LOVE IS AN OPEN BOOK – Chandra Blumberg
Canary Street Press
ISBN: 978-1-335-01657-7
August 12, 2025
Contemporary Romance

Chicago, Illinois – Present Day

Mia Brady is a bestselling romance author who has had her published novels made into a popular television series. There is one more book to be completed—the final season, where the couple who are best friends discover they are in love with each other. But Mia is having problems writing their story, and her agent and publisher are hounding her. Mia’s best friend, Gavin Lane, has been with her through everything and is supportive enough to help her do whatever it takes to write. With a major writer’s block, she suggests that they act out what the characters would do if they were falling in love. This means Mia and Gavin going on dates together. Seems like a logical solution, except Mia and Gavin are finding themselves taking the dates seriously, as in…falling for each other.

LOVE IS AN OPEN BOOK is full of romance book tropes, which are the various ways a couple falls in love. Mia and Gavin had known each other for years after they met when she was dumped by his former roommate. They hit it off and are each other’s ride or die. He was there to celebrate her success in the publishing industry, and he is there as she stresses out over finishing that final book in the series. Readers can sense right from the start that both have tried to ignore looking at the other as a possible romantic partner. After all, why break up a friendship if the romance part didn’t work out?

Gavin works in landscaping and enjoys his work. However, he learns from his brother that their father is selling his company based in Wisconsin and moving out of state. Gavin had known for years that his father wanted him to take over the business, but he had resisted. Why hasn’t his father mentioned that he is selling now? In LOVE IS AN OPEN BOOK, he struggles as he decides whether to stay in Chicago or move to Wisconsin to take over the business from his father. Is the fact that Mia would remain in Chicago factoring into his decision?

Along the way, Mia and Gavin deny to family and friends that their mock dates have turned a friendship into a romance. Too much denial! Yet, they surely can’t deny there is a sizzle of attraction between them. If they decide to “try out” a romance, can they keep it a secret? Meanwhile, Mia still needs to write the book. Will she finally get started—and complete it? It’s a bumpy road for both Mia and Gavin as they navigate the changes to their lives.

An entertaining and intriguing read right from the start, as we are introduced to a couple who are comfortable with each other as friends but scared to death about falling in love with each other. Don’t miss LOVE IS AN OPEN BOOK.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

I had mixed feelings about this ode to the friends to lovers trope featuring a struggling romance author and her plant daddy BFF who decide to fake date their way through a variety or romance tropes to help inspire her. There were lots of cute moments, mutual pining (10 years' worth), a charming double grand gesture ending but lots of unnecessary (to me at least) conflict and it was also a closed door love story which generally I don't mind but I felt like they deserved more after all that yearning. Good on audio and recommended for fans of authors like Farrah Heron or Shauna Robinson. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

For all that the book was pretty unputdownable, it rather fumbled the landing for me so my star level has tumbled to a 3. The characters, both primary and secondary are very likable and the love the MCs have for each other (both platonic and passionate) is quite relatable and enjoyable, BUT the slow pacing of the FMC opening up her heart is simply excruciating. Had the resolution been less rushed and more detailed, this book could have been a 4.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the free ARC. All opinions here are wholly my own.

I absolutely adored the start of this book. The banter was fantastic and I just loved to see Mia and Gavin grow into their friendship. I loved Gavin as a character, he was open and honest with Mia and was usually pretty open to meet her where he was at. Mia on the other hand was a bit insufferable with her whole we just remain only friends thing. She was so determined to be just friends she was actually pretty mean to Gavin. I did enjoy the end and thought it all ended nicely.


Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade publishing for this ARC!

This was a really cute book, and I am giving it a 4.25. Now admittedly the friends to lover's trope is one I am lukewarm about so why did I choose a book that centers around that trope well it just sounded so cute, and I loved the idea of a romance author having trouble with romance I think it's called is the books on book trope. Now this trope is HEAVELY featured in the book with the MCs as well as within the book the author is writing as well. Now while this didn't convert me to a huge lover of this trope, I still found it to be a really adorable book, and I loved Mia and Gavin.

