Loved this cute story.
Kat and Leo made the cutest couple.
Kat, a librarian, is a romantic and wants to find a man who lives up to the standards of her book boyfriends. She is trying to date online (not successfully).
Leo is a former cop who is trying to decide where he goes next. Leo likes to spread out in the library, and Kat isn't a fan. She also doesn't like how he makes fun of her name.
Kat finds out she has been catfished and enlists the help of Leo to track the catfisher down.
I loved the banter in this book. I loved the adventures of Leo and Kat in the search for the catfisher/scammer.
The two MCs have great chemistry. Such great enemies-to-lovers vibes and forced proximity.
I just really enjoyed most of this book.
It was a quick and easy read.
The plot was well structured. The pace was great for the majority of the book. There were a few places that I felt the plot dragged a bit and needed to be sped up, but for the majority of the book it the pace was fine.
The characters were developed. I wouldn't say they were complex and well-developed, but they were developed. I could engage with them.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Add this to your summer TBR immediately! Great poolside read!
Happy Reading!

3.5/5

Now, I can always get behind some bookish characters!

This cute little rom-com follows a librarian and an ex-detective. And the two had some pretty decent banter and humor! Every now and then, a moment did feel a bit cheesy, but I'm sure some people won't mind or notice (I just know that I can be quite picky about that sort of thing).

At times, this story did drag a bit (mainly smack-dab in the middle).

There is a tad of mystery thrown into this little rom-com too! I thought that was a nice little touch, making this not just the everyday/average rom-com. We get a little scammer/catfishing investigation between our two main characters, drawing them together in this forced-proximity, enemies to lover situation!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

4.5 ⭐️ Read Between The Lines by: Emily Kerr is Publishing on June 13, 2025 with HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

I have to say this was a quirky, fun read. The bantering was entertaining. I did easily guess who the real fraudster was. It was an intriguing tale full of bright characters. A cozy little town that had lightness and heart. I’m very glad I had the opportunity to read this story.

Thank you Emily Kerr, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

Have you ever wanted to get even with a guy (or girl) that tried to bamboozle you-yes I love that word😆). How about if you’ve ever been on a dating app and signs are leaning towards the person leaning on you for favours or money.

Cue this book cleanser of romance that does such that but enlists the grumpy detective that loiters her library along with her.

It’s got all the grumpy > sunshine and literary references (including a Bookstagrammer!) along with fake flirty fun that is a great summer read.
My heart enjoyed the Oxford 🇬🇧 setting as I pretended I was back there visiting.
Attached a few pics but you can also see the mug I had to get from the coffee I had to get 🤣 every day while exploring England.

It got me thinking about how I need to start planning my next UK trip. And since I did most of England with the last, I know I need to focus on Wales and Cornwall then skip back up to Scotland for a longer exploration.

Anywho, cute book. Enjoyable book cleanser of a read
3.75 ⭐️

Kat is a librarian in Oxford. She's also a romantic and joins a dating app but then gets suspicious of someone who contacts her. She meets Leo who is always in the library at the business section. They both get involved in trying to find out the real identity of the person on the dating site. Loved the book. Very different to what I usually read

Read Between the Lines is a beautiful and enjoyable book, I was hooked straight away following Kat's life with the introduction of Leo but also the concept of Brian. I had my suspicions and enjoyed how Kat and Leo worked through the mystery together, it was beautiful to see how Kat and Leo started to trust and then care for each other throughout the story. This was a really enjoyable and cozy read it made me feel happy by the end and I really appreciated their happily ever after.

An unfortunate dnf 10% of the way in. The cat fishing plot soured the entire thing for me. The prose is also very wordy and challenging to follow. I couldn't stand listening to Kat for another 90% of the book...

A charming setting and a dreamy cover—this book is made for cosy reading sessions! 📖 ❤️

Set against the warm, bookish backdrop of an Oxford Community Library, Read Between the Lines has plenty of romcom appeal. Kat, a hopeless romantic, and Leo, a gruff ex-cop, are thrown together by library squabbles, mismatched priorities—and, eventually, slow-burn sparks. 💖

I especially appreciated the Oxford setting, with many well-known places lovingly referenced. Familiar landmarks such as the Rad Cam, the Botanic Gardens, the Ashmolean Museum, and the Randolph Hotel were lovingly drawn, adding an authentic charm to the story. The cobbled lanes and cosy cafés brought the city vividly to life, and instantly transported me back to my university days. 🎓 It made the reading experience feel personal, nostalgic, and quietly magical—a true trip down memory lane!

There’s lots to enjoy here: the premise is delightful and the enemies-to-something-more dynamic has promise. While I enjoyed the premise and the soft, slice-of-life pacing, the romance lacked a little spark for me. I liked both leads individually but found myself wishing for more tension or emotional build-up between them. Still, there’s an endearing quality to the story’s quieter approach, and fans of gentle, feel-good reads with a literary twist will find much to enjoy here.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A sweet, low-stakes romance that wears its heart on its sleeve. Perfect for fans of cosy contemporary love stories with a British twist ☕❤️

A funny, romantic novel which, although a little predictable, was still enjoyable. I loved Leo and liked Kat, albeit she was a bit annoying in places. An easy read that I got through in a day.

