[July] 2025: Book Review

It’s time to look at the book I read in July! I received an advanced copy of this book to review. These are my own words and my own opinions.

The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander

★★★★★

 Available to purchase/download on August 19, 2025

Capelthorne’s Books has been the only bookstore in the little seaside town of Portneath for nearly 100 years and is currently owned by Jules’ great-aunt. After her great-aunt falls and must recover, Jules quits her publishing job in London to go back home and try and save the family’s bookstore.

After several years in New York, the rich, handsome son of the rival family, Roman Montbeau, opens a bookstore across the street. The families have been feuding for years, but no one seems to know why. Despite the feud and competition of the bookstores, we start to see a relationship forming between Jules and Roman.

While Jules is working to save the bookstore, Charlie, a college student who wants experience and research in old books, and is willing to get it for free, finds a rare book. Will it be enough to save the store? What secrets will it also unlock?

Will the rivalry between the stores break Jules and Roman apart, or will their relationship bring the families together at last?

When I first started reading, I thought the book was predictable, like a Hallmark movie, but then there’s the mystery of the rare, antique book that is discovered.

Also, if the names Jules and Roman, or Capelthornes and Montbeaus didn’t look a little familiar, I felt like it was a little “Romeo and Juliet”, which I didn’t mind at all! Of course, not spoiling anything, it does end better than Romeo and Juliet.

If you love an “almost” predictable book about bookstores and love stories, then this is the book for you!

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