Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Poston, and Berkley Publishing for my digital ARC. After a literary professor’s car breaks down in the middle of a small town, she finds herself stranded in the middle of the fictional stories that she reads! Trying to be patient while waiting for her car to get fixed, she’s forced to stay in the town she’s read in books with her book club girls who she was meaning to meet up with. But while she waits, she sees all the characters she read in the romance books come to life & isn’t sure what to do with a man who’s still trying to find his own love story. Okay I LOVED the storyline idea of the FMC practically living in the romance novels she read with her book club. I feel like with AP’s writing, I like it, but I feel like I need a little more “oomph” to get me over to five stars. I think a ton of us book lovers will enjoy this!!!!

This was such a fun addition to my Poston shelf! The premise—a romance reader falls into the small town fantasy she's always read about—is just delicious, and the way it plays out is surprisingly unexpected but with plenty of tropes to deliver on the goods. A fun, escapist, cozy, and heartwarming read. Loved it!

Ashley Poston is such a lyrical writer. I loved seven year slip and i knew this one was going to be amazing. I had to no idea what to expect going in because i don't normally read the blurbs of book i like to go in blind, and wow did it live up to my expectations! It is simply perfect for book lovers, i loved being immersed in this little world so much. Highly recommend!

I loved the premise of this book. A romance reader/lover is headed to a book club retreat but stumbles upon the fictional town her favorite book series is based off of. She meets all the characters she’s so familiar with and a new character who feels familiar but can’t quite figure out who he is. I enjoyed many aspects of the book however at times, the story fell flat for me. Like it was missing something to truly have my attention grasped. I did love all the quotes and parts that truly described being a romance reader and lover. It really made me feel seen in a special way. I liked Elsy’s character— she felt v relatable esp the parts where she was like “I can find romance in books so I don’t need it irl right?” hahaha mood!!!

I thought the characters in the town were all so cute and quirky in their own way which added excitement to the story. I do feel like the last 15ish% of the book was my fav bc it really picked up at that point. But leading up to that point— there were many moments I felt the story was too slow for me. It makes me sad I didn’t adore this book bc the seven year slip is one of my fav books of all time but it’s ok i’ll survive!!!!!!

tysm to berkley romance and netgalley for the arc!!!

I love a good fantasy, and I love a good romance. Which naturally means I am attracted to Ashley’s romance books due to her dose of magical realism she loves to throw in there. There is also something comforting about the books that she writes. Finishing her novels feels like coming home. And this one was no different. Also... what book lover wouldn’t like to escape the real world and live a few days in the books they love so much? While I did expect slightly more romance from this one, I understood the message to be not that of a ‘small town romance’. But one more so about a girl who is finding herself and recognizing that often times you must let go of the past to move forward. And sometimes you just have to take chances, even if they are the wrong ones and even if they’re scary. It’s an exploration of self-worth and self-love. I loved this theme in the novel. And the ending had me feeling the feels.

Sadly, some things did fall short for me. While I understood this books focus to not solely be the romance story, I still think the romance that was there could have been better. I just didn’t feel the connection between the characters for a long time. It felt a little weird. Then suddenly it was something. The first 60-70% of this book also seemed to drag on a bit. I wanted more to come out of Anders and Elsy’s relationship sooner. I wanted to know more about Anders. I also could understand that the friendship between Elsy and her friend Prudence was strong, but somehow their storyline just did not do it for me. I think there was just a lack of depth with some of these characters that made it hard to connect with them. The flashbacks also were sort of random it felt like at times. Or I was confused as to what was happening when it would randomly jump to a flashback for a bit. This book is probably my least favorite of hers that I have read so far. I absolutely LOVED The Dead Romantics. There was so much to that story that just stole my heart and had me in tears, the good and the sad, and so much that I could personally relate to. Seven Year Slip was also great. So naturally I loved the easter eggs tied into this book. The last 20% though is what rounded this up to a 4 Star read for me. It all came together at the last moment and made pushing through completely worth it.

