LOVE STORY

𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
𝗕𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝗞𝗲𝗹𝗸
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿: 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝘀
𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸: 𝟑𝟖𝟒
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱: 𝟏𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿: 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔









Sophie leads a carefully compartmentalised life. By day, she is a primary school teacher; by night, she is Este Cox — a bestselling, widely admired romance author whose identity remains a closely guarded secret. Her parents, both entrenched in the publishing world, carry a distinctly dismissive attitude toward the romance genre. This bias adds weight to her silence and deepens the internal conflict she navigates.
Enter Joe — an assured, somewhat arrogant marketing director who, without realising, critiques Sophie’s work. What follows is an enemies-to-lovers setup that promises sharp banter and emotional friction. Their initial dynamic carries sparks, though at times the shift between hostility and flirtation feels abrupt rather than organic. However, when Joe steps up in a meaningful way, the story briefly finds the emotional grounding it needs.

The language is easy, and the narration flows smoothly, making it an easy read. For me, however, the plot became the primary challenge. The pacing dragged, and despite being marketed as an enemies-to-lovers romance, the banter felt forced rather than naturally witty. One of the main problems was the foundation of Sophie’s dislike of Joe. For much of the story, her animosity seemed disproportionate, making her appear overly judgmental. When the reasoning arrives later in the book, it feels somewhat delayed. Additionally, because most of the narrative unfolds within just three days, the emotional development feels compressed. There isn’t enough time for the characters—especially the leads—to evolve convincingly.
Character depth was another aspect I wished had been stronger. Both Sophie and Joe felt somewhat one-dimensional, with greater emphasis on their insecurities than on their strengths. The chemistry between them did not fully convince me. That said, some of the side characters added warmth to the story. William and Sarah, in particular, stood out. At around 360 pages, the novel felt longer than required. Certain sections felt unnecessary, making the book a slow read. Toward the end, I skimmed portions—something I rarely do unless the narrative loses its grip on me. For these reasons, I’ve rated it 3 stars.

I genuinely wanted to love this book. The cover is beautiful, the title is charming, and the premise—about a hidden romance author navigating industry prejudice—is undeniably appealing. Unfortunately, the execution did not quite meet my expectations.
Would I recommend it? If you adore the enemies-to-lovers trope and love beautiful covers, you might still enjoy it. However, there are better stories within the same trope that deliver sharper chemistry and more compelling development.

My Rating: 3/5

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