This was such a fun read! I loved the concept of the "dueling" bookstores and that the MMC was the owner of the romance bookstore. It was such a refreshing take and to hear a male POV on the romance genre was the most fun! This book was everything an enemies-to-lovers trope fan needs. It's got humor, depth, spice, tension. Just pure "unputdownable" romance joy. I binged it on a 6 hour flight to Dublin from NYC and it was the most perfect plane book. It totally sucks you in and the time flew by!

This book was so damn sweet!!! Absolutely perfect for fans of You’ve Got Mail, Ali Brady does a lovely job of bending stereotypes (love that the guy is the romance novel–lover and the gal is all about lit fic) and making an enemies to friends to lovers story NOT feel forced.

Thank you to Berkeley and NetGalley for a DRC!!

Battle of the Bookstores is a fun rival to lovers story that centers around Josie & Ryan. They both run indie bookshops and when both shops & the coffee shop between them are under new ownership of Xander (we don't like him btw) he decides that he wants to combine all three businesses into one Bookstore/Cafe. The big issue? Xander doesn't need two managers, Josie & Ryan, so he pits the two of them together to see who's sales are better & whoever does better will be the manager.

This book was beyond amazing! I can honestly say I read it in less than 12hrs because I just could not put it down. The authors knew exactly what they were doing when they decided to tackle Josie & Ryan's story. They made you hate Xander right along with Joise & Ryan. They make you feel the tension between Joise & Ryan as the competition heats up. And the truly important part, they make you feel so connected to both Josie & Ryan as they find themselves falling for each other.

I can hardly wait to see others pick up this book come June because I know it's going to be a favorite!

(4.5 stars, rounded up)
This was the perfect book to read on Indie Bookstore Day! (And any other time, too.) Josie and Ryan are both such complex and lovable people. Their childhood experiences and how they each came to their respective bookstores are very different paths, but that doesn't stop them from understanding each other. I also found being easier to open up to strangers online as opposed to people in real life extremely relatable. This is a great romance, for both romance readers and literary book lovers as well. Highly recommended!

this was the first book to catch my attention since starting to fall into a bit of a slump!! yay!! i really enjoyed this and thought the story was super cute. i absolutely love reading about bookish main characters & josie and ryan were no exception. i loved hearing some of my favorite books get mentioned throughout this story. as a romance reader, i really loved ryan and could really relate to him and a lot of the reasons why he was so passionate about romance books! there was a lot of tension and yearning in this book and i really enjoyed that. i also really love the secret identity trope and this has a big secret identity plot which i think was done really good in this story. i did have to take a star away from this book though because i did find it to be a little bit cringey at times. sometimes the book references and tiktok reference got to be a little bit too much for me. especially the STFUATTDLAG part… iykyk. i really could have just done without that entire scene, other than that, i really enjoyed this story from start to finish and will definitely be recommending this one for a fun summer romance!

I always appreciate when a book take an often-used format and turns it on its head. In this case, our mmc Ryan is the romance enthusiast while the fmc Josie is the "serious" reader and it allowed for a fresher spin. There are certainly classic tropes throughout and I didn't necessarily love the incessant author name-dropping at the start (it felt less 'ode to our favorites' and more of a checklist of best-selling authors they hoped would blurb?) - but the way the traditional third act break up was handled redeemed the story and I expect many romance readers to love it.

anage two very different indie bookstores. Ryan is a gregarious and warm boss who is into romance novels and he and his staff have created a great setting. Josie, on the other hand, rolls her eyes at romance and is into serious literary fiction. She had a rough childhood and is emotionally guarded and prickly.

But, they share the same landlord, and when he decides to consolidate the two stores and the coffee shop that separates them, both sides are aghast. And then he sets them up: whoever has the most profits will be the new manager after the construction and the other will be out of a job.

Even almost too good to be true Ryan is disgruntled and snarky with Josie. But she is the queen of nasty at times and the two fall into a heated competition with a lot of funny but unpleasant run-ins. But of course there is chemistry happening along with the sniping and they both soon realize it.

