| Title | : | Better Than Fiction |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0593337220 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780593337226 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 |
| Publication | : | First published November 8, 2022 |
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 river rafting to 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.
Better Than Fiction Reviews
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This book is a little different from the author’s previous works. Did I enjoy it? Absofreakinglutely! Honestly I loved this book the most! It’s more than a love story between a broken hearted photographer Drew with failed dreams, inheriting grandmother’s bookstore and extra hot, kind, gentle, empathic romance author Jasper! It’s also a great friendship, sisterhood, second chances, getting out of your shelf to explore your potential story!
It’s so realist, honest, poignant! Straightforwardness of Drew who keeps blurting out what comes into her mind and her transition as she spends more time with Jasper were most adorable parts of the book.
Here’s a quick summary of the plot:
In the first chapters we see how Drew struggles after losing her grandma and inheriting her bookstore which is more challenging task she can ever imagine. Because she knows nothing about books. She prefers watching their movie adaptations.
But thankfully her grandma’s best friends: a bunch of cheerful, eccentric ladies with inappropriate meddling skills and special book club named “Dirty Birds” are here for her. They already arrange a special signing night with famous romance author Jasper Williams.
Drew already deals with anxiety issues because her step sister decided to take an internship at the town and spend more time with her as her estranged father is working on a scheme to take the bookstore out of her hands.
And a very sexy, adorable romance writer rocks her world. The Dirty Birds already arrange a dinner date. And Jasper makes an interesting offer that she doesn’t want to refuse: they will swap of their sorts. He hands her a sheet of paper filled with book titles, encouraging her read them. After reading one of the books, Jasper will take her on an adventure that reminds him of it. And Drew also will pick a place on her travel list, taking him an adventure to explore it. It’s a win win situation! Jasper wants to turn into Drew a book lover and dare Drew to turn him into Colorado lover.
It seems like a beginning of more than amazing friendship when that offer cannot be refused! ( I’m so close to write they took the cannolis and left the guns so I’m stopping myself)
Overall: with author’s heartfelt story telling skills, lovely and engaging characters, amazing adventures turn this entire execution into an amazing reading experience ! You get to enjoy the full ride!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
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hello and welcome to my review of a book i completely cannot remember reading, even though i read it in the recent past.
we're so happy to have you. (we being myself and my failing brain, which is probably being destroyed as we speak by this hellsite and the excess sugar in my diet working as one.)
luckily, i took approximately two notes, indicating the following:
i liked what this book was TRYING to do, but it felt unfinished.
like yeah, it's an arc, but the writing...the plot...the romance...the side characters and backstories...i just wanted More.
bottom line: never a good sign when your mind files a book as "forget."
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tbr review
tough competition
(thanks to netgalley for the e-arc) -
3.5⭐️
This was heartwarming! I guess I expected more romance, and while we do get a good chunk of it, I would say that this was more on Drew’s relationship with the bookshop. She has a deep connection with her grandmother and therefore has felt very tied to the bookshop. Several events in the book challenge that relationship and I enjoyed reading about it all. I really liked Drew as a character because she was relatable and funny.
I thought the romance was cute, yet alright. I enjoyed her friendships more! I would recommend it if you're looking for a quick cute read. -
This was such a cute cozy bookshop romance! I love the concept of someone who is not a big reader inheriting a bookshop and falling in love with a romance author. I really loved how the women who had a book club at the shop wanted to set the heroine up with the visiting romance author and they really hit it off. Drew agreed to show Jasper around Denver for his book and he gave her a list of books he thought she would enjoy and that would turn her into a reader. This book was just so cute and I had a fun time reading it! I wasn't the biggest fan of the third act breakup, but I couldn't get over how much I loved Drew and Jasper together, so I was just happy when they had their HEA. If you want a bookshop romance that is definitely written for a book lover, pick this book up!
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unfortunately this just wasn’t for me, i found this incredibly boring and they took too long for the love interest to even be introduced in my opinion. it was fine but the third act break up absolutely ruined it for me.
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She had me all the way through until the drama. I lost all respect for Drew, her ridiculous fight, and close-minded jerk behavior. I loved so many parts of this book But the ending ruined it for me.
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I have to say I have a love/hate relationship with this book! There are so many fabulous scenes in this story, I was all in and absorbing as much as possible. I love Jasper! He truly was the perfect balance for Drew.
