My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Romance, Books About Books
Spice Level: Spicy w/ a fairly slow burn
Tropes: Love in a new country, Grumpy / Sunshine, Book Lovers

I loved seeing Ireland through Em's eyes. The building relationship between her and Kieran is a lot of fun. One of my favorite relationships was Em going from hero worship of the novelist, Siobhan—Kieran's mother, to a deep friendship. It just made everything in the book matter more.

This is a book where Em comes into her own!

The book is too spicy for my taste because there's sex on the page, but I'm sure most readers will love that.

I recommend this book for spicy romance readers.

Happy reading!

Oh, my heart. This was just so adorable. It's got everything I like in a book - dislike (not necessarily hate) to lovers, librarians, bookstores, a fantastic setting - and the story just brought all of those great elements together. This book has a FMC sho is basically starting over in life later than she'd like to be, but I truly appreciate McKinlay making that a plot element because it does happen! And people do it successfully.

Love at First Book
By Jenn McKinlay

As a former bookstore worker, I am always drawn to stories about bookstores and I am so happy I read this one!
Emily Allen, former librarian from Martha’s Vineyards has taken the job of a lifetime as an author assistant to her favorite author Siobhan Riodan and part time bookstore employee. Going to work in the small village of Finn’s Hollow, Ireland is just what she needs to get away from her overbearing mother and finally have a life of her own. Working for her all-time favorite author is a dream come true, even if she must put up with the grumpy son Kieran Murphy who is also her boss at the bookstore.
Kieran Murphy is the son of Siobhan Riodan, and even through the author has had a 10-year case of writers block, he isn’t ready for her to start writing again for a number of reasons. Doing his best to give Emily the worst jobs at the bookstore doesn’t have the results he hopes for. Watching the battle between Emily and Kieran is such fun and despite his best efforts, he can’t help but like her.
The story is endearing and has such a wonderful cast of characters! I laughed, I cried and I couldn’t get enough of this story. I really hated for it to end.
Grab your copy of Love at First Book and enjoy!

Cheers to a 5-star review, and happy publishing week to @mckinlayjenn ‘s Love At First Book!!

This book is perfection. I tore through 70 percent of it yesterday and was reading it/listening to it between IEP meetings as I subbed today. I was hooked!

It gave me Last Call At The Local vibes with both the Ireland setting and the strong mental health representation via Em, and it just made my reader and writer heart so happy. Leaving the United States for a year to help run a bookshop in Ireland and act as a writer’s assistant to a beloved author?!? Sign me up!!

Voice actor @britpressley did an incredible job with the narration (her Irish accent was lovely!), and talk about giving me all the feels. The emotional scenes in this book were even more heartwrenching when you could tell she was getting choked up reading it, and my goodness, there were some ugly-cry moments for me toward the end.

I think what I loved most about Love At First Book is that the love story took a backseat to the found family and emotional growth plot lines. Em’s bond with Siobhan both touched and broke my heart, as did the relationship between Kier and Siobhan. I also appreciated how the locals of Finn’s Hollow fell in love with Em and rallied behind her, rooting for her HEA with Kier. I loved how much they loved and supported Siobhan, as well.

Kier and Em’s rivals to friends to lovers relationship development was great too, as was Em’s feisty banter with Kier. I loved how he brought out the extrovert in her, and I also appreciated how Em helped bring him closer to his mom by convincing him to read her books.

This book was pure loveliness, and I’m so glad I had the chance to read it. Just a heads up, you’ll want some tissues onhand as there is terminal illness, loss of a parent, emotional abuse, and some heavier mental health issues woven throughout this story. Jenn handles them with sensitivity and grace, but it makes for emotional moments.

This book came out yesterday, so grab it now!! Can’t wait to discuss!

