Name: Love by the Books
ISBN: 9781798961919

Te Russ

The last year for Carmen hasn't been the best... and that's putting it mildly. But things are starting to look up. Especially when she meets Sebastian, a lover of books and an obvious man of her own heart.From the minute Sebastian locks eyes with Carmen, he knows there's something special about her. And he intends to find out just what that is.In no time, they discover that their passion for each other just may be stronger than their passion for books.

Love by the Books

Lauren Sullivan

Content warnings: (view spoiler)[estranged relationship with parent (on-page, resolved during story), mild harassment by ex (hide spoiler)]

This book is as adorable as the cover suggests! It’s a quick, sweet, low-conflict romance between a Black literary agent and a Black bookshop owner.

“So here I was, standing in the middle of a bookstore, about to have a damn orgasm from merely watching a sexy ass man reading a book.”

Things are finally looking up for Carmen. After being let go from a big literary agency, she’s spent the past year hunting for new leads, and has finally landed a very nice publishing deal for her client. Things are looking even better when she flirts with a super hot guy at the bookstore she’s meeting her client at – and it turns out he’s the owner. Sebastian runs a bookshop-cum-coffee shop with a hidden speakeasy in the basement (accessed, naturally, through a hidden staircase revealed behind a bookshelf). They hit it off, and soon they’re going on a series of sweet and sexy dates.

The dates were honestly my favorite part of the book. For goodness’ sake, they go on a date at the library where they each pick out a “blind date with a book” for each other. Enough said! There’s suggestive slam poetry, sex in a bookshop, sex during the opera (tickets courtesy of Carmen’s opera singer neighbor who also cooks them delicious Italian food)… OK, so yes, this book is a little over the top, especially with Sebastian’s level of near-perfection. There’s also not much conflict in the book, aside from some antics from Carmen’s ex-boyfriend. There’s a little bit of drama but it’s mostly in relation to their families and their careers.

Overall, even with the lack of conflict and over-the-topness, it was very satisfying to read about two people who were awesome at their respective bookish careers falling in love. Super adorable!

Love by the Books

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