Drew, however, I had issues with here and there. Her grief was pronounced and heavy throughout the book. It was all-consuming in many areas and that can be a lot to read and break through. Jasper was a great balance for that and I love how Martin brought them together.
Until the end…
Martin had me all the way through until the drama. I lost all respect for Drew, her ridiculous reason to fight, and her close-minded jerk behavior. I loved so many parts of this book but the ending, unfortunately, ruined it for me. I was so upset!
Do we have a happily ever after? Yes, we do. And maybe I am being particular, but I felt blindsided and felt it was not warranted to the degree the author took it.
Will you enjoy this one? I think so. There are so many great parts of this story, I think it can be a winner for you!
* copy received for review consideration
* full review -
https://amidlifewife.com/better-than-... -
4.5 stars rounded up!
This story follows Drew Young, who recently inherited her grandmother’s bookstore (The Book Nook). Thanks to some meddling from The Dirty Birds (the 70 something women that make up a romance book club and best friends of Drew’s grandmother), renowned romance author Jasper Williams shows up to host a book club night at The Book Nook…but he also needs a guide to show him around Colorado to get ideas for the current book that he’s writing.
One of the things that I absolutely love about Alexa Martin’s writing is that in addition to the swoon worthy romance, there is always an incredible friend group that I am envious of. I loved the moments between Drew, her best friend Elsie, and her sister Daisy.
Drew and Jasper had chemistry from the moment they locked eyes on each other at The Book Nook. I loved that their dates alternated between Drew showing the incredible beauty of Colorado (hikes, Red Rocks, picturesque towns!) and Jasper’s dates based off of a reading list that he specially crafted for Drew. When it comes to the steamy scenes…Martin put in that work and I was here for it!
The last thing that I will touch on that I enjoyed was watching Drew process her grief after the death of her grandmother. Grief is so messy, and Drew falls down the trap of putting everything in her life on hold in order to live the life that she thinks that her grandmother would’ve wanted for her. I loved watching Drew navigate this especially with the help of her friends, The Dirty Birds, and Jasper.
Overall, if you want a swoon worthy romance with a picturesque Colorado backdrop then definitely pick this one up!
Thank you to Berkley Romance for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own. -
alexa martin had to include every single heteronormative trope in existence for some reason.
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4.5/5
My spice rating: 🌶/🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
Better Than Fiction is my first time reading
Alexa Martin, and luckily for me, she has a nice backlist that I now get to read! This slow-burning romance should be a movie, and I loved that it is set in my current residence of Colorado. Martin really nailed all of her Colorado references and it was so fun getting to read a book set in so many places here that I am familiar with. It was a funny concept having an MC inherit a bookstore when she hates books, and I loved the way Drew changed and grew as the story went on. There is a lot of emotion here as Drew has recently lost her grandma, and it didn't surprise me when I read the acknowledgments and found out Martin wrote this after losing her mom. You can feel the grief Drew is struggling with coming through strong off the pages, and it was a total tear-jerker for me at times.
The audiobook is narrated by Nicole Lewis, and I completely enjoyed listening to her narrate this book. She was wonderful at getting all of the emotions that Drew was experiencing, be it her grief or her anger at her dad, through in her narration and I couldn't have asked for anyone nicer to listen to. There is a little bit of spice to the romance, but not too much and for me, that was just right. I loved the relationship that Drew and Jasper built as the story went on, and there were even some surprises at the end that I didn’t see coming. I loved the way Martin ended Better Than Fiction and it was an extremely satisfying conclusion to something I wished wouldn’t have ended. -
Personally, I was not a fan. I was excited and thought the plot looked amazing. The plot is about Drew, an avid book hater, left in charge of the Book Nook after her grandmother's passing. She meets hot and charismatic yet shy romance author Jasper. At 38% of the book, the characters already seem not just romantic, but on the verge of being in love. Jasper states this,"Or because I'm really into the super-cute owner with not-so-great book knowledge...", to Drew while on a trip to convince her he wanted to take her out. At 42%, Drew tells Jasper "You threw up so much you won't kiss me" after he spent over an hour vomiting. I just think the relationship was rushed and seemed a little too clingy. Jasper himself seemed like a walking "ick". He says "Just hoping for a little watermelon sugar" to Drew before a date which would make me ghost any man. Drew herself is not much better. The book references pop culture a lot but I think it missed its mark. Here are some real quotes: "I'll take daddy issues for six hundred, Alex!" "I might've gone all Taylor Swift, 'No body, No crime' on him." " 'I guess I'll let you finish' 'Geez. Thanks, Kanye.' " The book itself was not bad, I will just say it was not great. I like that Drew's relationship with her father is messy. That is a real struggle many women have. Similarly, I loved Drew's development and how she learned to handle her grief with the help of Jasper, her best friend, and her sister. I think my opinion stems from liking slow-burn books with heavy banter. The plot is sweet and Jasper treats Drew well. If you're looking for a sweet, light-hearted romance, this is your book.
