“The Bookbinder's Guide to Love” by Katherine Garbera (3 stars)

I have to be honest, I enjoyed this book as far as the romantic arc, but the overall plot was a bit thin. There really wasn’t all that much to it and I don’t remember much beyond the basics of falling in love over books. I know Garbera was setting up for a series and I have read the other book which was good too. But your setup for a new world of novels should be engaging and enticing to keep readers coming back. Ultimately, I enjoyed book 2 (How to Charm a Nerd) more and I have book 3 (Brewing Up a Bad Boy) on my list for this year, so we’ll see if the third time's the charm.

It’s meant to be an enemies-to-lovers plot, but to me, Serafina and Wes were just too argumentative and their ultimate romance seemed forced. There’s a special quality in an enemies-to-lovers story that this book missed by just a fraction in my opinion.

Overlooking that, the story was cute. Two book lovers fall in love over a collection of old books left behind to Serafina after Wes’ grandfather, Ford, passed away. Wes wants the books and a connection to the man he never really knew, while Serafina is looking for connection after losing the only man she really loved. Can these two come together and find a way through the pain of loss or will their fighting just lead to more ruin? When Wes starts working at Serafina’s shop, it seems that all is not lost as the two learn how much Ford really meant to each of them.

The premise is there and it was well-written, descriptive, and fun. Romance with a hint of magic usually has some funniness to it and I was engaged enough to continue with the series, so do with that as you will.

There’s also the quirkiness of the whole town believing that Serafina and her friends are witches, which adds some magical touches to the story. Are they really? You’ll have to read to find out, but be prepared for Harry Potter references, judgy townspeople, and magical mischief. All of which doesn’t really add to the storyline. It just seems like a catch to be able to make the three females seem more interesting. Which if your characters need to be magical to be liked without the magic being a real part of the story, it seems kind of counterintuitive.

It’s gotten mixed reviews, with some people really enjoying it and others who couldn’t stand it:

“I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a fun romance filled with great characters. I love that the story dealt with grief, trust, friendship, and family relationships, in addition to a heartfelt romance. I look forward to reading more of this delightful series” (Caroline’s Random Life)

“It was also reeeeeally hard to get into the first spicy scene with both characters reflecting on their connections to the Grandpa character. Like, can we not talk about gramps while we’re trying to get it on please??” (Emily)

“Unfortunately really nothing about this book worked for me - not the romance, the plot (there really wasn't one), the miscommunication 93% in.” (Stephanie Reads All the Books)

Clearly this one is a hit-or-miss depending on your reading style. So let me know what you think if you read it. I’m curious what I missed in my reading of it that others were able to see. Overall, I found myself reading just to finish which isn’t really what you want to do with a book. It will keep you entertained but not necessarily engaged.