Better than Fiction
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4.0 • 59 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
"If you think life is better than fiction, then you haven’t read Alexa Martin’s fiction."—NPR
One of...
Amazon's Best Romances of November
Buzzfeed’s New Romances to Read This Fall
Cosmopolitan's Best Books Coming Out In November
Bustle's Most Anticipated Books of November
Women's Health's Swooniest Romance Novels of 2022
Love isn’t always by the book in this charming romantic comedy about a bookseller discovering how to be the main character in her story.
As a self-proclaimed book hater and a firm believer that the movie is always better, Drew Young didn’t anticipate inheriting her grandma’s bookstore, the Book Nook. She’s in way over her head even before the shop’s resident book club, comprising seven of the naughtiest old ladies ever, begin to do what they do best—meddle.
Bestselling author Jasper Williams is a hopeless romantic. When he meets Drew at his Book Nook signing event, he becomes determined to show her the beauty of reading. He curates a book bucket list in exchange for her help exploring the local Denver scene for his current manuscript. From going river rafting to trying local restaurants, Drew begins to connect with Jasper in a way she only thought happened in fiction.
When messy family ties jeopardize the future of the Book Nook, Drew is caught between a bookshelf and a hard place. She’s reminded that real life isn’t always big dreams and sweeping romance. But Jasper is the plot twist she never saw coming and he’s writing a happily ever after just for them.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Martin (Intercepted) shines in this enchanting tale of a reluctant bookstore owner and the author who shows her love is possible. After photographer Drew Young's grandmother dies, Drew inherits her beloved Denver bookstore, the Book Nook. Though not an avid reader, she's determined to keep her grandmother's legacy alive and keep the store going. Among the Book Nook's regulars are "the Dirty Birds," a meddling but endearing group of elderly romance fans who conspire to set Drew up with bestselling romance author Jasper Williams. Sparks fly between the unlikely couple, but complications arise first when Drew's obnoxious, entitled father tries to take over the bookstore and then when a small but consequential secret about Jasper's past with the store comes to light. Hopeless romantic Jasper has a reputation for writing perfect "book boyfriends"—and readers will find that he fulfills this fantasy pretty well himself. The charmingly ornery Drew makes a great contrast, and it's emotionally satisfying to watch her high walls come down. Stellar supporting characters—especially Drew's bestie, Elsie, and sister, Daisy—add humor throughout. The result is utterly entertaining.
Customer Reviews
One of my favorite books I’ve read in a long time!
Drew seems so real and relatable from how she sees the world her relationships with her sister Daisy and the dirty birds.I really enjoyed this character.
okay, not great
This book and its plot had potential to be amazing, but was pretty bland. Not really anything special in my opinion. It felt kind of like a 30 year old’s take at writing on Wattpad for the first time and thinking their writing is incredible because in comparison to all the other stuff on there, it is, but not in good book world. For instance, to me it was obvious by the way the characters talked and the slang they used that it was written in 2022ish, if that makes sense. A lot of the conversation felt like 30+ year olds trying to fit in with 14-15 year olds these days and failing miserably (I say this as a 20 year old), but maybe that was just the audio version. The book reads better than it
sounds. Also the main female lead uses words like “def” instead of “definitely” and for some reason that makes me cringe, but to each their own.
I jumped back and forth between reading a physical version of this book at home and listening to an audio of it at work, and I’m telling you DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THE AUDIOBOOK. The narrator’s voice reminded me of Barbara from the show Abbott Elementary, which completely ruined any of the spicy scenes, and don’t even get me started on the absolute cringe way she does a guy voice.
Solid read
I like that most of the difficulty here isn’t in the romance but in other areas of the main character’s life. It adds significant depth to the story. Grief and loss hit different people in different ways. Drew’s reaction rang deeply true to me. After reading the acknowledgments, I understand why. I want to thank the author for this story. It was exactly what I needed in this precise moment in my life—and what a gift that is.