As always Poston delivers a charming and whimsical love story that is at once gut wrenching and cozy. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in this world although I found the story a little lagging in the end.

Thank you Berkley for my copy of A Novel Love Story. I’d say this was 3.5 stars rounded up for me. It’s a sweet story, perfect for readers who look to love stories as an escape for their own lives.

It did however feel underdeveloped at times. Getting caught up in the fantasy of this magical book land seems like a good enough reason for our main characters to fall for each other so fast, but I just personally didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped to. I wasn’t rooting for Anders and Elsy that much because it just all felt too rushed, and I couldn’t tell what he even liked about her. And I really didn’t want to hear about Anders’ “mint-green eyes” one more time.

I did really enjoy the reveal of Anders story, and the end was very satisfying, so I would recommend this to friends. It just wasn’t MY fave.

Elsy heads alone to her annual book club retreat this year. All the others of the book club bailed but Elsy really needs this after getting her heart broken and feeling stuck in her life. She heads to the cabin in her Pinto, yes a Pinto!, and finds herself caught in a terrible storm and ends up stranded in a small town. But as she starts to look around the town and meet its residents she discovers that this is the town and characters from her favorite romance series. The only character she is unfamiliar with is the grumpy bookstore owner, Anders. Elsy is trying to determine why she is even there. Is she supposed to help finish the last novel? Whatever the reason Anders is determined to stop her from interfering and get her out of town.

Ashley Poston has cornered the market on Cozy Romantic Fantasy. Although her stories are very different from one another they all have a sense of undeniable magic and romance. They are filled with great characters, swoon worthy love interests and lots of heart. This was my favorite by Poston so far. It had me chuckling and tearing up until the end.

4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
#NetGalley #ANovelLoveStory #AshleyPoston

I loved the seven year slip, and I liked the dead romantics. I thought this book was just OK. There were so many characters and side stories it pulled me away from the main plot.

3.25/5

This book really disappointed me, as I have really loved other books by this author. My Pros and cons:
Pros:
- I really enjoyed the concept and a lot of the story, it is a cool idea that you get stuck in the town setting of your favorite book series.
- I enjoyed the connections to Poston’s other works, particularly The Dead Romantics.
- Despite not particularly enjoying this book I will continue to read Poston’s work.

Cons:
- The character work, particularly with two main romantic leads, is just not on the page. We never get a real sense who Elsy or Anders is. All I feel I EVER got was Anders has green/mint/peridot eyes (btw all those are very different colors so?) and Elsy likes Romance books and seemingly nothing else. We don't really get motivations for these characters or have a single clue who they are... and we are supposed to be invested in their romance?
- The book often acts like the fictional book series is something we should be familiar with... but it like barely mentioned something 30% of the book ago and I’m meant to remember who this person is?
- Needed editing for length (as well as the above)

The nitty-gritty: Romance rules in this funny, sweet and unexpectedly thoughtful story about second chances.

Romance fans, this one’s for you! Ashley Poston has once again written an engaging, funny, heartfelt story with a touch of the speculative. After loving last year’s The Seven Year Slip, I knew I had to pick up A Novel Love Story, and I had such a good time with it! This is a true love letter to romance novels, and while some of the writing was a little over the top and too sappy for me, Poston successfully shines a rose colored light on romance fans and the books they love. Plus the title is simply perfect for the story.

Elsy Merriweather and her bestie Pru adore the Quixotic Falls books by Rachel Flowers, a romance series that takes place in a small town full of quirky characters (think Stars Hollow or Virgin River). They’ve even formed a book club centered around the books and call themselves the Super Smutty Book Club. Once a year, the book club members (who are scattered all over) meet at a cabin in the Hudson Valley to drink wine and dish over their favorite characters, but this year, everyone—except Elsy—is busy and has canceled. Elsy is especially hurt that Pru has opted to go to Iceland with her boyfriend instead, even though Pru insists that he’ll most likely propose to her on the trip. I mean, how can you argue with that?

Still, Elsy is determined to do the one thing she loves most, even if she has to do it alone. But during the long drive to the cabin, Elsy takes a wrong turn and winds up in an unfamiliar town. Or is it unfamiliar? The local diner is called The Grumpy Possum Café, there’s a bookstore called Ineffable Books, and when she spots the Daffodil Inn, Elsy is shocked to realize she’s been transported into the world of Quixotic Falls and the fictional town of Eloraton—impossible but true. Even the people who live here are the same characters from the books she’s grown to love. There is one person she doesn’t recognize, though—the supremely grumpy but attractive Anders, the owner of the bookstore. How does he fit into the books? Could he be the hero of Rachel Flowers’ fifth book, the one she never finished? As she and Anders grow closer, Elsy is torn between staying in her happy place or going back to her real life.

