
The Book:
Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin
Published: November 8, 2022 by Berkley
Date read: January 9, 2025
The Characters:
Drew and Jasper
Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon
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The Plot (from Goodreads):
As a self-proclaimed book hater and a firm believer that the movie is always better, Drew Young didn’t anticipate inheriting her grandma’s bookstore, the Book Nook. She’s in way over her head even before the shop’s resident book club, comprising seven of the naughtiest old ladies ever, begin to do what they do best–meddle.
Bestselling author Jasper Williams is a hopeless romantic. When he meets Drew at his Book Nook signing event, he becomes determined to show her the beauty of reading. He curates a book bucket list in exchange for her help exploring the local Denver scene for his current manuscript. From river rafting to local restaurants, Drew begins to connect with Jasper in a way she only thought happened in fiction.
When messy family ties jeopardize the future of the Book Nook, Drew is caught between a bookshelf and a hard place. She’s reminded that real life isn’t always big dreams and sweeping romance. But Jasper is the plot twist she never saw coming and he’s writing a happily ever after just for them.
My Review:
Starting my #backlistbooks25 challenge off early and strong! I didn’t finish last year so I’m highly motivated to read them all this year.
Why did I think this was YA? I think that’s the whole reason it sat on my TBR shelf for so long!
Better Than Fiction is not YA, and definitely didn’t deserve to languish for as long as it did. I adore books about bookstores and bookshop owners, and this was no exception!
Drew’s growth throughout this book was so much fun to read about. I was rooting for her to figure out a way to get back the life she loved while still keeping the Book Nook! I loved the “twist” when she spoke to her grandmother’s lawyer. Jasper was a sweetie, but I felt that I didn’t know much about him since this was single-POV.
Ourey is my favorite small town in the US. I was hoping Drew would take Jasper there and I was happily proved right! I’m sad that’s where their third-act breakup happened, but if you ever get the chance to visit, you certainly should.
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