Here's the deal: everything about Long Story Short is sweet. It's hot, it's fun, it's funny and engaging, and I enjoyed reading it from cover to cover.

Love is at the centre of this book. Freya, our main character, is a huge fan of romance novels. In fact, she even works as an agent's assistant in a publishing house, and she loves reading romantic stories that make her believe in true love. So when her boss tells her that she will travel to New York with one of the most talked-about romance authors of the moment, things can only go up from there. Right?

Right?

Most of the story takes place over a short number of days, mostly taking place in New York during Freya's travel. Her mission is to prove herself to her boss so that she might finally progress in her career, whereas Jake, the author she's accompanying, is desperately trying to save his reputation in his field. The two of them are brought together by work but stick together by chemistry, and I genuinely enjoyed reading how Victoria Walters was writing about them - they felt like real people. Everything about this novel reads smoothly, truthfully: the style flows, the chapters are short, the story gets going without missing a beat.

I was particularly struck by the way Freya is so devoted to her work and her boss, who treats her unfairly. It definitely hit close to home for me, as I'm currently navigating the great joys of having my accomplishments and achievements diminished, if not stolen from me, in my own work. (Ha, so pleasant)

So to see Freya learn to reclaim herself and bloom in her truth was delightful, and it gave me hope, in fact.

I really enjoyed this book. It made me feel good, and I'm glad that I got to read it.

Freya has mixed feelings when she is tasked with accompanying a romance author suffering from PR issues to New York for a romance conference. Jake had been overheard talking to another author saying that he didn't believe in romance, which obviously didn't go down well with his readers, and she is tasked by his agent to rescue his image and career.
I m not a fan of stories where it consists of spicy scenes interspersed with a storyline sticking them together, fortunately this is the opposite with the story developing before any such scene, which weren't too graphic for me and part of the story. It did make me wonder about the author's relationship with her own agent, with a cold, heartless agent set against Freya's warm, honest personality. Jake initially doesn't come across well, but you see a thawing in him as Freya works her magic on him. There is also the background setting of New York, which I have been lucky enough to visit which made it easier for me to visualise. In summary a book that I enjoyed more than I thought I was going to looking at some other reviews.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Through a crazy turn of events Freya, an assistant to a bossy literary agent is on a plane to New York with her favourite romance author Jake. He’s recently gotten himself into controversy, talking down on romance readers and the whole genre revealed in a recent article.

Freya is given an opportunity to further her career by going in place of her hot shot boss to try save Jake’s reputation and career at a romance convention in New York. Freya has been a huge fan of Jake’s happily ever after books for years, they inspired her dream job as a literary agent however on first meeting she finds him to be grumpy, sarcastic and not at all the romantic she expected.

In New York they are navigating the complexity of the situation Jake finds his career in while dealing with their own inner conflicts. They’re both on a journey of discovering what they really want in love and career, while also finding out it might be each other.

I truly loved and connected with these characters. Freya is ambitious, optimistic and a tad bit clumsy but never lets her opinions go unheard. We meet Jake as the gruff moody romance author who potentially wants nothing to do with the genre but discover his hard exterior is just a defence mechanism against his inner pain. I felt these characters were incredibly realistic and believable.

The side characters plots were also extremely well developed! I loved seeing Liv pop in every so often to be Freya’s anchor, then Davis! I really had a strong dislike for Davis but the authors ability to create such an unlikeable character then turn it around so that you end up having a soft spot for him! Incredible! I really was so very happy he got his happy ending. However I would have like to hear a little more about Haley, perhaps her back story. How did she get to the position she is in, how did she become so bossy and money hungry? Was she always like that? Did she used to be like Freya and did something switch her to be so cold and work obsessed? Lots of questions, but I think this just shows how invested I was in this story

As a young woman I really appreciated a romance story following someone like me navigating the complexities of the professional workforce while trying to stay true to yourself. I loved the twists and turns her career went on and her journey to finding her place in her career while still being herself. It’s so important to see stories where women don’t sacrifice their career for a man. Freya’s career was always number one for her, and I really appreciated that message. That you can have love and career but you should never have to sacrifice anything for a man.

I have to admit, at first Jake really got my back up. Especially after he tells her to have a lie down, essentially telling her to calm down. Ooooft! However as the story progresses Jake’s vulnerabilities really show him in raw honest light that really made me love and understand his character so much more. I would have loved Freya and him to perhaps have some deeper conversations about his inner struggles and really delve into the lasting impact it was having on him but is self discovery still felt incredibly real and authentic.

