Thank you so much for an advanced copy of Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady! I really enjoyed this one.

This book was so fun. I loved the gender-flip of the sex-positive male romance bookstore manager with the serious literary fiction female bookstore manager. Add in the You've Got Mail retelling, and I was sold. I really enjoyed watching the love story unfold between the two main characters both through their instant messages and face-to-face interactions. I also enjoyed the competition of the bookstores, even though I feel like the resolution was a little anti-climatic after all the drama with the store owner etc.

Overall, though, this was a solid romance and I enjoyed the audio version very much!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don't normally prioritize books I just read for reviewing on Goodreads (I try to go in order), unless it's not normally something I'd feature at Chick Lit Central or if I am on a review deadline. However, I am making an exception because I can't stop thinking about Ali Brady's latest rom-com, Battle of the Bookstores! This is definitely one of my top picks of 2025.

I know the premise is based on You've Got Mail and that a lot of books (including another one I read recently) use this premise. However, there were some differences and I liked this book even more than the movie (and I still enjoy the movie and cry from it every time).

A love for books takes front and center in this novel and there were so many recommendations throughout. I had read some of the books mentioned, but didn't know much about the others. I appreciated that Ryan made a point of selling LGBTQ+ romances in his store. (The reason behind it is sad though.)

Both Josie and Ryan were such lovable characters, even when they were rivals, and I wanted them both to win somehow. Their banter and chemistry was so wonderful throughout the novel! And the spicy factor...all I can say is to not read this in public, as I learned while trying not to blush too hard when doing so myself. Having said that, if you like steamy scenes, you're in for a treat!

There's more to the story than just the You've Got Mail plot. Josie is dealing with a lot because of her mother always acting irresponsibly and running off with any man who pays her the slightest bit of attention. Ryan had to overcome a learning disability and also feels inferior to his brothers. There's a lot at stake for both of them with this competition and the owner of the store isn't making things any easier for them.

There is nothing I didn't love about this novel. I caught a minor inconsistency that was actually quite amusing. Since it was in an advanced copy, I only hope it was caught for the final publication.

Ryan's parents reminded me of my husband and myself. There was one thing he mentioned about them that made me think of something we tell our kids when they get "annoyed" at us for being happy together.

I am in love with this book and am excited for everyone to read it, now that it's out in the world! Just like with the movie it's modeled after, I cried at one point.

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting recommendations:
Josie: Odeya Rush
Ryan: Jarred Harper
Georgia: Ella Rubin
Eddie: Nico Tortorella
Cinderella: Rhea Seehorn
Xander: Luke Kirby
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TW: parental abandonment, child neglect, suicide of LGBTQ+ individual (off page, but mentioned)

Josie and Ryan manage two indie bookstores on the same street, but they couldn’t be more different. Josie manages a “serious” literary book shop, while Ryan’s shop is focused solely on romance. When the scummy boss who owns both shops decides to merge them together, there will only be room for one manager. How will he choose? He’s going to make them compete against each other and whoever has the highest sales by the end of the summer will be the victor. The stakes are high, and the gloves are off! Thank goodness they each have an anonymous friend on online bookish forum to confide in – but little do they know that they’re actually chatting with each other!

This book was everything I was hoping it would be and then some! I pictured an angsty, sparky rivalry between Josie and Ryan as the enemies become lovers with lots of stiff competition, witty banter and swoony chemistry, and I got it all and loved every moment! I love the black cat/golden retriever dynamic between Josie and Ryan, a “just right” balance of sweet, spicy, and emotional. The representation is really well done, with dyslexia, disability, LGBTQ+, and Jewish rep all woven seamlessly into the prose. The “You’ve Got Mail” vibes – modern and, dare I say, better than the original – are the perfect icing on the cake (Meg and Tom who?).

As if all that wasn’t enough, this book feels like a love letter to the bookish community. Every time Josie or Ryan mentioned reading ARCs, writing reviews, or referenced books and authors I love, my heart swelled a little more. The love the authors have for the indie bookstore scene really shines through. Highly, highly recommended! I know we have six months of the year left, but I already know this book is going to land a top spot in my favorite romances of the year!

Summary in Brief

Josie and Ryan are bookstore rivals—Josie runs a literary fiction store, and Ryan runs a romance store. They find out that their mutual boss is combining their bookstores, and there can only be one manager. Cue the rivalry games.

Genre + Plot

Tropes: Workplace Romance, Enemies/Rivals to Lovers, Secret Identity, Found Family, Forced Proximity, One Bed, Cinnamon Roll MMC, Slow Burn, No Third-Act Breakup

I was so drawn to this premise because it reminded me of Nora Ephron’s You’ve Got Mail, that '90s rom-com with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. Such a classic and one of my all-time favorite rom-coms. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint on that front.