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Review coming soon.
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this was so boring and just not fun at all, literally one of the worst romance books i ever read. the blurb seemed interesting and the cover is really pretty but sadly the book wasn’t good at all in my opinion.
by the way i skim-read most of the last third of the book so i might have missed some amazing part, although i doubt it.
first of all, i didn’t find anything about the characters likable or interesting. drew hates reading, likes birkenstocks and is just bland. her pov got tiresome very quickly. the love interest’s, whose name i already forgot and just had to search up (it’s jasper) main qualities were being hot and being an author.
the plot didn’t really make sense to me either, because why does drew agree to read books (which she supposedly hates) in exchange for showing jasper the city? she literally has to do two things in exchange for nothing.
well she does fall in love, i guess, but i also didn’t feel much chemistry between them. except for the fact that drew repeatedly tells the reader how handsome jasper is, of course.
i also didn’t like the language. there were random abbreviations and “gen z” language. very unsettling.
the plot twist was so weirdly paced and explained and same goes for the ending and resolution. i just felt nothing while reading it.
i’m really sorry for this negative review, i promise i’m normally not this rude about a book but this one just annoyed me a lot. -
Better than Fiction ми показа книга за хората и за природата. Има хора, които е по - добре никога да не срещаш - като ба��ата на Дрю, който всячески се опитва да вземе колкото може повече от първото си семейство, за да даде много на второто. Унижавайки и тероризирайки първата си дъщеря. Има и хора, които е удоволствие да познаваш заради чувствителността и ведрото им държание. Като писателя Джаспър Уйлямс и вниманието му към деликатността на чувствата не само в книгите му. И самата Дрю , чиято отхвърляна и оцеляващя душа е намирала утеха и щастливи дни само при баба си и нейната книжарница Book Nook. И година след смъртта на единствения щедро любящ я човек в живота й , младата жена получава в наследство този магазин за книги, в който преминават най - топлите дни в младостта й. Изоставяйки огромната си любов към фотографията на открито, Дрю се опитва да запази духа и идентичността на Book Nook , постоянно съмнявайки се дали методите й биха били одобрени от баба й? Докато една скрита новина не обръща представите й за онова, което всъщност баба й е искала за магазина. И за Дрю.Обожавах всяка част от книгата, в които героите бяха навън, сред откритите пространства на Колорадо, в разходки по планински пътеки, на къмпинг до горско бунгало или се любуваха на водопадите в Box Canyon. Описанията на местностите,, гледките и усещанията бяха най - добрата част както разходките между лавиците на Book Nook! И ми беше интересно как Дрю като човек, предпочитащ да гледа документални филми пред четенето на книги, ръководи книжарница , среща известен писател и подтиквана от него се учи да открива реалния свят между страниците на препоръчаните от него книги.А истинската й страст - фотографията - плавно и полека се завръща отново в живота й,благодарение на желанието на писателя да опознае Колорадо, Денвър и всички интересни места. Прочитането на книги от списък и участието в пътувания - превръща куп неуредици в пълнокръвно преживяване милион пъти по - добро от една книжна измислица! И понякога някой, който ни е обичал с цялото си сърце и ни е подкрепял на всяка крачка, може да продължи да се грижи да намерим себе си дори след като той умре.
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A charming, swoon-worthy and utterly relatable rom-com about a reluctant (and book hating) bookstore owner, Drew Young who learns to reevaluate her pessimistic outlook on love—and life when she meets kindhearted (and gorgeously handsome) romance author Jasper Williams.
