s intensity teetered towards creepy for me in some parts. However, it’s a fast read, and for lovers of the enemies to lovers trope it’s worth the time. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc

Sebastian and Kathryn’s story isn’t only about two rival bookshop owners but also a story about their ancestors.

I really really loved the historic part about their families, the letters and the whole village setting really were the key aspect for me and actually what I really loved about the book.

I enjoyed the banter and reading about Sebastian and Kathryn before they got together - I felt like their romance came about too early in the book, and expected more character development on Sebastian’s part.

All in all, a great romance, especially for those that enjoy small-town novels!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up to 4

I wanted to love this book, but I didn’t.

I loved Kate, I loved her passion and bubbly personality. I hated Sebastian, but also loved him at times. He fell flat to me a lot, he seemed like a jerk but it all felt so forced at times and I didn’t like that.

The story picked up about half way in, when they really started working together and you got to see the romance bloom and read all the letters, but again, parts of Sebastian’s personality just rubbed me the wrong way.

In the end I was happy with the story, I wish there was an epilogue though to see the future with them after the flashback.