Josie is our FMC: strong-willed, smart, a lover of Americanos, and very much the elder-sister type. Aka, she takes on everyone’s problems as her own and doesn’t let the world see when she’s struggling. She has an icy exterior, but it’s just protecting her heart. She definitely has some childhood issues with her mother and an underlying fear of abandonment.

Ryan is our MMC: a soft-hearted, romance-loving hero who drinks sugary frappuccinos and has been burned by love in the past. He and Josie don’t know it, but they’ve been anonymously messaging each other on an online forum for book lovers. Then, they end up competing for the management position at the new bookstore. Sound vaguely familiar? I thought so.

Let me tell you, these two were nasty to each other in the beginning. I’m all for some enemies-to-lovers tension, but usually the “enemies” part isn’t too cruel or manipulative. These two, though? They had their teeth and claws out. I was honestly surprised by some of the things they said to each other. That said, you can immediately tell they’re attracted to each other and want to rip each other’s clothes off. I was waiting what felt like forever for their story to pivot, for the pining, tension, and angst to really build, and while it did take a while, once it happened, it was oh-so-sweet.

I cannot emphasize enough how close this was to the movie You’ve Got Mail, and I’m not saying that as a criticism. It was fabulous. The ending is so sweet with strong character development as well. There’s no third-act breakup, which I was really worried about given Josie’s personality and history. It ends with a typical fairy-tale moment and a cute little epilogue.

Final Thoughts

Overall, if you love the movie You’ve Got Mail and are into enemies-to-lovers, bookstore rivals, slow burns, and angst, then this is the perfect summer read for you!

Josie and Ryan manage competing bookstores in the same building in Boston. Josie runs her store with literary fiction on the shelves, and Ryan's store is all romance. When their new boss merges the stores, they’re forced into a summer-long competition to see who can make the biggest profit. The winner will keep their job as manager and manage both stores. He will use any tactic to pit Josie and Ryan against each other.

To complicate things even more, they have unknowingly become online confidants in a book forum. Friends online, enemies in person, and that is just the beginning. As their rivalry heats up, so does an unexpected attraction, a textbook "opposites attract" trope.

Why Jackie loves it

There is so much to love about this book, I do not know where to start. Think of this book as the movie version of You've Got Mail. The book makes reference to the one-bed trope and so many other tropes that it absolutely cracked me up! I love the references to books- literary, romance, historical and more. This is a romance that is as much a love story between two people as it is the love for the written word.

“Rivalry and romance spark when two bookstore managers who are opposites in every way find themselves competing for the same promotion.

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.”

**What I loved about this book:
I always love books about bookstores so I was excited to read this one! I loved the friction between Ryan and Josie at first due to their dueling bookstores! Then, it was so sweet to see the evolution of their relationship throughout the book!! And there were some great “You’ve Got Mail” vibes in this book as well!

(4.5/5 stars, rounded up to 5/5 stars)

Battle of the Bookstores is an absolutely charming read. It’s bright, fun, sweet, and a love letter to readers. Author duo Ali Brady knocked it out of the park with this delightful story of rival bookstore managers falling in love.

Confession: Enemies-to-lovers isn’t my favorite trope. But watching Josie and Ryan trade barbs and go from enemies to friends to lovers? Utterly delightful. Ryan is the manager of a romance bookstore and he’s just about the perfect hero. He’s sweet, kind, and is a champion of the romance genre. I absolutely adored his bookstore, Happy Endings, and only wish it and the employees in it were real. Ryan has insecurities he hides and the biting comments from his rival, Josie, bring them out. Josie has a hard outer shell that hides her own insecurities. She runs a literary fiction bookstore and aspires to be a valued voice in those circles. While she turns her nose up at romance novels at the beginning, I enjoyed watching her move outside her comfort zone.

When the owner of both stores decides to combine them and make Josie and Ryan compete for who will be the last manager standing, the gloves come off. But what neither competitor knows is that they are each the other’s favorite person in the online bookseller community they’re a part of. Shades of You’ve Got Mail run through this story as Josie and Ryan spar in person then share hidden truths online.

Ryan and Josie are both easy to root for and their love story was a delight to watch unfold. The romance tropes are called out which makes it a lot of fun for fans of the genre. The authors mostly eschew false drama for more engaging, character-building moments. And I was just as if not more charmed by Ali Brady’s love letter to readers. Battle of the Bookstores knows and appreciates its audience and it shows in all the best ways. I finished Josie and Ryan’s story a well-satisfied reader and I am definitely looking forward to reading more Ali Brady books.

