Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group, the author, and NetGalley for the free gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE Alexa Martin as a writer, and this was cute but CRINGEEE. I absolutely devoured Alexa Martin’s sports romance series, but this one might have been a little too cringe and perfect for me. As we know, most romances end happily, but this one didn’t have enough conflict or drama for me. The story was just a bunch of cheesy romances with no plot.

Don’t get me wrong I still love a cheesy romance, so I still enjoyed the read and finished but I wouldn’t say this is a must-read romance.

Drew never anticipated that her grandma would leave her the family bookstore in her will - she doesn't even enjoy reading! But when it becomes clear that this was exactly what her beloved grandma wanted, Drew takes it on board, throwing herself into the running of the store and putting aside her dreams of being a photographer. When she meets author Jasper, things start to look up as she shows him around town in exchange for reading some of the books he suggests.

A love story set in a bookstore between an author and the store owner - can you get any more bookishly perfect than that? I'm a sucker for books about books so I knew I was going to love this one. The story was really cute and it was great that Jasper was a male romance author! The only downside to the book was how Jasper was repeatedly portrayed as being so good looking. I mean, who drops their glass when seeing a random gorgeous guy? There were countless situations like this throughout the book. Maybe one or two would have been ok to hammer the point across but I don't think any more were needed.

Better Than Fiction is a very unique book. I don't have many other ways to describe it. The book has a very interesting and wonderful romance storyline. The fact that it gave me You've Got Mail vibes alone was enough to sell me on it. I found myself truly thinking about all the things in my life that had gone wrong and the ways that we have to take a chance on new opportunities throughout this entire book.

The way that this book dealt with grief was especially important to me. I found myself hurting for Drew in many cases, especially early on when you can really tell how hard it is for her to have this bookstore. It was not something Drew wanted nor thought she could manage. I also found that this book has a great way of showing family dynamics. Drew and Daisy's relationship, Drew and her father's, her mothers, her grandmothers, etc. all of them show this very interesting dynamic and for me, as someone who tends to be a people pleaser it's hard to read at times, but again so incredibly important.

Then you throw Jasper into the mix. I will say while he didn't impress me to begin with, I found myself loving him. more and more throughout the story as we got to know him. He and Drew's relationship is both complex and sweet at times and I liked that they find something good inside each other.

And of course, I can't forget to mention some of my favorite characters AKA the Dirty Birds. I swear those ladies are easily my favorite part They have such a great way of stirring up trouble, but I like that for this kind of story. You need some meddling otherwise the whimsy is lost with all the heaviness.

Overall, I'd give this book a 3.5/5 stars. It definitely is on my list of books I'd recommend to people who love forced proximity and fans of You've Got Mail.

This was cute!
Our main character Drew is a self-proclaimed book hater and a firm believer that the movie is always better, When she inherits her Grandmother's bookstore, she realizes she is in way over her head.

Bestselling author Jasper Williams is a hopeless romantic. He meets Drew at a bookNook book signing and is determined to sh0w her the beautify of reading.

I loved the exploration of grief along with the romance that develops between our two main characters. Jasper is the perfect sweet contrast to Drew's cynicism. Sort of a grumpy sunshine troupe in reverse.

Again, it was cute! I wanted more from Jasper's point of view, but otherwise, it's a great cute romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

the idea of this book was absolutely everything.

you have someone who lost their grandmother and inherited her bookshop which now she has to put away her dreams and goals to run it meeting a romance author looking for inspiration for his new book? LOVED THIS SO MUCH.

loved drew's support system and it was honestly my favorite part of the book and why I continued to read it. I think the plot was so good but I couldn't get myself to fall in love with the individual characters.

there are a lot of pop culture references which I didn't mind but just be warned.

enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to continue to support this author <3

Better than Fiction by Alexa Martin is a heartfelt story with lovely, engaging characters and amazing adventures. A charming, swoon-worthy and utterly relatable rom-com that takes place in Colorado. I can't wait to read more from the author soon.

This was a different book than I'm used to getting from Martin, but I loved it all the same.

Drew was an interesting character to get to know. She feels this pressure to keep her grandmother's bookstore alive, even though it means sacrificing her own career and interests. Plus, she's not even remotely interested in books. Hearing about Drew's interactions with her late grandmother and seeing how she carries on the legacy is inspiring and heartwarming.

And seeing how Jasper played into all of this was nice as well. He and Drew worked so well together and brought out the absolute best and worst in each other. I loved every scene with them together.

I love that the MMC was a romance book lover and the FMC was not even interested in books. It reminded me of Viggo from the Bergman Brothers series.

Overall, this was an enjoyable new book from Martin filled with grief, love, and passion.

A definitely cute romance with feel good vibes that will make you smile! I’m usually not a fan of the more stream of conscious first person writing style, but I have to admit that it did really work for this book, seeing everything from Drew’s rambling point of view.

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

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

"One of Buzzfeed’s New Romances to Read This Fall!

Love isn't always by the book in this charming romantic comedy about a bookseller discovering how to be the main character in her story.

