Rating: 4/5
Tropes: Second Chances, Bookish Heroes, Personal Growth

The premise alone had me intrigued: a bookworm heroine who has to confront her ex at a bookstore event. The book is full of emotional highs and lows as protagonist Maya reconnects with her ex, who turns out to be even more complicated than she remembered. This story weaves in themes of growth, forgiveness, and self-love, making it much more than just a romance. The chemistry between Maya and Noah is electric but tempered by their past mistakes and the weight of unresolved feelings. It's about rekindling something lost while trying to build something new—perfect for readers who love a good second-chance story.

Romance author Mia is having trouble writing her latest book and enlists the help of her best friend. Together they test all of the romance tropes in hopes it will inspire Mia.

If you’re a lover of classic romance tropes, this is the book for you. It has them all! I did enjoy the idea of this story but it fell a little flat for me. I loved the moments they got the chance to test some of the tropes. But I didn’t really feel the romantic connection between the main characters. This was cute, though and very safe on the spice level.

Love is an Open Book is a quick, fun read for when you need something light. Is it predictable? Absolutely, but in that good way that feels comforting when you don't feel like getting into anything too deep. I definitely recommend it!!

This was such a joy to read! I typically don't enjoy friends-to-lovers that much, but Mia and Gavin felt so real and their friendship seemed legit - not just a means to a happily ever after. I also felt like so many of the side-characters were well-thought out and though there are many and we didn't spend a ton of time with them, I still had an idea of who they are. This is one of those books where you know where it's going, but you really enjoy getting there. I LOVED the idea of art imitating life. The third act was frustrating (complimentary) and I was shouting at the characters to just get it together.

Speaking of art imitating life, I love the reasons why Mia, a romance writer, is blocked for her next book and how it showed that not all characters are necessarily avatars for authors (specifically her previous novels and the ease with which she was seemingly able to write them). Gavin is such a golden retriever in all the best ways and it was really fun to be able to dive into his world a little, especially separately of Mia.

That all said, I wish there were a few more examples of both Mia dating friends and it going sour and her relationship with Ted prior to the start of the novel. I also would've enjoyed a little more of Gavin's dating life and a little more of the conflict with his father, outside of Gavin just sort of feeling his feelings and pulling away before the start. It's nice to be dropped in the middle of established relationships because it really makes them feel more fleshed, but there was just a little more I would've liked to see.

Overall this is a fun story and the friendship made me want to hug my friends and husband all a little tighter.

Love is an Open Book is a fun, flirty, friends-to-lovers romcom that had me rooting for Gavin and Mia from the get-go.

Imagine someone meeting the love of her life the same night she's had her heart broken by the good friend turned boyfriend who has just informed her he's in love with her sister. Is it any wonder Mia immediately friend-zoned Gavin and vowed to never risk that friendship by letting it slide into romance? Ten years later, she's still stubbornly clinging to that vow. In truth, she's terrified of changing the parameters of the best friendship (she refuses to call it a relationship) that's she's ever experienced.

Gavin, on the other hand, has been in love with Mia for the past ten years but he's hidden it well. He's not about to do anything to rock the boat of their friendship...until she needs his help figuring out how to navigate her reluctant best-friend fictional characters to a happy ending of their own. Suddenly, there are feelings on both sides but also those are some pretty sturdy walls Mia has built around her heart. Okay, so I'm Team Gavin all the way. Such a good guy! I love that the story unfolded from both Gavin's and Mia's points of view. Understanding his full range of emotions made me even more invested in his character.

Someone who has held fast to her fear for ten years isn't about to toss it aside easily and the author does a good job of showing that in Mia's progression. Did I become impatient with her push and pull? Yes, but I also understood. She has a significant growth arc which the author illustrates by allowing us into Mia's thoughts as we watch her slowly open herself to new possibilities.