Easily one of this month’s most anticipated new releases for me, Battle of the Bookstores by the incredible writing duo, Ali Brady, did not disappoint at all.
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These authors are book lovers themselves, it shows in every page of this story of two independent booksellers who are forced into competing for their job and their store when the owner of both decides to combine the two. It is an enemies to lovers trope, one that the MMC, Ryan, claims to hate, until he is living it.
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After watching her mother endure one reckless relationship after another at the expense of her daughters, each one destined to fail, the FMM, Josie, doesn’t believe in happily ever after’s, especially with the cardigan wearing, smut peddling, guy next door. Yet visions of him holding her up against a bookcase keep invading her mind.
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So many little things, little moments, made this book for me. Great steamy scenes, but cuddling up in bed together, each reading their own new book, awww. And lines like this “Of all the books I’ve ever read and all the fantasies I’ve ever had, none of them hold a candle to the reality of being with you. You are what I’ve been waiting for.” Swoon!!
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The battle and dance between the two was fun and entertaining as they do everything they can think of to increase profits at their stores and keep the other from winning. I would be a frequent visitor to both their stores, one that sells all varieties of romance and one that sells literary fiction. I couldn’t help but love all the literary references as well.

The only thing less believable than a hot straight guy running a romance bookstore is that he’s also a 6’7 man in Boston — and THAT is why I read romance books.

Adorable, funny, and packed with swoonworthy quotes, this is the kind of romance that we (as romance readers!) pick up a romance book for, replete with some iconic tropes (rivals to lovers! online epistolary with secret identities!!!) amidst a backdrop a charming self-awareness, as this book tackles two competing bookstore managers with vastly different perspectives on the romance genre. Ryan is an optimist who believes in The One, and Josie is a jaded, cynical lit fic fiend who thinks romance is boring and unrealistic. (boo hiss)

While this one has a bit of a rough start, with some forced enemying that didn’t really feel organic (though in contemporaries, it rarely does!), along with rushed physical chemistry between the characters, the back half of this is an absolute DELIGHT. It really hit its romantic stride toward the end, with some quotes that every single romance reader wants to hear (let’s hang out in bed and read our books!!! SWOON), and enough intrigue built between these two as they unknowingly bare their souls to each other as anonymous online strangers. There are some really fun layers to this, but with those layers comes a hefty dose of cringe — real life author and book character references, STFUATTDLAGG lanyard badges, and our FMC’s first time learning about knotting. Despite the heavy-handed pop-bookish-culture references, this was also laugh out loud funny, was hard to put down for the entire back half, and has one of the most romantic grand gestures I've ever read in a book. Ryan is truly The Blueprint, and I’m genuinely mad he’s not real.

Pick this up if you’re interested in rival bookstore managers that fall on opposite sides of the bookish spectrum, love a breaking-the-third-wall moment with bookish references us romance readers will recognize immediately (like the Leo DiCaprio meme!), and are in the mood for something sweet and easy to read.

Thank you so, so much to Berkley for the chance to read an early copy of this! It's out now so if you, too, yearn for an absurdly tall man who's read every Abby Jimenez book, run, don't walk!

A love letter to book lovers

This book was an absolute treat! Battle of the Bookstores is a rivals-to-friends-to-lovers slow burn with two main characters I adored from start to finish. I especially loved how they worked through their issues like adults—no dramatic third-act breakup here, just growth and great chemistry.

The story is packed with fun book references and romance trope shoutouts that made my bookish heart so happy. It’s the perfect pick for romance readers who love a good slow burn, a little steam, and characters who feel real

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this gem in exchange for my honest thoughts!

How is it possible that this is my first Ali Brady read? What a wonderful one to start with!! They wanted to pay homage to indie bookstores and authors of all types, and this was a book lovers dream of a book poking at all of us readers and our quirks and having fun with the abundance of stereotyping of genres. In the midst of all the fun, there’s a romantic comedy that is sweet, romantic and organic! With a nod to You’ve Got Mail, BookshopGirl and RJ.Reads can be their authentic selves behind the anonymity of the screen. Tropes galore, I mean both enemies to lovers and friends to lovers in one book?? And then in the midst of all that fun, drop in some hot steamy…oh wait….okay now.
Josie manages the very respectful bookstore focusing on literary reads and she has the polished, uptight personality to match. Ryan/Brian manages the diverse and explicit romance store next door. His employees are expressive and loud and everything Josie is not. When the owner decides to combine spaces and downsize to one manager, he pits Josie and Ryan against each other in competition for the jobs they both love.

