Amazing, fantastic, chef’s kiss. This book was so cute and I love the characters and the story so much. I will be keeping an eye out for more stories by this author, I truly loved this book

A book that had a good premise and setup, but an okay payoff. I loved the chase, but once the couple got together it sort of dipped for me.

I was quite looking forward to this bookish story, and enjoyed it for the most part. The Shakespearian angle wasn't too overdone, and the relationship between Jules and Flo was so sweet and loving. That said, the romance aspect of the book was a little disappointing, since most of it took place off the page and it wasn't entirely clear what Roman and Jules saw in each other. The bookstore feud was interesting, though I felt the epilogue was a bit of a cop-out on the author's part.

Overall, an enjoyable light read with some witchy joy thrown in. If you like bookish novels, you'll most likely appreciate this one as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide an unbiased review!

This was cute and cozy—definitely gave off autumn/cold weather vibes, if that makes sense. It feels like the kind of wholesome read you'd enjoy in front of a fireplace.
Jules returns home from an uninspiring career in London to help her aunt run the family bookstore. Amidst a centuries-old family feud, her high school rival, Roman, opens a competing bookstore right across the street. Thus begins their battle to become the best bookstore on the high street.
While the story was very sweet, the pacing felt off to me. It’s mostly told in dual POV, but we spend a lot more time with Jules than Roman. Then there’s one random POV chapter from Charlie—which felt like an odd choice. I also found the pacing of Jules and Roman’s relationship to be inconsistent: a little development, then a huge leap forward, then a backtrack—they hate each other, then suddenly want to run away and get married, then... just kidding. It was a bit of emotional whiplash.
I definitely liked the author's last book more, but this was still an overall cute story.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy

Why must the publishing world give us yet another Romeo & Juliet retelling. In all seriousness who’s asking for this?!???! Because I for one am not. I also want to mention I had no clue this book was going to revolve around a Romeo & Juliet retelling, I thought this was another cute romcom with battling bookstores similar to “You’ve Got Mail”. I even went book to double check the synopsis to see if I missed something. Nope, definitely didn’t. Because if I had known I never would’ve requested to read this. But because I did request it, I sucked it up and trudged through it (begrudgingly).

Y’all I’m going to be honest this book was not fun. And trust me I kept waiting for it to be fun. The Shakespeare references in this book just wasn't for me. The first 46% of the book was just straight similarities and references to the play. Which for a hater of Romeo & Juliet made reading this book completely unbearable.

To top it off our MFC had the personality of drying paint and her approach to relationships was a wishy-washy cluster of a mess. I don’t know about y’all but going from straight hating a guy to let’s get married is a solid nope from me. Our MMC wasn’t any better he was an arrogant, misogynistic jerk wad (and that’s putting it nicely). Like if you’re looking for the definition of a red flag guy Roman would be what you’d find.

My last issue with the book falls with the ending. The entire ending and fate of the bookstore felt completely rushed. Like we spent 46% dealing with the “fued” only to have to have the resolution tied up in a rushed last chapter. I’m sorry what?!?!! Where was the editor for this?!??? But I digress, I think this book could’ve had a great premise but the poor execution regretfully did this story in. With that said I honestly cannot recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley & Avon for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute romance story, not too spicy, and fun. The key to Poppy Alexander’s stories is the setting. Such a lovely village and area, her descriptions are solid, and everyone will feel like moving to a place like that. It’s fun that she connects her characters from other books, too.

That said, the developing romance in this book wasn’t successful for me. I could see where it was going and how it would happen, but it just happened way too fast. Also, the side story with the ancestors book - it had its moments and I could see why it was needed to resolve parts of the plot, but it was so out there and became a big deal but didn’t feel like it should fit in such a big way.

But, if you want a sweet, easy-to-read romance then this is good one for you.

I really don't know what the main plot was.

The romance? It felt like they (mainly Jules) jumped from hating the other but still attracted to them, to suddenly one day head over heels. If this was the main plotline, it was extremely slow only when BAM they were in love. Literally- I think we had them "dating" for two chapters before they dropped "I love you" in their inner monologues- and we don't even get a good scene of them exchanging their first "I love yous." As much of a sucker as I am for a good romance, this was missing a lot of foundational bones for it to meet my standards.

The bookstore? I thought this was the plot and then not even halfway through it stopping having a prominent place in the story and fizzled out by the end. It wasn't even resolved properly- and no, I don't count a little throwaway line in the epilogue.

The family feud? Jules full-on met Roman's dad in his own home, and he was so nice to her. Where's this feud? It felt like it was made up to justify Roman's dad's plan, to fulfill the push-and-pull part of their relationship, and really so it can be a variation of Romeo and Juliet. If it hadn't been for the "this is Romeo and Juliet but in bookshops" I think the feuding bookstores would have been a strong enough plotline on its own (if it were fully fleshed out).