This is a magical, amazing book! I believe this is Ashley Poston’s best book yet!
In this book, Elsy is still reeling from the worst year of her life. Heading to a cabin for a much needed vacation, she gets lost and finds herself stuck in the fictional town of her favorite book, with all her favorite characters. There she meets the grumpy Anders, who is the only one that knows the town and everything in it is from a book series that was never finished. Frozen in time, nothing changes in the town, until Elsy starts interacting with the characters. As Elsy helps solve the townspeople’s problems, she might just find herself healing along the way, and falling in love.
First off, I loved the concept of this book! As someone who would love to visit the fictional town of one of my favorite book series and get to interact with all the characters, Elsy’s fangirling was so relatable. Who wouldn’t be excited about the prospect? It felt very much like a mash up of the first season of Once Upon a Time, Gilmore Girls, and something unique thrown in.
Second, I really liked the characters in the book. Elsy is a strong protagonist who despite going through a hard time, makes some real changes along the way to herself. Anders is mysterious, brooding, and grumpy, but still charming and caring. The townspeople all felt vivid and lively and unique from one another. The only character I wish we got to know more of was Pru. For most of the book she’s mostly seen in flashbacks or thought about by Elsy and while we’re told they have a strong relationship, it’s hard to see.
I would say this book is more contemporary literature and magical realism than romance. Romance is definitely part of the book, I just feel like it takes a back seat to the overall plot of Elsy growing as a person and the fictional town. I was totally happy with that, but readers looking for a stronger romance plot may be disappointed.
5 stars, and already looking forward to Poston’s next book!

I really enjoyed this book, it was unique. I loved seeing books come to life and MAN I wish the other books were real. It was a liiiiiittle hard keeping track of the characters in the town because I didn't really know their stories or tropes. It broke my heart that he was the fiancee but then he STAYED because of that girl and then he showed up and everything was fine...Just a little confusing.

Ashley Poston has such a way with words and as always this book was so beautifully written and heartwarming.

Imagine getting dumped in your favorite fictional small town, to discover all the characters from the books are real and right in front of you, existing as they did on the page. This is exactly what happened when Elsy, romance reader obsessed, has her car break down in a random small town. Just to find out she’s in Eloraton, her favorite Novel’s town to be specific, and all her stand out couples are real!!

This book is a love letter to readers really, especially to romance readers and readers who love to imagine being in their favorite stories. I connected so much to this aspect of the story and found it so comforting. There was a lot I felt was missing in this story but the biggest takeaway for me was the connection I felt to Elsy as a reader.

I did not feel as though this book was truly a romance, the romance was secondary if non-existent for the majority of the book. I think this is a good expectation to have going into the story in order to appreciate it for what it actually is, a story of finding yourself when you’re lost and desiring maybe a different reality to the one that you imagine.

Elsy was such a wonderful character and her adventure in this town was fun to follow, however the middle did feel slow to me as the story tended to be more side character driven at times, and less focused on the romance or even the primary plot, I just felt a bit lost as a reader for a portion of time.

I do however recommend this book for those looking for a story dedicated to one’s love for fictional stories and how our imagination can really teach us about our own lives. I found myself a bit disappointed overall, but the ending was so so sweet and there are definitely some amazing lines in the book that I was remember and go back to!

3.5/5

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the arc.

I AM IN AWE! 5 Stars! This was everything I wanted and more. I stayed up til 2 am to finish this book and it left me in tears. I think this is going to be my new Roman Empire....

"A Novel Love Story" by Ashley Poston is a delightful tale that sweeps readers into the enchanting world of romance and literature. If you loved The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston and Book Lovers by Emily Henry, this one is for you! I have never felt so seen and relatable to a character as I did with Eileen. This book is for the hopeless romantics at heart who dream of their own book boyfriend and find solace in the pages of romance books.

Poston masterfully weaves together the elements of romance and literature, creating a narrative that is both captivating and heartwarming. The chemistry between Elsy (Eileen) and Anders is so electric and it is the sunshine x grumpy trope we all know and love!

