Better Than Fiction
By: Alexa Martin
Published Year: 2022
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 336
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.
Summary (Provided by 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.
First Impressions
As a book lover, I tend to be a sucker for book themed books. I was intrigued by this one because the main character owned a bookstore but didn’t love books. I’ve read one previous book by Martin and enjoyed it, so when I was offered the chance to read this one I quickly agreed. I also love the cover.
What I thought
I feel like I’ve been on a roll with good books lately!
Drew’s grandmother owned a bookstore. After she died, she left it to Drew in her will. The only problem is that Drew doesn’t love books. She loves her grandma though and decides to keep the store and run it in her honor. When her grandmother’s book club invites a super hot romance author to the store, she’s intrigued but know it will never work. Until he asks her to be his tour guide in Colorado and challenges her to read books of his choosing.
This book made me want to visit Colorado. It also makes me want to explore more small bookstores. Drew isn’t just dealing with grief and romance, but also a lot of family drama. Her dad, who left their family when she was young, is an absolute jerk.
In the acknowledgements, Martin mentions that she wrote this book after losing her mom. I think that the way Drew deals with grief in this book is relatable and realistic and I could tell that it was written by someone who had experienced it. This book was such a nice balance between all types of relationships. While the romantic relationship is still the biggest focus, I always love when romance novels also have solid friendships and family relationships. This book also added in a lot of grandmotherly relationships with Drew’s grandma’s friends.
In addition to being a sucker for books, I’m also a sucker for travel. This book balanced these two loves of mine perfectly. Also, Jasper is the perfect book boyfriend. He is everything that any woman would ask for and I immediately fell in love with him. I appreciated that Drew’s friend Elsie helped to combat some of the typical romance tropes too. It added some fun dimension to the story.
Even though this book wasn’t a mystery, I found I couldn’t put it down. I kept looking forward to the next time I got to pick it up and fall back into the world of Drew, Jasper, and The Book Nook. I wish I could travel there and fully immerse myself in this world. I enjoyed this book much more than Martin’s other book that I read and now I was to go back and read some more. This book is one I feel like I could’ve seen myself writing and I related to the voice and a lot of little quirks in the book, such as the pop culture mentions without being named. Highly recommend.