This was a very quick, lovely read. The pacing is nice, a little slow towards the middle, but overall nicely done.

I love how pessimistic Drew is. Her internal monologue is hilarious, and I love that she often speaks to other people while she’s in her head.
Jasper is the complete opposite, he’s sweet and optimistic. A total charmer, without the fuss.
Their story is sweet with an edge. But the real
showstopper is Elsie. I loved her so much, she’s hilarious, and the best friend Drew could ask for! I also really appreciated the way the author handled Drew’s grief and healing process. It was absolutely necessary to the story and a raw, real example of processing in real life.

Thank you so much Berkley Romance and NetGalley for sending me an e-copy of Better Than Fiction!

this is a book for all the hopeless romantics, I love that someone who isn’t big on romance or on books find someone who shows them how real the things in these books can be. I loved Drew and Jasper together so much they just complimented one another it. The only off thing about this was the miscommunication breakup but outside of that i still really enjoyed it

Drew never imagined she would inherit her grandmother’s bookstore, but here she is. When bestselling author Jasper Williams comes into the bookstore for a book signing event, he is determined to make her fall in love with reading. They make a deal: Drew will show Jasper around Denver to help him with his next work in progress, and in exchange Jasper will make a book bucket list for Drew. As they explore, they begin to connect and may find their happily ending after all.

There was so much to love about this book - from the bookstore setting, to Drew’s book bucket list, to the meddling book club. In my opinion, the Dirty Birds bookclub are the stars of the show in this book, adding so much humor to the story, but also giving Drew the advice, support, and space she needed to grieve her grandmother and understand her worth. Drew’s grief journey felt messy and real, and I appreciated seeing her complex emotions. Jasper was the sunshine she needed and so adorable. I loved their chemistry and their banter!

Thanks to Berkley Publishing for the advance copy. Thank you to @berittalksbooks and @dg_reads for the buddy read!

This story follows Drew Young, who recently inherited her grandmother’s bookstore (The Book Nook). Thanks to some meddling from The Dirty Birds (the 70 something women that make up a romance book club and best friends of Drew’s grandmother), renowned romance author Jasper Williams shows up to host a book club night at The Book Nook…but he also needs a guide to show him around Colorado to get ideas for the current book that he’s writing.

One of the things that I absolutely love about Alexa Martin’s writing is that in addition to the swoon worthy romance, there is always an incredible friend group that I am envious of. I loved the moments between Drew, her best friend Elsie, and her sister Daisy.

Drew and Jasper had chemistry from the moment they locked eyes on each other at The Book Nook. I loved that their dates alternated between Drew showing the incredible beauty of Colorado (hikes, Red Rocks, picturesque towns!) and Jasper’s dates based off of a reading list that he specially crafted for Drew. When it comes to the steamy scenes…Martin put in that work and I was here for it!

The last thing that I will touch on that I enjoyed was watching Drew process her grief after the death of her grandmother. Grief is so messy, and Drew falls down the trap of putting everything in her life on hold in order to live the life that she thinks that her grandmother would’ve wanted for her. I loved watching Drew navigate this especially with the help of her friends, The Dirty Birds, and Jasper.

Overall, if you want a swoon worthy romance with a picturesque Colorado backdrop then definitely pick this one up!

Thank you to Berkley Romance for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

As soon as I read it was set in a bookstore, I knew I couldn’t resist Alexa Martin’s new novel, Better Than Fiction. What especially intrigued me about it is that based on the synopsis, the main character actually hates reading. I couldn’t wait to dive in and see if Martin could actually make me fall in love with a book hating protagonist!

Drew Young is a successful travel photographer who recently lost her beloved grandmother. Drew was practically raised by her grandmother. Although Drew spent countless hours in her grandmother’s bookstore, The Book Nook, while growing up, what she doesn’t anticipate is her grandmother leaving The Book Nook to her in her will. Drew herself isn’t a book lover at all and is in completely over her head trying to run the store, but she feels like she has to give it her all in order to honor her grandmother’s wishes, even if it means giving up on her own career dreams and settling in Colorado full time to run the store. She has no idea that The Book Nook and the meddling old ladies from the Dirty Birds book club are about to change her life in so many ways.

