This was a really fun read, with some romance and an investigation along the way!

Librarian Kat is looking for love. Unable to find someone the traditional way, she signs up to a dating site, specifically for people in her home town of Oxford.
Leo is a former police officer, trying to decide what to do next, he visits Kat’s library almost daily to work on his future.
What follows is an exciting tale of them coming together on an intriguing adventure!

I really loved the dynamic between Leo and Kat. Their fun banter, their teasing, their cross words.

The characters are well developed and the scenes are set so well, I can envisage the library and all the places they go. Aside from our main characters there are some other great people, Moira, Doris and Gavin are all brilliant written and fit into the story so well.

All in all this book is a great one to pick up, it’s a fun read that will draw you in and keep you entertained, not wanting to put it down.

rating. 3.5★

short synopsis.
kat’s a librarian who thinks someone on her local dating app played her. she teams up with leo, a former cop, to dig into it and stop the guy from doing it to anyone else. as they chase leads and uncover surprises, things start to heat up between them too.

my thoughts.
it was a cute romance with a mystery plot that does not become so heavy throughout the book. very cozy and enjoyable read.

thank you to to netgalley, one more chapter and harpercollins uk for the opportunity to read and review this ahead of publication.

This book is the reason I’ve been getting so much sleep lately - every time I picked it up before bed, I’d be out cold in ten minutes. Ironically, I’m writing this review at 3am because I’ve now slept too well and can’t fall back asleep 😂

The premise had promise: Kat Fisher, a hopeless romantic with a name that sounds like it came from a YA character generator, works in a cosy Oxford library where she crosses paths with Leo, an ex-cop trying to figure out his next steps. There’s a catfishing subplot, a potential slow-burn romance, and one of my favourite settings - a bookish one.

Oxford - lovely. The fictional library - delighted me. But that’s where the joy ended.

The writing style was very literal - every thought and feeling carefully explained, rather than shown, which made everything feel flat. And since we’re stuck in Kat’s head the whole time, her rigid internal monologue didn’t help. The romance never quite sparked, and the mystery element was predictable, even for someone who regularly forgets the twist mid-thriller.

Despite all that, if you’re in the mood for something undemanding with a bookish backdrop, and you enjoy sweet, closed-door romances with a quirky small-town feel, it might land better for you. Bonus points if you're an Oxford-lover or a fan of tidy endings.

2.25/5 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5 Stars – A Cozy, Clever Standalone with Charm and Surprises

This book starts off slow, but in the best way. A gentle, intriguing introduction that pulls you in without rushing. The banter between the main characters is a highlight, full of wit and warmth, making their slow burn romance both believable and satisfying.

Though it begins as a cozy, comforting read; perfect for slipping into between heavier series. It doesn’t shy away from delivering a twist that genuinely caught me off guard.

It does start to drag a little near the end, but by then, you’re too invested in the characters not to see it through. As a standalone, it wraps up beautifully and leaves you smiling. If you enjoy mutual pining, sharp dialogue, and a slow-build romance with a payoff, this one’s worth the read.

"Read Between the Lines" by Emily Kerr is a light-hearted, delightful contemporary rom-com with a dash of mystery and sleuthing. The story follows Kat Fisher, a librarian, her library workers and regulars, which include retired policeman Leo Taylor.

Kat is looking for love and believes she has found it while using the local Oxford online dating app. Leo meanwhile is using the library to pursue a new career. Their interactions take off when Kat receives a devastating text message and Leo overhears the conversation. Let the adventures begin!

What I enjoyed about this book was the simple dynamic and light banter between Kat and Leo. The way their relationship develops is innocent and honest. Emily Kerr's writing style is easy to read and fairly engaging, however, there were times the story lagged for me. I've not read Emily's work before, so unsure if this is her usual style of writing. Overall, I'd give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars because it was a pleasant and enjoyable read.

Would I recommend it? For sure, if you're after a light storyline with a HEA, and maybe looking for a book 'palette cleanser'.



I received a complimentary copy of the book by NetGalley from HarperCollinsUK and One More Chapter. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

When librarian Kat Fisher (yes you read that correctly) finds herself the victim of a scam, she teams up with former police officer (and annoying spreader of belongings) Leo Taylor to track down the scammer and save other potential victims. Leo might not seem like the perfect match from Kat’s romance novels, but might just be the match she needs…

This was a cosy and enjoyable read and I found the characters interesting and, for the most part, relatable. I did find Kat a bit frustrating at times – she came across as very naïve early in the book but then went on to steamroller experienced detective Leo in their investigations.

