A Novel Love Story

I am shocked and relieved this ended up being a 4 star read for me! The beginning was a bit rocky for me, which is extremely disappointing to say, because I LOVE this author and her previous books. However, the last 20% was absolutely amazing and what bumped it up! That last 20% reminded me of her other two books and why I love this author and her writing so much. I'm not really sure why the first half or so of the book wasn't working for me as much except that this romance was a slow burn and I'm not a huge fan of those. The writing was great and I loved what the entire story revolved around (more on that later), but I found myself a bit bored until we finally get to the good parts and my favorite parts of the romance, which was so good! We may have had to wait but once we got there it gave me all the butterflies, chills, and giddy feelings! 🥰 I hate this book wasn't amazing for me from the jump though and it's definitely my least favorite by this author (first and favorite being The Seven Year Slip and second being Dead Romantics), because this book is an ode to all of us, who are book lovers. And I loved the entire premise. What reader doesn't dream of entering their favorite book, living in the fictional town it takes place in, and meeting all the characters they love? It was such a novel idea and for this author to always give us unique plots, her creativity did not waiver in this book either! As I mentioned previously, I sincerely think if this book wasn't such a slow burn, I would have loved it just as much as her other two. So I say if you enjoy and have the patience for those, love magical realism, enemies to lovers, and have enjoyed this author's previous books (and if you don't know, please run and read Seven Year Slip ASAP!), check this one out! All I know is I can't wait to see what this author gives us next!

Every book I read from Ashley is like a warm blanket to my heart. Hugging me and comforting me in ways I never thought I needed. Her poetic and emotional energy leaks through each page, making you smile, giggle and cry. I always get such a strong connection with her characters that I end up learning something new about myself at the end of each book. And my favorite part: the letter after the acknowledgments, I always feel like she's directly talking to me. This book was a delight to read, it's a book that ALL romance lovers should read. And I cannot recommend it enough. It's definitely my favorite one from Ashley so far and I'm looking forward to reading every single book she puts into the world. Favorite quotes: “It’s hard to explain that to someone who doesn’t read, or who has never felt their heart bend so strongly toward a story that it might just snap in two. Some books are a comfort, some a reprieve, others a vacation, a lesson, a heartbreak. I’d met countless stories by the time I read a book that changed my life.” “ And I love how you make me want to see the world in color, and I love how I feel when I’m with you. And maybe we won’t work out, but maybe we will—and I’ll run across cities, and I’ll show up with boom boxes outside your window, and I’ll meet you at the tops of buildings, and I’ll kiss you in the rain just to remind you that you’re worth every moment.” “ I could serenade you with words,” he supplied, taking my hand and kissing the palm of it, never letting his gaze leave mine. “If I was a poet, I could liken love to your eyes. If I was a gardener, I could plant a kiss on all the places you despise on yourself.” “ Art lived and breathed, like love, like friendship. Life—like works of art—was transformative. It persisted. And through them, so did we.”

My first Ashley Poston book and I can totally understand the hype around her stories. The language is engaging and easy to read with short chapters that really help you fly through it all. I liked the premise of this, but the story fell a bit flat to me. At the end, I still felt like Eileen was the second choice for Anders, which was disappointing after an entire book of Eileen talking about how she felt like a secondary character her whole life. She was a sweet girl and deserved to be the main one. I think, if Anders left with her when he originally intended to (sans the whole Bea thing), this would have been a 5 star read. But still, I’m going to read more of Ashley’s books for sure!

3.75 (rounded up) Elsy shows up feeling a little lost and ends up in the one place that’s always felt safe to her — her favorite fictional town. If you’ve ever wanted to step inside a beloved book series and just live there for a while, this story will probably resonate. What I enjoyed most was watching Elsy slowly realize she deserves her own story. The romance grows in a way that feels believable, and the quirky townspeople give the book a cozy small-town charm. The middle dragged a little for me and I wished there was a bit more tension, but the characters were easy to care about and the ending wrapped up in a satisfying way without feeling rushed. I also listened to the audiobook while reading, and the narrator really elevated the experience and brought warmth to the town and the characters. This isn’t a high-angst or super spicy romance — it’s soft, magical, and comforting. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy escape and a love letter to book lovers.

I want to experience everything in this novel. That's all I have to say😃 Thank you Ashley 💖 It would be nice if Amazon sent the original book too. Still, I'm not taking points off for Ashley...

Me encantó!!!! Me dejó sin palabras y al final lloré! Está autora es de mis favoritas! Excelente redacción. Le da tiempo a cada personaje. Tiene excelentes reflexiones! Sinceramente es para volverse a leer!

À Novel love story d’Ashley Poston est bien plus qu’un simple livre pour moi… c’est une histoire qui m’a transportée, fait rêver et émue au-delà des mots. La plume de l’autrice m’a fait voyager avec Eileen jusqu’à Eloraton, une ville où les frontière entre fiction et réalité se brouillent pour offrir une aventure magique. Eileen, professeur de littéraire est une lectrice passionnée de romances, se retrouve dans une situation incroyable, elle est mystérieusement transportée à Eloraton, la ville de sa saga de romance préférée. En proie à l’émerveillement et à la confusion, Eileen découvre que la réalité et la fiction ne sont pas aussi distinctes qu’elle le pensait. Dans ce monde magique, elle croise des personnages qu’elle a toujours admirés, et un étrange libraire aussi beau que grincheux, qui ne fait pas partie du livre, elles doit aussi faire face a des dilemmes émotionnels qui dépassent les pages de ses livres. Entre l’amour, l’amitié et les péripéties inattendu, Eileen va apprendre que les histoires peuvent changer notre vies, mais qu’il faut aussi parfois écrire sa propre fin. Tropes 🌟 ✨ Transported into a Fictional world: Eileen est littéralement plonger dans l’univers de sa saga préférée, une trope qui ajoute une touche de magie et d’évasion à l’histoire. ✨Bookish Héroïne : En tant que professeur de littérature, Eileen est une héroïne passionnée de livres, ce qui rend chaque page encore plus immersive pour les amoureux de la lecture. ✨ Fictional Crush comes to life: Eileen rencontre et interagit avec des personnages qui n’existaient jusqu’ici que dans ses livres préférés, créant une connexion intense et inattendue. ✨ Self-Discovery journey: A travers son aventure à Eloraton, Eileen est poussés à redéfinir sa propre histoire et à se découvrir elle-même. ✨ Reality Meets fantasy: Un mélange de réalité et de fiction qui fait rêver, où les mondes imaginaires semblent aussi vivants que le nôtre.

Comprado en el apartado de segunda mano y estaba perfecto!! 🤩 El libro me ha gustado mucho, si quieres una fantasía cosy este es tu libro 📕

This is my first book by Ashley Poston and was picked as our book club read. I went into the book blind, as I often do, and was pleased that I did. I don't want to let slip any spoilers, as there are plenty of twists in the tale, and they are so good! I will say that I don't really read a lot of romance novels, but this one reminded me why I used to. Most of us can sympathise with believing we've found the one, only to find we weren't in their long-term plans after all. Feeling like everyone around is has life worked out, and we are stuck in one place. This made our FMC Elsy relatable, and you find yourself routing for her to find her happy ever after. The other characters are incredibly likeable, and I was swept off my feet and into the cosy pages of the book. A lovely cosy romance, a little different to others with some lovely twists along the way.