This has all the makings of a super cute romcom, and the story? A romance writer disillusioned with love who finds their own romance story. What's not to love here!
I absolutely adored the story of Freya and Jake's trip to New York. Romances that take place in order take a trip to NYC just always have that magic ingredient in them.
I also really liked seeing Freya come into her own and fight for herself and her wants when it came to her career. That empowerment was a huge part of the story which was great to see it not being sidelined for the romance.
There was some steamy moments which I loved, but really it was the sweet, romantic moments that I thought really made this a wonderful read.
I absolutely raced through the book, I just didn't want to put it down. I would love to read more in this publishing world, perhaps Tessa or Ellen could have a feature story as I just loved this world and would love to revisit the characters and see more from them all!

Long Story Short is set against the vibrant backdrop of the publishing world in New York City, a bit different to the normal setting of a book.
The story follows Freya Harrison, an assistant literary agent tasked with managing the agency’s most challenging client, Jake Richards—a globally bestselling romance author who, upon meeting Freya, comes across as arrogant and condescending. When Jake is overheard making disparaging comments about romance novels and their readers, his reputation takes a hit, and it’s up to Freya to manage the fallout and prove her worth to her boss.
As the week unfolds, the tension between Freya and Jake shifts from animosity to undeniable attraction, leading to a slow-burn romance between them. I quite liked Jake’s grumpiness as I like the potential of Freya being able to soften him as he falls for her, plus it also makes his character intriguing, why is he grumpy? Why did he make that remark about romance books?
The only downside of the book for me was the arguments between Jake and the other crime author, which seemed a bit immature and silly, but overall it was a nice quick easy read.

Fans of authors like Emily Henry and Christina Lauren will find Long Story Short to be a cute little read, offering a perfect mix of romance, humor, and heartfelt moments.

Short and fast but unfortunately both the plot and the characters fell flat.

I didn't resonate with either. The FMC was cosìnstantly nagging, the love story didn't make any sense, the MMC too misogynistic

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC copy of this book.
This book was such an easy read. I sped through it in a day and a half.
I loved the focus on Freya’s career which is something I find can be missing in romance books.
I also loved the relationship between Freya and Jake and how that developed over time as well as their own personal journeys.
It was interesting having a book set in the book agent/publishing world and I loved the insight it provided.
Overall, a great romance book. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for the e-arc of this book.

Full disclosure, I DNFed this book at 70%. The premise was promising, but the execution was fumbled. The writing was clunky, making normal conversations seem awkward. The convos weren’t snappy, and all felt a little roundabout even when they were being direct. The characters also annoyed me, especially when trying to be “furtive” but doing PDA in such public places (i.e., the Brooklyn Bridge). I also did not like Hayley, the fmc’s boss, at ALL. She rubbed me the wrong way. Other side characters were okay, but I’m sorry to say this book was not it for me.

2🌟

I love Victoria Walters, she is an instant buy author for me, but this book fell flat for me.

I enjoyed that the romance author was the MMC but I was getting really tired of reading that he had a secret he couldn't reveal. We got it...

My major beef of the novel is the miscommunication between them. he is ten years older than her and acted just as immature as her.

Thank you NetGalley, Victoria Walters, and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this arc!

This is the fourth book in Walter’s London Publishing series, and probably the weakest chapter. Freya is given the assignment of accompanying an author in need of a reputation repair, Jake, to a romance novel conference in NYC. I liked both Jake and Freya as characters, but I felt their development was a bit shallow. Also, I am unsure that Walters has ever been to Manhattan. The Waldorf has been closed for years and, though it will reopen in late 2025, rooms are $1000 a night, no way an agent would pay for two rooms there for a week. And this hotel certainly wouldn’t have a breakfast buffet. It was details like this that completely took me out of this book. There were so many plot conveniences! Also, both characters, including a man in his 30s, were such poor, immature communicators. I think this book could be better with more editing. Perhaps since this is an eARC from Net Galley and Boldwood Books the version sent to print will be better. This book is cozy and doesn’t take a lot of concentration, so if yu are looking for an easy escapist fluffy read, this could be for you. 2.5 stars.