The mystery element was engaging, although perhaps a little bit predictable once certain events had happened. Nonetheless, I’m really liking the combination of romance and mystery at the moment, and enjoyed seeing the development of Kat and Leo’s partnership as their investigated the Kat’s match and the So Ox app. It did also feel like it wrapped up perhaps a bit too neatly for me.

Overall, I had a good time with this book. It was fun and humorous but with enough of a warning message and mystery to keep me reading. I would have probably liked to have seen a bit more, but if you’re looking for a (sort of) bookish romance/mystery it’s well worth checking out.
With thanks to One More Chapter, HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ahead of publication.

Woman wronged turned amateur detective and former police officer grump trying to uncover who wronged her? Yes please.

The perfect mix of mystery and romance, with light-hearted banter and obvious mutual pining, what could be better?

Read Between The Lines features Kat, the librarian, and Leo, a former police officer, a seemingly unlikely pair brought together by an attempted online dating scam. When the online dating app refuses to investigate the fake profile belonging to 'Brian', Kat decides to take matters into her own hands and enlists Leo's expertise. But after trying so hard to find love online, is the right person right in front of her?

Kat was a fantastic main character, who grew in confidence throughout the book, but my favourite was Moira hands down! This book was such a quick, fun read which left me unable to put it down!

— 3 ★

! Thank you NetGalley and ONE MORE CHAPTER for the copy of the book!

⤷ It has been a cute romance with a mystery plot that does not become so heavy throughout the book, in addition to the fact that apart from the romance of the book the mystery itself helps to be aware of how you can be deceived when talking to someone online and the combination of these two things make the book very good and entertaining. The only thing is that in certain parts it was very slow and some chapters were very long but anyway I recommend one hundred percent if you want a romance with mystery and books involved 🙂‍↕️

Plus, I loved the characters, Especially to Kat, she is the representation of a hopeless romantic reader who loves books very much. Especially to Kat, she is the representation of a hopeless romantic reader who loves books very much. And Leo is a real grumpy who in the end falls in love with her very hard and no one can convince me otherwise

This was a fun, light read, but it didn’t fully live up to my expectations. I liked the concept and there were definitely some cute, charming moments throughout. The setting was enjoyable, and there was a nice balance of humor and romance.

That said, I struggled a bit to connect with the characters. Some of their decisions felt frustrating or unrealistic, which pulled me out of the story at times. The pacing also dragged in a few spots, making it hard to stay fully engaged.

Overall, it’s a perfectly fine rom-com if you’re looking for something easy and entertaining, but it didn’t quite stand out for me compared to others in the genre.

I liked the overall story but the pace was a little slower for me personally and I just didn’t gel with the writing style as much as I wanted to. A great cozy book for most just not for me.

Emily is a relatively new author for me but this is an enjoyable and funny read. Well planned book with lovely characters and an intriguing storyline.

3+⭐

It was an enjoyable and cosy read. I was very intrigued by the premise and the mystery+romance mix is something I'm finding more and more I'm attracted towards 🩷
All that being said, I did expect more on the romance side 😔 It lacked a bit of spark and it was underwhelming in the latest chapters.
So, I wasn't totally impressed by this, but I might read more from the author in the future ✨

Ⓟⓡⓔ—Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ

I saw the gorgeous cover, read the blurb about a romance born between the books of a library and I simply had to add this to my TBR 🤓💗

// Thank you to Netgalley, Emily Kerr and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange of my honest opinion //

I, unfortunately, did not enjoy it. The dialogue felt so weird and unnatural. There were moments when it felt so overly formal. The banter with Kat and Leo was entertaining exactly once. Then I lost interest and couldn't find it in myself to engage.

I really wanted to enjoy Read Between the Lines—it had all the ingredients I usually love: a bookish heroine, a brooding former police officer, and a small-town library setting. On paper, it looked like the perfect cosy romcom. Sadly, the story didn’t quite live up to expectations, and I ended up feeling more frustrated than entertained.

The plot follows Kat Fisher, a hopeless romantic with a name she’s not particularly fond of (a running joke that wears thin quite quickly). She’s working in a Yorkshire library and dreaming of finding a man who lives up to her fictional crushes. Then there’s Leo Taylor, newly retired from the police force and clearly at a loose end. He starts hanging around the library, cluttering up the tables and gently winding Kat up—until she snaps, and their slightly prickly dynamic begins.