When it comes to Mia, she was just a really fun character who is struggling with her next book because these are characters that at the start she may have wanted to get together but due to her own experience with her friend turned boyfriend who it turns out was actually interested in her sister turns her off to the whole friends to lover's experience. So, now she doesn't think it possible for friends to really become lovers, and it doesn't think it's worth putting what could be lifelong friendships at risk for romance that might not last. So with her experiences it's understandable why she is so resistant to this and why she would be so protective of her friendship with Gavin because they are just so in sync that she would rather have him in her life as a friend than possibly lose him if they cross over into romance territory. With Gavin while he doesn't have the same reservations, but he too would rather have her in his life as a friend than lose her forever. He was just a total softie all around but especially when it came to her and he is just quietly pining for her, and I just loved seeing them take care of one another. Which is why when she has writers block for her next book who does she turn to for help but Gavin of course. What she comes up with is that to break her out of her rut they need to test out different romance tropes together. This puts them in new situations where lines become so blurred that feelings start emerging. With these emerging feelings comes the rise in even more pining as well as tension as to whether or not they will transition from friends to lovers. It was all that tension, and the will they, won't they combine with the interfering friends, the banter and just great characters who also show how human they are with their vulnerabilities that made this book such a fun, flirty and heartwarming story.

Now as much as I enjoyed the experience, I will say the middle did dip a little for me, but I loved how it started and ended.

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This book is about Mia never imagined her books becoming bestseller let alone being turned into a hugely popular TV show. So popular everyone is clamoring and pushing for her to write the final book as soon as possible so that it can go into production. But the fans are not pushing for a story of the main couple but rather for the lifelong friends to take the next step into a relationship. The issue is that based on Mia's own heartbreak she doesn't really believe in the friends to lovers' trope and can't think of a way to make it work and it has given her writer's block. But when her best friend Gavin who has been by her side through everything and is her ride or die comes up with an idea to test out tried and true love story tropes to give her inspiration and that they should act them out together. Now they are going out on "dates" trying out different tropes ranging from workplace romance, forced proximity and fish out of water but the lines are starting to get blurred and feelings that were suppressed are now starting to burn hot between the two of them. But can their friendship survive these growing feelings, or will they be putting their friendship at risk when the fantasy becomes a little too real.

I received and ARC copy from netgalley/HTP in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the perfect pallet cleanser between series. This absolutely adorable friends to lovers was predictable in the best way. It really highlights insecurities and personal hurdles without being spicy or too much. I found myself smiling and frowning throughout the entire book as I was engulfed in their story. Most definitely a recommended read to romcom friends.

This book isn’t a good fit for me. I love friends-to-lovers books where the two naturally fall in love, but I’m not so keen on books where they set up barriers and convince themselves that falling in love would be bad. DNF ~13%.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

The longing!!! The strong friendship bond!! There’s a reason friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes when done well. Gavin is absolute dream from the beginning! Mia wrote off dating friends because of one bad experience. But Gavin was always there, willing to just be friends until they’re not. It’s clear how much Gavin cares about Mia, it just took her a little longer to realize.

3.5 that I’m rounding up to a 4!

Love is an Open Book follows Mia and Gavin, who met in college after Mia had just broken up with Gavin’s new roommate. He rescued her first manuscript, gave her the only plant she could ever keep alive, and thus, a friendship was born. Fast forward to years later where they’ve become best friends who have feelings for each other, but the other doesn’t know it. They don’t say anything at first, because Mia is heavily against dating friends, but when she gets stuck in a rut with her writing, Gavin agrees to help her role play some well known romance tropes to get her mojo back.

I love how self aware Mia is- it’s almost like she knows that she’s the main character in a romance novel. Making her a romance writer was a really good call, because she could see every single trope for what it was, she knew exactly what would happen to her and Gavin and you get to experience her fighting it knowing full where it was going to end up.

I enjoyed Gavin but I feel like a lot more could have been done with his character. Even though it is a dual POV, it very much read like Mia is the main character, and Gavin is the love interest. I wish we got more of his personality, there were a couple of times when he felt like a doormat to Mia, which I didn’t really like.

The third act of the book lost me a little bit. It’s very ironic, as the book itself makes a joke about how hard third acts are and how it often loses its audience, and that’s exactly what happened to me here. The conflict between Mia and Gavin felt a little too contrived, but the book as a whole was so sweet that I was willing to look past it.

The spice level in this one is barely there. Very closed door! This is my first book by Chandra Blumberg, looking forward to reading more!

Thanks to NetGalley, Canary Street Press, and Harlequin Audio for providing me with an e-ARC and ALC of Chandra Blumberg's latest adult romance - Love is an Open Book. The audiobook was narrated by Keylor Leigh and Will Domron.

