This was my first time reading Emily Kerr, and I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I was pulled into the story. The setup is fun and original, but it’s the chemistry between Kat and Leo that really carries the book. Their banter is sharp and entertaining, and the gradual shift from uneasy allies to something more kept me engaged.

If you're into enemies to lovers with a side of sleuthing, snappy dialogue, and characters who challenge each other in all the right ways, Read Between the Lines is well worth adding to your TBR.

Unfortunately this is a DNF for me at 60%.

Girl gets catfished on a local dating app and despite having a bad attitude, somehow enlists the help of an ex-police officer to try and track him down.

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Plot
I picked this one up, not only because the cover is gorgeous, but because the premise sounded pretty compelling. Sweet little librarian meets ex-cop, uncovering the nefarious goings on of a dating app.
However, on reading the story I didn't really understand why she didn't just block this guy and move on - he'd been catfishing people for ages and the relative authorities don't care, it's a shame, but you're not Sherlock Holmes. I didn't feel that the author gave enough rational for the escapade and it fell a bit flat, especially as the bulk of the story is told rather than shown.
I also found the plot to be fairly boring. I got to 60% and we've only done one search-for-the-culprit mission and haven't really achieved anything.

Characters
FMC
I did not like our FMC. She was not the sweet and lovely librarian I thought she would be - she's brash and rude to the MMC (yeah, I know he had his feet on the chair, but after that) and her entire personality revolved around working in a library, without anything else going for her. She also talks to everyone in a really odd manner that I don't know if I can explain - it reminded me a bit of a stereotypical prim and proper lady, overly formal and awkward, and unfortunately along with her dialogue just made her sound like an ass.

MMC
I don't feel that I can like or dislike the MMC, because he has no personality what so ever. He's a tall and handsome piece of cheese, who follows the FMC around for some reason.

The Rest
There's a overly sexual, apparently filthy rich old lady, some other librarians and a homeless guy with a dog that patched into the plot for reasons. None of them were interesting.

The Chemistry
Zero. Zilch. She has more chemistry with her squeaky book trolley.

The Good
The premise of a librarian and an ex-cop teaming up! Fantastique.

The Bad
Pacing, writing, dialogue and character development.

The Ugly
Naming a character in a catfishing Kat Fisher. This is a whole new level of madness I cannot condone.

The Wrap Up
While this story wasn't for me, those who love a small town feeling romance between two unlikely characters could absolutely get behind it.

As always, thanks to Harper Collins and One More Chapter for letting me get my paws on this ahead of release. My review is voluntary and honest.

This was sweet and cozy, and I love when a book is set in bookish spaces or has characters that are bookish. However, I just couldn't really get into it. The MMC wasn't exactly swoony, and I kept hoping that maybe the heroine would find someone else or stay single. It also felt as if the author had these talking points to go over, and didn't incorporate them organically. Instead, the characters serve as sock puppets and go on these long diatribes about whatever issue was brought up. Overall, not my favorite, but it could be a good book for someone, so give it a go!

As my first foray into Emily Kerr's writing, I was immediately drawn in by the setup. I enjoyed the evolving dynamic between Kat and Leo; their witty banter and the way their contrasting personalities complement each other made their investigation entertaining. Watching their professional partnership gradually blossom into something more was entertaining.

If you're a fan of witty dialogue, a touch of mystery, and a slow burn romance with an enemies-to-lovers vibe, Read Between the Lines is an absolute must-read.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: June 10, 2025

Kat is a librarian and a hopeless romantic. She feels like she gets passed up in relationships bc there’s always “better.” She is head over heels when she matches with a deployed solider on a dating app.

However, she’s also a sharp and resourceful librarian and she recognizes some red flags when the money requests come in.

She runs into a grumpy ex-cop, Leo, who’s always at her library and she convinces him to help her catch her scammer.

It’s a touch of grumpy and sunshine. Definitely an enjoyable and light read. The build up and character development was nice. Wish everything happy wasn’t crammed into the last chapter. 3.5 stars

Kat Fisher has been catfished.... The lovely librarian meet a guy on an online dating app who was too good to be true and now she wants revenge. She enrolls the former police officer Leo to help her find the culprit and while they are on the search for the real Brian James, they get more and more attracted to each other.

The book is lovely and entertaining, but is somehow missing the certain something that would make it unforgettable.

