Emily is thrilled to be offered a job by her all-time favorite author and happily packs her bags and flies to Ireland to help Siobhan write the final installment in her series. Siobhan's son wants Emily - aka Red - gone and left to the peace and happy life they've grown accustomed to.
Jenn is so predictably good with character relationship development and laying out the back stories for all as the story unfolds. It's so easy as a bookworm to relate to and adore a bookish duo, particularly a heroine who carries an emergency book in her bag at all times.
I fully planned to only eyeball read this, but how do I not tandem read when Brittany Presley is the narrator? She is so great with emoting all the feelings the characters experience.
Thank you to @mckinlayjenn, @berkleyromance, & @prhaudio for the #complimentary arc and alc. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 ⭐️. 1.5 🌶️

This book got my attention from the beginning and never let it go. The story was beautiful and somewhat unexpected.

I love the cute slow burn romance. This was like a drink of fresh water. I came to this book after reading Magnolia Parks and if you have read that book you know what I’m talking about. I was so glad to encounter such mature characters. I love the concept of a reader working side by side with her favorite author imagine that, a dream come true. The story had funny, sad, and lovely moments. It did made me shred a tear or two🥹.

Why not 5 stars you may ask? Well I didn’t like how the first interaction between Emily and Kieran went I felt it was kind of inappropriate for a first meeting if this 2 characters both knew or had and inkling of who each other were. Also I was really never sure of what was going on Kieran mind and for a big part of the book I really couldn’t understand him.

This book will definitely go into my “to read again” list.

Ohhh a romance centered around a librarian, set in Ireland - yes please. This was delightful! I loved every second of this book and definitely will be suggesting it to everyone.

Love at First Book is a sweet love story set in a bookstore. Emily leaves her home on Martha’s Vineyard to become assistant to her favorite author who lives in Ireland. She also works in the author’s bookstore that is run by the her son. Any reader whose life was impacted by the books of a particular author will find a kindred spirit in Emily. I enjoyed the characters, the romance and the way Jenn McKinlay brought the book to resolution.

Thank you Berkley Romance for the free book and PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This novel is literally a book lover's dream come true. Imagine this: you get the opportunity to spend months in Ireland working in a bookstore and assisting your favorite author. Sign me up. That's exactly what Emily gets to do. And when there, she meets the romance novel handsome, Kieran, who runs the bookstore. Despite the cat on the cover, the book actually features an adorable dog, Shackleton. It puts together so many of my very favorite things.

I am such a sucker for books about books, and this was simply delightful. It made me think about writing and the process in whole new ways. And it felt so moving. I found the growing relationship between Emily and Kieran incredibly well paced and believable.

But I also want to warn that you should definitely check your content warnings. This book hit me hard. It was so well written and moving, but also intensely emotional. (The CWs are a bit spoilery, so DM me if you want more information.)

The audiobook was narrated by Brittany Pressley, one of my all time favorites. She did a delightful job performing the multiple accents and made me more sure of the pronunciation of the Irish character names. I alternated formats, so that I didn't have to put the book down.

4.25 stars

Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay

A year in Ireland is a dream come true for Emily Allen, leaving her domineering, negative mother in Cape Cod, and working as assistant for her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan. There’s are problems, though, as Siobhan hasn’t written a new book in TEN years, leaving the series at a cliffhanger (I’d hate that, and so do avid fans of the series). There’s much work to do and some urgency, to get the creative ideas unstuck and a book completed.
Also, Siobhan’s son, Kier, manager of The Last Chapter bookstore, makes it clear he doesn’t want Em there, and thus begin the fireworks. Speaking of fireworks, I’ll put in a warning for those, like me, more comfortable leaving the bedroom scenes “behind closed doors” with the reassurance that the scenes are brief and easily skipped over or speed-read if they bother you. I thoroughly enjoyed their clever quips and games of name the quote, and family and friends’ love, concern, and support for one another. An engaging book — might interfere with sleep, caught up in the tale.

Thank you @berkleypub and @prhaudio for my complimentary copies. My thoughts are my own.

This is such a delightful summer read and it will have you ready to hop on the next plane to Ireland!

