A review by the_immortal_library
The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

"Battle of the Bookshops" by Poppy Alexander is a modern-day "Romeo and Juliet" with a bookstore twist. The story follows Jules Capelthorn, who returns to her small hometown from London to help her great-aunt run her bookshop after an injury. Her homecoming is complicated by Roman Montbeau, a sworn family enemy, who opens a new, flashy bookshop directly across the street.

While the premise was fantastic, I had some trouble getting into the story. It felt like an element in the flow of the book, possibly the slow-burn pacing, kept me from being fully engaged. The plot had sections that dragged, which made it hard to stay focused.

Despite this, the characters themselves had compelling arcs. Jules is a kind and caring character who genuinely wants her great-aunt's shop to succeed, but I felt she was also a source of some of the problems. Roman initially comes across as arrogant and cocky, but his point of view reveals a much softer, more complex side. I really enjoyed the rivaling bookshops dynamic, as it effectively showed that new and flashy isn't always the best. The book also weaves in great themes of community, second-chance romance, enemies-to-lovers, history, and antiques. A fun detail was the fact that Roman worked for HarperCollins, the publisher of the book.

Audiobook Review

The narrator did a good job, and their British accent was great, fitting the characters perfectly. I believe the pacing of the plot was what bothered me, rather than the narration itself, as some sections of the story felt like they dragged on. However, I do feel the book would have benefited from a second, male narrator to distinguish between the male and female characters more easily. Although the narrator did a good job of differentiating between male and female voices, I had some minor problems distinguishing between characters within the same gender, with the exception of the great-aunt.

I received this ALC from HarperAudio via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.