Freya lives in the UK and is a PA to Hayley and aspires to become a literary agent too, sooner rather than later. Reading mainly romance Freya definitely knows the audience and sentimentality of the genre. One of her favourite romance authors, Jake, just so happens to be one of Hayley's clients. Jake has been accused in the press for criticising romance readers and claiming writing within the genre is easy, this has not gone down well with his followers and now Hayley is in damage control mode. Hayley has signed Jake up to a prestigious. five-day, romance conference in New York to try and win his publisher around to release his newest book. Inconveniently Hayley's sister is getting married in the UK during the conference so she also signs up Freya to go with Jake to make sure things go smoothly.

Freya is comfy dresses and practical boots. Jake is flawless facial hair and tailored suits. With a ten year age gap, distinctly different bank accounts and sunshine vs grumpy personalities this is a slow burn romance story incorporating forced proximity.

The spice is minimal. The writing didn't always gel with me, sometimes I had to read a sentence a time or two to understand it, however this is a personal opinion. The twists and turns of Freya's professional life was generally more convincing than the romance between the main characters, it felt a little over explained and the dialogue unemotional. Also this is from Freya's point of view throughout and it might have benefitted from Jake's POV to make the tension more believeable.

A cozy, feel-good rom-com with just the right touch of spice—perfect for romance readers who crave warm-and-fuzzy feels, bookish characters, and forbidden tension.

Long Story Short by Victoria Walters feels like stepping into a cozy rom-com in book form. With a swoon-worthy male main character who happens to be a romance writer, the book is a sweet and romantic treat for book lovers and romance enthusiasts alike.

The story combines age gap romance, forbidden romance, and a touch of spice, all set against a backdrop of tension-filled forced proximity. The chemistry between the characters and their bookish charm give the story a lighthearted and uplifting feel. The plot is simple but entertaining, and the ending leaves you with a heart-warming smile on your face.

While the book doesn't delve into complex themes, it's a delightful and easy read—perfect for when you're in the mood for something sweet and cozy. If you enjoy lighthearted romances with a touch of spice, Long Story Short is a great pick.

Long Story Short is a spicy, trope-packed romance that throws two unlikely characters together in the city that never sleeps—and makes them confront not just each other, but their own messy truths.

Freya Harrison is an assistant literary agent desperate for her big break. Instead, she gets stuck babysitting the agency’s most difficult client: Jake Richards, a globally successful romance author who’s just tanked his reputation by calling romance “easy money” and mocking his readers. Freya already thinks he’s arrogant and fake—now she has to clean up his PR mess at a romance conference in New York, while somehow keeping her own career afloat.

From the first scene, the dynamic between Freya and Jake is classic enemies-to-lovers: sharp, chaotic, and a little unhinged. Their banter starts off barbed and often veers into cringey (Jake’s early “jokes” toe the line between flirty and wildly inappropriate), but as the story unfolds, so do the characters. Jake, initially all ego and eye-rolls, starts to show vulnerability and sincerity. Freya, while ditzy and flustered at times, comes into her own with real emotional depth. Her journey—standing up for herself, claiming her voice, and no longer being anyone’s doormat—is a highlight.

The tropes are strong:
• Enemies to lovers – Check.
• Grumpy x sunshine – Definitely.
• Forced proximity – They’re stuck together all week.
• He falls first – Oh yes.
• Reputation redemption – Front and center.
• Slow burn – Deliciously so.
• Spicy moments – Oh, it brings the heat.

Still, Long Story Short isn’t without its flaws. Some dialogue feels stilted, especially early on, and certain scenes—like Jake making sexual jokes after knowing Freya for five minutes—don’t quite land. The writing could be tighter in places, and a few character choices feel more like plot devices than real development. That said, the emotional payoff is solid, and the final chapters deliver the satisfying kind of swoon that fans of Emily Henry or Christina Lauren will appreciate.

This is a romance about second chances—at love, at work, and at being seen for who you really are. It’s messy, funny, sharp in parts and soft in others. And even when the dialogue stumbles, the chemistry and heart still carry it through.

