A Novel Love Story

ashley poston has done it again with her latest novel, weaving a heartfelt and enchanting love story that seamlessly blends emotional romance with magical realism. from the very first page, i was captivated by eileen merriweather's journey and the quaint, mystical town of eloraton.

when life hits rock bottom—pain from a breakup, a job you despise, and feeling left behind while everyone else finds happiness—who wouldn't crave an escape to a fictional small town created by their favorite romance author? that's precisely what happens to elsy, albeit accidentally, and it's the beginning of a tale that's as magical as it is moving.

poston's storytelling shines with its emotional depth and lighter tone, focusing on self-discovery rather than the heavy grief present in some of her previous works. this shift doesn't detract from the story; instead, it offers a refreshing exploration of healing and finding one's path after loss. elsy's character is wonderfully relatable, embodying the struggle many face when trying to move forward after an unexpected life event. her journey resonates deeply, whether you're grieving a relationship, job, or friendship.

the town of eloraton itself feels like a character, with its charming quirks and timeless atmosphere that reminded me of stars hollow but with an extra touch of magic. poston's attention to detail is evident, as every aspect of the town and its inhabitants serves a purpose in elsy's journey. the side characters add richness to the story, creating a vibrant small-town romance vibe that i absolutely adored.

initially, i hesitated to give this book a full five stars, wishing for a deeper exploration of anders, the grumpy bookstore owner. however, once his backstory is revealed, it brilliantly ties together his closed-off demeanor, adding depth and understanding to his character. this revelation was a turning point, fully developing anders and solidifying my love for the story.

while i noticed some repeated descriptions, this is an arc copy likely undergoing further revision, and it didn't diminish my overall enjoyment. the themes of healing, self-discovery, and finding home are beautifully interwoven throughout the narrative, making every detail purposeful and impactful.

ashley poston has crafted yet another masterpiece that left me both heartbroken and hopeful. this novel is a testament to the power of love, the magic of second chances, and the importance of finding one's own path. i wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone in need of a magical escape and a heartfelt, emotional journey.

thank you to berkley publishing, ashley poston, and netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

Okay so idk what it is, I enjoyed the premise of the book but then parts of it seemed unnecessary like the fact that she couldn't read the novels and sometimes I felt that the main character was literally so dumb (ie with cell service) but I did want to keep reading to find out what happens. I didn't really care for the romance and I hated the befriending of the ex's new SO what is that about?! Anyways 3.75/5

(I will say I really enjoyed that the horrible ex shares a name with my horrible ex, I found it extremely satisfying

I'm a huge fan of Ashley Poston's immersive writing style and blend of romance and magical realism, and I could never resist something written by her, particularly if it praises romances.

The story follows Elsy, who for several reasons feels stagnated on her life, and accidentally finds herself on the fictional town of her favourite romance series (lucky Elsy!).

As usual, Ashley takes the readers on her characters' journey of self-discovering and healing, writing carefully about love and loss, while celebrating everything good that is contained in the romance genre.

“Maybe that's why I read romance novels so often, because they're pretty stories clearly shelved in fiction, and that's where I wanted to be. And then I came here, to a fictional town, and I think ... in the back of my mind I just ... I knew I wanted to stay. I wanted to stay in a world where the plots are predictable and the endings are happy. Somewhere just as frozen as I am.”

I particularly appreciated how the friendship between Elsy and Pru was portrayed, and how Elsy was able to found her ground again, unfreezing herself from heartbreak.

While I did love most of the book, some events left me a bit disappointed and are currently overshadowing my feelings on the book. This book consolidated my opinion that though I LOVE Poston's writing style, I don't buy her love stories, and the reason really is quite simple: Poston stories tend to go for a Happy for now, and I read romance for the predictable happily ever after.
Is it more realistic? Certainly! It just doesn't give me the same giddiness. In this particular case, I believe I would have preferred no romance at all rather than what we got.