In this slow-burn, small-town Irish romance we find Emily/Em/Red and Murphy/Kier in Finn's Hollow, Ireland. Emily is new to town, on a work visa to help her favorite author try to finish her hit series that has left her protaganist in limbo for the past 10 years. Kieran is the author, Siobhan's, son and is convinced finishing the series will rob him of his mother. He wants nothing more than to send Emily packing back to the states. Emily is splitting her time between Siobhan and working in Kier's shop so she has half of every day to endure his miserable tasks. What is clear early on, however, is the chemistry that exists between Kier and Emily and before long they give in and find a way to work together to get the book out together. The third act is an emotional ride and one that made the book even better in my eyes.

3.5 stars

Emily is a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard who has dreamed of traveling, but her challenging family dynamic has stopped her. When she sees Siobhan Riordan, her all-time favorite author, is looking for an assistant, Emily jumps at the opportunity, and next time she knows she’s off to Emerald Isle. Siobhan’s health is rapidly declining and she is determined to finish the last story in her popular series, but she hasn’t written in a decade. Her son, Kieran wants his mother to rest, unaware just how rapidly her health is actually declining. Emily finds herself in the middle, attempting to make peace between the two while helping Siobhan with the book and slowly falling for Kieran as well.

There’s something about Ireland that makes it such a sweet setting for a romance story. Pair it with a storyline all about writing a book and you have the perfect cozy vibes. I loved this book and how it was truly such a love letter to the people who write our favorite stories. This was a more emotional journey than I initially expected - between Emily’s incredibly toxic relationship with her mom and Siobhan’s cancer, there were many moments when I found myself tearing up. Much of this book focused more on Emily, Siobhan and the book, and the romance often felt secondary. However, the moments between Emily and Kieran were so sweet and tender, I was rooting for them and wanted more of their scenes.net

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Emily is a librarian who heads to Ireland to help her literary hero Siobhan write the final Tig novel, a series that helped Emily tremendously in difficult periods of her life. Siobhan’s son Kieran is not happy to meet her and tries to drive her away by saddling her with inventory using an ancient laptop she nicknames “Slo-Mo”.

The setting was absolutely dreamy! I loved the bookstore where most of the story takes place, but we also visit a gorgeous house and castle in their quest to finish the last Tig novel.

The romance between Emily and Kieran was so well done. I loved the slow burn between them as they got to know each other (despite Kieran’s best efforts to drive her away). I love that Emily describes herself as quiet but Kieran insists she’s feisty and anything but quiet.

This was a really fun read and I absolutely loved it!

Unfortunately, I thought this was just okay. While the premise sounded cute and loved the setting, for me, the romance fell flat. I don't think I ever understood why our main characters liked each other and Emily's inner monologue was immature at times. The dialogue was forced, some of the plot was pretty unbelievable, and I never got sucked into a story. I will say, towards the end, I felt like we were finally getting more depth from our characters but it was too little too late. I wanted to like this and I'm sad it wasn't a win for me.

Imagine growing up with a book series that meant the world to you… and it was never finished. Now imagine that you write to the author begging them to finish, and they not only respond but invite you to move to Ireland to help them finish writing it. Say what?! Maybe not the most realistic premise in the world but WHAT A DREAM!

Ever read a book at the perfect time? I went into my read of Love at First Book completely blind and I’m so glad I did. This story is such an unexpected gem. What is it about books that are about books that are complete magic?! And the setting- the perfect small town in Ireland with a bookstore hosting many of the story’s key moments. Is it obvious I loved this one?!

The narration by Brittany Pressley was absolute perfection. Her voice is so feminine so it is truly amazing how she just nails a male Irish accent. This story covers a multitude of subject matter and Pressley manages to bring humor, love and grief in the best way possible. I was impressed from start to finish!

Love at First Book may be my favorite Jenn McKinlay book yet. It has everything I want in a contemporary romance, from likable characters to a beautiful setting to a love of all things literary. This definitely leans towards women’s fiction, too, but in a way that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Emily Allen is a character I felt I could understand, even in the previous novel, Summer Reading. Shy and bookish, she longed to travel far away from her stifling home. With her anxiety, hypochondria, and troubled relationship with her mom, Emily needed a major change of pace, and it landed her in County Kerry, Ireland. Now helping her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, finish the final book in her series, and working at the author’s son Kieran’s bookstore, Emily is immersed in a close-knit family and a world of literature. But as much as she gets along with everyone she meets, Kieran is proving to be an unwelcoming grump and a thorn in Emily’s side.

