Kerrigan Byrne is the best at writing tortured and angsty heroes. Her steam and tension is always a win for me. I should have read more about this book before requesting because the satire of Nevermore and the tone of the banter was just not what I expected. It is going to be great for lots of readers, but didn't work for me.

Nevermore Bookstore by Kerrigan Byrne and Cynthia St. Aubin
Release date: Tuesday, March 28th
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶 (2-3 scenes with moderate details)

Blurb: After the heartbreaking loss of her aunt, Cadence “Cady” Bloomquist inherits a Victorian bookstore in a small, quaint Pacific Northwest town that is in desperate need of repairs and customers. That is until a mystery man named Fox begins placing large and expensive weekly orders. While Cady tries to figure out her feelings for this new mystery customer, she has to fight a town that seems to be out to get her and everything she holds dear.

This is book 1 of a new contemporary, romantic comedy series by Kerrigan and Cynthia. This book has dual POV and alternates based on the chapter. There are some dark and heavy topics discussed, which include death, illness, chronic pain, and severe PTSD. Be sure to read trigger warnings before indulging.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book! There is witty and sarcastic banter between the characters, which I love. The humor can be more on the dark side, but that's right up my alley. Same with all the 80s/90s/00s pop culture references. The struggle with daily chronic issues/disabilities is well depicted, especially the varying degrees day to day. Fox is the definition of 'if he wanted to he would' in all the aspects. While he frustrated me in situations, having insight into his demons really helps to understand his side. But when this man shows up, it is everything! I laughed, smiled, gasped, yelled, and swooned over this book. My only complaint is that at times it could be very wordy requiring me to reread a line or paragraph to fully understand what was happening. Overall, great read and would recommend if you are looking for a romance book with a hint of mystery.

Thank you NetGalley, Kerrigan, Cynthia, and Oliver Heber Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Not gonna lie. I almost DNF'd this after Chapter 1. Then I almost DNF'd after Chapter 2. That's when I began to question if I was reading a historical or maybe time travel romance (Ch. 1) or even a paranormal romance (Ch. 2). The old-fashioned prose didn't fit with a contemporary romance, yet there were mentions of binging TV shows, so I was very confused initially. That's when I went back to read the book description and some other reviews to confirm it was indeed a contemporary romance and that at least one of the authors typically write historical romance. Well, that certainly explained a lot of the odd and out-of-place language. 🤷‍♀️

Once I got past that confusion, I decided to give the book and honest chance. It was okay, but not great. I think the author's predilection for historical romances meant this book was just too hard for me to follow oftentimes. I constantly found myself wondering if a word used was an actual word (I'm highly educated, but I was struggling and looking a word up way too often lol).

As far as the characters, I had a hard time connecting with either one. I like a gritty, alpha hero, but "Fox" was just too intense when he got worked up. Like anger issues intense. The way he spoke to the Sheriff in particular was very over-the-top. It was a literal Jekyll and Hyde transformation and I wasn't on board with that instability.

Cady was a decent character. I liked that the author gave her a disability and yet still made her a strong heroine. She was a bit of a pushover when it came to the townfolk - or a people please I suppose. I just wanted her to stick up for herself for once. She only did that when it came to Fox and her best friend.

A lot of people will say that Fox was a bit creepy with his false identity and stalker-ish tendencies. I didn't mind it as much, maybe because I read dark romances where it's way worse, but it won't be okay for some.

I would perhaps read the next book if it included the Sheriff. I'll admit that I hated the guy until the end. But he redeemed himself somewhat (still didn't like the whole 'measuring' contest with Fox every chance he got).

Review:
This book is a lot. At times, it seems romantic or adorable, but overwhelming it seems like a one bad interaction away from being a thriller where Fox's stalking goes too far and Cady's trusting nature gets her in a heap of trouble. I'm not saying don't be kind of thoughtful, but there has to be somewhere in between that and fully letting someone into your apartment to shower without telling anyone he's there.
Fox is truly struggling with life after beign in the Army, with a lot of random shadowy flashbacks and vague references to what he did without every truly saying what he did of what haunts him, and it's infuriating that he thinks living in a literal cave is better. For almost a third of this book I thought maybe he was legitamately a werewolf or vampire and I would've excepted that a little better.
I know it's a rule for the Bare Naked Book Club to not yuck someone's yum, but I don't think I liked this at all. This book couldn't decide if it wanted to be a soft place to land or all hard edges and agression and I didn't enjoy it.

