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.

Feeling a little disconnected, April seizes the moment and decides to reach out to her crush...via an anonymous note....left in a used book. When the note is inadvertently discovered by another bookshop patron, April, Laura, and Westley unknowingly enter into a love triangle with some wonderful results.

For a book that was not necessarily a romance, this had a great rom-com feel. It was fun and sweet with quirky characters who delighted me. At its core, this was a story of community and connection. Read the Room book store was such a lovely place. I cannot never resist a bookshop setting, but there was something about this group of booksellers and readers that I really loved.

This was written with the reader being aware of the whole situation from the beginning. The case of mistaken identity resulted in many humorous moments, but also pushed April and Laura out of their comfort zones. It had them taking those steps towards expanding their circles and trying new things, and I had a great time waiting for them to finally figure it all out.

The whole "You've Got Mail" feel worked well, and the story oozed with a love of books which was an obvious hook for me. I also could not argue with the results in seeing so many new connections and friendships born. I can still feel the smile on my face that formed as I read that final chapter. These characters got a storybook ending that left me warm and fuzzy and breathing a sigh of contentment.

Moira Macdonald's debut novel, Storybook Ending, isn't really a rom-com, and it isn't about a love triangle, as the synopsis suggests. April, who works at home for an online real estate company, is lonely and looking for love, so she tucks an anonymous note into a used book at the Read the Room bookstore, hoping it will be found by the attractive man on the used book desk. What she doesn't know is that the note was instead found by Laura, another bookstore patron and single mother who was widowed more than five years ago. Laura loves her job as a personal shopper, but she feels she's finally ready for a little romance again. She and April begin leaving notes for each other in a particular book in the store, and their friendship grows. Neither of them has ever spoken to the bookstore clerk about it, but both are convinced that they have begun a promising relationship with Westley. At the same time, an indie film company is shooting scenes for a movie at the bookstore, disrupting Read the Room's usual routine, but attracting attention from curious employees and customers alike. And when the director asks Westley to play himself in the background of some of the scenes and later to become the star's stand-in, he reluctantly agrees .

How it all plays out is not what I expected, but nevertheless a lot of fun. I enjoyed Storybook Ending as charming and undemanding read. The female protagonists are relatable, as are many of those in supporting roles. Unfortunately for Westley, he isn't portrayed through most of the book with enough depth to be a swoon-worthy candidate for the women's attraction. But some of the subplots, in addition to the main plot, are interesting enough for me to recommend the book to readers looking for a cozy story about friendship, the quest for a meaningful life, and the love of books and reading, told with a light touch and some humo

My thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

There is nothing that really stands out in this book to make it enticing or memorable. It is labeled as romance, but I'd say it's more about personal growth. Or more accurately about being stuck and pondering about it but not really willing to do anything about it. The story kind of just listlessly go through the motions of point a to b and c but I found myself rather bored with the whole thing.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Storybook Ending" by Moria MacDonald was a bit of a letdown for me. I was definitely drawn in by the cover, which is gorgeous by the way, but the story didn’t quite live up to the expectations I had. The premise is interesting enough — April, a tech worker who’s a bit lonely, leaves an anonymous note in a book for the charming bookstore clerk, Westley. But the note ends up in the hands of Laura, a busy single mom who mistakes it as a message from Westley. What follows is a mix-up of identities and a correspondence between the two women. The setup has a lot of potential, but the execution just didn’t hook me as much as I’d hoped. While the bookstore setting is a lovely touch, I found the characters a little hard to connect with. April, Laura, and Westley each had some redeeming qualities, but their interactions and the story itself felt a bit too predictable. I was hoping for more emotional depth or unexpected twists, but everything felt pretty safe and standard for a romance.
If you’re in the mood for a light, easy read, this might be for you.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me this early e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks for the review copy. This is a cozy book. I love the cover. Plenty of Norah Ephron references. This is a quick read.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
If you ever wanted to find love in stacks of books, this is for you. Not only can you find who you love, but you also get to know a stranger's story, and this book will fulfill that itch for you. I went into this book looking for a rom-com, and I found much more than that. I would recommend this book to any rom-com lover, and it's a staple for me in that category.

I unfortunately DNF"d this book at about 30%. It just was not speaking to me as I had hoped to it. I think I will try to come back to it in the future though!

This book confused me and I think that's because of the blurb. It's advertised as a romance that's funny but it really was neither. At no time did I laugh and this most definitely is.not a romance in the traditional sense.

It's a good book, just not the book I was sold.

4.5/5 stars

I devoured this book! As someone who LOVES the move 'You've Got Mail' and anything Norah Ephron, I had to read this book as soon as I heard about it. It has all my favorite things, books about books, cozy small town and sweet characters.

Some may say this book is too "slow" but I felt like it fit the vibe perfectly and I was so invested in the character growth, what would happen next and the side characters too. This book took me to a cozy bookshop in Seattle and I didn't want it to end. I am so surprised that this is a debut novel. I will read whatever Moira Macdonald writes next.

April, Westley and Laura were such sweet characters with lots of depth and I truly enjoyed spending time with them. It would be so fun to read another book set in this same area.

if you like: cozy literary fiction books, wholesome reads, books about books, secret admirer, love triangles, female friendships and rooting for the underdogs, this book is for you!

super wholesome book! Savored this one.i feel like this is a great book to take with you on vacation or when you really need one so you can be transported to a cute little bookshop in Seattle. I really enjoyed and will be re-reading.