This was such a fun concept: to be magically transported into your favorite book world. What reader doesn’t wish that could actually happen? And you can tell that Elsy is absolutely thrilled. Her life for the past couple of years has not been great—her fiancé dumped her a week before their wedding, and even her relationship with Pru suffered from the fallout. So literally being able to interact with a fictional world and characters that she loves is a balm for her soul. What makes this concept really interesting is that the town of Eloraton is “stuck” in time. Because Rachel Flowers never finished the fifth book (due to her untimely death in a car accident), the characters don’t really know what they’re supposed to be doing. The inn is still being renovated from the last book, and no one knows who the book’s romantic couple is supposed to be. Even worse, when Elsy stumbles into Eloraton by mistake, her presence starts to change things, and suddenly the cozy, predictable world of Quixotic Falls isn’t as cozy as it used to be.

Ashley Poston takes all the tropes of romance fiction (and I do mean all) and has a blast incorporating them into her story (there's a bookshop cat named Butterscotch, for example). She throws in lots of little mentions of fandoms as well, like Twilight (remember when it was cool to be a fan?). I also loved the way she celebrates romance readers. Elsy is a fan of romance in general, but she’ a super fan of Rachel Flowers, and her love shines through as she navigates the town of Eloraton and its residents. Some of my favorite parts of the story take place in the bookstore, and at the end of the story is a wonderful bookish surprise that I wish I could talk about but I won’t.

But as lovely as this celebration of romance is, of course you can’t have the “sweet” without the “bittersweet” to go along with it. One of the main themes of A Novel Love Story is moving on, something Elsy has been trying to do since her breakup, but hasn’t been successful with until she finds herself trapped in a fictional town. There are so many things in Eloraton that are tempting her to stay. There’s Anders, and the possibility of a relationship with him, as well as all the other sweet and quirky characters that she fell in love with before she even met them. But then there’s Pru and her Super Smutty Book Club friends back home, and the thought of never seeing them again is heartbreaking. Poston asks the question, can you have true love and also live the life you want, or does embracing love mean you have to give up everything else? Elsy has some tough choices to make and it’s not going to be easy.

And just like the romance stories you’re familiar with, the author sticks to the tried-and-true tropes and delivers a feel-good ending that wasn’t completely surprising, but it made me happy. Here’s hoping Ashley Poston writes more speculative romance stories like A Novel Love Story, I’m ready for the next one!

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston is an enchanting read! Eileen Merriweather loves to read happily-ever-after stories. She has had a rough time and books are her perfect escape. While traveling to her annual book club retreat her car breaks down and she turns into a town that is not quite what it seems. She meets a grumpy book store owner and tries to figure out why the town seems so familiar. Almost like it is from her favorite book?

I enjoyed jumping through the chalk drawing to enter the world of Eileen’s favorite book. This is a delightful love story with fantasy, fun characters, and a fantastic setting! I felt very connected to Eileen and was hoping she could have a real life (or real book ) happily ever after. Eileen had a great circle of friends and it was delightful to get to know her book club. As a reader who has embraced fictional worlds and wanted to move into them the story brought me so much joy!

A Novel Love Story will make you smile with the characters, setting, and love story. This was the perfect story to get lost in! I highly recommend!

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

I thought that A Novel Love Story was alright but it’s definitely my least favorite of Ashley Poston’s books that I have read. I didn’t feel a ton of chemistry between the main characters. I loved the fictional town and characters and the story line, but the romance didn’t really work for me.

I am such a fan of Ashley Poston’s unique concepts in every book she writes. The blending of magic and mystery is always so fun and creative. This book was well written but not quite interesting enough to hold my attention from start to finish. I predicted some twists and was surprised by others. Overall it was a fun and delightful read.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the DRC and Libro.fm for the ALC.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

I really enjoyed this rom-com with a touch of fantasy and a whole lot of cozy! A Novel Love Story appealed to my humor and my heart, and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the town of Elatora with Eileen. The novel never explains the supernatural element, which for some might be frustrating, but I didn't particularly mind.

For sensitive readers, there are references to death of loved ones, cheating, and graphic sexuality.

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston is so cleverly self-referential as a nod to the romance genre and all it encompasses. Elsy, the main character, hasn’t gotten over a bad breakup, so she decides to go on the traditional book club meet-up alone (since no one else can make it this year) and gets lost en route to the cabin. She ends up in the town that is the setting for her favorite romance series. Meeting the characters from the books and trying to interact with them as if she doesn't already know their love story and everything about their lives proves to be an interesting dilemma for Elsy. And then Anders, a character she can't recall from the books, becomes a central figure in her journey and their love-hate relationship adds an exciting dynamic to the tale.

