This book offers a breezy, heartwarming escape, filled with witty banter, endearing mishaps, and just enough chemistry to keep the pages turning. The love interest is suitably charming, with enough depth to make their dynamic engaging, even if some of their conflicts feel a bit predictable.

While the book excels in humor and sweet moments, the protagonist’s personal growth occasionally takes a backseat to the romantic plot. A deeper exploration of their emotional journey could have added more weight to their happily-ever-after.

That said, the supporting cast adds plenty of fun, and the romantic tension is well-paced, making it easy to root for the central couple. The writing is light and engaging, perfect for readers looking for a feel-good story with a few laughs along the way. If you don’t mind a little predictability and enjoy banter-filled romance, this book is a charming pick—just don’t expect too much introspection between the meet-cutes and grand gestures.

That was not good.
This story has so much potential and the premise sounded beguiling. I loved the setting. However, the execution was not on par with expectations. The MMC was rude, misogynistic and plainly annoying. The writing left much to be desired as well.

2.5 out of 5 stars.

Sadly this book didn't turn out the way I hoped it would. When I saw the tropes I got so excited and was certain I was going to enjoy it, but unfortunately that wasn't the case

Victoria Walters' Long Story Short is a delightful and heartwarming read that seamlessly blends romance, friendship, and self-discovery. Set in the charming town of Littlewood, the story follows a cast of endearing characters whose lives intertwine in meaningful and unexpected ways. Walters has a gift for creating cozy and uplifting narratives that touch on deeper themes of resilience, love, and the importance of community. The book’s lighthearted yet emotional tone makes it a comforting escape, perfect for fans of uplifting contemporary fiction. Whether you're in the mood for a feel-good story or seeking a gentle reminder of life's little joys, Long Story Short will leave you with a smile.

So Freya has to try and help Jake rebuild his career and the trust of the romance readers.
He was heard saying they were fools for reading romance and for believing in happy ever afters.
I love HEA but always wondered why as you know what is going to happen.
But I actually read it in this book and it’s not necessarily about the HEA it’s the journey it takes to get there that people love reading. And that is so true. The journey is different everytime. This books was so good and so well written. The author is now on my go to list.
Highly recommend

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced release copy of this book. I really enjoyed this story even though at times it seemed a little repetitive.

Freya is a single woman living in London, hopeless romantic and working towards her dream job to be a literary agent. Jake Richards is a bestselling romance author struggling to trust if HEA is even a possibility anymore. A forced proximity storyline has them exploring New York City together while also attempting to save Jake’s career at a romance writers conference.

While I enjoyed the behind the scenes peek into the publishing world and loved to explore NYC through Freya and Jake’s POV, the story fell a little flat for me. Some of the writing was tricky to follow and miscommunication between main characters frustrates me more than it entertains.

This was a quick read with a guaranteed HEA and some armchair traveling! If you’re looking for something fun and easy this might be good read for you.

at least it's a quick read. i guess.

i like my men grumpy. sure. i don't like them misogynistic. if a man tells me to calm down, i'm puking on his shoes and he'll just have to deal with it.

I’ve never read from this author but this book was so good! It was perfectly executed with love, emotion, character depth and life lessons. It was swoony and fun! I enjoyed getting to know the characters and live their lives alongside them!

Long Story Short is the story of Freya, an assistant to a hot shot literary agent, and a moody romance author, Jake, who had recently had been overheard talking shit about writing romance novels, and the fans that he makes money off of.

The timing couldn’t be worse. An article went out before a major romance book conference that is make it or break it for both Freya and Jake. Oh, and by the way, Freya has been a huge fan of Jake Richards for years. His books inspired her career, her love of happy endings, and her dreams of finding that big, life-altering love.

Long Story Short may be another “enemies to lovers” trope romance novel, but it hits different. I found Long Story Short to be quite addicting. The journey is detailed, it’s complicated, and full of growth. Our main characters are funny and likable. The story doesn’t just focus on the romance brewing between the main characters, it has depth. Freya explores her next chapter in her career. She explores the world (well, NYC during the free hours she isn’t at the conference). She finds her voice. It was refreshing to see the female main character’s career be an important part of the storyline, especially in a romance novel. Love isn’t the “be all end all” here but it’s a great part of Freya’s story.

Long Story Short does more than tell a love story between our main characters, it’s a love story to one’s self. Long Story Short tells the story of Freya and Jake finding themselves in life, in their careers, before they can fully find each other.

“Making a book easy to read is damn hard to write.”

Long Story Short was a light and cute romcom. Most of the story happens during a romance event in New York, and as I anticipate several events I’ll attend later this year, reading this book was a nice way to wait.
I liked that the author used Cancel Culture as a motor for the book (even though I wish it had been more developed), and as a way to introduce her author character who doesn’t believe in Love anymore. Something, however, lacked in the book for me to be able to be completely invested. The pace was a bit slow for a classic romcom, especially because a lot of things felt repeated. It prevented me from growing completely attached to Freya and Jake. I wasn’t a super fan of how Freya’s boss is villainized, and didn’t have any redemption, while men had this arc. If I liked Freya’s Bridget-Jones-like clumsiness, it felt a bit too much sometimes, especially when it led Jake to be quite patronizing.
I regret that because I usually love books occuring in the publishing industry, but these things made this one fall a bit short, even though it remained an entertaining read.

