Member Reviews

Lindsey Kelk’s best work yet!

As a U.K. based primary school teacher this book had me howling. The British humour was top tier. The relationship between Sophie and Joe was wonderful. It felt like they both went on a journey to find each other. Not to mention Sophie’s personal journey with her acceptance of herself as a romance writer.

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I usually love Lindsey Kelk's books but this one didn't work for me so much. There were a LOT of pop culture references which I think will date this book incredibly quickly. There are also an incredible amount of Taylor Swift references, which got to be too much even for me as a pretty big Swiftie.

A lot of the characters were also incredibly unlikely, up to and including Sophie's sister Charlotte. She was truly awful and irredeemable. In fact, most of the side characters in here were truly irredeemable. The whole family gave me weird Saltburn vibes.

I also didn't enjoy the sexual harassment scene and felt it should have been removed.

For a book centred around a book so spicy the author doesn't even want people to know they wrote it, the book is rather closed door. That was rather jarring.

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Note: A big thanks to NetGalley, the author, Lindsey Kelk, and Harper Collins UK for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Book in One Sentence:

A delightful, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that follows Sophie, a successful romance author hiding her identity as Este Cox, as she navigates family drama, friendship, and love.

Introduction:

I devoured this book in one sitting, and I'm so glad I did! This charming romantic comedy had me giggling from start to finish, and I couldn't get enough of Sophie's witty banter and endearing personality.

Themes:

The Power of Creativity

The book explores the importance of creative expression and the impact it can have on our identities. Sophie's alter ego Este Cox is a manifestation of her creativity and passion for writing, and her struggles to balance this secret life with her real-life relationships are relatable and engaging. The novel highlights the tension between the desire to share one's true self with others and the need to maintain a sense of authenticity.

The Complexity of Family Relationships

The novel delves into the intricate web of family dynamics, showcasing the ups and downs of sibling relationships, parental expectations, and generational conflicts. Sophie's interactions with her parents and siblings are authentic and humorous, making it easy to identify with their quirks and flaws.

Identity and Authenticity

Sophie's journey is a powerful exploration of identity and authenticity. As she navigates her dual lives, she grapples with the consequences of keeping secrets and the importance of being true to oneself. Her struggles to reconcile her public persona as Sophie with her private life as Este Cox serves as a reminder that our identities are multifaceted and ever-evolving.

The Ending:

The conclusion was satisfying, if a bit predictable. I loved seeing Sophie and Joseph's relationship blossom, and the epilogue was a nice touch. However, I felt like some plot threads were left a bit loose, leaving me wanting more.

Conclusion

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this lighthearted romance and would highly recommend it to fans of the genre. The writing is engaging, the characters are well-developed, and the humour is spot-on. While it's not perfect, this book is a fun, feel-good read that will leave you smiling long after you finish the final page.

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Sophie is a primary school teacher and just so happens to be the writer of the bestselling romance/smut novel that is a current Tik Tok sensation but she used a nom de plume, "Este Cox," to hide her identity. Sophie's parents are giants in the literary world - her dad is in publishing and her mum is a literary critic - neither parent hold much regard for the romance genre. She felt like they would be disappointed in her if they new, as well as trying to hide it from her employer.

While meeting with her publisher and godfather, Mal, Sophie meets Joe Walsh, creative director at her publishing house and the one who designed the cover art for her book. When they first meet, Joe suspects she's Este Cox but when she finds out who her parents are he thinks he's wrong. Until Sophie forgets her tote bag, carrying her draft for her sequel, when she storms off from Joe and he brings it back to her the next day at her dad's birthday weekend.

The attraction between Sophie and Joe is obvious from the minute they meet and it only takes them a couple of days to get together but they have a lot of interrupted moments before that happens. I enjoyed the story and their relationship but it did feel like like it happened a little too quickly and not very believable, even though I know that while it might not be common for most people, some people do fall in love within a few days.

I liked Sophie and Joe as characters, they were fun and had good chemistry. The supporting characters were also good, apart from Sophie's ex CJ who was just arrogant and slightly odd, thinking he was still part of the family even though they boke up 2yrs ago, and Charlotte, Sophie's younger sister. Sophie was a spoilt brat who was given everything she demanded, including Sophie's designer handbag that she found after snooping through her suitcase. It seemed like Sophie's parents had given up on trying to keep her in line by that point and let her do pretty much whatever she wanted.

