Managers of two independent bookstores separated by a coffee shop are competing against each other to run the whole shebang in Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady.

The eccentric landlord of both bookstores decides to knock down the walls and create one bigger space. The problem is that one bookseller only sells romance, while the other focuses on more literary works. The story is told through the alternating chapters of each protagonist.

Ryan and Josie are the respective managers, and when they meet, things could have gone a whole lot better. Josie seems to have a chip on her shoulder and does better alone. Ryan is never happy after their contentious interactions and always strives to do better. He also has a secret, and it could further alienate Josie when she finds out, especially since they have a truce to work together to convince the landlord that he’d be better off keeping both of them. They are forever talking about books, and I enjoyed some of their insights and banter.

The story has twists and turns, with multiple narratives unfolding. There’s also family drama, some steam, and snarky words. Josie and Ryan seem to take one step forward and many more back. Their online friendship on a book site started innocently, but Ryan figured out who he was talking to. She, however, doesn’t have a clue, and he’s slipped a few times in their interactions. The back-and-forth messages were an interesting addition to the story, adding the needed details and information. But what will happen when the truth is revealed?

Ryan’s grand gestures are a nice touch and over-the-top romantic. I love how they sometimes compare their lives to romance books and their tropes. There’s nice closure with a twist and a happily ever in the epilogue one year later.

Battle of the Bookstores is filled with romance, books, and characters who belong together, even if it takes them a while to realize it.

The review is posted on NovelsAlive.

Such a cute storyline, very likable characters, loved the bookstore setting, humorous banter, plenty of spice and romance. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a feel-good romance.

Wow! I loved Battle of the Bookstores! I went into this thinking it would be a cute cozy romance and don’t get me wrong it totally was, but this book was so much more. The characters were so real and their traumas were relatable. (Just call out all of us older sisters ,why don’t you?!!) What a love story!! This was funny and so romantic. A true enemies to lovers. The bookish references throughout were amazing. And being an indie bookshop owner this was so on point!!!

Loved it and will definitely be stoking this in my store!

I look forward to a new Ali Brady book every summer and Battle of the Bookstores was just the perfect book to bring me out of my reading slump! It's has You've Got Mail vibes and that's one of my favorite movies of all times. This book also really makes me want to open a bookstore some day!

There are two bookstores on the same street in Boston--Josie manages Tabula Inscripta, a bookstore that sells more highbrow fiction while Ryan manages, Happy Endings, a bookstore that sells only romance. They've peacefully coexisted until one day the owner of both stores decides he wants to combine both bookstores along with the cafe in between them and keep only one manager. Josie and Ryan are instantly enemies in person and each interaction between the two gets more hysterical than the last. What Josie and Ryan don't know is that they're essentially besties in an online chat group for booksellers.

The book is a love letter to the book community, to readers, to booksellers, to bookstore owners, and it's done in such a relatable way in my opinion. I loved the playful banter between Josie and Ryan and the epic enemies to lovers storyline. I also loved the attention to diversity in this book!

Thank you Berkley for the e-ARC!

4.5/5 stars

Battle Of The Bookstores is a dual POV romantic comedy. It is a You’ve Got Mail retelling set in Boston featuring rival booksellers

Thirty year old Josie manages a small boutique bookstore focusing on literary fiction. Her nemesis is Ryan. He is a dyslexic romance lover who manages a romance indie bookstore. He loves both audiobooks and cats.

The owner of both bookstores pits them against each other when he decides that only one can remain as manager. They are enemies and end up as rivals.

However it turns out that they are also secret penpals messaging each other on a discussion forum for booksellers.

The You’ve Got Mail storyline is cute. The bookstore aspect was so fun. I just loved how much both main characters loved reading.

I also really liked Josie’s sister Georgia. And the disability rep was wonderful.

Josie had a troubled childhood. She has a somewhat toxic relationship with her mom. Because of how she grew up she is always sacrificing for others and she does not trust easily.

The romance was good. However I definitely preferred seeing them work together vs them hating each other (enemies to lovers is the most popular trope but not my favorite).

Overall this is a fun enemies to friends to lovers story filled with witty banter. It is a love letter to book lovers and to indie bookstores. It ends with such a beautiful heartwarming epilogue. I recommend it for romcom lovers.

Ugh books about books and bookstores just hit different. If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a bookstore (which book lover hasn’t?) this book is for you. You get a bit of behind the scenes of bookstore ownership in the backdrop of an enemies to lovers romance. Josie and Ryan are complex characters and though both are bit prickly in their own ways, they’re endearing and I was cheering them on the whole way through. I would 1000000% watch this as a movie. One author blurb compared it to the movie You’ve Got Mail, and it’s so accurate.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for my free copy!

