4.5, in the beginning, I thought I wasn't going to like this book because I didn't know how this was going to play out with Josie. I was pleasantly surprised tho as this book went on. You could see that Josie was just building up this wall because of everything she went through as a kid and it was similar for Ryan too. (I hate Xander tho) The relationship they built on and off their screens and how they each got to know the real them.

If you're a sucker for bookish settings, rivalries with chemistry, and heartwarming friendship, Battle of the Bookstores is a must-read. Ali Brady delivers a charming, witty, and emotionally rich story about two competing bookstore managers who go head to head for a high-stakes contest. Full of tension, banter, and just the right dose of feels, this one had me smiling, swooning, and cheering for both love and literature. Highly recommend for fans of feel-good fiction with depth!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for this ARC.

4.25⭐️

This book was so fun! It was super cute, and was the perfect fun flirty romance I needed rn!
From beginning to end I LOVED it. The whole idea that our MMC runs a romance book store while our FMC runs a more serious literature book store was chefs kiss! And add in the chatting app, that was a fun addition! I truly didn't see that coming, but I won't say more so l don't spoil it! And the competition between both bookstores was also amazing!
Ryan & Josie are perfection. And I love a good
"enemies to lovers" moment!
But let's not forget to mention how helpful these romance books have been for Ryan cause jaw dropper
I didn't expect that from him!!!

Josie and Ryan both bookstore managers, duking it out to see who can make the most profit to keep their job. She doesn't even know his name, and he thinks she is a literary snob. What could possibly go wrong... or right?!

As a book nerd, I really enjoyed this. I dont always love books about bookstores, libraries, or publishers, but this one had me kicking my feet and wanting to read one more chapter until the final page.

I loved all the book world jargon that was used. I really understood it all, and it isn't always common to see it written into the stories.

The side characters were just interesting enough but didn't take over the main storyline. Georgia seems to be a very well-rounded person in large part due to her sister's sacrifices.

I saw character growth throughout the whole book. It was fun to watch these characters grow and learn from past and present situations.

Another winner and I love that it's very reminiscent of the You've Got Mail plotline.
I felt bad that their landlord thought that the best way for him to find a single manager when they merged spaces to be a battle and how he would manipulate these two MCs.

I loved that this is kind of flipped and the guy, Ryan, runs the romance bookstore. His employees are so fun and diverse and I loved their "fishbowl" tradition for team meetings.

While Josie's run store doesn't seem to be my speed, I do admire her work ethic and how she handles the business side of it all. I love her fierce dedication to get sister Georgia, picking up their mother's slack. I have hope that their mother can change for the better 🙏

There are many fun scenes and some 🔥 scenes like that one time in the bookstore 😉 you'll just have to read and see. The online personalities of each MC, I get. We all feel we can be maybe more authentic online? At least for me.

This adorable rom com is about two rival bookstore owners on the same street. Josie manages a highbrow literary bookstore, while Ryan manages a romance bookstore. When their landlord decides to combine both their stores and the cafe in between, he tells them there is going to be a competition as to which of them will manage the new combined store. Meanwhile, Josie has a close friendship online on a website for booksellers under the username Bookstore Girl with a fellow bookseller named RJReads - and you can guess who that might be…

I really enjoyed this one - from the fact that the book has a light touch but addresses deep issues in both characters’ pasts that make them act the way they do, to the fact that it’s Ryan who owns the romance store while Josie is anti-love, to the way the book employs so many romance tropes but with a wink at the audience, to the cute You’ve Got Mail homage, to the matter of fact Jewish representation. I laughed and I even cried a little. This is author duo Ali Brady’s fourth book, and I think it’s their best one yet! Seriously, this book puts them right up there with all the other big names in romance novels like Abby Jimenez, Annabel Monaghan, Katherine Center, Christina Lauren, etc.

4.25 stars

This was a cute You’ve Got Mail bookish romance. I loved how the authors switched things up by making Ryan physically imposing at 6’7”, but also the sweet sunshine romance bookstore manager. The backstory of how he got into romance was so sweet. Josie was pretty judgmental in the beginning, but it allowed her character to grow through the course of the novel. I really enjoyed seeing their rivalry shift to friendship and then more.

