It’s a romance between rival bookstore owners -why wouldn’t I pick this up?

Kate loves her cute romance novels, high stakes fantasy adventures and page-turning thrillers, so it’s no surprise that when she opens a genre fiction bookstore in the town where her mother was born and raised, she does a good trade. Especially as the other bookstore in town only reads and stocks prize winning literature and its owner Sebastian is apparently as serious as his shop, which has been in his family for generations. When the two end up working on the local literary festival together, sparks and tempers fly.

Sebastian is your typical Byronic hero -tall, dark, scowling but kind hearted. Kate is blonde, girly and bubbly. So, they’re both very much cookie-cutter protagonists of a rom-com and neither of them really deviate from this at all, which is fine for a light-hearted palate cleanser. One thing that did annoy me is that the history of the men that Sebastian descends from is told to us repeatedly and by the third time, I found myself wondering why I was being told again. I know that further editing would have taken care of this and as I was reading an ARC, I’ll hope that was picked up in the final version.

Of course, there is plenty of conversation about books and what reading means to each of them. Sebastian is pretty pompous and that arrogance never really went away, even when I was seeing him through Kate’s eyes. There’s something about declaring books your ‘legacy’ despite not producing any of them yourself that sat a bit oddly with me. It probably does fit someone who is obsessed with the highest and mightiest literary names but there were points where I wasn’t sure that Sebastian really was that. For example, he actually loves sci-fi and not even the complex kind, so he perhaps doesn’t take himself quite as seriously as he’d like everyone to believe.

There is plenty of spice for those that love it but I didn’t think it was overdone, so it was actually a great level for me. I did like Kate and Sebastian together and could see how they brought out the best in each other. A lot of minor plot points were extremely 'convenient’ but it’s the kind of book that basically is fantasy without the magic and dragons everywhere.

Book People is a cosy, small town tale that romance readers will love. I never worried about these characters shocking me or having any kind of deep dark secrets, which made for very comforting reading. Fans of the Dream Harbor series will really like this.

Cute & Cozy! Reminded me of Bookworm by Cookie O' Gorman. Fully enjoyed Kate & Sebastian's interactions; wish I could live in their bookstores.

Book People swept me away with its cozy charm and bookshop romance magic. Kate and Sebastian’s rivalry-turned-romance is full of witty banter, community warmth, and the kind of chemistry that had me cheering through every page. Jackie Ashenden perfectly balances humor, heart, and just enough spice—this are-you-kidding-me first kiss had me grinning ear to ear. Bonus points for the literary love-letter vibe that honors all reading tastes. A delight for readers who adore enemies-to-lovers, bookish vibes, and small-town feels.

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC.
I really loved this book, it has witty banter, it's full of cosiness and who doesn't love a grumpy sunshine book. I really liked the little glimpses old love letters and it was just a quick cosy read.

Book People is a cosy grumpy sunshine romance set in an English village, with the main characters being rival book owners. It's got books, it's got letters, it's got a long lost love story and sizzling chemistry between it's main characters... there is so much to love about this book!

Kate and Sebastian are polar opposites - Sebastian runs a very prim and proper bookshop, only stocking the most well regarded traditional literary works. Kate throws a spanner in the works when she turns up in the small village of Wychtree and opens a bookshop named 'Portable Magic' across the road from his, focusing on more accessible reading material with popular genre fiction ranging from Romance to Cosy Crime. When Sebastian's customers start to gravitate towards Kate's more inviting shop, he isn't best pleased - you can imagine how things play out from there...

I adored the cosiness of this book - it had all the cosy vibes without being cringey or contrived, but also had the perfect balance of spice too. It's a wonderful combination. The setting was perfect, the idea of the book festival they end up having to organise together just adds to the lovely cosy vibes, and then the sizzling tension between the pair perfectly steps up the heat.

We also get a glimpse into the past of a long lost romance from letters written by Sebastian's grandfather and this plays out beautifully.

My only irk with this book was the typical 'third act break up', if you can call it that. I did get a little tired of both character's inner thoughts, repeatedly questioning what they wanted/didn't want as it did get a little repetitive. However, I can let that slide because the rest of the book was a thoroughly enjoyable ride.

It’s got witty banter, hidden love letters, and just enough spice to keep things interesting without losing the cozy vibe. Basically, if you’ve ever dreamed about finding romance between the stacks, this one delivers.

Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. I wasn’t a big fan of either of our main characters. The book festival plot was entertaining and cute but that’s about all that stuck out to me

While the premise sounded great (which book lover doesn't love books about book people?), the execution lacked severely. The problem mainly lies with the male main character, Sebastian. From the first time he is introduced, he is rude and snobbish. You might put this off to the author trying to establish the enemies-to-lovers situation that is promised to readers, but in actuality just falls flat as he is a complete dick (excuse my language). This man is incredibly misogynistic, yet puts it off as just 'not liking her' in the beginning. He makes fun of (internally!) her looks, her clothes (comparing her to Barbie, but in a bad way), her business. Yet he is attracted to her, which causes him to take her even less seriously. Worst, when she is nice to and smiles at a (male) customer, he gets even angrier, having an internal monologue of "why doesn't she smile at me like that? When's the last time a woman has smiled at me? Has one ever?" It's giving incel. Also he was a complete book snob, even though he kept insisting he wasn't. Unfortunately this man was a complete and total turn off, causing me to dnf at 20%. No amount of groveling later on could make up for his major character flaws in my opinion.
2 stars just because Kate seemed nice enough (but also dumb, like seriously who opens a bookstore across from another bookstore and thinks that's ok? And thinks it won't take business away from the other store? Sigh....)

I think this book had a great premise but sadly for me it fell a little flat. I immediately got the ick from the MMC Sebastian and I felt like he was whiny and elitist. I also didn't really feel the connection between these two and I felt like their intimate relationship moved really fast despite not having much of a relationship in between their intimate moments.

I really loved the concept of this story and had to give it a try. I’m so glad that I did. I loved the setting, the conflict of competing book stores, the instant connection, the mystery behind their relatives. It was a fun read!

Cute little story. I’m not a huge enemies to lovers girlie, but this was still fun. I would def. Pick up more books from this author in the future.

A charming, bookish romance with heart and humour 📚💞. Book People is a love story for anyone who has ever found comfort between the pages of a novel. Jackie Ashenden’s writing is warm, witty, and filled with lovable characters you’ll want to befriend. The chemistry between the leads is undeniable, but what I appreciated most was the focus on community, self-discovery, and the magic of books bringing people together. It’s sweet, funny, and gives you all those cosy, feel-good vibes. The perfect escape for book lovers everywhere—prepare to fall in love!

Rival bookshop owners that go from enemies-to-lovers. The usual set in a small cosy town. What’s not to love, very easy and quick read.

Kate and Sebastian own bookstores in a small town, with different outlooks and business plans. They decide to pair up for a bookish event and must deal with the confusing feelings they have toward each other. Sebastian finds letters that people from the past in their town wrote to each other, that have some similarity to their relationship. Will history repeat itself? Can Sebastian move on from his family's history and stop being a commitment-phobe?

I struggled a bit with the pacing of this book. Some crucial information comes very late in the game and ends up only being lightly addressed because of it. I would have liked to see this portion expanded so the reader, along with the characters, were allowed time to process. Sebastian was also kind of a hard sell for me and I would have liked to see him have a bit more growth.

Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

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).