Battle of the Bookshops is a sweet contemporary romance set in the small seaside town of Portneath. Jules, our main character, goes through some big changes in her personal life when she discovers that her great aunt is about to lose her cherished bookshop that has been in the family for over a hundred years. Much to her dismay, a high school rival, Roman, and his family are behind the whole thing! As she works to save her beloved family bookshop, she finds out she has more feelings than just hatred for Roman. How can she balance her newly developed feelings with the fact that his family is trying to sabotage hers?

This is an adorable little contemporary romance that had me laughing at some points and sad at others. It was a great balance for a book. There is good character development for our main character, Jules, as she discovers herself throughout the book. Overall a really good, sweet read So if you were looking for one to add to your TBR this summer, pick this one! Pub date is August 19th!

I had the opportunity to read this an an ARC. Thank you, NetGalley.

This felt like a modern day Romeo and Juliet but with owners of bookstores. While I felt that the storyline was a little flat, I did like that it added some historical family details. It leads the characters on a search for historical dates and facts when they find an extremely old grimoire in a forgotten corner of the bookstore.

In short, this is an enemies-to-lovers, found family, self discovery tale.

Unfortunately I don’t have anything good to say. I DNFed it about halfway through. I thought it was going to get better but it did not. I was bored and knew exactly where the story was going and it ruined it for me.
Poppy’s writing to me is also long winded and I didn’t need all the long drawn out paragraphs. I also hated when she compared her bosses denial to leave to genocide and then tried to make it into a joke. It’s not funny.
I wish I could give this no stars.

A bit slow at first, but moved along a few chapters in. It was a cute book, unfortunately nothing unique.

This book is You’ve Got Mail meets Romeo + Juliet! I liked the combination of these tales, but I felt more invested in the story of the Capelthorne’s bookshop and Aunt Flo + Jules than I was in the love story - it felt like we got such a short interactions between the characters and there was much more happening off page.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for this advanced copy!

Loved it! What a sweet story of rival book shops. I engaged with all of the characters and was rooting for the Caplethorpes from the start. The ending was a bit of a quick wrap-up but otherwise, no complaints from me. A wonderful story!

To open this review honestly, I may have mixed this book up with one with a near identical title that was just released. However, I’m glad to have spent my time reading the Battle of the Bookshops. Big thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review,
What worked - I liked the small town girl returns from the city to her family, as well as the family history/witch trials components. Aunt Flo (yes, this made me laugh every time I saw it) and Charlie were well-written and added depth to the story. The stakes were high throughout the book and kept me turning the page to find out what happened next. I really enjoyed seeing what cool ideas Jules had to bring in more revenue and I cheered for her throughout the book.
What didn’t work - the romance didn’t make much sense and despite the fact that parts of the book were written from Roman’s POV, I didn’t understand why the reader was supposed to care about them. The only reason I could tell was due to their shared love of books (which, when one side is putting the other side out of business, doesn’t seem logical) and that they both had crushes on each other when they were kids. The romance felt like a separate and lesser-quality second story tossed into the main story. Jules’s mom should have either been given more of a part in the story or completely written out, as she was very one dimensional compared to the other supporting characters. I also realized pretty quickly that this book is set in the same universe as several other books by Poppy Alexander. This was marketed as a standalone but I felt like I had missed out on big plot moments multiple times.
Overall, this was a really promising concept with confusing execution. 3 ⭐️

I went in expecting bookish banter and rival shop drama, but this ended up being a full-on Romeo & Juliet retelling—with a fast-forwarded love story. One second they can’t stand each other, and the next they’re head over heels and talking marriage?

If you don’t mind a heavy dose of insta-love, this might be your thing. Sadly, it just wasn’t mine.

Expected Publication Date: 08/19/2025

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the early access. All thoughts in this review are my own!

I wanted to love this, I did. But honestly it felt like every other bookstore owner rivals to lovers out there. Only unfortunately it held my attention least of any that I’ve read. However, the cover is beautiful and definitely grabbed my attention

"Romeo and Juliet" meets "You've Got Mail" — that's kind of what you get with Poppy Alexander's The Battle of the Bookshops. This charming, literary-themed novel promises (and mostly delivers) that cozy, book-lover, small town escape. However, it also has its share of quirks that might leave some readers wanting more.

For me, what truly shines in this novel is its heartwarming portrayal of community. It evokes a strong sense of nostalgia for local establishments and the unique atmosphere they cultivate, particularly through Jules's childhood memories, which serve as a device to explore the Capelthorne's Bookshop "golden days."

And then, like magic—More on that later!—narrative comes alive when focusing on the women of the Capelthorne family: Jules, Flo, and Maggie. Their intertwined though very different lives feel authentic and deeply resonant. One of my favorite moments was Jules's reconnection with her mother, which makes for a genuinely touching scene.

Now, it wasn't all warm coffee, the smell of old books and rainbows, though.

One notable detractor lies in some of the choices made with the character of Roman. His microaggressive comments—such as the offhand remark about getting "a bit more than a dance"—feel jarring and out of place, detracting from the otherwise pleasant atmosphere.

Another *completely personal* point of contention was the excessive focus on the witch grimoire, which became a main plot device out of nowhere. This felt frankly a bit tiresome, pulling focus from the more compelling relationships and characters.

But maybe the biggest hurdle for me was Alexander's writing style when it came to descriptions. While vivid descriptions can certainly enrich a setting, The Battle of the Bookshops often falls into the trap of excessively long descriptions of places and memories, many of which ultimately proved insignificant. This made the pacing feel pretty sluggish at times.

Finally, after what felt like a looming build-up to a beautiful conclusion, the ending felt jarringly rushed, as if the author suddenly remembered, "Oh shoot, I have a page limit!". However, I would like to extend my props to Alexander for not going with the more cliché ending to Jules and Flo's story at the Capelthorne.

