Battle of the Bookshops

Returning to Middlemass, a charming English village first visited in Alexander’s Storybook Ending, this enemies-to-lovers contemporary starts strong but fails to stick the landing. Publishing assistant Jules Capelthorne is summoned from London to help out her injured great-aunt Flo at the centennial celebration for her bookshop. Jules only plans to spend the weekend, hoping to avoid unnecessary run-ins with her difficult mother, Maggie, and get back to her demanding job. Businessman Roman Montbeau, heir to a local estate, is surprised to see Jules back in town and regretful when he realizes that his shiny new bookstore will likely quickly put Flo’s fading shop out of business. The Montbeau and Capelthorne families have a long-standing feud, and despite Roman’s overtures to Jules to smooth their relationship, she’s resistant. Their initial animosity is somewhat underplayed, with the duo barely exchanging words in the book’s first half. Meanwhile the later switch from enemies to lovers feels far too abrupt. Diehard Alexander fans will enjoy revisiting Middlemass’s local couples but others can give this a pass. (Aug.)