Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780593640845
Release Date: June 3, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Battle of the Bookstores is an absolutely charming read. It’s bright, fun, sweet, and a love letter to readers. Author duo Ali Brady knocked it out of the park with this delightful story of rival bookstore managers falling in love.
Confession: Enemies-to-lovers isn’t my favorite trope. But watching Josie and Ryan trade barbs and go from enemies to friends to lovers? Utterly delightful. Ryan is the manager of a romance bookstore and he’s just about the perfect hero. He’s sweet, kind, and is a champion of the romance genre. I absolutely adored his bookstore, Happy Endings, and only wish it and the employees in it were real. Ryan has insecurities he hides and the biting comments from his rival, Josie, bring them out. Josie has a hard outer shell that hides her own insecurities. She runs a literary fiction bookstore and aspires to be a valued voice in those circles. While she turns her nose up at romance novels at the beginning, I enjoyed watching her move outside her comfort zone.
When the owner of both stores decides to combine them and make Josie and Ryan compete for who will be the last manager standing, the gloves come off. But what neither competitor knows is that they are each the other’s favorite person in the online bookseller community they’re a part of. Shades of You’ve Got Mail run through this story as Josie and Ryan spar in person then share hidden truths online.
Ryan and Josie are both easy to root for and their love story was a delight to watch unfold. The romance tropes are called out which makes it a lot of fun for fans of the genre. The authors mostly eschew false drama for more engaging, character-building moments. And I was just as if not more charmed by Ali Brady’s love letter to readers. Battle of the Bookstores knows and appreciates its audience and it shows in all the best ways. I finished Josie and Ryan’s story a well-satisfied reader and I am definitely looking forward to reading more Ali Brady books.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 3, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Rivalry and romance spark when two bookstore managers who are opposites in every way find themselves competing for the same promotion.
Despite managing bookstores on the same Boston street, Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson have never interacted much—Josie’s store focuses on serious literature, and Ryan’s sells romance only. But when the new owner of both stores decides to combine them, the two are thrust into direct competition. Only one manager will be left standing, decided by who turns the most profit over the summer.
Efficient and detail-oriented Josie instantly clashes with easygoing and disorganized Ryan. Their competing events and contrasting styles lead to more than just frustration—the sparks between them might just set the whole store on fire. Their only solace during this chaos is the friendship they’ve each struck up with an anonymous friend in an online book forum. Little do they know they’re actually chatting with each other.
As their rivalry heats up in real life, their online relationship grows, and when the walls between their stores come tumbling down, Josie and Ryan realize not all’s fair in love and war. And maybe, if they’re lucky, happily ever afters aren’t just for the books.
Battle of the Bookstores is an absolutely charming read. It’s bright, fun, sweet, and a love letter to readers. Author duo Ali Brady knocked it out of the park with this delightful story of rival bookstore managers falling in love.
Confession: Enemies-to-lovers isn’t my favorite trope. But watching Josie and Ryan trade barbs and go from enemies to friends to lovers? Utterly delightful. Ryan is the manager of a romance bookstore and he’s just about the perfect hero. He’s sweet, kind, and is a champion of the romance genre. I absolutely adored his bookstore, Happy Endings, and only wish it and the employees in it were real. Ryan has insecurities he hides and the biting comments from his rival, Josie, bring them out. Josie has a hard outer shell that hides her own insecurities. She runs a literary fiction bookstore and aspires to be a valued voice in those circles. While she turns her nose up at romance novels at the beginning, I enjoyed watching her move outside her comfort zone.
When the owner of both stores decides to combine them and make Josie and Ryan compete for who will be the last manager standing, the gloves come off. But what neither competitor knows is that they are each the other’s favorite person in the online bookseller community they’re a part of. Shades of You’ve Got Mail run through this story as Josie and Ryan spar in person then share hidden truths online.
Ryan and Josie are both easy to root for and their love story was a delight to watch unfold. The romance tropes are called out which makes it a lot of fun for fans of the genre. The authors mostly eschew false drama for more engaging, character-building moments. And I was just as if not more charmed by Ali Brady’s love letter to readers. Battle of the Bookstores knows and appreciates its audience and it shows in all the best ways. I finished Josie and Ryan’s story a well-satisfied reader and I am definitely looking forward to reading more Ali Brady books.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.