Synopsis:
Cadence "Cady" Bloomquist knows two things for sure: First, shelving books at her shop, Nevermore Bookstore, totally counts as cardio. Second, staying late every Thursday night to take a certain mysterious customer's order is not the same as waiting by the phone for some man.
Until.
Until her calls with the man who identifies himself only as "Fox" become the highlight of her week. Which leaves her to wonder, if his jagged velvet voice can kindle her fire over the phone, what sort of alchemy might it inspire if they met in person?
There's nothing Roman Fawkes wants more than the brilliant, beautiful bookstore owner, but as a reclusive survivalist, he knows it can never happen. Secreted in his mountain hideaway high above sleepy little Townsend Harbor, his solitary existence shields him-and those around him-from the pain of his past.
Until.
Until one of their weekly calls is interrupted by a break-in, and Fawkes is powerless to protect the woman who has become his one link to the world. Orchestrating a trap for the fool who dared harm her, Fawkes finds himself not just ensnared, but beguiled by her. Now so close to Cady, he discovers she's fallen for "Fox", and yet he's unable to reveal her heart's desire is closer than she thinks.
Can Fawkes resist the temptation to get between Cady's covers, knowing they'll never have a happily ever after?

Well…
This just isn’t for me.

I was so excited to see a contemporary by Kerrigan Byrne and I jumped when I received this as an ARC.

I just want to sigh a bit. The further I got into the book the more weird it got?
I wanted Cady to end up with Ethan.
I loved Ethan.
Fox just creeped me out the further I got in the book and Cady felt so naive to me.

I can see Ethan ending up with Cady’s best friend though, and I would eat that book up! But this one? It’s a no for me.

Thank you at Netgalley and Oliver Heber books for providing an ARC

Very much a modern, social media type of story, the setting of the bookstore drew me in.

Cady loves her books, she has also got addicted to a caller who only calls on Thursdays
andto put it in a ladylike way as possible sets Cady on fire. The calls arefirst innocuous
till they start lasting for hours, definitely volatile between the two.

The story was romance and fantasy, a lot of conjecture. light reading at best.

Thanks to Netgalley, Oliver Heber Books, and the authors for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I found myself getting a bit lost sometimes with characters and plots, but it was an okay read. I did enjoy the banter, at least.

What a unique and fun journey to go on with these characters, absolutely recommend. After reading the blurb I knew I was interested, but this actually turned out to be a different story than I was expecting. This has way more humor laced in while still dealing with serious topics such as PTSD, chronic illness/pain, and grief of many kinds. If you are a fan of Penny Reid you will LOVE this. I am admittedly lukewarm on Penny and dare I say enjoyed this even more. It had more of a tug on the heartstrings. This was also more slow burn than I was expecting, but is still open door. Other tropes include small town, previously mentioned disability rep, mistaken identity, and slight but not annoying other man drama.

One challenge I had with this was trying to picture the bookstore. The title to this is just okay for me. I felt like when the bookstore and living quarters above were described it was just random stairs and balconies wherever convenient and I didn't full feel a sense of place like I would have liked.

Most of the quirkness and "rom com" points of this were overall moderately charming to me but the real winner was the last 10% as certain scenes had me literally laughing out loud. Thank you to NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for this ARC!

Relevant, humorous, well written!
The authors have a clear grasp on storytelling. It’s giving me Wednesday Vibes for sure! I could not put the book down! It kept me captivated! The foreshadowing, the dynamic characters, and environment are very descriptive, I felt like I could clearly picture it. The romance is spot and the author through the dual perspective brings to light self image and mental health. The current references makes it feel like it’s happening today. I don’t want to give away any spoilers since it releases on March 28th but it’s one of the best Romances I have read this year! This is my first book by the author and I am excited to check out more of her books! And it’s free on Kindle Unlimited! #nevermorebookstore #netgallery

I hate to do this, but I think I’m going to have to DNF this at 15%. Now hear me out….while I’ve never read anything by Cynthia St. Aubin before, I’ve read and absolutely adored Kerrigan Byrne’s dark historical romances. I was so excited when I found out the at she was going to be dabbling in contemporary romance and couldn’t wait to pick this one up. Of course I knew going into this that it was likely going to be very different from her previous romances I’ve read…but I definitely wasn’t expecting this. Right from the start I couldn’t get past the cringey characterization and dialogue. It was so awkward to the point it almost felt like satire of the romantic comedy genre? I could get on board with it if that’s what the authors were going for, but I don’t think it was. Some of the sentences that stuck out to me in the first 15% were references to “lady bits”, “the breath he hadn’t known he was holding exploded from his aching chest”, “having to turn away from a fire to avoid a wiener roast”, and unironic use of “NBD” in a professional conversation. I’ll take some responsibly in acknowledging that I’m likely not the target audience for a book like this. I don’t usually enjoy “quirky” romantic comedies, and cartoon covers are usually a rip off that I’m likely not going to vibe with the book.

Even though I DNFed this, I’m going to rate it 2 stars because I truly feel like there’s an audience out there for this somewhere…it just couldn’t be me.

