Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady
Feels like a tribute to “You’ve Got Mail” in the best way.
Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady is a love story, but it’s also the story of two people finding their confidence and purpose. When we meet Josie and Ryan, they are book sellers on the same block in Boston with very different tastes. Ryan only sells romance, and Josie is an “intellectual reader” who sells lit fic, preferably hard covers.
These two are content to live their lives separately — or so they think. Turns out they both joined an online literary group to commiserate over the life of book selling. Within this group, they bonded and moved to a private chat where they’ve become fast friends, albeit completely anonymous. No names, no locations, nothing identifying.
Good Old-Fashioned Rivals-to-Lovers
This story feels like a tribute to You’ve Got Mail in the best way. Anonymously chatting about books while unknowingly battling it out to keep their stores open? Yes, please. Being that it is this reviewer’s comfort movie, I felt nostalgic and excited to see where it was going.
And just like the movie, Josie and Ryan are in competition, but this time it’s at the hands of the building owner, who has decided to consolidate the stores and the coffee shop between them. Only one of them will remain after a three-month competition to showcase who is the most profitable.
Speaking of the coffee shop, the manager, Eddie, is one of the many side characters who give bustling Boston a small-town vibe and make this book feel cozy. He serves up Ryan’s daily frappe and Josie’s regular order — an americano — with a side of meddling, and we love to see it.
As the competition heats up, these two pull out all the stops to save their jobs, including spicy book boxes, book clubs, wine with a book pairings, and even renting out the store for a private date night, which ends in erasing the security camera footage out of respect for the couple.
Feel-Good Romance with Heart
This book has a relatability to it that I haven’t felt in a while. Between a black cat with deep-seated parental issues and the golden retriever fish-out-of-water, they’ve got most of us hooked.
These two believe they have nothing in common, but as the reader, I saw so many commonalities I wanted to jump into the story and hold a therapy session. Beyond their shared love of reading and that they’re both book sellers, they see themselves as underachievers.
Ryan compares himself to his highly successful family, with whom he doesn’t measure up because of his dyslexia and lack of athletic prowess. Josie only sees that she dropped out of college early, and not that she made that decision to raise her disabled sister after their mother failed them. Their resilience is what makes them right for each other.
An Immersive Reading Experience
When a story draws me in and I forget I’m reading — and I lose time for hours — I know it’s a winner. This is my first read by Ali Brady, and it won’t be my last. After being drawn into this world and these characters, the story built slowly, giving just the right amount of information to keep me intrigued.
The imagery is brought to life through phrases like “the occasional ting of a bicycle bell” and “I breathe in the life-giving aroma of coffee”.
There are no throwaway details either. We meet the mother of Ryan’s high school best friend, who has since passed, early on in the story. This interaction felt important even in its brevity, and it turns out it was. This best friend shaped Ryan’s belief system and business by extension. He’s the reason LGBTQIA books are not just stocked but prominently displayed in his store. Cue the misty eyes of readers everywhere.
Perfect for Book-Obsessed Readers
Battle of the Bookstores is a romance for book lovers. I’m talking the people(me) who find time to read whenever they can. In a waiting room? No worries, I have my e-reader. My Uber is 10 minutes away? Good thing my paperback fits in my purse.
This book begs the question: Which is superior, romance or literary fiction? And can two people with different answers to that question compromise? Maybe even fall in love?
“Falling in love is something that happens to you, sometimes even against your will — like being struck by lightning or catching the flu. But staying in love? That’s a choice.”
About Ali Brady:
Ali Brady is the pen name of writing BFFs Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey. They are the USA TODAY Bestselling authors of romantic, heartwarming, funny novels, including The Beach Trap, The Comeback Summer, Until Next Summer and Battle of the Bookstores. Their books have been “best of summer” picks by The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Parade and Katie Couric Media. Alison lives in Chicago and works as an advertising creative director. She’s also the Founder and Co-President of The Artists Against Antisemitism, and the author of You and Me and Us and Little Pieces of Me. Bradeigh lives in Utah with her husband, four children, and two dogs. She works as a doctor and is the author of psychological thrillers Imposter and The Followers.
Publish Date: 6/3/2025
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Author: Ali Brady
Page Count: 432 pages
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN: 9780593640845