My only real issue was that I was reading an ARC and there were a ridiculous amount of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors which was quite off-putting at times.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

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3.75 stars, rounded up to 4

I really enjoy books that are centered around books, so when I stumbled upon Love Story , I knew I would enjoy it. Lighthearted and funny, this book centres around school teacher Sophie Taylor who has a secret identity; she is Este Cox, a worldwide bestselling romance author. She doesn't want anyone in her life to discover this secret and it was quite funny to see the lengths she would go to cover it up. Especially when she meets Joe Walsh, who stumbles upon her manuscript and purely by accident discovers her identity as Este.

Sophie and Joe had such interesting banter and at certain points, I laughed out loud. There's so many hilarious moments in here, along with many points of intense yearning and burning chemistry between these two that I was basically yelling at them to get together asap.

There were also many references to BookTok and Bookstagram and names of many many authors were dropped. Honestly, at times, it felt like a little bit much and in my opinion, the amount of references could have been dialled back a little bit. It got strangely jarring after a certain point and did partly affect my reading experience.

But overall, I have to say that I really quite enjoyed reading Love Story . Having not read any book by Lindsey Kelk previously, I enjoyed her writing and cannot wait to explore her backlist!!!

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Loved this book - highly recommend.

Sophie Taylor is the best selling author of a racy book that has taken the world by storm but she has written under an alias (Este Cox) and does not want anyone to know she is the one who penned the book. She is especially keen to keep the secret from her mother and father and, being a primary school teacher, her school. She is afraid her parents will be shocked and disappointed in her choice of genre both being in the literary business.

It is her Dad’s 60th birthday and she has to endure a whole weekend of her family and her dreadful ex-boyfriend (who is now an author) whilst keeping her secret identify a secret. Throw in one Joe Walsh - a man who both infuriates and excites her and things get extremely complicated, making the secret even harder to keep.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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@currentlyreading__
Book 48 of 2024

My review of this is rather delayed. Thank you to the publishers, the author @lindseykelk and @netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my thoughts.

You know exactly what you’re getting when you tuck into a book by Kelk - characters you are invested in, humour and a story with heart.

‘Love Story’ was a great read - escapist and so apt given bibliophiles turning into spiceophiles! Yes, I did just invent that word.

Sophie, our main character is a primary school teacher whose ex-boyfriend CJ has just written a best-seller. Whilst he sleeps at the end of their relationship, she taps away quietly writing a spicy novel which lo and behold becomes an instant best-seller. She goes to work whilst the staffroom buzzes with talk on the latest bonkbuster by Este Cox (Sophie’s pseudonym). In fact, everywhere she goes people are obsessing over it. It’s only so long until the cat is out of the bag and especially as Sophie is the daughter of publishing magnate and self-proclaimed literary snob mother.

So, Sophie goes back home for her father’s birthday party and talk of Este Cox is rife. Cue eavesdropping, sexy strange men and even the dastardly ex-boyfriend CJ makes an appearance.

A great read full of the laugh out loud humour we expect from Kelk. Take it with you on your summer holiday - gobble it up in the sun and enjoy Sophie’s tale.


#bookworm #iamreading #bookreview #kindle #bookreviews #bibliophile #lindseykelk #lovestory #beachread

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Although crime and suspense are usually my thing, but variety is indeed the spice of life, so I decided to mix it up a little by picking up LOVE STORY by Lindsey Kelk. I'm not going to lie, the publishing setting was what originally drew me in, and I'm so glad I did. Lindsey Kelk has created a both vulnerable and strong protagonist in Sophie, and I really connected with her dream of writing but the fear of exposure. The voice was witty and yet poignant, and the cast of characters wonderful. You really wanted to be a that birthday party! The romance itself felt genuine, and speaking about spice, this book was perfectly seasoned!

I look forward to reading more by Lindsey.

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4🌟
Considering this book's main character is a hidden romance author, it's not surprising that there are lots of tropes within the book from instalove, enemies to loves, childhood friends, already married, single bed/sharing a room, and the list goes on. However, I found it wasn't too cheesy and enjoyed the millennial, modern feel of the novel with themes that are very current and relevant such as tiktok, covid, etc. And felt more similar to reality. Though maybe that's just because of my age, it felt relatable.

I quite liked the message that romance isn't what a lot of people expect it to be, but maybe it's what everyone would like to have or is a different sort of escape for everyone. Sophie's constant inner monologue is very self critical, not least because of her parents and their publishing fame, I don't really blame her tbh.

