Love at First Book

By: Jenn McKinlay

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author’s prickly son…until their story becomes one for the books, from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.

Emily Allen, a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard, has always dreamed of a life of travel and adventure. So when her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, offers her a job in the Emerald Isle, Emily jumps at the opportunity. After all, Siobhan’s novels got Em through some of the darkest days of her existence.

Helping Siobhan write the final book in her acclaimed series—after a ten-year hiatus due to a scorching case of writer’s block—is a dream come true for Emily. If only she didn’t have to deal with Siobhan’s son, Kieran Murphy. He manages Siobhan’s bookstore, and the grouchy bookworm clearly doesn’t want Em around.

Emily persists, and spending her days bantering with the annoyingly handsome mercurial Irishman only makes her fall more deeply in love with the new life she’s built–and for the man who seems to soften toward her with every quip she throws at him. But when she discovers the reason for Kieran's initial resistance, Em finds herself torn between helping Siobhan find closure with her series and her now undeniable feelings for Kier. As Siobhan's novel progresses, Emily will have to decide if she’s truly ready to turn a new page and figure out what lies in the next chapter.

*Includes a downloadable PDF of a recipe from the book

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Jenn McKinlay (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Hilarious, deeply emotional, and brimming with swoon-worthy passion, this is an enemies-to-lovers tale that every romance reader should have the pleasure of enjoying at least once in their lives. Dazzlingly fabulous!”—Holly Cassidy, author of The Christmas Wager

"The ultimate bookish romance! With the endlessly charming backdrop of a cozy bookshop in the idyllic Irish countryside, a wholly lovable supporting cast, and several heartstring-pulling subplots, Love at First Book is the perfect escape for any romance fan."—Nicolas DiDomizio, author of Nearlywed

"Love at First Book is so tender-hearted, and I couldn’t help but root for Kier and Red! A delight for book lovers and anyone who loves to armchair travel, I couldn’t love this novel more! The setting in Ireland was an escapist dream. I read it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down!"—Jamie Varon, author of Main Character Energy

They were all missing pieces for one another. They all found their missing pieces.

It was a beautiful story of how life comes full circle. Relationships end and begin with sadness and joy.

Sweet, and well written story!

This one was sweet. I loved the characters and even shed a few tears. Overall a solid read!

Great love story!

Wasn’t the typical boy meets girl love story. There were a few plot points that made it its own and not so cookie cutter! Great performance by Brittany Pressley!

Love at first book

Such a great story, relatable characters that I grew to love. I laughed and cried and was left wanting more chapters!

I laughed and I cried

I enjoyed the characters and their interactions with each others. I ended up wishing that the fictional series within the story had been real.

Absolutely Adored this Book!!

This story is totally thoughtful and clever and it will give you all the feels! I laughed and cried! You have to read it!!!

LOVED THIS STORY 😍

I thought the premise of this book looked cute, but I didn’t realize I’d be obsessed with the happy sunshine feelings that accompany it, by finishing it in a day! I stayed up past 2am on a work night, crying sad and happy tears as I laid in bed listening. I couldn’t even fall asleep, I had to know what happened next. There were times I thought I knew what would come next, and 80% of the time I’m glad the obvious thing didn’t happen. If something guessable did happen, it was actually a joy and I was happy for it.

I loved the characters. I want to go to Ireland now. And I also want to reread this book 2-3 more times before I start reading anything else haha.

This is the first book I’ve read of McKinley’s, and now I want to read more of her work if they’re all this entrancing! Run, don’t walk to get this book.

So entertaining!

Loved it. Sweet and entertaining. The performance was exceptional. The Irish accent perfect. I got swept up in the emotion. The story provides a wonderful escape.

A romance bibliophiles dream read

This book was total comfort food. The authors eloquence with dialogue was refreshing. So many romance authors miss the mark with dialogue. And since it sets the tone the whole book, Well, I've never really been able to find a good romance author until now!

SPOILERS...
This book has all the feels! I didn't cry when we heard about their tragic childhoods, I didn't cry when I heard about Siobhan's medical issue, or when they broke up, or when Siobhan met her fate. But how the tears started streaming once the cover art of the book was finally revealed... Siobhan sitting in the shop looking out at her characters. Perfect ending.

Cute, fun, and endearing

I loved it! Great for book lovers! I laughed out loud and teared up. Loved the endearing banter and references. The ending was sweet and anything that romantic comedies lovers and enjoy. McKinlay filled her book with treasures.