I really enjoyed this book. Pure magical escapism in book form. It read more like a movie story and would be a great film. In the same way, there was a strong focus on the main couple with the supporting characters being not as noticeable. An enjoyable book

Forever the single person amongst the couples, Leighton turns to books for her romance. Until one day she finds a mysterious book on her shelves and starts to read. The hot billionaire cowboy in the story is her perfect man but the story abruptly runs out as she’s reading, and the rest of the book is empty. Then she falls asleep and finds herself in the story! Every time she wakes up, the book has noted down her dreams. Until one day she falls into the lake and wakes up drenched and with the cowboy in the bed next to her!

Now she’s stuck with her fantasy man but he’s no idea how to interact with the real world. Will love (and lust) prevail?

It’s a sweet story and I know in romcoms you have to suspend belief, but this was a stretch too far for me unfortunately. I’m usually a big fan of Camilla Isley but this one just felt too much like magical realism with a sickly sweet romance added, and it just wasn’t for me. If you like your romances super saccharine and with virtually no spice though, then this is the one for you. 3.25/5

I hereby crown Camilla Isley the queen of sweet romcoms! This was a fun, easy read with a good dose of magic & imagination. Perfect for a quick escape ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Fantastic. Such a great read, and utterly unique. As soon as I heard the premise I wanted to devour it. No disappointment here! Isley is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and the cover is just *chef's kiss*

The plot can feel repetitive at times, especially as it plays with familiar romance tropes without adding much depth. While the chemistry between Leigh and Killian is sweet, it sometimes feels too predictable, and the supporting characters, like Leigh’s friends and coworkers, don’t stand out as much as they could.

Despite these shortcomings, It Started with a Book is an enjoyable, escapist read for anyone looking for a playful romantic comedy. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s a cozy, feel-good story for fans of the genre.

It started with a Book has a really cute premise! The bookish female lead is frustrated with the dating scene near her. She turns to books instead, only to find that the romance in that is far more real than she anticipated...

I have loved books with this premise, like Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle or more recently, A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston. For whatever reason, I struggled to get into this one and ended up DNFing at 40%. The story was progressing too slowly for me, and the lead didn't feel relatable to me. But I know many others have enjoyed this, so don't let that stop you from giving it a try!

While this story was at times pretty funny, overall it was just a little too fantastical for me. The idea of her fictional character coming to life out of a book was just weird. I thought she was going to meet the guy in real life and he was maybe just going to be a city slicker instead and they would fall in love, but the fact it's a fake person coming to life and needing to get a ssn and birth certificate was fucking wild lol.

I couldn't get behind it and if it wasn't for the banter I probably would have dnf'd this one. K

ARC Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Have you ever read a book and thought the MMC would make the perfect boyfriend? Then Camilla Isley’s It Started With a Book is the ideal rom-com for you!

Leighton hasn’t been lucky in love or life. After being ghosted by her latest tinder date the last thing she wants is to be pitied by all of her ‘coupled up’ friends and family. Deciding to switch her focus back to her studies, the only romance she will be getting from this point on lies between the spines of books. But when fiction starts to blur with reality, she discovers sometimes love does come when you least expect it.

I have never been a huge fan of magical realism or fantasy. However, Isley just opened my eyes to how fun this sub genre can be. I loved suspending reality (even further) and jumping in head first as Leighton navigated love with a fictional character.

This was a fun, addictive read. I highly recommend picking it up if you enjoy:
- every romance trope ever written
-closed door/ fade to black
- dreamy MMC
-magical realism

*I am making an official request for Camilla Isley to turn this into a series of some sort. I don’t care if it follows only Leighton and Killian or some combination of side characters. I need more of this fun saga.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Camilla Isley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ever wondered how your book boyfriend came from the book world and into your bed? Naked?

No well neither did this book.

Honestly it was an Okay book. Cheesy but just OK, usually with these types of books there is a reasoning behind it. This just happened and nothing made sense.

Where did the book come from?
How did she join into the story?
How did he get out of the book?

Lots of questions and very few (none) answers.

I'm left more baffled than satisfied.
Also overly cheesy writing where they just talked in booking tropes which was irritating

I wanted to love this book because the premise was so ridiculous and unique that I was excited to see how it would go. However, I had a really hard time getting into this book and I had a hard time wanting to continue picking it back up.

For the first 35% I felt like I was getting tiny tidbits of the love story that I was supposed to be falling for and for the rest of the book it felt too insta love because I didn’t feel connected to the MMC or the couple at all.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC but it just wasn’t for me. Give it a try a decide for yourself ◡̈

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this E-Arc for an honest review!
(I know I”m late to the party…life was and has been extremely busy!)

I could not stop reading this and I was smiling the entire time while reading. The story felt warm, fun, sweet, and had me giggling at the banter between Leigh and Killian. Gosh!

I thought Killian’s nickname for Leigh was so adorable! This is a super cute, fast, fun read. It was a nice take me away from reality to see what happens with Leigh and Killian. Who doesn’t like reading stories like this?

One thing I want to point out, there were a few parts in the story that could use some polishing but would it change the whole vibe?

I will say I liked how the author was working up to the steamy bits and then fades to black. It reminds me of those movies that would do this and your imagination would wander.

I will say the book did make fun of book tropes in it which was hilarious. Just to name a few: cinnamon roll, the lean and more.