It’s meant to be an opposites-attract romance, but for me, the chemistry just wasn’t there. The banter didn’t land, and their interactions felt more awkward than charming. Kat often comes across as short-tempered and dismissive, while Leo, despite being presented as the romantic lead, never quite felt fully fleshed out. Their relationship felt more like a series of mildly irritated conversations than a love story in the making.

One of the main issues, though, is the subplot. After being catfished through an online dating site, Kat ropes Leo into helping her track down the man who deceived her. It’s an unusual twist for a romcom, and while it could’ve added some emotional depth, it ends up dragging the story into murky territory. Rather than moving on, Kat becomes obsessed with getting justice, and it’s hard to see how that mindset leaves much room for genuine romantic development. It began to feel less like a love story and more like a public service announcement about online scams.

I also found the pacing quite slow. The middle of the book in particular felt bogged down with repetitive conversations and mundane scenes—especially those involving library patrons, which added very little to the overall narrative. It felt like the same few plot beats were being recycled, and I found myself skimming pages just to get to the point.

And while I do appreciate a bit of quirk in a romcom, this one felt like it was trying a bit too hard to be whimsical. What I’d hoped would be a funny, heartfelt read ended up feeling slightly tedious. There were very few genuinely romantic or moving moments between Kat and Leo, and when they did finally come, they didn’t feel especially earned.

All in all, this was a bit of a disappointing read. The premise had promise and the setting was lovely, but the execution just didn’t come together for me. I didn’t connect with the characters, didn’t care much about the romance, and struggled to stay invested in the plot. I debated DNF-ing around the 30% mark—and, in hindsight, maybe I should have.

If you’re after a slow, quirky romance with a slightly darker subplot and don’t mind a meandering pace, this might still work for you. But if you're looking for emotional depth, strong chemistry, or a story that sweeps you off your feet, Read Between the Lines may well fall short.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for providing the ARC.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book, but overall, it felt like such a letdown.

I will start off by saying that I think this book's biggest issue is the prose. It's very simplistic and blunt, giving it a very disjointed feel. Most of the time, it felt like I was being told this story by someone with a very dry personality as opposed to being able to fall into the plot and the characters.

The plot was fine, if a little unbelievable. I don't think Kat would have been able find out the identity of her scam artist in the real world, nor would it conveniently happen in her own backyard. Also the story wrapped up a little too neatly and quickly for my liking. There wasn't any time built in to allow the reader to build up any kind of suspense.

Overall, not a bad bool, but it can definitely use a lot of work. I wish I had gotten more from this book than I received.

I liked the overall story but the pace was a little slower for me personally and I just didn’t gel with the writing style as much as I wanted to. A great cozy book for most just not for me.

I hate DNFing an ARC, but I could not get through this book. I am a sucker for any sort of bookish FMC, so a story with a librarian was right up my alley. Unfortunately, I could bring myself to care about her or the MMC. I was just too bored.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. DNF at 40%.

This book is such a fun premise. However, it seems quite odd to me. The overall plot, I thought was romance, but seems more like the “catfish” plot is the main plot. I’m not feeling the chemistry as the FMC is very rude to the MMC from the start. It’s just not hitting right for me. Also, maybe it’s just me, but the dialogue is very off putting. Too many references to things now and worded weirdly. I don’t know. Unfortunately, not for me.

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an advanced copy of Read Between The Lines.

Kat is a librarian and a hopeless romantic. Leo is a former police officer who is trying to figure out his next path in life. They could not be more different but they are somehow perfect.

The writing was just so bad and way too cheesy for me. I was not a fan.

This one was simply fine. I found myself zoning out towards the middle parts of the book because I just wanted to get to the end to figure out how the story wrapped up. My biggest gripe with the book was that it seemed like every man Kat encountered was Crazy and terrible except for Leo. I found the two main characters to simply lack any sort of chemistry at all even though I knew where the story was going. It seemed like Kat just bothered Leo rather than him finding her entertaining and he is constantly putting her down. It was just a slow read for me and I had to put it down and come back to it a few times to get through it because I found that I really didn’t care. I did like the premise of the story but I think this is just going to be a forgettable read to me. Thank you for the ARC.