Long Story Short was such a cute New York setting romance and I loved it! Their connection is sweet and I was really rooting for them as a couple but also rooting for them as individuals with their personal struggles. I loved their dynamic as a team professionally and was so happy to see how it progressed romantically throughout the book. If you love a New York City setting, bookish characters, a little bit of spice, and a little humour, this book would be one you should add on your TBR! Long Story Short is releasing on May 19th so you won’t need to wait long! Thank you Victoria Walters, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review!

I picked up Long Story Short hoping for a comforting, uplifting romance — the kind of lighthearted read you reach for after a long day. The premise sounded like a great setup for a fun opposites-attract dynamic: Jack, a once-successful romance author, publicly declares he hates the genre and torpedoes his own career. Enter Freya, the floral-dress-wearing, cowboy-boot-stomping assistant to his agent, who’s been given the impossible task of helping him stage a comeback.

The first 30% of the book was genuinely enjoyable. The pacing was quick, the setup intriguing, and the banter had promise. Jack's fall from grace and Freya’s determination to prove herself made for a strong opening.

But then... the story lost its footing.

Jack, as a male lead, became increasingly frustrating. Instead of meaningful development, we spend most of the book dancing around a secret he refuses to share — the reason he claims to "hate" romance. While this mystery drives the plot, it sidelines the romantic arc and feels like a distraction rather than a compelling emotional conflict.

As for the romance, what started as a promising slow burn quickly shifted into fast-forward. The characters fall for each other over the span of just a few days, which makes their feelings feel rushed and unearned. Their emotional connection is largely told to us rather than shown — we’re told they bond, but there’s little depth to support it. Add to that a 10-year age gap and an overall lack of mature communication, and the relationship never fully clicks.

Freya, despite her charm and ambition, often felt more like a quirky stereotype than a fully fleshed-out character. Her constant outfit of floral dresses and cowboy boots — even in a professional setting — was distracting, and her insistence on Jack opening up felt intrusive at times. Just because readers want answers doesn’t mean they're entitled to them, and this dynamic bordered on uncomfortable.

My biggest critique overall? The writing leaned heavily on telling rather than showing. There were entire paragraphs dedicated to morning routines and outfit choices, while more critical moments of character development were glossed over. At times, it read more like a rough draft or fanfiction than a fully polished novel.

In short: Long Story Short has an entertaining concept and a strong start, but gets lost in inconsistent pacing, underdeveloped emotional arcs, and characters that never quite rise above their quirks. A light read with potential — just not the fully satisfying romcom I was hoping for.

I loved the premise of this book: a jaded male romance author and an assistant literary agent try to salvage his reputation and career at a romance conference in New York.

However, it did not live up to my hopes. The plot was predictable, the characters felt flat and one dimensional, and the overall story felt formulaic. Even though he was ten years older than her, both Jake and Freya were immature, and I found their constanct miscommunication frustrating. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them, so when they got together and fell in love, it felt forced. It had potential, but there was too much telling and not enough showing, and I wanted more depth from the characters.

Thank you to Boldwood Books, Victoria Walters, and NetGalley for the ARC.

📔Long Story Short
✏️Victoria Walters
📆 May 19, 2025
⭐️⭐️

READ IF YOU LIKE:
📚workplace romance
📚he’s a romance author
📚she’s his agent’s assistant
📚grumpy x sunshine
📚forced proximity
📚age gap

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I absolutely loved reading this book.

Freya wants to advance in her career and be a literary agent instead of an assistant.

She’s given a chance to prove she has what it’ takes to go ahead in her career, for this, she had to attend a conference in New York.

Going with her is author Jake Richard’s, her favourite author, whose reputation is not what it was as he said something negative about love and those that read romance books which had been published.

Its not an easy task as he’s not that forthcoming, whereas Freya speaks as she sees things.

As they get to know more about each other, it makes things awkward, as they feel attracted to each other.

I loved the setting, the funny moments, the drama, and romance. I liked how Jake put forward his thoughts and was there for Freya when needed.

I highly recommend this book.

