Have you ever wanted to slip in between the pages of your favorite book? To find yourself living in the city, town, village, or whatever setting is there? Have you wanted to meet the characters who you have come to think of as dear friends–to finally meet your fated “book boyfriend?” That is exactly what happens to Elsy in A NOVEL LOVE STORY by Ashley Poston.

When Elsy’s book group friends can’t make their annual reading retreat to upstate New York, Elsy decides to go on her own. With her favorite books, comfortable clothes, and boxed wine packed into her (somewhat) trusty vehicle, she heads north, eager for the time to recharge. But a rainstorm somehow gets her off track. After narrowly missing a pedestrian in the road, Elsy takes shelter in the nearby pub…and begins to think that everything here is just a little too familiar.

Elsy and her book group friends have never found a satisfying conclusion to their favorite romance series; the author tragically passed away before finishing the final story. Now, Elsy finds herself in Quixotic Falls, interacting with the characters she has loved for so long and trying to figure out how all of their stories end. But the biggest question soon becomes: does Elsy truly want to leave this charming fictional town?

A NOVEL LOVE STORY felt a little slow to me at first and took me a little by surprise in that odd way when you feel like you’ve begun in the middle rather than the beginning of a story. After finishing the book and spending some time reflecting on the story, though, I think my experience as a reader mirrors Elsy’s experience after crossing over the one and only bridge into (and out of) Quixotic Falls. The confusion, the odd sensation of not knowing what’s going on, and the conflicting desire to both go and stay all at once are all things Elsy is feeling. Ultimately, the experience is one of self-discovery and healing (for the character and this reader) and one that I hold warm feelings for. A NOVEL LOVE STORY is heartbreaking, amusing, witty, and bright.

I sincerely thank NetGalley and the publisher, Berkley, for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions. A NOVEL LOVE STORY will be published on June 25, 2024.