Thanks to the Dirty Birds, bestselling romance author Jasper Williams has a book signing event at the bookstore. When he meets Drew and she confesses to him that she doesn’t like to read, Jasper makes it his mission to help her discover the joys of reading while he’s in town. He makes a deal with her: he needs a travel expert to give him an in-depth look at Denver because it’s the setting for his next book. If Drew plays tour guide, he’ll curate a list of books he thinks she’ll love and for every one she reads, he’ll reward her with a book-inspired adventure.

I really enjoyed everything about this story! I loved Drew and Jasper together, from those awkward opening moments between them to later on in the story as they grow closer and bond as they work to complete their deal. There are so many fun and adorable moments between them as they visit local restaurants, admire the scenery, and even take an amazing whitewater rafting trip together. I was rooting for Jasper to not only make Drew fall in love with reading, but to also fall in love with him as well.

I’m a big fan of books that have many layers to them, and Better than Fiction really fits the bill here. Not only is there the blossoming relationship between Drew and Jasper, but there’s also a journey of grief here as Drew is still mourning the loss of her grandmother and trying to move forward. Add to that the hilarity of the Dirty Birds and their constant but well intentioned meddling, as well as some messy family drama because Drew’s father is jealous that she inherited the store, and you have a wonderful book that has something for everyone.

I enjoy reading any of Alexa Martin's romance books. They always have some romance trope elements that makes the read so much better.

Better than Fiction is more than a romance book. I will say that it leans more toward women's fiction than romance fiction. It’s about Drew learning to forgive herself as she struggles with her grief process as she navigates her grandmother's bookshop. Drew's love life is not the main focus; it’s more of a sideshow.

Drew may be the only one who doesn’t care for reading. It’s not her main focus since she is struggling to keep her grandmother’s bookshop on a float. And it doesn’t help that her estranged father keeps trying to get the bookshop from her. Her life is a bit hectic that she is forgetting to process her grief and her loss of her career passion. Running the bookshop was never in her plan, but it’s something she cannot leave. It’s part of her grandmother even though she passed away.

Drew has inherited her grandmother's bookstore, which poses a challenge for someone who doesn't like to read. But out of love for her, Drew decides to make a go of the venture. Her Gran had already scheduled an author visit of a romance author (Jasper Williams) and the female customers at his book signing all agree that he is the embodiment of the romantic lead in his popular books. Because Drew is not a reader, she doesn't even know who the guy is when he shows up. Her knowledge of Colorado and her photography skills become a bridge between her and Jasper and she has to admit that she, too, is falling under his spell.

One of the challenges of reviewing books is finishing ones that you'd rather (figuratively) toss across the room. I wrongly judged this book by its cover when I requested to review it. It looked like an example of sweet chick lit and the fact that it included a bookstore was even better. I should have had an inkling when the profanity began cropping up at regular intervals.

I admit that the premise of the story was interesting. Drew and Jasper forged a friendship as she used her natural giftings to assist with his book research. What was very disappointing was when the tale took a very raunchy turn and I had to skim past several chapters of what I would classify as pornographic. What a sad portrayal of a relationship--when intercourse was painted as the ultimate goal. There was the obligatory fall-out of the characters (oh, no--will they work things out?!). I honestly didn't care because I had so little respect for people who barely knew each other before casually engaging in premarital relations.

The whole focus of the book seemed to be on outward beauty--so many references to people's exterior features. (Lots of judging "books" by their covers here--guess that goes along with the bookstore theme.) Just such a sad and shallow representation of dating that seems to imply that the ultimate goal of a relationship and the cement for holding a relationship together is based solely upon physical affection. Not a message I can endorse or recommend to others.

The ending felt rather hurriedly finished off--like the author forgot there was a point to the story other than the very explicit content. I don't enjoy feeling like I just swam through a sewer to get to the end of a book.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Better Than Fiction from NetGalley for review. No other compensation was received.

