Honestly, this was not a great read for me. I made it through the majority before giving up which is why I’m providing feedback here, but I will not be posting a public review.

Personally I struggled with the first person writing. It felt stilted and was too descriptive at times.

I probably would not recommend this to others.

Maybe an unpopular opinion based on looking at other reviews post read but I really enjoyed this book! While it was a quick romance read I appreciated the characters and the quite different setting of a literary convention. I wouldn't hesitate to read other books from this author

It was a nice quick read to get me out of the slump
Easy read and pleasant enough for a weekend escape. but too predictable and surface-level to leave a lasting impression. That said, fans of trope-driven romances may still find its familiar beats comforting and enjoyable.

This book wasn't for me. I found it to be slow-paced and a little boring, but the writing wasn't bad at all.

I have slightly mixed feelings about this one! I liked Freya and the premise of the story, and although it was mostly enjoyable, in some ways, it fell a bit short and a little bit predictable at times. I like Freya and Jake but felt there could have been more build up and tension between them, and for me, it wasn't particularly spice (though i do like my books super spicy!)
I'm sure plenty of people would enjoy this it's a good easy read on a sunny afternoon, but l wasn't blown away by it!

This first person dual POV story touches on social media influence on amplifying something that may not be a big deal otherwise.
Grumpy sunshine trope present in a book about bookish people. I felt it just missed a bit on developing more on the drama surrounding them and it's resolution, as is, it's a few chapters long.
The characters' story itself was satisfying and this book is a quick read. If you are a fan of romance authors and their dramas, this is your book.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

I will repeat what I have said in previous reviews, it was an ARC for Victoria Walters that got me hooked on her books and the plot with books, publishing, authors and romances is a sure way to keep me reading throughout.

An aspiring agent meets one of the best selling romance authors in the elevator and being true to herself did not win her points at first, but slowly helps them turn things around. I believe that being authentic will earn trust and respect of the people who really appreciate you, and I get her!

I thought we were near a happy ending when these 2 got together at the conference (which I definitely saw coming) but we were not even near the middle of the story! No spoilers, but I am glad true to the spirit of the story, it's the process of how they found love in the end and not all romances are the same!

Long Story Short by Victoria Walters is a cute read that sends aspiring literary agent Freya and scandal ridden, once popular romance writer Jake to a Romance convention with the hopes of cleaning up his reputation. I thought there were some very sweet moments in the book, as well as some hilarious bits. That being said, I found a lot of the situations that the characters were put in to be a bit unbelievable. Overall, the idea for the story had a lot of potential, but I think there were so many disparate ideas for plot points that weren't tied together in the best way. Ironically, I feel like this could have used a bit more editing and focus. Additionally, the title "Long Story Short" doesn't really make sense to me. Is it just a ploy to grab a few Swifties with it? I honestly couldn't tell you *why* it was called that. Did I enjoy reading it? Yes. It was slow in areas, but it was still cute. Is it a top tier romance? not really, unfortunately. If you have a few hours to kill and want a cute story, though, it definitely hits. 3.75*

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.

long story short

2 stars ⭐️

thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book

the fact it took me almost a month to finish this book should say enough… I wish I didn’t have to be so negative, but I do think there’s value in honest reviews so here we go.

plot ⭐️ 3
while the plot itself wasn’t too bad and fairly enjoyable, I do think it was predictable in its conflict. the “villains” and their redemption arcs were not very inspired and seemed like a terrible reconstruction of a cliché.

writing style ⭐️ 2.5
the writing, while not terrible, lacked a very “unique” voice which I always find makes or breaks a romance book. on top of that, there were a lot of examples where some editing could have sharpened and blossomed instances where the author could have benefitted from the advice “show don’t tell”. a good example for this were the multiple romantic scenes, where the FMC’s feelings for the love interest where plainly laid out in the open instead of implied towards the reader for them to feel along with them.
the dialogue fell flat a lot of times. it was monotone and lacked a personal connection and felt very static.

characters ⭐️ 2.5
I think what ruined Jake for me was the fact that he really was awful at the start, especially to Freya. while his reasoning for it all was valid, I still felt as if though it was a stretch for that to impact his attitude towards others, especially strangers. I liked Freya’s honesty and directness, but I also think she was set as insecure and a bit of a cliché bubbly main character who needs to start believing in herself etc.

overall enjoyment ⭐️2
In all honesty, I started to skim it about halfway through. I genuinely think the premise was exciting, but it felt as though it lacked precision and skill in the writing department as well as a clear voice.

pacing / vibes ⭐️ 1.5
I wish there had been a bit more of a focus on the external, on the painting of a picture. When Freya and Jake were in New York, I kept waiting for a scene to painted for me with words, but instead we were only told names (of the hotel, of the library, of Central Park) making it reliant on our own imagination. It would have been nice to be pulled into the story more.