I for one would absolutely love to dive into the town/setting of my favorite romance novels and meet those characters. This book had funny, captivating, tearful, and moments with shocking twists that will keep you wanting to turn the pages. I absolutely adored The Seven Year Slip and it stands to be one of my TOP romance novels, but I feel like this one is about to take that spot for me. It was that good!

I am so excited for this release, thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ashley Poston's gift is crafting romance with an element of science fiction that's still believable and enchanting to the readers.

From psuedo-ghosts to time slips--- love finds a way through barriers in her previous books (The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip) and she continues that trend in A Novel Love Story.

"A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction… literally.

Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.

But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…

Because it is."

For any reader that's lost themselves in a fictional world when the real world is too much-- A Novel Love Story is for you.

Elsy is lost in the world of her favorite book and getting in person lessons from the characters she's been reading and re-reading for years. Through Elsy we meet a woman who's lost herself and is stuck in a holding pattern going through the motions of life.

Once she's in Eloraton there's a freedom she finds to trusting her instincts and trusting her voice. Is it enough to pull her out of her shell when she enters the real world?

And who is the grumpy bookstore owner she doesn't remember reading about? The reader can take their own lessons from him... but I don't want to give away his journey.

Elsy's reliance on fiction to buoy her staid life is so relatable, and the journey she takes to go from avoiding things to tackling life head on is one the reader will fall in love with.

A Novel Love Story is truly every reader's dream of a story. Eileen Merriweather, lover of romance novels just like so many of us readers, stumbles into her favorite fictional small town following the events of a broken engagement and feeling like she is disconnected and falling behind in the life in comparison to her friends. This book wasn't my favorite, but it had many stand out elements, I just am unsure if it came together in the best way possible. To start, I think this book was missing having a "main driver" of the book, while shelved as a romance novel, I think the romantic build of the relationship felt secondary/potentially underwhelming. I don't think this would have bothered me much if this story had a stronger plot and really leaned into the women's fiction aspect, but I also found the plot to be lacking. The events of this book stay relatively self contained to Eileen existing in this small town and interacting with her favorite fictional characters as real people. I was fairly entertained by this, but from the 40-70% mark I found myself wanting a little more action going on. I absolutely love Ashley Poston's writing and the main stand out of this book for me was her beautiful prose and the eloquent way she described what it MEANS to be a reader, I don't think I have ever felt my love for fictional worlds and characters so perfectly described. This book is VERY descriptive, which didn't totally bother me because I viewed it more or less as a book within a book so the more lengthy descriptions made sense to me, but it did lose me slightly when I saw certain descriptions be repeated time and time again. Overall, not my favorite, but I would still recommend reading this one.

This book was so cute, charming, and whimsical, and honestly felt like a Hallmark movie in book form. Elsy lives out every book lover's dream of getting to experience and live in her favorite book series, and I really enjoyed the overall premise. This was only my second Ashley Poston book, and this was definitely my favorite of her two books that I've read.

Given that the ARC copy I received was an uncorrected proof, there were some minor grammatical/mechanical errors that I picked up on - but nothing was really distracting from the story itself. I did find myself getting bored with some sections where it felt like the chapters were dragging on longer than needed. By the time I reached the 65% mark, I was fully engrossed in the story and the characters, and finished the book in that one sitting.

I really loved Elsy and her relationship with her best friend, Pru. All of their thoughts and feelings towards books mirrored so much of the ways that I feel about books, so a lot of it felt like I was just talking to a bookish friend about our love of books. Ashley Poston really knows her audience with this one and I'm looking forward to possibly giving this a reread once it's officially released! And thank you to NetGalley for the arc! ♡ ♡

This was genuinely one of the best books I have read so far this year. It felt all at once familiar and brand-new, and I found myself lost in the subtle magic of the story. I laughed out loud, I cried, I grieved and celebrated. I enjoyed falling through every page the way Elsy fell a little bit more in love with the world around her each day. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed Poston's other books, anyone who ever wished they could live in a literal Hallmark small town, anyone learning how to do life after loss, and generally anyone who likes a well-earned and well-deserved happily ever after. 10/10!