There are lots of plot extras: an interlude with Ryan's family, an internet friendship plus for Josie, the story of her childhood and her dysfunctional mother, and some hilarious but good-natured discussion about romance novel tropes, including the usuals plus Only One Bed.

It's good fun and it's nice to watch them overcome their baggage and figure things out. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

DNF @30%

Maybe if you suspend all belief (like stores remaining open during MAJOR construction or running an entire bookstore by yourself) you can manage this one more. There was also so much name dropping? I get its a book about books, but the author went HARD on this, dropping names like Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry and even Violet Sorrengail. Also, the FMC was almost intolerable. It's possible she got better throughout the book, but I just couldn't suffer though more to see if she ever got there.

DNF for now, but maybe I'll go back to this one.

A romance between rival bookstore managers pitted against each other when their bookstores are being combined and only one of them will be keeping their job.

Josie is the serious lit-fic bookseller while Ryan is a romance bookseller who adores romance to his core. They immediately get off of the wrong foot, butting heads at every turn. They are also, unbeknownst to them, anonymous pen-pals online.

Under the usernames BookshopGirl & RJ.reads, they form a bond based on their love of books, but it quickly grows into a friendship where both of them feel more open and safe.

While in their "real life" they are at each others throats.. until their arguments and heated exchanges start to sizzle with attraction and a whole different kind of heat.

Ryan is 6'7 1/2 (!!!!) and is built like a tree. He wears slutty little glasses, adorable cardigans and is always sporting various bookish pins. This man is down bad! Smitten!! He is so into her and his inner thoughts when thinking about Josie were equally tender and horny. My fav kind of man!

Josie is a very guarded person. Her childhood left her pretty jaded and reluctant to let anyone close enough to hurt her. I loved seeing her interactions with both RJ and Ryan and how the different dynamic of those relationships with the same person helped her in different ways.

The spice was sensual and hot! Seriously, Ryan gets all the gold stars!!! The way he always asked for explicit verbal consent?!? This man would get carte blanche to have his way with me, and I just know it would be the time of my life.

I devoured this in two sittings and enjoyed it so much.

Somewhat a spin on You’ve Got Mail, Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson are opposite attract characters in this enemies to lovers romance. Ryan is truly a fresh spin on a lead male as he (as a bookseller) champions the romance genre and the spicy and unabashed fun that can be a part of our reading experience and supports the liberation of feminine sexuality. Loved the supporting characters- how untraditional they were and how Ryan was not fearful or judgmental of any quirk or personality. Josie was initially reserved, but relaxes into the fun that Ryan embraces. Josie’s more serious nature due to family circumstance, gradually unravels and opens the door for her to chase her dreams and Ryan to be solidly at her side.

Book lovers rejoice, this one is for us! Thanks so much to @berkleypub @berkleyromance for the digital ARC!

Enemies to lovers, battling bookstores? Say less! I loved that we saw a lot of different representations from the book community through the separate bookstores. Romance readers, nonfiction readers, literary fiction readers, everyone had a spot in this book and I loved the overarching message of “we’re all readers no matter what books you read.”

All of the You’ve Got Mail vibes were really well done. I loved the more modern take on a classic, and thought the pacing of the identity reveals were perfect. It’s hard to capture the essence of such a beloved story but Ali Brady managed to make me remember falling in love with You’ve Got Mail (such nostalgia) and falling for Ryan and Josie at the same time.

This book had really great banter and I liked that we saw a lot of “beyond surface level” moments for both characters. Josie and Ryan were a match made in opposite heaven and getting to see how they used their strengths and weaknesses to balance each other was so perfect! When they became a team I knew I was going to love them as a couple, even if it was hard to see at the beginning.

AND THE ENDING WAS VERY SWOONY!

This was a really fun and enjoyable read and felt like a love letter to the bookish community. It’s perfect for summer or any time you need a little book joy in your life!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Just the right amount of banter, conflict, spice and romantic tropes to balance the battle between the literary minded Josie and romance reading Ryan. Plus two bookshops and bookshops make every story better.

