Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley

A special thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you also to Graydon House Books for the opportunity to be a part of the Blog Tour. 

Kara Sullivan is a bestselling romance author with a lot of responsibilities—she's got a looming deadline, writer's block, and is the maid of honour in her best friend's wedding. But she's happy to support Cristina as she ties the knot with Jason.

At Cristina and Jason's rehearsal dinner, Kara comes face-to-face with her gorgeous and infuriating college ex-boyfriend, Ryan. Not only is he one of Jason's childhood friends, but he's also in the wedding party. Considering neither Kara nor Ryan were prepared to see each other again, it's decidedly a meet-NOT-cute. As in there is nothing cute about this situation, except maybe Ryan's dog. But when Kara sits down to write, the words flow and her writer's block is gone. She wonders what's changed. Are muses real? And is Kara's muse...Ryan?

If you are a bookstagrammer, you will adore this book. 

With an abundant love life because of the fiction she writes, Kara is an intriguing leading lady, especially when her personal life begins to mirror those of her characters. And although Bromley tackles the familiar unresolved love trope, Talk Bookish to Me is anything but common. It's charming and funny with the right amount of tension. And there's also a Celine Dion-loving bulldog named Duke. 

This rom-com is pretty close to perfect with Bromley's witty banter and engaging cast of characters. The only thing that doesn't work are the inserted passages of the book that Kara's writing throughout—they disrupt the flow of the story and given that are few and far between, the reader won't remember this side plot. 

Sexy, flirty, and fun. Talk Bookish to Me is a sparkling debut. 

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KATE BROMLEY was a preschool teacher for seven years and is now focusing full-time on combining her two great passions—writing swoon-worthy love stories and making people laugh. Talk Bookish to Me is her first novel.

Bromley lives in New York City with her husband, son, and her somewhat excessive collection of romance novels.

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Q & A with Kate Bromley

Please give the elevator pitch for Talk Bookish to Me.

Talk Bookish to Me is a contemporary romantic comedy that follows a bestselling romance novelist with writer’s block who suddenly finds herself inspired when she’s thrown together with her infuriating first love during the week of her best friend’s wedding. 

Which came first: the characters or plot line?

The characters! I had no idea what I was writing when I first started my manuscript, but I did know that the story was going to be about a quirky romance novelist in NYC who has an unexpected reunion with her college ex-boyfriend that she never forgot. 

Why do you love Kara and Ryan and why should readers root for them?

I love Kara and Ryan and readers should root for them because they refuse to give up on each other. It would be way easier for both of them to go their separate ways and move on with their lives, but there’s so much chemistry and history and genuine connection between them that no matter what, they just can’t get past it and, deep down, they don’t want to get past it. They also make each other laugh and absolutely light up when they’re together. They challenge each other to grow as people and to become the best versions of themselves, and I think that’s always something worth rooting for.  

What was your last 5 star read?

Ah, there’s so many! The ones that stick out the most to me at the moment are The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, Simmer Down by Sarah Smith, and The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel. 

What is one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

That it’s a much longer road than you think. But the good news is, it’s also very much worth it! Once you go from writing your book, to then querying, to then being on submission—there’s a ton of hard work and then a lot of waiting and hoping. And even though the whole process is a very nerve-racking experience, it’s also extremely exciting and you will learn so much about yourself and the publishing industry.