When I saw the cover and the blurb of this book, I immediately knew it would be right up my alley. A touch of mystery and the possibility of some romance?
Count me IN!
In this book, we follow librarian Kat Fisher and former police officer Leo Taylor. The story begins with a not-so-great encounter between the two, which Leo doesn’t improve by making a joke about her name. It took me a little while to really get into the book. I suspect that this wasn’t necessarily due to the author’s writing style, but perhaps more because of the in-depth descriptions of (not so important) side characters. I absolutely loved Doris! I think many readers will be able to see themselves in her.
However, I did find it a bit of a shame that the focus was more on the supporting characters overall, while I would have liked to see more depth in and between the main characters.
All in all, I found it an enjoyable, funny, and well-written book that genuinely surprised me at times. I'm the kind of reader who often sees a plot twist or the direction a story is heading from a mile away, but that was absolutely not the case with Read Between the Lines!

Thank you Netgalley, Harpercollins Uk and One More Chapter for sending me the e-ARC of ‘Read between the lines’ in exchange for my honest review.

Cute romance that has a cute relationship in the beginning where they hate each other but yet respect one another. They help each other out but do see the signs that they may be meant for more than just partners. They bring things to the table that the other needs and helps each other through a mental hurdle. I loved the banter and the side characters. The old lady who reads smut is so funny!

The premise was very cute and I enjoyed figuring out the real identity of online love interest. The writing and editing were good and the story was engaging but the conflict between the two main characters felt thin.

I was so excited when I got approved to read this book. The cover is adorable and definitely peaked my interest. Kat was such a cute character. I enjoyed her persona and that she worked at as a librarian. Leo was quite an interesting character, as he was a grump and an ex-police officer. I found the plot of trying to find "Brian" very interesting. It kind of gave off Catfish the show vibes. Kat definitely seemed to be a hopeless romantic who just wanted her happy ending despite the several signs that were there about Brian not being her real prince charming. I like the Leo got to use hip police officer background in this story. I will say I do feel like Kat and Leo lacked a bit of chemistry, but I do think it was believable at times. I just think they needed more time. Overall, this book was cute but seemed to be missing something in my opinion.

This was an easy read. It wasn't very strong on plot points or characters, but if you are looking for something quick to read on holiday , this will fit the bill.

Content warnings: catfishing, financial scam, homelessness

Unfortunately-named librarian Kat Fisher is excited for her first in-person date with Brian, a man she met and has been chatting with on a dating app. When the moment arrives, Brian hits a snag and asks for money. Kat is so angry that her perfect man is likely running an online scam, she asks a library patron (former police officer Leo Taylor) for help tracking him down.

Kat promises Leo help with a business plan in exchange for his help. They grow closer while attending singles events hosted by the app Kat used to meet Brian. As the story progresses, Kat starts to care more about Leo than the quest to find Brian.

Recommended for romance readers who like a bit of mystery.

This was a really sweet and quick read with a dose of mystery when our leading lady is almost scammed by a man she has met online. The chemistry between both characters were great and I loved that it was set in a library, plus the cover is to die for!

Thank you to Emily Kerr, Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. ♡

₊˚⊹⋆ first thoughts: hello a bookish romance????? DUH.
₊˚⊹⋆ final thoughts: okay yes i ate this one up. it was a nice flowing read and i genuinely couldn't get enough of kat and leo!!!! i quite frankly couldn't stop reading this book and finished it so quick which hasn't happened with an ebook lately. loved this one <3

This was cosy, sweet love story set in Oxford with relatable characters. It's a very realistic love-story as in something that might happen to the average human rather than lofty and unbelievable love story.
I like the insecurities yhat Kat fights through to get to her true love. It's also devoid of spice which is refreshing. It has plenty of swoon which I appreciated.
Some of the dialogues were a bit too long, but other than that no notes. An easy romance read with elements of a soft mystery to be solved.

A book with some romance and mystery? Yes please.
This one was a nice cozy read that I breezed through. The mystery was nice and light. The writing was great and premise of the plot flowed nicely. I definitely would have like to have a bit more spice or chemistry between the characters but overall it was a good read and I’d definitely read other books by Emily.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I liked this book, I liked Kat and Leo, and I liked the writing style. But I did think that Kat pushed the issue about almost being scammed, I could understand if she was actually scammed, but I do feel she would go a little overboard with the topic of catching whoever was messaging her. I also feel like Leo could have made it more known that he was into Kat.

This book was a fun, cozy read! I loved our FMC and found that her “sunshine” was perfect. The author does the grumpy x sunshine trope very well. I also enjoyed the mystery /investigation part of the book. Usually I am not a fan of mystery within my romance books but this book drew me in!

They meet at the library where she works and he's researching jobs. Her online friend seems not to be who he claims to be, so he helps her investigate. Their disinterest in each other slowly turns into something more. A quick read that I enjoyed.

A grumpy sunshine sort of story, this was a cute and cozy afternoon read! The library setting, with a bit of mystery is always my cup of tea, and I love the classic literature mentions. Overall, the banter wasn't quite there for me, but it's a light read good for filling a few hours in a waiting room. Good for those who enjoy slow-burn or cozy romance, and the cover is adorable!