"Sometimes, a book can change your life. It's hard to explain that to someone who doesn't read, or who has never felt their heart bend so strongly toward a story that it might just snap in two. Some books were a comfort, some a reprieve, others a vacation, a lesson, a heartbreak. I'd met countless stories by the time I read a book that changed my life" - A Novel Love Story

This book is the perfect love letter to any reader. To those who found their 'home away from home' in the pages of a book. There's a German word for it: fernweh. A longing for far off places. As readers, it's heartbreaking since you know that "home" doesn't really exist. The place and characters are just ink on a page. Rereading the story satiates that hunger for a bit. However, you already know the story. There's no newness beyond "The End". But it's sweet to imagine the what ifs. Sometimes I think it's better we don't see what lies ahead of the happily ever after. It's like carrying a photograph of a special memory. A brief snapshot of fictional characters' happiness and the joy I felt at the time of reading it. Our lives are complete stories though. They have a beginning, middle and end. We are the main characters. And I will happily carry the thousands of stories that I have read with me in my heart though all of it.

I didn't think Poston would out do my love for The Dead Romantics. But within 3 chapters, I knew this was going to be my new fave. I cannot wait to reread it. Ashley Poston is one of my favorite authors. I just know we would be friends in real life. She pours her heart and soul into these stories. And you can really feel it shine through in this new book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Poston & Berkley for a digital galley of A Novel Love Story in exchange for an honest review.

Ashley Poston is an auto-read author for me. I don't even need to see the cover art or read the description. I know I'm going to love no matter what and this was no exception!

Elsy does not believe good men & happily ever afters exist in the real world, which is why she likes to lose herself in fictional love stories. I mean, Elsy sounds just like me, to be honest!

While traveling to her annual bookstore retreat, Elsy's car breaks down in a town frozen in time and is the exact town from her favorite romance series. The author of the romance series died, so the series was left unfinished. Elsy feels that it is her purpose to finish out the last novel. The only problem is the sexy grump of a bookstore owner who is out of place and not someone Elsy recognizes from the series. And he seems hellbent on keeping Elsy from finishing the series.

In typical Ashley fashion, this story was absolute romantic perfection! The characters are so charming that you just want to eat them up. I LOVE the concept of getting stuck in a real-life Hallmark movie and potentially ending up with a real-life storybook prince charming. The concept alone is amazing, but a concept and the actual story are two different things - UNLESS it's Ashley Poston - then, the story is even better than the concept.

This was yet another 5-star read for me. I will be highly recommending this one.

Interesting premise, but the execution could have been better.

Who wouldn't want to end up in the fictional world of their favorite book? (Unless it's post-apocalyptic or a fantasy read) Elsy has been single for a while, her best friend is gonna get proposed to and she hasn't gotten over her ex. The fictional world of her favorite romance book series is where she gets transported to after taking a wrong turn on her solo trip.

She's obviously awed meeting her favorite characters in the flesh and tries to fit into her favorite fictional world. She also meets a handsome bookseller who wasn't in the original books, and thinks that the next part of the series was supposed to be about him. But when she starts to fall in love with him, she questions her sanity and her feelings.

I feel like the concept of the book was good, but the execution could have been better. The book didn't make me feel invested in them, and it just seemed like a typical story with nothing different than the other books out there. If there were more backstories about the book characters, or even more about Elsy, I would have been more invested in the outcome. All in all, the concept was good but it could have been a better book.

I'm a big Ashley Poston fan and I think she hit this one out of the park too. I loved Elsy and Anders as a couple, but I also loved them separately as they came to understand themselves more and grow. The secondary characters were charming.

I really loved the meta ideas that this book has. Elsy is a huge romance fan and, specifically, of the romance novels she finds herself in. The author is able to balance the meta look at romance novels, with the book still being a romance very well.

Overall, I would highly recommend A Novel Love Story and I will gladly devour whatever Poston puts out next.