On the slower side but it was really unique and I enjoyed the way it resolved itself. I think we all have a bit of hopeless (or perhaps hopeful?) romantic in us, the part that wants to believe in fairytales. April and Laura embody this perfectly, and while their inner narratives may begin a bit sad it is wonderful to watch them grow and bloom.

Westley, on the other hand, was defined primarily by the fact that he was hot and had poor social skills. His inner monologue remained insufferable throughout, but I feel like that was kind of the point? He’s a blank canvas, perfect for projection of the kind of fairytale dreams that the books central miscommunication is predicated on.

Overall it was a very cozy read with solid reminders about friendship and valuing yourself.

Cute and cozy, but unfortunately not super memorable for me. It had its moments, sure, but I do feel like I glazed over a good portion out of boredom. Doesn't mean this book isn't good! Perhaps just not one for me. I'm sure it definitely will find its audience and, again, it's not that I didn't like it.... I just didn't *love* it. Would still recommend because the premise is interesting/unique enough to draw you in, but I personally found it to be a bit too slow for my tastes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this advanced copy!
What an absolutely charming and cozy book. I really had no idea where this story was going to go and I loved it! It was really sweet reading about these characters in such a low stakes setting. I’m happy there wasn’t a huge blow up and April and Laura understood there was a miscommunication and weren’t embarrassed or upset by it, and instead, taking it in stride and making it up to each other. I didn’t like how much it was harped on how attractive Westley was. After the first few times, we get it! There were a few times chapters gave a recap, which is fine but I swear I didn’t forget between 2 other POVs.

I wasn’t sure if I’d like the third person POV but it actually didn’t bother me this time. I think it helped keeping each character’s story straight, even though the chapters were labeled with each character name. The little entries from the store staff were cute as well, but felt kind of randomly thrown into the story which threw me off at first. I hope the ebook formatting is different when it’s published as the spacing and some things were off to me.

Overall really enjoyed this book! It was super sweet. I liked that it was slightly suspenseful and mystery (April’s fave) but also heartwarming that some people can be lonely and find friends in the coolest ways.

4 stars//e-ARC//Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC! Thoughts/review are my own.
I am a sucker for a book about books and thought the premise of this story was so cute! It definitely had a mostly-predictable plot, but I kinda prefer that in a story like this, because these kinds of books are a "comfort read" - the book equivalent of your favorite, familiar rom-com that you watch over and over again. We know how it's going to end (kind of) but still enjoy the ride nonetheless.
I did feel that the novel progressed rather slowly, but I think this was purposeful as well. There were a few moments where I felt bored and wanted to get things moving, but overall did find the story to be entertaining. I loved that the side characters' stories connected and overlapped just as much as the three main characters (very "Love Actually" or "Valentine's Day") and loved the way the book focused not just on finding a relationship, but also finding friendship.

This book is for anyone who stalks the library or local bookstore in hopes of finding companionship between the stacked shelves.

Westley, yes, like The Princess Bride, is the handsome and painfully shy used book sorter at Read the Room.

April is a remote worker who frequents Read the Room to discover new books and admire the handsome stranger behind the used book counter.

Laura is a widowed, working mom trying her hand at social interaction by joining a book club, picking up her first book at Read the Room.

One of them is determined to manifest their own meet-cute through a series of letters left in books but a series of unfortunate events has them falling into the wrong hands.

Storybook Ending is a cozy, bookstore rom-com. Charming and sweet, this book is for fans of Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail who have always longed for a meet-cute of their own. We see that each character has suffered loss of human contact for one reason or another whether it is death, COVID isolation, or friendships that came to a sudden end. Ultimately, this story is about being brave enough to put oneself out there to start new friendships/relationships so that one can finally live out the happily ever after.

Thank you to Moira Macdonald, @duttonbooks , and @netgalley for the eARC!

I really liked the premise and it drew me to read this. I felt like it did not deliver and dropped short of my expectations. I love stories that revolve around books but felt that I could not connect to the characters.

Storybook Ending was a cozy pallet cleanser of a book. The premise of leaving notes in a book hoping the you want to see the notes or the book not being bought by some random person, makes the story a little unbelievable, but manages to come together in the end. I was worried how the ending would pan out, but the author managed to tie to plot up nicely.

While I really enjoyed the story overall there were two things that made it not a 5 star read. The first was the repetitiveness. Several times You Got Mail and The Princess Bride was mentioned. The first time or two these stories were mentioned were fine and are a cute tie in to other well known loved stories, they did not need to be mentioned as many times as they were. The second was the random side character sections. While one of them makes sense now that I have finished the book, one side character sections seemed unnecessary. It was short but came across as filler material.

Overall, Storybook Ending was a solid 4 out of 5 stars. If you’re looking for a cozy easy read rom com, the. This is the book for you.

This book had an interesting premise that initially drew me in, but overall, it didn’t quite live up to its potential. While I did enjoy parts of it, the pacing was slow, and it took me a few weeks to actually get through it. At times, it felt like there was a lot to keep track of, but not much was actually happening. Something about it felt incomplete, like a key element was missing. That said, I still appreciated the idea behind the story—it just didn’t fully click for me.

Thank you to @netgalley and Penguin Group (USA) for this ARC. April leaves a note in a book for the manager of used books at Read the Room to find. Westley gets distracted and puts the book on a shelf where Laura picks it up. Finding the note, she thinks Westley is her secret admirer and leaves a note in another book for the sender to receive. April is delighted the reader has sent a new note back for her and is just as interested. Little do they know they are writing and receiving from the wrong person and Westley is clueless. Cute fiction book with a little romance! #StorybookEnding #MoiraMacdonald #PenguinGroupDutton #May2025