Books that take place within the literary world are some of my faves. This was no exception. I loved that the male main character was the grumpy author in this story. Walters is an expert storyteller and the book has charm and fun banter. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

There is lots to love about this book! The New York setting is really atmospheric and you see the City leaping off the page, practically forming another 'character' in the book. As a book lover it's so interesting to dive into the literary world of agents and authors.
The personal stakes for Jake's time in New York were high, and it was compelling to see how he dealt with his challenges and to see the developing relationship between Jake and Freya helping him to learn to open up, rescuing his career as a result.
The two leads are nicely drawn as very different in nature, she being ditzy and a bit chaotic, with him very buttoned up and controlled. I would have loved to feel that I'd got a deeper understanding of who they were as people, and thus be 100% invested and carried along by their romance.
The 'ball-breaking' literary agent character was a little too pantomimey bad-guy for my taste, but what do I know, perhaps the author knows better, though I hope not for her sake!!
Thank you to Boldwood for the ARC.

‘Long Story Short’ by Victoria Walters is a fun, spicy enemies-to-lovers romance with a slow burn that will keep you kicking your feet.

I had such a fun time with this book and getting to know Freya and Jake. Their dynamic was phenomenal and was a perfect vibe to the sunshine to his grumpy trope. There was so much tension and humor and was super easy to get through.

However, this book certainly was not a favorite. There were times when the pacing felt a little rushed, and I wished for more depth in the emotional stakes. Although I giggled a few times, the charcaters didn’t call to me and made me feel attached. They were quite forgettable to say the least. This is not to say that the story was bad in anyway because I’m certain there will be people who absolutely love it. I just think there were certain factors missing that took away from the emotional depth of the story to make it a 5 star read. The story didn’t always hit as hard as I hoped.

It’s a solid 3.5-star read with a fun premise and plenty of steamy moments for fans of lighthearted rom-coms, and this rating typically means I would still recommend it and possibly reread it even!

3.5 rounded up.

Cute and fun! Freya is a young literary agent assistant who's eager to prove herself and become an agent. One of her agency's top clients and romance novelists, Jake, gets himself in a bind after a reporter overhears him trashing romance books. Freya's boss sends her to a New York romance book convention with Jake to repair his image, and the fun begins...

The story was very cute, with Freya definitely having some embarrassing moments and needing a lesson on how to keep her moth shut, and Jake being grumpy and making things worse at times. They have some good chemistry, and get to know each other a little better, but also have trust issues and are hesitant to open up. I loved Freya's attitude--honesty and empathy in what's often a fake and cutthroat world. Loved how they grew together but were by no means perfect; their missteps were perfectly in character and allowed them to grow together. There were a few spicy scenes but nothing too crazy. The dialogue was a little stilted at times, and I liked but wasn't swooning over the writing. But I really loved the messages and ideas in the story most. All in all, a light and fun read.

This book follows Freya who is an aspiring literary agent and Jake Richard’s who is a renowned romance author on the brink of career ruin. The first part of the book the two are attending a work conference in New York and have to face the trials of repairing Jake’s career after he outted himself for “hating romance and writing the novels for money”. Here the two discover their attraction to each other but also their fate in regards to both have relations to Hayley (Freya’s boss and mentor). I absolutely LOVED the character development throughout the book. Freya eventually finding her voice and learning to stand up for herself, and Jake being more open and honest with his readers. I absolutely LOVED it. I’m so excited to add this to my bookshelf!

Cozy. Cute. Humours. Sometimes romantic. And had a great flow. I was not disappointed and really enjoyed the main characters banter back and forth. Thank you for an arc of this book.

I enjoyed the idea, i love a good book troupe. It wasn't bad, but it didn't wow me. Think there a lot of potential for the book.

This book was not exactly my cup of tea but that doesn’t mean it isn’t yours! In “Long Story Short,” Freya Harrison is a huge romance novel lover who dreams of becoming a literary agent. She’s been working at an agency as an assistant for a while so when her boss tells her to go to New York to help manage a client at a conference, Freya is excited. Except that this client is Jake Richards. Jake is one of Freya’s favorite authors, but a few months ago, Jake was overheard saying that writing romance is easy and his readers are dumb. Not a great look. Jake is also arrogant and cold (though, of course, very hot). Freya has her work cut out for her to try to rebuild Jake’s reputation. As she tries to figure out why Jake said what he said and they spend more time together, she has to try not to fall for him and keep her professional life professional.

