There’s something magical about cracking open a new romance novel, inhaling that fresh paper smell, and diving headfirst into a world of meet-cutes and slow burns and grand romantic gestures. For a little while, you get to leave behind your mundane life and believe that true love really does conquer all. Ashley Poston’s latest, A Novel Love Story, captures that feeling perfectly—and then turns it up to eleven by letting her protagonist literally stumble into the pages of her favorite romance series.
As someone who’s spent more than her fair share of nights curled up with a swoony paperback and a glass (or three) of wine, I felt an instant kinship with Eileen Merriweather. Who among us romance lovers hasn’t secretly wished we could step into the quaint small town or glittering big city of our favorite fictional world? Poston takes that daydream and brings it gloriously to life, with plenty of humor, heart, and meta commentary on the romance genre along the way.
Welcome to Eloraton, Where Happily Ever Afters Are Guaranteed (Usually)
When we first meet Eileen, she’s at a bit of a crossroads. Still nursing a broken heart years after being left at the altar, she’s thrown herself into her work as an English professor and found solace in romance novels – particularly the Quixotic Falls series by Rachel Flowers. The books have been a constant in her life, a comfort through tough times. So when all her friends bail on their annual book club retreat, Eileen decides to make the trip solo. She needs to get lost in a good story, even if it’s just for a weekend.
But a fateful car breakdown lands her smack in the middle of Eloraton – the picture-perfect small town setting of the Quixotic Falls books. At first, Eileen thinks she must be hallucinating. The honey taffy really is as sweet as described, the burgers at the local bar are always a little burnt, and it rains like clockwork every afternoon. It’s uncanny. And completely impossible.
Yet as Eileen explores the town and meets its colorful cast of characters, she realizes this is no fever dream. Somehow, she’s stepped into the pages of her favorite series. Even weirder? The town seems to be frozen in time, stuck at the point where the author died before finishing the final book. As a diehard fan, Eileen sees it as her duty to help nudge the story towards its happily ever after.
There’s just one problem: the mysteriously grumpy (and frustratingly handsome) bookstore owner who seems determined to keep things exactly as they are. Anders Sinclair isn’t a character Eileen remembers from the books. With his minty green eyes and sardonic wit, he feels jarringly real compared to the romance novel archetypes around them. He also seems to know more about the true nature of Eloraton than he’s letting on.
A Love Story About Love Stories
What follows is a clever, self-aware rom-com that pokes gentle fun at romance tropes while also reveling in them. Poston clearly has a deep love for the genre, and it shines through in every page. There are plenty of winks and nods for fellow romance aficionados to appreciate – like Eileen’s excitement at finally tasting the famous Honey Surprise breakfast from the books, or her amusement at encountering real-life versions of stock characters like the sassy best friend and the rugged handyman with a heart of gold.
But you don’t need to be a romance expert to enjoy the story. At its core, this is a book about the power of stories themselves—how they shape us, comfort us, and sometimes even trap us. Eileen has been using romance novels as a shield, afraid to put herself out there and risk getting hurt again. Anders, we learn, has his own complicated relationship with fiction and reality. Their verbal sparring matches crackle with tension (of both the angry and sexual variety). It’s a joy to watch them challenge each other’s assumptions and slowly let down their guards.
Characters That Leap Off the Page
Speaking of Eileen and Anders, they make for a thoroughly winning central couple. Eileen is smart and passionate, with a snarky sense of humor that had me chuckling out loud more than once. Her enthusiasm for books is infectious – I dare you to read her gushing about her favorite romance moments without smiling. She feels like the kind of person you’d want to be friends with in real life.
Anders starts off as your typical grumpy hero, all scowls and sarcasm. But Poston peels back his layers to reveal hidden depths. His backstory, when finally revealed, adds fascinating new context to his actions. I won’t spoil it here, but it ties into the meta elements of the plot in a really satisfying way.
The supporting cast is just as vividly drawn. From bubbly innkeeper Junie to lovelorn Ruby to precocious young Lily, each character feels distinct and memorable. They may start as familiar romance novel types, but Poston imbues them with enough personality quirks and internal struggles to make them feel three-dimensional.
A Love Letter to Romance Readers
What elevates A Novel Love Story beyond just being a cute concept is the genuine emotion at its center. Yes, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud funny moments and clever meta jokes. But Poston also digs into weightier themes of grief, self-doubt, and the courage it takes to open yourself up to love again after heartbreak.
There’s a particularly poignant thread about the relationship between authors and readers, and how stories can take on lives of their own once they’re out in the world. The scenes where Eileen reflects on what Rachel Flowers’ books have meant to her over the years brought a lump to my throat. Anyone who’s ever felt a deep connection to a piece of fiction will relate.
A Few Minor Quibbles
If I had to nitpick, there were a couple of plot points that felt a tad underdeveloped. The mechanics of how exactly Eileen ended up in Eloraton are left pretty vague. And the resolution of a subplot involving two side characters felt a bit rushed.
There’s also an argument to be made that the story leans a little heavily on romance novel clichés at times. But given the meta nature of the plot, I think that’s kind of the point. Poston is clearly having fun playing with readers’ expectations.
The Verdict: A Must-Read for Romance Lovers
These small critiques aside, A Novel Love Story is an absolute delight from start to finish. It manages to be both a pitch-perfect homage to romance novels and a sweetly moving love story in its own right. I flew through it in practically one sitting, alternating between giggling at the clever quips and swooning over the romantic moments.
If you’re a romance fan looking for something a little different, or just someone who appreciates smart, self-aware fiction, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. Like a perfect meet-cute or a swoon-worthy first kiss, it’ll leave you with a goofy grin and a warm feeling in your chest long after you turn the final page.
For Fans Of…
If you enjoyed A Novel Love Story, you might also like:
- The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston (the author’s previous adult romance, featuring a ghost writer who falls for an actual ghost)
- The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
- Beach Read by Emily Henry
About the Author
Ashley Poston is the New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip. A Novel Love Story is her third adult romance. She lives in South Carolina with her cat and an ever-growing collection of books.
