Oh my gosh this story was super fun and adorable, and I was here for it all! It gave me all the Pleasantville vibes, it was adorable!

Ashley Poston will always be a 5 star read for me!
I love her writing, and I love how subtle the magical realism is in her books.
Was this my favorite of her 3 adult novels? No
Did I still love the writing? Yes

With being a fan of The Dead Romantics, I was wanting to dive back into Ashley Poston’s worlds. It took me a little to get into this one, but it picked up eventually. And I simply couldn’t put it down. It was such fun read. If this were in movie form, I’d easily add it to my must see romcom movies. The vibes and all worked for me, I can’t wait for the next one.

Thank you to the publisher for sending this gem of a novel over. I ate this novel up and wanted more. It was such a sweet and cute book, perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls or small town hallmark type movies. The characters were all a tad quirky, the town was adorable, and the writing grabbed me. I really enjoyed the twist towards the end that I personally didn't see coming. Magical realism at its finest. Although there were a few parts I felt were just a bit repetitive and slowed down my interest, it was still a good book that I really enjoyed. And the romance was so good!!

Not only does Ashley Poston write characters with depth in a well structured romance, her settings and world building continues to blow me away. I low how she teters into scifi elements to highlight a romance that can extend beyond time and place. They always pull on my heart so much. Excited to see what's next!

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Audio/E-book

4.5🌟 - I really liked it!

Thank you so much @prhaudio for the #gifted audio and physical copy from @berkleyromance!

This book was so COZY! This reminded me of a Gilmore Girls-esque town with a bit of Once Upon a Time vibes. Ashley Posten’s stories are truly brimming with magic 🪄! She always brings a creative story and characters with complexity and depth! I always love her writing, and she is an auto-buy author for me 🛍️.

Of all her books, I would say this is the lightest of the three and has a different vibe overall from her other novels but it worked for me! This is a bookish book for bookish people 📚🫶. Not only did I love the town, but adored the cast of other characters in the town which added so much to the story!

Whimsical, enchanting, and charming rom-com!

Ashley Poston is a new favorite! I can’t wait to continue to enjoy a new Poston book every year! Fiction becomes reality and such a unique way to bring all the things we love to read “to life”

This was such a unique story and i loved the characters. The writing was flawless! Ashley Poston’s writing never fails to amaze me.

Ashley Poston has the perfect way of making magical realism the most vital piece in her stories. It helps build a story that is incredible and helps us feel enamored with all of the characters and the storyline. I loved being able to see how the characters were interconnected but I do wish there had been more overall tension. I feel like that would have made the story go above and beyond for a lot of people.

There are plenty of worlds that I'd like to hop into sometimes, but I've never managed it. This tale managed to blend the real (me) and unreal (the novel) and really unreal (the novel land within a novel) into something charming and a bit brain defying, much like many of Poston's other novels.

Absolutely loved this one. The magical realism was done super well and I really appreciated the way the characters were all interconnected.

Ashley Poston has some of the most magical and beautiful prose, a way she weaves worlds together with that element of surrealism that just makes her stories burrow themselves in your heart and grow roots. This is one of those beautiful books that not only serves as a wonderful love story, but also acts as a real love letter to romance books in general.


These two were peas and carrots - they had beautiful banter that was sweet, open, and funny. I adored that a lot of the story revolved around them not only together, but as part of the town. The dynamics between all the characters was beautifully done with enough tension and intrigue to keep the story mysterious but moving forward to a delicious conclusion. I was almost Inception-level sad about finishing the book - the world of the book was done and also the world with the world of the book was over and I missed them both, so much.

This was ethereal. It was hopeful and meaningful and sweet and heartbreaking. It delivered on the love letter to love stories in the most beautiful of ways.

4.5 ⭐️ The queen of magical realism does it again! Miss Ashley Poston continues to amaze and inspire us.

A Novel Love Story is a book lovers dream come true. To somehow be transported into your favorite fictional world with all your favorite fictional characters? Yes please, sign me up. This is a letter to the book lovers, to the dreamers and those of us who find ourselves in between the pages of books. Once again, Ashley Poston is an expert at creating realistic worlds with a touch of magic and no one truly does it quite like her.

Elsy’s journey to finding herself is so relatable and real. The found family and community was one of my favorite parts, and some of the quotes in this book made me teary eyed. A novel love story has everything you would want in a book- in depth main characters, beautiful setting, fun twists, an amazing romance, side characters that become family, friendship, banter and the cutest small town you will ever read about. This book deals with some heavy topics and it made me quite emotional. It is the perfect cozy book to read on a gloomy rainy day. It feels like a big warm hug!