I also love romance novels set in New York and London and guess what…this story had both! The author sets the scene perfectly so you feel you are right there with the characters. This was my first book by Victoria Walter’s but I’m heading straight to pick up more of her books because I am hooked! This is the perfect summer read that you will not be able to put down. You’ll relate with the characters and be intrigued by the inner workings of the publishing world.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book early! I received the ebook free from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntary with my own views and opinions

This one was close, but ultimately a miss for me. I do love Victoria Walters writing so I will be back for her next release!

This book was so close, but I found the characters to be a bit annoying. Perhaps it coming off a bit young. I was excited because it was a age gap romance, but part of what I hope for with that trope is that they will be mature enough to talk things out.

It's still a good beach read, but missed some of the maturing I was hoping for.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.
3.5 rounded to 4

Cutesy rom com! Jake is a romance author who is trying to fix his reputation with damage control after something he said that was over heard by the press. Freya is his agents assistant sent to help him fix it. What started as enemies, Jake the grump and Freya is all the sunshine, soon turned into lust and attraction. Despite their age gap and forbidden workplace romance, wires are crossed in NY but when it's time to return home, it's all a bit messed up and trusts are broken... as well as hearts.
Strong FMC held this book together for me, she put herself out there and was rewarded with her own HEA.

A sparkling mix of wit, tension, and slow-burning chemistry, this workplace romance delivers everything a trope-lover could ask for! With grumpy-sunshine banter, a sizzling enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and just the right dose of spice, this book takes you on a whirlwind ride through heated glances and unexpected vulnerability. Freya’s mission to salvage Jake’s reputation turns into a delightful battle of hearts and egos—and somewhere between the chaos and charm, love finds its way. A must-read for anyone who believes in second chances, both in careers and in love.

So story goes long time romance reader/ want to be literary agent, Freya. Totally intimidated by a very popular Romance novel writer, Jake. Except the writer is at his low point and desperately needing to save his career. Of course, Freya & Jake get sent to a Romance conference in attempted to repair his reputation.

She appeals to him to be honest, and he had to get over his emotional hump - which by the way, the reason didn't sound as horrible to throw your career away. It was because he was wound up by his nemesis and he said some words off hand, but the story wasn't as earth-shattering as one would react so devastatingly.

At any rate, there was a meet cute, and the 2 MCs finally came together, that was lovely. The 3rd act (which I hate) came very organically, which I appreciated. It forces both MCs to be vulnerable and honest not with each other, but with themselves. They have to see past it in order to be great together. And great they are!

Its a good beach read, Thank you to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book before publication.

If the author sees this review, please DO NOT CONTINUE READING.

Oef, where do I begin... I am incredibly sorry to say that this is one of the worst books I have ever read. I despised the characters, they fell extremely flat and unrealistic to me. The FMC absolutely pissed me off with her constant nagging. The pacing of the "love-story" made absolutely no sense to me, it was way too fast. The miscommunication the two main characters had was too repetitive and beside the fact that this trope annoys the heck out of me, I feel like it was completely unnecessary to have put it in this story so often. As for the writing style, I cannot believe how bad it was seeing that this author has published books before. The spicy scenes were very mild in my opinion and did nothing for me. I feel like I have lots more to say, but I simply cannot find the words to properly describe how bad this was.
I normally would have DNF'ed this book, but it was an easy read and I guess I was hoping for the story to become more realistic (I did not).

Freya is an aspiring literary agent who finds herself developing feelings for Jake, a grumpy author client. While I normally love the grumpy/sunshine trope there was something that fell a bit short for me here. I found myself becoming frustrated with both Freya and Jake more often than not.

Long Story Short is an easy and quick read and while relatively predictable, it's a great option for those wanting searching for a summer read.

I was drawn to Long Story Short when I read the description and saw the adorable cover. The premise of the book is really interesting and sounded different than anything I’ve read before. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book. The characters weren’t entertaining, and I didn’t feel any chemistry or spark between them.