Thank you to the author and Boldwood Books for the eARC via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

📚 BookTok Review: Long Story Short by Victoria Walters 💕​

Long Story Short by Victoria Walters is a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City. The story follows Freya Harrison, an ambitious assistant literary agent, who is tasked with managing the agency's most challenging client, Jake Richards—a bestselling romance author whose recent controversial comments have jeopardized his career. Their forced proximity at a high-profile romance conference leads to unexpected sparks and challenges. ​

What to Expect:
-Classic Romance Tropes: The novel expertly weaves together beloved tropes such as enemies-to-lovers, grumpy meets sunshine, forced proximity, and slow-burn romance, creating a captivating narrative. ​
-Character Dynamics: Freya's determination and Jake's brooding demeanor create a compelling contrast, leading to witty banter and palpable tension as they navigate their professional and personal boundaries. ​
-Themes of Redemption and Growth: As Jake seeks to repair his tarnished reputation, both characters embark on journeys of self-discovery and emotional growth, adding depth to their evolving relationship. ​

If you're in the mood for a spicy, trope-filled romance that delves into the complexities of love and career, Long Story Short is a must-read.​
#LongStoryShort #VictoriaWalters #EnemiesToLovers #GrumpySunshine #ForcedProximity #SlowBurn #RomanceReads #BookTokRecs

Jake and Freya have to work together to fix his reputation. She's hoping this leads to a promotion, he hopes to stop his career from tanking more thanks to stupid comments he made. Honestly, his reasoning for holding on to his anger wasn't quite what I expected, but it was a relief when it was finally revealed. Jake and Freya bond over the failure the trip starts out as. They naturally fall for each other. Their trust issues are the biggest conflict, but we of course get the happily ever after. It was nice to get the cameos from the other books. The Love Interest remains my favorite.

When I first read the blurb, it seemed promising, particularly with tropes I usually love in romance novels, but it ultimately fell short of my expectations. The male lead was simply rude to her, and Freya’s professional life felt more compelling than the romance itself. It’s an easy read, though it’s worth noting that the story sticks solely to her perspective throughout, which might not appeal to everyone.

Biggest thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC.

i am a sucker for anything publishing related and when reading the description of this book, i was immediately drawn in. even though the premise was interesting and the storyline was sweet, the execution of the book and the writing often icked me out in different ways. the characters fell flat and i often felt like the books was extremely long with very slow progress. the writing and tone of the book felt very young and did not speak the best to me. however, i really did enjoy the setting, especially being located in two of my favorite cities - new york city and london.

This was a cute read. It didn’t feel like there was a ton going on and I’m not sure quite felt the chemistry between the main characters but I did enjoy the story overall.

This book has too many issues for me to finish it completely, even though I tried. It seems very immature in both tone and writing style, and while I am all for a good trope, it is silly how unoriginal it is. The characters are shallow and undeveloped, the story is ridiculous, and it seems like a Hallmark movie would have more depth. I don't know if good editing will save it. A hard pass for me. I will not post a review online because I don't want to be this mean about a book, but it almost makes me upset at how bad it is.

Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me. I liked the idea of the enemies to lovers within the work setting and going on the trip, however I think the execution just wasn’t quite right. I just couldn’t quite connect with the characters and the dialogue was a bit stop and start rather than flowing and I struggled to maintain interest. Ultimately it had the enemies to lovers, redemption arc, grumpy to sunshine tropes in romance books that are popular but the execution just missed the mark.

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

📖✨ A fast-paced and addictive read! The writing style, chapter length, and character development kept me hooked from start to finish. The New York setting added a great backdrop, but it was the growing relationship and emotional depth that made this one stand out. A mix of romance, career ambition, and personal growth—beautifully done. 💛 4.5⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free ARC copy to read!

Sometimes, a book falls squarely into the category of “just okay”—entertaining enough to finish but not compelling enough to revisit. Long Story Short is one of those reads. While it has its moments, it ultimately doesn’t justify a permanent spot on your bookshelf and would be best as a library rental.

The book has a solid premise, opposites attract between a disgraced romance author and the admin to an agent (who wants to become an agent herself). Freya gets assigned to accompany Jake to NYC for a romance convention to help restore his reputation after he was overheard disparaging the genre. Freya is up for a promotion to an agent if all goes well, but Jake doesn’t help matters during interviews. Apparently, he had a big personal secret that was wrecking him and he chose to badmouth romance and its readers so that another author wouldn’t learn the secret. This is my biggest pain point: just don’t tell the secret. Say you have personal issues and leave it at that. None would be the wiser. Jake was I believe in the age range 34-39 and is full adulting at this point. The personal secret didn’t seem to warrant his reaction and subsequent actions. May be more understandable if he was younger (definitely under 30). It just threw off the vibe for me. This is a low spice, open door romance.

Thank you Boldwood Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.