I’m always on the hunt for a cozy-but-unique romance book and Storybook Ending came at the perfect time for me. I love how easy it was to pick up, yet the comedy of errors led to greater story about love, friendship, and the joys of daily life.

For me the reason this is not rated higher is that the middle of the story slowed down a bit, whereas the ending was wrapped up quite quickly. Considering how many chapters were spent on Westley, I also wish I got more of his personality beyond his attractiveness. Overall, I enjoyed the honest relatability we got from each character. I think Macdonald is a great writer, and every reader will fall in love with this bookstore setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5

This was okay. The bookstore setting in this book made it feel cozy. I thought the book started off slow and honestly was just slow throughout.

The characters were likeable and i liked getting to know pieces of them. I didn’t find myself to be fully invested at times but was curious on the outcome of the story!

I did like the authors writing style though, so I may check out their future releases.

Overall it was not a bad book, I think this was just not for me.

Thank you Dutton for the arc.

“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱.”

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 2/5 ⭐️⭐️

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 5/27/25

*Thank you @NetGalley and @DuttonBooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: Wes works in a Indie Bookstore with a bunch of eclectic coworkers, one day April places a letter in a book for Wes in hopes he will take notice of her. When the letter gets in the wrong hands, a different type of relationship forms. Will it all work out in the end?

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲:
📚 Books about books
✉️ Miscommunication
📚 Literary Fiction
✉️ Complex character development

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: In this debut novel, its obvious the author is a strong writer. The text itself was easy to read, not choppy, and well developed. The storyline however left much to be desired. This was not my favorite. There was a lot and I mean A LOT, of character development and background that was pretty unnecessary as well as introduction of other characters that didnt play much of a role. The story aimlessly drug on without any real conflict or climax. The characters did all cross paths in one way or another which was fun, but the end although happy, was pretty unsatisfying. This was truly a story about a developing friendship among two lonely women, and a change romance between coworkers.
Lovers of Lit Fic will eat this one up!

#StoryBookEnding

I'm admitting that I DNF'd this one. The writing was fine, the characters were interesting, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I really dislike the "there's been a misunderstanding" trope, where characters are operating under an incorrect assumption and the reader just has to watch it all unfold. In this case, this review really is a "It's not you, it's me" situation.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley & PENGUIN GROUP- Dutton for the E-ARC! So cute! Loved the characters & the bookish setting. Will definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for letting me read this book ahead of its release. I must say that this has been one of my favorite reads this year because it followed through with the concept all the way to the end. Storybook Ending is a novel by Moira Macdonald about a woman named April who leaves an anonymous note in a book at a bookstore for the cute guy that works there but instead of him being the one to receive it it is Laura who now thinks that she is talking to the cute bookstore guy. Meanwhile, Westley (cute bookstore guy), is just interested in telling everyone about an old book he read that is very interesting and he wants to start circulating again and maybe get made into a movie. He works at a bookstore he just loves to read! This story is messy without unnecessary drama and while the premise is miscommunication it is never taken to a degree where it becomes annoying or overdone. Then we just end all cozy while a blanket of snow falls all around. It is such a heartwarming and fun read. This is expected to be published May 27th and I 100% recommend getting your hands on a copy.