Read this if you like: Grumpy sunshine, getting through grief, cozy bookstores, instalove, multicultural romance, steamy 🔥

Drew Young is a failed photographer in her eyes. She hates books. She didn't anticipate inheriting her grandma's bookstore in Colorado, the Book Nook. She's in way over her head. She has multiple meddling older book lovers that frequent her store.

Bestselling author Jasper Williams is a hopeless romantic. When he meets Drew at his Book Nook signing event, he becomes determined to show her the beauty of reading. He curates a book bucket list in exchange for her help exploring the local Denver scene for his current manuscript. From river rafting to local restaurants, Drew begins to connect with Jasper in a way she only thought happened in fiction.

This was cute! I really liked Jasper. He was funny and charming. Drew had to grow on me. The little dates they went on were adorable. I do feel the romance was a bit rushed for my liking but liked it still. I'm not a huge fan of instant love. The "dirty birds" book club ladies were so freaking funny. This was a fun fast read. I definitely recommend this!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author, and Berkley for the gifted e-book! ❤️

I feel nothing about this book. I'd been looking forward to reading it, but the more I read, the less motivated I was to continue it. Nothing about it was blatantly bad, but nothing about it was very good either. It was a very bland book. The romance was bland, the characters were bland, and despite so much focus being on the beauty of nature, the descriptions were bland. Nothing about this will stick with me for more than an hour.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

I think this one had potential, but it unfortunately didn't click for me. I wasn't sure if it was aiming to be romance or (much as I dislike the term) women's fiction, and if the former, it was seriously hurt by the lack of dual POV. If the latter, I just wasn't in the mood. I like the heroine well enough, and she felt realistically messy, but I needed something to balance her extreme cynicism. While an easy read, it never managed to engage my heart, which is something I need from a book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Better Than Ficiton had a few of my favorite elements: a bookstore, great side characters, a sweet romance, emotions, and a strong friendship. Alexa Martin definitely pulled me into this story and had me laughing and crying.


Drew just lost her grandmother (who was her everything in many ways) and while trying to grieve, she also has to run the bookstore she inherited. This can get tricky, because Drew isn't a fan of reading. As someone who had an amazing grandmother and was really close to her I definitely understand the feeling of losing her.


Let's start off with the bookstore, because the side characters who visited and spent time there were amazing. The "Dirty Birds" are a group of elderly ladies that have their book club there and who were friends with Drew's grandmother. They were so much fun and definitely meddled in their own way, but I also loved how much they really supported Drew. We also have Drew's best friend who was hilarious, but also very supportive. And Drew's half sister who ended up becoming more important to her than ever expected.


While Drew is trying to figure out what to do with the bookstore and how to deal with not following her own photographer dreams, Jasper enters the scene. The "Dirty Birds" arranged for him to come visit the bookstore, because he's a popular romance author. I loved Jasper. He was sweet and funny! The deal they make is a lot of fun and I loved reading about their adventures. I did really miss his POV though. I think that would've added just a little bit more emotion to this story.


I loved that Drew started finding some love of books and even trying to take pictures again, but the drama near the end of the book was just a bit too much for me. Yeah, there were secrets and I can understand it was painful, but it also kind of felt like the extra drama was just put in there. Also, there's a lot of drama with her father, but it kind of felt like the ending was talked about a little and nothing more was said.


All in all, I really did enjoy Drew and Jasper's adventures and them falling in love. I think they really fit together and so many elements of this story kept a smile on my face. I'll definitely be reading more by this author!

In the beginning, it was hard to connect with Drew. She didn’t try and hid behind her insecurities and used witty humor to deflect emotions she didn’t want to process. Though this was a rough beginning, what this author did well with a character I couldn’t connect with initially was build her emotionally and have her tackle her issues head on while personally growing. There’s a lot of heart within this book and realistic characters that inhibit a wide range of diversity.