Eileen loves romance novels - especially those by Rachel Flowers and the universe she has created in her romance series revolving around a fictional town called Eloraton. After Eileen's very bad year including her fiance leaving her one week before their wedding and the unexpected death of Rachel Flowers, Eileen finds solace in her online book club which includes her best friend Pru. Their book club meets in person once a year on a retreat at a cabin in the woods where they discuss romance novels and the could have been fifth novel that was never finished in Rachel Flowers' series. Except for this year. This year everyone is busy and Eileen is on her own, deciding to go to the cabin alone for a little one on one book retreat. That is... until her car breaks down during a rain storm in a middle of quaint town. That town? Eloraton - the town of her favorite romance series, created by her favorite author.

It can't be real, but yet it is and all of the characters of her favorite books are here - stuck between the end of the fourth book and the unfinished fifth book. Elsy is sure she's here to finish the job and give all of the characters their storybook ending, except... there's a character she can't place. A very grumpy bookstore owner who she can't seem to place and in NO WAY wants her to send ripples or any kind of change within the town. He does not want her finishing the book.

I will admit... That I'm a little SPEECHLESS. I finished this book in less than 24 hours and I have to say wow, I really did love it. I love the magical realism and the little magic twists that Ashley Poston has placed in all of her adult novels thus far, and I think it was only a matter of time until she develed into her main character somehow finding her way into the fictional town within a book! It's odd to me, but it just makes sense that this would be the next step! I felt such great warmth and chemistry between Elsy and Anders... and it was just really fun to see Elsy interacting with all of the characters in the town.

The only complaint I have about this book is that the ending felt very similar to the previous two of Poston's books in a sense that you have this magical element in the book and think "oh well she can't be with her love interest ACTUALLY because of this magical thing," but then yes in the last quarter of the book there is this little twist that actually it isn't actually what the main character thought or assumed at all. They CAN be together because x, y and z. Which is fine, but it is just something that I have picked up on in the previous two books and seems to be a bit formulaic in that regard. However, I still did really enjoy the book and Poston really broke my heart almost with that chapter where Elsy actually LETS Anders go to be with "Bea" in Eloraton - which is crazy because Bea isn't real, but Elsy was still willing to let him go. And I kept waiting in the next few chapters for him to come back and he didn't and I was getting so scared, but then I could breathe a sigh of relief when he showed up at the bookstore.

My other regret about this book is regarding Rachel Flowers' fifth book. I would have loved to have more of a nicely tied up bow on that aspect of the story? It's nice to know that Elsy and Anders have an idea of how everything turned out in Eloraton, but I would have loved to see them finish the rest of the book together? I get that it's Rachel's work and to just let it continue on without her, but I mean come on... You have Benji there to publish it and even Florence to finish the ghostwriting for the final book in the series, but I guess maybe the author didn't think that was the important part of the story. However, I think it would have been a nice touch.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would like to thank NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

Just from the description alone, I knew there would be elements I couldn’t resist. A fictional town from a beloved series becomes real and the main character gets to interact with them? That’s only my dream and to find it in book form was setting me up for a win.

Eileen aka Elsy is a 32 year old woman, fresh off heartbreak and feeling directionless. She hides from everyone, keeps her emotions locked up, and continues on an unhappy path to avoid making waves that. like lead to further pain. It’s almost set up for her to be a little insufferable but there’s something about her quirkiness that isn’t off putting and more authentic. I can’t think of a book lover who isn’t a little bit embarrassing, myself included. She was meddling and with a head in the clouds and I loved her. She’s countered perfectly with Anders, who is the typical grumpy adonis with a heart of gold.


I think Anders himself is where I start to trip up despite everything I loved about the book —the description, the town, the secondary characters, the love stories within the story — because he switches up a little fast for my liking. The overall romance was incredibly sweet but he went from being annoyed with her to flirting with her in a matter of a day. Combined with how much he carries his own heartbreak, it wasn’t totally realistic to me. i suppose the entirety isn’t realistic with the entire fictional town, so I was willing to overlook it. They were sweet and earnest, creating a little romance meta moment.

I’m probably alone in wanting the ending to have been a tiny bit different. I liked where it had Anders and Elsy right before the end because it set up the message to be more impactful. That’s just pulling at strings at my part, being a glutton for drama myself. Overall, it was adorable and played into my dreams of living in my favorite fictional world. A real winner.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for an eARC in an exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the ARC of A Novel Love Story in exchange for a review!