I absolutely adored reading this, lately I’ve become a complete sucker for the grumpy x sunshine trope so I knew as soon as I heard the premise that I had to read this immediately. And I’m really glad I did as it was everything I could want in a rom-com; endearing protagonists, a sizzling romance that I couldn’t get enough of and a quirky cast of characters who provided a much needed dose of humour during some of the more emotional/intense scenes.
I especially loved the dirty birds who were MARVELLOUSLY entertaining, they’re incorrigible and just a little meddling but I’d honestly do anything to join their book club and get to experience their infectious brand of humour. They really look out for Drew and treat her as one of their own family members—I loved seeing them leap to Drew’s defence when Drew’s estranged father shows up and causes trouble.
I really liked Drew too, and loved how heartfelt and detailed her character development was. She’s a very down to earth character who’s flawed and complex—and her emotional journey surrounding her grief (in loosing her grandmother and her dream career in one fell swoop) was absolutely heartbreaking to watch unfold, fortunately she does have a really supportive group of friends and family (specifically her mum, sister, best friend and the dirty birds) that really made Drew—despite her prickly, pessimistic and guarded personality—incredibly relatable.
Jasper likewise, was a fantastic character and love interest for Drew (and my new favourite book boyfriend.) His kindness, patience and hopeless romantic tendencies made him the perfect (sunshiney) counterpoint to Drew and I genuinely loved the chemistry between them, trust me the sparks start flying pretty much as soon as they meet —not to mention how utterly swoon-worthy all those romantic (and bookish) dates were!
I can’t really say anything more as I fear accidentally spoiling the entire plot but if you love opposites attract, sunshine/ grump or only one bed tropes then I definitely urge you to go pre-order this slow burn, sizzlingly sweet and poignant contemporary romance ASAP!
And a huge thank you to Headline Eternal and Netgalley for the e-arc. -
I loved the concept of the story that for once, the man (Jasper) is portrayed as a hopeless romantic soul and the woman (Drew) is the one who hates books and has ironically inherited her grandma's bookstore! When two completely opposite people meet, will they be able to connect or will they never get their own chance at a happily ever after? You've got to read this book to find out. I loved the side characters that is Drew's mom, sister, bestfriend and her grandma's bestfriends. They were so funny, vibrant and sometimes a bit too meddling. Jasper wanted to change Drew's opinion about books so they form a deal of some sorts which takes them on a new adventure. I liked both Jasper & Drew from the start and Drew's grief over losing her grandma was portrayed very deeply. Though towards the end, her attitude became unreasonable and her behaviour just ruined the ending for me. Though Jasper's patience, care and his perfect romantic thinking made me love them together! Overall, this was a wonderful book but the conflict could've been portrayed a little less dramatically, so in my opinion it was a 3.5 star read.
ARC received in exchange of an honest review -
Drew Young hates books. Always has and she can never imagine that changing. However, some of her fondest memories were spent at her grandmothers book store called the Book Nook. She was very very close to her grandmother, and she misses her now that she has passed away. Something else Drew misses. now is her love of photography. Her grandmother has left the bookstore to her and now this is where Drew must spend most of her time. For years she has also spent time around the shop’s resident book club that included seven old ladies who kept her on her toes. They are still very involved in Drew’s life.
A book signing has been set up by best-selling author Jasper Williams, a guy who Drew really likes on sight. As Jasper is plotting out his next book, he stays in town for a while looking for a Inspiration and he comes up with a plan. If Drew can help him he can teach her what it takes to really love reading. As Drew is a quite accomplished photographer, she knows all of the best places in and around Denver, including white water rafting, mountain climbing, and more.
One thing is clear in this wonderful read by Alexa Martin, Drew and Jasper are very drawn to one another and the more time they spend with each other the more this is made clear. Meanwhile, Drews father is very unhappy with the decision that his mother left the bookstore to Drew and he will do anything he can to get it back, further underlining the fractured relationship the two have always had. while Drew has to deal with her difficult father, she has two very good people on her side and that is her sister and her dearest friend.
With any romance there is conflict and while it is wonderful to see how close Drew and Jasper get, wondering where the shoe will drop in their growing relationship is something that was handled quite well in this book. This made this book of a talented author and a book hater coming together as a beautiful couple despite the hurdles that they faced. As this book is my very first introduction to Alexa Martin, I can say that it was well worth the wait.