Jules' ancestor? This plotline came out of left field and while I know it's just a minor plotline to further something else, tell that to the book because it felt like all I was reading for a solid chunk of the book was about this ancestor. I think the emphasis on this plotline was too strong and took up room one of the actual main storylines needed to be better fleshed out.

Also, we get his pov so infrequently, I don't understand why we even had Roman's pov.

The last little thing I had to comment on was just the random slang/abbreviations that felt out of place. Granted, I have no idea if this is how some across the pond (lol) speak- but I certainly have never bumped into anyone who says "def" instead of "definitely" and "well jel" instead of "jealous." But feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

While the idea had some merit, I think the book tried too hard to fulfill several plotlines when it really should have focused on and strengthened at least one.

thank you Netgalley and Poppy Alexander for the arc!

This book was cute and fun! The concept was so interesting and I was giggling at the romance and banter :))

I love reading about characters involved in the publishing or book selling world. This book was cozy and feel good. I really enjoyed exploring the dynamic and tension between these characters.

This was a fun, fast read with all the right vibes for enemies-to-lovers fans—bonus points for rival bookstores and a charming Romeo and Juliet twist. It started off a bit slow for me, but once it hit the halfway point, it really picked up. While the romance didn’t feel super developed (they kind of jumped from not liking each other to full-on love pretty quickly), the whole family rivalry angle gave it a fun, dramatic flair.

The real heart of the story, though, was the relationship between Jules and her Aunt Flo. Their bond, along with the family backstory, honestly stole the show. Aunt Flo was such a gem—I absolutely adored her. Also loved the subtle nods to the classic Romeo and Juliet tale sprinkled throughout.

If you're into slow burns, literary rivalries, and modern retellings, this one’s worth tossing on your TBR. Big thanks to Avon/Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC!

*arc review*

This book was not my usual read but it was fun! At first I was a little confused by the writing but once I got farther along into it I got used to it. The only issue I would've liked to have more writing about was them as a couple and not so much about owning the book stores. But overall it was a 4 star read and I had fun, thanks for the Arc!

This book was a perfect beach read. It was typical in some ways but a great light read, escapist fiction. I love a book set in a book shop and give me any book set in the UK and I'm sold! I also like a book that tries to replicate a movie or old book that I have loved in a former life an this book weaves in two former favs. Definitely perfect for a weekend away to the country or the sea!

This book is "You've Got Mail" meets "Romeo & Juliet"—and it's not subtle about it at all. It's a fun, predictable, quick beach read. There isn't a lot of substance to "The Battle of the Bookshops," but it did make me want to open a cozy bookstore!

This was a nice, cute read. A bit slow in the beginning, but around halfway through it picked up and it was a lovely read. The romance honestly felt secondary and didn't feel fully fleshed out. They didn't like each one second, and then they loved each other the next. It was very much a Romeo and Juliet inspired love story with the family rivalry very much present. Aunt Flo and Jules family history felt more central which was fine by me because I loved Aunt Flo so much. She was such an amazing character! Thank you Avon or Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this arc.

I absolutely love Poppy Alexander's charming, (sometimes) heartwarming characters which reside in a cozy, slice-of-life story whilst having a bit of excitement to keep you going. It's a fun story to wind down with. Moreso, if you are a reader and familiar with all the stereotypes that exist within the community and on social media.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc and my intro to Poppy Alexander. I enjoyed the writing but if I had known this was going to be basically Romeo & Juliet I wouldn’t have read it. I struggled to finish Jules and Roman’s story and was a bit confused where the whole Biddy thing was going until the end.

Who doesn't love a bookstore, plus a little competition? This book was so much fun. I really appreciated the opportunity to read it!

I loved this so much! I don’t know why but this book just scratched an itch h in my brain that I didn’t even know I had. It was the perfect book for this time of year :) so excited for publishing!!

Battle of the Bookshops is a charming premise with a cozy, bookish backdrop that’s hard to resist—two rival bookstores competing for survival, sprinkled with community spirit and a dash of romance. Poppy Alexander delivers a light and accessible read, perfect for a quiet weekend.

That said, while the setup is promising, the execution sometimes falls flat. The pacing felt uneven, with some plot points dragging while others were resolved too quickly. The characters, though likable, occasionally lacked depth, and I found myself wishing for more emotional connection or complexity in their development.

Still, the novel shines in its celebration of books, small-town charm, and the importance of fighting for what you love. If you're looking for something feel-good with a heartwarming message, this may still be worth a read—but it didn’t quite leave a lasting impression for me.

A very cute and quick easy read! The characters are loveable, the sweet enemies to lovers romance made me swoon. Absolutely adorable!