Things to expect:
- forced proximity
- rivals to friends to lovers
- twist on You’ve Got Mail
- grumpy + sunshine
- epistolary
- a cinnamon roll hero who is all about consent
- lots of bookish and pop culture references

I didn’t love the lying by omission, but I’m glad there wasn’t a huge third act blow up. I would actually consider this one third act break up free, since their reasons and responses were understandable and any confusion was cleared up quickly. Things wrap up conveniently, but the epilogue was adorable and perfectly bookish.

I mainly listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration by Karissa Vacker and Brandon Francis a lot. There were some production inconsistencies/re-records during Ryan’s chapters though, that disrupted the flow of the narration.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4 stars
Story 4 stars

CW: parental abandonment (past), accident involving sibling resulting in permanent injury, dyslexia, death of a friend/loved one, grief

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

This one is so cuteeee it almost made me cry!

Seriously, I loved the chemistry in this story, both in person and over the messaging app these guys used. It was clear to see from the start that they belong together, and we have the blessing to watch it all unfold.

And he falls first. It is crazy to me that she did not see the signs until the very last moment, but I loved watching him give hints, hoping she would figure things out. And there were moments where something would slip up, leaving me thinking "ohmygod" but they just....flew over her head.

The characters both have good development, and I never really felt like the story dragged. There is no third act breakup, but there were some events that felt like one was around the corner - but luckily never happened. I did feel like some of the characters needed a good shaking here and there, but overall I was rooting for them and falling in love watching them fall in love with each other.

Overall, this book was delightful and heartwarming, and I loved every moment of it. This story truly is an ode to book lovers all over, and it shows that romance can happen even when you least expect it. I loved the writing style, the chemistry between characters, and even the side characters that popped in here or there (except you, Xander). This one is well worth the read, and worth adding to your shelf!

Content warnings: sexual content, abandonment, panic attack/disorders, sexism, cursing, injury/injury detail, ableism, car accident, homophobia

4⭐️

oh how i adored this book 🥹 simply a love letter to all of us readers, i loved how relatable both josie and ryan were. it definitely gave me all the rom-com vibes with josie & ryan having to compete for one bookstore spot was fun. the rivals to lovers trope came in full force and i ate it up! i also really loved the fact that they were unknowingly friends online, it just had me giggling the entire time. their connection was just so sweet overall. i loved the two of them together!

thank you berkley romance for the ARC.

This book is the definition of “comfort read.” It was witty and relatable, but more importantly it was fun! If you’re looking for groundbreaking and never been done before (aka, if your taste is a bit like Josie’s 😉), this may not be the book for you, but if you’re looking for a beautiful love story that makes you laugh and cry that you could actually see yourself in (bc let’s face it, most of us aren’t working at nasa or apart of the omegaverse), you will find that right here.

With tropes like he falls first (and harder), one bed, a bit of fake dating, enemies (to friends) to lovers, “you’ve got mail”, and forced proximity, this is a romance novel that will keep you on your toes while also offering the comfort of HEA. Oh, and did I mention there’s no third act breakup? 😏

If you love love books, I definitely recommend hanging out with these two booksellers for a day (or two or three, whatever you need!), it’s worth it. :)

As a bookworm, I loved that the main characters were bookstore managers. It was engaging and I loved seeing their relationship develop throughout the book.

This was so sweet! Very much You’ve Got Mail and I ate that up. Although I will say the moment they went from enemies to friends was a bit murky but I am willing to look past that. Also the references to books and characters was fun (minus the problematic ones eye roll). I also was super glad there was no third act break up! I was worried for a second there but our girl Josie took the RJ/Ryan thing so well. Overall a 4 for me!

Ryan Lawson owns a romance book shop, and loves discussing the books.
Is he NOT a your dream boyfriend?

You'll enjoy...
Witty banter.
Enemies to Lovers.
Bookshop setting.
Swoon-worthy tension.
Disability representation.
Jewish representation.

This novel is a booklovers dream read. It is full of humor, book references and incredible charm. As mother with a grown son who battles dyslexia, I enjoyed seeing it represented in this story and the authors careful handling with the character.

