{"id":29686,"date":"2022-11-23T11:03:45","date_gmt":"2022-11-23T15:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=29686"},"modified":"2022-12-23T00:56:39","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T04:56:39","slug":"review-better-than-fiction-by-alexa-martin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2022\/11\/23\/review-better-than-fiction-by-alexa-martin\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \u2764\ufe0f Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-29686\" data-postid=\"29686\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-29686 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_bbbcac8 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner col_align_top gutter-narrow tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_49667e8 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_7036296 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"224\" height=\"346\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/better-than-fiction-alexa-martin.jpg?resize=224%2C346&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-post-image wp-image-29687\" title=\"better-than-fiction-alexa-martin\" alt=\"better-than-fiction-alexa-martin\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/better-than-fiction-alexa-martin.jpg?w=224&amp;ssl=1 224w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/better-than-fiction-alexa-martin.jpg?resize=194%2C300&amp;ssl=1 194w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/better-than-fiction-alexa-martin.jpg?resize=400%2C617&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px\" \/>\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_a1982ef customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">As a self-proclaimed book hater and a firm believer that the movie is always better, Drew Young didn\u2019t anticipate inheriting her grandma\u2019s bookstore, the Book Nook. She\u2019s in way over her head even before the shop\u2019s resident book club, comprising seven of the naughtiest old ladies ever, begin to do what they do best\u2014meddle.<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Bestselling author Jasper Williams is a hopeless romantic. When he meets Drew at his Book Nook signing event, he becomes determined to show her the beauty of reading. He curates a book bucket list in exchange for her help exploring the local Denver scene for his current manuscript. From going river rafting to trying local restaurants, Drew begins to connect with Jasper in a way she only thought happened in fiction.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">When messy family ties jeopardize the future of the Book Nook, Drew is caught between a bookshelf and a hard place. She\u2019s reminded that real life isn\u2019t always big dreams and sweeping romance. But Jasper is the plot twist she never saw coming and he\u2019s writing a happily ever after just for them.<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_23787e9 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_2d1ea91  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-25881 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/smitten-recommends-banner-1.png?resize=296%2C72\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"72\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong>\u00a0Nov 8, 2022<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Hot<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Penguin Group<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Berkley<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $10.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><em>Martin\u2019s first entry into standalone\/borderline women\u2019s fiction made me cry!<\/em><\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">Yep, you heard it from me first<strong> Better Than Fiction<\/strong> rides the edge between romance and women\u2019s fiction. This was equal parts both and told solely from the first-person perspective of our heroine, <strong>Drew Young<\/strong>.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">Drew *sigh* tugged at my heartstrings from page one because Drew and I share a couple common truths, we both were encouraged to read and enjoy books by our grandmothers and we both have lost said grandmother. This book launches with Drew trying to keep the last connection she has to the woman who gave her everything, The Book Nook. The bookstore her grandmother ran is the legacy Drew wants to preserve.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">Though Drew struggles to keep the books in the black and on the suggestion of her grandmother\u2019s best friends and book club, the Dirty Birds, she hosts an author night for one of romance\u2019s biggest authors, <strong>Jasper Williams<\/strong>. Call out the swoon committee because Jasper is the romance hero of all romance heroes. The man doesn\u2019t have many flaws in the looks department&#8230; honestly, in any department.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">Of course, attraction is immediate, and Jasper being the romance hero he is wants to date our cautious, work-driven Drew. She doesn\u2019t just agree. No, that comes in the form of Jasper desperate for local guidance as he writes his next romance, set in the Colorado area. With Drew\u2019s expertise in local sights and experiences, along with her photography skills, she\u2019s the perfect person to help Jasper. The trade-off is he\u2019ll help her learn to love reading again and take her out on excursions that pair with the books.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">Doesn\u2019t take much to see where this is headed. Along the way, Drew must deal with her hateful father, her eager-to-have-a-relationship half-sister, those meddlesome Dirty Birds, and a best friend who wants Drew to have good things. Not to mention the presence of grief in the face of loss, and how that grief can morph in the most unexpected ways. Did I mention some shocking secrets too?<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">This book really did have it all, and emotionally it touched me in a way that had me reach for the tissues. It reminded me of how I haven\u2019t fully grieved a loss of my own in the last fifteen years, which speaks to Martin\u2019s talent to drudge all that up for me again. What kept this from a five? The fact that Drew made me want to hit her a couple times. The conflict also rode a line for me that I wasn\u2019t sure I agreed with. Again, I\u2019m picky with my fives this year, but don\u2019t doubt this book is a good one.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">For those who enjoy <strong>Kate Clayborn<\/strong> or <strong>Kristin Higgins<\/strong>.