Sigh. I really wanted to like this book. The premise has everything I love - booksellers, small town, spicy romance, enemies-t0-lovers... however the execution left much to be desired. The characters felt like stereotypes (she's too sunshiney and perfect - he's too emotionally unavailable for not a good reason). I also "guessed" the ending with the letters a million miles away so the constant obtuseness of the characters was really annoying. This was miscommunication trope in a different way, but still there and still, generationally, annoying. The reasons for the couple to be apart were far-fetched and a little ridiculous but I appreciated that the author didn't drag it out too long. I also felt the rival bookstores in a teeny-tiny town was also not sustainable despite the fact that they catered to different people. I do love a good book festival, so that part of the plot was appealing. The shift from enemies-to-lovers was too fast and they were never really enemies to begin with. The MMC's chapters felt very repetitive to me. We get it - you are afraid women will leave you; you are pining for the sunshiney bookstore owner across the way - ad infinitum.
I did finish this book and the spicy scenes were tasteful and not cringey, hence the 3 star rating. It was just meh and, for me, the cons outweighed the pros. I probably won't remember much about this book moving forward.

This is a cute cozy story of rival bookshop owners who end up finding love. FMC Kate is sweet, though moving into a town and opening a bookstore across the street from the town's only other bookstore is not exactly sweet behavior. MMC Sebastian is grumpiness personified and very much doesn't like the interest Kate has created within him, I didn't totally buy into their chemistry and the overall pacing of the story is a bit off, but they are overall a decent couple, even if they are both holding tight on to past trauma. I did like the letters based subpiot quite a bit.

3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

Book People had a fun concept that really appealed to me—rival bookshops, enemies-to-lovers, and a cozy small-town setting. I enjoyed the bookish theme and the forced proximity trope, but overall, the story didn’t fully click for me. I found Sebastian more irritating than endearingly grumpy, and the romance felt rushed without enough emotional buildup. There were definitely charming moments, and Kate was a likable lead, but the chemistry just wasn’t strong enough for me to fully invest. It’s a light, easy read, but not one I’d revisit. Still, a solid effort with some sweet, feel-good vibes.

Review: Book People by Jackie Ashenden

Book People is a romantic comedy that explores the age-old debate between literary and genre fiction while setting the perfect backdrop for a charming love story. Nestled in a small town, this novel skillfully weaves together delightful banter, simmering tension, and heartfelt moments that will resonate with anyone who has ever fallen in love with reading or a fellow book lover.

The story ignites when Kate and Sebastian meet at the town's vibrant literary festival. Their clever exchanges shimmer with wit and tension, and these moments of intellectual sparring gracefully evolve into a more profound connection as the tale unfolds.

Book People is an absolute treat for fans of bookish romances. Ashenden has beautifully crafted a warm and intelligent love story that celebrates the magic of how books bring people together, even those who initially appear to come from entirely different worlds.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline | Headline Eternal for generously providing a complimentary advanced copy for my honest review!

This book was an easy read, although it’s not one of my favourites so far I am interested in reading more from this author.

I have to admit I have been less likely to try new to me authors for a while now but I decided to give Jackie a go and I am glad that I did.

Our heroine moves to a small English town when she inherits a shop and she decides to open up a bookstore… directly across the road from another bookstore. Our hero is the owner of the other bookstore and to say he is unimpressed would be an understatement. With a book fair coming up they (begrudgingly) join forces to make the most of it and discover a hidden love story a long the way.

This book is enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine deliciousness set in a small town. Both main characters love books and that really shines throughout the story. They find their way together while uncovering a lost love along the way (and I was so here for that part of the story as well).

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Book People by Jackie Ashenden was such a cozy, feel-good read. I loved the small-town setting, the charming cast of characters, and, of course, all the bookish references woven throughout the story. Ashenden’s writing is warm, witty, and heartfelt, making it easy to get swept up in the romance and friendships.

There were a few parts where the pacing felt a little slow, but overall, the emotional depth and sweet moments more than made up for it. This is the perfect story for readers who love books about books — and about finding love and community in unexpected places.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this!

I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

As a book lover, I love to read a book about other book lovers. You know, feeling seen and all that jazz. Plus, they are living my dream owning bookstores! (One day I will too!!) This one also included some of my favorite tropes.

*Small Town
*Bookstore owners
*Enemies to Lovers?
*Grumpy/Sunshine

Our main MMC wasn't the most likeable to start, but you eventually get to see the sweet side of him. But that is one of my favorite things in a book is the misunderstood moody man. Deep down, was she every really his enemy though?

Overall, I enjoyed this cozy little, small town setting. This was a great palette cleanser between some of the more plot heavy books that I usually read.

