When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author’s prickly son… until their story becomes one for the books, from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.
LOVE AT FIRST BOOK by JENN MCKINLAY
Series: n/a
Publication date: May 14, 2024
Published by: Berkley
Genre: contemporary romance
SYNOPSIS
When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author’s prickly son… until their story becomes one for the books, from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading .
Emily Allen, a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard, has always dreamed of a life of travel and adventure. So when her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, offers her a job in the Emerald Isle, Emily jumps at the opportunity. After all, Siobhan’s novels got Em through some of the darkest days of her existence.
Helping Siobhan write the final book in her acclaimed series—after a ten-year hiatus due to a scorching case of writer’s block—is a dream come true for Emily. If only she didn’t have to deal with Siobhan’s son, Kieran Murphy. He manages Siobhan’s bookstore, and the grouchy bookworm clearly doesn’t want Em around.
When Siobhan’s health takes a bad turn, she’s more determined than ever to finish her novel, while Kieran tries every trick in the book to get his mother to rest. Thrown into the role of peacemaker, Emily begins to see that Kieran's heart is in the right place. Torn between helping Siobhan find closure with her series and her own growing feelings for the mercurial Irishman, Emily will have to decide if she’s truly ready to turn a new page and figure out what lies in the next chapter.
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Praise for Love at First Book:
"Hilarious, deeply emotional, and brimming with swoon-worthy passion, this is an enemies-to-lovers tale that every romance reader should have the pleasure of enjoying at least once in their lives. Dazzlingly fabulous!”
—Holly Cassidy, author of The Christmas Wager
"Whimsically wonderful and wryly witty…. This is a swoon-worthy romance that has not only a great deal to say about self-love, forgiveness, and the importance of living in the moment but also celebrates the undeniable magic of books and the important place they hold in a reader’s life."
—Booklist (starred review)
"A cleverly written forced proximity romance for book lovers."
—Kirkus Reviews
"The ultimate bookish romance! With the endlessly charming backdrop of a cozy bookshop in the idyllic Irish countryside, a wholly lovable supporting cast, and several heartstring-pulling subplots, Love at First Book is the perfect escape for any romance fan."
—Nicolas DiDomizio, author of Nearlywed
"Love at First Book is so tender-hearted, and I couldn’t help but root for Kier and Red! A delight for book lovers and anyone who loves to armchair travel, I couldn’t love this novel more! The setting in Ireland was an escapist dream. I read it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down!"
—Jamie Varon, author of Main Character Energy
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jenn is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series. She is also the winner of the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for romantic comedy and the Fresh Fiction award for best cozy mystery. A TEDx speaker, she is always happy to talk books, writing, reading, and the creative process to anyone who cares to listen. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with books, pets, and her husband’s guitars.
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REVIEW
Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlayI have a personal rule: if a book manages to make me cry, then it gets an automatic five stars. Which is why I am giving this book an enthusiastic five stars with zero hesitation. A story has to really reach your heart in order to bring on a physical, emotional reaction. What elevated this book to another level was the fact that not only was it a deep-diving, emotional story, it managed to give the feel of a lighthearted rom-com at the same time.
Within the first few pages, I immediately connected to Emily. She's a romantic dreamer, a book lover, and occasionally a bit socially awkward. Her inner dialogue was often a funny daydream or a connection between her current situation and something in classic literature.
His brow was furrowed and his mouthturned down in the corners.I was struck by how much heresembled the Fitzwilliam Darcyof my imagination from Jane Austen’sPride and Prejudice,a favorite novel of mine. Oh, yes,I was a hardcore Mr. Darcy fangirl.