Booklovers will definitely fall for Josie and Ryan.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley

Such a cute book, especially for readers! I love how the two main characters both manage bookstores and love reading. Josie and Ryan go from enemies to friends to lovers over the course of the book. The workplace rivalry/enemies wasn’t my favorite part of their story, but once they hit the friends to lovers track, I was all in. I enjoyed how each of the main characters had different family dynamics in play that greatly impacted their views on both books and love. Overall a really fun read!

this is literally the top read of 2025 for me so far. i work in a romance bookstore and listening to Ryan's conversations about running a romance bookstore made me feel so seen and heard!! i literally learned what the omegaverse is because of this book hahah. I loved that the authors used actual things that you would use/need for a bookstore i.e. ingram orders. it was so beautiful to watch these two fall in love. seriously my favorite book of the year!!

4.5 stars overall

A book inspired by You've Got Mail and is essentially a love letter to indie bookstores? No need to say more. I really enjoyed reading Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady and this is my fave book of theirs to date. I will say that Josie really got under my skin and on my nerves the first half of the book. I love being a romance reader and she really was annoying with all her judgements. I wanted to slap her at one point. I loved how her and Ryan's story went from bookshop rivals/enemies to friends/coworkers to lovers/end game. Ryan certainly deserved his own HEA and Josie needed to believe and trust in ever lasting love. Their journey together was so fun to read about and I loved the epilogue. Can't wait to see what Ali Brady writes next. This book was written for us book lovers who like spending our money at indie bookstores. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

When rival bookstore managers Josie and Ryan are forced to compete for a position due to the consolidation of their stores, words and sparks are sure to fly, but they may find they have more in common than they thought.

The chemistry between the two MCs was awesome, and the side characters are super entertaining. I especially enjoyed all of the different types of events that were hosted and how the stereotypes of readers was discussed and disproven. The banter was also very witty and kept the good times moving. I would love to visit this new shop in real life and experience some of this for myself.

Highly recommended for those looking for their next enemies-to-lovers trope with plenty of snarky dialogue.

4.5⭐️ rounded up! Who doesn’t love books about books? Battle Of The Bookstores was packed with bookish references that I absolutely ate up! The You’ve Got Mail vibes gave me nostalgic 90s romance feelings, and I’m such a sucker for the anonymous pen pals trope! I especially loved that Ryan owned the romance bookstore and was the one who believed in true love, while Josie was the more skeptical one who didn’t gravitate toward romance books. It flipped the usual dynamic in a refreshing way. I was kicking my feet and enjoyed every minute!

**Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for providing me an advanced reader copy! All opinions are my own.**

As a mostly traditional Hallmark type of person, I LOVED this book. It was able to seamlessly blend cultural topics (that would normally have stopped me) into the story. If only we could have more of these types of books than THE OTHER SIDE IS WRONG AND PRUDES!! I loved this book. I knew exactly where it was going (romance wise) as soon as it opened, however, the characters were so strong, that I wanted to ride out the story. Though I don't care what people do behind closed doors, I don't usually like to read about it. While there were a few blush moments, I was able to skip them (it's okay, I read enough AND had enough when I was in my twenties, you don't need to 'feel sorry for me.) and still stay committed to the story. This book would make a GREAT movie (esp. if they can keep it PG) as long as they can fully capture the heart of the book (the characters). So well done. And note to all authors, if you want to put cultural hot topics in your books, THIS IS THE WAY TO DO IT.
I had to space out my reading because I didn't want it to end. One of the best reads of the year so far (especially coming from not the target audience?). Deserves all the awards!

Romantic, sweet, witty, heartfelt, and truly a book for book lovers, "Battle of the Bookstores" in a contemporary romance I simply did not want to put down!

Oh my goodness, Josie and Ryan! What happens when opposites attract, rivals to lovers, and not knowing the other person whom they are speaking to online about books is actually each other all collide? Well, you'll just have to read to find out! But, I will say, this book is just truly AMAZING!

Full of emotional moments, strong character development and backstories that truly bring so much to the story, lots of book references, and so much more, this book is one that kept me turning the pages chapter after chapter into the early hours of the morning. I found myself pulling for Josie and Ryan to find their happily-ever-afters from the start, and the journey there is truly so powerful and written in such a beautiful way. So many moments warmed my heart and had me swooning and smiling from ear to ear.

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the e-ARC of this book, it is incredible, and thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group for having me on the blog tour for the novel! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.