Ali Brady is one of my favorite writing duos! I loved the Jewish rep and the alternating POVs. We picked this as a book club pick and it was such a fun book to discuss.

This is my first book by this author duo and it made me feel truly SEEN as a bookworm. There are so many great references to recent releases that made me smile and chuckle. The double bookstore setting is swoony. The romantic plot itself was delightful. I found Ryan and Josie to be great characters, and I really enjoyed both of their back stories and approaches to reading and managing their stores. All of the friend and family characters added a lot to the story and basically I'd be friends with any of the characters in this book *happily*.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this one for any fan of contemporary romance particularly of the bookish variety ❤️📚

I absolutely LOVED this book!

Josie’s character pulled me in from the start. a love-story skeptic with a complicated backstory who somehow finds herself in the middle of one? Obsessed. Watching her open up (slowly, stubbornly) to love and to life again through Ryan was beautiful. And Ryan… the tall, glasses-wearing, book-loving, slightly slutty soft boy of my dreams. He’s patient, swoony, and shows up again and again, especially when things get hard. 🥹

Their dynamic? Chef’s kiss. Enemies to friends to lovers done to perfection. The tension, the banter, the longing… THE SWOON. Plus, the bookish metaphors and references throughout were everything. Truly a story made for the book girlies.

If you’re a fan of any (or all) of the following tropes, this one’s for you:
💘 Enemies to lovers
📚 Friends to lovers
🛏 One bed
☕️ He knows her coffee order
💋 Fake dating
💭 He falls first (and hard)
🫣 Pining
🌶 Sweet, sweet spice

This book is a love letter to bookstores, stories, and the people who believe in second chances. You won’t regret picking this one up!

Josie and Ryan are two very different booksellers on the same street in Boston. Ryan is the manager of a romance bookstore, while Josie is the manager and sole employee of a literary fiction bookstore. Josie barely knows Ryan's name, until one day things change drastically! The owner of their shops, and a neighboring coffee shop, decides that the bookstores need to combine, and he gives Josie and Ryan a challenge: the bookseller who sells the most will get to manage the combined bookstore. And the other will be out of a job. This is an enemy to lovers story, with plenty of sexual tension between Josie and Ryan, but as time goes on they realize they have a lot in common.

3.5⭐
Genre ~ contemporary romance
Setting ~ Massachusetts
Publication date ~ June 3, 2025
Publisher ~ Berkley
Est Page Count ~ 431 (31 chapters + one year later)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 32 minutes
Narrators ~ Karissa Vacker, Brandon Francis
POV ~ dual 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ work rivals, reverse grumpy/sunshine, enemies to friends to lovers, slow burn, minimal steamage

Ryan & Josie (30) are rival next door bookshop managers. Hers specializes in literary fiction, while his is romance (love that it was opposite of what one would assume the norm should be). When the owner wants to merge them, but leaving only one manager in the end, the competition is on.

Turns out these two have been anonymously online chatting for a while and their interactions were cute. Will it cause an issue when one figures out who the other is before they meet?

Ryan was so sweet! and tall. Gotta mention the height since it was sooo many times in the book. I got a tall hub myself fyi. Liked him a way more than Josie, our grump. She was really mean most of the time, except when she was using her online persona. While I can appreciate she's very protective of her sister due to their upbringing, it was just a little much for me at times. Child abandonment was a big focus.

As expected there are a bunch of book and author references and name dropping, almost too much for me, but again it's expected with this plot so I'll let it slide.

Took me a month to read it, but overall it was cute. The grand gesture was super adorable.

Cover notes ~ I totally pictured the bookshops opposite than what's on the cover. Also, there's a coffee shop between them that's frequented daily, so I would have liked that to be shown on the cover even if just a sliver of it. Love that the cats are on there, and the characters seem true to how they were described.

Okay sooo Battle of the Bookstores was cute! Friends to rivals to maybe-sorta-lovers with a whole lotta bookish charm. I loved the concept (bookstore competition? YES pls), and the little nods to reading culture were adorable.

Buuut, I wanted more from the characters. The pacing felt a bit off, and I didn’t fully fall for the romance. I was rooting for them, but something didn’t totally click for me emotionally. Still, it’s a cozy little read, perfect for a weekend curled up with snacks and no expectations.

Cute vibes, decent tension, just not an all-time fave.

