Novel Problems

A Sapphic Small-Town Summer Romance (Sapphire Springs)

De: Elizabeth Luly

Narrado por: Abby Craden

A feel-good sapphic small-town summer romance featuring a bestselling fantasy author and a warm-hearted cafe-bookstore owner!

Hannah Taylor has some novel problems. The bestselling fantasy author, who writes under a pen name, is suffering from writer's block after her long-term relationship collapses. With the deadline for her next novel fast approaching, Hannah flees Manhattan for Sapphire Springs, New York, planning to hide away until she finishes her book. But when she's forced to visit the local cafe-bookstore, she accidentally finds herself with a new job and one very attractive new boss. Distractions she definitely doesn't need with her looming deadline . . . or does she?

George O'Grady worked hard to turn Novel Gossip into the cafe-bookstore of her dreams, but staff shortages are putting the normally unflappable lesbian under pressure. Hannah's appearance is a godsend. Although it would be easier if her new employee was less distractingly lovely, because George has a strict rule against dating employees.

Over the course of the summer, Hannah and George grow closer. But can the two book lovers overcome their novel problems to write their own happy ending?

Contains mature themes.

©2024 Elizabeth Luly (P)2024 Tantor Media

Love the characters

I love d the 2 main characters. They were so personable and relatable.

Thanks for a great story.

Great Story

Author and Narrator never disappoints! I thoroughly enjoyed this story and it didn’t take long for the love interests realized they liked each other! The support they gave each other was amazing!

great story

I love most of Abby Craden choice of narrating, and I loved this book, I just didn’t think that the voices she chose to give to the MC were the right voices… this was a well written book

Fun

Stars: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Abby Craden
Series: Sapphire Springs Book 2
Steam Level: Steamy

I read this for the 2025 Sapphic Book Bingo Micro-Tropes reading challenge for the prompt Watching Fireworks.

This was such a fun installment to this series that I’m looking forward to the next book even more than I was before. I wouldn’t object if there were another ten books set in this universe, the setting and characters are just so cozy and warm.

Quick Thoughts:
- I was so happy to see that George was one of the protagonists in this book. I adored her in Not Just Gal Pals
- Yay for Blake and Jenny making appearances! I do love it when characters who are important to each other show up in each other’s books
- Hannah is such a delightful character and very relatable with her anxiety and aversion to hard conversations
- The kayaking scene had me cackling so much
- Why isn’t there a Novel Gossip bookstore in my city?
- I totally understood where George’s mom was coming from before she met Hannah
- No third act break up!
- These two are just so perfect for each other
- I was a little put off by all the name dropping that felt more like fan gushing rather than giving the story a better sense of time and place
- It felt like there was going to be a bit more drama with the Ex and Hannah’s parents and her identity as a writer but it seemed like the author ran out of steam and just decided to not to write that drama
- Abby Craden is amazing as always. I pick up books solely because she narrates it. The audio volume was a little low in this book to where I had to turn up the volume whenever I listened to this book then down when I listened to a different one

Overall I really enjoyed this book. There were only a few things that kept it from being a five star book for me, it mostly feels like growing pains of a new author that just needs a little more experience. I look forward to reading more from them in the future.

Novel Problems

What a great second book to the Sapphire Springs Series!!

This story makes "miscommunication" cute.

Small-town romance between coffee/bookshop owner and introverted best-selling author.

Seriously, I can't express how cute George and Hannah are together. 🥰

If you're looking for something light, sweet, and funny...this won't disappoint.

And it's narrated by Abby Craden👑...enough said.

Good, but doesn't hit the spot for me

This is the second title from Elizabeth Luly I've listed to. To me, this is a light romance story. It's okay, but not sure I'll return to it again. Even the amazingly talented Abby Craden doesn't seem to lend any depth to the characters. I also don't see the point of having a dog in the story, when he is so often neglected - doesn't make me feel any better about the characters. Maybe I should only give a three star rating, but I think this 'meh-feeling' is more about me than the audiobook.

Meh..

Stuck around only for Abby Craden and that I used a credit. Sexy parts very boring.