Blog Tour: Talk Bookish to Me Review

Hello, all!

Big thanks to Graydon House for having me as part of the blog tour for Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley!

Pub Date: 5-25-21
Adult - Contemporary

Kara Sullivan is a whiz when it comes to relationships, just not her own. As a bestselling romance author, Kara can churn out swoon-worthy moments at the drop of a hat, but not so much when it comes to real life. With the stress of her best friend's upcoming wedding and the deadline for her latest novel looming (the one where she has yet to write anything), the last thing Kara needed was to be blindsided by the fact her ex-boyfriend, Ryan Thompson, also happens to be in the wedding party. The unexpected arrival of her first love, and first heartbreak, throws Kara for a loop but it also sparks a fire in her and she's finally able to write for the first time in weeks. 

As much as Kara doesn't want to admit it, Ryan has become her muse and if she wants to finish her newest historical romance before the deadline, she needs him around. After a mishap gets Ryan and his dog kicked out of a fancy hotel, Kara offers up her apartment as a way to keep her creative juices flowing. Ryan reluctantly agrees and soon the pair are sharing the same space after ten years apart and it seems like the feelings they shared never truly went away for either of them. Sure, Kara's writing has never been better, but when all the heartache and pain she's kept bottled up comes bubbling to the surface, is it worth it?

This had all the key phrases that catch my attention. Bookish main character? Check. Second chance romance with a sprinkling of enemies-to-lovers? Check. The main guy has a dog? Sign me up. But, unfortunately, this missed the mark on every level. Aside from a few funny banter bits, the writing felt stiff and some of the character interactions almost felt unnatural. Kara and Ryan never popped as main characters, and if I'm being completely honest, half the time I was trying to remember their names because they made that little of an impact on me. I do know that Ryan owned an overweight Celine Dion obsessed bulldog, though, because that was my favorite part of the whole thing. The pair just lacked any sort of chemistry or sexual tension. My tea kettle gives off more steam than their relationship. Even the dramatic bits felt flat and bland. The one thing I did enjoy was reading the parts of the novel that Kara was writing. I would've much preferred to read that story than this one. I really wanted to love this, but sadly, it was just full of lackluster characters and a forgettable plot.

Rating: 2/5