3.5

I'm a sucker for a good "opposites attract" story, and the idea of a sunshine librarian and a grumpy ex-cop solving a dating app scam sounded like exactly my kind of read. While it was a quick, breezy book, it just didn't quite grab me. The characters were fun and the plot was light, but it felt like something was missing. The pace was a little slow, and I just didn't feel that spark between the two of them. It was fine, but it wasn't one of those books I'll be thinking about long after I'm done.

Dnf’d, I think I love the concept of the book but I just couldn’t get into it and didn’t want to force it but am definitely open to getting this book later on when the vibe is right and trying again

An enjoyable Oxford-set romance with a touch of mystery, though I wanted a little more emotional depth.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for offering me an ARC of this book!

Coy, romantic, funny and charming are the words I can find to describe this book. It was a fun book to end my summer reading list with and one I will be adding to my physical shelf!

I loved the characters, their banter and especially the friends. I just felt the end fell flat. It was too rushed for my taste. 2.5 stars

Read Between the Lines is a cosy Oxford‑set rom‑com with a dash of mystery, where librarian Kat meets grumpy ex‑detective Leo. Warm, atmospheric, and easy to read—perfect for slipping into your beach bag.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I had such a good time with this book. It’s charming, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt. The characters felt authentic, complete with quirks and rough edges that made them easy to root for. I loved watching their connection build in a way that felt believable and unhurried. The mix of humour and tender moments gave the story a really nice rhythm.

Although a few plot points were a little easy to guess, and the pace slowed in spots, overall it kept me engaged and left me really satisfied by the end.

This book was so cute! I love books about books and this one is one of my new favorites! The romance was so cute!

I hate DNFing an ARC, but I just couldn't get myself to finish this sadly. I am a sucker for any sort of bookish FMC, so a story with a librarian was right up my alley. I just did not find myself connected to the characters and found myself trying to skim pages....

This was a perfect sweet romance that I enjoyed thoroughly!

I love books set in English places like this one is set in Oxford. The writing is good and it’s meant Emily Kerr has become an author on my radar when I’m looking for a sweet rom com!

Kat is a well written fmc, a sweet sunshine librarian who is the type to fall easily. She is online dating and things start to appear wrong, Things happen and she teams up with ex policeman Leo in order to do some investigating of their own. It’s kind of a forced proximity grumpy x sunshine story.

I would have loved to have seen more between the characters as I felt there could have been more between them and more heat, but it is a sweet read nonetheless!

3 stars ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for offering me an ARC of this novel!

- plot 3 stars ⭐️
I really liked the concept of this and the slight mystery that ran through the story, giving it an edge over your typical romance! However, I felt like in some ways the focus shifted to be far too heavy on the investigation around the scammer and took away from the development of the leads and the romance itself, therefore making it less enjoyable in regards of the genre and the expectations!
Also, I can’t say I loved the typical “he has a friend who is a woman he must be dating her” and miscommunication between these two. In my opinion, Kat’s random outburst was also exactly that: random, in the sense that I didn’t feel as though it conveyed much feeling. In some ways, this book felt like a script for a movie with the right humour and events but it missed the depth a novel should offer (in my opinion).

- writing style 3 stars ⭐️
It was typically British, which I find suited the setting (because Oxford, duh) and I always like seeing actual British habits and turns of phrases turn up in stories set in the UK. However, I do feel this story leaned too heavily on the dialogue. A lot of the action, exposition and planning was done through it, which made the dialogue feel bulky and unrealistic. There were also a lot of instances where “show, don’t tell” could have been applied, see: “he said, exuding confidence” “I said, feeling …”.

- character building/development 2 stars ⭐️
this was honestly a little bit of a let down :( I loved Kat as a librarian and her interactions with the people that visited the library, but felt that aside from this she didn’t have much to go about her. The same for Leo. If I’m not mistaken, we don’t really get into the details of the exact incident that caused him to lose faith in his work, and I feel like this could’ve told us so much about him. Even in his case, it felt as though that was his only story, though.
With Kat, it felt like her only motivation and personality quirks were that she was a librarian and that she wanted Brian the scammer to be unveiled.

- setting and vibes (visual) 3.5 stars ⭐️
I loved the unique setting of Oxford and the many places we were able to visit in the city!

- enjoyment 3.5 stars ⭐️
Overall, this was an enjoyable read but there were also quite a few points that had me thinking a little too much throughout the story, instead of being swept up in the romance and the mystery.

I really enjoyed this one it’s warm, funny, and heartfelt all at once. The characters felt genuine, with flaws and quirks that made them easy to connect with, and I loved how their relationship unfolded naturally rather than feeling forced. The humor and light moments balanced the emotional parts nicely, making it a fun and engaging read.

A few parts were a little predictable, and the pacing slowed here and there, but I still found myself invested in the story from start to finish.

For me, it’s a solid 3.75 stars really enjoyable read.

Kat works in a library, having exhausted normal dat8ng apps she decides to sign up to so Ox. Can she find love or just fraudsters??
Leo is ex CID and looking to start a business so is spending a lot of time in the business section. They bump heads instantly. Can he help with her love problems, can she help him starting a business.
This was a great read start to finish. And I just adored Doris character.

Kat is a librarian in a cozy Oxford community library, a lover of romance and dreams of happily ever after. Leo is a gruff ex-cop looking for what to do next. Every time he's at her library, he's leaving things lying around and just being annoying in general. They're total opposites, but somehow romance blossoms.
I liked the Oxford setting, the descriptions made me want to visit this small town cozy library myself. There was a little bit of mystery, slow burn closed door romance, and a HEA. But the story itself was underwhelming. I think maybe it was the writing style for me. Every feeling is explained rather than shown and from Kat's perspective, so to me it fell a bit flat. The slow burn just felt dragged on and a bit boring to me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own..

This was such a lovely cosy romance to read and i fell in love with Kat and Leo while reading it. I loved watching their romance develop and at times when clearly they werent seeing how the other felt i just wanted to bang their heads together. I actually really enjoyed trying to figure out who the scammer was alongside them, it was a really fun element to the story and watching them work together made me smile. Its a really well written story and i Loved Emily Kerr's writing style so i defiantly want to read more books from her.

If you love bookish, cozy romances, this Oxford-set story is a total win. Kat is a lovable romantic stuck in her own literary daydreams, and Leo’s gruff, slightly messy vibe is the perfect match to shake things up.

Their library banter and slow-burn chemistry made me smile nonstop. It’s sweet, funny, and all about finding love where you least expect it—sometimes you just have to read between the lines. Definitely a charming, feel-good read!

this was so much fun. i love a good detective book, and i really enjoyed the hunorous rendition of that. it was quite obvious that these 2 were falling for each other during their adventures. however, it was also obvious how the story turned out. nevertheless, i had a great time and even stayed up too late just trying to finish it.

thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

Pre thoughts
- Library romance

Stars 4/5

overall
- This was a cute romcom read.
- The chemistry between the FMC and the MMC was impeccable.
- Had a great amount of twists and turns.
- It was quite nice this book included contemporary problems.

I would recommend if you enjoy a cozy read. I will also be getting a physical copy when this publishes.

Tropes
- Slow burn
- Forced proximity
- Library setting
- Cozy vibes
- Strong FMC

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Uk for the opportunity to review this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A light and cozy read. Easy to digest, great characters that were lacking a bit of depth. Overall, a cute novel that isn’t going to be too hard on the brain.