Storybook Ending had all the ingredients of a story I thought I’d love: bookstores, mistaken identities, and a cozy romance. It took a while to find its footing. The first half felt weighed down by a lot of telling rather than showing, which made it hard to connect with the characters early on. I kept waiting for the spark, and while things did pick up around the halfway point, the slow start and drawn-out character development made it tough to fully sink into the story. I wanted to adore it, and there were definitely sweet moments, but in the end, it didn’t sweep me away the way I’d hoped.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Dutton Publishing for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.This story is a riff on the off told tale of two people who communicate via letters ( or email) and form a relationship with put knowing who they really are. The Shop on Main Street, In the Good old Summertime, You've got Mail- all variations on a theme. This is a clever twist to the idea. It is set in a bookstore in Seattle. April loves to read. She is working from home, and quite simply, doesn't get out much. She goes to the bookstore , Read the Room and always spends time getting books . And looking at the cute guy who handles the used books. Laura is a single mom, who is happy at wok but hasn't had a date since her husband passed away. She , and her daughter, frequent the book store. She also notices the cute guy at the used book counter. Westley ( yes like the Princess Bride), is the cute guy. He is trying to do his job, which is made more difficult by the presence of a movie crew who is shooting scenes in the bookstore( and who wants him as an extra and then as a double for the star.) There Are quite a few other characters in the book, co workers of April , Laura and Westley, friends, family. It is a bit crowded for my taste sometimes I had a bit of trouble figuring out who was who. The book is told with 3 POV's- April, Laura and Westley. April decides to do something daring and writes a note to Westley. Now, important plot note, neither April nor Laura knows Westley's name. April writes a note to Westley, asking him to respond and leave a message in a copy of the Hunger Games if he is interested. Westley sees the book with the note, but gets distracted. The book then ends up in the hands of Laura. She thinks the note if from Westley to her and responds. The two women begin to write to each other, thinking they are writing to Westley. They write using only the first letters of their names. And they do not find out for quite a while that Westley does not know anything about the notes. It is a cute idea, sadly one that could easily have fallen apart if name tags had been worn by the employees.However, the characters are well written and engaging, and the ending was well done. This is the authors first novel, I would like to read more of her work.

| Thank you penguin group, Dutton & NetGalley for the ARC copy |
This was an absolute fabulous book. It very much reminded me of Fredrick Backmans writing style and story telling. It was a cozy read but the twists of the plot kept me interested and I LOVED the ending and how everything wrapped up. Perfect spring read. And I love books about books.

I don’t think this falls into the romance category, but more into the friendship category. As others have stated, this is a slow moving novel in the first half and it feels a bit lost at various points. But as the novel moved along, the anticipation for the big reveal finally pays off.

Written in a style that feels like a cozy blanket on a rainy Seattle day, it will leave you feeling comforted. You just may not remember it well after some time has passed.

3.5 stars

A tale of two halves…

April works from home and although her co-workers love that “perk”-she misses the camaraderie of an office setting and has been feeling quite lonely. She’s left an anonymous note in a book for Westley, the clerk at her local Seattle neighborhood bookstore “Read the Room” hoping to make a connection.

Laura has been widowed for 5 years now, and the busy single mom isn’t sure if she is ready to date, but when she buys a book at “Read the Room” and finds a note inside it-she thinks the clerk with the “movie star good looks” has left it for her.

But the clerk-Westley—has no idea that he is the “object of desire” for either woman because an independent movie is being filmed at the bookstore, and the lead Actor has disappeared-thrusting him-reluctantly-into the role.

April and Laura’s anonymous correspondence continues, with both thinking they are in a “meet cute” with Westley, until one finally has the courage to suggest a coffee date-

With a nod to the Classic movie, “You’ve Got Mail” the story includes SOME use of mixed media including the letters exchanged, and staff emails to propel the story along.

This is a DEBUT novel which suffered from a slow FIRST HALF which spent about 50% character building-and this half was ALL TELL and NO SHOW except when a conversation took place. I wasn’t at all engaged with the story until about the 55% point in the book.

Once the PLOT took precedence over the character building, the pace picked up and I found the story quite CHARMING and I DID find myself invested in the outcome!

If you have patience and enjoy stories about bookstores, books and FOUND FAMILY, this could be a book for you.

Available May 27, 2025.

