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Book 43 - A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

I LOVED the Dead Romantics and I really liked The Seven Year Slip. This book was a little bit of a let down for me, because of how much I enjoyed her previous books. It’s all relative, and it wasn’t a bad book, but it felt somewhat lacking to me. It’s 3.5 stars, rounded up because I like the poetic nature of her writing. 

Eileen “Elsy” Merriweather has retreated from life as she nurses a heartbreak. She opts to take a trip to cabin and on the way her car breaks down in a tiny town. She soon realizes the town she’s in is Eloraton, the setting of her favorite romance novels. The series was never finished due to the tragic death of the author. She meets her favorite characters from the book, and for the first time in a long time she feels joy. She also meets a curmudgeonly bookstore owner, Anders, who she doesn’t recognize from the series. Her presence seems to be changing the town, and Anders tries to keep those ripples to a minimum. 

It’s a very bookish book, which I usually enjoy, but this felt like it was trying too hard. I didn’t completely feel the chemistry between Elsy and Anders. I figured out who Anders was to Eloraton part way through the book, and the fact that he didn’t tell (fairly benign spoiler ahead) her before they were intimate gave me the ick. The was some touching parts to the book, but overall it was just ok. I’d still read more books by Ashley Poston. (7.5)


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