Thank you Berkley for the eARC via Netgalley.

I really wanted to love this and the premise had promise but it did not execute. There was not a whole lot of “battle” of the bookshops and the MMC and the romance with the FMC was so unbelievable and built on what? A flame he held for a minor moment in time over a decade ago.

This was such a sweet and fun read! The story follows Josie and Ryan, two bookstore owners on the same street in Boston with totally different vibes. When their shops get merged, they’re forced into a summer long competition to see who can make the most sales.
It’s full of charming moments, witty banter, and that lovely slow burn of friendship turning into something more.

This book is a beautiful love letter to readers, books and booksellers.

It’s a bookish dream come true with tons of literary acronyms, name dropping of authors and popular book titles and I ate it allllll up.

It’s a “You’ve Got Mail” type of plot - you can see where it’s going to go….except when it all came crumbling down I was surprised how it went and that made me so happy.

The enemies to lovers and workplace rivals romance was all the right balance of snarky comments and trying to outdo the other.

I also loved how it brought other bookish topics into the plot such as people turning their nose up at romances, critiquing others genres that you don’t read and my favourite the constant questions of “How do you read so much”!

The PERFECT book about books!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Berkley Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED this book. One of the biggest things I can say about this book? It's phenomenal enough to be on my favorites shelf! The physical copy is also tabbed and annotated a fair bit!.

Firstly, a negative - is this book a work of literary genius? No. Is it meant to be? No. I believe that the authors truly just meant to give us not a literary piece of beauty, but instead to give us a long, long letter of love to those of us that are readers. It's a story of love to those that love to live in the books we read.

It's a cute read; I wasn't hooked until 40% or so in, and then it was just captivating. This is also a love not to the readers that also happen to love "You've Got Mail" (which is in fact my most favorite movie!). The banter, the online usernames, the spice, the wit, and the chemistry are all extremely well done.

This is the most perfect summer read for a reader. Light, Swoony, and adorable with tons of bookish quotes, and bookish trends.

This was my first book by Ali Brady and I would definitely check out other books by this author.

I really enjoyed the overall premise of the book - two work rivals who become lovers in a story similar to You’ve Got Mail. I also enjoyed an MC who likes to read romance novels and believes in HEA.

I did feel like this book tried to cover one too many romance tropes and I was ready for the two MCs to just communicate about their feelings instead of hiding from them. I recognize that is easier said than done for many, but it did make the plot slow down for me a bit.

Overall this was a cute read and I look forward to other titles by this author.

Why Did I Listen To Battle Of The Bookstores by Ali Brady?
Battle Of The Bookstores by Ali Brady has a few concepts that I love — it is about people who love books who work at bookstores, they are rivals, and there is a competition involved. I love those kinds of elements. There is just something about getting sucked into a good contemporary romance audiobook as you are going about the mundane – driving to work, folding laundry, staring at Excel pivot charts. This book looks all cute, however there are certainly some steamy, spicy scenes.

What’s The Story Here?
Ali Brady’s Battle Of The Bookstores follows Josie Klein who manages Tabula Inscripta which is a bookstore focused on literary fiction and highbrow literature and Ryan Lawson who manages Happy Endings, a romance themed bookstore. The two stores are on the same Boston street. The two managers should interact consistently right? They don’t. In fact, Josie doesn’t even like what she’s seen of Ryan, assuming he is a bro with the landlord of the stores they both manage.

Speaking of, the landlord/owner decides that there’s no need for there to be two bookstores on his payroll. He’s going to combine the two stores into one space. There only needs to be one manager. How will this be decided? The store that has the most profit within a specific timeframe will be the winner and that person will go on to manage to the new store. And so, the rivalry begins. Josie finds herself winding down by going on a forum aimed at booksellers. She can be herself. She also finds herself in a flirtation with a man on that forum. Oh, and I think you can guess who it is. There were definitely echoes of You’ve Got Mail.

How Did I Like Battle Of The Bookstores?
As expected, Ali Brady’s Battle of The Bookstores is super cute. I liked the rivals to friends to lovers aspect of Ryan and Josie’s relationship. Ryan is not at all what I had expected. He genuinely loves romance books and has created a safe space for the people who enjoy them as well. He also is someone who has a learning disability. His family, by the way, is great. I also enjoyed Josie — she dropped out of college. She’s close with her sister. She has a dim view of romance due to some issues with her mom. There is one red flag about Josie and that is one of her favorite books is The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. I liked that she gave commercial fiction a chance because of the guy she talks to on the forum. The fact that they shared books and read them for each other was quite adorable.