Please imagine my sheer excitement when I finished The Seven Year Slip, gave it 5 stars, and got approved for this ARC the very next day. Ashley Poston, you have delivered once again.

This story is cozy and homey and warm. At first, I felt like I couldn't connect with the story (within the story) because it was a bit too meta. I didn't read the books she'd read. But as the book progressed and I became more familiar with the series at hand, it felt like I was also in love with Rachel Flowers's writing. I appreciated the relationship that unfolded as well, as it wasn't centered on lust or torn apart by childish miscommunication. It was cute, the banter was witty, and I loved every character in here.

I must say, I've become such a fan of Poston's work and I'm so excited for this book to come out so I can recommend it to all my romance friends.

Wow, this was such a fun and unique read! I love books about books, and this one was no exception. When Eileen, our main character, gets lost on her way to a solo book club retreat, she's beyond shocked to end up in the imagined town of her favorite romance book series. As the story of the town unfolds, Eileen discovers as much about herself and she does her favorite author. This was an engaging and creative read- I'm loving this author more and more each book she writes!

Oh dear. Emotions. Frustrations.

I have read (and enjoyed) Ashley Poston’s two previous romance fantasies – The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip. I’ve also read some of her YA novels from a time ago.

And she’s a great writer.

But I feel conflicted about this book.

The concept is incredibly fun – a romance reader finding her way to a fictional town from a well-loved romance novel? Amazing.

And right from the get-go, there is a clever self-awareness depicted in the book by the author with poking fun at romance genre tropes and referencing “those long chapters, you know, the ones you have to take a break halfway through.” Love it.

However, I was less than satisfied with the ending. Due to, what I felt, was an unresolved plot point, the ending felt rushed and unfinished to me.

This book would also benefit from another round of edits since there were several typos, a few passages with awkward syntax, and some repetitive descriptions.

Despite its flaws, I enjoyed the book. I read it in an evening and would recommend the book to someone who is looking for a cute and cozy read.

3.5/5 stars, rounded down to a 3 due to the edits needed.

I greatly appreciate NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. Thank you.

After and annual book club retreat goes awry, our main character Eileen finds herself stranded in a small town that just so happens to be the setting of her favorite book series. Now while most of us would gladly go join our favorite cast of characters and live alongside them, there are some suspicious elements afoot within the town. Eileen has no contact with the outside world, and she seems to be making unintentional ripples within these characters stories, much to the chagrin of Anders (the only other person in this town aware of the fact that it is fictional). While stuck in Eloraton, Eileen spends quality time with her favorite characters, and in that process learns more about what she wants for her own future. All the while growing closer to the elusive Anders.

As a big fan of Poston's previous works, I was so excited to receive a digital arc of this title! With lots of hype to live up to, I think this ended up being my favorite of her works. I really enjoyed reading from this main character's POV, and this love interest was the perfect blend of the book boyfriend qualities we all look for. I look forward to reading any and all of Poston's future work!

I adored the Dead Romantics, so I was really excited for this one. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into it after chapter 1 and stopped. The writing style feels similar, but the sweet lightness feels like it is missing. Easy three stars for the target, four for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I am becoming such a big fan of Poston! This one, while marketed as romance, is more of a women’s fiction in my opinion. However, I deeply enjoyed this story. The plot was unique and engaging, but I do wish I got a *tad* bit more romance and chemistry between the couple.

this was a beautiful book as expected when it's come to Ashely Poston (I would like to preface that I woudn't classify this one as romance book, there's barely any and it reads more like women fiction).

The premise is what readers dreams are made of. Our FMC, stumbles into this very familiar small town only to find out that it's the town from her favorite book series with all of her favorite characters in it (LITERALLY) 😳 and she has the opportunity to met all of them and live the experience which is insane to me. This was super fun and it had me crying a few times. It deals with grief (Ashley is always handling this theme in her books, which I appreciate), how books can change our life, how hard is to move on in life when you feel stuck and like everyone is choosing everyone else but you. It was very emotional and special.

