Publication Date: 04th July 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Enjoyable as always but need an epilogue!
Sophie Taylor is a small-town elementary school teacher with popular figures as parents. Not just that, she is the mysterious Este Cox, the author of Butterflies, a book flying off the shelves faster than it can be printed.
Joe Walsh is arrogant, annoying, overconfident, and way too handsome to be a good man. However, sparks fly between the two and intensify when they meet again.
Sophie needs help when her bag with her laptop and the latest manuscript is lost. But is Joe the man to help her or will he take advantage of her situation? Let’s find out!
The story comes in Sophie’s first-person POV.
My Thoughts:
I was excited when I got a widget for the author’s latest book. While I have a few teeny issues with some aspects, no denying that I enjoy her works. And look at that cover. Isn’t it pretty?
NGL, I was a bit surprised when the MMC entered the story right in the first chapter. I also forgot the premise and spent a while wondering if he was the one or not, lol. A quick look at the blurb cleared things up.
As you can guess from the premise, this is an enemies-to-lovers trope with insta-love thrown into the mix. There’s no pretense about it, though. It starts as insta-lust which makes sense given how handsome the guy is. *swoon*
The book deftly deals with the bias against romance (never mind that it is one of the bestselling genres). The conversations are scattered throughout the book and raise many points I cheered for. I came across this post on Facebook, which aligns with what the book discusses.
Considering the FMC’s family background, many authors get a mention. It can be a wee excessive for some readers. The names can get too many at times.
The writing has a lot of humor, something the author does with ease. It is fun reading and chuckling at the banter between different characters.
The side characters are distinct and do their bit to keep the story flowing. Charlotte is what we call a chota packet bada dhamaka (small in size but a huge impact). She brings a lot of drama and laughter to the plot.
There’s one scene that is uncomfortable but is presented with a humorous touch. Just saying that if the roles were reversed, it would never be funny. At least, there’s an acknowledgment that it is not supposed to be funny, so that’s something.
There is a dreaded third-act breakup, which did leave me with mixed feelings. I’m not a fan of this trope and feel it could have been better with an epilogue. This brings me to the next point – why is there no epilogue?
When the book advocates the importance of romance reads, it makes sense to have an epilogue and provide readers with the full satisfaction of seeing the characters get their HEA. And if the author hates epilogues, why not extend the last scene to another page and let the happiness sink in. Some of us are fast readers. It doesn’t work well if the book ends before we fully feel the lead couple getting back together. Give us a little something to enjoy and then end the book. Ugh!
The book has some spice but not as much as I expected. Somehow, the main scenes fade out despite it being (or supposed to be) an open door. So, I’d put it around steam level 2.
To summarize, Love Story is an enjoyable read with many lighthearted moments and some emotional ones. It makes a strong case for the romance genre without shoving the theme into the readers’ faces. Naturally, I’m ready for the next book by the author.
Thank you, Vicky Joss, NetGalley, and HarperCollinsUK, for eARC.
#NetGalley #LoveStory
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