Unfortunately this book wasn't my cup of tea.
______________________________
I received an arc for this book without requesting it, but it does sound very interesting.

Some of the tropes in this book that are included, and making me curious about Long Story Short are:

-Enemies to lovers
-Grumpy x sunshine
-Forced proximity
-Slow burn
-He falls first
-Reputation redemption

This was a fun, lighthearted romance. A nice light summer read. I took me a bit to get into, I had a hard time buying into the instant attraction between the two main characters, it seemed too easy. But I enjoyed the dynamic of the two characters after they came together. I was also content with the ending. An easy read, I enjoyed it.

This book fell a little flat for me! I was very excited when I got the approval but it wasn't exactly what I expected. I think I just didn't fall in love with the main couple.

ARC review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 4/5 stars
🌶🌶🌶 - spice

Long Story Short is a story about Freya and Jake who are a literary agent and a romance author respectively. Jake is a client of the agency that Freya works for. His writing career is in danger because of his dismissal of writing and enjoying romance. Freya has five days at a conference in new York to help him. But what happens in new York will stay in New York or will it continue back home?

I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it. It's cute, realistic as well as romantic! I love Freya's character development throughout the book. I loved that even though it has a third act break up, it didn't end up feeling like every other romance book. Freya actually has been given some character, individuality, and honesty. It's actually refreshing!! Book is going to be out on 19th May! So excited for this one.

I really wanted to love this one and I was very thrilled to read it, but honestly? It fell kinda flat for me. The idea had potential, but the execution just didn’t hit. I’m all for a grumpy/sunshine vibe and a good age gap when done right, but this one felt forced, rushed, and honestly, kinda immature for the characters’ supposed ages.

Jake came off so rude, especially in the beginning. And Freya was giving clueless and cringey energy, speaking personal things loudly as if no one would hear her speaking was very icky for me. It was hard to take her seriously, especially in a professional setting.

The biggest issue was their relationship overall that didn’t feel real. They barely had time to connect, didn’t feel like they bonded on a deeper level and honestly I had no idea what they even saw on each other. His “big secret” as to why he hated romance was a bit childish for me for a man his age and her pushiness for everyone to know his business was annoying. They’re written as falling for each other, but I didn’t feel the chemistry or see those deep convos that make a romance believable. Felt like they didn’t even knew each other.

Overall, it had a cute concept and some solid moments / side plots, but the main couple just didn’t work for me.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was an easy, trope-filled read with some fun moments. I enjoyed the grumpy-sunshine dynamic and the slow-burn romance, but I didn’t fully connect with the characters. Jake’s redemption felt a bit rushed, and the chemistry didn’t always land. A decent read, just not a standout for me.

I just loved everything about this book. It had some great tropes in it.

Love the New York setting. I though Jake was a swoon worthy sexy author. He and Freya went so great together. It was just a perfect book for me and the best book I've ever read just loved it so much,
Can't wait to read Victoria's next book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance reader copy of this book. I enjoyed the premise of a want to be literary agent attending a conference with a struggling author to try and restart his career after a fateful flub. I enjoyed the slow burn romance and the NYC backdrop, especially as a NY native, it’s fun to see familiar places in books. However this book was a little flat for me- the characters lacked the depth which would have made this one a winner. Everything seemed surface level and the FMC Freya was urging the MMC Jake to be honest, yet even her statements were holding back. I know that the slow burn is part of the premise of the book but it made it frustrating to read that both characters lacked communication when she was preaching to him so frequently that he needed to honestly and openly communicate! I’m giving this one 3/5 stars and would love it to be rewritten with more depth, which I think I’d really enjoy.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute, fun book. I enjoyed it a lot!

Freya has had her big break getting to go to a romance conference in New York to look after one of her publishing house’s top clients. The only problem is, the client is arrogant, condescending and has practically ruined his career when he came out and said he doesn’t believe in romance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Freya’s job is to turn the public opinion around over the weekend by having Jake be on his best behaviour. And if she can do that, her boss has promised she will be able to take on clients of her own. But will Freya be able to clean up the mess Jake has already made and save both of their careers.

I really liked the concept of this book, I liked the sub plot with Jake’s career a lot and at times more than the actual romance. But I did also like how the whole book is build in the romance world too.

Thank you Victoria Walters, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Long Story Short is out now and it’s definitely worth a read if you’re a romance fan!

In the book we see literary agent Freya finally given a chance to prove herself at a big romance conference in New York, the only catch is she has to manage one of her agency's big romance writing clients Jake Richards. Jake is arrogant, condescending and currently trying to fix his reputation after being I've heard saying writing romance for "fools is easy money"

As you can imagine, due to Freya being a true can of the genre they don't get off to the best start but after spending some time together and seeing cracks in Jake's exterior they find working together harder but for very different reasons!

This enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, workplace romance published on the 19th of May and I think it would be a fab summer read! (However I must say I'm not sure about the age gap between Freya and Jake... Not sure it's my thing?! Happy for discussions around this though!?)

Long Story Short was a charming romance between Freya, a literary agent, and Nick, an older bestselling author. Victoria Walters is a new to me author, and I’d love to read more of her books in the future

#LongStoryShort #NetGalley
Publication date- May 19, 2025

First of all I would like to say thank to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy reading this book as a quick easy read but it wouldn’t be in my top books I have read this year. I think the characters needed more depth to them as I just wasn’t gripped by either character. It was a a good story and setting but personally for me I just needed a bit more.

I loved this story. The fact that this was about an editor and publishing company was so perfect. I also enjoyed how the book was about standing up to what you think is right and listening to your gut. The relationship between Freya and Jake was perfect. I love how it was an enemy to lovers as well as her already looking up to him until some things came out in the media. Honestly great love story as well as empowering yourself.

I enjoyed this cute romance! Freya was outspoken and feisty, which is exactly what Jake needed. I liked how she spoke up for herself, even when it was difficult. I also liked that she got what she was looking for, both in her personal life and her career, all because she stayed true to herself. Jake was frustrating at times, but he was also going through some pretty tough stuff, so I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. Overall, it was a quicky and fun read.

“Ours is the best love story I’ve ever read”

I’m a huge fan of Victoria’s books so when I got an early copy of her new book ‘Long Story Short’ I couldn’t wait to read it.

Freya is an assistant to a literary agent and she wants to become an agent herself so when she has the opportunity to go to a romance convention in New York she grabs it with both hands. Only one problem she needs to help grumpy author Jake with his tarnished reputation at the convention because of something he said.

I flew through this story which I’m not surprised about as I always enjoy Victoria’s books so much. I of course loved the setting of New York a place I’d love to visit. I would have also loved the romance convention as I love romance books so much.

I loved the dynamic between Freya and Jake. He’s so grumpy in the beginning. But that just made me root for them more. I also loved the character development for both Freya and Jake.

I can’t wait to read more of Victoria’s books in future! I recommend you grab a copy of ‘Long Story Short’ it’s full of chemistry and love, also who doesn’t love a book about the literary world! 🩷

Thank you to Boldwood books for an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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.