Many thanks to Berkley Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please enjoy my YouTube video review -
https://youtu.be/dmrUiOxB134 -
If you enjoyed elements of
Beach Read and
The Dead Romantics, I think this could work for you!
Drew inherits her grandmother's bookstore but she doesn't read or have an affinity for books. Jasper is a renowned romance author staying in Denver to write his next book. The two enter an agreement of convenience if you will, where Drew will show Jasper Denver from the perspective of someone who has explored every corner and Jasper will have Drew read from a list of books he curates for her and take her on themed dates to kindle an appreciation of reading.
The premise has potential, but I'm not a big fan of the writing or execution. I love reading about little moments and gestures but this book would depict something and then immediately follow up with a "this is what just happened and how I feel about it" spiel and it turned me off. I don't want to be told how to feel outright; I prefer to have a book show me instead tell me. The language used was also a turn off for me. I personally don't enjoy when "def" is used in a character's internal monologue, it comes off as informal and as if I was reading a blogpost instead of a book. Then there's all the times we've told Jasper is drop dead gorgeous--it was fine the first time, but it happens every. single. time. he shows up. But he's not given a personality. He's just hot.
This was unfortunately a miss for me. It was charming at times, but the romance didn't convince me and I found the overall story to be underwhelming.
Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
The blurb of this sounded so good and I was super intrigued by it.
The execution was not there. It needed to go back to the drawing board. I feel like the publishers were in a hurry to get this out because it does not work. It might not have been so bad if this was not from the first person POV of the female MC only. It was not a good move. She wasn't likable and she got tedious to listen to real quick.
And the male MC also had no personality. Other than he was a famous writer and SO HOT, we literally know nothing about him. Two dates in and she makes out with him and she doesn't know anything about the guy. It doesn't work.
There are so many contradictions in the book. It doesn't work. I'm exhausted by the book and even writing this review. -
Better Than Fiction is a contemporary romance that takes place in Colorado. It is my sixth book by this author.
The narrator is 20-something Drew Young (female 1st person POV). She hates books, yet has inherited a book store. I sort of loved this. Usually we get a heroine who is sweet and loves to read. I actually liked that Drew was different.
This book resonated with me so much and drew me in right from the start. Drew's Gran died earlier that year. And she was Drew's everything. Having lost my mom earlier this year I could feel Drew's pain. Reading this was therapy.
I absolutely loved Drew's best friend Elsie and I enjoyed Drew's sister Daisy. And the problems with their father added a lot to the story.
I think that my favorite part of the book was The Dirty Birds book club of older ladies that were her Gran's friends. These women were feisty and hilarious. And they really added some levity to the story.
I loved that Drew was a nature photographer. And I really enjoyed the outdoor stuff that she did.
I loved the romance and the surprises toward the end. And I really liked seeing when the title was mentioned in the book.
Overall, this book just made me feel so much!!!! -
Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Better than Fiction by Alexa Martin is a charming bookish book about a woman who inherits a small bookstore from her grandmother. I enjoyed this heartwarming romantic comedy very much.
Story Recap:
Drew Young just inherited her Grandmothers bookshop, The Book Nook. Unfortunately, Drew is not a book lover. Why read the book when the movie is so much better? She remembers how much her Grandmother loved the story and she has wonderful memories of hanging out with her in the store.
Drew encounters a book club that has been around almost as long as the store and the women in the club are interfering and bossy. But, Drew doesn’t mind as they remind her of her Grandmother. Hopeless romantic and bestselling author Jasper Williams comes to The Book Nook for a signing, and when he learns that Drew doesn’t like to read, he makes it his mission to turn her into a bookworm.
My Thoughts:
I loved the concept of a nonreader inheriting a bookstore, and it worked wonderfully in this story. The book club ladies were an added bonus as they added some humor and heart to the story. Jasper is a dream hero, and his love of book and romance really endeared him to me. I enjoyed all the adventures that Drew and Jasper went on, as I’ve been to some of the places they visited.
Drew seems to be a bit of a mess at first, but as the story moves on, I realized that she has so much to give and she became one of my favorite characters. She didn’t need to grow or change, she just needed to realize how to harness the talents that are deep inside her. In the beginning, Drew and Jasper seem very incompatible, but as we learn more about each of these characters, they are much more alike than what it seems in the beginning.
