The Boy with the Bookstore
3
Sarah Echavarre Smith
When a baker meets the bookshop owner of her dreams, and he turns into her nemesis, they’ll both have to read between the lines to avoid a career-ending recipe for disaster.Max Boyson looks good...from a distance. But up close and personal, the tattooed hottie Joelle Prima has been crushing on for the past year and half has turned into the prime example of why you shouldn’t judge a book by his delectable cover. When she first learned about the massive renovation to the building they share, Joelle imagined that temporarily combining her Filipino bakery with Max’s neighboring bookstore would be the perfect opening chapter to their happily ever after. In her fantasies they fed each other bibingka and pandesal while discussing Jane Austen and cooing over her pet hamster, Pumpkin. Reality, however...is quite different. Her gallant prince turned out to be a stubborn toad who snaps at her in front of customers, dries his wet clothes in her oven, and helps himself to the yummy pastries in her display case without asking. But beneath Max’s grumpy glares, Joelle senses a rising heat—and a softening heart. And when they discover the real reason for the renovation, they’ll have to put both their business senses and their feelings for each other to the test.
Romance
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Community ReviewsSee all
"This was one of those books that I picked up because the title caught my eye while I was at the library, but it ended up being a huge disappointment. I wanted to like it, and I just couldn't. This entire book was beyond cringey, and I only finished it because I was too stubborn to quit. The writing was terrible, the dialogue was immature and cringey, and the main characters gave me whiplash. They switched back and forth between being friends and being enemies for the majority of the book, and even after they got together it all felt very superficial. The MMC was a jerk for the majority of the book, and the FMC was too nice for her own good. Definitely not worth the time spent reading it. "
Madison C
"He owns a bookstore, she owns a bakery, this should be an easy book to love. However, Max is emotionally stunted and each time something tough happens he goes icy and cold and tears Joelle down. He deals with some things from his past, but this unhealthy behavior is never appropriately addressed. Left a bad taste in my mouth, though they do get a HEA. "
Tiffany Wysbeek
"Finished October 9th. Books and baking - two of my favorite things! "
Nikki Nienhaus
"It was a cute enough story, but it was more spice and language than I prefer. I would have enjoyed the story anyway without all of that. I thought there would be more about bookstores or love of books given the title. Also some unhealthy behaviors that aren’t really addressed or resolved. "
Lindsey Killingsworth
"Honestly, this just felt like a book of cliches. A decent writing voice and certainly a romance, but I felt like it wasn’t original. It followed a predictable plot line and I predicted every character arc before I was even halfway in. The characters didn’t feel like they had much personality, and what they did have was so freaking cliche. If you want a romance that has nothing new or exciting going on, but is written well, try this book. (2.5/5 for spice)"
L
Lauren
"Very clearly written by a woman. Very far fetched and unrealistic. I feel like books like this create impossible expectations. "
Ana Trejo
"At first I wasn't sure of I was going to like it but one crochet session later I was hooked. "
Ana
"Typical chick lit. Nothing mind blowing. I thought that it would be more about bookstores, but I think it was just something to put in the title to draw people in."
T B
Tanya Brown
"Pros:<br/><br/>I love the concept of small businesses which compliment each other being neighbors and supporting each other. Having a bakery/coffee shop right next to a bookstore is perfection and makes me want to visit.<br/><br/><br/>Cons:<br/><br/>I find a lot of things in this book to be problematic. In an age where we are trying to promote equality we need to stop saying complaining about “dead white guys” when we are talking about classic novels. It is okay to dislike any book. It isn’t okay to base that dislike on race or then stereotype all authors of that race as having the same type of books. This couldn’t have been printed if it was about Native Americans, African Americans or Chinese without a sensitivity reader calling it out. <br/><br/>It also feels like both main characters need some real therapy. The constant guilt and apologizing for doing nothing wrong we get from the female main character can be symptoms of abuse and needs to be worked through. The anger and bottling of emotions from the main male aren’t any healthier and the fact that they seem to cover these issues with alcohol and sex makes everything much less attractive to me."
Rene Burrows