What starts off as seeming incompatibility swiftly blossoms into something more. Enemies to lovers? Or just people with conflicting goals who happen to actually have a lot in common? Em and Kier have instant chemistry, from their insistence on using the wrong nicknames for each other to their literary quote battles. I loved seeing them realize the kind of relationship they could actually have with each other. (And, of course, I loved all the bookish banter and discussion!)

Partly due to Siobhan’s need for creative inspiration, she and Emily travel locally, giving readers a wonderful glimpse of western Ireland. Castles, some Irish history, and the quaint town they’re living in all paint a lovely picture of Ireland. I’ve only gotten to visit Ireland once before (and my sister lives there!), and Love at First Book brought me back in the best way.

There are some heavier themes throughout the book, from Emily’s mental health and toxic relationship with her mother, to some traumas in Kier’s childhood, to a health battle that has impacted Siobhan’s writing. As much as it can bring about tears, though, Love at First Book portrays everything with tenderness and a glimmer of hope.

While this absolutely works as a standalone—and seems to be marketed as a standalone—it does tie into at least two previous books. Love at First Book is set in the same world as Summer Reading; indeed, Emily is Samantha’s best friend from that novel. And if you remember Colin from Paris Is Always a Good Idea… it turns out he’s an off-page friend of Kier’s and the reason for a lovable Border Collie who occasionally steals the show here.

Love at First Book is a smart, emotional, and sweet book for anyone who loves literature or the Emerald Isle. It has chemistry and charm throughout, with a rich cast of supporting characters and a world that feels real enough to fall into. This has only further solidified my love of Jenn McKinaly’s writing, and I’m eager to read all of her back catalogue as well as anything that comes in the future.

This book took me completely by surprise and left me wrecked but so good.
Emily, a librarian, uproots her life to move halfway around the world in a small Irish village to work for her favorite novelist. She divides her work between helping with Siobhan’s new novel & working for her curmudgeon of a son Kieran in the family bookstore. Emily has her work cut out for her and with the Irish family’s secrets coming to light, she finds herself in deep with this beautiful and heartbreaking life.
I found myself crying while reading but loved this so much more than I thought i would.
Thank you to Berkley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Leaving or rather escaping the quiet of Martha’s Vineyard is something Emily Allen has finally found the courage to do. Although she equally adores her job at the library and her best friend Sam, her mother’s erratic and abusive behavior has ran its course. Emily gets a job as an assistant for her all time favorite author, Siobhan (pronounce Shi-vawn) Riordan who lives in a quaint village in Ireland. A dream come true, Emily packs her bags. She rents a lovely cottage and also works part time at The Last Chapter, a idyllic bookshop in the center of town. The shop owner and new boss happens to be the son of Siobhan. Kieran Murphy also happens to be the most handsome guy she has ever laid eyes on. As Emily learns the local speak and merits of a good whiskey Kieran begins to grow on her. The surly boss man has a soft spot for literature lovers and red heads giving Emily a grand start in the right direction. Their relationship is as impossible to keep secret in this small town as is Siobhan’s cancer which is back with a vengeance. Her dying wish is to finish the book series that has been on hiatus for a decade. As this latest chapter in Emily’s life is turned upside down there is only one solution. Filled with family, love and books, books and more books. This delightful story is simply unputdownable and I loved every minute of it!

Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay is a terrific enemies to lovers story. After the female lead, Emily Allen contacts her favorite author; Siobhan Riordan (what a name) she gets an out of this world response with a job offer. Emily jumps at the chance to work with Siobhan. And what makes it even better, is that she will have to travel to Ireland to do it. When she meets her new boss at the bookstore, little does she know that he is Siobhan's grumpy son. The banter through out the novel is laugh out loud funny. Eventually the grump and Emily start falling for one another. If you love enemies to lovers stories and would love a picturesque view of Ireland at the same time. Pick up Jenn McKinlay's new book today!

