It Started with a Book by Camilla Isley - Book Review - Blog Tour

Publication Date: 05^th July 2024

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/startedbooksocial

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209203155-it-started-with-a-book

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Magic Realism (of sorts)

3.7 Stars

One Liner: Go with the flow and enjoy!

Book Blurb:

Lose yourself in Lakeville Hills in this gorgeous new romance from bestselling author Camilla Isley...

When she’s ghosted by yet another Tinder match, Leighton swears off dating for life. Who needs apps and blind dates when she has the perfect-in-every-way (apart from being fictional) heroes of her beloved romance novels?

That night Leigh finds a second-hand book on her TBR pile, which transports her to the small-town of Lakeville Hills, where the heroines wear shorty-shorts and the men drink bourbon. And as Leigh drifts off to sleep, she dreams of billionaire cowboy Killian St Clair, who could win a gold medal for smouldering and bicep flexing.

For a while, Leigh finds it easier to stomach misogynistic supervisors, newly coupled friends, and extravagant bridesmaid duties knowing she can return to Lakeville Hills each evening. Until one day, she wakes up to find she’s brought a bit of Lakeville Hills back with her: the impossible sexy and entirely implausible Killian St Clair is in her apartment.

Now Leigh must help Killian navigate the real world. But as she gets to know the man behind the trope, can she keep her heart safe, or does she risk falling in love with her book boyfriend in real life?

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My Thoughts:

The story comes in Leigh’s first-person POV.

This is the kind of book where you have to go with the flow and forget logic. Its premise makes it clear. I was willing, and quite enjoyed the ride.

Humor is seamlessly woven into the narrative, making this a light-hearted read even when the scenes deal with misogyny, etc. The couples' wisdom quotes are hilarious.

Not sure if it is a new trend, but many romcoms seem to be ‘talking’ about the tropes in the plot.  Love Story and The Love of My Afterlife had the same. This book also has the characters discussing and jokes about the tropes in their lives. It makes sense given the character arcs, so it was fun.

The book is sexy but not that steamy. When it comes to the scenes, it goes fade to black. Since it has quite a few dream sequences, we get enough time to see the main characters connect and know more about each other.

Though we get only Leigh’s POV, it is easy to see Killian’s side. He is open about his feelings most of the time. Though he is the alpha male, he is also a cinnamon roll. A nice package by all means!

The beginning is slow (until about 30%) but it picks up a steady pace afterward. There really isn’t a third-act breakup, though there is a small fight and a patch-up real soon.

Given the premise, there are a few missing (logical) details. But answering those would be risky and could mess up the whole plot, so things are left the way they are. In short, this needs the suspension of belief.

To summarize, It Started with a Book is a light and funny read about dreams coming true and book boyfriends becoming real. Well, I sure wouldn’t mind this happening (are you listening, guardian angels).

Thank you, Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley 

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About the Author – Camilla Isley

Camilla is an engineer who left science behind to enter the whimsical realm of romantic fiction.

She writes contemporary rom-coms. Her characters have big hearts, might be a little stubborn at times, and love to banter with each other. Every story she pens has a guaranteed HEA that will make your heart beat faster. Unless you're a vampire, of course.

Camilla is a cat lover, coffee addict, and shoe hoarder. Besides writing, she loves reading—duh!—cooking, watching bad TV, and going to the movies—popcorn, please. She's a bit of a foodie, nothing too serious. A keen traveller, Camilla knows mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, and she doesn't want to starve all those frog princes out there, but she could really live without them.

Follow the Author –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camillaisley

Twitter: https://twitter.com/camillaisley

Instagram: Camilla Isley (@camillaisley) • Instagram photos and videos

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/CamillaIsleyNews

Bookbub Profile: Camilla Isley Books - BookBub

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This has been a stop on the #ItStartedWithABook blog tour by Rachel's Random Resources. (@rararesources) Thanks for stopping by!