Big city woman whose career is on a downswing goes home to her small town to help ailing female role model whose small business is struggling. Small town rich man, on whom she had a teen crush, opens competing business across the street. This plot is nothing groundbreaking, for sure, but elements like an aspiring antiquarian book expert unearthing an ancestral grimoire, a host of charming supporting characters, and a readable style make it a solid entry in the cozy bookish-themed cozy romance genre, so I've rounded up to three stars.

I initially thought that the Capulet-Montague allusions were cute and clever, but soon found them far too heavy-handed. I wish the author had trusted readers a bit more and not hit us over the head with the Romeo & Juliet comparisons. While I found no faults with the writing style, it also didn't have a voice that stands out at all, unlike some other writers in this genre. I would read more by this author, but wouldn't necessarily seek out every book. Overall, I'd describe it as an enjoyable read that is perfectly fine. It met my desire for a bookish, charmingish, happy light story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Honestly, this one took me a while to get interested in.
But, it’s actually a really wholesome story and I really did enjoy the ending.
I love how the author focused on independent book stores and the importance they have. For one, I love supporting independent book stores, so it was easier to relate too. For two, it just made the overall vibes of the book more charming. The rivalry between the two bookstores was fun, and I liked the banter between Roman and Jules.
The parallels to Romeo and Juliet were interesting to me, but I feel like the chemistry between Roman and Jules was lacking. It felt rushed to me and it didn’t hold as much chemistry as I hoped that it would. I also wish we could have gotten more from Roman’s point of view. I feel like that could have helped in showing the chemistry between the two.

This book was…okay. I was so excited for this book and was so stoked to receive an ARC from NetGalley, so I am disappointed to say it was not all that I had hoped it would be.

Some points of the plot were just so random to me and personally? How hard the author pushed the Romeo and Juliet thing really bothered me. It just wasn’t necessary to make it so repetitive what the last names of the two characters were; The idea that they had warring families was made clear and obvious the first time it was introduced. It also really bothered me inconsistent the romance was. The fact that they got together because the FMC got drunk and kissed him just didn’t fit the plot for me, and it was just not cohesive with the attitude of the characters. I personally was not that drawn into rooting for their relationship and could have cared less if they broke up. Anyway, I give this 2 stars, it could have been so much better.

Are you in the mood for a bookish romcom? Check out The Battle of the Bookshops. It was a great read.

I very much enjoyed this read! I thought it would be romance all around but it is not! I was really happy at all the subplots…the bookstore rivalry along with the family feuds, those parellels to romeo and juliet were amusing. But my favorite was the discovery of the grimoire. That was a twist with an amazing backstory and great ending. It really put past and present together. The relationship between Jules and Flo was the most beautiful.
I only wished we would get a bit more Roman, like more of his point of views and maybe a bit more insight on his relationship with Jules. It just felt secondary. But I really liked the book, easy to read, Easily entertained and very wholesome at the end.

This cozy, Romeo-and-Juliet-inspired romance set in a small English town was an enjoyable read with a charming setting and strong 90s rom-com vibes. I appreciated the focus on independent bookstores and the unique community they create. The rival bookshops made for a fun premise, and the inclusion of a grimoire added an unexpected twist, though it wasn’t explored as deeply as I’d hoped.

While I liked the nostalgic charm and warm writing style, I found the romance between Jules and Roman a bit lacking. Their chemistry felt rushed, and their connection wasn’t as compelling as I’d expected. The pacing was uneven—dragging in the first half and feeling rushed at the end. However, the small-town setting and quirky characters helped balance things out.

Overall, The Battle of the Bookshops is a light, cozy read perfect for fans of reimagined classics and feel-good fiction. While it leans more toward women’s fiction than a full-fledged romance, it’s worth a read for its heartfelt celebration of bookstores and the communities they create.

3.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon/HarperVoyager, for providing me with an ARC of The Battle of the Bookshops!

Enjoyable read. The inclusion of the ancient witch craft book was unexpected and seemed a bit contrived.

Maybe I’m old here but this is basically a rip of ‘you’ve got mail’ with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan circa 1998

Instead of being set in New York, with a very loved by the locals in the area bookstore, who’s just being out priced by stores that can buy in bulk, it’s set in England in a bookstore that’s largely been forgotten and no longer has a customer base…
Instead of talking anonymously online, they had little crushes as children.
But the premise is pretty much the same-
Falling in love with your direct business competition.

Perfect book if you want a cozy read with You've Got Mail vibes.