Love at First Book takes American Emily Allen, who is a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard, and transport her to Finn’s Hollow, Ireland where she’ll work together with her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan. Emily was nine when she started Siobhan’s series, Tig McMorrow, which she read as a comfort for her home life. She lived away from others, suffered from being psychologically abused by her mother, and having hypochondria. Escaping to Ireland for a new journey is exciting for a woman who only dreamed of it. The character who is trapped and dreams of going somewhere else before magically having the opportunity is nothing new in the literary world. At first, I was worried about how the author would set Emily apart, so I did like her family history to give her something unique to the character.

Emily not only works for her favorite author, but she also takes a job at a local bookstore, The Last Chapter, which is owned by Kieran Murphy (Siobhan’s son). There are essentially three pieces to this story: Emily exploring her new life in Ireland and going through her emotional journey, Emily forming a relationship with Siobhan, and Emily’s attraction to Kieran. While the story may be a romance, Siobhan was the center of the story for me. I loved Emily and Siobhan connecting and Kieran’s mother/son relationship with Siobhan. The romance was still good, but it wasn’t the main draw while reading. I think the three characters were well-done, but I think I wanted a little more Emily focus as the main character. There was a lot of exploration, but I expected more. Overall, this was a great light novel in a way as all the pieces worked together with ease mixed with some deeper emotions.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Berkley, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

5/5 stars

trigger warnings: cancer, terminal illness, mental illness and talks of child abuse

Jenn McKinlay can do no wrong in my eyes. I fall in love with each of her books because they are filled with incredible characters that have depth to them, mental illness representation, a beautiful sense of adventure, amazing endings and of course books!

I LOVED this setting and all the side characters in this quaint Irish town. I just wanted to live in this bookstore along with the cafe.

Kieran's character was a great grumpy to Emily's sunshine. I saw so much of myself in Emily and my heart grew for her each time I picked up the book. I loved their banter and the way they worked together at the end. Of course the steam was just enough and well written too.

If you love books about books, amazing characters, beautiful settings and a wholesome, emotional story, this one is for you!

A librarian moves to Ireland to help her favorite author write their final book, only to be met by his grumpy bookstore owning son. I loved this take on the fresh start and escaping your problems only to be met by new ones. The romance was sweet but the FMc growing into her own was stronger. This one is for book lovers who adore books about books, small town, dislike to love, and workplace romance. Strong family themes in this one but I really liked how both the mental (abuse) and physical (cancer) were handled.

As soon as I saw this cover, I knew this book would hit me right in the feels. Who wouldn't want the opportunity to pack your bags and just escape to Ireland.

This is what happened to our protagonist, Emily Allen. She is a librarian in Martha's Vineyard, but when her favorite author offers her the chance to help with a new book, Emily couldn't resist. Unfortunately, the author's health is declining, and her son is determined to stop the writing process in order for her to rest. Kieran is a very handsome bookish person, but kinda on the grumpy side. Emily and Kieran will have to put aside their differences and learn to put aside their differences to help Siobhan. I loved seeing the way the relationships evolved in this book. Emily's passion for books and writing was contagious and, of course, Kieran. Jenn Mckinlay is such a fantastic writer. Her way with words is just exquisite.

It is one of my truths that I long to read the books that characters are reading or writing. The book series that Siobhan is known for sounds delightful. Em is a great character, dealing with the trauma of her past, taking a chance on a job with her literary idol, being an asset to a book shop. Kier is an enigma I couldn't wait to unpack. Wonderful insights into family dynamics, forgiveness, bravery......enjoyable!

I have a personal rule: if a book manages to make me cry, then it gets an automatic five stars. Which is why I am giving this book an enthusiastic five stars with zero hesitation. A story has to really reach your heart in order to bring on a physical, emotional reaction. What elevated this book to another level was the fact that not only was it a deep-diving, emotional story, it managed to give the feel of a lighthearted rom-com at the same time.