If you're in need of a fun beach read then may I point you in the direction of this adorably sweet rom-com that will have any romance reader melting into a puddle of warm and fuzzy goodness. Just read the premise and you’ll know what I mean.

Friends,

Battle of the Bookstores is about two managers of independent bookstores, one is a romance bookstore the other literary fiction. And, yes, you guessed it, these two (look at the cover for hints) aren’t particular fans of each other, but when the boss man says he’s merging the storefronts into one bookstore and he only needs one manager, the competition begins and do these two go at it!

And sparks fly as Josie and Ryan compete to keep their jobs until they both realize, maybe they’d work better as a team than as rivals?!?!

There’s so many great tropes, here’s a few: rivals to friends to lovers, fake dating, anonymous online book friends, fun moments that readers will thoroughly appreciate, and two cats named Hades and Persephone! It’s a love letter to independent bookstores and the people who work there.

A book not to be missed.

I must admit I love this story’s “You’ve Got Mail” vibe. First of all, a special discussion forum buddy with whom you can share pretty much anything is a great way to burn off your frustration with your new boss, who is pitting you against your rival!

This crazy plot seemed a bit far-fetched at first, but Brady develops this story with finesse and plausibility all over the pages. Her characters are unique and fun. The secondary characters are a riot and the spicy risqué book nights are so creative. Where is something like that where I live?

Ryan and Josie each carry a lot on their shoulders, and their growth from strangers to tolerable co-workers and finally more feels like a natural progression. I love their growth through work lessons and the love of books. The way the author brings in other authors, books, reviewer info, and the overall love of reading to bind them together is clever and sweet.

Battle of the Bookstores is a slow burn, opposites attract love story with the texting buddies amping up the confusion and awareness. But once reality hits, the hair comes down and the shoes come off quickly. This is a sweet'n spicy “he falls first” story that will delight readers of romance and women’s fiction all over!

This is one of those books that takes space up in your brain for the rest of your life. Maybe I’m a little bias due to the fact that I’m a bookseller dealing with similar issues such as “How do books survive the age of technology” but even with that thought put aside, so many promising themes are brought to the table.

This Dual POV, first person perspective read follows two characters… Josie and Brian or is it Ryan? I guess you’ll just have to find out ;) Josie is the buttoned up, tidy and organized manager of a literary fiction bookstore named Tabula Inscripta. Ryan on the other hand, manager of Happy Endings, a romance only bookstore, leans towards following his heart when it comes to running his store.

The story kicks off with essentially learning that the owner of the building is merging the two stores together + the cafe that separated the two into one space. The owner intends on letting go one of the two managers for the merge and kicks off a competition that whoever sells the most will win.

Pacing for the story is absolutely perfect, giving you lore of their personal past and present lives while balancing how the battle of the bookstores turns out.

Some of the bigger themes previously mentioned above include representation for Neurodivergence, Jewish and Disability communities.

Pub Date June 3 2025

Thanks so much to @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for the this eARC.

review posted to NetGalley & Goodreads

This book is for the girlies who can suspend their disbelief. The ones who embrace every trope with open arms, no matter how implausible. The ones who don’t care if their realistic fiction genre is unrealistic.

This book was NOT for me.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot wrap my head around a straight man being a romance bookseller. I’ve been so lucky to encounter so many romance booksellers, and they’re all women or non binary folks or (rarely) gay men. And that’s okay! Romance is such a wonderful space to explore sexuality. But straight men? They just don’t exist in this corner of the world. Even in the acknowledgements, where the authors thank so many indie booksellers and librarians: they thank one man, Ron Block (who is better known for his non-romance recommendations).

The romance-reading man (bonus points if he is 6’7) is a huge trend right now. Look no further than the popular Bromance Book Club series. But Ali Brady specifically writes this book in a hyper-realistic way, and it’s just not. Again, perhaps you can suspend your disbelief more. I just can’t.