When Emily accepts a job in Ireland, working with her favorite author, she is not prepared for the icy reception she receives from the author’s son, Kieran. But in spite of his determination to send her packing, she refuses to give up her dream job. Soon Em is happily helping the author with the conclusion of her series, but she also finds herself drawn to Kieran!

This one has everything I love in a romcom…likable characters, witty dialogue, heartwarming moments, and even a few tearful ones! I really liked the main characters, and I LOVED the bookish setting and the book within the book! The author does a beautiful job making the reader feel like they are in the idyllic Irish setting as well! This one gets all the stars!

Emily, desperate to finally get out from under her emotionally abusive mother's thumb, flees her home of Martha's Vineyard for a small town in Ireland to work as an assistant to her favorite author, Siobhan, and in a bookshop. But when the bookshop owner, Kieran, seems to despise her mere presence, it throws a wrench her plans--especially when she discovers he's Siobhan's son. But Emily is determined to both reinvent herself and help Siobhan finish the last book in her favorite series, that has gone unfinished for ten years--even if the hot, surly bookstore owner doesn't seem to want her to.

This book was such a feel-good story. It was wonderful to see Emily gain a backbone and finally break free of her toxic homelife, which we glimpsed in McKinlay's prior book, Summer Reading. I also teared up at certain emotional highs and lows in her and Kieran's journey working with Siobhan, who encounters some health issues. I rarely cry at books, but this one got me. It felt like everything ended where it was supposed to, though, and I look forward to seeing if any of these characters pop up again in future books.

Thanks to Berkley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 8/10

After a couple of dnf's, I was so thrilled to pick up this book that absolutely delivered. If you're looking for a fabulous romance with emotional depth and a hint of women's fiction, I absolutely recommend Love At First Book. Emily, Kieran, Siobhan, and the whole bookstore crew are some of my new favorite people.

This book made me laugh and cry, which are usually signs of a winner for me!

There are some content warnings but they're spoilery so feel free to message me if you're wondering

A big thank you to @berkleyromance @berkleypub for my complimentary e-arc

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for my complimentary eARC of Love at First Book.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have had quite a few misses this month in regard to arcs. This was a total HIT. I binged this one in a day. I loved everything about this book.

A librarian
-working in a bookstore
-in Ireland
-while also helping her favorite author finish writing a series.

Oh and the love/hate relationship with her hunky coworker.

I am so proud of myself for figuring out the story arc.
There were a few tender/sad moments but overall I was smiling by the end

‘Love at First Book’ was an utter delight.

Emily Allen is a librarian in Martha’s vineyard dealing with a difficult mother, trying to decide what to do with her life. She answers an advertisement to be an assistant to her favorite author Siobhan Riordan who is trying to complete the last novel in her series. It has been ten years since the author published a book, due to a severe case of writer’s block. Siobhan’s books were a lifeline for Emily during the difficult times in her life, and it is a dream come true for her to travel to Finns Hollow – the small town in Ireland where Siobhan writes, and her son Kieran ‘Kier’ Murphy runs a bookstore.

Emily immediately falls for Kier, but he is not happy that she is there, and the two of them spar continually while Em works part time in the bookstore, and part time for Siobhan. When Siobhan reveals she is in bad health, Em and Siobhan begin a race against time to complete the book. Em and Kier however are often at odds over what to do, and Em is both annoyed by, and beguiled by the handsome Irishman.

I absolutely loved the witty repartee between Em and Kier as they struggle with working together and each supporting Siobhan in their own way, their chemistry was amazing. The cast of characters in the novel were fantastic, and the location truly comes to life as the plot continues, and Em falls in love with the village. A typical enemies-to-lovers romance in some ways, this book took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions as Em and Kier kindle a romance, break apart, and move together again as they deal with a heartbreaking situation.

This book had some real depth as well as romance. I cried buckets at several places in this novel, while laughing out loud at others. I loved the way Emily handled the toxic relationship with her own mother, while tending the relationship with Kier’s mother. The fact that she found out how to be her best self along the way was very endearing. Also, what is not to love when the book is about books?!

I think I’ve read every one of Jenn McKinlay’s books, from her cozy mystery series to her romances, but I think this one is the best yet.

