“A Novel Love Story” – A Youthful Critical Review
OMG y’all, I just finished Ashley Poston’s “A Novel Love Story” and I have SO MANY THOUGHTS about it! Like, this book literally took me on an emotional rollercoaster that I wasn’t prepared for??
So the basic plot is about this woman Eileen who’s super into romance books (relatable) and is trying to get over being left at the altar (ouch) by going to her book club retreat. But then her car breaks down and she ends up in this cute little town called Eloraton which turns out to be from her favorite romance series?! Like, she’s literally INSIDE a book! How crazy is that concept?!
First off, I gotta say the premise is actually super creative and cool. It’s giving major meta vibes, and as someone who spends way too much time wishing I could live inside my favorite books, I was immediately hooked. The whole “trapped in an unfinished story” thing is such a unique take on the portal fantasy trope that’s been done like a million times before.
The worldbuilding of Eloraton is honestly the best part of the book. Poston creates this adorable town with all these little details like how the candy store always has perfect honey taffy and the burgers at the local bar are always slightly burnt. It feels so cozy and magical without being over-the-top fantasy. It’s like if Gilmore Girls’ Stars Hollow and Schitt’s Creek had a baby that was raised by romance novels.
BUT (and this is a big but), I had some major issues with the execution. The main character Eileen is kinda frustrating sometimes?? Like, she’s supposed to be this big romance expert but she’s SO oblivious about her own love story unfolding. There were moments when I was literally yelling at my book like “GIRL, HE’S OBVIOUSLY INTO YOU!” Also, she makes some decisions that made zero sense to me, especially toward the end.
And can we talk about the grumpy bookstore owner with the “irritatingly sexy mouth” (lol what does that even mean)? He’s basically a checklist of romance tropes – grumpy, green eyes, loves books, mysterious past, doesn’t want to fall in love but obviously will. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for the grumpy/sunshine trope, but he felt a little too formulaic at times. Though I did appreciate that he had actual reasons for being grumpy instead of just being a jerk for no reason.
The pacing was also kind of all over the place? The first half of the book moves super slow as Eileen explores the town and meets everyone, but then the second half rushes through some MAJOR plot developments. The ending especially felt rushed, like Poston had a word count limit and suddenly realized she needed to wrap everything up.
There’s also this whole subplot about the “rules” of being in a book world that felt inconsistent? Sometimes things would happen a certain way because “that’s how it was written” but other times characters could just do whatever they wanted. I wish Poston had spent more time establishing clear rules for how this fictional world works.
That said, there were parts that were genuinely emotional and touching. There’s this one scene where Eileen realizes something about why she loves romance novels so much that actually made me tear up a little (and I’m NOT a crier!). And the chemistry between her and Mr. Grumpy Bookstore Owner does get pretty steamy in places, even if some of the dialogue made me cringe.
The audiobook narrator Dorothy Dillingham Blue did a pretty good job with the material, though her male voices all sounded kinda the same to me. But she nailed Eileen’s emotional moments and made the town feel alive with distinct voices for all the side characters.
Overall, I’d give “A Novel Love Story” 3.5 out of 5 stars. It’s a fun concept with some genuinely touching moments and a cozy setting that makes you want to crawl inside and stay forever. But it’s held back by pacing issues, some underdeveloped ideas, and occasionally frustrating character decisions.
If your looking for a meta romance that plays with the idea of fiction vs reality and don’t mind some plot convenience along the way, you’ll probably enjoy this! Just don’t expect it to be as groundbreaking as the premise suggests. It’s more of a comfort read than a mind-blowing literary experience.
And tbh, after reading this I’m definitely curious about Poston’s other books like “The Seven Year Slip” and “The Dead Romantics” because despite my issues with this one, there’s something about her writing style that kept me turning pages even when I was annoyed. Anyone read those and can tell me if there worth checking out???
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