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Landra<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_eb0616c customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3VoSIFZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3AFyH6k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/better-than-fiction-alexa-martin\/1140985473?ean=9780593337233\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/better-than-fiction-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Alexa_Martin_Better_than_Fiction?id=8H5dEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a self-proclaimed book hater and a firm believer that the movie is always better, Drew Young didn\u2019t anticipate inheriting her grandma\u2019s bookstore, the Book [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29687,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83,112,128,48],"tags":[152,216,217,238,324,365,404,405],"class_list":["post-29686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-berkley","category-landra","category-penguin-group","category-reviews","tag-4-stars","tag-contemporary","tag-contemporary-romance","tag-diverse-romance","tag-interracial-romance","tag-multicultural","tag-recommend","tag-recommended-reads"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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She\u2019s in way over her head even before the shop\u2019s resident book club, comprising seven of the naughtiest old ladies ever, begin to do what they do best\u2014meddle.<br \/><br \/>Bestselling author Jasper Williams is a hopeless romantic. When he meets Drew at his Book Nook signing event, he becomes determined to show her the beauty of reading. He curates a book bucket list in exchange for her help exploring the local Denver scene for his current manuscript. From going river rafting to trying local restaurants, Drew begins to connect with Jasper in a way she only thought happened in fiction.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>When messy family ties jeopardize the future of the Book Nook, Drew is caught between a bookshelf and a hard place. She\u2019s reminded that real life isn\u2019t always big dreams and sweeping romance. But Jasper is the plot twist she never saw coming and he\u2019s writing a happily ever after just for them.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/smitten-recommends-banner-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"72\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong>\u00a0Nov 8, 2022<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Hot<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Penguin Group<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Berkley<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $10.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><em>Martin\u2019s first entry into standalone\/borderline women\u2019s fiction made me cry!<\/em><\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">Yep, you heard it from me first<strong> Better Than Fiction<\/strong> rides the edge between romance and women\u2019s fiction. This was equal parts both and told solely from the first-person perspective of our heroine, <strong>Drew Young<\/strong>.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">Drew *sigh* tugged at my heartstrings from page one because Drew and I share a couple common truths, we both were encouraged to read and enjoy books by our grandmothers and we both have lost said grandmother. This book launches with Drew trying to keep the last connection she has to the woman who gave her everything, The Book Nook. The bookstore her grandmother ran is the legacy Drew wants to preserve.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">Though Drew struggles to keep the books in the black and on the suggestion of her grandmother\u2019s best friends and book club, the Dirty Birds, she hosts an author night for one of romance\u2019s biggest authors, <strong>Jasper Williams<\/strong>. Call out the swoon committee because Jasper is the romance hero of all romance heroes. The man doesn\u2019t have many flaws in the looks department... honestly, in any department.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">Of course, attraction is immediate, and Jasper being the romance hero he is wants to date our cautious, work-driven Drew. She doesn\u2019t just agree. No, that comes in the form of Jasper desperate for local guidance as he writes his next romance, set in the Colorado area. With Drew\u2019s expertise in local sights and experiences, along with her photography skills, she\u2019s the perfect person to help Jasper. The trade-off is he\u2019ll help her learn to love reading again and take her out on excursions that pair with the books.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">Doesn\u2019t take much to see where this is headed. Along the way, Drew must deal with her hateful father, her eager-to-have-a-relationship half-sister, those meddlesome Dirty Birds, and a best friend who wants Drew to have good things. Not to mention the presence of grief in the face of loss, and how that grief can morph in the most unexpected ways. Did I mention some shocking secrets too?<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">This book really did have it all, and emotionally it touched me in a way that had me reach for the tissues. It reminded me of how I haven\u2019t fully grieved a loss of my own in the last fifteen years, which speaks to Martin\u2019s talent to drudge all that up for me again. What kept this from a five? The fact that Drew made me want to hit her a couple times. The conflict also rode a line for me that I wasn\u2019t sure I agreed with. Again, I\u2019m picky with my fives this year, but don\u2019t doubt this book is a good one.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">For those who enjoy <strong>Kate Clayborn<\/strong> or <strong>Kristin Higgins<\/strong>.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Landra<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3VoSIFZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3AFyH6k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/better-than-fiction-alexa-martin\/1140985473?ean=9780593337233\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/better-than-fiction-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Alexa_Martin_Better_than_Fiction?id=8H5dEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29686"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29686\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29744,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29686\/revisions\/29744"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}