Battle of the Bookstores

A LibraryReads Pick

Rivalry and romance spark when two bookstore managers who are opposites in every way find themselves competing for the same promotion.

Despite managing bookstores on the same Boston street, Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson have never interacted much—Josie’s store focuses on serious literature, and Ryan’s sells romance only. But when the new owner of both stores decides to combine them, the two are thrust into direct competition. Only one manager will be left standing, decided by who turns the most profit over the summer. 

Efficient and detail-oriented Josie instantly clashes with easygoing and disorganized Ryan. Their competing events and contrasting styles lead to more than just frustration—the sparks between them might just set the whole store on fire. Their only solace during this chaos is the friendship they’ve each struck up with an anonymous friend in an online book forum. Little do they know they’re actually chatting with each other.  

As their rivalry heats up in real life, their online relationship grows, and when the walls between their stores come tumbling down, Josie and Ryan realize not all’s fair in love and war. And maybe, if they’re lucky, happily ever afters aren’t just for the books.

“A funny, modern twist on You’ve Got Mail.”--Abby Jimenez, New York Times bestselling author of Just For The Summer

"If Ali Brady writes it, I'm going to read it. Battle of the Bookstores is a pitch-perfect romantic comedy. I devoured it in one sitting; once you curl up with this book you're not going to want to put it down."--Kate Spencer, bestselling author of One Last Summer

"Ali Brady's Battle of the Bookstores is the perfect enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance filled with sharp banter and swoony book-talk. What can I say, I'm trash for when two characters are getting to know each other on a deep, intimate level through anonymous text exchanges without realizing that they're talking to the very person who's completely scrambled their brain in real life, and that trope is so well-executed here. I wanted all the walls between Ryan and Josie to come down -- not just the ones between their rival shops -- and when they did it was oh so satisfying. A book lover's dream!"--Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of The Art of Catching Feelings

"Ali Brady has written the new comfort read for bookworms. Battle of the Bookstores somehow manages to be both delightfully funny and self-aware while also being deeply, unapologetically, an ode to romance. If you’re thinking of picking this one up I’d quote Joe Fox in “You’ve Got Mail” and say “oh how I wish you would.” --Ali Rosen, bestselling author of Recipe for Second Chances

"A heartfelt ode to bookstores and book lovers... this goes down as one my favorite reads of 2025. I absolutely loved it!"--Jean Meltzer, International Bestselling Author

"Improving on the perfection of my favorite movie You’ve Got Mail seemed impossible until Ali Brady went ahead and did it. Battle of the Bookstores delivers the irresistible romantic charm of the classic, with the addition of a fresh twist, satisfying new tropes and surprising emotional depth. I laughed out loud, teared up and fell head over heels for Ryan and Josie. This is a new favorite I’ll return to again and again!"--Libby Hubscher, author of Heart Marks the Spot

“Cleverly riffing on You’ve Got Mail and The Little Shop around the Corner, Brady, the pseudonym for Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey, fashions another fun, flirty, and fiercely romantic love story about a literary-fiction reader and a romance devotee falling in love. This also serves as a beautifully written paean to the magic of bookstores, the power of romance novels, and the joy of reading.” --Booklist (STARRED)

Ali Brady is the pen name of writing BFFs Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey. The Beach Trap is their first book together. Alison lives in Chicago and works as a VP and creative director at an advertising agency. She’s the author of You and Me and Us and Little Pieces of Me. Bradeigh lives with her family in Utah, where she works as a physician. She’s the author of the psychological thriller Imposter.

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