The twist in the plot may not be a mind-bender, but as the book emphasizes, the journey is the real fun. The characters in the town are well-developed, and Elsy and Anders are particularly noteworthy. Their complex and compelling nature adds depth to the story. If you're a fan of romance novels, this book is a must-read because it offers a unique twist on the genre. It cleverly plays with the tropes and conventions of romance novels while still delivering the cozy feelings and grand gestures that fans love.

This was such a fun read! I loved it! When Eileen's car breaks down on the way to her retreat, little does she know the quaint little town she's in might just change her life.

A Novel Love Story has that magical realism charm of Ashley Poston’s other adult novels with the added bonus of a Stars Hollow-esque setting, and I simply adored it.

When romance-loving, literature professor Elsy finds herself stranded in small-town New York, she quickly realizes that the town and its people seem eerily familiar. It’s as if she turned off the main road and drove through the covered bridge straight into her favorite book series.

Well, everyone is familiar, that is, except the “blond-haired Darcy” bookstore owner, Anders. She doesn’t remember him from her books.

A Novel Love Story explores what happens to the characters when a series is left unfinished, to whom stories truly belong, and what happens when people become unstuck in their lives and start living again.

The town is frozen in time; Elsy and Anders are a bit frozen themselves. Coming together may be exactly what they all need to begin moving forward again.

A few of my favorite things:
- How very bookish this book is (a town from a book + a bookstore owner + a literature professor whose mother was a librarian + a love of romance novels + an online book club that gets together once a year)
- The idea of daydreaming being seen as a talent
- The quirks of the small town and how quickly gossip travels
- The banter between Elsy and Anders

I received an advance copy from Berkley and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

I've been a really big fan of Poston's magical realism contemporary romances in the past! A Novel Love Story was written quite repetitively - the main character constantly harping on what love TRULY means (especially in the last 10% lol) and how absurd of an idea it is that Anders would find her attractive. That train of thought got really boring and felt a tad overkill Also, she describes his eyes as "minty" like a thousand times hahahah. But I loved how her platonic (and female!) freindships were held at such high importance, it was super sweet. The ending was just so full of platitudes and idealism that it lost me a bit. I still will always look forward to a Poston release though!

Have you ever wished you could just live inside your favorite novel? Eileen Merriweather finds herself in this exact situation after her car breaks down in a quaint little town that eerily resembles the setting of her favorite romance novels.

The characters from the novels are real and she couldn’t be more excited to interact with them! The only thing is…there is a new character who she doesn’t remember from the books and she can’t help but wonder if his story is the one left untold after the tragic death of the author. Is it up to Eileen to finish out the story herself? Does the final story include her own happy ending?

This book is so fun and there’s even a small mystery to solve along the way! Eileen’s self-discovery plays a large part in the plot and I loved watching her grow as she comes to terms with her new reality. The narrator was fantastic, as usual, and really brought this quirky town to life! If you’re looking for a fun, quick read to escape reality for a bit, this one is definitely for you!

It’s almost like living in a combo of Groundhog Day and some form of magical realism. Thank you @prhaudio for my early audio copy of @heyashposton new novel, A NOVEL LOVE STORY, out now.

I’ve read the Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip- both of which are just LOVELY, unique pieces of literature. Of course, she’s at it again with A NOVEL LOVE STORY.

Elsy is reeling from abandonment by her book club in favor of their big life moments. She goes on a roadtrip anyways, by herself, and lands in the midst of her all-time favorite romance novel series. A series that is unfinished due to the unexpected death of the author at a young age.

While in the town of Eloraton, NY she is in awe meeting all of the characters she knows and loves from the novels, except Anderson, the town’s bookstore owner she can’t seem to place as a character.

Some parts were confusing in a way that required me to suspend my belief (disbelief) in the events of the novel. I think it even borders on magical realism…but without the magic. Does that make sense?

"I wanted to get lost - and stay there."

Oh, Ashely Poston. What would I do without your words. This book felt so normal until its end, and suddenly I need to pick it back up and start from the beginning again. There is such an art in an ending, and yet, does this one actually end? Do any of our favorite books? The question gets asked a thousand times in these pages and yet I still don't know the answer.

To go on a tangent for a moment, Edward and Bella are going to live forever in my mind, never aging, forever standing still, and there is something so beautiful in the understanding that fiction can truly make time stand still for a little while. So that we <u>can</u> get lost, and stay there. I loved watching Eileen realize and grasp that concept, and finally understand that fiction is meant to stand still while we move on. This is the first book by Ashley I wasn't pushed to turn the page, but instead, sit in their curiosity and love.

It was new, it was a different experience, and it was just as magical as every read can be if you give it the chance.