As a self-proclaimed book hater and a firm believer that the movie is always better, Drew Young didn't anticipate inheriting her grandma's bookstore, the Book Nook. She's in way over her head even before the shop's resident book club, comprising seven of the naughtiest old ladies ever, begin to do what they do best - meddle.

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 going river rafting to trying local restaurants, Drew begins to connect with Jasper in a way she only thought happened in fiction.

When messy family ties jeopardize the future of the Book Nook, Drew is caught between a bookshelf and a hard place. She's reminded that real life isn't always big dreams and sweeping romance. But Jasper is the plot twist she never saw coming and he's writing a happily ever after just for them."

Yes, this book is a fantasy I would love to live.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and to PRH Audio for the audiobook.

I found it tough to like Drew, the female main character from the very first page. She goes further than being the grump in a reverse grump/sunshine trope. She doesn't like college, books, reading, her family, and even ignores her best friend. She is experiencing grief, and that colors her perceptions. But I found it tough to be in her head from the consistent first person perspective.

In contrast, I did appreciate Jasper. According to Drew's descriptions, he writes romance novels, is extremely attractive, and does CrossFit. I really wanted Jasper's point of view. His character seems more one sided, not having insight into his thoughts and feelings. It was unclear what he got from the relationship besides that she was attractive.

I loved the Colorado setting and learning more about some of the attractions there. I also loved many of the secondary characters, especially Drew's grandmother's friends. But I overall did not enjoy this as much as I had hoped. I think it's a better fit for folks who love grumpy characters and steamy scenes.

The audiobook was excellently narrated and pulled me into the story more than I would have been otherwise.

3.5 stars rounded up

What an adorable book this was. I loved Drew and Jasper as characters, and their very realistic story. Drew is suffering from grief and Martin writes that struggle beautifully. The grumpy/sunshine trope is done well here, and drew me into the story.

Also, there's an inherited bookstore, so that's obviously a win. :)

If I had one knock, it was that I feel like the relationship developed a wee bit too quickly. I'd have liked to have seen it take a little longer to develop - especially considering the fact that Drew is in such a low emotional state.

However, I still really liked this book, and would recommend to those who like the romcom genre. And book stores!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Better Than Fiction is the first Alexa Martin book I’ve picked up in a while, due to the fact that, in spite of a strong start, her football series went in a direction that I didn’t care for. However, the premise of this book caught my eye, and I decided to give Martin another chance.

I love the start with Drew going through grief in the wake of her grandmother’s passing. I was immediately hooked on the initial setup, with Drew inheriting her grandmother’s bookstore, despite not being fond of reading. The women of the Dirty Birds are immediately fun, and I love that they immediately bring Drew into the path of romance author Jasper Williams.

Drew is immensely relatable, and I loved the exploration of both her grief as she reckons with the loss of her grandmother and the anxiety she feels. She’s rather prickly, but I loved seeing her open up over the course of the book.

And the Dirty Birds are wonderful. They were good friends of her grandmother’s, and helped to bring Drew out of her shell.

Jasper is a super sweet love interest, and provides sunshine-y optimism to contrast Drew’s cynicism, and is another person who comes into her life who helps her contend with some of the negative emotions, while also inspiring her to open up to people a bit more. Their chemistry is palpable, even if the romance is more slow-burn in nature.

I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys bookish romances.

It's the Dirty Birds. Drew just inherited her grandmother's bookstore where the Dirty Birds gather for their book club. She's not a reader and she's actively annoyed with so much in her life, having lost her travel photography business and being tethered to the store. And then comes Jaspar, a writer who has a bright heart and wants to help her in his own way. The Dirty Birds approve and so will you. This is trope-y in a good way as it's the reverse of the usual rom com couple- she's the unhappy one and he's the fun one. I liked her, liked him, found myself nodding along with some of their dialogue and references (some of which might pass over the heads of a few readers). And I liked the Birds. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, A light fun read.

Drew is a book hater. It’s simple as that. Somehow though, she ended up inheriting and now running the Book Nook. Luckily for her she has her little old ladies, that are glad to help her out, including inviting Jasper Williams for an event. Jasper Williams, a huge author, who also happens to be gorgeous. While Jasper and Drew strike a deal, she will show him around Colorado if she reads the books he suggests. Meanwhile her greedy father is trying to fight the will to get the bookstore to sell.

I absolutely loved Mom Jeans And Other Mistakes so as soon as I saw Alexa Martin had a new book coming out, I needed to get my hands on it! I mean a girl that hates reading inheriting a bookstore? Come on, can that get any more perfect? I really loved following along with Drew’s struggle between keeping her Grandmothers dreams alive vs following her own. I also loved how Jasper so quickly fell into the small town love held in the Book Nook. This one was a bit different than Alexa Martin’s other books, but it was just as wonderful!

At first, I was skeptical about this story about a woman who inherits her grandmother’s bookstore, but who isn’t a reader – I was judging her from the get-go
but I also love stories where bookstores are a central storyline, so it piqued my interest!
The novel idea of a bookseller falling in love with a well to do romance author is a tale as old as time and one that I gobbled up – think Notting Hill, except swap famous actor with author.
I loved the meddling “aunties”.
The most relatable part was the idea of selling the bookstore, or more so giving up a place that meant so much and held memories of her and her grandmother, except just bookstore for old family homes for me!