This book’s storyline reminded me a lot of the type of rom-coms that I love to watch. It had the whole ‘will they won’t they’ as well as having the plot regarding the changes in the main characters careers. I found some parts of the story funny however in total I felt something was lacking. I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly, but it just didn’t quite captivate me like other books. I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars.

Here's the deal: everything about Long Story Short is sweet. It's hot, it's fun, it's funny and engaging, and I enjoyed reading it from cover to cover.

Love is at the centre of this book. Freya, our main character, is a huge fan of romance novels. In fact, she even works as an agent's assistant in a publishing house, and she loves reading romantic stories that make her believe in true love. So when her boss tells her that she will travel to New York with one of the most talked-about romance authors of the moment, things can only go up from there. Right?

Right?

Most of the story takes place over a short number of days, mostly taking place in New York during Freya's travel. Her mission is to prove herself to her boss so that she might finally progress in her career, whereas Jake, the author she's accompanying, is desperately trying to save his reputation in his field. The two of them are brought together by work but stick together by chemistry, and I genuinely enjoyed reading how Victoria Walters was writing about them - they felt like real people. Everything about this novel reads smoothly, truthfully: the style flows, the chapters are short, the story gets going without missing a beat.

I was particularly struck by the way Freya is so devoted to her work and her boss, who treats her unfairly. It definitely hit close to home for me, as I'm currently navigating the great joys of having my accomplishments and achievements diminished, if not stolen from me, in my own work. (Ha, so pleasant)

So to see Freya learn to reclaim herself and bloom in her truth was delightful, and it gave me hope, in fact.

I really enjoyed this book. It made me feel good, and I'm glad that I got to read it.

Freya has mixed feelings when she is tasked with accompanying a romance author suffering from PR issues to New York for a romance conference. Jake had been overheard talking to another author saying that he didn't believe in romance, which obviously didn't go down well with his readers, and she is tasked by his agent to rescue his image and career.
I m not a fan of stories where it consists of spicy scenes interspersed with a storyline sticking them together, fortunately this is the opposite with the story developing before any such scene, which weren't too graphic for me and part of the story. It did make me wonder about the author's relationship with her own agent, with a cold, heartless agent set against Freya's warm, honest personality. Jake initially doesn't come across well, but you see a thawing in him as Freya works her magic on him. There is also the background setting of New York, which I have been lucky enough to visit which made it easier for me to visualise. In summary a book that I enjoyed more than I thought I was going to looking at some other reviews.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Through a crazy turn of events Freya, an assistant to a bossy literary agent is on a plane to New York with her favourite romance author Jake. He’s recently gotten himself into controversy, talking down on romance readers and the whole genre revealed in a recent article.

Freya is given an opportunity to further her career by going in place of her hot shot boss to try save Jake’s reputation and career at a romance convention in New York. Freya has been a huge fan of Jake’s happily ever after books for years, they inspired her dream job as a literary agent however on first meeting she finds him to be grumpy, sarcastic and not at all the romantic she expected.

In New York they are navigating the complexity of the situation Jake finds his career in while dealing with their own inner conflicts. They’re both on a journey of discovering what they really want in love and career, while also finding out it might be each other.

I truly loved and connected with these characters. Freya is ambitious, optimistic and a tad bit clumsy but never lets her opinions go unheard. We meet Jake as the gruff moody romance author who potentially wants nothing to do with the genre but discover his hard exterior is just a defence mechanism against his inner pain. I felt these characters were incredibly realistic and believable.

The side characters plots were also extremely well developed! I loved seeing Liv pop in every so often to be Freya’s anchor, then Davis! I really had a strong dislike for Davis but the authors ability to create such an unlikeable character then turn it around so that you end up having a soft spot for him! Incredible! I really was so very happy he got his happy ending. However I would have like to hear a little more about Haley, perhaps her back story. How did she get to the position she is in, how did she become so bossy and money hungry? Was she always like that? Did she used to be like Freya and did something switch her to be so cold and work obsessed? Lots of questions, but I think this just shows how invested I was in this story

As a young woman I really appreciated a romance story following someone like me navigating the complexities of the professional workforce while trying to stay true to yourself. I loved the twists and turns her career went on and her journey to finding her place in her career while still being herself. It’s so important to see stories where women don’t sacrifice their career for a man. Freya’s career was always number one for her, and I really appreciated that message. That you can have love and career but you should never have to sacrifice anything for a man.