Romance | Spice | Travel

- Ours is the best love story I've ever read -

Grab your passport and follow Freya and Jake to NYC! This was fun! I absolutely loved the setting of this book, New York is one of my favourite places so this really made the book for me.

Freya travels to New York with the instruction to save Jake Richard's career as an author and they have an absolute ball doing so! I love Freya's character she's honest, loving and unapologetically herself.

This would be the perfect holiday read!

Really enjoyed this. It’s a fast paced, quick read that’s perfect for summer.

The heroine, Freya, really stood out to me. She starts the story pretty unsure of herself, stuck in the background of her own career, but you see her grow and come into her own. When her boss, Hayley, offers her the chance to accompany famous author Jake Richards to New York to fix his damaged image, she takes it. Jake said something that irritated a lot of his fans, and he eventually opens up and explains why.

I really liked how the relationship between Freya and Jake developed. There is plenty of tension and banter. It was refreshing to see that trust didn’t come easily but grew naturally over the course of the story.

I also enjoyed the peek into the publishing world, and the romance convention made a fun and fitting backdrop.

The pacing dipped slightly in the middle, and I would have liked more time with some of the side characters or to see them more fleshed out, but overall this was a satisfying, character driven romance. I’m definitely planning to read more from this author.

I loved the premise of this book—a prickly agent of a heroine and an asshole best-selling author who’s desperately in need of a PR fix. The setting of NYC obviously immediately brings in rom-com vibes and I was looking forward to the idea of reading a fluffy and funny romance. However, I was met with some things that led me to not loving this book. The plot was rushed, and at times it felt like the romance was more forced and not as organic as it could’ve been. I also did not like how sexist the MMC was towards our FMC. It didn’t feel funny to me and his character development didn’t change my mind.

I just couldn’t get into this book. It has all the ingredients of successful romance, except Freya acts much younger than her age and Jake seems older. The romance between them just wasn’t plausible.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)

Long Story Short is a fun, feel-good summer romance with all the classic tropes: grumpy sunshine, enemies to lovers, a dash of slow burn, and a hero who definitely falls first (swoon!). I loved the New York setting and the tension-filled banter between the leads. The age gap and reputation redemption arcs added an interesting twist, and while the romance didn’t completely sweep me off my feet, it was a solid, easy read—perfect for lounging in the sun with an iced coffee. If you’re looking for something light, steamy, and trope-heavy, this one’s a cute pick for your summer TBR!

Long Story Short, by Victoria Walters, is an enemies-to-lovers novel set in the literary world. It's a quick, fun, easy-to-follow read that will be great for poolside reading.
I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC ebook that I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

Thank you kindly to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I liked this book! I initially had an interest in this book as I had previously read 'the Love Interest' and absolutely loved it!

This book wasn't quite for me, but I still very much enjoyed the read. I found the plot was a little bit predictable but I liked the characters and the development of Freya and Jake's relationship.

I found this book was a very easy read and had some of my favourite book tropes, including grumpy/sunshine which I loved!

Overall, I would recommend this book to friends to read, and would definitely read more books by this author!

This was a cute story but I thought the MMC was a bit mean. I'm failing to see where the spark was as it just kind of came out of nowhere. Overall tho, I enjoy the story and the author convention setting as well as the lil twist with the enemy at the end.

I loved this book! Long Story Short is a witty, feel-good rom-com with sharp banter, great chemistry, and a classic enemies-to-lovers setup that totally delivers. Freya is a smart, relatable heroine, and watching her go toe-to-toe with Jake—an arrogant romance author in need of a serious reality check—is pure fun.

Set against the glam backdrop of a New York romance conference, the story is packed with heart, humor, and just the right amount of tension. Jake’s transformation is swoon-worthy, and the slow burn between him and Freya had me hooked from start to finish.

If you love smart heroines, bookish settings, and redemption arcs with heart, this one’s a must-read.

A romance author who is recovering from a scandal and a new (almost) agent who is trying to help him and his reputation at a book conference! Long Story Short had all of my hope to be a whirlwind drama with bookish characters, charm and romance, unfortunately I am underwhelmed.
 
I'm so sad that this book fell flat for me! The first chapter was pretty lively but as I read on the scenes and characters started to become... dull. Even as we look through the eyes of the FMC who is experiencing NYC for the first time even the city was dull. There was a lot of opportunity to make this conference lively and dramatic, show a side of the industry that people don't talk about, but it felt flat and seemed to barely skim below the surface. This is so unfortunate considering how much this book really could have played with!

However just because this book wasn't my cup of tea doesn't mean that it's not someone else's so don't count this book out! I think with a bit of time and more editing this book could be GREAT!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity!

A great read, set in the book world. Freya wants to be an agent, and is tasked with going to New York to help fix Jake's reputation. A great setting and I liked both characters and wanted everything to work out for them.