With a title like Nevermore Bookstore, how could you not read this? Good tension between Cady and Fox, maybe a few cringey moments, but overall it was enjoyable.

Cady is running the Nevermore Bookstore by herself after her Aunt Fern’s illness and death. It is in a great location in town but she is barely making ends meet. The highlight of her life is a weekly Thursday phone call with her best customer who she calls Fox. During one phone call she has a break in and a bookshelf falls on her. Fox calls 911 and starts walking in from the mountains to see what is going on.
Fox is a survivalist who is living off the land. He has nightmares of torture and does not feel comfortable around people or inside buildings but he is willing to put that aside to look after Cady.
Cady has an inflammatory disease that causes her back to seize and gives her a lot of pain. But she stays positive and friendly to everyone.
I had a hard time categorizing the book. I was expecting a cozy mystery which it is not. It is not the usual romance. Yes, there is a lot of humor but the story moves too slowly and I didn’t care for the voyeurism.
But I could not put it down. I wanted to know what would happen and why Cady was so anxious about the bookstore. It has a satisfying end and worth reading to get there.

Cady owns a gothic bookstore in the sleepy, seaside town of Townsend Harbor. Every Thursday night she gets a phone call from her favorite customer, the mysterious and roguish Fox. After a break in while Cady and Fox are on the phone, Fox finds a way to keep a closer eye on Cady.

While the mystery and intrigue create good bones for the story, the low stakes and the heavy shroud over the character's backgrounds stunt the story from progressing naturally. The plot tends to stop dead in its tracks to give much needed background with no rhyme or reason, leading to the story be clunky at times. The tension between the two characters is palpable and heart-wrenching but ends up with little pay off. While the dialogue between friends, neighbors and lovers in this book is colloquial and quick-witted it can also feel unnatural.

Overall this book has a lot of heart and I am interested to see what the rest of the series brings. It was just a slow and clunky start to the series.

Thank you to net galley and publisher for allowing to preview this book early. There was a lot going on in this book and a bunch of characters and changes. While I enjoyed it and the ending, there were times I seemed to get lost. The banter between the lead characters was nice, love a girl that sticks up for what she wants!

“Nevermore Bookstore” (Townsend Harbor Book 1) by Kerrigan Byrne & Cynthia St. Aubin
A Tough Read
In MHUO (My Humble Unbiased Opinion) this not a sweet, gentle easy read. It has several hard topics and language and scenes that can be unsettling. But it is a really good story with a lot of heart that will not be for everyone. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: This review expresses my honest opinion.
I downloaded a copy of this story via NetGalley.

Cady is running a bookstore in a small seaside town that she inherited from her aunt. To be honest, the historical building isn't in the best of shape and neither is the bookstore. Enter Fox, a mysterious hermit of a customer who is helping keep the shop open with his weekly orders. Cady and Fox have some serious tension going on during their phone calls but have never met in real life. Both are lonely people with hard pasts, and these calls become the highlight of their weeks.
During one of these weekly calls, Nevermore Bookstore is broken into. Fox decides he needs to keep a closer eye on Cady, the girl he wants but thinks he doesn't deserve and can never have. He attempts to protect her and help her without ever telling her who he is. He goes above and beyond when he realizes Cady has a chronic condition that limits her physically.
I honestly loved Fox's inner monologue, he was a little dramatic and a lot of hilarious. I loved Cady's bookstore and the book club. The small town was atmospheric, there was a mystery, and a great found family. I simply adored the message that even people who are a little broken deserve their HEA.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and authors for the advanced copy of Nevermore Bookstore.

What drew me into this book was the adorable cover, but unfortunately my enjoyment of the book stops there. I thought this would be about a quirky bookshop and it's even quirkier owner...well it was but then enter Fox, our male lead. He creeped me out and not in the good way (I miss you Zade). The way certain things were described made me cringe, MANROOT I'm looking at you. A lot of the characters inner dialogue made me wish I didn't have to read inside their thoughts. Now I did enjoy the mystery aspect of this book and a character like Cady who had a disability that didn't stop her was a great form of diversity. I loved the inclusiveness.

This book is set to be released March 28, 2023

I was super excited about this one and unfortunately, I didn't love it. Parts of it were enjoyable. I loved the older ladies and their book club. I liked much of the first half of the book, but as it went on the story felt weird. I really had a hard time pushing through to the end.
I'm giving this 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 mainly for my love of Myrtle and the book club.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story of Cade and Fox. I loved this book and can't wait to read more from these authors.
Both main characters had struggles in life, but will they let it stop them getting the HEA? I liked that it was told from both points of view.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this title! This book was a super cute rom com and I cant wait to read more books to this series. Recently rom coms have been one of my favorite books to read and this one was super cute and cozy. From the title to the cover to the synopsis I was not disappointed to how this story turned out. If you love rom coms and you are a book lover too then read this book.