title: Love Walked In

author: Sarah Chamberlain

publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

publication date: September 2, 2025

pages: 352

peppers: 3 (on this scale)

warnings: parental neglect, meanness, and death (before the story)

summary: Mari loves the bookstore where she works in Northern California, but her mentor Suzanne won't retire and turn it over to her until she proves herself by going to help turn around a flailing bookstore in London run by grumpy Leo Ross. Mari has three months to help Ross and Company succeed.

tropes:

grumpy with a heart of gold
grieving a loss
indie bookstore love
time limit
found family

what I liked:

humor and fun dialogue
book lovers
logistical problems of long-distance love
found family

what I didn’t like: none of it

overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)

A sweet, steamy romance. Quick easy read with lovely main characters. Mari and Leo have trust issues and they work through them slowly and not without drama and angst. Great beach read.

‘Love Walked In’ by Sarah Chamberlain is a beautifully written, enemies-to-lovers romance that has everything you could possibly want in a story - banter, chemistry, self-growth, and love in all forms. When Mari, a reputable ‘bookstore whisperer’, is asked to revive Ross & Co, she readily takes on the challenge, only to find herself face-to-face with the reluctant manager and co-owner, Leo Ross. After a difficult start, Leo and Mari find themselves softly falling into a relationship that neither of them ever expected, or thought they deserved. As Ross & Co begins to flourish and bloom, so too do Leo and Mari, as they learn to turn the page on their past trauma and focus on the present and future instead.

I could not put ‘Love Walked In’ down, and would recommend it time and time again.

It's a cute story...

Grumpy x sunshine but less of a grump because Mari and Leo got over that charade really early on in the book. The themes of generational trauma/healing were woven in beautifully. Upholding expectations from a parent/guardian can be overwhelming, and in the process, you can lose yourself.

However, the irony of the FMC and MMC's struggle has me so confused. Like, they have the answer right in front of them. Leo is running a bookstore that's failing horribly but refuses to sell the number one genre - romance. Or Mari trying to sell the Romance genre to Leo but then she doesn't believe it for her own self.. like okkkk. I think if it wasn't for that, my rating would be more than 3 stars.

Thank you netgalley for the e-arc!

I thought this was a super cute story!

Was it predictable? Sure but honestly at this point all books are predictable. It’s a cute rom com set in a dying bookstore and she is the only person who could possibly revive it and give it a fighting chance in today’s world.

Our MMC starts off as an absolute jerk but he does slowly and surely start to offer more than one dimension. Jaded after the ending of his loveless marriage and death of his grandfather he is resistant to change and growth. Professionally and personally. Our FMC is a spot of color is in grey life and brings joy and humor that he was missing. She rounded him out and gave him something to look forward to.

The spice was okay. I liked the “teaching” moment about what each of them liked as he learned his body in a way he never had a chance to before. It was pretty cool to see a man in that position with our FMC being the one who is experienced and leading the lesson. He did dive right in though in subsequent spicy moments of being more in charge which felt a bit rushed but hey … if you know what you like you k know what you like.

Overall a very cute story!

This story bloomed.
A movie in words.
As I think back on what made me immensely enjoy this book, it is the hope of change. Of getting out the low trench that life throws at you.

It makes me believe that there is someone out there that could love me as much as Leo loves Mari (too deep?) This is what makes romance so appealing. HEA.

I love that Mari encourage Leo to be brave. To accept who he is. I love that Leo was there to support Mari. Not lead but be there there for her in her moments of needs.

Finding your person is an amazing thing.

Finding a british artist that calls you Darling? *cue in the swooning*

Definitely a book for the shelves!

Loved this one!! Books about bookstores have a special place in my heart. I loved that there was a romance, but it was a slow-burn and not over the top. The evolution of the characters throughout the story made it such a great read. Definitely recommend!

Love Walked In is a wonderful love story written by Sarah Chamberlain. The premise of this book is original, and this enemies-to-lovers couple really grows on you. Mari goes to London to help in revitalizing an old, failing bookstore that Leo manages and runs with his family. This shop is not just books, customers, and income - it was the baby of Leo's grandfather, the patriarch of the family who recently passed away.

In the beginning of the story, Mari's suggestions for how to change and improve the bookstore are unilaterally rejected. While I eventually really liked both characters, Leo's initial angry reaction and complete resistance to Mari was very negative. As a reader, I had a hard time forgetting his behavior and accepting him as a good partner for Mari later in the story.

Mari and Leo work together in close proximity at the bookstore, and with the support of the family and other employees, Mari starts to enact some changes to help modernize the business. Mari and Leo get much closer when she gets very sick and he takes care of her. We see a softer side of Leo who quickly develops feelings for Mari. Both characters are grappling with issues from their past, and eventually they learn to support each other. Their relationship progresses, and Mari and Leo work to renovate and revitalize the bookstore, and their connection grows and deepens.

Mari eventually needs to return to California as she originally planned, and the family faces a great dilemma about the business. Chamberlain has written a beautiful story about falling in love unexpectedly in every way. She creates a connection between the main characters, funny and kind side characters, and an interesting plot that resolves by the end of the book.

For anyone who has dreamed of visiting another country and falling in love, this book is for you! It's also a wonderful love story and if you like romance, this book is for you too.