Ashley writes, "Not all love happens as first glance - sometimes, it takes a reread at the exact right (or wrong) time in your life." I think that encompasses Eileen exactly, from start to finish. Realizing what the reality of love is rather than the dream that romance books paint for us. You fall into is gradually and then all at once, you fall into it because someone treats you the absolute right way, attempts to understand every little piece of you through trial and error. It isn't always on the first try, sometimes it's many attempts in, sometimes it sneaks up on you after knowing someone or something forever.

Watching her understand the differences between her favorite book: what she wanted to happen vs what could come instead. It was just so lovely to see someone recognize that each person you meet, each book you read, they're all going to be perceived in a different way from every person who opens their heart to it. We're meant to interpret differently, we're not meant to all be the same.

This book was so incredibly special because of its message. The timeless happy ending with a little snippet of: there might not only be one. And I loved it. I can't wait to read it again.

A Novel Love Story

Thank you Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I’m a big Ashley Poston fan and I enjoyed this too!

Eileen is on her way to a solo week at a cabin since her book friends are able to make their yearly tradition. When she runs into bad weather, she stops at a restaurant and finds she’s stumbled into her favorite book town with her favorite characters except for one person.

I think it’s something most book lovers would dream of doing. Being part of her favorite characters’ lives. I really appreciated how she helped them solve some of their problems and how it showed there’s no perfect happily ever after and it takes work. I would’ve liked a little more romance but it was still an enjoyable read!

I want to preface this review by saying that I don’t usually talk about editing issues in an advanced reader copy, but I truly couldn’t tell if what I perceive as problems are pre-final edit or intentional.

As a fan of Ashley Poston’s adult novels (both 5*) and YA books, I was really disappointed by this one. Despite the title, there isn’t much of a “story” in this novel. We’re introduced to a large number of characters where we’re immediately at a disadvantage since Elsy, the narrator, knows them from her favorite romance series, but we aren’t given enough info to see them fully-formed. So, it’s impossible to get invested in the fictional town of Eloraton, NY and its happily-ever-afters.

Elsy was a bit of a doormat and just boring, in my opinion. She even admitted that, in her last relationship, she adopted all her fiancé’s interests and added nothing of herself to it. When she magically found herself in the setting of her favorite book series, she wanted to stay because it was comfortable and familiar, and she didn’t have to (shouldn’t) insert herself but could just live vicariously through the characters she knew everything about and who would never disappoint her. All she seemed to care about was making sure everyone was happy, even if it meant denying herself that same happiness.

I felt the dialogue was awkward, and I didn’t get a sense of different “voices.” It was mostly in Elsy’s, for lack of a better word, “monotone” delivery.

I didn’t buy into the insta-love, especially since Elsy believed that Anders hated her for the first half of their 6 days together. There was no sexual tension, and when they finally got together, it was fade-to-black.

Here’s where I get into the editing issues that were highly-distracting. Anders’s taste and smell were mentioned 22 times! (Yes, I used the search function on my Kindle to confirm.) The first description was his jacket smelling like “woodsy cedar and chamomile tea and the old, loved pages of a childhood novel,” then just 5 pages later, he “smelled like oak and old books and the slightest hint of black tea.” So, different wood and different tea…and totally irrelevant.

His “minty” eyes are mentioned 19 times (yup, checked this one, too), but when he had strong feelings, they turn emerald or peridot.

Even the first kiss scene didn’t make sense, and I’m not sure if it was intentional or careless. “At first his kiss was timid…even as my hands came up and curled into his hair” and two paragraphs later, “At first, his kiss was wild and desperate…and I found myself melting into him, grabbing hold of his starched shirt.” Then three paragraphs after that, “I pushed my hands into his hair…and yes, it was just as soft as I imagined” although she had touched it five paragraphs prior. Make it stop!

So, at this point, you’re probably wondering why I gave it 3*. It’s because I really like Poston’s The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip, and I’m choosing to believe that many of these problems were fixed during the final edit. I also felt the story had enough potential for me to keep reading. I liked the defense of romance novels, especially by a college English professor, appreciated the way Poston connected Elsy and Benji from The Dead Romantics, and who doesn’t like a Brigadoon-type set-up. However, I was confused by the Groundhog Day scenario and why Elsy’s presence affected the daily thunderstorm.

Despite this faint praise, however, I just can’t recommend this story which is very sad. However, I’ll still look forward to her next novel.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A Novel Love Story is an original and cute story.

A woman, Eileen, gets lost on the way to a cabin and ends up in a fictional town from her favorite romance author. She meets all the familiar characters from the town, except for one she can’t place—Anderson. How does he fit into the stories?

This is a slow, slow burn romance and it was just okay for me. I wasn’t feeling the connection between Eileen and Anderson. I’ve come to realize that magical realism is not for me.

Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.