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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I give this a solid 3.5. I had read an Alexa Martin novel (Intercepted) before & really enjoyed this one so I was really excited for this one. It had a cute premise, I always thinks it’s funny when the main character of a book is a book hater. As someone who relatively recently lost a grandparent, I liked that she struggled dealing with the loss of her grandma & inheriting her book store/responsibility for her legacy. Initially I liked the old lady book club meddling in main character Drew’s life, but I don’t think it added much in the end. I really enjoyed the epilogue, happy everything worked out.
A lot of the complaints I have are nitpicks, for example she is always talking about hidden gems in Colorado but some of specific real locations she references are basic af, huge iconic tourist attractions (I was really annoyed by it in the beginning but I feel like she redeemed herself a little there- The Gothic Theater is a cool intimate venue, etc.). I never really felt won over by the love interest Jasper. Aside from being the name of the confederate vampire fork twilight which is to say not sexy at all, I just found him so boring. Yes, he was a nice guy & described as hot CONSTANTLY, he didn’t have much personality. I wish he was funny or clever just once, like come on dude, you’re a professional writer!! I also got the ick for him when he was puking on their first hike together, personally I wouldn’t have given in a second date; not to mention the previous relationship to her grandma before she died, so weird and not delved into enough for me to feel it was resolved. Another thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was her dad, there was no arc for him at all, he was a one dimensional capitalist ass hole who would pop in to add conflict because there really wasn’t much conflict at all in this book. I know it’s a romance novel, but give me a little something to stress/worry about to keep me engaged.
Overall it was a fun read but I’m going to stick to Alexa Martin’s football themed romance books since I think that’s what she does best!
A lot of the complaints I have are nitpicks, for example she is always talking about hidden gems in Colorado but some of specific real locations she references are basic af, huge iconic tourist attractions (I was really annoyed by it in the beginning but I feel like she redeemed herself a little there- The Gothic Theater is a cool intimate venue, etc.). I never really felt won over by the love interest Jasper. Aside from being the name of the confederate vampire fork twilight which is to say not sexy at all, I just found him so boring. Yes, he was a nice guy & described as hot CONSTANTLY, he didn’t have much personality. I wish he was funny or clever just once, like come on dude, you’re a professional writer!! I also got the ick for him when he was puking on their first hike together, personally I wouldn’t have given in a second date; not to mention the previous relationship to her grandma before she died, so weird and not delved into enough for me to feel it was resolved. Another thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was her dad, there was no arc for him at all, he was a one dimensional capitalist ass hole who would pop in to add conflict because there really wasn’t much conflict at all in this book. I know it’s a romance novel, but give me a little something to stress/worry about to keep me engaged.
Overall it was a fun read but I’m going to stick to Alexa Martin’s football themed romance books since I think that’s what she does best!
This book wasn't what I thought it was going to be but I did like the Denver native vibe that was going on - especially as a hiker in a neighboring state. Overall, this just wasn't as great as other romantic novels I've read, so slightly lower rating
Drew's Gran was her best friend. An avid reader, Gran was the proud owner of the Book Nook, a local book store home to, among many other things, a particularly funny book club of catty old women known as the Dirty Birds. Despite not having an affinity to reading, the Book Nook is Drew's happy place--mostly because that's what it is to Gran, too.
When Gran passes away and leaves the Book Nook to Drew, what once served as a place of escapism for Drew is suddenly the one thing in her life that feels the most real: She must successfully run the Book Nook in order to make Gran proud--even if she must give up her own dreams along the way.
The Dirty Birds, however, aren't so convinced that this is the right path for Drew, so they play matchmaker to reignite her sense of adventure. So, when Jasper Williams, author of the Dirty Birds' most recent read, stops into the Book Nook to chat with some of his readers, they know just what to do.
Quick witted and honest, Better Than Fiction was easily a four-star read for me. The banter between characters is natural and fun to follow; the plotline has minimal side quests and sticks to the point; and Jasper is...Jasper.
Above all, though, the main character really solidifies Better Than Fiction as a must-read; Drew is a character that just about any woman could find a piece of herself in. She's sure of her passions but not sure how to see them through. She's confident enough but still compares herself to others. She's steadfast in her commitments, sure of herself but not her decisions, and she's head over heels for Jasper Williams--and I have no doubt that you will be too.
When Gran passes away and leaves the Book Nook to Drew, what once served as a place of escapism for Drew is suddenly the one thing in her life that feels the most real: She must successfully run the Book Nook in order to make Gran proud--even if she must give up her own dreams along the way.
The Dirty Birds, however, aren't so convinced that this is the right path for Drew, so they play matchmaker to reignite her sense of adventure. So, when Jasper Williams, author of the Dirty Birds' most recent read, stops into the Book Nook to chat with some of his readers, they know just what to do.
Quick witted and honest, Better Than Fiction was easily a four-star read for me. The banter between characters is natural and fun to follow; the plotline has minimal side quests and sticks to the point; and Jasper is...Jasper.
Above all, though, the main character really solidifies Better Than Fiction as a must-read; Drew is a character that just about any woman could find a piece of herself in. She's sure of her passions but not sure how to see them through. She's confident enough but still compares herself to others. She's steadfast in her commitments, sure of herself but not her decisions, and she's head over heels for Jasper Williams--and I have no doubt that you will be too.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
But the fight was stupid. Like I get the format, I see that, but this felt false. The way that people are like “my birth certificate says I was born on July 8th not July 9th my entire life is a lie”
Cute, very predictable, but a fun feel good book :-)