How’s The Narration?
The audiobook of Battle Of The Bookstores has DUAL NARRATION! I love when books that have two main character point of view perspectives do this. The Josie chapters are narrated by Karissa Vacker. The Ryan chapters are narrated by Brandon Francis. The alternating narration kept my interested. I felt both narrators embodied the characters really well. The audiobook is 9 hours and 33 minutes, I did listen to it sped up to about 1.75-2x depending upon my mood. This was a great listen for the start of my summer.

I absolutely adored this book. The main characters were relatable and their interactions didn’t feel forced. I loved how the author worked in quotes from other books and the romance author name drops were a fun touch. Knowing the author is a fan of my favorites was a welcome personal touch to the reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady.

I felt this was cute, comical and fluffy. Both Josie and Ryan are relatable. This felt similar to the movie, You’ve Got Mail, in today’s time.

Overall, it would be a fun read for a romance reader.


3.5 ⭐️

"Battle of the Bookstores" is an absolute treat for book lovers! Ali Brady blends rivalry, heart, and humor into a charming story that celebrates the magic of books and the people who love them. With snappy dialogue, lovable characters, and just the right amount of romantic tension, this one hits all the cozy, feel-good notes. A perfect pick for fans of Emily Henry and enemies-to-lovers done right.

Quick Take: Ever wondered what You’ve Got Mail would be like if the MMC was a 6’7” cardigan-wearing cinnamon roll who reads romance novels and the FMC was a literary snob with trust issues and a soft spot for bookstore cats? Yeah. Same. And Battle of the Bookstores is exactly that—but with more forced proximity, a little fake identity tension, and a rivalry that turns into one of the softest slow burns I’ve read in a while.

Tropes & Microtropes:

Rivals to Lovers (via shared break room & simmering frustration)

You've Got Mail vibes but reversed (he’s the romance reader 👏)

Dual POV

Forced proximity

Epistolary (they fall for each other anonymously online first!)

Bookstore drama, complete with financial stakes and feelings

Only one bed 👀

Grumpy & sunshine (but gender-swapped!)

Cinnamon roll MMC, serious girlie FMC

Literary fiction vs. romance wars

Bookstore cats (justice for Miss Marple!)

Workplace competition with real emotional depth

Childhood trauma and emotional healing

💖 Blush Meter:💗💗💗💗/5 – Sweet and spicy like a chai latte on a rainy bookstore afternoon. There’s a slow burn here, but once it kicks in—whew. The tension is there early on, hidden under judgmental glances and side-eye banter. The intimacy, when it arrives, is cozy and lowkey steamy, and I appreciated that it leaned emotionally open instead of just hot-for-hot’s-sake. Think: tension-laced hugs, late-night confessions, and one bed moments that make you want to giggle like a teenager with a new crush.

🌟 TAK Girlie Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.25 rounded down only because I’m picky)Listen, this book made me smile so much my cheeks hurt. I loved the premise, adored the setting, and would absolutely die for cardigan-wearing Ryan. I knocked off a fraction of a star only because I wanted even more banter and tension—give me those razor-sharp enemies-to-lovers sparks! That said, it was bookish, soft, and full of heart. And I would 100% reread for the quotes alone.

💬 Deep Dive:

Let’s start with the facts:Josie is a literary snob with a capital S who doesn’t do romance. She prefers her books dense, her characters miserable, and her happy endings optional. She’s been running the family bookstore ever since her emotionally absentee mother noped out, and now—surprise!—she’s forced to share the space with Ryan, manager of the cozy romance-friendly store across the street. Oh, and their landlords decided there’s only room for one bookstore manager. Competition: activated.

Meanwhile, online, Josie has been unknowingly exchanging flirty bookish messages with her anonymous pen pal—the only person who seems to get her these days. If you’re guessing it’s Ryan… you’re right. And when those identities finally collide, it’s exactly as chaotic and heartwarming as you'd hope.

