I am quite a big romance fan, I did enjoy this book however I felt at some points it was too cheesy, it was well written but I did feel myself cringing at some points. I did think that characters were very well made and fleshed out. Overall I would read another book written by this author just this one wasn’t for me but I would still recommend it to others.
I would rate it 2.5 stars

This is the perfect cosy romance for winter. Set in Ireland, this novel follows Em as she has just moved to a quaint village in the Irish countryside to work in a bookshop and assist her favourite writer with writing the final book in the series that Em grew up loving. But there's tension with her new boss, Keir, and it seems like he's desperate for her to leave the town. It was a perfect enemies to lovers, and of course is every book lovers dream. I loved how much it was set in the bookstore, and it was overall a really great cosy romance. I devoured it and finished it in under 48 hours (during exam season!), and am already looking forward to re-reading it.

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review. 🤍

an absolutely gorgeous read. from start to finish i was captivated and didn’t want to put it down. all of the characters were so loveable and easy to identify with. i cried so many tears. SO MANY. my first 5 star read of May!! it’s been a while since i connected with a book so wholeheartedly like i did with this.

Title: Love At First Book by Jenn McKinlay

Release Date: May, 16th, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars

In this charming tale, librarian Emily Allen finds herself in a picturesque Irish village alongside her favourite author, Siobhan Riordan, and her surly son, Kieran Murphy.
Tasked with assisting Siobhan with her overdue novel, Emily must also navigate her growing attraction to Kieran. As Siobhan's health falters, Emily is torn between her professional duties and her feelings for Kieran. Balancing professional duties and personal emotions, Emily must decide if she's ready to embrace a new chapter in her life.


"Love at First Book" quickly secured its place as one of my top emotional reads of 2024. Right from the start, I was fully invested in the characters, especially Em and Kier.

Their journey from enemies to lovers was a slow burn that had me utterly captivated, and their banter kept me giggling from start to finish. The charming Irish settings added an extra layer of charm to the story, making it a must-read for any book lover dreaming of meeting their favourite author. With heartfelt moments, humour, and a rollercoaster of emotions, this book left me wanting more.

I highly recommend it to fans of enemies-to-lovers and sunshine/grumpy tropes. it's an absolute delight!


Thank you to The Publisher Random House UK, Cornerstone | Penguin ,The Author Jenn McKinlay & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

Emily Allen loves reading especially books by Siobhan Riordan, and when Siobhan offers her a job in her bookshop in Ireland she jumps at the chance.
Siobhan needs help in writing the last book in the series but has writers block. However her son Kieran, who is also the manager of the bookshop, has other ideas. His mother is ill but he doesn't know the extent of the illness. He doesn't want her to tire herself out unnecessarily.
Emily loves the job, her new life and working with Siobhan and finds herself falling for Kieran.
Can she help everyone to achieve their dreams including herself.

This book made me feel so deeply and fall utterly in love with Finn's Hollow. I adored everything about it and never wanted it to end.

Love At First Book follows Em Allen to Ireland from Martha's Vineyard. She has decided to take her own life by the horns and do something that she wants, to help Siobhan Riordan write the final book in the series she's loved since childhood. However, her boss, and Siobhan's son, has made it quite clear that he doesn't want her there and he doesnt want this book written.

Having become acquainted with Em in Summer Reading, it was a treat to have a book with her as the main character. The setting of Finn's Hollow felt perfect for me; a little getaway for relaxation within the pages of a book, which completely transported me.

Loved the book. The interaction between Em and Murphy was fun and the progression in their relationship was very deftly written.
The description of the scenery in ?Ireland was breath taking. I a, so glad we are booked to visit Ireland soon.
It is very sad when parents get things wrong and mess up their child’s life but luckily a level headed librarian and a writer/bookshop manager can overcome this problem.

I have no idea where this book came from BUT OH MY THIS WAS EVERYTHING. This js officially the romance book for romance book lovers. It is truly a dedication to us book girlies. This delivered all the emotions and was the writing was raw, realistic and painfully beautiful. Jenn somehow managed to capture the feeling of being under a blanket with a cup of tea into a book which is like nothing I have ever felt. The whole book is based around a bookstore, books and booklovers. I feel blessed to have read this masterpiece. If you read this book and listened to ‘I hate it here’ by Taylor Swift I think you may combust purely due to the extent of the immaculate vibes.

Thank you Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for the ARC!!!!

I loved this book from start to finish! It is a sweet and heartwarming story about Emily who works at a bookstore in Ireland and is an assistant to her favourite author. Emily helps her favourite author with her latest book while working for her son, Kier, and the bookstore's manager who is not excited about this arrangement.

Everything about this book was cosy and lovely. I couldn't put the book down for a second. I loved Emily's independence and confidence. Emily's commitment to helping her favourite author finish the series is a reflection of us, readers, who are dedicated to our favourite book series, which was quite lovely to read.

I think the ending was the most strongest of the entire book. I was a wreck and I'm sure anyone who reads it would be too. Emily is an amazing character and is everybody else. I can't wait to read more of Jenn McKinlay's books.

I loved this wonderful book. The story of Emily is, on the face of it, a romantic one but difficult themes are addressed in this beautifully written novel. There’s an excellent cast of supporting characters set against the fantastic Irish backdrop. The emotional conclusion was intense.
One of the delights of appreciating a new author is discovering they have a large back catalogue that you somehow managed to miss and are now available for you to enjoy. I highly recommend this book.