✩4.5

✦What to Expect✦
•Bookstore in Ireland
•Grumpy/sunshine
•Small town in Ireland
•Author
•He calls her Red
•Book lovers

✦Characters✦
•Emily Allen
•Kieran Murphy

✦Fav Quotes✦
“Have I kissed you yet today?”
“I don’t believe so, no,”
“Terrible oversight on my part.”

I think once you discover what truly falling in love is, you realize you never really were before; don’t you think?”

“And I choose you, Red. In this world or any other, it will always be you.”

✦Thoughts✦
Wow this book blew me away. I had no expectations going in and I absolutely loved it. I related to Em’s character so much! The banter and relationship with Kier, I was swooning and loved it. The relationship with Siobhan, I was not expecting that twist and honestly I cried several times. I can’t recommend this book enough, this 100% a book for book all us book lovers. What an enotional journey

SO cute! I can see this being loved by many. I adored Em and her awkward little self as she grew to become more confident, set boundaries with her toxic mother, and stuck to making her new life in Ireland work. I thought the hate-to-lovers transition was a bit abrupt & the MC was compared to romance novels too many times, but the ending had me in tears. This was a beautiful story and I loved it!

I laughed, I swooned, I sobbed, and then I swooned some more. Oh my gosh this book was a roller coaster! The romance in this is so sweet and swoony. You’re rooting for them from the very beginning.
I am currently learning to set boundaries and I felt so connected to Em in her journey. I loved the growth that happens with all of the characters. I loved the different mother/child dynamics and that Jenn McKinlay didn’t just try to make things miraculously better. It’s very true to life and such a healing read.
Definitely one that I will be picking up again and again. Such a lovely book!
Two of my favorite quotes from the book-
“In this world or any other, it will always be you.”
“All of my daydreams were always about you.”

A book about books? Sign me up! Emily left her job as a librarian to spend a year in Ireland helping one of her favorite authors and working at a local book store. While there, she meets Kieran, the author's grumpy son. Love at First Book is a story about starting over and finding love. It's heartfelt and touching, and charming. Emily's story is the literal dream of nearly every bookworm! The author did a great job with this one.

I really enjoyed this story with a bit of humor and lots of emotion. I did shed a few tears near the end. I really liked Emily. She is a librarian and kind of quiet, but when she gets to Ireland and meets Kieran, she gets a bit sassy. It is evident that Kieran doesn't want her there. Is she just another one of his mother's crazed fans? Emily has been a fan of Siobhan's books and when Emily was offered a job as her assistant, she jumped at the chance. The public knows so little of Siobhan's private life. Emily didn't know that she had a son or had cancer. Now Siobhan wants to finish her series. The last book was a cliffhanger, and she wants to finish the series, but she has had a bad case of writer's block. Emily has helped her come out of that, but Kieran doesn't want Siobhan working so hard. Emily and Kieran constantly butt heads and Emily can't understand why he doesn't want his mother to finish the series. There is a lot of old hurts that need to be brought out and there are some secrets revealed. Good story!

Love at First Book warmed this book lover’s heart! Such a winning combination of humor, romance, complicated family dynamics, friendship, and dealing with grief! The quaint, beautiful setting of Finn’s Hollow, Ireland was just icing on the cake!

Emily Allen, a librarian in Martha’s Vineyard, felt inspired by Samantha and Ben’s HEA (the couple from Summer Reading) to take life by the horns move to Ireland to take her dream job all the way in Finn’s Hollow, Ireland. Working for her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, as assistant part of the time and filling in at her son’s bookstore, The Last Chapter the other part. While she’ll miss Sam, her best friend, taking the job removes Em from her mother’s manipulative clutches. That woman was something else!

What Em doesn’t count on is Kieran Murphy, Siobhan’s son, being less than happy with her arrival. This still doesn't dim Em’s elation with the whole situation. Siobhan is a dream to work with and the town and its quirky occupants are just lovely!

I find enemies-to-lovers a tricky trope. If the exchanges are too mean I’m not a fan. Not the case here. I absolutely loved the slow journey Em and Kieran took to love. They had some fun push and pull between them, and I was thrilled to see Em stand up for herself. I was so happy Em had done the work to get free of her mother’s bullying and used that going forward.

I didn’t expect the story to quite so emotional and break my heart, but it did, but it also left me with so much joy!! I won’t spoil the story by elaborating. There was plenty of humor and lightness to balance out the grief and it just felt right. Love at First Book is a definite recommend!