Recommendation:
I highly recommend Better Than Fiction to anyone who enjoys fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. -
I’ll admit, as soon as I saw the cover of this book, I wanted to read it. I didn’t even know what the story was about, but it looked so cute, and I loved the title. Then when I read that it followed a bookstore owner, I was even more eager to read it. I’m glad my instincts didn’t steer me wrong. It’s a charming story with realistic and funny characters, amazing female friendships, and I found a new book boyfriend!
There are so many fabulous characters and relationships in the story, and they’re all relatable. Drew, the protagonist, is interesting and complex, and I related to her in many ways. After her grandmother’s death a year ago, Drew, an aspiring photographer, inherits her bookstore. Though she is not a reader and had no aspirations of owning the store, Drew feels obligated to keep her grandmother’s legacy alive, even if it means putting her own interests and goals aside.
The story has a lot of great messages about grief and moving on after the loss of a loved one. Drew’s grief is still fresh, and she misses her grandmother immensely. The bookstore is her connection to the woman she so desperately misses, and Drew is conflicted between her dreams and fulfilling her grandmother’s legacy. I lost my mother twelve years ago, and I still grieve deeply. Like Drew, I also struggled to define myself after she was gone and always wonder what she would think of my decisions. Am I making her proud? What advice would she give if she were here? How would life be different?
I thought the author showed the effects of loss well. Grief is not linear, and there is no right or wrong way to mourn. It also hits you when you least expect it, which happens to Drew more than once. She never really faced her grief, and there are times in the story when it consumes her. It was really relatable, and I so sympathized with her in these moments. Luckily, Drew has a great support system to help her through everything.
I want to join the Dirty Birds Book Club! These ladies, who were friends with Drew’s grandmother, are fantastic and are long-time staples at the bookstore. They are so fun and funny, and they are more family to Drew than some of her own family members. Drew’s best friend is also fabulous, and their conversations are fantastic. She’s the kind of friend you can trust implicitly, and she’s often the voice of reason in Drew’s life. They have a great bond, and I love how they bust on and tease each other. Even when they argue or do something wrong, there’s never any doubt that they’ll work through it.
Drew has a more tenuous relationship with her sister, and because of her toxic relationship with her father, their connection has never been strong. It’s interesting to see how they deal with the past and all of the things usually left unsaid. I like how the sister’s relationship grows and changes as they talk more and are more open with each other.
Ok – All of those relationships and characters are great, but let’s talk about my new book boyfriend. Jasper Williams, author and hopeless romantic, falls so hard and so fast for Drew, and I was totally there for it! His words and actions are so swoon-worthy! His love of reading, their travels across beautiful Colorado, and his understanding and support of Drew make me question how she resisted him.
If you like opposites-attract love stories, you’ll love Drew and Jasper. He’s a book lover, and she’s a bookstore owner who doesn’t enjoy reading. He believes in love and happily ever after’s, while she is not convinced of either. Drew is guarded and reluctant to get into a relationship, and Jasper is more open and willing to take a risk in love. She’s definitely the grumpy to his sunshine. These opposites have amazing chemistry, and their adventures and conversations are fun, romantic, and sometimes emotional.
A story about love, friendship, grief, healing, and more, Better Than Fiction is an entertaining contemporary romance. I definitely need to read more by Alexa Martin after reading this book! Thanks so much to NetGalley and Berkley Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own. -
2.5 stars
On surface level okay romance I was expecting more with this premise. But it's fast read and I liked exploration of grief theme. -
I’ve read plenty of books where the main character is a book store owner and usually it’s because they love to read but this was my first time reading a book about a bookstore owner who hated reading. So I wasn’t sure what to think about that aspect but it ended up being surprisingly fun actually. I was utterly charmed by this one, between the super swoony Jasper, the gorgeous Colorado setting and the hilarious dirty birds every aspect of this was enjoyable. I also really liked the fact that Jasper was a male romance author and his while he was lovable he wasn’t written in a cheesy way. I think this was an ideal fall romance, so delightful and funny and sexy! I could even see it becoming a series because I would love to see a book about Drew’s sister, Daisy 🤞🏻
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3 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Eternal for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.
