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econnuck's review against another edition
4.0
*Received as a free ARC*
Not my all time favorite book, but it was still pretty good. Elsy and Anders were very cute. I appreciate how the chapter titles indicate Elsy's true love is her best friend--platonic love is just as important as romantic. The ending felt a little drawn out and clunky but overall was good. I'd certainly recommend as a lighthearted summer read.
Not my all time favorite book, but it was still pretty good. Elsy and Anders were very cute. I appreciate how the chapter titles indicate Elsy's true love is her best friend--platonic love is just as important as romantic. The ending felt a little drawn out and clunky but overall was good. I'd certainly recommend as a lighthearted summer read.
emhinton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
ARC Review
3/5 stars
DNF at 35%
I wanted to love this book, but after spending a week forcing myself to pick it up, I decided to call it quits. As much as I enjoyed the beautiful writing, the story itself fell flat for me.
Eileen is a 32-year old professor of literature who has decided to embark on a solo retreat after her entire book club bails on their annual weeklong getaway. When her car veers off the road, she finds herself in Eloraton, the fictional town in which her favorite romance series is set. Eloraton is frozen in time, specifically, in the liminal space of the author's unfinished last book. Eileen can place every character, every place, every story, from her favorite series... Except Anders, the grumpy bookstore owner, who is determined to get her out of town.
The biggest reason this book didn't work for me is that I just didn't care about the fictitious romance series, or Rachel Flowers, the fictitious author. Eileen made references to meeting one of the characters being like meeting Aragorn or Edward Cullen. I get the intention and feeling, but I just don't actually feel that because I'm not ACTUALLY familiar with the characters. That was a lot of actuallys. The best way I can describe it would be like going to Diagon Alley in Universal Studios, if I had never read nor seen Harry Potter. I just wouldn't care that much.
I also find the writing to be a little chaotic. The timeline and setting bounced all over the place in a way that didn't feel very cohesive. For example, prior to Eileen revealing what exactly had happened during her terrible year, I didn't feel a whole lot of tension or intrigue. That bit of the backstory was just sort of dumped in the middle of Eileen's revelation that's she doesn't want to leave Eloraton.
Another piece that kept bugging me was Eileen slapping Anders across the face. I thought we'd decided that domestic violence wasn't cute? Sure, he hit a nerve with whatever he said (I don't remember so it couldn't have been that bad), but it certainly didn't warrant physical violence. Yes, Eileen apologized, but still. Maybe this piece ended up getting resolved later in the book, but it didn't sit well with me.
Like I said, the writing itself is beautiful. I will definitely try Ashley Poston's other books because I think she'll have something that I'll enjoy. But the plot was lost on me for this one.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkeley Romance for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
beate251's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for this ARC.
Elsy is an English teacher with a great love for romance books. Her book club meets every year in a deserted cabin but this year none other than her can make it and on the way there she gets stranded in a strange little town called Eloraton which turns out to be the small town from her favourite book series come to life.
Now, who has a favourite
book series they read over and over until they know it by heart? Who are these people who read books multiple times? How do they find the time? I can't ever hope to read all the books on my Kindle and they go a second or fifth time on a book? Also, Eloraton sounds like a name out of a fantasy series rather than a romance read.
I love romance books and this is an ode to romance books, with tons of tropes like insta love, grumpy/ sunshine, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, small-town romance, third-act break up etc.
It should therefore work but it just didn't grab me. It feels like I should have read the fictional book series first to find the fascination in burgers that are always a little burnt and a possum that no one can find.
I'm not sure I liked Elsy as a character. It is not ok to slap a man! He even says afterwards that he deserved it. Now imagine a woman had said that! I really thought we'd left this particular action in the past where it belongs.
Also, no offense but mint green is an awful colour, especially for eyes. It really didn't need repeating that often. We get it, you like his eyes! And they are green! Who cares about his other attributes, the most important thing is his eye colour!
There was quite a bit of swearing in the book and some vulgar descriptions of people's sex lives, something I really don't care for. Why do Americans in books insist on broadcasting their sex life to the world?
This book can't decide whether it wants to be traditional or modern and therefore is neither, landing somewhere in-between. I don't think that's bad but this romance novel within a romance novel just didn't work for me. I didn't find the chemistry between the two main characters believable, the magical realism took over and there were too many characters to keep track of, which also weren't fleshed out enough as they were summarised from four fictional previous books. It's ironic that in a romance book that celebrates romance books the romance fell flat because too much time is spent on back stories for all the side characters that get no real room to grow anyway.
