I have loved previous Lindsey Kelk books – so when I saw that she had new book out called ‘Love Story’, I was delighted to be offered and advance review copy. Here’s the blurb:

“She’s a small-town schoolteacher, he’s a hotshot creative director. Together, it’s hate at first sight.
Sophie Taylor has a secret and Joe Walsh is the last person she’d tell. He’s devilishly handsome, incredibly hot – and far too sure of himself.
But Sophie desperately needs his help.
Because she’s not just hiding something small. She is Este Cox, the mysterious romance author the entire world is desperate to unmask.
When a trip to the countryside means sharing a cottage with only one bed, it’s a short step to sharing a whole lot more besides… Can Sophie trust Joe with the truth – and be herself?”

I absolutely LOVED this book! Sophie is a main character you’re rooting for from the start. Whilst most people think she’s ‘just’ a teacher – she’s actually a hugely successful novelist of a bestseller called ‘Butterflies’ – but for a number of reasons (mostly being that it’s a romance book – and her parents and ex are sniffy about such literature that they deem not sufficiently high brow) she’s keeping her other identity under wraps.

Whilst the book is fundamentally a will they / won’t they between Sophie and Joe – there is much more to it. The snobbery about romance / women’s fiction / chick lit is exposed for the utter bullsh*t it is (I particularly loved when Sophie reels off a list of amazing writers of the genre – Mhairi McFarlane, Emily Henry et al – the only mistake being that Lindsey Kelk was missed off the list!) And family relationships are also unpicked really well and true to life (having children of a similar age to Sophie’s younger sister – I can see how well that age group is represented in this book!!)

‘Love Story’ is also ridiculously sexy! In a building up the tension way – not a ‘I’m reading a porno whilst waiting to pick the kids up’ way. But I very much enjoyed this element too.

This – like lots of the books I’ve reviewed recently – is out on Thursday 4 July. There is an amazing range of fabulous options published on that day (even if choices for other things on that day are less exciting!)

A big thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for my ARC.