I think this is supposed to be inspired by Romeo & Juliet play with the rivaling families and forbidden love but it gave me more of You've Got Mail vibes. I thought setting this in a small town was a good choice. It helped in making the bookstore plot more dramatic and raised the stakes. It also provided good reason for the rivalry.

I liked the characters, especially Jules. I thought they were fleshed out characters and realistic. However, I did not feel the love between Jules and Roman. Perhaps it was because it felt rushed but they did not have much chemistry in my opinion.

The ending also felt a tad rushed as well.

With that being said, the writing itself was good, the characters solid and I liked the cozy, 90's romcom vibes.

Sweet, clean romance with Romeo and Juliet themes… but also not very well developed in plot or characters. I didn’t find the falling in love super convincing but it was a sweet enough read in a charming setting.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is my first title from this author and unfortunately, the entire story just didn't really land with me. The first half of the book was SO slow to me and I just didn't find the second half to truly be good enough to redeem that. It was disappointing to me because I found the plot to be really good and would have been so cute if it were done differently! I found it difficult to truly care about the characters and what was happening in their lives. There are a lot of people who will enjoy this - it just wasn't totally for me. Three stars.

This just really could not keep my attention. It had a such good premise but I just could not get invested in the characters and I just could not care about what has happening in their lives. So this is a very generous 3/5 star rating. I'm sure that this book definitely has an audience, but it just wasn't me. Sorry.

And this definitely leans more towards women's fiction than romance (and I VERY often find that books like that tend to bore me).

The story drags and the characters aren't really all that likable (and this is clearly the type of book where they are supposed to be liked). Their choices and behaviors were also difficult to understand or relate to at times.

Cute setting with some Romeo and Juliet-esque vibes, but overall disappointing for my reading taste.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with monthly reading wrap-up.

I really loved this book! This was my first time reading Poppy Alexander and her writing style is so warm and cozy, while also being detailed and fresh, I couldn't put it down. The actual realities of running a bookshop are often glanced over in romcoms in favor of more time with characters, but this felt so real and practical. I do wish we spent more time in his POV, just to give us a better understanding of his personality.

A small suggestion: I feel like the title doesn't do this book justice. It's heavier than just a simple romantic comedy, and I would love if the title reflected that.

The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander is a cozy and charming novel that celebrates the magic of independent bookstores and the community they create. The premise—two rival bookshops vying for the title of "best in town"—is a fun and lighthearted concept, offering plenty of room for quirky characters and heartfelt moments. While the book succeeds in creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere, its plot can feel somewhat predictable, relying heavily on clichés of small-town drama and romantic subplots that lack depth. Some of the character development also falls flat, with certain figures feeling more like caricatures than fully fleshed-out individuals. Overall, while The Battle of the Bookshops is an enjoyable and easy read for fans of feel-good fiction, it doesn't offer much in terms of originality or emotional complexity.

This was kind of a Romeo and Juliet retelling but if im honest i couldn't really connect with the characters as much as i wanted to. It was definitely an enjoyable read and i think it has a great modern day aspect to the Romeo and Juliet storyline. I do wish we got a bit more chemistry between Roman and Jules because it definitely did not feel like a love story between them. It just wasn't very believable that they liked each other. I really enjoyed the writing style though.
Thank you NetGalley for providing this opportunity and to Avon and Harper Voyage for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Total score 3.25 stars (First half: 2.5, Second half: 4)

So, it took me a while to get into this story and the first half dragged a bit. I also found it a bit difficult to understand Roman's behavior but, about halfway through, it started to make more sense. The second half of the story was great and I really enjoyed it.

I totally loved Flo and it was nice to revisit some characters from some of Alexander's previous books.

So, overall, a nice romantic story with a satisfying HEA.

this was cute and closed door. there were moments of kissing and discussions but not played out on page. it is a romance with a women’s fiction type of vibe.

✨Rivals To Lovers
✨Modern Twist On A Classic (Romeo & Juliet)
✨Forbidden Romance
✨Cozy Rom-Com

"The Battle of the Bookshops" was an enjoyable read. I thought the author did a good job putting a modern day twist on arguably one of the most well-known classics.

The only thing I wish I saw a bit more of was the romance between Jules and Roman. I didn't quite feel their romantic chemistry as much as I would have liked to but overall I still enjoyed the story.

I think this is definitely worth checking out if you enjoy reimagined classics or cozy Rom-Coms.

Thank you Poppy Alexander, Net Galley and Avon and Harper Voyage for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I usually like modern twists on classics but this seemed to try too hard. Reader is constantly reminded that it is Romeo and Juliet. The first names, the last names being repeated more than necessary.

Such a good read I couldn’t put it down at all! From page one to the last page it kept me hooked which I love.