Her anxiety and insecurities produced a hilarious meet cute with the hero who happens to also be her new boss. Judging by the synopsis, I was imagining an enemies-to-lovers trope, but I wouldn't exactly call them enemies. Kieran was unwelcoming, sure, but his animosity was shown and explained in a way that made you understand his reasoning behind it. One of the big problems I tend to see with this trope is that the animosity/rivalry is written in a way that their behavior or attitudes make no sense. Their anger feels very contrived and surface level in order to present them as enemies. She never really, truly dislikes Kier, she is upset that he's trying to drive her away and that he uses underhanded tactics in order to do so, but she's crushing hard from minute one. On his side, he may be a bit of a jerk early on, but there are subtle hints that he thinks she's cute and that he respects her intelligence and backbone. Their shared encyclopedic minds filled with infinite book quotes is something that he can't help but challenge her with. He is constantly surprised and impressed with her ability to match his knowledge of books. I really loved that about these two.
Kier is a protective son whose only concern about Emily's job assisting his mother is that her health will suffer again if she becomes too focused on writing again. After a 10 year writing hiatus, Siobhan wants to write the long awaited conclusion to her bestselling series, but a horrible case of writer's block has prevented her from doing so. After receiving an inspiring letter from Emily, she invited her there to help her find her passion for writing again. As much as I loved Emily and Kier's combative/cute connection, I loved Emily and Siobhan's equally so. What really touched me was the deep friendship that developed between them in a short amount of time that Emily so desperately needed. She became a loving mother figure that she had never had and it was wonderful to see her blossom under Siobhan's sass and affection for her.
Kier is a protective son whose only concern about Emily's job assisting his mother is that her health will suffer again if she becomes too focused on writing again. After a 10 year writing hiatus, Siobhan wants to write the long awaited conclusion to her bestselling series, but a horrible case of writer's block has prevented her from doing so. After receiving an inspiring letter from Emily, she invited her there to help her find her passion for writing again. As much as I loved Emily and Kier's combative/cute connection, I loved Emily and Siobhan's equally so. What really touched me was the deep friendship that developed between them in a short amount of time that Emily so desperately needed. She became a loving mother figure that she had never had and it was wonderful to see her blossom under Siobhan's sass and affection for her.
It struck me that ever since I’d arrivedSiobhan had shown me more maternal affectionand kindness than my own mother had inmy entire life. Siobhan always listened to mewhen I spoke, she asked questionsabout me and my life, and she . . . cared.
Emily is still dealing with insecurities and issues with hypochondria because of her mom's manipulative control and verbal abuse. Through therapy, she's much better, but she desperately needed more people in her life to give her positive affirmations and care. Kier's mother gives that to her, but the small town as a whole gives her a feeling of home and family that was beautiful to read.
Finn's Hollow was a quaint small town in Ireland that was described to perfection. The small town was so picturesque that you could imagine yourself there along with Emily, exploring and seeing exciting new places with new friends. You can tell when a book has been well researched based on the descriptions of food, clothing, locations, and the culture in general. Without a doubt, the author did her homework because it shows without feeling too wordy. As well, I found the writing to be beautifully heartfelt in the most unexpected moments.
They smiled at each other and it was such a lookof pure affection and devotion that I found myselfsmiling as well, as if they’re love for each otherincluded me just because I was there to bask in it.
The ending really hit me in the feels. Some of it was bittersweet, but Kier and Siobhan's complex mother-son relationship was closely tied to her last book. The lingering resentment that he held for her writing tied into painful memories from his past. They both needed to make peace with some traumatic events and Emily helped bridge the gap between them. Just as Emily found comfort and peace in Finn's Hollow, she helped to bring the same to the new people in her life she had come to love. None of the characters were without their own flaws, but was what helped them shine. We saw the light and the shadow, the pain and the strength in all of them and it's what brought them to life so well. This book was grand (as Kier and Siobhan would say) and I recommend it to anyone who loves these things in books:
• small town destination story
• found family
• great banter and rivalry
• endearing heroine with quirks
• brooding but sweet and protective hero
• poignant/emotional plot with humor
•literature quotes and references
I'm a new fan and can't wait to read more from this amazing author! This is going on my 2024 favorites list for sure!
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