I’m a big Alexa Martin fan and I’ve been so excited for this one! I really enjoyed this story of Drew and Jasper. Drew has taken over her late grandma’s bookstore, even though she’s not a reader! Her grandmother’s friends contact a writer to come in and do a talk and that’s how she meets Jasper. I really enjoyed Jasper’s character! He seemed to really balance our Drew. I’ve seen some critiques over the 3rd act breakup. It did bother me that they had such a blow up and I didn’t think her grabs gesture was that grand, but I loved that she tried to change. I will continue to be a big fan of Alexa Martin! I listened to the audiobook (thanks PRH audio!) and the narration was fantastic! I think this is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much!

Drew Young inherited a book store from her late grandmother, Alice, called the Book Nook which is quite ironic because she loathes reading. Although Drew basically grew up in and around the bookstore, some early childhood traumas put her off reading for good or rather, in this case, for bad. Since her grandmother passed several months before, Drew gave up her own dreams of being a professional nature photographer to keep the bookstore running with the help of some cantankerous and meddling older women who are Drew’s posse whether she wants them to be or not. When said ladies invite a bestselling romance author, Jasper Williams, to a bookstore event, Drew is less than pleased.

While Jasper believes in romance and writes very successfully about it, Drew thinks it is just a bunch of pretty lies. Jasper is in Denver to also work on his next book and enlists Drew’s help with a challenge: he creates a book list for her designed to get her reading while she will take him on adventures in Colorado where romance meets the road. They dine at local restaurants and explore the natural beauty of the area and beyond.

Drew has several challenges to face including an odious father determined to wrest the store away from her, a tentative relationship with a younger step-sister who had the type of life growing up that she missed out on, and enough emotional baggage to keep Jasper from getting too close despite their mutual attraction. With the “help” of her best friend and the older ladies, Drew begins to let go of some of her fears and angst while realizing she does not have to give up on her heart’s desire whether in work or a relationship. In life and fiction, the course of true love never did run smooth as the Bard said so Drew and Jasper face some challenges; the question is: will she take a chance on love despite the risks to her heart. This story is a mix of women’s fiction and rom-com as some hi-jinks ensue. Drew has a lot of grief and loss to work through in order to move forward and not miss out on her best life.

Better than fiction takes the dream of owning a small bookstore and turns it on its head. Add in the delight of the "dirty birds" book club and a steamy romance writer in town to write his next book, you've got all the ingredients of a surprisingly fresh story.

Gently-paced and funny, with a vivid Coloradan setting, Better Than Fiction is a sweet
look at finding love again after a huge loss. The bookstore setting is a delight; and readers will love how Jasper and Drew’s opposite interests draw them together. (Full review coming for Shelf Awareness.)

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of Better Than Fiction. I loved this book!

Star Rating: 5⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: November 8, 2022

This was my first Alexa Martin book, and it will not be my last! Holy moly, I've been missing out!

I loved Drew and Jasper. Drew was such a relatable character! Dealing with her grief, the imperfect family situation, the struggle to move on...all of those things are struggles everyone faces at some point. I also loved that Drew was a real person who sometimes made the wrong decision said the wrong thing, acted selfishly, etc. She wasn't a paragon of virtue written to perfection; she was, though, perfectly written in realness and authenticity. I felt like I could be Drew at some points in the story, especially dealing with the grief of her grandmother's death. I still struggle with my grandmother's death, so it was really meaningful to identify with a character like Drew who showed that it's okay not to be okay. And Jasper...come on. Show me a woman who doesn't swoon at him in this story, and I'll show you a liar! :) In all fairness, I loved his sensitive soul and how he wasn't afraid to be real at all times. Of course, I think I fell in love with him a little during the white water rafting scene and the description of his chest hair and abs. I can't help myself!

I also really liked Drew's support group in this story. She wasn't alone before Jasper entered the picture (albeit, she was lonely). She had a cackling group of elderly ladies with her best interests at heart, a best friend with a sharp wit and protective streak, and a sister all but begging to be let in. Jasper wasn't the solution to all her problems or her savior; he was the missing piece of the puzzle. I loved that! Drew's struggle wasn't having a support group; it was learning to lean on that support group. The scenes with her and her ladies were at turns funny, infuriating, and LOL enjoyable.

I was really torn between four and five stars for this one. I felt like the issues with her dad were unresolved at the end, but at the same time, I don't think he deserved even an ounce of space in her life. What a jerk! Ultimately, I decided on five stars because I loved the story between Jasper and Drew, the way they made the other one stronger, the way they brought new things into each other's lives, and the emotional journal of Drew's grief really spoke to me. I think, if you've never lost someone you loved, her grief won't reach out and grab you the way it did me. But for me, her character let me know, even if it was just for a short page span, that I wasn't alone...and that meant a lot to me as a reader.