There were certainly strong points to the novel. The grumpy/sunshine dynamic was well-established, and I liked how it showcased realistic growth. Josie was INSUFFERABLE at first, but I grew to really like her, which is what a good grumpy character should be like. The epistolary storytelling with the book chat was super fun, especially in the mistaken identities.

I had such a hard time concentrating on the love story when it felt like this book was an excuse to namedrop romance authors, without acknowledging more of the incredible lit fic authors in the game. Not to mention that some of the fact-checking slipped through the cracks, despite insistence in the acknowledgements of how many betas and editors this novel passed through. Tuck Everlasting famously did NOT win the Newbery, y’all.

Again: if you can get past all of this, then you’ll love this book. I couldn’t, so I didn’t love it. Jewish representation and mental health representation were minimal.

Thank you to Berkley for entrusting me with an eARC. I received this book as part of their Influencer Hub for Under-Represented Voices, specifically for Judaism and mental illness.

This is such a fun and modern take on “You’ve Got Mail”. I always enjoy books that focus on book lovers, and this one very much felt like a love letter to bookworms, especially romance readers. I really liked how tropes were called out as they were happening, it was both amusing and somehow worked really well with the story.

Both Josie and Ryan were so lovable. I was psyched to learn that Josie is Jewish - I always appreciate Jewish rep! Their love story transitioned so well from enemies to friends to lovers. I was rooting for them the whole time.

This book was just so cute and enjoyable and so dang romantic. I loved it so much.

I really enjoyed this book about two squabbling, competing booksellers! Josie and Ryan had very different views about books, book genres, and even book stores! Their banter was sharp, and their emotions were like live wires bringing them together and then forcing them apart. There is a definite You’ve Got Mail vibe going on, adding to the fun!

Ok ok ok, I was not expecting this much spice! Don't let the cover fool you! However, I will say the book could have been shorter. Coming in at 448 pages, it was a bit long...

This Enemies to Lovers story was cute, playing on inspiration from You've Got Mail, two bookstores on the same street are pitted against each other; only one can win to stay open. Josie has a clean and expertly curated shop full of meaningful literature; "smart people" books, the thicker the better. Ryan has a romance-only shop full of steamy scenes and questionable characters; certainly, the kind of books educated people would never dare pick up (insert snarky eye roll here).

Josie and Ryan can't stand each other. Thankfully, after a long day of competition, they can go home and vent-chat online with their anonymous friend in a bookseller forum. Too bad it's each other and they don't know it yet...

Things I liked... the inclusivity and representation in Ryan's bookstore. Also, the progression of understanding and acceptance for other genres instead of turning up a nose. The message was clear, no reader is better than the next simply because you read differently. Reading romance isn't above or beneath any genre and vice versa.

Things I didn't like... too many pages and flipping over a dirty cushion on a PUBLIC chair like a heathen instead of washing it. Minor? Probably. But it was gross enough to kill what should have been a cute, romantic moment. Do you not wash your bedding after a little hanky panky and allow someone else to sit on it? Yuck.

The ending wrapped up nicely. I wish I had seen a little meet-cute for Josie's sister (because she deserves it!), preferably with someone in Ryan's bookstore, that could propel this book into another book to follow her love story next.

Overall, I liked it. I would read more from this author duo.

Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson are bookstore enemies, they are each other's competition, the manager of the store down the street that occasionally steals the other's customers... and now they are about to be competing with one another to keep their doors open. Their boss has just notified them that they will doing a competition of sorts, whichever of them can turn the most profit over the summer will be the one who gets to keep their store open. The other will have to close their store...

Battle of the Bookstores is a charming enemies to lovers story that is destined to leave your heart all warm and toasty. These two have a big task in front of them and have a lot of people depending on them and it's more than a little stressful, so they turn to their book forum to vent to friends. Which seems innocent enough, but neither realize they are the other's friend...

Watching these two battle at every turn during the day and swoon over one other at night over the computer was quite entertaining and good for the heart. I loved their fall, it was sweet, heartfelt, and honest. I really enjoyed this first time read, it hit all the right notes for me and left my heart full of feels! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.