What a deliciously witty debut! I am a huge fan of Ashley Poston so I was really excited to read this (and I'm a known sucker for anything with a bookish hook). It did not disappoint! I adored Emmy and there were so many times where I actually laughed out loud. Love a little bit of satire, and this nailed it. Being playful with romance tropes (and making fun of them) is something I've not read much of (or at all?) in rom-coms, but it was so well done. I absolutely LOVED the meta aspect of it. The fact that poor Will has an absolute existential crisis?! So, so good. And you know, the story really surprised me. I was worried about how things would work out and where the author would wrap the story up, but I thought it landed perfectly. A really lovely debut and I can't wait to read more from this author!

The description of this book drew me in. I thought what a clever take on the rom com books we have. And we meet Emmy a Japanese American who has given up on love after being with a not very nice man. After a trip to a sex therapist and buys a book. She wakes up in Will's bed in the book she just purchased. Ensues romance book tongue in cheek gags with everyone being hot and coming on to Emmy.
The book is very tongue in cheek and had be chuckling quite often. The ending was also lovely. Only quip I have is the author is white and The FMC is a Japanese. But there is no stereo typing. Emmy has to deal with racism. I would say it's well done and well researched
I did enjoy this book and would read more by Bex Goos
I do think having something in place to show who's POV we are in would help. Sometimes it flipped during a paragraph

I need to start off by saying - it's amazing that after reading hundreds of books, I can still be surprised and find a book that is super unique. The beginning of this book was unlike any other, and I loved it. It was refreshing and it drew me in. I ended up finishing this in a day, although it took me a minute to realize that it was the length of the chapter and not me. It was a fun story with great characters, and I'm glad I got to read this book!

4.5 Stars

Thank you to Bex Goos and NetGalley for the ARC.

Falling for the Protagonist is an incredible debut novel by Bex Goos! It follows Emmy Miura who is heart broken and out of luck with love, until she visits a sex psychic (yes, you read that right) and finds herself in bed with Will one morning. Now this wasn’t a one night stand situation, Will is none other than the MMC of the book sold to her by the sex psychic!

This book is quirky, unique and very funny in how Emmy and Will have to live out the stereotypical romance book storyline. Will’s existential crisis at learning about his fictional existence was also very interesting.

The only reason why this book isn’t a 5 star read for me is because it took me a good while to get used to the changes in perspective as this was done constantly with no warning. Eventually, I did become accustomed to it, so it may just be a me problem!

I really recommend this book to anyone who likes:
Forced proximity
Fake dating
Book-within-a-book
Magical realism

This book completely surprised me in the best way possible. Even after reading countless stories, it felt fresh, original, and exciting right from the start. The opening hooked me instantly, and before I knew it, I was racing through the pages and finished the entire book in a single day. The fast pacing, fun plot, and lovable characters made it impossible to put down. I had such a great time reading this and am so glad I picked it up!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

When I saw the title of this book, I immediately knew I had to read it. This may be the storyline every book lover is dreaming of! I have never read anything by this author, so I was curious how she was going to approach the storyline, and I can’t say I was disappointed.
The book started out strong with our likable and relatable main character, Emmy. She is a Japanese American who broke up with her racist ex-boyfriend a while ago. Not fulfilled with her place in life she is skeptical to begin with, but when her happy-go-lucky sister May announces that she is going to marry the love of her life she only recently got to know because a sex-psychic foretold their meeting, Emmy is more than irritated. Not accepting that Emmy is just going through life with nowhere to go and totally rejecting the idea of love May makes her go too. And that’s when the storyline starts to get interesting! Because while the reading itself is free of charge, the clients are welcome to purchase anything from the shop as compensation. Not knowing why Emmy is drawn to one book about a male nurse and his way to find love she picks that one up to purchase. Little does she know, that later while falling asleep, she will wake up in a completely different world, where love interests will spring out of every corner, just awaiting her arrival and she is about to change not only her own life completely, but find herself trying not to fall in love with Will, the main character, while fighting for a way out of this fictional prison… Or so she hopes!
When I started the book, I noticed that I really enjoyed the writing style and the energy Emmy projected. I’m normally more on the ‘The FMC is so annoying’-side of the bookish community, but this one just spoke to me. Not only is she relatable and witty, but she also knows how to help herself. During the book we get to see Emmys character grow and overtake insecurities as well as hurdles that appear along the path to get out of the book she is in.
I also really related to Wills character, the MMC, who fell into a sort of depression after realizing that his complete life was a lie. I could really feel the desperation he went through to find himself an anker to cling to, while questioning every daily interaction, every little detail of his existence and everyone around him. This is such a unique take on the storyline. While I have read books with similar plot lines none have ever approached the subject this way and while I hurt for Will I actually enjoyed the new angle and was curious how the character development went on.
The book as a whole was really enjoyable and quite refreshing. I loved the banter, the angles with the single men that were frankly portrait quite accurately compared to the real world in their insistence not to accept ‘no’ as an answer (the frequency being enhanced a bit of course). The only downside was that the chapters were quite long and I found myself wanting to skim the text sometimes, especially from around 30-60% when not that much plot progress was made. With this it was a bit irritating that the ending in comparison seemed to be rushed quite a bit. I would have loved to know how the relationship was built again after Emmy and Will met in the real world and the inner turmoil they both went though to get back to each other. With the rushed meeting and the blank before the Epilogue the ending was missing something for me and I left the book feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
Non the less the book was a good read and I would rate it 4/5 stars. I can recommend reading it and would love to read more from the author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A wildly clever, refreshing romcom with an irresistible alternate‑reality twist

