Battle of the Bookstores

De: Ali Brady

Narrado por: Karissa Vacker, Brandon Francis

A LibraryReads Pick

Rivalry and romance spark when two bookstore managers who are opposites in every way find themselves competing for the same promotion.

Despite managing bookstores on the same Boston street, Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson have never interacted much—Josie’s store focuses on serious literature, and Ryan’s sells romance only. But when the new owner of both stores decides to combine them, the two are thrust into direct competition. Only one manager will be left standing, decided by who turns the most profit over the summer.

Efficient and detail-oriented Josie instantly clashes with easygoing and disorganized Ryan. Their competing events and contrasting styles lead to more than just frustration—the sparks between them might just set the whole store on fire. Their only solace during this chaos is the friendship they’ve each struck up with an anonymous friend in an online book forum. Little do they know they’re actually chatting with each other.

As their rivalry heats up in real life, their online relationship grows, and when the walls between their stores come tumbling down, Josie and Ryan realize not all’s fair in love and war. And maybe, if they’re lucky, happily ever afters aren’t just for the books.

©2025 Ali Brady (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A funny, modern twist on You’ve Got Mail.”—Abby Jimenez, New York Times bestselling author of Just For The Summer

"If Ali Brady writes it, I'm going to read it. Battle of the Bookstores is a pitch-perfect romantic comedy. I devoured it in one sitting; once you curl up with this book you're not going to want to put it down."—Kate Spencer, bestselling author of One Last Summer

"Ali Brady's Battle of the Bookstores is the perfect enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance filled with sharp banter and swoony book-talk. What can I say, I'm trash for when two characters are getting to know each other on a deep, intimate level through anonymous text exchanges without realizing that they're talking to the very person who's completely scrambled their brain in real life, and that trope is so well-executed here. I wanted all the walls between Ryan and Josie to come down—not just the ones between their rival shops—and when they did it was oh so satisfying. A book lover's dream!"—Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of The Art of Catching Feelings

Book sellers dream love story!!

If you have ever worked at a bookstore this is the romance you daydreamed about will shelving books, dusting shelves, and reading while it was slow.

You’ve Got Male (vs Female) in a Love Story!

What a fun, light story perfect for a quick, enjoyable read you can’t put down!! The story was cute and well written and the storytelling by Karissa and Brandon was top tier! While I listened to this on audio, I will definitely be getting the trophy book for my shelves!! A really great read from Ali Brady!! I can’t wait for another!!

Good book, Amazing Narratators

The enemies-to-lovers trope is guaranteed to bring some amazing banter, and this is exactly what you will get from Battle of the Bookstores. Josie and Ryan’s banter was funny, competitive, and flirty and made for a cute, lighthearted read. I loved their online interactions, and this book really gave the “You’ve Got Mail” vibes.

I got to read the Ebook first and then got the audio book and reread the book that way. The narrators did a really really really good job, and I loved them. They kept me engaged and I think they not only brought the characters to life, but they made them even more likeable and created more of a chemistry between Josie and Ryan then I originally felt when I read just the E-Book.

I would recommend Battle of the Bookstores to all romance lovers. It is an overall lighthearted read, with a little bit of spice, and it will keep you laughing, will give you a little sneak peek into the background work in the literary world, and you will get some amazing book recs in the process. The audiobook version makes it so much more enjoyable so if you have the option, get the audiobook.

This was a great intro into this writing duo and I really look forward to reading more from Ali Brady in the future.