WHAT IT’S ABOUT:

Kit Forrest is officially the saddest man in Cedar Falls. A year after his boyfriend turned down his proposal and left town, Kit’s beloved bookstore is falling down around him. The old brick firehouse has overstuffed shelves, a resident orange cat with an attitude problem… and repairs Kit can’t begin to afford.

Sage Ballard is a hometown boy who got famous, then became a tabloid disaster, and now urgently needs a nice, ordinary boyfriend to convince one very rich investor he’s a changed man. Three months of fake dating, and Sawyer’s Books will get the cash injection it needs to survive. And it’s not like he has to actually be nice to the guy, right?

Kit thinks Sage is a rude, sunglasses-indoors diva. Sage thinks Kit is an earnest nerd who talks too much. But then something shifts. Sage starts turning up at the bookstore for no particular reason. Kit starts saving him the good armchair. And the cat—who bites everyone—won’t leave Sage alone.

By the time the first snow falls, pretending has begun to feel a bit too real. Which would be wonderful, if the whole thing weren’t built on lies. You know what they say about small towns and secrets…

Perfect for fans of KJ Charles, Alexis Hall and Zarah Detand, you can expect:

• Autumn vibes
• Fake dating
• Celebrity x ordinary guy
• Grumpy x sunshine
• Small-town romance
• Forced proximity / only one bed
• Cozy bookstore setting
• Slow burn romance

MY THOUGHTS (spoiler-free):

Note: I received an Advanced Reading Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Comfort Read had me hooked from the very first chapter. This book has so many elements I love: small town, bookstore setting, fake dating and celebrity romance. I mean, the tropes I love are all there, but on top of that it was also written so well! The character development, the slow burn romance… This was adorable and heartwarming and I couldn’t put it down.

First of all, Kit was a great main character. He’s funny and earnest and nerdy but was also dealing with some emotional and financial issues. I could see why he was so in love with his bookstore and why he would do anything to save it, as it was the most wonderful and cozy setting. And Sage was equally amazing. I was intrigued by him from the very start and I loved how this world famous grumpy movie star just couldn’t stay away from Kit and his bookstore (and the bookstore cat)… Their chemistry was slow and sweet.

But what really elevated the story was the writing, which made the story and the characters just came alive. Both Kit and Sage felt like such complete characters. I genuinely felt what they felt, every emotion was just conveyed so well. It made the story feel all the more emotional and heartwarming, and not only sweet and witty. And it made the romance development feel real and natural.

Above all, I highly recommend Comfort Read as a perfect cozy read to curl up with on a slow autumn day.

Tell Me:
Will you read Comfort Read?