Book People is an enemies/rivals to lovers, grumpy-sunshine romance.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this book at first. I almost DNF it because of the beginning.....Honestly, Kate annoyed me at first. She moves into the small village and opens up a bookstore right across the street from Sebastian's bookstore, which steals half his customers and she doesn't understand why he's annoyed/hates her. Then, he has an idea of having a book festival to help his now dying bookstore. Kate finds out about it and pretty much says he needs to include her shop or she's having a festival the same time as his and again is stealing half his customers. I would have been angry and not talking to her as well. But I'm glad I stuck with it and kept reading, because I did end up loving it at the end.

While I didn't love or get Sebastian's and Kate's chemistry in the beginning...because there wasn't any. If it wasn't for the dual POV, you would have never known they even liked each other....I did love them together towards the end. I loved the backstory of Sebastian's great grandfather writing secret love notes back a forth to a mystery woman. That's pretty much what kept me reading. To find out who the mystery woman was and by then I started to fall for Sebastian and Kate together also.

Overall, It's a super cute, cozy romance. Read if you like:
📚Rival bookshop owners
📚Enemies-to-lovers
📚Small-town setting
📚Grumpy-sunshine
📚Forced proximity
📚Dual POV

Thank you Netgalley and Headline publishing for this eArc in exchange for my honest review

I struggled to get into this one. I didnt really want to root for them to get together. She was bubbly and loved romance ooks, but was a little naive. He came across as one of those “romance aren’t serious literature” types, and even though he a lot of his actions wer due to stress and worrying about messing up a family legacy, I just couldn’t like him because of that.

I will say that I have never been a fan of Emily Henry books and this had the same kind for me feeling as them, so that might be why I struggled with it. I can’t really say that if you love Emily Henry you will like this but I feel like it would be a safe bet.

A charming story about two very different bookstore owners. You could say the bookstores reflect Kate and Sebastian’s personalities. Sebastian is far from thrilled about the new owner—everything about her irritates him, especially the attraction between them. An upcoming book event forces them to work together, and the sparks finally explode. But the past must be addressed before they can truly enjoy the present. Very engaging and enjoyable read.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley.

This book would have been a 5-star read for me had Sebastian's grumpiness spilled over into the bedroom but he went from being grumpy, standoffish and bossy in his daily life to fairly tame in bed and while the spicy scenes were there, they could have been so much better.

I thought both characters were great and I liked Kate's colour to Sebastian's black and white. I would have liked to have seen him start to work on himself and his "family curse" long before the last 5 mins of the book though. I think there was so much potential for him to learn something about himself and even reconnect with his father, especially after learning that Kate had no one left in her family to help her piece together her past.

I wanted to know why Kate's mother and grandmother stopped talking to one another but unfortunately that piece of the puzzle is never resolved which is a shame really. I think it would have been better to have had that explained rather than have the epilogue for the great-grandparents - though being a born and bred Kiwi, I loved that it was set in Piha.

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

I feel the ex is not explored and the hate between the main characters isn't there.
And also the guy coming back was meh and the story felt like it had nowhere to go from half the book, it felt like the book was made just to have the tropes, sadly I didn't connect with them
I liked the parallel story but I could see the end from a mile away so it was a little disappointing.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this book

This book had such a promising premise, and while it didn’t fully hit the mark for me, I can still see its potential. The characters, especially Sebastian, had moments that showcased depth, though his behavior sometimes felt a bit off-putting—perhaps a bit too whiny or elitist at times. That being said, I think his character had room to grow, and I can see how others might connect with his complexity.

While the chemistry between the main characters didn’t quite come through as strongly as I’d hoped, I appreciate how the story tried to build their relationship. At times, their intimate moments felt like they moved a bit too quickly, without a deep connection fully established between them, but I understand the desire to propel the narrative forward.

Overall, the story was enjoyable and had its engaging moments. While it didn’t fully resonate with me, I think there’s something here for readers who enjoy historical romance with a bit of tension and character development. It may just not have been the perfect fit for my taste.

Book People was a sweet, quiet read with a charming small-town setting and a cozy book-loving vibe. I liked the themes of self-discovery and healing, but the pacing felt slow, and the romance didn’t fully click for me. It had heart, just not quite the emotional depth I hoped for. Still, it was a pleasant escape and worth a read if you’re in the mood for something gentle.

Book People by Jackie Ashenden was a wonderful rom=com with a charming, Hallmark-esque town. This felt like I was reading the most perfect romantic comedy. I'd love to see it made into a movie. The character development was good and it had just the right amount of spice. I fell in love with these characters and loved reading about their romance and journey. Thank you to the publisher, the author, and to NetGalley for the complimentary advanced reader's copy. All opinions are my own.

Something about this book just didn’t click with me. I loved the premise, a book about books but just found the main characters very two dimensional. I really didn’t like Sebastian and found Kate to be a bit of an airhead. I really enjoyed the small back story of the great grandparents but that wasn’t enough to save it for me.

This was the perfect cozy romance dedicated to us book lovers. Thank you to the pulishers for a copy!