This fun and ilghthearted romance features Mia Brady, a heartbroken author struggling to finish the final book in her romance popular series. The pressure to finish the series, which has now been set to be a TV show, meet her dedicated reader fans' expectations along with her lack of real-life romance has caused a nasty case of writers block. But have no fear, her BFF Gavin is determined to help out in any way that he can. However, spending time with her real-life cheerleader, going on inspirational (for her next books) "fake" dates can only we to one thing...

The lines between fiction and reality blur into a wonderfully heartwarming, feel-good romance. While this book isn't a new concept, its done well and romance readers will find it enjoyable. The audiobook was narrated by two wonderfully talented individuals that will leave listeners lacking for nothing. Thier inflection and tone in the serious and down-right silly moments were incredibly done.

I recommend this book and audiobook for fans that enjoy reading or listening to thier romance!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Love is an Open Book by Chandra Blumberg is a first person dual-POV contemporary romance. Mia and Gavin have been friends ever since Gavin’s roommate broke-up with Mia because he was in love with her sister. For nine years, the two have abided by Mia’s new rule that she will no longer date friends, but when she struggles to write a highly anticipated friends-to-lovers romance, the two agree to test some tropes and see if they can fix her writer's block.

The romance is not what I would call a romcom but I would put it on the softer end of the spectrum, leaning towards cozy. Gavin and Mia are very comfortable with each other and know the other’s likes and dislikes fairly well. Gavin is one of Mia’s biggest cheerleaders and has read every book of hers she's ever asked him to, helping to sell that softness. Mia even calls Gavin a Plant Daddy in her first POV chapter.

A lot of the conflict arises from Mia and Gavin not being sure how to navigate this new angle to their relationship when they finally admit that they have feelings as they both want to stay friends no matter what happens. Gavin holds himself back because he knows Mia has been hurt several times by guy friends who she tried to start a relationship with and Mia is held back by her own rule. Because we start the book seeing that Gavin and Mia met because her friend-turned-boyfriend dumped her for her sister, it is easier to understand why the both of them are so conscious of this. The use of romance tropes also helps because we all have that trope we don't love and friends-to-lovers is that trope for Mia.

Mia filtering everything through a lens of her past relationships and her career somewhat being on the line if she doesn’t finish her book added stakes beyond the romance itself. This does make her put aside Gavin’s genuine feelings when he tries to show them and leads to her putting her own needs ahead of him. I don’t think Mia does this on purpose at all; I think she’s just lying to herself to protect herself but she does really value her career as a romance author and she should value it. Women should be able to have romance and careers

I would recommend this to fans of softer romances and readers of contemporary romance looking for friends-to-lovers

This one intentionally hits all the romance novel tropes and that's the point. Mia is a successful author with a wicked case of writer's block so she's game when Gavin, her BFF, suggests they try out some of the tropes she should be including. Yep, friends to lovers, fake dating, opposites attract and so on. I was a little skeptical that they could pull this off since they've known each other forever and so was Mia but, well, you can guess what happens. I liked Gavin but thought Mia was a bit of a snot (and yes, that's the point too.) Know that this is not spicy or steamy, although there is longing. Thanks to the publisher to the ArC. A good read for fans of the genre who might have a chuckle as well.

This is a story about overcoming fear and choosing hope. Gavin and Mia have an absolutely hilarious meet cute. It’s banterful, moderately criminal, and an amazing foundation for the love story to come. Inside these pages is also one of the most fascinating meta descriptions of the writing process. This was both a behind the scenes look at writing and a look at a deeply felt yet unrequited love.

Mia and Gavin have been friends for nine years through the early years of two successful careers. Mia has a very interesting history with dating friends so she declared friends-to-lovers a hard limit for herself when she began her friendship with Gavin. The thing is, it’s so incredibly obvious that these two are puzzle pieces for one another. Everyone around them sees it and there may be a few occasions where their friends/family meddle them into exploring a possibility.

Their relationship is so close that the idea of losing the other would fundamentally change their lives. The stakes in these friends becoming lovers are so real and so believable—even if you’re not a writer nerding out at the description of Mia’s writing choices.

And the YEARNING. Gavin absolutely falls first but the yearning goes both ways. It’s so delicious to understand how they feel and then see them come together. While the friends to lovers stakes are real, the fake dating is hilariously not real!