Drew and Jasper were a match made in literary heaven. They complement one another, but also challenge each other in ways that no one else could. There’s a sweetness to their story and through this was a completely predictable plot, it was comforting and entertaining to read their story.

Overall this was a good, not amazing, book with wonderful character growth and a swoon-worthy male lead. The humorous dialogue keeps it from being stale, but the pace of the story lag at too many parts of the story. It’s a book definitely worth checking out and will satisfy those looking for a quick romance to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read this ARC

If you enjoyed elements of Beach Read and The Dead Romantics, I think this could work for you!

Drew inherits her grandmother's bookstore but she doesn't read or have an affinity for books. Jasper is a renowned romance author staying in Denver to write his next book. The two enter an agreement of convenience if you will, where Drew will show Jasper Denver from the perspective of someone who has explored every corner and Jasper will have Drew read from a list of books he curates for her and take her on themed dates to kindle an appreciation of reading.

The premise has potential, but I'm not a big fan of the writing or execution. I love reading about little moments and gestures but this book would depict something and then immediately follow up with a "this is what just happened and how I feel about it" spiel and it turned me off. I don't want to be told how to feel outright; I prefer to have a book show me instead tell me. The language used was also a turn off for me. I personally don't enjoy when "def" is used in a character's internal monologue, it comes off as informal and as if I was reading a blogpost instead of a book. Then there's all the times we've told Jasper is drop dead gorgeous--it was fine the first time, but it happens every. single. time. he shows up. But he's not given a personality. He's just hot.

This was unfortunately a miss for me. It was charming at times, but the romance didn't convince me and I found the overall story to be underwhelming.

Martin’s first entry into standalone/borderline women’s fiction made me cry!

Yep, you heard it from me first Better Than Fiction rides the edge between romance and women’s fiction. This was equal parts both and told solely from the first-person perspective of our heroine, Drew Young.

Drew *sigh* tugged at my heartstrings from page one because Drew and I share a couple common truths, we both were encouraged to read and enjoy books by our grandmothers and we both have lost said grandmother. This book launches with Drew trying to keep the last connection she has to the woman who gave her everything, The Book Nook. The bookstore her grandmother ran is the legacy Drew wants to preserve.

Though Drew struggles to keep the books in the black and on the suggestion of her grandmother’s best friends and book club, the Dirty Birds, she hosts an author night for one of romance’s biggest authors, Jasper Williams. Call out the swoon committee because Jasper is the romance hero of all romance heroes. The man doesn’t have many flaws in the looks department… honestly, in any department.

Of course, attraction is immediate, and Jasper being the romance hero he is wants to date our cautious, work-driven Drew. She doesn’t just agree. No, that comes in the form of Jasper desperate for local guidance as he writes his next romance, set in the Colorado area. With Drew’s expertise in local sights and experiences, along with her photography skills, she’s the perfect person to help Jasper. The trade-off is he’ll help her learn to love reading again and take her out on excursions that pair with the books.

Doesn’t take much to see where this is headed. Along the way, Drew must deal with her hateful father, her eager-to-have-a-relationship half-sister, those meddlesome Dirty Birds, and a best friend who wants Drew to have good things. Not to mention the presence of grief in the face of loss, and how that grief can morph in the most unexpected ways. Did I mention some shocking secrets too?

This book really did have it all, and emotionally it touched me in a way that had me reach for the tissues. It reminded me of how I haven’t fully grieved a loss of my own in the last fifteen years, which speaks to Martin’s talent to drudge all that up for me again. What kept this from a five? The fact that Drew made me want to hit her a couple times. The conflict also rode a line for me that I wasn’t sure I agreed with. Again, I’m picky with my fives this year, but don’t doubt this book is a good one.

For those who enjoy Kate Clayborn or Kristin Higgins.

