From the publisher:
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.A LibraryReads Pick
“Cleverly riffing on “You’ve Got Mail” and “The Little Shop around the Corner”, Brady, the pseudonym for Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey, fashions another fun, flirty, and fiercely romantic love story about a literary-fiction reader and a romance devotee falling in love. This also serves as a beautifully written paean to the magic of bookstores, the power of romance novels, and the joy of reading.” —Booklist (STARRED)
https://amzn.to/4kWRBKI
This is a sweet, spicy, and utterly bookish rom-com that gives strong You’ve Got Mail vibes—in the best possible way. When Josie, the manager of a serious literature-focused bookstore, and Ryan, the charming owner of a romance-only bookshop, find themselves competing for the same promotion, sparks fly. Their boss decides to merge their stores, forcing these polar opposites into a rivalry that soon evolves into something much more complicated—and much hotter.
One of my favorite parts of the story is the anonymous forum friendship subplot. Having a secret online confidante to vent about work chaos, especially when your new boss pits you against your rival, adds such a fun twist—and even more tension when identities start to come into focus. At first, I thought the setup was a little far-fetched, but Brady makes it all work with surprising finesse. The story develops with heart, humor, and a deep love for books. The inclusion of real authors, bookish references, review culture, and spicy risqué book nights makes the setting feel rich and fun.
Ryan and Josie both carry emotional weight from their pasts, and their relationship progresses in a believable, rewarding way—from reluctant co-workers to reluctant allies to something deeper. I appreciated how their connection grows through shared work challenges and a mutual passion for reading. Ryan, in particular, is adorable, emotionally in-tune, romance-obsessed, and definitely written to make readers swoon.
While I had a bit of a rocky start getting used to the writing style, the story eventually found its rhythm. Readers less familiar with bookish acronyms might feel a little lost at times, but overall, the pacing and flow work well.
This is a fun, slow-burn, opposites-attract, “he falls first” romance that celebrates books, bookstores, and the people who love them. It’s both sweet and a little steamy, with enough charm to satisfy fans of both romance and women’s fiction.
6/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
BATTLE OF THE BOOKSTORES by Ali Brady. Berkley (June 3, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593640845. 432p.
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