This was a lovely book but just slightly too cheesy for me. I didn't fully gel with Kat and didn't get immersed in the romance. I'm sure previous fans of Emily Kerr will absolutely love this.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC. 

This read more like an anti catfishing PSA than it did a romance book. 

Kat was so rude to Leo in the beginning for no reason. 

I read this after reading a really great romance book, which really emphasized how much I disliked this. 

I was tempted to DNF, but pushed though and I don't think that was the right decision. 

Now that I'm looking at Emily Kerr's other books, I just don't think that her writing is for me. So if you like her writing, don't let this discourage you, you'll probably enjoy this one too.

A rom com featuring a library and an ex-detective? Right up my street!
Read Between the Lines was everything a romantic comedy should be! I loved the investigation and the banter between the main characters. I loved the humour in the main characters name and the plot of the story. The only thing I will say is that the ending was a little too cheesy for my tastes, but it didn’t take away from anything.
If you’re looking for a romantic comedy that ticks all of the boxes, then look no further than Read Between the Lines!

3.5 stars

Kat Fisher, una bibliotecaria idealista, cree en los finales felices. Y por fin parece estar cerca de uno: tras semanas de intercambiar mensajes dulces y románticos con Brian, un atractivo y atento soldado en misión internacional, todo indica que está a punto de comenzar un nuevo y prometedor capítulo en su vida amorosa. Sin embargo, cuando Brian le pide dinero poco antes de su esperada cita, Kat se enfrenta a una dolorosa verdad: tal vez el hombre perfecto solo existía en su imaginación.

Lo que parecía una historia romántica se convierte en una experiencia que la obliga a enfrentarse a sus inseguridades, a redescubrir su propio valor y a replantearse qué significa el amor verdadero. En el corazón de la comunidad, entre estanterías repletas de libros y personajes tan peculiares como entrañables, Kat aprenderá a distinguir entre la ficción romántica y las realidades del corazón… y tal vez a encontrar algo más auténtico de lo que jamás imaginó.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

Reading between the Lines has these cliched yet cute characters who fall for each other while on a mission to bring a catfisher to justice. The amateur detective pair had a fun, sweet journey on the way to become partners in more than kns sense.

Read Between the Lines is a charming and witty romcom set in the picturesque city of Oxford, blending humour, heart, and just the right touch of mystery.

Librarian Kat Fisher, a romantic at heart, is having little luck with online dating - until she discovers she’s been catfished.

Determined to find the culprit, she enlists the help of Leo Taylor, a somewhat grumpy ex-police officer who’s been loitering (and mildly irritating her) in the library.

What unfolds is a delightful enemies-to-lovers story with plenty of spark between Kat and Leo.

Their chemistry builds slowly but convincingly, with amusing banter and touching moments that make their relationship easy to root for.

Leo’s transformation from annoying library squatter to loyal sidekick (and more) is both sweet and satisfying.

While Kat and Leo are a great central couple, it’s the secondary characters an eclectic group of library regulars who truly steal the show.

They add warmth, humour, and community to the story, making the library setting feel cosy and alive.

Oxford itself also shines as a backdrop, offering a fresh change from the usual big-city romcom locations.

There are some clever twists throughout the story to keep readers on their toes, and moments of vulnerability, especially from Leo, that give the book unexpected emotional depth.

Kat’s determination and optimism are infectious, and it’s satisfying to see her take control of her own story.

Funny, engaging, and full of heart, Read Between the Lines is a joy to read.

With its quirky side characters, slow-burn romance, and a plot that keeps you invested, this is a perfect pick for fans of feel-good romantic fiction.

Emily Kerr is quickly becoming one to watch in the romcom world.

With thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kat Fisher has had jokes about her name all her life but really she just wants to find someone to come home to who values her quiet charms. Ex-police officer Leo bursts into her library and sparks fly, but when it comes to tracking down a scammer to make sure her precious patrons and others aren't harmed, they team up amusingly, pursuing the bad guy through a series of dating app events. I loved the range of library users and friends of Kat and the messages about keeping safe peppered through the text and, although I did work out the identity of the scammer, not how they did it! Leo is a sweet hero who cares too much and there's satisfying character development for both him and Kat. Another good read from Emily Kerr!

Blog review 29 May 2025: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/05/29/book-reviews-two-books-about-books-moira-macdonald-storybook-ending-and-emily-kerr-read-between-the-lines/

Dnfed at 34%
I really tried to get into this one but sadly I just couldn't and just felt myself skimming and not really reading as the plot nor the characters really seemed to engage with me

Kat is a librarian dreaming of finding the right man. She goes online and meets on or so she thinks.
Leo is an ex policeman who uses the library regularly and annoys Kat with his habit of leaving his papers everywhere.
But when Kat is scammed Leo is the person she feels can help her. Can he find the scammer and also heal her heart

Kat Fisher, a librarian, has finally met a seemingly perfect guy, Brian, on a respected dating site. He is an officer in the military so they haven’t been able to meet in person. When he asks for money to come see her, she is a bit suspicious. Leo, an ex-police officer, hears her talking about her suspicions, he emphatically warns her she’s being scammed. Together, they decide to find out the truth about Brian. Hi jinx ensue, and a rom com is born. This is an entertaining beach read, with a charming vibe.

Librarian Kat invites ex policeman ,Leo, to help her find her on-line dating scammer. Can they find him, will romance develop? Perfect holiday reading.