The fun-sounding synopsis of this book intrigued me, and I'm a sucker for any romance set in a bookstore, so I had high hopes coming into this read. Unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the mark.
The foundations were there for this to be a great read. Drew, the main protagonist, was working her way through a lot of emotions around the loss of her Grandmother and running the bookshop in her stead at the start of this book, and I was initially intrigued to see where this journey would take her. I enjoyed the friendship between Drew and the Dirty Birds, especially with their meddling ways of setting her up with Jasper. It sounded like this was going to be such a cute read, and whilst it was to some degree, it just failed to reach those heights for me.
I think it comes down to the fact that there was a lot packaged into this world and it wasn't properly developed at times. As Drew's emotions or the storyline fluttered around, as did the intention in the moment. This would have been a clever way to showcase her lack of properly grieving or dealing with her Daddy issues, but it just felt a bit directionless, especially when we'd move from one thing to the next without properly addressing a moment of importance. As this continued, I struggled to form a bond with her as the main protagonist.
The biggest issue though wasn't the story trajectory for me, but the writing style. For starters, Drew is nearing thirty. But her voice is much more juvenile, and frankly unrelatable. She often goes off on tangents, her thoughts are inconsistent, and some of the humour is very misplaced or shared in poor taste (there was an internal remark about Jasper's dad that really stood out to me and made me question why the author put it into this book so casually). Drew feels much younger than the storyline tells us. Again, this is also noticeable with her friend and sister. I honestly thought I was reading a bunch of college-aged women when they got together.
With the grief of losing her Grandmother on top of some really needing to be resolved Daddy issues, it was hard for the romance to have any substantial growth to make it believable. One moment, Jasper and Drew are exploring Colorado together, the next, they're jumping each other like bunnies. There is a lot of telling rather than showing their relationship with multiple chapters starting by jumping three weeks and giving a brief recap that there had been "lots of sex" for the couple. Even in the pinnacle moment of addressing some of her grief, the author insists on letting us know there was lots of sexual activity before moving onto another topic and leaving that grief open-ended. I didn't feel like I was shown enough chemistry between Jasper and Drew to root for them and the conflict to drive them apart was so unnecessary. Jasper as a character, having not gotten much of a fleshed-out version in my head before this point as is, felt sabotaged for the sake of conflict. It was rather disappointing to read.
As critical as my thoughts have been, if this story had been better constructed, I could see how this would make for the really adorable romance I was hoping for. It is a quick and easy read despite my thoughts, and I can see how it could appeal to other romance readers. But with the heaviness of self-discovery being poorly handled, and the writing style as it were, I can say I just wasn't the right reader for this book. -
I'm swooning as I write, because BETTER THAN FICTION involves a young woman, Drew, who inherits her grandmother's bookshop, and meets bestselling author, Jasper, there. When he learns she's not a bibliophile, he takes her under his literary wing and into his heart as she squires him around Colorado, my fav place in the world.
I felt I was back in the Mile High City as I read, browsing through a beloved bookstore while falling in love amidst the mountains and vast azure sky. BETTER THAN FICTION is a compelling read for lovers of all things literary, heartwarming romance, and the astonishing American West. Highly recommended! -
You can’t judge a book by its cover. Just ask Drew Young, a self proclaimed
non-reader, despite growing up around books her entire life. In fact, spending a lot of time hanging out in her grandmother’s bookstore, the Book Nook only served as a reminder that the happy endings which occur in works of fiction never actually occur in real life.
Then Drew’s grandmother passes away, leaving Drew not only feeling devastated, but reluctantly in charge of the beloved bookstore. For someone who doesn’t like books or being tied down, this inheritance feels overwhelming. But if there’s one thing Drew loves more than her freedom it was her grandmother. So she decides to stick around, begrudgingly dealing with difficult relatives and well intentioned friends, placing a bookmark in the life she intended to live.
The plot thickens one day when famous author, Jasper Williams leads a book signing at the store. Needless to say, the handsome writer leaves his romance readers swooning in more ways than one. With a strong desire to keep things professional, Drew tries to keep her distance. But when her grandmother’s meddlesome friends throw Drew and Jasper together in the name of “book research”, how can Drew say no?