I love many of the tropes in this book: grumpy/sunshine, workplace romance, slow burn, he falls first, and enemies to lovers. Freya is a literary agent assistant who is tasked with representing Jake, a famous romance author, at an upcoming large book conference in New York City. Freya is thrilled for this opportunity and the chance to experience being in New York. Jake seemed annoyed and unhappy with all of it: his career, the trip to NYC, the conference, and Freya. Romance writers are often connoisseurs of the genre who adore love stories, romance, and drama. Jake’s character was extremely stoic, showed little emotion, and seemed an unlikely choice for a bestselling romance author.

Freya is introduced as a young woman dedicated to her career and focused on becoming a literary agent. She is hard-working, yet her main focus throughout the book seemed to be on Jake and his well-being. During the conference, she did some networking for him, but largely seemed to be worrying about what he was thinking (personally, not professionally). Jake was preoccupied with his own personal issues, and showed little interest in Freya. I was surprised when she and Jake began dating and sleeping together, as there was little physical attraction or even minimal conversation between the characters beforehand. Jake’s character was extremely closed off emotionally, and seemed unhappy with everything. It was hard for me to like him because his character was serious and reserved to the point of being impassive. These characters had very little chemistry in general, so I was not invested in their relationship.

This book had so much potential. Freya has long loved New York City through many favorite movies and TV shows, and the city could have been a magical destination for her and Jake. The controversy surrounding Jake and his public comments about romance presented a large problem to solve in the book. The conference was supposed to be career- and life-changing for Jake, but it was largely a flop. Jake’s big secret felt insignificant to me. Both characters were very immature for their age, and felt one-dimensional to the reader. The pacing felt uneven to me, with several parts dragging on with little action, and then many significant events happened right before the story ended.

In my opinion, this book would appeal to a younger reader looking for a light, easy read and a workplace romance set in London. The behind-the-scenes of the book publishing world was intriguing and the setting of New York City was a good choice. This book didn’t work for me, but I’m sure there are others who will enjoy it.

Thank you to Victoria Walters, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an advance reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a light hearted, easy read. Light on the spice and angst. But the plot was great and quite enjoyable. The characters fell a little bit flat for me however I feel that is more to do with my personal take on grumpy/sunshine. I would definitely read this authors work again. .

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this book.

Freya, an aspiring literary agent with a propensity to embarrass herself, catches feelings for Jake, a grumpy author client. I wasn’t entirely convinced by the “he falls first” side of things and often found both characters super frustrating.

It’s a fine read, super easy, very predictable. A great option for those wanting something nice to read by a poolside.

I want to start this review by saying this a fast read, it took me three days to read and i wanted to finish reading to see how it ended.

However, if i was to describe this book in one word it would be - fine. The tropes listed fall a little flat and i think a large part of that is due to Jake, the MMC, not feeling like a fully rounded character. He comes across as quite 2D, and unfortunately i didn’t buy into his backstory being as impactful to him as it was portrayed and built up for the first half of the book.

The trope I was most disappointed in was “he falls first”, when they have a conversation around this its revealed he felt something for her on their second interaction in the book - this is not the second time they’ve met though, and is only a couple of days ago in relation to the timeline. If it had been revealed he’s felt something for her from months ago (pre-book start) i would agree with listing that trope for this book.

There’s quite a big switch up of how 2 characters are portrayed over 2 chapters which feels like these reveals were planned to help the plot but not thought through and added in later.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book

I enjoyed this book. I read it in one sitting!

Freya and Jake had me laughing out loud.

✔️Grumpy sunshine
✔️Slow burn
✔️He falls first
✔️Enemies to lovers
✔️Age gap
✔️Reputation redemption
✔️Workplace romance
✔️Spicy

Long Story Short is a romance between Freya (a literary agent) and Jake (a romance author). Jake gets caught saying he hates writing romance novels and it's Freya's job to help repair his reputation so he can publish another book.

Overall, I found this book to be very predictable but cute. It hit all the notes that you expect from a romance novel. I could have told you the plot without reading it, but even so, I found myself enjoying it well enough.

This is very "grumpy/sunshine" trope-heavy. I didn't understand when they instantly fell in love with each other. I felt like there was no real connection or conversation that moved them in that direction that made it understandable. A few times Jake said that Freya "wasn't like anyone else he ever met before", but why? I still don't know what he found to be so unique. Little things like this could have been more fleshed out.

This is a quick read and a good romance.

This had the potential to be a fun, fluffy rom-com like a literary agent trying to wrangle a hot-mess author in the Big Apple. And to be fair, it did have moments where you could almost see the fun trying to peek through.