I loved the supporting cast of friends and family (including adorable kittens!) who provide humor, emotional depth, and help both Gavin and Mia move forward in their relationship. The banter, both between the main couple and among friends, sparkles and kept me entertained. The messy history with certain family members and complications of changing relationship parameters mid-stream adds an emotional depth that gives authenticity and relatability to Gavin's and Mia's evolving relationship, and the HEA had me grinning with heartfelt delight.

If you like friends-to-lovers contemporary romance with relatable characters, flirty banter, humor, heart, and happy endings, give Love is an Open Book by Chandra Blumberg a try or any of the books written by this author. I've enjoyed them all.

There are fewer things I love more than books about books and authors and all of my love to live for tropes. Historically, friends to lovers trope has never been my first pick, it's just not the one that gets my heart racing yet somehow these two friends truly made me fall for them. Mia and Gavin not only gave off the real impression on being each other's person but the chemistry flowed naturally, the tension and hesitation heated up, and the connection and transition to romance really did feel smooth and not forced.

We've got Mia who really does realize just how similar her characters are to her own life, we've got grand gestures and swoon-worthy moments, we've got chemistry and excitement but tender and loving caresses of relationships. It gets messy, it gets real, and it makes you fall in love slowly and then all at once. Love is an Open Book really did make me step back and reflect why I don't reach for more friends to lovers tropes

Love is an Open Book by Chandra Blumberg is a delightful friends-to-lovers romance that’s equal parts heartwarming and fun. Mia and Gavin have been friends for years, and their easygoing relationship feels like a cozy, familiar blanket. But as the lines between friendship and something more start to blur, the tension (and chemistry) between them becomes undeniable.

Blumberg nails the playful banter between Mia and Gavin, and you can’t help but root for them as they navigate the transition from friends to something deeper. Their journey is full of sweet moments, laugh-out-loud exchanges, and just the right amount of angst to keep things interesting.

It’s a perfect blend of cute and witty, with just enough tension to make you flip the pages faster. If you're a fan of friends-to-lovers tropes with a side of charm and humor, this one’s a keeper!

If you like books about books that are a slow burn and contain all the tropes, this is the perfect book for you. Romance author Mia has hit a writer's block at a very high-stakes time. She enlists the help of her best friend to test out all the romance tropes for inspiration.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. Full disclosure, I didn't get to this book until after publication, so I listened to the audiobook

Love is an Open Book was a quick read. It is a little bit of a slow burn. It is very cute with no spice. Gavin and Mia have great banter and a good strong friendship. Gavin and Mia are very similar which is why they work so well together. There are so many tropes involved in this book it was crazy. I like the way that the friends to lovers are written in this book it felt different than most. Overall I like the book.

Love is an Open Book is a best friends to lovers romance. It begins off with fake dating as the MMC suggest they act out the various romance tropes to hel the FMC get ideas for her novel. I really liked the premise but not the execution. I just didn’t feel the connection between the characters and it was too slow for me.

3/5 stars
1/5 spice (kissing only)

Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Fake dating
Forced proximity
Author FMC
He falls first
Mutual pining
Dual POV

This book started off strong for me but I found myself wanting more towards the end. I loved the start, enjoyed the middle, but was completely frustrated by the end. And it was mostly because Mia was way too comfortable letting her fears overwhelm her and keep her from fully enjoying her growing romance with Gavin. Once they admitted to their attraction to each other I expected the hesitancy on her part... but to drag it out was overkill.

If not for that one aspect of the story I think I would have enjoyed this book more. I love it when the story feels like a love letter to romance books and I also love a good mutual pining situation. Both of these were present in this book so I did have a good time with that.

Overall, this was an OK experience for me but it could be amazing for someone else. This is a closed door romance so I would recommend this for fans who don't like spice.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought Gavin and Mia's relationship was really sweet and earnest, and watching their relationship develop to its inevitable evolution was really fun. I think Gavin is a walking green flag. The way Mia kept getting in her own way was a bit frustrating, but ultimately I was satisfied with the ending, both regarding Mia and Gavin, as well as Mia's book.

This was such a cute friends to lovers (which is my FAVORITE) romance from Chandra Blumberg. I loved the second chance shark romance I read from Blumberg last year and I found this to be just as delightful.