This book hooked me from the very first chapter, and then completely won me over the moment Emmy slips—quite literally—into an alternate reality after falling asleep reading. The sudden shift into a storybook world is surprising, imaginative, and exactly the kind of twist I adore. I’m a huge fan of timeslip, time travel, and alternate‑reality romances, and this one delivers that vibe in such a fun, unexpected way.

The author packs the story with quirky, original details that make the world feel fresh and playful—yes, including a psychic sex tarot reading, which is as entertaining as it sounds. I also loved the meta book‑theory elements woven throughout: the characters discussing “context clues,” acknowledging that they’re stuck in “one of the most cliched and contrived romantic comedy plots” (the pretend‑relationship trope), and even speculating about the author’s credentials and romance‑writing logic. It’s smart, self‑aware, and genuinely funny.

Nothing about the plot feels predictable, and the whole experience is humorous, inventive, and thoroughly entertaining.

The story is told in third person—usually my least favourite perspective—but it works here, giving both main characters intertwined POVs within each chapter. Emmy herself isn’t described in much detail early on, though later she identifies as second‑generation Japanese American. There are occasional Japanese words sprinkled in without translation, which I found a bit frustrating, but it didn’t detract too much from the overall flow.

On the flip side, the book gifted me the brilliant made‑up term “mantagonist”—a word I immediately checked for in the dictionary (sadly, no luck). Still, I’m adopting it.

Overall, this is a refreshing, clever, and fast‑paced read full of great ideas. It’s easy to fly through, keeps you guessing, and offers a romcom experience that feels genuinely different.

Huge thanks to Aria & Aries and NetGalley for the uncorrected advance reader copy.
This book releases on May 7, 2026, and if you love romcoms with humour, meta commentary, and alternate‑reality twists, you’ll want to pick this up the moment it hits shelves—you won’t be disappointed!

This was such a cute read. From the very first page I was hooked and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. The story was cute and easy to follow and had a great cast of characters. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author

Falling for the Protagonist delivers a wonderfully imaginative and heartfelt read that blurs the line between fiction and reality in the most delightful way.

The premise immediately pulled me in because it’s fresh, creative, and full of heart. I was as lost in this book as Emmy (the MC) was in hers. The writing flows easily, with vivid scenes and thoughtful emotion. I especially appreciated how the story explores all together; identity, choice, a spiritual fantasy and a satisfying romantic arc.

The characters are really likeable and well-developed, and the chemistry builds naturally. I think I also fell for adoringly sweet and loyal Will Barrett. He is the Protagonist in the book Emmy got from sex psychic, Lucy.

While a few moments felt slightly predictable, the unique concept and the author’s creativity and clear love for storytelling more than made up for it. This is the kind of book that feels cozy and fun, yet still leaves you thinking after the final page.

Overall, this was a delightful read, and I’m glad I had the chance to experience it early.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher, Aria & Aries for providing this ARC.

It was so original! The plot is such a nice touch, I've never read that. It's a bit like magic but also deeply contemporary. Both characters are enjoyable. The writing style is simple, so it's a good immersion and easy to read. I really recommend it. I had a fun time reading this!

Emmy Miura can't believe her sister believes her visit to a sex psychic is the reason she is now about to get married. She decides to have it out with her but things don't exactly as planned and she ends up buy a romance novel instead. She finds it hard to put down and ends up falling asleep reading it in bed, when she wakes she finds herself in the story in the bed of Will Barrett, the main romantic lead of the novel. Thing get weirder but its entertaining and oddly compelling.