The setup was promising: a behind-the-scenes look at the publishing world, with a prickly agent and a best-selling author who's maybe a little too good at playing the arrogant jerk. But, sadly, this book took that "jerk" thing a bit too far.

The problem? There's a lot of misogyny. Instead of witty banter, we get a lot of cringe-worthy comments aimed at the heroine that are supposed to be funny but mostly just made me roll my eyes. It's like the book thinks being a successful author gives you a free pass to be a sexist pain. And while the author tries to redeem the hero, it felt rushed and, frankly, not convincing enough to make up for all the earlier eye-rolling.

It's not a total disaster; there are glimpses of the charming rom-com it could have been. But be warned: you'll have to wade through a lot of problematic stuff to get to them.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
This was a cute, easy to read book. It reads like the plot of a romcom film.

I loved the basic premise of this book, the grumpy romance novelist needing to redeem himself after being caught off-guard by a journalist over indiscreet comments about romance novels & the adoring fans who buy his books.

When we meet Jake Richards, he appears every bit as grumpy as his reputation makes him out to be. Freya, assistant to his agent Hayley Harper, is 10 years younger than him, & of a much sunnier disposition. After the news about his comments breaks, Hayley launches a damage limitation campaign to redeem Jake’s public image & ensure a good deal for his recently finished novel. This involves a trip to New York to attend the Romance Readers Club international conference for Jake accompanied by Freya who will manage their programme whilst there. Hayley promises this will be Freya’s big chance to prove herself. Freya is excited about going to New York for the first time, but is also dreading it due to Jake’s grumpiness, & her unfortunate ability to embarrass herself in front of him.

There was a spark between Jake & Freya from quite early on. They are very different personalities & it’s definitely a situation of opposites attract - she’s friendly & outgoing, speaks before she thinks, whilst Jake is moody & grumpy, though he can turn on the charm when he chooses. Jake’s resentment at having to attend the conference meant the way he spoke to Freya at times was unpleasant & consequently there was some tension between them. I did find Freya frustrating at times as she seemed quite ditzy & naïve at times in her approach to life. They seemed to get on a bit better away from the conference, & some of the most believable moments between them were when he was showing her round New York. I haven’t been to New York so I enjoyed the setting & seeing some of the touristy parts through Freya’s eyes.

A key element in the story was Freya’s career development, she was determined to succeed & develop a career as a literary agent, a theme which ran through the book. Hayley was an unpleasant character, she really was the boss from hell who reneged on promises & took credit that was due to others. Although I found Freya frustrating, I did think she was likeable & did not deserve the way Hayley treated her.

I thought this was a light, fun book which would make a good holiday read

Thanks to Netgalley & Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to Boldwood books for the advanced copy of this novel.
It started with a penis pencil and ended with Freya saving Jake's a$$ when his mouth caught up to him.

This story introduces Freya, an insanely honest and stress dressing MFC and broody author Jake,who pissed off his fans and has been cancelled in the literary world. Freya is assigned as his fill in agent to try to restore his reputation and earn back the favor of his romance fans. She is basically the Tree Paine to Taylor Swift. He might as well be climbing MT Everest to save his career. Freya is in a kill or be killed industry and appears to be the only one with an ounce of decency and honesty. She ends up using this to her favor and gains the trust of Jake, who slowly sheds his hardened shell.

The enemies to lovers, slow burn was so worth it and so well played. The cause of Jake's fall from grace is revealed slowly as the author focuses on peeling back the layers of each character and creating a solid foundation for the two.

The main source of conflict comes by Freya's cut throat boss who is basically Miranda Presley and a lion in sheep's clothing. This was enough conflict and propelled the story forward, but at last, we were given a third act breakup that didn't need to happen.

I went into this story very excited because the premise of this book sounded amazing! While it was amazing, the writing kind of threw me off. I was appalled at some of the outfit choices that were made, annoyed at how many times they said that he was “10 years older”, and cringed out by the use of the phrase “good girl” bc it was just thrown in so randomly and didn’t fit the scenes at all. Then to make matters worse instead of doing a conflict where they work through it like adults, we get miss communication and a third act breakup that lasted longer than necessary. Almost DNF at 35% and 46% but made it past 50% & decided to see it through. Jake seemed hot tho 😫 thanks for the Arc Netgally