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.

Cute book overall! I really liked the characters, especially Flo, and I always enjoy a new twist on Romeo and Juliet. It was a bit slow in spots, but it was a good, cozy read overall.

Loved the small, British, seaside town setting and the relationship between Jules (FMC) and her great aunt Flo who owns a bookshop. Roman (MMC) owns the fancy new bookshop across the street and the town isn’t big enough for both.

I always enjoy books about books or book lovers, so that hits a soft spot for me. There’s also a lot of story that isn’t all about the romance, which I liked.

The family rivalry was a bit overdone and the character development was a bit lacking for me. But overall a cute and lighthearted story that I enjoyed.

I loved this spin on the classic Romeo and Juliet story! The competition over the bookstores was fun and I loved seeing those chapters from Roman’s POV. I wanted the story to end slightly differently than it did, but it still ends in an HEA I can’t complain about!

The Battle of the Bookshops is a modern-day retelling of Romeo and Juliet, but without the tragic ending. While the premise was promising and the small-town setting cozy, the story ultimately didn’t land for me.
I struggled to connect with Jules and Roman—their relationship felt underdeveloped and unconvincing. They shifted from enemies to lovers in about a paragraph, with little to no buildup or emotional development. At times, I found it hard to tell which character was speaking, and the timeline was somewhat confusing to follow.
Some of the side plots were more engaging than the main storyline. I wish those had been explored in more depth. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me, and I never felt fully invested in the characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC.

If you're a book lover who enjoys a quick, romantic read with a dash of drama, this one might pique your interest. Set against the cozy backdrop of rival bookshops, this story brings together an enemies-to-lovers, star-crossed romance that feels like Romeo and Juliet but in a bookstore.

I really loved the concept and the setting. The literary atmosphere gave the romance an extra layer of charm, and Roman’s subtle acts of kindness toward Jules were sweet and telling. However, I found myself wishing for more direct interaction and dialogue between the two. Their relationship sometimes felt vague, and the emotional build-up to their romance wasn’t as strong or compelling as I had hoped. Interestingly, I felt more emotionally invested in the secondary romance between Freya and Finn than in the main characters. Their dynamic seemed to get more attention and development, which made the central love story feel a bit undercooked. Some of the plot events also felt unnecessary and could have been replaced with scenes that deepened character development or focused more on Roman and Jules' connection.

The ending, while satisfying in concept, felt rushed. I would have preferred a more thoughtfully woven resolution rather than a quick wrap-up just to tie up loose ends.

Overall, I find it a cute and comforting read.

A modern day Romeo and Juliet without the tragic ending. This was a cute concept for the book but was lacking in development and details. Much of the story felt rushed in some parts and the main characters went from enemies to instant lovers in one moment. I wish the main characters had more on page chemistry. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Net Galley who allowed me pre access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved the premise of this story - a modern day Romeo and Juliet with a little twist. I had trouble putting this book down! I thought the character development was excellent, though I would have loved more point of view from Roman (male protagonist). I enjoyed this read!

Poppy Alexander has penned a charming, cozy, and heartwarming ode to community, resilience, and the magic of stories in her latest novel, Battle of the Bookshops. Set in the idyllic (and slightly crumbly) seaside town of Portneath, this is a story tailor-made for book lovers, small-town romantics, and anyone who’s ever wanted to rescue something they love from slipping away.

Jules Capelthorne is a delightfully relatable heroine—messy, determined, and fiercely loyal. When she returns home to take over her family’s beloved but failing bookshop, she finds herself up against more than dusty shelves and a dwindling bank account. Enter Roman Montbeau: childhood nemesis, ruthless property owner, and irritatingly handsome businessman with a shiny new rival bookshop set up right across the street. Cue sparks, banter, and an irresistible enemies-to-lovers dynamic that’s as satisfying as a perfectly brewed cup of tea.

Alexander brings a perfect balance of wit and warmth to the story, with a cast of side characters that feel like old friends—from Jules’s indomitable great-aunt Florence to the quirky locals who rally behind Capelthorne’s Books. The stakes feel real, the emotional beats are earned, and the romance unfolds with just the right amount of tension and tenderness.

At its heart, Battle of the Bookshops is about more than just a bookstore feud. It’s about legacy, found family, and choosing to fight for the things—and people—you believe in. While the plot hits a few familiar rom-com notes, Alexander’s voice is fresh, funny, and deeply heartfelt, making this story stand out from the crowd.

A must-read for fans of Jenny Colgan, Abbi Waxman, and anyone who has ever gotten misty-eyed in a secondhand bookshop.

I wanted to like this book so much, but honestly? This was just not my cup of tea. It’s basically if Romeo and Juliet owned bookshops that faced each other on a Main Street in a cute/quaint little British town.