I enjoyed Battle of the Bookstores. The characters were quirky and real. They were also likable. The story was fun and the view into bookselling a plus. The growth of both Josie and Ryan was substantial and delightful.

When the owner of their stores pits Ryan and Josie against each other in a contest to bring in the most money, the two are affected negatively. Josie's mom has never been there for her daughters. She literally left them alone in search of an ideal romance. Josie can't trust or even open up to people. She loves her sister fiercely but her life is very solitary in her serious book shop. All is neatly ordered and meticulously tracked and planned.

Ryan is the youngest of a family of boys and the product of happily married parents. His dyslexia wasn't diagnosed early enough and he still suffers from a serious lack of self esteem constantly comparing himself to his parents and brothers. Where Josie's bookstore is thoughtful, Ryan's is random. Books are arranged by whimsical thoughts. I love that Ryan is the one enamored with and selling romances. Josie has eschewed romance and it shows in her book focus. As the two are forced to compete their paths cross more and more. After the walls between their stores and the coffee shop between are torn down they can't avoid each other.

In shades of You've Got Mail, both are very intrigued by their online friends in a book forum. They have progressed to the point where they DM each other. A lot. They can talk openly to their online friends far more than in real life. So realistic. Ryan recommends a book to his online friend and when he sees that Josie is reading it he puts two and two together. He's insecure enough that he worries way too much about how to tell her. He lets his realization go unvoiced for too long to where it becomes a question of can he ever be forgiven for not speaking up.

Ryan is the first to realize their animosity is only hurting them. Eventually Josie agrees and they devise a plan to work together to prove that even more sales growth can happen by cooperating. Both are questioning if they can live with themselves if they win the one manager slot and the other is let go. In the climax, they of course, face decisions with selfless sacrifices.

I laughed, I cried, I cared about every one of the quirky characters in both shops. I was anxious to see how these two great people would find their HEA. I was pleased with the final resolutions to all their problems. I recommend this book.

Thank you @berkleyromance @prhaudio for the books #PRHAudioPartner #BerkleyPartner

Josie runs a literary bookstore; Ryan sells only romance. When their rival shops are forced to merge, a summer-long sales competition ignites sparks—on and off the page. But their anonymous online friendship might just rewrite everything they thought they knew about each other... and about love. A rivals-to-lovers romcom made for bookish hearts.

Okay okay I know what you’re about to say—“Katie, I thought you hate reading about authors and heavy bookish plots??” You’re right. When books talk about tropes and book commentary directly, it totally takes me out of the story because I start noticing how the author isn’t developing those tropes well 😅🫣 But when it’s done well? There’s no better love letter to romance lovers than characters who love it too. And this book showcases that so well.

Ryan is a tall drink of fresh sparkling romance water, and Josie is chaotically polished and relatable. Their love for literature goes way beyond a pastime—it’s something that’s truly saved them. Also, this is just written really well with great pacing.

I don’t normally deduct stars for this—I just skip the spice—but the commentary sprinkled throughout made it really hard to know when to skip on audio. There’s still way more plot than spice though 👏🏻

Perfect for you if you like:
Tall men who read romance
Indie bookstores
You’ve Got Mail
Opposites attract
Epistolary

Similar to:
Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter
Not in my Book by Katie Bailey
Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore

⛔️chapters 21, 27 & 30 contain explicit romance scenes (open door) and there are comments throughout the book
⚠️child abandonment

Many thanks to Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for the gifted advanced listening and reading copies!

Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson each manage a bookstore on either side of a cozy coffee shop. Josie’s store is all about literary fiction, while Ryan’s is a haven for romance readers. When the owner of the three businesses announces plans to combine the coffee shop and bookstores into a single, renovated space, only one of them will get to keep their job. The catch? Whoever has the best summer of sales wins. These two total opposites are officially rivals—GAME ON.

But while they’re butting heads in person, they’re also unknowingly falling for each other online through an anonymous bookstore employee forum. As their secret virtual connection deepens, the heat of their bookstore rivalry rises, leading to some seriously complicated feelings.

