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athenathestorier's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
It was a simple cozy lesbian romance with protagonists in their 30s. And dare I say that it felt like it? The way that they handled their needs and emotions were so mature. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was prevalent but understated - with an awareness that circumstances made them enemies, not each other.
It also had a potent since of relatability - as a book lover, as a writer, and as someone who's just trying to make their way in the workforce. In fact, the book both served as a lovely romantic escape, and a subtle motivator for my life after closing the book. A rather meta reminder that there's life to tackle once you close the book.
Something else that stood out was the fact that one of our protagonists, an extremely avid book lover, was an extrovert. I, myself, am deeply introverted but I am all too aware that there's a common assumption that extroverts aren't big readers. That they have other things to do. So this was quite refreshing and appreciated.
It also had a potent since of relatability - as a book lover, as a writer, and as someone who's just trying to make their way in the workforce. In fact, the book both served as a lovely romantic escape, and a subtle motivator for my life after closing the book. A rather meta reminder that there's life to tackle once you close the book.
Something else that stood out was the fact that one of our protagonists, an extremely avid book lover, was an extrovert. I, myself, am deeply introverted but I am all too aware that there's a common assumption that extroverts aren't big readers. That they have other things to do. So this was quite refreshing and appreciated.
Possibly inspired by "You've Got Mail" (if I'm understanding that acknowledgements page correctly), I was also reminded in style of the Fandom Hearts series by Cathy Yardley (which is one of my favorite romance series).
Favorite Quotes:
"Books spoke to her on a soul-deep level. They had the power to change lives when someone saw themselves represented on the page for the first time, and nothing made her happier than helping a customer find that connection."
"Sometimes I feel more comfortable with myself behind a keyboard than in person."
"But when she finished the book and put it back on her shelf, she was all alone in her bedroom."
"Her online crush, her real-life crush, and the woman who'd crushed her dreams were all the same person, and her mind was still struggling to snap all the pieces into place."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
analenegrace's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received this book in a book swap, and I hadn’t heard of the author before, but I’ll definitely be reading Rachel Lacey’s others! This book was fun and easy to pace through, making it a great vacation read. I love that it's about a bookstore owner, although I was pretty wary going in knowing it was about a landlord, but I loved and related to Jane’s character a lot. It was well-written, and the characters felt really realistic, making their relationship nice to read about!
Jane’s character was especially intriguing as her work is complicated; while landlords are not inherently evil, the actions of her father's business are bad, and I did wish that we had maybe reached that conclusion a little bit more rather than just the “alls well that ends well” conclusion to the bookstore location plot. Jane’s choice to leave her job and comfort zone to pursue her goal as an author was great, although it felt like the characters were moving in together way too fast, same with saying I love you. I tend to prefer characters whose romance feels a bit more realistic in their speed.
Usually, my least favorite trope is any of sort of hidden identity because it leads to the miscommunication trope, which is just awful, but Rosie and Jane were such good communicators for the most part that it was fantastic. Jane choosing to tell Rosie who she was rather than keep it from her was not what I expected but was highly appreciated. The characters felt their feelings strongly, and I enjoyed that they were lesbians and comfortable in saying lesbian because too many WLW romances choose to skirt around the word lesbian like it is dirty rather than many people’s identities.
I also really enjoyed the way the side characters were written, and I’m very interested in the possibility of a Gracie/Lia book which it felt like the author was hinting at! All in all, a good read by an author who writes well and isn’t afraid of lesbian!!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and Alcohol
fqirykisscs's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
saveyourtears's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Grief, and Death of parent
libraryghost's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
potatoaficionado's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I was excited to read a retelling of You've Got Mail featuring queer women (and one that favors the indie bookstore more!) but this just didn't quite hit the spot. The story was solid, and I liked how the book spent more time exploring their relationship after their identies were revealed. The plot did start to lag a little in the middle, but picked up again near the end. There were times when it was awkwardly written, especially when changing scenes. This, along with a few minor inconsistencies, kept pulling me out of the story and leaving me frustrated. If you're a fan of the movie, it's definitely worth a read. But if you're on the fence, maybe skip this one.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
hollymileham's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
this book took me a whole week to read 😭😭😭 im in such a slump and its breaking my heart. i expected to love this book and i did like it i just clearly didnt connect in the way i expected to idk. pls send help to pull me out of this reading slump i hate it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
clalaure's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Minor: Misogyny
nirellis's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Honestly if this was a straight romance I wouldn’t have finished it. I really tried but I couldn’t connect with the characters and the writing style left me feeling like I was looking in from the outside. Which is never great.
That said, the story was alright. I didn’t love it but I still wanted to know what would happen with Rosie and the love interest.
The fact that it was wlw (yay) and felt like a hot cup of tea were my main pluses.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
decklededgess's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
trigger warnings: gentrification, eviction, emotionally distant family, death of parent
This was so tense and so cute. I love when the dual irl enemies digital besties with a crush is done well. This was so spectacular. Their animosity was so valid bc like I too hate gentrifying ass corporate landlords. I liked how the conflict was deeply rooted in morality and appreciated that the resolution wasn't one of "accept your flaws" but "distance yourself from something that is unequivocally bad."
Jane's sister was a bit of a shit though for getting mad that Rosie was hating on corporate landlords??? Like what, you want people to just LET gentrification happen?? Like the helplessness and "it is what it is" attitude towards some really armful corporate practices was really reckless and annoying. If you're going to tackle issues like that you better be on the right side of the argument or the charm of the romance is lost.
Overall a solid story if I ignore the gentrification nonsense.
This was so tense and so cute. I love when the dual irl enemies digital besties with a crush is done well. This was so spectacular. Their animosity was so valid bc like I too hate gentrifying ass corporate landlords. I liked how the conflict was deeply rooted in morality and appreciated that the resolution wasn't one of "accept your flaws" but "distance yourself from something that is unequivocally bad."
Jane's sister was a bit of a shit though for getting mad that Rosie was hating on corporate landlords??? Like what, you want people to just LET gentrification happen?? Like the helplessness and "it is what it is" attitude towards some really armful corporate practices was really reckless and annoying. If you're going to tackle issues like that you better be on the right side of the argument or the charm of the romance is lost.
Overall a solid story if I ignore the gentrification nonsense.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol