Unfortunately this was not the book for me. It had loads of potential and I was thrilled with an easy read, but it was not my vibe,

I got this book from NetGallery. This is my honest review.

Summary:
The book is about Jake Richards, a global best-selling author, who makes an awkward remark and upsets all his readers. Freya, an assistant literary agent, must go to a romance conference in New York with Jake to try to save his career.

My conclusion:
What a nice book! I'm a big fan of New York so that's what attracted me in the first place.
The book is written in an engaging manner, making it difficult to stop reading. I really liked the first part where they are at the conference, also because you read things about the city and you see the love grow between them. I thought they were super cute together.

I'm not a big fan of spice but there was enough in it to swoon over but it didn’t become annoying.

At some points the story is a bit predictable, like he hears her talk but that is also part of the genre. I didn't find it annoying. I thought the reason why he made that comment was well thought out.
I found it a wonderful story to dream away in. Especially if you are a fan of New York, I would recommend it.

Thank you very much for letting me read this book. I enjoyed every minute of it!

Long Story Short by Victoria Walters is a romance novel based on a book industry setting. The author gives an intriguing story of Freya Harrison, a young lady in her twenties who works as an assistant agent. She's very ambitious, and her dream is to become a successful agent herself. According to her, that possibility will happen if her strict boss trains her. Her opportunity for that promotion comes when their client Jake Richards gets into trouble that threatens to end his career. Freya is appointed as the one to save it, with a promise of a promotion if she succeeds. They have to take a trip and work together for several days, but there's a problem: this particular client has an attitude, and he intimidates her. On the trip, things go from bad to worse, and they find themselves spending more time together, both professionally and nonprofessionally. To find out what the future holds for them both in their personal and professional lives, read this book, Long Story Short, by Victoria Walters.

I was extremely captivated by the story. The plot development is great because both main characters are facing different problems in their personal life therefore not ready for any commitment, which makes the book very suspenseful. The characters are strong, with many differences, including their status, age, and, not to mention, their personalities. This has made the storyline fascinating.

I rate this book, Long Story Short by Victoria Walters, 5 out of 5 stars. I was enticed from the beginning to the end.

I recommend it to readers who are looking for spicy romance books with a book industry setting, as it was an excellent story, and they will be wholly immersed in it.

I was allowed early access to this e book through natgalley, the synopsis grabbed me and I was excited to read this title. However, I was a little put off from the start. I didn’t really get a feel for the characters, couldn’t imagine them due to lack of description, and all I had in my head was the age gap.
The plot has all the components to have been a 5 star read but I got the ick and I think that spoilt it for me.
Having been a romance fan for years I was looking forward to seeing how this author would relate the events to real life and that was done well.
Still this could be your cup of tea, don’t let my review put you off, it’s still a great read!

Thank you again to Netgalley, Boldwood books and the author for providing me with an arc copy.

Rating: ,⭐⭐💫
I had high hopes for Long Story Short, especially with its grumpy-sunshine dynamic set in New York. However, I found the characters to be one-dimensional and lacking depth, which made it difficult to connect with the story. While the premise had potential, the execution fell short for me. The writing style didn't resonate, and I struggled to stay engaged throughout. This book might appeal to fans of light, breezy romances, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Boldwood books and Victoria Walters for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Let me set the scene… A book set in London and New York locations, where the main 2 characters go around New York together visiting at the famous sights. Where the characters are book writers or part of the literacy World, with slow burn, a slight enemies to lovers romance, with some really well written spice…. I was just all in for this book.

The characters were a lot of fun, it was great seeing Freya’s journey and this story not just being about love, but a huge part of it being her career as well which made it an interesting read. Anything that came out of Jake’s mouth I was just obsessed with, and Davis turned into the bad guy who we all loved in the end after causing some delicious jealousy and drama.

If you want a quick romantic read, that will keep you smiling then I would definitely recommend.

I just finished an ARC of Long Story Short by Victoria Walters, and as a sucker for any story set in the publishing world. The plot follows Freya, an aspiring literary agent, who’s sent to New York with bestselling romance author Jake to help clean up his public image. Cue publishing-world romance, complete with a thriller-writing bad guy doing his best to sabotage things. Predictable but fun.

I absolutely churned through Long Story Short by Victoria Walters. This fun rom com is set mostly in New York and follows Freya, an aspiring literary agent, and Jake, a successful romance author. The (not-yet-a) couple are trying to rebuild Jake's reputation and are on damage control, when they fall for each other and mend his image.

I found this book fun and light, the perfect holiday read. What I didn't love was the lack of character development or chemistry between the two characters. I found the characters very surface level, but perfect if you like a grumpy / sunshine book. I also felt the ending was a little overdone, and should have maybe stopped a few pages earlier!

Overall I liked this book and would recommend it to people for a beachy read.

Thanks NetGalley for the eArc of this book.

Thank you to Victoria Walters and Boldwood Books for letting me read this ARC via NetGalley.

Genre: Romantic Comedy
📍 London + NYC
Vibes: 📚🛫🏙️🔥🗽💖🛬📝🥇
Rating: 4.25⭐️
Tropes: workplace romance / grumpy x sunshine / slow burn / forced proximity / age gap / he falls first

I thought I was in a romance novel slump where all the books started blending together but this one definitely stood out among the pile. I found myself not being able to put it down because I was completely infatuated with the connection between Freya and Jake. I also very much enjoyed (and found myself audibly cheering for) the ending where Freya stood up for herself and her career and left Hayley’s firm because she knew she deserved better.

Having a romance book be more than just a romance is where this really stood out to me and I loved that.

This is a cute summer read that flew by for me. Jake is a brooding author in his 30s with Freya being an aspiring writing agent in her 30s. Together they team up to attend a conference in NY to try and salvage Jake's reputation. Read if you enjoy grumpy/sunshine and forced proximity. I found the ending to be satisfying and enjoyed the side characters. At time the chemistry between the two characters felt a little flat but the overall still a fun read. Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood for the ARC.

Another wonderful read from this author!

Our main female character Freya desperately wants to progress her career but also is struggling with her personal relationships. After making a fool of herself in front of her favourite romance author, she learns she must travel with him to New York to save his failing career. If she is successful she may well get that promotion she deserves!
What follows is a story of getting to know one another, making silly blunders when put under pressure, realisation that everyone has a past and has feelings and ultimately discovering what they really want.

I love the progression in this book, how we get to know the characters, understand what makes them tick, what rubs them up the wrong way!

The author describes all the settings so well, the hotels, New York and all the places they visit.

I loved the way the author developed the relationships in this story, not just our main characters, but other characters we meet along the way, how working relationships change throughout. I especially liked how things ended up for Davis, and felt he was an interesting and important character.

It was great to have familiar characters rejoining the story, seeing what’s going on for them.

There’s a bit of spice, nicely written and fits well into the story.

All in all a lovely book that I found quite a quick read, especially the last third or so when I just couldn’t put it down.

I love all the literary references throughout, of course it’s about authors and agents so you expect it, but also from a readers point of view, the excitement when a new ARC lands on your device or the feel of a real life proof (what an excitement I imagine that would be!)

It’s funny, it’s cute, it’s got great characters and is an enjoyable read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood for providing me an e-arc in change for a honest review.
A cute, fun, quick and easy read… this book is focused on Freya’s pov trying to excel in her career in publishing whilst meeting her favourite author who she thought hated her until the story unfolds.
I enjoyed the fun easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Victoria Walters for providing this ARC!

Long Story Short follows Freya, an assistant with dreams of becoming a literary agent, and Jake, a brooding romance author whose offhand critique of the genre puts gets him in trouble with fans and the industry. Freya is tasked with helping rehabilitate Jake’s image during a literary conference, seizing the opportunity to prove her worth to her demanding boss.

I was intrigued by the literary conference setting, which felt fresh and fun and the ideal stage for forced proximity and allowing the characters to development. The setting had real potential to allow the characters to connect meaningfully and explore deeper emotional ground. There were some sweet and entertaining moments, and overall the writing made for a quick and light read.

However, I found myself struggling with the characterization—particularly of Freya. While she’s meant to be quirky and endearing, her constant clumsiness, inability to speak around Jake because of his good looks, and frequent accidental sexual innuendos made her come off as immature rather than relatable. It undercut her professional ambitions and made it hard to believe in her as someone who could realistically be nominated for this important task. Jake, despite being positioned as the older, more experienced counterpart, also felt emotionally immature at times. Their dynamic lacked the depth I hoped for, and their development felt surface-level, which affected the dialogue and the story conflicts.

Freya didn’t seem adequately prepared, and her internal monologue—often centered on Jake’s past comments about romance and love—felt repetitive and overly reactive. I wanted more growth, more nuance, and a stronger emotional arc for both characters.

That said, this is a cute story with an easy to read writing style and fun premise. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light-hearted rom-com book.

Just finished Long Story Short! Quick read, light romance vibes. Loved the publishing world setting, especially when the story was in NYC. Personally, the romance between Freya and Jake felt a little rushed for me, didn't quite feel the build-up. Found it hard to fully connect with either character, so the relationship didn't totally grab me

2.5 stars that I’m rounding up to a 3

This book was not for me. It started out really sweet and the plot description was interesting (I love when the main characters of romance novels are actually romance authors themselves), but it didn’t live up to it. I enjoy an age gap romance, but I don’t like when it has to be told to me over and over and over again. They’re both incredibly immature, Freya reads more like she’s 19 than 25 years old, and Jake comes off less grumpy and more rude and someone I didn’t really care for at all.

I also thought the spicy scenes read like they were meant to be in a completely different book, they didn’t fit the tone of the rest of the book at all so it felt really disjointed.

🗽❤️✍️ Long Story Short by Victoria Walters ✍️❤️🗽
Genre: Romance
Length: 322 pages
Spice Level: 🌶🌶
Pub Date: May 19, 2025
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (rounded up)

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the e-ARC of this novel. The opinions stated here are solely my own.

Summary (copied from NetGalley):
Can Freya fix Jake’s reputation without losing her heart? Assistant literary agent Freya Harrison never thought her chance at a big break would look like this: at a swanky romance conference in New York, managing the agency’s most insufferable client.

Sure, Jake Richards is a global best-selling author, adored by all his fans. But on meeting him, Freya finds him arrogant, condescending, and, worst of all, a complete phony.

After being overheard calling romance ‘easy money’ and his readers ‘fools’, Jake’s reputation is tanking. And it’s Freya’s job to clean up the mess – and maybe, finally prove her worth to her boss. But with Jake one slip away from another PR disaster, doubts are starting to set in. Can she survive this week without losing her mind – or her heart?

Opinion:
I enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine, age gap, and workplace romance tropes in this story. It was a very quick read and I always enjoy a plot that includes writers vs. publishers. I liked that at first, Freya was kind of lacking in self-confidence about her abilities in the publishing business, but Jake was able to help her see how talented she was. This story also builds firmly on the opposites attract trope. The NYC setting was also very enjoyable as Jake and Freya built their relationship through exploring the city. All in all an enjoyable romance and it held my attention. My only real critique was that sometimes the conversations between the two MCs felt a little repetitive. Would recommend for a light, fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced reader copy.

When Assistant Literary Agent, Freya, is given the chance to audition for the role of fulltime literary agent, she's thrilled...until she hears what she has to do. She needs to travel with disgraced romance novelist Jake Richards, who was overheard saying terrible things about romance books and romance readers, to one of the big conferences and help him win his readers back (and get another book contract). But Freya doesn't believe the apology Jake gave and they've already had a few negative run-ins. But helping Jake means she'll get her dream job and maybe he won't turn out to be so terrible.

LONG STORY SHORT was a solid romance novel, though there wasn't anything that really pulled me in. I probably would've DNF'd if I didn't need to review. Both Freya and Jake are perfectly fine characters and the set up of the story was cleanly executed, but there just wasn't anything that sparkled here, for me.

Long Story Short is the story of a romance author who has reached a point in his career where he's feeling particularly skeptical and a little cynical about love, and a girl who works in publishing who loves his novels and is a romantic at heart. These are are brought together on a mission to clean up the author's image after some damaging remarks, and they travel on a publicity campaign.

In reality, this book is a nice and easy break. It's a nice palate cleanser for when you're looking for a quick and easy romance.

The writing style wasn't necessarily for me, it lacked really any visualization or true storytelling, so it felt a little flat.
I would have loved it a little more if the author was able to show us what was happening and what was being felt, instead of just downright telling us. I wasn't really able to connect much, so ultimately it felt a little bit forgettable.

This book I did enjoy, it was definitely lacking a few things for me. I think definitely a longer timeline to really build the characters and the relationship more time to just really develop and see that on the pages, maybe 6-8 weeks. It definitely reminded me of similar books I enjoyed reading so I requested this book. I definitely felt it was lacking but it was not the worst.

When famous author, Jake Richards, becomes scandalized in the romance book community, assistant agent, Freya Harrison, has a chance to not only boost Jake's poor reputation but gain a real shot at solidifying her career in the literary world. With the world's top tier book conference around the corner and her job on the line, they both have goals for this trip to New York City - falling in love just wasn't one of them.

On paper, all the pieces were there for me to give this one an easy five stars. Unfortunately, the one-dimensional storyline and frustrating main character personalities left me with more to be desired. As Jake states in the book "writing romance is hard," so I empathize with the idea that not every romcom is going to be my cup of tea. What I wish to have read was a more nuanced representation of the age-ole trope of "young, clumsy, cute girl who wears quirky clothes meets older, more mature dude." I'm not against it, but her barrage of quirky outfits, the pencil that falls out of her backpack (IYKYK), getting caught loudly oversharing her conversations, letting people in a professional setting get under her skin, and (most notably) trying to "solve" Jake as though she knew him as a person (and not just a fan of his books) was all too much for me. I know she was likely written to "not be like the other girls," but I expected a bit more maturity given how much she wanted to grow her career (at least knowing how to play the game while in professional settings).

Many thanks to Boldwood Books, NetGalley, and Victoria Walters for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.