I loved how this story took the classic You’ve Got Mail structure and flipped it on its head. Ryan—towering, broad-shouldered, cardigan-wearing, soft-spoken, and literally obsessed with romance novels—is the sunshine here. He’s not a broody alpha. He’s not saving anyone with money or power. He’s just a kind man who loves stories where people choose each other, again and again. Josie, by contrast, is emotionally guarded, hyper-responsible, and scared to let anyone in. Their dynamic felt so fresh and gender-swapped in a way that actually worked.

Josie’s backstory is one I felt deep in my bones. She’s the classic oldest daughter who grew up too fast. She’s a caretaker, a protector, and someone who’s learned to rely only on herself. Watching her open up—slowly, painfully, beautifully—was such a satisfying emotional arc. And her relationship with her younger sister felt incredibly grounded in realism, from sibling guilt to communication fumbles to found-family moments.

As for Ryan? Initially, I wasn’t sure what to make of him. He felt like six different MMC archetypes stitched together (is he Clark Kent? A yoga instructor? An English professor with muscles?). But once he settled into himself, I adored him. He’s a cinnamon roll with depth, and I loved how open he was about his love for romance novels and what they taught him about empathy, connection, and emotional literacy.

There’s something really meaningful about watching a male lead understand romance—not just perform it. Ryan isn't here for performative gestures. He’s here to build trust, hold space, and show up consistently. And that, my friends, is romance.

What really won me over, though, were the epistolary elements. Their online convos were so cute, so earnest, and filled with just enough vulnerability to feel like they were really falling for each other before the physical attraction hit. It gave that old-school “falling for someone’s mind first” energy. Give me all the pen-pal pining.

📚 Final Thoughts:

If you’re a book lover who lives for romance, bookstore settings, and the idea of being seen through your love for stories, Battle of the Bookstores is your next must-read. It’s a little chaotic, very cute, and full of genuine heart.

This story is about second chances, emotional healing, and letting someone see the soft, wounded parts of you. It’s also about how romance novels aren’t “silly” or “frivolous”—they’re survival guides, safe spaces, and roadmaps to connection. And honestly, that message alone makes this a win in my book.

Whether you're here for the tropes, the slow burn, the bookstore drama, or the cardigan-wearing hero, there's something in this one that'll make your bookish heart swoon.

For Fans Of:

You’ve Got Mail (obviously)

Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin

Book Lovers but flipped

Cinnamon roll MMCs who read romance novels

Enemies-to-lovers with heart

Cozy bookish settings and workplace tension

Sweet & spicy slow burns

Books that validate loving books ✨

"Despite managing bookstores on the same Boston street, Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson have never interacted much—Josie’s store focuses on serious literature, and Ryan’s sells romance only. But when the new owner of both stores decides to combine them, the two are thrust into direct competition. Only one manager will be left standing, decided by who turns the most profit over the summer.
Efficient and detail-oriented Josie instantly clashes with easygoing and disorganized Ryan. Their competing events and contrasting styles lead to more than just frustration—the sparks between them might just set the whole store on fire. Their only solace during this chaos is the friendship they’ve each struck up with an anonymous friend in an online book forum. Little do they know they’re actually chatting with each other.
As their rivalry heats up in real life, their online relationship grows, and when the walls between their stores come tumbling down, Josie and Ryan realize not all’s fair in love and war. And maybe, if they’re lucky, happily ever afters aren’t just for the books." -Goodreads

This was such a cute book. The fun banter in this book was great! Also, I love that my absolute favorite book was mentioned in the book as a recommendation! I truly enjoyed this one and would absolutely recommend it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a summer beach read version of You've Got Mail and while it doesn't have Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan it still offers up the fun star-crossed romance of the movie. The audiobook, narrated by Karissa Vacker and Brandon Francis, is a great way to enjoy the story and really appreciate the chemistry between the characters.

Two bookstores compete to become the sole manager when the owner decides to merge the businesses.

A little You've Got Mail mixed with enemies to lovers in a race to win a coveted job.

What will happen when they realize that they've been talking to each other all along?

A story that has a little spice, witty texts and banter, and a few surprises that leave you wondering...who will be crowned the winner of the battle of the bookstore?

This book was so adorable! I love the gumpy x sunshine, the enemies to friends to lovers, and the penpal "You've Got Mail" of it all!

I feel like Ali Brady's books are always good for a fun time, even if they're not getting at anything emotionally deep. I love that this book was about the importance of books and storytelling in our personal growth. It was just plain fun and will be delightful for other bookworms!