Still, Ashley Poston will continue to be an auto-buy author to me, and I'll keep rooting for the tender romances between the main characters.

3.5 ✨ rounded up (or down?) still deciding

this book feels like a warm hug

cuteeee

I think I just read one of my favorite books! I bought this on a whim in a small co-op bookstore in my town and honestly didn't expect much. It's been a while since I really saw myself in a main character, and not just the parts I like other people to see. She was surviving, not caring to try thriving. She was a people pleaser in the English department because she never thought to do anything else. She was scared to try new things and take chances. The author wrote the character and the world in such a cozy way, like she held my hand as she demonstrated life changing and being tricky but still great. Sometimes the writing was a bit cheugy, but hell, so am I so it's forgivable. Besides, I always call the twists and turns in these books and she actually got me on one (not the possum). This is not a book I normally go for or even like, but if felt nostalgic and sorely needed. This was a whirlwind surprise that I will definitely be rereading for the quiet joy it brings
me.

(3.75 rounded up)

This was cute. Peppered with pop culture references from books and tv. The small town setting is charming and it was fun to guess at what was actually going on. There's a little bit of mystery to keep you intrigued.

With how the story is set up there are A LOT of side characters and it's kind of like you're getting a bunch of mini books into one, but this also made me feel like I'm missing some depth.

I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to others, but probably won't reread it again.

I was excited to read this as who wouldn't want to step into the world of their favorite rom-com story? It opened well with great cozy vibes but went down from there. I liked the idea of this character pointing out the flaws of classic rom-coms and trying to make the lives of characters from her favourite books better.

Nothing much happened with her "help" and she ended up making some dumb decisions as well. The romance for her was so, so, so bad. No build up just, bam! They are super into each other. Then there was THAT ending. It was horrible! I thought for a book that brought up not accepting bad character decisions that this book would try its best not to fall into any pits. Well, the ending didn't fall but jumped head-first into one. One that no one can come back from.

To save yourself, the ending had the male lead ditch the female to be with a character that looked like his deceased partner. Then he later shows up like my bad never mind.

This was not worth it and there was not enough to redeem it.

I think this is my favorite of the Ashley Poston books I've read so far. Imagine taking a wrong turn in a storm and finding yourself in Stars Hollow with Miss Patty and Kirk and Luke and Babette. They're real!? Or are they!? And who's that stupidly hot grumpy asshole running the bookstore? Hmmmmm!

El “Teen Beach Movie” literario.
Así me lo vendieron, y claramente, me llamó la atención. Es decir, small town romance? grumpy male lead? romance with magic realism? Literature prof x bookstore owner? plot twist?... Tenía TODO para que fuese un libro que me encantara. Y ASI FUE.

Desde el primer párrafo ya me atrapó completamente. La narración, la historia, los personajes, todo. Cada cosa que leía me gusta más que la anterior.
Nunca me aburrió, al contrario, a veces tenía que obligarme a dejar de leer.
Se me hizo corto (o capaz se me pasó muy rápido).
Amé el final.
Me encantó la idea.

Es el primer libro que leo de la autora y la verdad, me quedé con ganas de leer más

Loved the book's innovative plot and resolution; its thoughtful exploration of who “owns” a story after it's published; and the strong relationship between the FMC and her BFF. But the love story was not convincing; the switch from “he's so grumpy, I hate him” to “isn't it adorable how grumpy he is?” felt like a product of the page count, not an organic development of the relationship. Also, the MMC's green eyes were described as “minty” so frequently that I wondered if the book was sponsored by Crest toothpaste. I'd rank Poston's third novel behind [b:The Seven Year Slip 62926938 The Seven Year Slip Ashley Poston https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1685350807l/62926938.SX50.jpg 98750023] but ahead of [b:The Dead Romantics 58885776 The Dead Romantics Ashley Poston https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1649027850l/58885776.SX50.jpg 91652095]. She's swinging hard to come up with new romance novel tropes, so a .333 batting average is actually pretty good.