Love at First Book is a heart warming, beautiful love story. I really enjoyed the Irish setting, the author had clearly done a lot of good research into this. Em and Keirs enemies to lovers romance was depicted in a sexy, romantic way that had you rooting for them all at the end.
The underlying themes of family, love, legacy and ultimately, the importance of a great story, absolutely shine throughout this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and RandomHouse UK for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love at First Book was a delightful romantic comedy, one of my favourites from the year so far!

The story sees Emily heading away from everything she knows to take on a new adventure. She's leaving her very challenging mom firmly in the rearview mirror and setting her sights on enjoying her new job as an assistant to her favourite author while helping in a bookstore. Normally quite reserved this new Emily is determined to be brave and bold, but she doesn't count on having to deal with Kieran who manages the bookstore and doesn't bother to hide his dislike for her.

Being set in a bookstore, with one of the characters writing a book, and the constant book chatter between Emily and Kieran was a highlight of the book for me. I enjoyed watching the relationship between the two unfurl, tentatively into friendship at first and then unfolding into love. The other characters in the book were delightful as well, adding some fun friendships that really made the story that much more real to me.

4.5 stars⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the early e-arc of this amazing and cute book. This was everything I thought it was going to be and I loved the characters in this! I fell in love with Kieran in this book and I loved how this was mostly set in a bookshop which made it so wonderful! I will definitely be reading more books by this author

‘Love At First Book’ by Jenn McKinlay tells the story of Emily who uproots her lift and travels to Ireland to assist her favourite author Siobhán and work part-time in the cute bookshop her grouchy but romance-hero-handsome son Kieran runs… It’s an adventurous move for usually-introverted Em, but once it becomes apparent that her grumpy boss Kieran doesn’t want her around, she becomes more determined to stay.

I loved all of the emotional layers of this book - the contrast between Kier and Siobhán’s relationship with Em and her mother’s, the secret Em had to keep, and Kier’s awakening to just why his mother’s character Tig McMorrow was so important to her. I also enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers trope and the hilarious banter between the couple and Em’s likeable colleagues at the bookshop.

I’d highly recommend this novel to bookophiles, lovers of Irish charm and anyone who wants a romantic read with some family drama sprinkled in.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Random House UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Firstly, I would like to say a big thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this wonderful book – a five star read without a doubt!

Firstly, the setting of this book is just wonderful. A small town in Ireland, with a strong community feel, and the background of a cosy bookstore. I’ve really started to become a big fan of small town romances – there’s such a cosy and warm vibe about them. I loved all of the characters in this book – they all helped to bring this story to life.

The chemistry and tension between Emily and Kieran is electric. The enemies to lovers trope is done exceptionally well in this story. The connection between these two wasn’t rushed, but their chemistry is obvious from the get go with the way they butt heads and clash. Everything between them is fiery and intense, it’s brilliant.

I love a story with a backdrop of a bookshop, so that gave the book brownie points from the offset, but I love that Emily gets to help her favourite author finish the final instalment to her favourite series – isn’t that every bookworms dream? The friendship between Siobhan and Emily is so sweet and they form such a strong bond so quickly.

This book has a very bittersweet ending, one that had me in tears but also had my heart bursting with love at the wonderful romantic gesture from Kieran to tell Emily how he feels.

Jenn McKinlay is definitely one of my favourite authors and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I loved this! I found all the characters really lovable, the writing flowed well and the story was engaging. The author clearly did her research on Irish sayings, towns, foods and history, meaning the setting felt authentic and immersive. There are many funny and lighthearted moments throughout that make it a joy to read. The heavier themes of this book, such as illness, were handled really well and the book was emotional without being depressing. I would definitely read books by this author again and would recommend this book to anyone looking for a cosy romance.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I have read Summer Reading by this author and absolutely loved it so was overjoyed when I was offered this new one to read and review. Again this book had me hooked and kept my interest throughout. A real treat of a book. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Emily has escaped the clutches of her toxic mother and travelled to Ireland to take up a job as assistant to a writer - specifically, the author of the books that got her through her adolescent years. Part of the job, however, involves working in a bookshop, and the owner of said shop really doesn't seem to want her there.
There's a lot to like about this book, in particular the relationship that forms between Emily and Kier. He reluctantly thaws to her as she discovers her newly-confident self with him, and their closeness develops through sharp dialogue, book quotes and a shared love for Siobhan, who is a finely-drawn character in her own right. As well as romance, there's tear-jerking moments and the residual effect of family trauma - which seemed strangely unresolved by the end. Emily's mother takes up a large proportion of her thoughts and actions in the first part of the book, and then disappears completely from the plot; some sort of resolution, even just a paragraph, would have been good. Despite that, this is a great read with a wonderful Irish backdrop, and Emily's journey to found family and love is a thoroughly heartwarming one.

Wow wow wow!
This book certainly messed with my emotions!
One line in the story was ‘books became her friends and there was one for every mood’ which I can agree with.

I was not expecting to cry, I thought it was just a sweet romance story which is set in a book shop in Ireland, but it’s so much more than that and I’m not ashamed to say that I ugly cried!
Buy this book! You won’t regret it!

This felt like a warm hug in a book yet also made me think of my own life being in my 20s. I loved the grumpy x sunshine trope with a librarian and will be making the shortbread and booking a ticket to Ireland soon. I think the one issue is that I read Funny Story by Emily Henry straight after and before giving this review and the librarian and romance in that just made me so happy that it felt kind of like a better version of this book. I know that is unfair though and should not be comparing them, instead I will phrase it as … if you liked Funny Story by Emily Henry then I would recommend that you give this book a try.