Within the first few pages, I immediately connected to Emily. She's a romantic dreamer, a book lover, and occasionally a bit socially awkward. Her inner dialogue was often a funny daydream or a connection between her current situation and something in classic literature.

Her anxiety and insecurities produced a hilarious meet cute with the hero who happens to also be her new boss. Judging by the synopsis, I was imagining an enemies-to-lovers trope, but I wouldn't exactly call them enemies. Kieran was unwelcoming, sure, but his animosity was shown and explained in a way that made you understand his reasoning behind it. One of the big problems I tend to see with this trope is that the animosity/rivalry is written in a way that their behavior or attitudes make no sense. Their anger feels very contrived and surface level in order to present them as enemies. She never really, truly dislikes Kier, she is upset that he's trying to drive her away and that he uses underhanded tactics in order to do so, but she's crushing hard from minute one. On his side, he may be a bit of a jerk early on, but there are subtle hints that he thinks she's cute and that he respects her intelligence and backbone. Their shared encyclopedic minds filled with infinite book quotes is something that he can't help but challenge her with. He is constantly surprised and impressed with her ability to match his knowledge of books. I really loved that about these two.

Kier is a protective son whose only concern about Emily's job assisting his mother is that her health will suffer again if she becomes too focused on writing again. After a 10 year writing hiatus, Siobhan wants to write the long awaited conclusion to her bestselling series, but a horrible case of writer's block has prevented her from doing so. After receiving an inspiring letter from Emily, she invited her there to help her find her passion for writing again. As much as I loved Emily and Kier's combative/cute connection, I loved Emily and Siobhan's equally so. What really touched me was the deep friendship that developed between them in a short amount of time that Emily so desperately needed. She became a loving mother figure that she had never had and it was wonderful to see her blossom under Siobhan's sass and affection for her.

Emily is still dealing with insecurities and issues with hypochondria because of her mom's manipulative control and verbal abuse. Through therapy, she's much better, but she desperately needed more people in her life to give her positive affirmations and care. Kier's mother gives that to her, but the small town as a whole gives her a feeling of home and family that was beautiful to read.

Finn's Hollow was a quaint small town in Ireland that was described to perfection. The small town was so picturesque that you could imagine yourself there along with Emily, exploring and seeing exciting new places with new friends. You can tell when a book has been well researched based on the descriptions of food, clothing, locations, and the culture in general. Without a doubt, the author did her homework because it shows without feeling too wordy. As well, I found the writing to be beautifully heartfelt in the most unexpected moments.

The ending really hit me in the feels. Some of it was bittersweet, but Kier and Siobhan's complex mother-son relationship was closely tied to her last book. The lingering resentment that he held for her writing tied into painful memories from his past. They both needed to make peace with some traumatic events and Emily helped bridge the gap between them. Just as Emily found comfort and peace in Finn's Hollow, she helped to bring the same to the new people in her life she had come to love. None of the characters were without their own flaws, but was what helped them shine. We saw the light and the shadow, the pain and the strength in all of them and it's what brought them to life so well. This book was grand (as Kier and Siobhan would say) and I recommend it to anyone who loves these things in books:

• small town destination story
• found family
• great banter and rivalry
• endearing heroine with quirks
• brooding but sweet and protective hero
• poignant/emotional plot with humor
• literature quotes and references

I'm a new fan and can't wait to read more from this amazing author! This is going on my 2024 favorites list for sure!

This book was sweet, fun, and quick! The beginning was a bit slow for me, but once I got into the thick of it I was really rooting for Keir and Em!! I loved the concept of Emily moving to Ireland to help the author of her favorite childhood series write another book, it was unique and intriguing! Emily’s growth throughout the story is wonderful and I enjoyed her character from start to finish. Em and Keir’s relationship is fun and sweet. I loved the grumpy x sunshine aspects, the development and all of their sweet moments. I wish this book was a little longer so that we could see more of their love story!!