The aptly titled, Better Than Fiction was an easy to read romance novel with a dash of tribute to the book lover’s heart. While I tend to prefer more banter and burn in my romances, there was still plenty to make your typical romance reader rejoice. It was hard getting past Drew being a heroine in a book about books who didn’t like to read. That being said, it made the story more unique (even though I did want the deets on the titles Jasper suggested!)!
One more thing that stood out to me was the frequent mention of eyebrows. Sometimes one was raised, other times furrowed, etc. Either way, the total eyebrow mention count landed at 16. This information is apropos of nothing, but I felt a burning desire to share it nonetheless. 😉 -
I thought this was going to be cute, but this is one of those romances where "everything goes wrong and it's adorable".
I HATE this trope with a passion. I don't think it's romantic when almost every activity or experience goes wrong. There was also the "car trouble" trope, TWICE, in this book and during one of the car trouble scenes, the mechanic says something to Drew about her car and her inner dialogue is something like "my heart has dropped to my feet and I feel like I'm going to be sick". Really? Like really? Over your car that you already know is old and in bad condition? She was just a very dramatic character to read, and sometimes her behavior was justified, but there was a lot of unnecessary emotion and reaction from her.
On the other hand, Jasper, has NO personality. The only thing is that he's nice, and he's an author. That's it. Oh and of course, he's attractive. So attractive that apparently every female in every room, from teenagers to old ladies, are swooning over him to the point where they forget they're on planet earth. I also really hate this trope, I get it he's attractive and our MC obviously finds him attractive, but it's just a bit much you know?
What I did love was the depiction of grief. Drew grieves her grandmother and you can tell that this author knows what grief is and how it feels. Since I've been grieving my father for almost 2 years now, I'm very familiar with parental grief and I appreciate the author's attention to detail with it.
Otherwise I don't recommend this book, unless you love Emily Henry, you might enjoy this! -
This is the most cringe book I have ever read.
I did not like the relationship. At. All.
I liked the parts where the relationship wasn't the focus...like the grief of loss and toxic parental relationship. But the love story was just irritating for a reason I can't quite put my finger on. I think it's just the writing. It's so unbearable. Just cringe personified. Too cutsy funny jokey blechhhh.
It's very annoying how much the main character keeps referring to herself as a mess 🙄 like you have a lot going for you... just because you don't have a relationship dosnt make u a mess?????" Hot mess girl summer" ughhhhhhh
Also the fawning over this guy js really annoying like its just instant and over the top there's no slow burn or getting to know him or anything it's just boom. Instalove.
Also why are we still saying "I released the breath I didn't know I was holding"....it's 2022. -
3.5 stars. Better Than Fiction is a super cute romance between a heroine who inherits a bookshop but doesn’t read and a romance author hero! I grabbed the audio of this from the library and it was a delight!
Drew inherits her Gran’s bookstore, the Book Nook, after her Gran passes away. Drew was a travel photographer before and never really into books or reading, so she’s a little beside herself with trying to figure out how to manage the bookstore. But she wants to keep it going since it is her last connection to her beloved grandmother. The local book club ladies, known as the Dirty Birds, end up playing matchmaker and setting Drew up with Jasper Williams, a romance author they’re obsessed with! Jasper stops in at the bookstore one day for the book club and to sign books and when Drew finds out he wants to do some research while in Denver for his new book project, she finds herself playing tour guide for him. Jasper asks Drew to be his travel guide and show him around Denver and he says in exchange he’ll make her into a book lover and even gives her a list of books that will pair into the activities they do/see together.
I always have fun reading books about book lovers or bookshop owners so this was a fun one since the bookstore owner didn’t enjoy reading. I liked the setting in Colorado and how the hero was the hopeless romantic. This is only told from the heroine’s POV, so it would have been nice to see some of his thoughts but I get why it wasn’t shared too. Drew has a complicated relationship with her father, and I liked seeing her relationship grow with her half sister Daisy, who is 5 years younger and surprises Drew one day by showing up. This was a good blend of character growth and a sweet romance too. -
This is a very light cute little rom-com that, for me, is the most likeable of Alexa Martin’s books. The story is simple and cute but also predictable and cheesy. It was fun to breeze through it, skimmed some of the sections, and Elsie, the best friend, was my favorite. There was no depth at all to the male main character but he was a super hot author of romance novels so that’s probably all that was necessary here. It was okay. I’m not going to overthink it.
