★★★★★ 4
Surprisingly Deep and Heartfelt
Format: Paperback
At first, when i started this book, i didn’t quite know how to feel about it.
It’s pretty slow in the beginning, about 30 percent is just them being “hateful” towards each other while actively not trying to acknowledge the obvious physical and emotional chemistry between them.
The more and more i flipped the pages, the more i fell in love!!
Ryan is the epitome of the best book boyfriend you could imagine.
He’s patient, kind and thoughtful.
Although, at times, i thought he and Josie both were too judgmental of each other and what the other enjoyed to spend their free time reading.
So what, he reads romance?
And so what, she doesn’t read romance?
But as we get deeper into their story, we realize they each had their own reasons for having their opinions.
This story was surprisingly very insightful, loving and deep.
Not too deep to where you’re contemplating your life choices, but deep in the sense that you will be thinking about these characters and their abilities to over come trauma and presumptions about themselves and their careers.
With that being said, i think that Ryans employees, specifically indira, were way too judgmental.
They saw for themselves how Ryan also treated Josie, and he typically was more rude to her than she was to him.
Especially being women, reading romance and working at a romance store, they should know how it feels for people to be prejudice about a Genre they enjoy, and should be mindful and have told Ryan to be kinder.
That being said…at times Josie was, i will say, a prude.
Especially in the scene where ryan had her read “beach read” by Emily Henry Aloud and she texted RJ and said that women and men dont have intimate moments like that IRL. She was almost disgusted at the idea of having good, respectful and yet “mind blowing” s3x. I thought it was childish of her, honestly.
You’re 30. Grow up.
Georgia, her sister, was also too almoy judgmental of Josie and her trauma growing up with their mother. Especially for someone who was becoming a psychiatrist. She didn’t seem to take into account the things she dint see growing up, because Josie spent her time shielding her and protecting her from all the chaos.
Other than that, that was the only few times this book pissed me off.
All in all i’d give it a 4.5 out of ten!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2025