This was such a page turner that I had to switch to audio during my car rides because I could not put this down. Highly, HIGHLY recommend and can’t wait to hear how much everyone loves it when it hits shelves.

I’m not a big fan of the friends-to-lovers trope but I truly liked the characters and how the story unfolded. I think the plot was very clever and the writing was surprisingly introspective yet still quite funny. Unfortunately, the romance was very surface level and had absolutely zero spice, which doesn’t usually bother me but admittedly left me wanting more. All things considered, this was a light and enjoyable read though, so I’m still glad I picked it up.

2.75/5 stars

I love the friends to lovers trope, so I was really excited to read this book. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. The premise is interesting. Two best friends decide to act out various romance book tropes in order to help the FMC, who’s an author, finish writing her own friends to lovers novel. The execution though fell short.

I felt the MMC Gavin was underwritten. All we know about him is that he’s into plants and that he’s in love with Mia the FMC. We know what he looks like though, because there are several points in the book where he’s physically described. That’s a good thing, but It just annoyed me that the same attention wasn’t given to Mia. She’s briefly described in the beginning as having brown skin and a white mother, but that’s it. This is an unfortunate trend I’ve come across recently in novels featuring a BIPOC main character with a white love interest. The BIPOC character is barely described while there’s great detail given to the love interest. It’s as if the authors don’t want the fact that one of the main characters is a minority get in the way of readers enjoying the story, Having a BIPOC main character is a feature, not a bug, and I wish some of these authors would treat it as a plus, not something to be ashamed of.

As for the plot itself, when Mia and Gavin are acting out the tropes, it’s treated as if they’re these big moments of the two falling in love, but there’s nothing romantic about the scenes. They come across as two friends just hanging out, not two people barely keeping themselves from giving into temptation. Speaking of which, this is a closed door romance. That’s not a bad thing at all. But this was so closed door that I completely missed that the characters had entered into a physical relationship. There are ways to keep it closed door while still letting the readers know what’s going on.

Thank you to netgalley and harlequin for the ARC.

I think this might have actually convinced me to like friends to lovers as a romance trope. Mia and Gavin start off as best friends trying to help Mia get past her writer’s block by testing out different tropes by going on dates. Along the way the dates parallel the story Mia is trying to write for the last book. The highs and lows of not only Mia and Gavin but her characters are tested and by the end you’re rooting for all four of them.

This felt like a Netflix romcom you throw on for something light and cozy, cute, tropey, and easy to digest. The friends-to-lovers angle had its sweet moments, and the whole “romance author trying to fall in love to finish her book” premise was fun. But it’s not something I’d host a watch party for. A good time, not a favorite but easy and safe and that’s okay!

What I loved:
🧪The trope-testing chaos
😍Gavin’s quiet pining
📖Bookish inside jokes
☺️Low-stakes comfort

Thank you Canary Street Press for my eARC!

I liked the idea and loved how sweet Gavin was, but it was hard for me to see mid 30s mcs when they felt to me like they were just out of high school / in college. I felt like it could have even maybe pushed towards YA minus the short romance scenes. Thankful to have read, but probably won’t push on for future readers.

This was so cute. Friends-to-lovers, bookshop vibes, and a lot of intentional rom-com chaos. It knew it was playing with tropes and leaned all the way in, but in a way it was cute at times cheesy.

It didn’t hit me super deep, but it gave me what I wanted: banter, slow-burn tension, and a solid payoff. If you want a summer romcom you'd watch on a Sunday to pass the time—this works.

What if you’re a romance writer who believes the friends to lovers trope never works and have resolved to never date your best friend… no matter how good you are together?

Love is an Open Book is a fun, emotional story about a romance writer and her best friend, who has had feelings for her since they first met… 10 years ago.

Blumberg brings us a story full of fun, witty banter, and tension. Gavin is an absolute cinnamon roll MMC with a little glazed donut thrown in (you’ll know what that means soon enough). Mia is a successful romance writer who is a little jaded by love. Their story takes you on a journey that is heart warming, and at times, frustrating (in a good way). There were times I wanted to yell at Mia to take her own advice when watching romcoms and just kiss him already, but the wait was certainly worth it.

Mia and Gavin’s story is the summer read you are looking for!

~JP~

“….. and it’s all because I agreed to date my best friend.”

✨Thank you Chandra Bloomberg and Net Galley for providing a copy of the ARC for review✨