A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston Book Review
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston has one of the best premises I have ever encountered but always imagined. The main heroine is in a small town from her favorite book series.
- Eileen Merriweather’s engagement broke off a week before the wedding. A professor of literature finds her escape in fictional stories.
- She is a part of a book club that meets annually in a cabin. Since club members can’t travel, she decides to go by herself. Her only plan is to eat junk and get lost between the pages of her favorite romance series.
- The plot twist: her car breaks down in a small town from her favorite book series. Soon, she starts to talk to her favorite characters and get involved in their lives. The only anomaly is a grumpy bookstore owner who isn’t part of the story.
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston Publisher Description
A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction…literally, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Year Slip and The Dead Romantics.
Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.
But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…
Because it is.
This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.
Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.
Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.
Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own
A Novel Love Story Review
Imagine driving on vacation and your car broke down in your favorite fictional small-town romance series. Ohhh the dream. This story by description had everything, a perfect setting, a funny heroine, and a grumpy bookstore owner. So, I was so disappointed when it fell flat for me.
Firstly, the writing is gorgeous. Ashley Postone writes perfect poetic prose. Her writing is incredibly detailed and descriptive. Postpone’s detailed descriptions are most noticeable when describing the story setting or surroundings.
Secondly, the beginning of the book is gripping. I got so excited when I started the story and felt like I was about to have a five-star read. The pacing was incredible, and the characters were relatable and funny.
However, after Eileen spends a few days in Eloraton, the story becomes overly repetitive and feels like it’s dragging.
Lastly, the balance between magic and realism is exquisite. Ashley Postone never describes how her magic works. And while reading, I was not troubled by it. The same is the case in her previous book, The Seven-Year Slip.
A Novel Love Story Conclusion
The Biggest problem in A Novel Love Story is love story. Or, more accurately, the lack of it. The romance feels unnatural and forced. There is no chemistry or connection between love and interest.
Dialog between them is good, but I could not feel the connection they supposedly have. The love interest, Anderson, didn’t have any personality. He was grumpy, handsome, and rude to Elsy. And that’s it. Eileen or Elsy describes him numerous times as attentive. But, without her telling me he is, I would never describe him as that.
The good part of this book is the message the author tries to send. It is about the importance of moving on while, at the same time, we seek solace in fictional worlds to cope.
I would still recommend this book. Despite some minor dislikes, it is an enjoyable read. Just keep in mind that this reads more as literary fiction than romance.
“SOMETIMES, A BOOK CAN change your life. It’s hard to explain that to someone who doesn’t read, or who has never felt their heart bend so strongly toward a story that it might just snap in two. Some books are a comfort, some a reprieve, others a vacation, a lesson, a heartbreak.”
― Ashley Poston, A Novel Love Story
Read if you like:
- Relaxing and fun books with a unique magical realism premise
- Self-exploration storyline
- Romance as a subplot
Books like A Novel Love Story
About Ashley Poston
Ashley Poston is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of The Dead Romantics, The Seven Year Slip, and A Novel Love Story. She has also written over half a dozen young adult novels.
After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a BA in English, she pursued a marketing design career in the publishing industry before deciding to write full-time. She bides her time between South Carolina and New York, and all the bookstores between.
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