Thanks to Sarah Chamberlain and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for an advance reader's copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

3.75/5 stars

I enjoyed this! I can say, that I think this is my last book-about-a-bookstore novel, only because there is something about them that don't mix well with me. I'm perpetually stuck thinking of AJ Fickery, and then I lose interest.

I did like the novel, though--our main characters, Mari and Leo--were easy to follow, and while the miscommunication is never my forte (trembling, frustrated sigh), it wasn't so painful that it took away from the book.

Definitely recommend if you've read The Slowest Burn, which I did enjoy!

This book had so many things that I love. An American FMC that specializes in helping struggling bookshops & a MMC bookshop owner who has hit rock bottom. Did I mention that the bookshop also happens to be in London? Mari is subconsciously looking for a place to belong & Leo is subconsciously searching for a person to belong to. They both have scars from the past that make it hard for them to step into something new, but we get to watch them figure it all out & it is so good (I love romance books omg). I loved the secondary characters, too-every single one. There's even discussion about the Spurs v. Arsenal debate, and I am on the right side of that one (with Leo-Arsenal all the way).

Cozy, sexy, swoony! Sarah’s sophomore novel is a warm blanket and a cup of tea on a chilly autumn day. Sarah always writes such emotionally intelligent books, and this one is no different. Leo is a dream (British! Calls you “darling”! Cat dad!) but he also is very REAL. Same goes for Mari, who undergoes so much character growth and is very hot, too (the mouths on BOTH of these people, y’all - Sarah’s spice never misses). Come for the bookish, British vibes, and stay for the tearjerking grand gesture, layered character arcs, and alllll the little touches and glances that had me squirming. An utter delight and a wonderful ode to bookstores!

Thank you to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review 🙂

I really enjoyed this book! The plot was fresh and interesting and I really enjoyed the characters, as well as their different personalities!

When Mari is hired to help a London family owned bookstore turn around their failing business, little did she realize what a life changing experience it would be. She meets the current member of the Ross family, Leo, who is mourning the death of his grandfather - the man who left him in charge of the business. Leo was not on board with Mari's coming to help out - then he meets her and the rest is history. Both characters are complex with things in their past that make life complicated but in the end worth it. This was a diverting read and something I'd toss in my beach bag or use as a wonderful diversion after a heavier read.

This book was well written and had a lot of heart. I definitely believed in them as a couple and loved the atmospheres the author created both in London and in California. The only thing I didn't enjoy was that I felt that the narrative dragged a bit in places... especially in the ending and epilogue.

** A copy of Love Walked In was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

My favourite sub-genre of romance is stories set in/around books so I was very excited to receive an ARC of Love Walked In. Mari comes to London from California to help revive Ross & Co. but she's met with resistance by Leo, the owner. Over the course of the novel, they figure out a way to work together, to overcome their differences, to work through their own baggage, and to discover joy and love. At times, I was frustrated with some of their choices and miscommunication but overall, I really enjoyed their story. I also adored the supporting cast of characters.

Bonus: As someone who lived in London and is a big Arsenal fan (COYG!), I loved all the references!

If Mari knows one thing, it’s how to keep small bookstores in business. After landing in London to help with a local store Mari is met by grumpy Leo. Leo is not ready to make any changes to the store after the loss of his beloved grandfather but after some nudging from Mari he begins making some changes. Mari has never really had a family or people who care, but she finds herself building a community in London, and Leo might just be her favorite person. But will she let her guard down and let him love her?

This was a quick and fun read! Emotionally deep. Both characters had some significant trauma from their past but were both pretty well adjusted despite their issues. And ugh the way Leo loved Mari was just so wholesome. I think we all want a golden retriever boyfriend like Leo 😭.

Dual POV
American abroad
Bookstore
Friends to lovers
Spicy 🌶️

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very sweet, cozy read about two booksellers who start out on the wrong foot and end up falling for one another. I thought the love story was very realistic and the characters were raw and real. It felt like an ode to learning to live with your grief whether that be grieving a person, a part life, or a future you no longer want. Really lovely read.

I absolutely love Sarah Chamberlain’s writing style. She writes such realistic, complex characters and they always have something deeper going on that’s always handled really well. In this case, Leo is trying to manage his family’s struggling bookstore and dealing with the fact that it was never his dream to run it. Mari is only in London for a short while to help the bookstore and she is still dealing with issues from her past that make it hard for her to be open to love.
Despite having a bad first impression, Mari and Leo have incredible chemistry and quickly become friends. I loved how in tune with each other they were and how comfortable they were. They were so understanding of each other and all the pining and prolonged looks from across the room were so good!
This book was really cute and fun but also had a lot of emotional depth and a lot of really great character growth. I loved the journey Mari and Leo had to go on in order to be with each other and by the end of the book I felt like they had really earned their happy ending.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!!

This felt like a warm hug that smells like pages of a book.

I loved Mari and Leo’s dynamic, I do wish we got a bit more of the bookstore aspect of things but I know that their romance is the spotlight so it makes sense. Some of the subtle foreshadowing of plot twists was well done as you move through the book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was a cute, cozy, spicy read!!

Makes me want to run away to a seaside town and open a little bookstore with a cat. Cozy bookstore vibes, with a bit of spice. Cute romance, an interesting little twist that I did suspect and enjoyed.