I wanted to read this book because of its premise. I really liked the idea of a romance novelist who has become jaded and the mystery behind that. I thought that was executed well and the reason why he said what he said was not what I expected at all. It was a nice twist.

I just didn’t find myself invested in Freya and Jake’s relationship. I found that in New York, their conversations revolved around the same four topics over and over (including how their relationship may jeopardize her chances of advancing at work and how sorry he was for being rude) and because of that, I didn’t really see them grow together. I felt like Freya would often just say “me too” to many of the things Jake said so it didn’t feel like her character was developing within their relationship. I also found that the spicy scenes gave me a bit of whiplash because they felt out of character for both of them. They weren’t necessarily spicier or more out there than other things I have read but felt out of character for how Freya and Jake interacted with each other.

Where I did feel like a lot of Freya’s development occurred was within her career. I thought that she could have been written as naive and unprofessional (often putting her foot in her mouth), but that this was spun on its head and 1) it was acknowledged that she occasionally was those things and 2) it was then seen as her super power by others. I was most invested in her journey to becoming an agent.

I think this was a quick, easy read where the female main character comes into her own and I know that there are people who will like Freya and Jake’s relationship so I hope they enjoy it.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

Freya is an aspiring literary agent who is tasked with helping romance author Jake Richards rehab his campaign as a romance author after saying he's given up on love.

This is a sweet and fluffy romance that is as much as love letter to New York City and the romance genre as the love story between the two main characters. Some of the tension between the main characters felt a little bit forced, but in all this is a very cute romance that would make for a great vacation read.

3.5/5 stars

When I got this ARC, I was intrigued by the premise, but as I began reading, I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the writing. The idea was good, but I can't say I enjoyed the execution.

3.5/5

Long Story Short is a good quick read. I enjoyed the character development and the setting was wonderful. It made me feel like I felt when I first visited New York. The way it's seen through Freya and Jack is perfect.

Unfortunately, there were points where the dialogue felt a little stiff and I just didn't think that's how people would talk in real life. Also, for me the timing of the story felt a little rushed and everything seemed to fall into place too perfectly.

That said, I did like how everything came together in the end. I thought it was great that Davis turned into more than just the annoying character portrayed in the beginning and that Hayley got what she deserved.

Thank you to Boldwood Books, Victoria Walters and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

This book had an intriguing premise, but unfortunately, the execution didn’t fully work for me. While I enjoyed the idea of a romance between a literary agent and her client, the dialogue often felt stiff and unnatural, making it difficult to fully connect with the characters. Conversations didn’t always flow the way real people speak, which pulled me out of the story at times.

One particular aspect that stood out was the male main character’s reaction to overhearing the female main character mention a dry spell. Despite having only met her twice, he begins making overt sexual references, which felt forced and out of place given their professional relationship. Instead of building chemistry, it made their dynamic feel awkward rather than compelling.

That said, the story had potential, and I appreciated the unique setup. With stronger character development and more natural dialogue, this could have been a standout. Fans of workplace romances may still find aspects to enjoy, but for me, it missed the mark in creating a truly engaging connection between the leads.

3.5 ⭐️

This book felt simultaneously like a warm hug while also having some ups and downs that were really realistic and important to the story. I absolutely loved our main characters Jake and Freya. The setting of New York City was such a good choice for this book and it truly had me wanting to go there myself. Walters’ writing in this was such a delight to read and it was so easy to love our main characters. This book was written in a way that makes you feel like you’re experiencing it right alongside Freya.Having both of them as bookish people in publishing was also so interesting to read and offered a different perspective on the book world. I really liked this one!!

I'm utterly enchanted by this romance novel! The hero is absolutely swoon-worthy, and the story is filled with charm, wit, and a gorgeous concept that had me hooked from start to finish.

The twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end, and I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. This book is a true delight, offering a fun and romantic read that will leave you feeling uplifted and satisfied. A must-read for romance fans!