If you are a book lover and enjoy the romcom genre, this is a “must read”! Be ready: the MMC will likely be added to your book boyfriend harem. Alongside the great cast of characters, these bookstores will be living rent free in my head. If they really existed, I’d be planning a trip to Boston just to visit them. This book is sheer romcom delight.

Read if you enjoy:

📧You’ve Got Mail
😡😍 Enemies to lovers
📚 Indie bookstores
🙋🏻‍♂️ He falls first
👥 Dual POV (his/her)
🏙️ Boston Setting
❤️‍🔥 Slow burn
🛌 Open Door
👥 Diverse characters and representation

I have read quite a few books that are romances about two bookstores on the same street fighting for customers. But this one is special! Plus it turns the trope on its head and she manages the serious literary bookstore, while he manages the fun romance bookstore.

Josie and Ryan each manage a bookstore, owned by the same skeezy landlord on either side of a coffee shop. They are both also quite active on an anonymous book forum. With You've Got Mail (or Shop Around the Corner) vibes, this cute romance is a book lover's dream!

This is a five star romance that just pulled me in and didn't let go until the very last page.

Thank you to Net Galley and Berkely Publishing Group for the ARC. All opinions are my own!

Its adorable! It is cozy, funny and so so good. I haven't been able to find a physical copy in any local bookstores but I will definitely be on the look out. This one is worthy of a re-read.

As an Ali Brady fan since their debut novel, The Beach Trap, I am happy to say Battle of the Bookstores is another winner by this writing duo! This book is an absolute treat for book lovers, full of nods to beloved books and authors. And while I love their earlier books, this one leans a bit more romance than women's fiction, which I personally loved.

Battle of the Bookstores is like the perfect mash up of You've Got Mail and Sally Thorne's The Hating Game. It makes for the perfect enemies to lovers mash up IRL with lots of tension, sharp banter, and undeniable chemistry (though they aren't quite ready to admit it). But online it's a totally different story. Josie and Ryan are the best of friends, connecting over their love of books and able to open up to each other while hiding behind their online personas. It was refreshing when their digital and real lives came together, and Josie and Ryan were finally able to show up for each other offline the same way they had online.

I did initially find Josie's prickly personality and inability to communicate frustrating, but the authors did a good job of peeling back the layers and showing us why. She has great character growth over the course of the story, and I ended up liking her character a lot! Ryan, of course, was the perfect book bff - no notes.

Full disclosure - while I did love all of the book references, there were A LOT - it felt tired after awhile and overdone. I'M SORRY - I know this is a book literally about books, butttttttttt still...

ANYWHO, if you're finding you have some gaps in your summer reading list, make sure to grab this one! You won't be disappointed!

Josie, the meticulous and literary-fiction-devoted manager of Tabula Inscripta, and Ryan, the laid-back manager of Happy Endings, a romance bookstore. These two bookstores exist on the same street. A new owner decides to merge their two stores together, but only one will get to be manager after a summer competition of the highest sales.

This book was written for booklovers! Two rival bookstores, the You’ve got Mail vibes, the bookish lingo…it was just perfect. The tension and rivalry between Josie and Ryan was swoon-worthy. Their relationship was real and raw and the built up was perfection. I especially adored Ryan and his romantic gesture! I loved every minute of this one!

Oh my god, THIS BOOK!! Battle of the Bookstores is an excellent exercise in enemies-to-lovers and a beautiful ode to book lovers everywhere. Josie and Ryan felt so authentic, and their banter was off the charts. I especially loved the emphasis on the community aspect of local bookstores. Highly recommend!

Sadly this was a DNF for me. Knowing the authors are real life bookstagrammers it feels awkward how many times they’ve eluded to things only
Bookstagrammers would know like terms, tropes, even outright saying “listening to my audiobook on Libro FM”.
It feels clunky and like they are just trying to check boxes. I read 30%

Thank you to the Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This book felt like the best of multiple worlds - it was all the things I love about romance books but also addressed many of the things that can go awry in the over-the-top fandom of the genre. At the same time, the authors adeptly delve into some of the reasons why some readers love (and despise) different genres.

As with most romances, the main male character is quite idealized, but he was presented in such a way that I wasn't rolling my eyes every 10 pages or so. I appreciated the real-world challenges that the characters needed to navigate (both emotionally and practically); as a result, the novel felt like it was grounded in the real world rather than a false, cookie-cutter one.

As someone who used to live in Boston, I enjoyed the references to the various location mentions since they provided me with an additional connection to a concrete time and space.

This ones for all the book lovers and for those who still believe in love!

This book was so cute! I loved Josie and Ryan going from enemies to more. They were such polar opposites of each other. I felt like through their texts it seemed so obvious they should have known each other. Overall, this one kept me entertained the entire time.