Such a cute story. This book was a great beach read.

Freya wants to be literary agent, and as an assistant, hopes she will soon be given the chance to prove herself. One of their best authors Jake Richards has been reported to have made a comment against romance books and Freya is charged with going to a romance conference to help repair his reputation, especially with his new book ready to publish. Freya is dreading it but soon finds that Jake isn’t who she thought he was.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house Boldwood Books and the author Victoria Walters for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book, I really could not put it down and could just have sat reading from start to finish.

I really liked Jake and Freya who are the main characters - well I have to say I grew to like Jake.

This is such a cutesy romance read with all the great tropes (see below for the list). I recommend to all romance readers and the bonus is it’s a book about books!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 /5

I always find solace in romance books, and this one was no exception. The story begins with Freya, a dedicated literary agent assistant and long-time fan of romance novels, who is sent on a mission to manage Jake, a grumpy, brooding author who has publicly disrespected the genre. Their professional partnership begins with tension but slowly evolves into something deeper as they attend a high-profile publishing conference together.

Set against the backdrop of the publishing world, this book offers glimpses into the hardships authors, agents, and publishers face before a book reaches its readers like pressure, criticism, and passion that fuel the literary world, adding depth and authenticity to the narrative. Characters are written with just the right amount of emotional depth, making the story more engaging and meaningful.

I especially loved the swoony, tender moments between Freya and Jake, which balanced the tension with warmth and vulnerability.

This book is perfect for anyone who enjoys enemies-to-lovers romances, stories set in the book industry, or heartfelt love stories.

Thanks to netgalley & the publisher boldwood books for this eARC. I loved the tropes in this novel, grumpy sunshine, age gap, forced proximity and workplace romance. I laughed so much. I did feel like some of the vibes were a bit cheesy. I didn't mind. I wouldn't mind anything less out of a grumpy x sunshine. Long Story Short is about a cancelled author (MMC) who teams up with a literary agent (FMC)- after a large PR break. Give Long Story Short a read.

Loved this rom com set in New York - a perfect summer read! A grumpy author and a cute agent assistant have to work together at a romance book conference. Their chemistry was just perfect and the ending so romantic, I closed the book with a huge smile on my face!

I love romance books set within the publishing industry. I also love books-within-books plots. To make a LONG STORY SHORT, I just didn't like this one as much as I thought I would.

Freya was unnerving at times while Jake spent most of his scenes apologizing to ... everyone.

The first 30 percent of the book was fine, but I lost interest once they got together just before the 50 percent mark.

I thought it was a nice twist to have a male romance author as the love interest, but I found him and Freya to not have enough sizzle outside of the bedroom.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an e-copy of LONG STORY SHORT to read.

I rate LONG STORY SHORT three out of five stars.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
A heartfelt and witty journey that kept me hooked!
Victoria Walters’ Long Story Short is a delightful blend of humor, romance, and emotional depth. The characters are relatable and well-drawn, and the story balances laughs with real-life challenges perfectly. I was charmed from start to finish and couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend for fans of feel-good contemporary fiction!

Long Story Short is a joyfully breezy read—heartfelt, witty, and perfect for fans of warm, romantic comedies. It thrives on its charm, electric banter, and well-rendered grumpy–sunshine dynamic. If you're in the mood for a fun, emotional uplift set in New York’s literary world, you’ll likely adore it.

Long Story Short by Victoria Walters.
So far, this was a good read. I'm listening to it on ku. I struggled to read it, but with the listening, I am enjoying it more. I loved the cover and blurb of this book. I did struggle to get into the story, but I do find listening to it. i am enjoying it more. Loved Freya character. Jake grew on me. So did Davis character. I really didn't like Hayley at all. I did like Simon. I did like the ending.

what a lovely romance. my favorite thing in the whole world is when someone in the bookish business falls in love, that just sounds like the DREAM to me. a hot grumpy man who turns out to be very romantic is definitely the best type of book boyfriend. i wish real life was as fun as this book

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

Great read. First time reading this author and this book had some of my favourite tropes. Writing kept me engaged with the right amount of humour and heart. Recommend reading.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. It was too overly descriptive and that made the writing feel stilted. There didn’t feel like there was any real chemistry between the characters and it felt repetitive at times.

Honestly, this was not a great read for me. I made it through the majority before giving up which is why I’m providing feedback here, but I will not be posting a public review.

Personally I struggled with the first person writing. It felt stilted and was too descriptive at times.

I probably would not recommend this to others.

Maybe an unpopular opinion based on looking at other reviews post read but I really enjoyed this book! While it was a quick romance read I appreciated the characters and the quite different setting of a literary convention. I wouldn't hesitate to read other books from this author

It was a nice quick read to get me out of the slump
Easy read and pleasant enough for a weekend escape. but too predictable and surface-level to leave a lasting impression. That said, fans of trope-driven romances may still find its familiar beats comforting and enjoyable.

This book wasn't for me. I found it to be slow-paced and a little boring, but the writing wasn't bad at all.

I have slightly mixed feelings about this one! I liked Freya and the premise of the story, and although it was mostly enjoyable, in some ways, it fell a bit short and a little bit predictable at times. I like Freya and Jake but felt there could have been more build up and tension between them, and for me, it wasn't particularly spice (though i do like my books super spicy!)
I'm sure plenty of people would enjoy this it's a good easy read on a sunny afternoon, but l wasn't blown away by it!

This first person dual POV story touches on social media influence on amplifying something that may not be a big deal otherwise.
Grumpy sunshine trope present in a book about bookish people. I felt it just missed a bit on developing more on the drama surrounding them and it's resolution, as is, it's a few chapters long.
The characters' story itself was satisfying and this book is a quick read. If you are a fan of romance authors and their dramas, this is your book.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

I will repeat what I have said in previous reviews, it was an ARC for Victoria Walters that got me hooked on her books and the plot with books, publishing, authors and romances is a sure way to keep me reading throughout.

An aspiring agent meets one of the best selling romance authors in the elevator and being true to herself did not win her points at first, but slowly helps them turn things around. I believe that being authentic will earn trust and respect of the people who really appreciate you, and I get her!

I thought we were near a happy ending when these 2 got together at the conference (which I definitely saw coming) but we were not even near the middle of the story! No spoilers, but I am glad true to the spirit of the story, it's the process of how they found love in the end and not all romances are the same!

Long Story Short by Victoria Walters is a cute read that sends aspiring literary agent Freya and scandal ridden, once popular romance writer Jake to a Romance convention with the hopes of cleaning up his reputation. I thought there were some very sweet moments in the book, as well as some hilarious bits. That being said, I found a lot of the situations that the characters were put in to be a bit unbelievable. Overall, the idea for the story had a lot of potential, but I think there were so many disparate ideas for plot points that weren't tied together in the best way. Ironically, I feel like this could have used a bit more editing and focus. Additionally, the title "Long Story Short" doesn't really make sense to me. Is it just a ploy to grab a few Swifties with it? I honestly couldn't tell you *why* it was called that. Did I enjoy reading it? Yes. It was slow in areas, but it was still cute. Is it a top tier romance? not really, unfortunately. If you have a few hours to kill and want a cute story, though, it definitely hits. 3.75*

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.