Allison’s Book Report
“A Novel Love Story”
by Ashley Poston
I’ve said it before and I'll say it again: Book people love books about books! This week, I have a really fun one that falls squarely into the “books about books" category with a healthy dose of magical realism thrown in!
“A Novel Love Story” by Ashley Poston is a book lover's dream! Eileen “Elsy” Merriweather is a literature professor who's all about happily-ever-afters... in books, at least. Her own life? Not so much. She was left at the altar a while back, and ever since, she’s been finding her comfort and solace in the cozy, predictable world of romance novels. Her favorite series is a small-town gem called Quixotic Falls, and she's a super-fan, with a book club dedicated to it and everything. Unfortunately, this year, the annual book club retreat is a bust and none of her friends can make it. So Elsy, needing an escape, decides to go solo. When her car breaks down, she finds herself stranded in the most charming little town. It's so perfect, it feels like it's straight out of a novel... because, as it turns out, it is. She's somehow landed right in the fictional town of Eloraton, the setting for her beloved Quixotic Falls series.
The town is a magical-realism wonderland, frozen in time because the author, Rachel Flowers, passed away before she could finish the final book. Elsy quickly realizes that she's here for a reason: to help the characters of the series get their own happily-ever-afters. Her mission is complicated by a new character she's never seen before—a super grumpy, but very handsome, bookstore owner with dreamy mint-green eyes named Anders.
As Elsy starts trying to play matchmaker and untangle the unfinished storylines, she finds herself drawn to Anders. He’s a total mystery, and he seems to know more about the town than she does. She's got to figure out who he is and why he's so determined to keep things as they are. This whole adventure forces Elsy to confront her own life, and the fact that she's been so busy escaping into fictional worlds that she hasn't been living her own.
“A Novel Love Story” is a love letter to the power of stories and the people who read them. It's a whimsical and heartwarming tale about finding your own “happily-ever-after,” even if it’s not the one you originally wrote in your head. Elsy’s journey is about learning to live in the real world again, and realizing that sometimes, the best love stories are the ones you get to write for yourself.
I hope you enjoy this week's pick! Don't forget to pop over to my Instagram @allison.the.reader for more recommendations and book-related fun!
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