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The Official Blurb
“A female ghostwriter is recruited to be the face of the bestselling novel in the country, secretly written by a man.
Luci Santana believes in love, especially when it comes to books. Since being forced to give up her apartment, she’d love to get out of her over-involved family’s backyard she-shed and resuscitate her life. She’s given a chance to supercharge her career when she’s recruited to be the face of the country’s bestselling novel.
The romance book secretly written by a man.
Years before he wrote the book that changed his life, literary author Ryan Brady was caught shaming the romance genre in a video. When his book is chosen by a celebrity morning show, a face to face interview is required. Suddenly his secret pen name desperately needs a woman’s face.
Enter Luci.
Luci hates the book everyone else raves about but it becomes her job to defend the book, the genre, and try not to get caught falling in love with the enemy.”
A Bookish Story by Heatherly Bell | ARC Book Review
Disclosure: My podcast co-host and I jointly received a hand-signed ARC copy of A Bookish Story from author Heatherly Bell in exchange for an honest review.
Heatherly Bell is one of my favorite romance authors. Her Stone Ridge cowboys series has been a longtime favorite of mine and Meghan loves the Charming, Texas series. So when my co-host and I received an advance copy of her newest novel, we were thrilled.
A Bookish Story offers something a little different from Bell’s usual romances. Instead of ranches and small town love, we get a peek behind the curtain of the publishing world with ghostwriters, pen names and a romance novel that becomes unexpectedly famous.
And as the title suggests, this one is very much a love letter to books.
Book Details
Title: A Bookish Story
Author: Heatherly Bell
Published: 2025
Genre: Contemporary romance, romantic comedy
Spice Level: 🌶 Green Pepper
Unlike some ARC reviewers, my copy clocks in at 303 pages.
The Main Characters
Luci Santana
A talented ghostwriter who dreams of publishing a romance novel under her own name someday.
Ryan Brady
A bestselling historical fiction author navigating a recent divorce and a career misstep.
Plot Overview
Luci Santana’s life is not going according to plan.
Her fiancé calls off their wedding at the last minute, leaving her responsible for the venue cancellation fees and a condo she can’t afford on her own. To stay afloat financially, she moves into a small she-shed on her abuelita’s property and picks up extra work.
That’s how she ends up assisting author Ryan Brady.
The job quickly becomes awkward when Luci learns Ryan previously trashed the romance genre in an interview. Since romance is the genre she loves and writes for, she decides she can’t work for someone who openly disrespects it.
Ryan realized his mistake and has since issued public apologies but, as we all know, the internet never forgets.
Then a secret comes out.
Ryan has actually written a romance novel under a female pen name. The book has become a bestseller and is gaining momentum fast … but the author behind it needs a public identity.
Ryan and his agent ask Luci to be the face of the book.
She agrees for two reasons. First, she needs the money. Second, the opportunity could help her build connections with agents and publishers who might eventually help her publish her own novel.
There’s just one complication.
The book ended without a clear resolution and readers are demanding a sequel.
Ryan, his agent and publisher all agree on one thing: Luci should write it.
From there the story unfolds with publishing drama, career ambitions, family complications and a few exes trying to wander back into the picture.
Spice Level
🌶 Green Pepper
This is a closed-door romance with a slow burn.
If you love sweet romances where the emotional connection builds first, you’ll likely enjoy this approach. Readers looking for steamier scenes will find it tame.
Things I Loved
Heatherly Bell’s writing is always engaging and this story offers a really fun look at the behind-the-scenes world of publishing.
As someone who reads a lot of romance, I loved seeing elements like ghostwriting, agents and bestseller lists woven into the plot.
I also appreciated the Latina representation in Luci’s character and the presence of her family throughout the story.
And there are some lovely quotes that really capture why so many of us love romance novels in the first place.
“We’re arguing over imaginary people, but for me it’s not the first time nor will it be the last.” — Luci
Honestly, same.
“I want to go to sleep with this buzzy happy feeling of warmth and coziness floating through my body. It’s like a hug. And we all need more hugs. From both books and people.” — Luci
More hugs from books and people sounds perfect to me.
“There can be many great loves in our lives and they’re not all romantic ones.” — Luci
A beautiful reminder that love comes in many forms.
I also appreciated both Luci and Ryan carry emotional baggage from past relationships and personal struggles. Their trauma and growth are handled thoughtfully rather than brushed aside.
Challenges
The writing style in this novel feels a bit different from Bell’s previous books, so it took me a little time to adjust.
The story is also a slow burn with closed-door romance, which isn’t usually my personal preference. I tend to lean toward spicier reads.
That said, this is very much a matter of personal taste. My podcast co-host Meghan, for example, loves closed-door and slow burn romances, so I already know this one will be right up her alley.
There were also a few moments involving exes and character decisions that had me shaking my head a bit. But that’s also part of the fun of romance novels. I get very invested in fictional people and their questionable life choices. (See the aforementioned book quote.)
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a sweet, bookish romance about writers, publishing and second chances, A Bookish Story is a charming read.
Fans of slow burns, closed-door romance and stories set in the world of books and authors will likely enjoy Luci and Ryan’s journey.
And if you’re anything like me, you may also find yourself feeling a little extra seen when Luci admits how emotionally invested she gets in fictional characters.
Because honestly?
Same.
Get More
Want to read the book yourself? Get it here:
- The Ripped Bodice
- Amazon (paperback)
- Kindle
Interested in learning more about the author, Heatherly Bell? Click here. You can also listen to our podcast episode featuring Bell as a guest by clicking here. I’ve also reviewed two more of her books, and you can read my reviews here:
Have you read any of Heatherly Bell’s romance novels? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