This is a cute story. It’s not my favorite Ashley Poston book but it was cute and original.

A story that comes to life before her very eyes, Elsy stumbles upon Eloraton, the town of her favorite book. We watch her meet her true to self characters except one person isn’t mentioned in the book but is a pillar in the town. So what’s up with him? Well, a cute story tells this tale.

Thank you for this copy!

I have LOVED both books I've read by Ashley Poston, so I was excited to open this book immediately. Right from the start the concept is intriguing....a book lover ... in a personal rut...takes a road trip and gets lost...ending up in the fictional town from her favorite book series...the one that never finished because the author passed away before the fifth and final installment. I had to figure it out, I had to know what brought Anderson there and how would Eileen be able to leave these characters? If I ended up in my favorite book series, I'm unsure I could pry myself away either.

I will admit, I was partially distracted through portions of this book, wondering if Anderson was real or fictional...He seemed real, but was it too good to be true? I did enjoy the ending of the book that was one where it could come full circle for not only Eileen's life and friendship with her best friend Pru, but also where life could come full circle for Anderson. That made your heart happy,

I will continue to look forward to Ashley Poston's books, as they have an extra element of "what's going on here" in a magical sense that your traditional romance books don't typically have.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Expected publication June 25, 2024

This is a wonderful whimsical read for any romance reader who has fallen love with the setting of their favorite book and the world the author has created. A sweet read with likeable characters with a lot of appeal for readers. Get lost in the charm of this book.

Poston's third novel is essentially every reader's dream come true. Who among us hasn't dreamt of living in a book, becoming a part of the setting, down to the book boyfriend? I can think of at least 4 or 5 books off the top of my head that I would, without hesitation, jump into right this second. So, yeah, the premise is genius and essentially a love letter to readers - especially romance readers. Is it perfect? No. I have some issues with the female MC, and the slow burn was a bit TOO slow for my taste. Well worth the read, though, and a must for romance lovers.

This book basically a love letter to the romance genre - and a bigger “fuck you” to the haters.
It’s a dream we all have - you suddenly find yourself in the world of your favorite series. You meet the characters you e always loved, relive iconic moments in places you’ve always wanted to see. And the best part? You get your very own book boyfriend.
As a person with many, many book boyfriends, how could I not love this?
I love Poston’s prose - it’s lyrical and gorgeous, sad and hopeful and full of banter. I found myself smiling so many times. Her use of magical realism is fantastic, as well. It just works.
I could really relate to Elsy, the FMC. Probably most readers can in some way, especially if you’re the type to get lost in books when things are difficult, or have favorite stories you revisit again and again. She also struggles with her identity and being a chronic people pleaser. It’s so easy to drown in someone else until you can’t recognize yourself anymore, and I loved seeing that in text.
And Anders? Top tier book boyfriend. Would marry. (Despite being blonde.)
What I didn’t like - some repetitive phrasing and spelling/grammatical errors. That’s it, really. And given that this is an uncorrected proof, I assume a lot of it will be fixed during editing.
𝐀 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 will be available to the public on 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟐𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒.

Thank you @berkleyromance, @berkleypub, @netgalley, and @heyashposton for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

After devouring Ashley Poston's novel, The Seven Year Slip, I eagerly delved into A Novel Love Story. Poston's unique storylines and compelling characters never fail to charm me, effortlessly blending depth with a refreshing, entertaining tone.

Although A Novel Love Story didn't quite reach the heights of The Seven Year Slip for me, its charm and endearing qualities were undeniable. While the initial pacing felt a tad sluggish, I found myself increasingly engrossed as the story unfolded, particularly drawn in by its midpoint. Admittedly, I felt like the conclusion lingered a bit longer than necessary.

However, despite these pacing nuances, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. The characters, notably the dynamic friendship between Eileen and Prudence, along with the endearing camaraderie within the book group, added layers of depth and warmth to the narrative.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Loved this! Another heart warming, slightly magical tale from Ashley Poston. I'm loving the collection of work she's building and she's nailed it again this one. I finished it in two days!