I do wished that the main couple has more chemistry between them because I felt that it lacked this aspect but it was enjoyable nonetheless. There were other aspects that felt very corky for my taste but I truly did loved this one. 🥹🫶🏻

I adore Ashley Poston’s original take on romance. I read Dead Romantics and thought, “quirky, funny, science-fictiony/fantasy romance exists that doesn’t include werewolves and shapeshifters mating with humans?” I read the Seven-Year Slip and fell in love with the time-travel romance and characters. Now onto Novel Love Story, a variation on her funky-romance/women’s lit theme and although I adore the idea of the story - it is my least favorite of the three. Somewhere within the plot it falls short - the romance isn’t as chemistry-laden as her other two, the idea of how she fell into a town that exists only in her favorite books seems cool, but it doesn’t really work, and the weird vibe going between her and her real life friends/also a job as lit professor that she doesn’t like - all of it seems just sort-of done. And let’s not get started with the huge amount of tropes. I like Poston’s writing, and I like the bones of this book, but honestly, I feel like it wasn’t as original/fleshed-out/tightened up as it could have been.

Oh how I so wanted to love this one! The beginning was good, middle was boring, and then the ending picked back up again but it was just..meh for me. It's unfortunate because I liked The Dead Romantics, absolutely ADORED the Seven Year Slip, so I was looking forward to this one but it just wasn't it for me.

The vibes in this book were so immaculate, it felt like I was playing a story-driven game in the best way possible. I really enjoyed all the characters as well as the setting. There were some things that needed to be edited- in one moment she is looking at the stars and the next it's daylight. However, these edits can easily be made. Ashley Poston is consistently great!

I LOVED Poston’s Among the Beasts & Briars, but for some reason I just cannot get into her romances. I’ve tried all three and they just don’t connect with me like they do with seemingly everyone else. I was intrigued by the premise of this but the writing style was a bit funky at times and the beginning is slow. I might just need to try it again another time.

Ashely Poston has me in a chokehold after the magic that was The Seven Year Slip and The Dead Romantics. I saw the cover of A Novel Love Story, read the premise, and knew I was in for a treat.

This one is a love letter to fictional worlds and the impact stories have on our lives. The small-town vibes were immaculate, and every single supporting character was amazing. I wanted to read every single book in the Quixton Falls series and it is truly devastating they don't actually exist. But that just speaks to what an incredible job Poston did creating a fictional world within a fictional world. It was a very meta read. I will say, this was definitely my least favorite of her books. While I absolutely ate up the premise, I just didn't really care for Anders or Elsy. Anders felt like a very bland character compared to Poston's other romantic heroes and he pulled a stunt towards the end that really made me anti-Anders. Elsy was okay but also didn't really hold up to Poston's other heroines. I can't ignore that I wanted to read the Quixton Falls books more than the one I was actually reading.

Overall, a very fun read with a niche bookish plot. One thing I really love about Ashley Poston's books is how she tackles themes of grief and the different ways it manifests. Beautifully done. I've seen some glowing reviews and know this is going to be a hit with the book community. Highly recommend if you like bookish plots, quirky characters and settings, and magical realism.

What an absolutely fantastic and very interesting take on the whole ‘I wish I could really be there’ feeling when you read a book. Heart wrenching, yet heart warming all in all. I REALLY enjoyed Anders, like honestly. But the end being like ‘I’m falling in love with him’ made me step back and be like ‘wow this was like.. just a week’ but, all in all it FELT like a much longer journey and that time escaped them since she already knew the other characters, etc. I don’t mind that it felt longer, I think it’s because it was so fleshed out? Overall, though, it’s probably now tied for 1st place Ashley Poston books…. ( I mean… Tied with The Dead Romantics- which SCREAMING AND SOBBING THAT BENJI GOT FUCKING CAMEOED AND IG SHE DID TOO BUT I CARED MORE ABOUT BENJI LMFAO )

All in all, what a fantastic book. It lived up to its summary & pHEW Anders makes me want a book boyfriend.

A romance book reader finds herself in the setting of her favorite book series and meeting a man straight out of a novel. But seeing the characters past the happily ever afters of their stories has Elsie questioning love and where she got stuck in her own story.