There were some aspects of the story, like the bookshops, Charlie, and Aunt Flo (SHE WAS SUCH A STANDOUT, I liked her more than the two MCs), but I just could not get into Jules and Roman. There was so much unnecessary background chatter/writing that the book could be edited down a bit more. Also, I understand the romance isn’t the main focal point, but seriously, with so much off page interaction, it felt like they hated each other on page 1, never talked, and then by page 150 were in love and planning a wedding????

The POV changes felt abrupt, and I had to reread several bits to ensure I understood who I was reading from. Maybe the writing style and I just don’t agree? I truly wish I could have enjoyed this book more!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m with the majority of the feedback on this. The beginning feels a little choppy, there’s a lot of off page falling for each other/it seems a little instalove, I wanted more Roman POVs.

The book ended well. It was cute and I enjoyed it.

The Battle of the Bookshops is an utterly charming, feel-good read brimming with heart, humor, and bookish delight. Poppy Alexander crafts a compelling story full of warmth, lovable characters, and a heartfelt celebration of community and resilience. The rivalry between the bookshops is engaging, and the slow-burn romance adds the perfect emotional depth. It’s a love letter to independent bookstores and the power of stories to bring people together. I couldn’t put it down! Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy—it was a joy to read and one I’ll be recommending widely.

This book was a cute find. I love the Romeo and Juliet references. The characters are likeable, developed and the plot flows quickly with a few quirks and turns. If you are a lover of books and bookstores, you will enjoy the dynamic of "saving the bookstores". I found this book to be an enjoyable and easy read. I would read more books by this author.
Thank you Net Galley for the advanced readers copy!

3.5 stars
The battle of the bookshops is part contemporary fiction, part romance story of Jules and Roman, with a nod to Romeo and Juliet with a generational family feud and even a witch story thrown in. When Jules loses her job after traveling to her home town to help her great Aunt Flo run her long standing bookshop after her accident, she finds her rich high school crush Roman is opening a big fancy bookstore across the street.

I enjoyed part of this story but other parts were just ok. There is a side story line regarding antique books, a grimoire and an young college student helping Jules and Flo out that I really enjoyed, and I found myself wishing for more of that and Jules and the bookshop and less of the romance part that didn't really sizzle for me. Jules does things to try and save the bookshop and that part of the story shone for me, as well as her relationship with her Aunt, but I found the actual romance just so so.
If you are looking for a light story full of books and small town characters you may want to give this one a try.
Thank you Net Galley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the e ARC

The shop, in the heart of a high street that stretches crookedly down the hill from the castle to the sea, may be a tad run-down these days, but to Jules Capelthorne, the wonky, dusty world of literary treasures is full of precious childhood memories. When her great-aunt Florence gets too frail to run it alone, Jules ditches her junior publishing job in London and comes home to make the bookshop’s hundredth birthday a celebration to remember. Jules quickly discovers things are worse than she ever imagined: The bookshop is close to bankruptcy, unlikely to make it to its own centenary celebration. To make matters worse, the owner of the property is the insufferable Roman Montbeau, from the posh, local family who owns half of Portneath. The Montbeaus and Capelthornes have feuded for years, and Roman has clearly not improved since he tormented Jules as a child. Fresh from a high-flying career in New York, he opens a new bookshop directly opposite. Let the battle of the bookshops commence

Thoughts
This was a cute and easy read but you got pretty much no depth or real insight into their relationship, one minute they are rivals and the next they are in love? No insight into their dates or conversations just implied that they were together. This story is much more about the book store and the history discovered about their ancestors. Which, was fun to read about but it’s not how the book is marketed.

This book was difficult for me on many fronts. I thought I would enjoy the Romeo and Juliet dynamics and the small town romance vibes, but The Battle of the Bookshops seemed forced. The author focuses more on the environment than anything else. Paragraphs on paragraphs of endless descriptions of and musings for little payoff. Once the dialogue does come into play, there's very little chemistry between the love interests. On top of that, there are too many plot points to keep track of. Between the Romeo and Juliet references, bookstore logistics, the familial angst, the subplot about witches, the half-hearted plot devices that involve side characters that never come to fruition, and the fake love interest for Aunt Flo.... somehow we're supposed to remember that is a barely there enemies to lovers plot line? Too convoluted for what is essentially "why can't we be friends?"

The genocide comment one page in was nuts and left a bad taste in my mouth. In my opinion it was in poor taste and then in the next line going to compare it to her bosses flat white is just a wild take. I understand completely that it was supposed to be a book, but unfortunately I don’t think that landed, especially with today’s political climates.

This is so cute. I have a slight obsession with anything that is based in the UK. Love the enemies to lovers pov when it comes to this book. It’s very nostalgic and cutesy read that doesn’t do too much with character build up. Great story!