The main male character is someone you're not meant to like to start with, though seems to become more charming as time goes on. That being said, I found it quite difficult to picture him in my head despite some description.

Generally, I enjoyed it and the story moved quickly with plenty of drama, feuds and multiple different characters.

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Lindsay Kelk never disappoints! An exciting take on enemies to lovers, with Sophie, a schoolteacher with a secret, and Joe hotshot marketing director who keeps getting under her skin. A love letter to romance novels, and all of us who love them, it's a trope-filled (one bed cottage anyone?) with banter, steamy encounters, and an important lesson to be proud of yourself. Would recommend to anyone!

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I’m so glad I was given an ARC for this via NetGalley! What an introduction to Lindsey Kelk!
Love Story is such a fun read!
It’s a unique story about a breakout romance author from a prestigious literary family who keeps her identify a secret.

I love reading books about the publishing world. Love Story felt meta in the way that Yellowface and Book Lovers are, reading about publishing/booktok makes me pay attention to the devices and tropes used cannily throughout. Its self-awareness is so funny and makes me feel like I’m in on the joke.
The tone throughout is pure 2000s rom com and filled me with a warm nostalgia! I couldn’t put it down, I read it on the bus, at my desk during my lunch break, any spare minute I had I was reading.

I particularly enjoyed the swiftie references throughout, only adding to the whimsy and the “this is meant to be FUN” vibes throughout the whole book.

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4.5 🌟

This was peak Lindsey Kelk for me and I really loved it. Relatable but still swoon worthy romance with a heroine you feel like you know and a love interest you wish you knew.

The build of up tension in this book had me so hot under the collar, I wish there had been a bit more spice when the tension was finally broken.

I thought the acknowledgement of romance tropes and all the little references are what really put this book above other similar reads.

All in all though, this was funny and charming and one that I feel I would read again and enjoy just as much a second time round.

With thanks to Netgalley & Harper Collins for the ARC

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Love Story review

Rating: 3/5

I did not enjoy this one as much as I thought I would, the cover is so so cute and that pulled me into requesting an arc, but it just fell so flat!

I mean it was okay, but it was just okay. It had a good amount of slow burn, banter and spice but there was just something not for me, but it was easy to read so I stuck with it!

*I received an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review*

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Absolutely brilliant! I loved this novel and couldn't put it down. It was laugh-out-loud funny and such a brilliant premise. So much fun to read.

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Synopsis —She’s a small-town schoolteacher, he’s a hotshot creative director. Together, it’s hate at first sight.
Sophie Taylor has a secret and Joe Walsh is the last person she’d tell. He’s devilishly handsome, incredibly hot – and far too sure of himself.
But Sophie desperately needs his help.
Because she’s not just hiding something small. She is Este Cox, the mysterious romance author the entire world is desperate to unmask.
When a trip to the countryside means sharing a cottage with only one bed, it’s a short step to sharing a whole lot more besides… Can Sophie trust Joe with the truth – and be herself? #my thoughts
My first by this author it wasn’t for me .
Enemies to lovers , characters for me were all unlikeable. A good story narrative about a writer trying to stay anonymous after writing a book similar to 50 shades but for me it fell flat so sorry .

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I don't mind pop culture references but I hate when author's make the FMC a huge bookworm and that's all she talks about because it just feels author self-insert-ish. Please, don't talk about Booktok in your books, it's just annoying. The jokes weren't really funny either so that kinda sucks for a rom-com. The romance itself was fine, just a it bland and the characters didn't have a lot of chemistry which was disappointing. Just very meh in general.

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Super cute overall, and lots of fun to read, although I didn't especially like the 3rd act breakup and reconciliation, although I guess it made sense as an homage to the romance genre.

However, the text was littered with spelling mistakes, incorrect words being used (limpet eyes?? Pretty sure it should have been limpid) and in some cases words were missing. Absolutely distracting from the flow of the novel and I really hope that it was sorted prior to publication.

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this was so much fun i’m in love with the characters !! i had such a great time, spend the whole book laughing so hard loved it !!

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Absolutely loved this beautifully written book

Gorgeous characters,
Totally absorbed into the story leaving me wanting more

5 Stars - Possibly Lindseys best book to date

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This book is a fantastic read. It has a fresh energy about that makes it punchy and fun. The characters are all beautifully crafted individuals which gives way to plenty of laugh out loud moments, I’d love to meet the Taylor family again! Great read, thoroughly entertaining storyline with fun and romantic moments. Definitely recommended.

Thank you Netgalley

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