This book is FANTASTIC. I was hooked on the “inside baseball” debates about books, the “enemies-to-friends-to-lovers” dynamic, and the hidden identities that added such delicious tension. The banter and hijinks are pitch-perfect, and the third act was lovely. Watching Josie and Ryan discover each other’s truths was so lovely and satisfying. Much like Ali Brady’s 2024 release, Until Next Summer, the story is enriched by a wonderful cast of side characters. And this book does what I love most in romance novels: it gives both main characters complete arcs and opportunities for growth. Additional kudos for consent and discussions about women not feeling safe in a room full of men.
(Also, witnessing Josie wonder then discover what STFUATTDLAGG means was hilarious)

🎧 Audiobook Notes 🎧 Karissa Vacker and Brandon Francis deliver a stunning duet narration that absolutely elevates this story. Their voices are perfect for Josie and Ryan, making it one of those audiobooks you cannot stop listening to. (9 hrs 32 mins)

**Thank you Berkley Publishing and Berkley Romance for the free book**

This book is truly for the book lovers. I thoroughly enjoyed the enemies to lovers romance between Ryan and Josie. I was cracking up laughing within the first few pages. I also thought the depth that was brought to the characters was relatable. Ryan is so lovable and very conscientious of others and I could definitely relate to Josie being the independent older sister. Being the older sister I felt seen. The dyslexia representation was also great. This is a bit of a slow burn but worth it. I could not put this book down. Highly recommend.

If you are a romance reader who loves books about books, you will want to read Battle of the Bookstores. This enemies to friends to lovers romance has everything a reader could want including conversation about books, witty banter, and a lovable sweet book boyfriend. It has all the tropes, but since the characters are bookstore managers, they acknowledge the tropes as they happen, which makes the book that much more fun.
💖Enemies to Friends to Lovers
💖Opposites Attract
🔥Slow Burn
💖Forced proximity
🛏️Only One Bed

Two independent bookstores are practically next door, separated only by a coffeeshop. Both are specialty shops, one in literary fiction, the other in romance, so there is no direct competition, until the new owner decides to knock out the walls and combine all three businesses. With cost cutting motives, the manager who's bookstore brings in the most profit, will be the manager of the new store, and the other manager will be out of a job. The one thing they can each rely on at the end of the day is the online anonymous chat group for people in the book industry. Of course their online friend is actually their real life enemy. The epistolary format allows conversations in the messaging app that would never take place in the characters' real life. It also provides the fantastic trope of allowing a character to be jealous of himself. The book is written in dual point of view, which lets the reader learn the backstories and feelings of both of these characters. This mostly sweet romance does have a couple open door scenes toward the end, so the book is both sweet and spicy.

I received a downloadable advance reader's copy of this great book from the publisher. I adored this book and read it in one day. This updated version of the 1998 movie "You've Got Mail" is an absolute delight.

An entertaining romance between two rivals with the same goal, managing a bookstore. Isn't that every reader's dream job? These two characters fit the "opposites attract" description, except they don't know who they are talking to online. So maybe they are not quite opposites. The interactions between the two, whether in person or online, set the story into a race to see who will figure it out first.

✨️ Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ ✨️

𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝘿𝙖𝙮!

Thank you to @BerkleyRomance, @netgalley & @alibradybooks for the free #gifted e-copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞:Battle of the Bookstores
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Ali Brady
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 432

𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
𝙅𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙚 runs a literary fiction/Non-Fiction bookstore called Tabula Inscripta. She had a rough childhood and had to take care of her younger sister. Being only a high school grad, she worked hard to get where she was today.
𝙍𝙮𝙖𝙣 is also a manager of an all romance bookstore. He is a true romantic! Totally a dreamboat!

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐬:
Book about books
Literary Fiction vs. Romance
Enemies to Friends to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Hidden Online Identities
Slow Burn
Witty Banter
Dual POV
Dyslexia Rep

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
• Ryan reading smut to the parrot
• The unknown texting of each other & their big identity reveal
• The Map Room date at the library
• I loved how Ryan supported Josie’s personal growth journey
• The bookstore proposal
• The Book Sluts book club/side characters
• Ryan’s grand gesture!
• You've Got Mail vibes
• The Epilogue was fantastic!!!

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: I am obsessed with this book! I truly adore most “bookish” books. I especially enjoyed the reversal of typical genre/gender roles in this one. The owner of the shops REALLY irked me with the competition and the lying! It was so nice to see them work together for the future of the store. This was such a fun, quick read and a what FANTASTIC book cover!

Thank you to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook.
Thank you to the author and Berkley Publishing for the advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Josie and Ryan are bookstore manager rivals once they learn that the owner of their two bookstores is going to merge both but will only keep the most productive manager. In time of stress, these two turn to the online forum, BookFriends, where they chat with their anonymous book bestie...whom may be closer than they thought.

This book is like a love letter to book lovers. Hearing about ARCs, reviews and readers was right up our alley. Plus, I love that Ryan was the manager of the romance only bookstore!

The narrators are Brandon Francis and Karissa Vacker. Both were great. Duet narration would have made this even better.

Read this if you like:
Enemies to friends to lovers
Books about books
Dual POV
Epistolary format
Jewish representation
Dyslexia representation
Some spice

Thank you to @alibradybooks @berkleypub @berkleyromance @netgalley for the #gifted e-book.