I'm sure this will work for a lot of people as an easy, fluffy, escapist read with a predictable Happy Ever After. However, I needed more of a romantic journey and less of minty eyes. Basically, I love the premise of the book but not the execution.
Elsy is an English teacher with a great love for romance books. Her book club meets every year in a deserted cabin but this year none other than her can make it and on the way there she gets stranded in a strange little town called Eloraton which turns out to be the small town from her favourite book series come to life.
Now, who has a favourite
book series they read over and over until they know it by heart? Who are these people who read books multiple times? How do they find the time? I can't ever hope to read all the books on my Kindle and they go a second or fifth time on a book? Also, Eloraton sounds like a name out of a fantasy series rather than a romance read.
I love romance books and this is an ode to romance books, with tons of tropes like insta love, grumpy/ sunshine, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, small-town romance, third-act break up etc.
It should therefore work but it just didn't grab me. It feels like I should have read the fictional book series first to find the fascination in burgers that are always a little burnt and a possum that no one can find.
I'm not sure I liked Elsy as a character. It is not ok to slap a man! He even says afterwards that he deserved it. Now imagine a woman had said that! I really thought we'd left this particular action in the past where it belongs.
Also, no offense but mint green is an awful colour, especially for eyes. It really didn't need repeating that often. We get it, you like his eyes! And they are green! Who cares about his other attributes, the most important thing is his eye colour!
There was quite a bit of swearing in the book and some vulgar descriptions of people's sex lives, something I really don't care for. Why do Americans in books insist on broadcasting their sex life to the world?
This book can't decide whether it wants to be traditional or modern and therefore is neither, landing somewhere in-between. I don't think that's bad but this romance novel within a romance novel just didn't work for me. I didn't find the chemistry between the two main characters believable, the magical realism took over and there were too many characters to keep track of, which also weren't fleshed out enough as they were summarised from four fictional previous books. It's ironic that in a romance book that celebrates romance books the romance fell flat because too much time is spent on back stories for all the side characters that get no real room to grow anyway.
I'm sure this will work for a lot of people as an easy, fluffy, escapist read with a predictable Happy Ever After. However, I needed more of a romantic journey and less of minty eyes. Basically, I love the premise of the book but not the execution.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Cursing, Alcohol, Grief, Violence, and Vomit
averibcole's review against another edition
2.75
Unfortunately, I think Ashley Poston was a one hit wonder for me. I loved The Dead Romantics, and I’ve been chasing that same feeling in her other two adult romances, and I have yet to find it in either The Seven Year Slip or A Novel Love Story.
There was no relationship development in this book. The two main love interests didn’t even interact that much! I didn’t feel moved by Eileen’s personal journey. I thought the concept was cool, but the rest of the plot just didn’t measure up.
Will I keep returned to see if Poston can strike gold again like with The Dead Romantics? We shall see.
Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
There was no relationship development in this book. The two main love interests didn’t even interact that much! I didn’t feel moved by Eileen’s personal journey. I thought the concept was cool, but the rest of the plot just didn’t measure up.
Will I keep returned to see if Poston can strike gold again like with The Dead Romantics? We shall see.
Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
whatrhi_isreading's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.5
kaylamclose's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
4.5
emilygrace99's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
4.25
skopecky's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
katieneedsabiggerbookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
“Not all love happens at first glance-sometimes, it takes a reread at the exact right (or wrong) time in your life.”
“I sort of felt like the giving tree, chopping myself smaller and smaller, and I guess I finally realized, if I kept this up, I’d be nothing but a stump by the end.”
Eileen loves a happy ending. When her book club all cancels on their week away, she is devastated but decides to go to the cabin for the week anywhere to drink wine and read as many romance books as she can. When her car breaks down in a small town, she notices something off. She knows these people, they are all characters in her favorite series, the series that unfortunately will never be finished since the author passed away. The town appears to be trapped at the end of the 4th book, unable to move on without the author. Can Eileen help them find their happy ending?
DELIGHTFUL. This book was just so damn delightful! I love how Ashley’s books have just a little bit of magic included, and I adored this one. While the town was a bit stuck, Eileen was also pretty stuck in her life, and I loved how they all helped each other to move on in their stories. I don’t even want to say much more, because I went in blind to this one and I think that’s the way to go! I just loved the concept of Eileen coming across the town from her favorite books! Can you imagine rolling up and being like omg that’s my favorite character? I mean seriously, book boyfriends come to life? Yes please! Needless to say, this is a must read!
Thank you to @berkleyromance for my gifted copy of this book!