Love at First Book

A librarian on an overseas adventure gets much more than she bargains for in this emotion-laden love story by cozy mystery writer–turned–romance novelist McKinlay (Summer Reading). Emily Allen moves to a lovely little Irish village to assist her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, who is suffering from a severe case of writer’s block, and work in the local book shop. Of course, Siobhan’s son, who manages the store, looks like a romance novel cover model, but Em and Kiernan don’t get along initially. In many romances, their tension might feel superficial or forced, but as the story unfolds, the characters’ motivations become clear—and make a lot of sense. While the romance at the center of this novel is largely built on banter and cute situations, like Em learning to drive on the opposite side of the road and trips to the comfy local pub (“Love at First Book”), the story features some distressing plot points about illness and child abuse that may dismay readers looking for a comfort read. However, relationship-fiction fans who don’t mind a little heat will be pleasantly surprised.