I liked what the author wrote and looking forward to reading more from this author.

This was definitely a light-hearted, easy-read summer romcom. Had me chuckling at the sillyness that ensues when a book boyfriend comes for a reluctant single who's exasperated by all the unsolicited advice and entreaties from happy coupled folk who seem to immediately forget what singledom was like.

If you'll be bother by not having a complete picture of how the magical realism works, or why our MMC is totally fine with the massive gaps in his memory, having to deal with being in the real world, or how he was able to get papers then pick something else up.

If you want to read something with witty banter, loads of bookish jokes and a bingo-load of tropes then read on. It was a fast, funny and delightful read. Just the escape I wanted!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of "It Started with a Book".
This book follows Leigh who lives in the real world and Killian who's a fictional book-boyfriend becoming an actual real being.
Together they have to master the real world while also falling in love with each other.
I quite enjoyed reading this book. It was a fast read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the humour in this romcom and all the references to romance book tropes which the story was premised upon. Enemies to Lovers, forced proximity, one bed, billionaire romance, they are all there as well as so many plot references to character behaviours which you'd expect to find in a romcom. On top of all this, there is the reference to books themselves. For any reader, it is a delight.

Leigh's predicament at the beginning is that of the reluctant single who is surrounded with smug couples who are full of well meaning but patronizing advice. When she meets Killan St Clair, a billionaire cowboy, her life is upturned. Suddenly her daily life seems rather dull and a source of disatisfaction. Clever and determined, she finds herself having to put up with some sexist behaviour at work. In some ways, the story sees her finding out how she wants to value herself. With a touch of magical realism, Leigh's find of a second book opens the door to her fantasies. The shock comes when some of these dreams appear in her real life. The dialogue is full of banter and some of the situations are larger than life but overall, this is a gem of a book.

In short: be careful what you wish for!

If you're looking for a light, enjoyable escape, look no further. What I enjoyed most is that this book never took itself too seriously. Killian is the perfect romance hero, accepting the challenge of being in strange surroundings. He just rolls with the punches. When his memory fails or he can't recount a piece of his history, it gives him pause, then he shrugs his shoulders and continues on. Even though they are in Leighton's world, Killian is still the strong one. She leans on him, unable to fight her growing feelings, even as she's afraid to care, afraid she'll wake up one morning and Killian will have disappeared just as quickly as he appeared. But it's a romance, how do you think it ends? This is a witty, entertaining read, low in angst, and chock full of fun.

"It Started with a Book" has a ridiculous but super fun premise - a book boyfriend comes to life. You definitely have to suspend belief for this one, but it is worth it. I would have liked to have gotten a better understanding of the magic behind Killian's sudden emergence into real life, and the ease in which he acquires a new identity (and then is somehow also able to legally change his name??) bothers me more than the fantasy come to life plot point.

Anyway, 4 stars. And much love to the quote: "Is this a closed-door romance? Because in that case, I want out." Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

This is such a fun book!!! Very different and completely beyond the realms of possibility but loved it all the same. Wasn't sure what to expect as it went on, but it does have a HEA and it is such a fun concept!

This was my first book from Camilla Isley and I think it will BE my last.
The idea of the story itself ist quite good and I liked Leigh and Kilian, but I was not a fan of the writing. It took me a long time to get settled within the story. There was severe overuse of romance tropes so that it became annoying. If you like the idea of a book boyfriend come to life then this is your book. But for me, it was unfortunately a No.

It's every girl's dream to have her book boyfriend in real life - right? Leighton isn't sure what happened, but somehow, Killian, the cowboy hero of the romance she was reading, is now standing in her apartment. And that's not the only weird thing. The book about him seems to be magic, writing itself as Leighton dreams about it, transporting herself to Killian's world every night. Together, Leighton and Killian must figure out give an imaginary person a real identity and learn to love outside of the pages.

The premise of this book is what drew me in, but then it got....weird. Leighton's life as a perpetually single grad student was relatable, but all of a sudden, the man from her book is in her real-life apartment? I'm all for suspending belief, but I wanted some explanation for how Killian got out of the story, or even why the novel was magical in the first place. There were also a couple of plot-holes (Killian's secret, the fact that the novel had them as high-school nemeses) mentioned at the beginning that were never brought up again. While I enjoyed their romance, the jumping in and out of Leighton's dreams to read about it caused us to miss all of the building tension between them, and jump straight to love when Killian arrives in real-life.

Emma is a relatable character, passionate about her bookstore and the stories it holds. Her love for books and her curiosity about the mysterious one she finds drive the plot forward in an engaging way. I found her journey intriguing, as she unravels the secrets within the book and how it impacts her life.

Isley's writing is light and easy to read, making it a perfect choice for a relaxing escape. The narrative flows smoothly, and the dialogue feels natural and authentic. The small-town setting adds a charming backdrop to the story, creating a cozy atmosphere that complements the plot.

The plot itself is filled with moments of humor, romance, and a bit of mystery. While some parts of the story are predictable, it didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment. The book strikes a good balance between lightheartedness and moments of introspection, keeping me interested throughout.

One of the highlights for me was the way Isley weaves in the importance of books and storytelling. It’s a celebration of literature and the impact it can have on our lives, which as a book lover, I found particularly appealing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Boldwood Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much!