Such a whimsical, beautiful story that is unique and different from anything I’ve read before. I can’t recommend enough!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review (although by the time I got around to reading this, the book had been published for like a month. So sorry, NetGalley!).

I've read several Ashley Poston books and I like her unique spin on things. I guessed fairly early on which way the story was going (as I have with her other books), but I'm not disappointed by that. I like seeing where the story is going and if I was write. The characters were enjoyable, although I wished Elsy wasn't so hung up on her best friend (although that was kind of the point, that she needed to be her own person). Enjoyable and I look forward to more by this author.

“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 are a comfort, some a reprieve, others a vacation, a lesson, a heartbreak.” 📚💕

Gilmore Girls rewatch season is upon us. And if you need a Gilmore Girls-esque read, A NOVEL LOVE STORY by Ashley Poston is for you! {Thank you @berkleyromance for the #gifted finished copy!} You get a quirky small town with the side characters to go along with it, adoration for books, a slow burn romance, and a dash of magical realism.

Now, I loved THE DEAD ROMANTICS, but this one was only okay for me. I overall enjoyed it - the idea of accidentally finding yourself in the setting of your favorite book? Pure gold. However, the actual story and romance was lacking for me; it just felt like there was little tension and or actual attraction. I almost wish this one leaned more heavily into coming-of-age/finding yourself plot, than romance.

Overall, it was still a rather heartwarming and cute read.

CW // grief; death; car accident; alcohol

This was a bit disappointing, which really pains me to say. 😭 It's by far my least favorite book from this author which is a bummer because I loved 'The Seven Year Slip'. I almost marked DNF after 50% but decided to push through anyways hoping it would turn around.. The final 30% of this was actually pretty cute and better than the book as a whole BUT I still didn't feel much chemistry between Anders and Elsy.

book loving MMCs x enemies to lovers x small town

A quirky premise that had a lot of promise but it never worked for me. All of the side characters felt underdeveloped and like caricatures.

Rating: 3/5
Warnings: Death of a loved one, grief and infidelity

Thank you to Berkley Romance, NetGalley and PRH for these advanced and gifted copies in exchange for my honest opinion.

As a huge fan of Ashley Poston’s previous work, having given her first two novels five stars, A Novel Love Story was one of my most anticipated summer reads. I was captivated by the concept—a magical realism setting that felt like a love letter to romance readers. It’s a unique backdrop that pulls you in, celebrating the power of stories in a way that speaks directly to any book lover’s heart. The quote, “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…” resonated deeply with me and captures exactly why we fall in love with reading.

Poston skillfully delves into serious topics like heartbreak, changing friendships, and career doubts with her trademark grace and relatability. The balance of romance and personal growth is something she handles exceptionally well, making the emotional journey feel authentic and engaging.

However, despite my high expectations, I struggled with this book, and it took me months to finally finish it. One of my main frustrations was the heavy focus on secondary characters, which overshadowed the main couple’s storyline and made it difficult to connect with their relationship. The romance felt rushed—within just a week, the characters are deeply in love, and I found it hard to buy into their whirlwind connection, even as someone who usually loves a fast-paced romance.

The third act left me genuinely confused, and I’m still trying to make sense of what happened. The twist wasn’t what bothered me; it was how things played out, especially for Eileen. After everything she went through with her ex-fiancé, I was hoping for a more satisfying conclusion to her story. This ending, unfortunately, didn’t feel like the HEA she deserved.

Adding to my disappointment was the audiobook experience. The narrator did well with accents, but overall, the performance fell flat for me, which I fear may have contributed to my lack of enjoyment.

In the end, A Novel Love Story had all the makings of another five-star read, but the execution left me feeling let down. While I continue to appreciate Poston’s ability to weave romance and personal growth, this one just didn’t capture me as her previous books did.

I love this book's magical realism and enjoyed the story, even though it felt rushed. I wish it could have been longer and paced out a bit more

Ashley Poston always delivers unique, fun romances that have a lot of heart and delve into more serious topics with grace. This one is no different as we meet our heroine that has experienced a recent heartbreak and escapes into the world of her favorite romance series, which many readers would love to do! There is a nice blend of romance and personal growth that made for a satisfying read.