Romance author Mia had one rule when it comes to her personal romantic life, based on years of disappointment- to never date a friend. But when her career depends on finishing a friends to lovers book in time for it to be adapted for a popular tv show, her own rules are making it hard to finish (or really even start) the book. Her best friend (whom she met when tragically leaving a friends to dating breakup) has held a flame for her, but listened to her boundaries. But now Gavin suggests they “date” each other to get Mia out of her own head and let the inspiration flow. It doesn’t matter how many rules Mia makes, once they’re dating (even if for pretend) obviously no friends to lovers is out of the window.

I (unlike Mia) LOVE friends to lovers for all the reasons I liked this book. I love when people know absolutely everything about each other - even the bad things - and love each other BECAUSE of them. I thought the side characters added a ton to the story and there are a couple that I’d like to see stat in their own books (every person who works with Gavin). Both characters are also in the midst of the almost 30 career and life crisis (SO REAL I REMEMBER THIS) and I love how they dealt with that instead of just a magical relationship fixes your whole life thing. Also Gavin rescues kittens and plants trees SO HOT. I’m just so delighted by Blumberg’s romances and this one was no different

I'm certain there will be a huge audience for this book. It has the best elements/tropes in it, and you can't help but fall in love.

Mia & Gavin made me mad. Especially Mia. She's a full-grown adult who is unable to get out of her own way. It was SO frustrating to read. I get it, we all have hang-ups, but the lengths she goes to to deny herself love is infuriating.

That said, I love Gavin and you should read this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, and the publisher, for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I think this is the first book I've read by Chandra Blumberg, and I thought it was so tender. Sweet, funny, and a realistic take on friends to lovers (he falls first).

The cover is great. The story is supposed to be great but I feel like there's something that was missing with this book. I think if this had been marketed as a slow burn romance instead of just a book with pining, a difference would have been felt, all would make sense but that's not the case. I'll say Chandra did well with how she set up her characters and giving them nuance.

Chandra Blumberg was such a sweet surprise!
I have a love-hate relationship with the friends to lovers trope. I adore the slow burn, the tension, and waiting until the very last chapters for that swoonworthy first kiss. But let’s be real, I spend half the book yelling, “Just tell them how you feel already!”
I liked this in this friends to lovers it wasn’t driven by miscommunication but more about the real fear of losing a meaningful friendship.

I loved this book. I love the characters even though at times I got frustrated with the fmc you could still relate to her and understand where her motivations are coming from. I thought it was really interesting that the main character was a romance author and that they were exploring different tropes in a real world way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Love is an Open Book is a funny, fun friends-to-lovers slow burn more than 10 years of friendship in the making. I adored the trope tests and found them to be a great homage to the genre Blumberg obviously excels in, but there were times Mia's narration was a little too on the nose, like mentioning third act breakups and having Mia and Gavin have their fight right at 75%. Considering how aware of the romance genre Mia was, I was hoping to see the confines of the genre subverted a bit more. These characters were so reluctant to risk ruining the greatness of their friendship that I wish we'd had more time to see their relationship shine, but this was a perfectly fun summer read for a book lover.

Listen… Chandra Blumberg really said "what if your best friend was secretly the love of your life and you were both too emotionally intelligent to ruin the friendship until fake dating made it unavoidable?" and I said… fine. Ruin me.

Mia is a bestselling romance author with a brutal case of writer’s block. Gavin is her ride or die BFF, cinnamon roll disguised as a man, and apparently the perfect research partner for “testing” romance tropes.

Fake dating? Forced proximity? Fish out of water?
Yes, they do them all.
Yes, they catch feelings.
Yes, I screamed.

This is friends to lovers done right…. just two people who love each other so much it’s terrifying. I was grinning like a fool one minute, clutching my chest the next.

Tropes Served Hot:

💞 Friends to Lovers

📝 She’s a Romance Author

💌 He Falls First

🏡 Forced Proximity

💝 Fake Dating

🔥 Mutual Pining

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