But all that to say, that despite its narrative missteps, The Battle of the Bookshops offers a comforting read for those of us who cherish stories about family, community, and the magic of books. As I move on to my next read, know this novel ultimately leaves a warm imprint on my heart.

The cover is so adorable and caught my eye immediately, the colors really pop! This was a cute and cozy romance. I like the new take on Romeo and Juliet. I loved the seaside town vibes and the rivals to lovers theme. The main characters needed a bit more overall but definitely a cute read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this ARC.

A book about bookshops with a battle in the mix…sign me up!!! This is a Romeo and Juliet retelling where the Montbeau family decides to open a bookshop across from the long-standing, but failing bookshop owned by the Capelthorne. Jules Capelthorne returns to her home when her Aunt Flo becomes ill. After losing her job, Jules decides to stay in Portneath and help her family run and turn around the bookshop that has been in the family for generations.

Roman Montbeau has just returned from working at a publishing house in America and decides that he will open a bookshop directly across from Capelthorne’s. Let the competition begin. Jules is challenged to use her imagination up against the almost endless money of the Montbeau family.

Will a rare book find in the Capelthrone’s dusty 2nd floor be the money find to save the shop? Will rivals always rival? Is bigger and newer always better? Or something else…

As an American, I love reading books that use the colloquial verbiage of the area. Most of it I could figure from context, but there was one or two that threw me for the proverbial loop.

Overall, this book was just ok to me. The writing was easy and felt that it flowed through most of the book. I liked both Jules and Roman and felt Aunt Flo and Charlie rounded out the cast well as side characters. However, there were just a few things that seems clunky. There was a mystery in the middle that while resolved just didn’t seem to fit into the overall theme of the book. I thought the mystery was a good touch, but just wasn’t flushed out. Other parts (which I won’t mention specifically so as to keep this spoiler free) felt rushed.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The cute, seaside town of Portneath has been the home of Capelthorne’s Books for nearly a hundred years…

The Battle of the Bookshops is a charming read for book lovers with a bit of romance, and plenty of community spirit. Jules heads to her hometown to help her Aunt Flo with the family bookshop, Capelthorne’s Books. Upon arriving, Jules discovers things are far worse than she expected and the bookshop is close to bankruptcy. To make things worse the owner of the property opens a new bookshop directly opposite Capelthorne’s. Roman Montbeau and his family own half of Portneath and the two families have feuded for years. The rivalry is captivating as sparks begin between the two.

Jules Capelthorne is a wonderful heroine determined to help her Aunt Flo. I adored Aunt Flo and the wonderful wonky magical bookshop. This is a clean romance read. but the star of the story is the bookshop.

Thank you Netgalley and and Avon for the advanced reader copy.

This one was a struggle for me. I wasn’t much into the characters. A lot of it felt very slow and a little too cliche even for a romance book. I also find it odd that there’s another romance book that just came out entitled The Battle of the Bookstores. Not that this book likely has anything to do with that, but it is odd how almost exactly the titles are.

**spoiler alert** This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review This review may contain spoilers.

I was immediately drawn in by the premise—a Romeo and Juliet-style rivalry between neighboring bookshops in a quaint British seaside town. The literary setting was charming, and the idea of warring families finding peace through love and books is such a fun hook.

That said, while the setup was delightful, the story didn’t quite deliver for me when it came to the romance or the resolution. Jules and Roman’s relationship had potential, but the emotional development between them felt underbaked, making it hard to fully root for their connection. I also found the ending a bit rushed and wished for a more satisfying payoff to all the tension that had been building.

Still, there were some lovely moments, particularly the bond between Jules and her great-aunt Flo, and readers who enjoy cozy, bookish backdrops with a dash of drama may find this a pleasant escape.

Thought this was a cute read. Two bookstores must become one in a merge. Only one of the owners will prevail in a competition who has the most sales

Thanks NetGallery for this Arc.

Lifetime retelling of Romeo and Juliet with some serious book lovin’ involved. This is the perfect read for those folks who want romance without the spice! Though that’s not me (I need the spice), the other storylines like the finding out about the generational past of one’s family, the entire love for books, enemies to lovers and Shakespeare quotes gave this novel superb depth. HOWEVER, I wish there was more depth to the MMC, and their whole relationship was a bit too superficial for my taste.

This was surprisingly cute. The side characters were super fun and i adored the friend group. It was a typical romcom. No surprises and followed the typical format but it was one of my more favorite romcoms of late. I liked how the third act break up was handled and how the conflict was resolved, it was also fun to see the past events from both of their points of view.. Overall it was super cute.

I received this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cozy story of battling families in a small English town learning how to come together and find love. Jules ends up moving back to her home town to help her great aunt, who raised her, recover from a accident. She ends up needing to help run the local family bookstore and finds a unique way to reinvigorate the importance of the shop in the town.

What's a story of waring families without a little turmoil? While Jules works hard to help her Aunt recover and save the family business a competing bookstore opens up across the street run by Roman who is a member of the rival family. Their friendly competition blooms a love story that ends up bringing the two families some peace after hundreds of year.

This story had the right mix of drama and travesty mixed in knowing that the coziness would eventually lead to a happy ending. I very much enjoyed the quick and easy pace of this book. While I enjoyed the book I did find myself wondering why some of the random tangents were part of the story and wishing for a bit more editing to have been completed to create a cohesive flow to the story.

The Battle of the Bookshops is modern day re-telling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, featuring feuding families in the cozy, seaside village of Portneath. Full of tender moments both romantic and familial, Poppy Alexander spins a love story that goes beyond our hero and heroine. The relationship between our Juliet, Jules Capelthorne, and her dear great-aunt/surrogate grandmother Flo is the real shining star of the story.