Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay is a contemporary romance following an American ex-librarian moving to Ireland to become the assistant of her favorite novelist (3.25/5 stars)

Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay is a contemporary romance following an American ex-librarian moving to Ireland to become the assistant of her favorite novelist.

This one had a slow start for me, and I was initially considering DNFing around 25%. After setting it down for a bit, and hearing from a few people who told me they’d really enjoyed it, I picked it back up.

It ended up being an okay read for me. I have seen relationships like the one our lead character, Em, has with her mother, and it hit a little close to home for me. So that could be one reason why I felt a little more disconnected with this one. There’s also a cat on the cover, but there isn’t a cat in the book! (There is a lovely doggo, though)

But I loved The Last Chapter, the bookstore that Em’s favorite author, Siobhan, owns. Which is managed by said author’s son, Kieran. All of the employees there were wonderful, and I wish we saw a bit more of them. The town in general was also lovely.

It would really make a great Hallmark movie! There’s one open-door steamy scene after a series of make-outs. It might even make you cry once or twice.

Tropes in this book include: workplace, forced proximity, slow burn, grumpy/sunshine, small town

CW: toxic relationship w/parent, hypochondria, verbal abuse, physical abuse (mentioned, prior to book), breast cancer, parental death (off-page)

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you to Goodreads for sending it my way.

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