Thank You to Dutton for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

This was okay but not what I was expecting or hoping for. I think marketing this as a romance was an awful choice. Ultimately, it was neither an important plot or sub-plot. This was more centered on themes of loneliness, friendship, and belonging more than any romance. The actual story was focused on the friendship between two women, developed through letters left in used books. However, the letter exchange didn't feel very meaningful or like there was really and deeper development between the women. I'm also not quite sure why Westley's POV was included other that to try to force a love-triangle. He felt like a background character despite being the reason the letter writing began. Also, warning, this was EXTREMELY slow paced. So slow paced I considered DNFing because nothing was happening. Even after changing my expectations from a romance to a more introspective, slice of life, comparable to Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop or Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, I still felt like there was something missing regarding the depth of the story. The story's saving grace was Macdonald's writing style. Her prose was stunning and I really enjoyed the sentence structuring and plot organization, even without really enjoying the plot. I'm sure my litfic lovers will adore this but it wasn't for me.

While I am not a big fan of the romance genre per se, I am a huge fan of "cozy" books, and books about books/bookstores. While this book moved slow, this is what the cozy genre is known for--and the reader has to be in that mindset/mood. The cozy genre moves slow, otherwise it wouldn't be considered cozy! It is also marketed as a love triangle but is also really about found friend and womanhood. Will be recommending this one to all of my cozy reading fans! Will definitely consider purchasing for the libraries I work for. Students need something cozy to read during finals.

This is a bookish themed story. I was super excited to read it however I feel the storyline lacked a bit of excitement. It was slow. I didn’t really feel the love triangle plot. It could have been stronger. But im also not the biggest fan of love triangles. The book/reader theme made the book feel like a warm cup of hot chocolate.

This was an easy read but not very memorable for me.



Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

Storybook Ending follows Westley, Laura, and April through quite the mix-up. I will start off by saying that Moira Macdonald does an amazing job at describing the world in her book. I could immediately picture Read The Room and visually see that character in that space.

The pacing was a bit slow for me. I kept waiting for something ‘big’ to happen. I wanted more key moments instead of random small storylines. The amount of characters and side-plots did prove to be a little confusing while not adding any substance to the mainly story.

My biggest issue is how the book is being marketed. This is not a ‘hilarious’ romance. At all… If you’re looking for a book with themes of friendship and created family; this is it. Unfortunately that’s not what I was expecting which led me to be disappointed during the read.

Nevertheless, I did enjoy the book as it was a light and cozy read! 3.5 stars ✨

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton Books for this arc! All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I did enjoy the bookish themes in this book but for me this book lacked something and I felt like it needed to be a little more fast paced. The characters love of books made the book feel cozy but for me I just needed some more.

I went into this book expecting a romcom, but it felt more like women’s fic (which is great.) I generally love epistolary novels, and the bookstore/hidden note premise is charming. This is one of those cozy, wholesome reads. Pacing felt a bit slow for me, but great if you just want a warm cozy read!

i was given an advanced copy for this book and it really didn’t disappoint!! this was such a cozy and wholesome read that kept me invested throughout every chapter.

this story followed a few different characters and each chapter provided their own separate pov’s. the story is based on an anonymous note that is left inside of a book that ends up falling into the wrong persons hands and they begin to exchange these notes back and forth while believing they know who’s on the other end.

it felt like a slow read but in the best way where you just want to cuddle up in bed with a nice drink, which is exactly what i did throughout reading this! i loved diving into each characters background and seeing things unfold in my own mind. SUCH a cute little read that felt like i was watching a movie.

be sure to pick this up when it releases next month!!

The truth is, this is a perfectly lovely book but it wasn’t my cup of tea.

I normally love epistolary stories. However, I struggled to engage with this type of meandering storytelling that, while very cute and cozy, moved too slowly for my taste. This type of story structure—with multiple, only somewhat related narrative threads—is something I enjoy more in literary fiction, where the author can dig into the prose and character development. Here, it took too long for the story to gain momentum, and I struggled to stay engaged until the last third of the book.

I did enjoy the large ensemble of characters, though some of them seemed a little underdeveloped. I wish Westley had been given more depth. Poor guy’s personality boiled down to being handsome and kind of aimless.

I’d also like to point out that I picked up this book because it was marketed as Romance. This is not quite that—at least not in the traditional, HEA, main characters end up together sense—and it would have been better marketed as General and/or Women’s Fiction.

Thanks so much to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book, provided in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.