ARC Review: Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley

“I couldn’t put the book down.”

~ Under the Covers

Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley is a refreshing and hilarious contemporary romance releasing just in time for Memorial Day weekend. The story follows Kara Sullivan’s journey prepping for her best friend’s wedding amid a looming publishing deadline, and she hasn’t written a single word. If that wasn’t enough stress to deal with, things are further complicated when she finds out her ex-boyfriend Ryan Thompson is a part of the wedding party. Kara is a bestselling romance author and an influential bookstagrammer. Ryan’s unexpected appearance strikes a lightning bolt of creativity for her. Kara decides that for the sake of her career, she’s willing to put up with the man who broke her heart to meet her deadline and enjoy the trip she’s spent her entire life planning for. As Kara and Ryan spend more time together, Kara begins to question are second chances at love only reserved for the characters in her books?

I couldn’t put the book down. The characters are what drove this novel. Kara is an incredibly relatable character. She’d much rather dig her head in a book than face what is in front of her. I think that is a concept that many could relate to. Fear of heartbreak, failure, or not being good enough are all relatable human flaws. She is constantly dealing with the pressure that she is only as good as her last book. In her avoidance to deal with her current writer’s block, she is neglecting to deal with the root of her past traumas. She consistently ignores her agent’s phone calls and emails and lies to her mother, telling her the book is coming along wonderfully. When in reality, everything she writes, she has erased, until Ryan’s reappearance in her life.

The banter between Kara and Ryan had me in stitches. They knew exactly how to push each other’s buttons. Their effortless dialogue was evident of their intimate past:

“You and I both know you experienced a trauma,” Ryan says solemnly.
“You had some turbulence on a flight to Denver as a child. I’m not sure that could be considered a trauma.”
“When you’re seven years old, dramatic turbulence feels like you’re plummeting directly into the pits of hell. I would have thought you’d be a little more sensitive.”
“I am sensitive, but it’s kind of extreme that one bad flight made you anti-plane for the rest of your life.”

This is just a sample of the banter that awaits you in Talk Bookish to Me. Ryan and Kara’s history sets the foundation for these pieces of observed detail to be pulled through for the reader. Those easy-going conversations gave you glimpses into what their previous relationship would have been like and how that same banter could so quickly fragment into frustration and anger. Hate and love is a fine line these two often dance on. There were times when I was simultaneously routing and shaming Ryan. However, his flaws and how the characters move forward throughout the book are part of what makes this couple so relatable. They aren’t perfect; they’ve gone through peaks and valley. Kate keeps you on the edge of your seat with some very unexpected plot twists I didn’t see coming. But, watching the couple’s evolution felt like routing for my close girlfriend and the man we all know she should be with.

While the book was an effortless read, the novel is underscored by several other heavier themes. Kara has struggled with the grief she carries from her father’s death, and the regret she takes with her has continued to influence the relationships she has in her life. She also navigates a complicated relationship with her mother, who has changed since the loss of Kara’s father. Kara has to learn to stand her ground for who she is and what she believes.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to read about a second chance romance, with dynamic characters, witty dialogue, and a good laugh. It was light and uplifting yet covered themes and struggles many could relate to.

   

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[about-author author=”Kate Bromley”]

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