Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All words and opinions are my own; no AI was used in writing this review.
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Book Description
After years in corporate architecture that stifled his creativity, Reed Berry is moving to Fairwick Falls and chasing his dream: opening a cozy bookstore.
His plan? Design a bookstore that sparks wonder and a love of reading on a shoestring budget.
The hitch? Pearl Bishop—his new assistant, and the human embodiment of a "Do Not Touch" sign. She's all dark eyeliner, piercings, and attitude sharp enough to cut glass. And Reed? He's sunshine and golden retriever charm, which seems to make her want to throw him out the nearest window.
Good thing he has his anonymous, late-night confidant—impossibly_bookish—to escape to.
His steamy, secret online crush gets him in ways Pearl never would.
PEARL
Pearl Bishop is nobody's idea of a sweet, small-town girl. She's all death metal tattoos, piercings, and black lipstick—a girl who's perfected the art of keeping people at a distance.
Especially good guys like Reed Berry.
He's her brother's best friend, her new boss, temporary roommate, and the poster boy for annoyingly cheerful. But the way he looks at her? Like she's the only woman who exists? It's messing with her carefully crafted armor.
But Pearl's got bigger problems, like scraping together enough cash to start her allergen-free bakeryand dodging her nosy neighbor, who is hell-bent on stopping both the bookstore and her bakery with permit red tape.
The only person who sees past her sarcasm and ink-stained armor is her online confidant,hemingway_cansuckit—a guy she's been swapping filthy, flirty messages with for months.
The man she's been falling for, text by text.
The man she's agreed to finally meet in person.
...What could go wrong?
About Elise Kennedy
Elise Kennedy is an author of spicy, low-angst, small-town romances. She lives in California with her (very) patient husband and two perfect pups. Learn more and keep up with new books at elisekbooks . com
My Thoughts
Unexpectedly Bookish by Elise Kennedy, narrated in dual narration by Rachel Dane and Grayson Owens, is an absolute standout romance that delivers both incredible heart and plenty of steam.
The story follows Reed Berry, a former corporate architect chasing his dream of opening a cozy bookstore in Fairwick Falls to honor his late grandfather. His plans are instantly upended by his new assistant, Pearl Bishop—the human embodiment of a "Do Not Touch" sign with her dark eyeliner, piercings, and razor-sharp attitude. She also happens to be his brother's best friend, temporary roommate, and total polar opposite in a classic black cat and golden retriever dynamic. While Pearl keeps people at a distance behind a wall of tattoos and sarcasm, she and Reed are secretly falling for each other online as anonymous, late-night texting confidants, completely unaware that their steamy virtual crushes are the exact people driving each other crazy in real life.
What elevates this book from a fun, trope-filled romance into a five-star read is the genuine substance underneath. The story hits all the right notes—brother's best friend, forced proximity, hidden identity, plus-size FMC, virgin MMC, and autism representation—without ever reducing its characters to stereotypes.
Reed's neurodivergence, including his autism, misophonia, and sensory needs, is written with a lived-in, grounded authenticity, and Pearl accommodates him seamlessly without ever making him feel fragile or burdensome. In return, Reed loves Pearl exactly as she is: sarcastic, angry, tattooed, fiercely opinionated, and deeply caring. Neither character ever has to sand down what makes them unique for the relationship to work.
The emotional depth is matched by fantastic characterization through behavior, from Pearl's allergen-conscious baking for her niece to Reed finding ways to make his bookstore more accessible. Their communication is refreshing, handling boundaries, jealousy, and awkward situations like adults, while the spice delivers heavily with dirty talk, sexting, and explicit scenes that genuinely contribute to their intimacy.
Rachel Dane and Grayson Owens bring the characters to life wonderfully in the audiobook adaptation, with Grayson capturing Reed's essence so completely that he instantly wins over the listener. Full of humor, warmth, and genuine acceptance, this is a deeply satisfying, heartwarming installment in the series.
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