I have to admit, at first Jake really got my back up. Especially after he tells her to have a lie down, essentially telling her to calm down. Ooooft! However as the story progresses Jake’s vulnerabilities really show him in raw honest light that really made me love and understand his character so much more. I would have loved Freya and him to perhaps have some deeper conversations about his inner struggles and really delve into the lasting impact it was having on him but is self discovery still felt incredibly real and authentic.

I also love romance novels set in New York and London and guess what…this story had both! The author sets the scene perfectly so you feel you are right there with the characters. This was my first book by Victoria Walter’s but I’m heading straight to pick up more of her books because I am hooked! This is the perfect summer read that you will not be able to put down. You’ll relate with the characters and be intrigued by the inner workings of the publishing world.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book early! I received the ebook free from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntary with my own views and opinions

This one was close, but ultimately a miss for me. I do love Victoria Walters writing so I will be back for her next release!

This book was so close, but I found the characters to be a bit annoying. Perhaps it coming off a bit young. I was excited because it was a age gap romance, but part of what I hope for with that trope is that they will be mature enough to talk things out.

It's still a good beach read, but missed some of the maturing I was hoping for.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.
3.5 rounded to 4

Cutesy rom com! Jake is a romance author who is trying to fix his reputation with damage control after something he said that was over heard by the press. Freya is his agents assistant sent to help him fix it. What started as enemies, Jake the grump and Freya is all the sunshine, soon turned into lust and attraction. Despite their age gap and forbidden workplace romance, wires are crossed in NY but when it's time to return home, it's all a bit messed up and trusts are broken... as well as hearts.
Strong FMC held this book together for me, she put herself out there and was rewarded with her own HEA.

A sparkling mix of wit, tension, and slow-burning chemistry, this workplace romance delivers everything a trope-lover could ask for! With grumpy-sunshine banter, a sizzling enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and just the right dose of spice, this book takes you on a whirlwind ride through heated glances and unexpected vulnerability. Freya’s mission to salvage Jake’s reputation turns into a delightful battle of hearts and egos—and somewhere between the chaos and charm, love finds its way. A must-read for anyone who believes in second chances, both in careers and in love.

So story goes long time romance reader/ want to be literary agent, Freya. Totally intimidated by a very popular Romance novel writer, Jake. Except the writer is at his low point and desperately needing to save his career. Of course, Freya & Jake get sent to a Romance conference in attempted to repair his reputation.

She appeals to him to be honest, and he had to get over his emotional hump - which by the way, the reason didn't sound as horrible to throw your career away. It was because he was wound up by his nemesis and he said some words off hand, but the story wasn't as earth-shattering as one would react so devastatingly.

At any rate, there was a meet cute, and the 2 MCs finally came together, that was lovely. The 3rd act (which I hate) came very organically, which I appreciated. It forces both MCs to be vulnerable and honest not with each other, but with themselves. They have to see past it in order to be great together. And great they are!

Its a good beach read, Thank you to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book before publication.

If the author sees this review, please DO NOT CONTINUE READING.

Oef, where do I begin... I am incredibly sorry to say that this is one of the worst books I have ever read. I despised the characters, they fell extremely flat and unrealistic to me. The FMC absolutely pissed me off with her constant nagging. The pacing of the "love-story" made absolutely no sense to me, it was way too fast. The miscommunication the two main characters had was too repetitive and beside the fact that this trope annoys the heck out of me, I feel like it was completely unnecessary to have put it in this story so often. As for the writing style, I cannot believe how bad it was seeing that this author has published books before. The spicy scenes were very mild in my opinion and did nothing for me. I feel like I have lots more to say, but I simply cannot find the words to properly describe how bad this was.
I normally would have DNF'ed this book, but it was an easy read and I guess I was hoping for the story to become more realistic (I did not).