~ Landra

It is easy to tell that this book is not geared towards me, so many pop culture references that went over my head, but I did enjoy it nonetheless. I had a hard time connecting with Drew in the beginning, but she did grow on me and how can you not like Jasper? I so rarely have an answer when someone asks me about a book boyfriend, but he might be it. LOL

In addition to the love story, there is the grief Drew is still experiencing over her Grandmother’s death. This part of the story I really connected to. I lost my Grandmother many years ago, but it still stings. She too was one of the coolest people I knew and I too never doubted for a minute that she thought the world of me. I really liked her getting to know a little about her grandmother a little better. And with tears in my eyes, I laughed so hard at the bet at the end of the book.

I liked the bookstore and the Colorado sightseeing. A great supporting cast including the book club ladies and Drew’s sister Daisy. The book was a little slow for me in the beginning, it picked up when I started to like Drew more.

Drew isn’t a book lover but her beloved grandmother was, and some of her fondest memories were with her at her bookstore called the Book Nook. So when her grandmother passes away, she is surprised that she leaves the bookstore to her, and Drew is forced to give up her true passion, photography. Instead, she spends all her time trying to keep the store going, and that includes spending time with the resident book club, the Knit Pickers, a group of senior citizens who love to read and knit and are very involved in each other’s lives, as well as her grandmother’s and now Drew’s.
When Jasper Williams comes to the store for a book signing, Drew is attracted immediately. Jasper’s decision to stay in town to do some research for his next book gives Drew the opportunity to get to know him better, especially when the Knit Pickers interfere and get Drew to be his tour guide. Soon they make a deal, that if he can help her find books that will make her love reading, she can find hidden places that will make him love Denver and give him great insight for his book.
The hiccup to the happy ever after is Drew’s father, who is mad that his mother left the store to Drew instead of him and plots to take it out from under her, all while completely undermining the minimal and tenuous relationship that they have.
Can Drew keep the store away and yet still manage to find a way to get back to her true passion? What will become of Drew and Jasper?
This was my first book by this author but it won’t be my last.
Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Drew is a photographer who loves the outdoors and hates reading-and has inherited an adorable bookstore from her grandmother. Jasper writes romance books and can’t imagine someone not liking to read. Together they seem like a case of total opposites, but it works. Drew’s pain and grieving over losing her grandmother really tore at me, you could tell she hadn’t even begun to move on and was just going through the motions of living. I loved how a group of interfering book clubbers got involved to help her out-with some less than subtle match making, as well as more subtle pushes towards healing. As much as this was a romance it was also about rediscovering yourself, about reconnecting with what you love and your vision, and about the network of support and (sometimes unexpected) friendship that makes life better in all kinds of ways.

A fun, heartfelt romance that will have you smiling, laughing, and crying in all the right spots

The tone and pacing did not drive me forward from the get-go. I kept stalling and putting the book down. Maybe it’s just me but there was a tone to this story (I’ve enjoyed others from the author) that just wasn’t interesting me. Eventually I got more into the book, but I also wasn’t particularly invested. I was bored.

Here’s what pushed me past bored though into dislike:
- Jasper was so good looking and it was rammed down our throats every third page. Enough already.
- Drew describing their bargain as OTT crazy, when it’s the tamest romance set-up ever. There’s no real push or pull or stretching her boundaries despite what she claims.
- The blow-up between D & J just didn’t work me.
- Grandma did her dirty. When we get to that lawyerly part near the end, I was absolutely pissed. Are you kidding me? That’s where I dropped it to 2 Stars.

I was so close to the end I finished it. But overall, I’m mad I spent time on the story. Moving on.

I was excited for this book. At first I really enjoyed the girlfriend in my head writing style. However whenever I was excited for a date I found for some odd reason Martin chose to skip over the event, never showing the readers the couple's dates but telling the readers later on. This got annoying after the 50 percent mark. I had to DNF.

I loved this book!!! It was so cute and cozy. I love how Jasper got Drew into reading because it reminded me how I did the same thing with my partner. I feel like some people might not enjoy how quickly things hit the ceiling and got resolved but personally I like that a lot. I loved watching Drew find her passion and meaning in life again. Sometime you have to lose your way to get back on track. Also I definitely want to move to Colorado now.