This was my first by these two and honestly just had me laughing, swooning, loving this tension! The whole enemies to lovers was so strong but worked oh so well and kept me wanting that tension to snap. You have the sweet banter that comes with that tension. Definitely was an adorable read and had that cute romcom feel.

I absolutely adored this romance about two competing bookstore managers who have three months to show their building's owner which one can turn the most profit, and therefore keep their job.

Ryan runs a romance only bookstore. He's the nicest guy...except when it comes to his nemesis, Josie Klein, who manages the lit fic bookstore. She manages to bring out the worst in him! It doesn't help that she puts on an ice queen front to hide her insecurities. Both of them have formed an anonymous friendship on a bookseller forum, but little do they know that it's actually each other that they're falling for.

This book reminded me so much of You've Got Mail and I loved it! The characters had the perfect nemesis-to-lovers chemistry, and their banter was perfect. I loved the anonymous messages they sent to each other in the forum because it showed who they really were behind their persona. And when they started to fall for each other in real life, sparks flew! I was so eager to see how the competition played out, and how they would figure out who they were talking to online, and that kept me turning pages so fast.

One of my favorite parts was all the literary references. It's as if Ali Brady wrote it just for us book lovers, and I smiled every time it mentioned tropes, books and/or authors I love, arcs, reviews, etc. And the fact that it was told from dual POV was the icing on the cake. That's my favorite!

I recommend this book to everyone, but especially to my fellow romcom lovers. This one absolutely hits on everything we love about the genre and is a sweet and heartwarming story.

Thank you Berkley Romance for the free book and thank you PRH Audio for my #gifted listening copy! #PRHAudioPartner #PRHAInfluencer
#BerkleyBookstagram #BerkleyIG #berkley #berkleyromance

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: 𝗔𝗹𝗶 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘆
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗩𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟯, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱

𝟱★

Ali Brady! The writing duo has done it again! This book was everything! Not only did it give off You’ve Got Mail vibes, but it had so many amazing book references that gave me all the feels. This is a must read for any book lover! It seriously felt like it was written for book lovers and I’ve loved everything this duo has written, but this might be my favorite one yet!

Josie and Ryan manage bookstores on the same street in Boston. Josie’s bookstore sells serious literature and Ryan’s sells romance. The two are also complete opposites. Now, the new owner of both stores has decided to combine them, with the manager who turns the most profit at the end of the summer the one left standing. The two begin competing with one another by hosting various events as the two clash with their different styles. Their only relief from the chaos is an anonymous online book forum where they find comfort in an anonymous friendship. Little do they know that the person they are talking to online might know more about them in real life than they think…

📚So Many Book References
📚Enemies to Lovers
📚Forced Proximity
📚Dual POV
📚Workplace Romance
📚Anonymous Online Forum
📚One Bed
📚Slow Burn
📚Open Door

🎧The audiobook is narrated by the talented Karissa Vacker and Brandon Francis. Both were absolutely perfect for this book! I loved my time listening to this audiobook and cannot recommend this one on audio enough! Vacker is a favorite of mine but I think this was my first time listening to Francis and I can’t wait to listen to more of his work in the future!

Posted on Goodreads on June 3, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around June 3, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on June 3, 2025
**-will post on designated date

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The moment I saw a Nora Ephron quote at the start, my heart was hooked. How could I not be excited about a book that channels You’ve Got Mail energy and captures all the emotion of a classic Ephron rom-com? It blends familiar tropes-enemies to lovers, secret identities, friends to lovers…with a fresh spin that makes it feel new.

I laughed out loud more than once, especially when Josie kept calling Ryan “Brian” by mistake. The humor is here and so is the heart. Ryan is sweet, patient, and genuinely romantic-exactly what Josie needs after growing up watching her mom’s messy relationships. She doesn’t believe in love, but Ryan, who fully embraces romance, never stops showing up for her.

Their story starts anonymously on Bookfriends, a forum for booksellers. Josie is “Bookshopgirl,” and Ryan is “RJ.Reads.” From there, it unfolds just like a great rom-com should-angst, banter, emotional reveals. Ryan is the ultimate cinnamon roll hero, and he helps Josie see that love doesn’t just live in stories. It can be real.

You’ve Got Mail is my favorite Ephron film, and this book completely captured that spark.

This was an enjoyable read. Although this book features explicit scenes and strong language, if you can overlook those, you'll appreciate the amazing connections between the characters.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy.

Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady is a captivating enemies-to-lovers romance that ensnared my attention from the very first page and left me eagerly anticipating more. This novel is a masterfully crafted romantic comedy that I devoured in a single sitting; once you settle in with this book, you won't want to put it down. With its clever and contemporary twist on the classic tale of You’ve Got Mail, it promises to deliver both laughter and heartfelt moments.