3.7 Stars

Leighton is frustrated when she is ghosted by yet another Tinder date. With no real-life plans for the weekend, she grabs a random book from the shelf and starts reading. Soon, Leigh begins to dream of Lakeville Hills and the super hot billionaire cowboy Killian St Clair. 

This becomes a routine for Leigh, a wonderful escape for a few hours. However, one day she brings Killian to her apartment. Real life and dream worlds collide. So what will Leigh do? How can she find a way out? 

The story comes in Leigh’s first-person POV. 
 

This is the kind of book where you have to go with the flow and forget logic. Its premise makes it clear. I was willing, and quite enjoyed the ride. 

Humor is seamlessly woven into the narrative, making this a light-hearted read even when the scenes deal with misogyny, etc. The couple’s wisdom quotes are hilarious. 

Not sure if it is a new trend, but many romcoms seem to be ‘talking’ about the tropes in the plot.  Love Story and The Love of My Afterlife had the same. This book also has the characters discussing and jokes about the tropes in their lives. It makes sense given the character arcs, so it was fun. 

The book is sexy but not that steamy. When it comes to the scenes, it goes fade to black. Since it has quite a few dream sequences, we get enough time to see the main characters connect and know more about each other. 

Though we get only Leigh’s POV, it is easy to see Killian’s side. He is open about his feelings most of the time. Though he is the alpha male, he is also a cinnamon roll. A nice package by all means! 

The beginning is slow (until about 30%) but it picks up a steady pace afterward. There really isn’t a third-act breakup, though there is a small fight and a patch-up real soon. 

Given the premise, there are a few missing (logical) details. But answering those would be risky and could mess up the whole plot, so things are left the way they are. In short, this needs the suspension of belief. 

To summarize, It Started with a Book is a light and funny read about dreams coming true and book boyfriends becoming real. Well, I sure wouldn’t mind this happening (are you listening, guardian angels). 

Thank you, Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley