Love Literary Style by new to me author Karin Gillespie introduces the reader to writers Aaron Mite and Laurie Lee, two polar opposites in the literary world. Aaron is a snobbish literary writer who would never stoop to reading, much less supporting, genre fiction. Laurie is a self-published romance writer struggling to find her voice and put it on the page.

I enjoyed the dynamic between these two characters and admired their equally tenacious spirit and dedication to their craft. Outside of the publishing world, these two people would likely never notice one another, much less get together, but they do and it was enjoyable to witness. I tried really hard to dislike Aaron. I found him to be insufferable and arrogant, but once I got to know him, I could see his attitude stemmed from his father who he spent his whole life trying to impress.

Laurie is immediately likable and carries a lot of grief and guilt at losing her husband last year after being married only a short while. Where Aaron is stoic and so serious that you think he has an iron rod up his backside, Laurie is bubbly and effervescent. She is easy to relate to and someone who you could effortlessly call a friend.

I enjoyed the numerous pop culture references to the romance novel tropes and rom-com books and movies peppered throughout this story as well as the nods to classic literary novels like Pride and Prejudice and A Catcher in the Rye.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this book to be appealing and recommend it to all readers as a reminder that whether we love literary fiction or genre fiction, reading is fundamental and it’s perfectly acceptable to read what you love or step out of your comfort zone once in a while and try something new.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Love Literary Style from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know what to think about this book. I didn't like it so much and at the same time, I couldn't stop reading it. The love story was a disaster. The end was conveniently tied up. And yet, there were a lot of points that made me think.

More than a romance, it was a very accurate social commentary. I'm also reading Girl Meets Class at the same time and I'm actually seeing how the author artfully weaves in commentary about the way life is and just how absurd some people can act, without being offensive or passing any judgment.

That's what happens in this book as well. Aaron is a snob. Yes, there's no other way. He's exposed to a life of literary criticism and he's a purist and he upholds the rigid principles purists do. Laurie is a newbie who gets too many things moving for her too soon.

Their love story was NOT spectacular. Let me tell you that. It was rather boring, devoid of details. Lot of telling about how they felt for each other. Not demonstrated in terms of any action that the people took in any form. So, their love story was kind of secondary. I was more involved in the tussle between traditional view of publishing and the commercial realities of it today.

By the end of the book, I couldn't sleep. I stayed up to read this book and I couldn't sleep. It was the eternal debate between a purist fighting for the way art should be upheld versus the people who were driven by money, at the cost of results. Especially when it comes to writing. There are so many debates on whether you should use a ghostwriter? Or whether you should buy a pre-made plot from someone and only expand it. Where is the line between what becomes acceptable as art and what is simply trying to profit from a wave or trend just for money? It leaves a lot of questions.

The end was literally too convenient for it to be realistic. I mean seriously. It's not believable. And I wasn't particularly fond of the characters either. Like Aaron's writing, the characters were a little wooden too. It was just the social commentary that was so riveting that I HAD to see what happened.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes you just need a good light-hearted love story. I know I do. Recently, having read a few heavier tomes I needed a bit of escapism and I got that in the romantic comedy Love Literary Style by Karen Gillespie.

The story focuses on the chance encounter between Aaron and Laurie – in a classic case of mistaken identity both of our protagonists have started to fall in love. They say opposites attract but where do people draw the line? And how long can the other person’s flaws keep being adorable before the rose tinted spectacles are removed to reveal the truth.

I really enjoyed Love Literary Style. Not just for its cute story but also because Gillespie made a conscious effort to poke fun at the publishing industry and how there is a culture of snobbery in the publishing world over what makes a text worthwhile – the whole argument of literary fiction versus romantic fiction.

Told with a dual narrative we get to hear both sides of the argument but I must say that I sided with Laurie and believed she was far too good for the rigidity of Aaron who was in fact a jolly big snob.

If you want escapism then look no further.

Love Literary Style by Karen Gillespie is available now.

For more information regarding Henery Press (@HeneryPress) please visit www.henerypress.com.

I knew I would enjoy this book because I'm a huge fan of this author and her Bottom Dollar Girls series. She's created the perfect set up in this book. Aaron Mite meets Laurie Lee at a writer's conference and mistakenly thinks she's a best-selling "literary" author. To his horror he discovers she writes "genre fiction" which he trivializes and degrades. It would be easy for him to walk away from Laurie Lee except he's already fallen in love with her! Snappy dialogue and engaging characters make this a delightful read.

Honestly, this book is not very memorable. It had a trio of friends that felt relatable and they faced issues of an affair, jealously and relationship doubt. I don't like that the main character had to cheat on her fiancé in order to know she wanted him. I thought the relationships were painted very superficially and while this was an easy read, I wouldn't waste your time.

I was not able to get into this book despite trying.

the simplicity of this books cover captured my attention....the story held it. Enjoyed this novel....and have shared it w/ many.

Love Literary Style is a romantic comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it isn’t all fun and games either. As of yet unpublished literary novelist/adjunct professor Aaron Mite is convinced that his type of writing is the superior genre. His famous literary critic father Horace Flowers has burned that superiority into his upbringing, and Aaron is a bit smug about literature to both other writers and his students. But when he meets self-published romance writer Laurie Lee at a writers’ colony and mistakes her for a famous literary author, his misconceptions about other writers are about to be swept out the window as they begin a whirlwind romance that shows him he’s worthy of loving and that he’s capable of giving love in return.

Laurie Lee is young and freshly widowed. Only a year after losing her popular and beloved high school boyfriend turned husband in a tragic accident, she finds herself away from the small town where they grew up and now going to school in Atlanta to be a nail technician while moonlighting as a librarian’s assistant. But her real passion is writing, especially cozy mysteries and romances. She’s self-published a few books but none have hit it big yet, so she decides to immerse herself in a writers’ colony to hone her craft. It’s clear that she doesn’t fit in with the dark clothed and serious writers there with her vibrant outfits and bubbly personality. And she’s intrigued by the cute man in the cabin adjoining hers, so she makes it her mission to get to know him in the interest of broadening her life. Even after Aaron finds out who Laurie really, they continue their romance back in Atlanta.

Aaron has a few near misses with getting his manuscript published by two different publishing houses, but ultimately his pompous, condescending attitude and unwillingness to compromise makes people not want to work with him. But Laurie Lee is the real winner here since Aaron’s agent takes her on after Laurie wins a pitch contest and her idea for a novel sells in a bidding war to a movie studio. Suddenly Laurie’s career takes off like a shooting star while Aaron’s stagnates, and there’s trouble in paradise for the both of them in terms of their relationship, their careers, as well as their personal lives.

I give Love Literary Style a 4.5 out of 5. With a nod to both the publishing and movie industries while winking at romantic comedies and literary fiction, this book had a great balance of poking fun at the absurdities of all of those things while taking a serious look at how complex those industries really are. While Aaron was serious, snobby, and aching for love, he had great character growth throughout the novel. Laurie’s journey wasn’t as deep as she wanted to find someone who respected her as well as loved her, but it was still fun to see her grow as a writer once she realized that she needed to take it seriously in order to earn the success she was getting. The secondary characters were quirky and fleshed out, with Laurie’s assistant Ramona being my favorite. The writing flowed in the third person, and I connected with the characters. This was a fun, clean, romantic comedy that had plenty of romance, conflict, and heartwarming moments with opposites attract leads.