Love at First Book was not at all what I expected. I went into it expecting a fun, lighthearted romp in the country I’ve always longed to visit, and while it certainly had plenty of moments of fun and humour, it was also incredibly emotional in many ways. It was also wonderfully romantic and heartfelt, and I completely fell in love with Em and Kieran’s story.

Em and Kieran have a truckload of baggage and trauma between them, with one looking for change and the other avoiding it at all costs. Emily grew up with a narcissistic mother who verbally, emotionally, and psychologically abused her, which led to Em feeling trapped in her own life. When she had the opportunity to move to Ireland for a year and work as an assistant to her favourite author, she jumped at the chance. Kieran is the son of said author, and has his own family-related trauma to deal with that slowly comes to light throughout the course of the book. I loved how these two slowly helped each other open up, shine a light on their shadows, and begin to heal. Kieran brought out a side of Em that she never knew existed. With him, she was feisty and fiery as she learned to use her voice after years of being silenced, criticized, and verbally abused by her mother. Their interactions ranged from hilarious to sweet to frustrating to swoony to steamy, and I loved their banter and chemistry. I appreciated both of their growth and especially enjoyed watching Em growing her courage muscle, stepping outside her comfort zone, finding where she belonged, and building a life she chose rather than one she felt trapped in. I also enjoyed the mental health rep with Em's hypochondria/illness anxiety disorder.

I also liked how this felt like a story within a story. The Tig McMorrow books were a big part of the story in many ways, and I think a lot of people will relate to that feeling of a series really awakening something in you and touching you deeply. Having those stories heal a part of you, making you feel less alone, making you feel seen. Wanting to be as brave and bold and fearless as those characters and embodying those qualities without even realizing it. It was a really beautiful full-circle sort of feeling knowing those books meant so much to Em and helped her in her darkest times and then having her not only get to work for/with Siobhan, but get to know and love her as well.

I do wish there had been a bit more closure with Em’s mother. She was such a big presence at the beginning of the book - calling and texting Em constantly, berating her, demanding she come home - and then there was just nothing. On one hand, I’m relieved we didn’t have to watch the abuse continue because it was upsetting to read and I’m also glad Em was in therapy and had learned to set boundaries and stick to them, but it felt like an abrupt change with no real moment of Em ‘being done’ or telling her mom off. I know with someone like her mother, Em would never ‘win’ and would never really get through to her mom or make her change, but it felt a bit like a loose end to me.

Love at First Book was such a lovely, heartfelt story. I know these characters are going to stick with me for a long time.

3.5 rounding down.

Cute, heartwarming, and surprisingly emotional.

Kieran and Emily's relationship was very sweet and their banter was fun to read, because it made me laugh and root for the two to get together due to all the chemistry they had. The relationship itself was a bit clunky- they picked the absolutely wrong time to start making out and I wish the fmc had more restraint to be able to back off until she gets things in order.

I did enjoy reading Kier and his relationship with his mother, and how that blossomed over the course of the story. Some revelations were very sweet and I did tear up at points. Emily's backstory, on the other hand, didn't quite feel as resolved as Kier's; she left the United States to travel, work with her favorite author, and get a bit of distance from her toxic mother, but her mother's part in the story faded away quite early on. A couple of throwaway lines is not a resolution, especially when it pertains to the main character's backstory and character development.

Her character development is also rushed, too. She says she struggles with conflict and standing up for herself, but from the moment she stepped into the bookstore, she gave it as good as she got. Other than a couple of thought lines, Emily didn't give off the vibe that she was uncomfortable with conflict or certain situations.

Though sometimes it felt a bit rushed and juvenile, I did enjoy the story, the flow, and the characters.

thank you Netgalley for the arc

I just absoloutely loved this book! I read McKinlay's "Summer Reading" last year, my first book from the author and I really enjoyed her writing so I was naturally thrilled to get an early look into her newest novel and I actuall enjoyed this one even more than the other!! I went on a trip to Ireland last year so a week and I feel like I could really picture all of the moments between Emily and Kieran and it was so heartwarming! This book really swoops you right into its world and its just a delicious cozy read for anyopne who loves love!