Battle of the Bookstores

At work, Ryan wraps books for “Blind Date with a Book”—where customers read the clues written on the brown paper covering a book and decide whether to buy the book based solely on the recommendations. The new feature has been a popular seller in the store. Meanwhile, Ryan is distracted by the memory of a steamy dream he had about Josie the night before. His recent feelings for Josie bring out his fears about love, reminding him of his college partner, Kate, who he thought was “the one” only to be blindsided when she fell for her chemistry class TA. Since then, he’s accepted that he will not have a Happily Ever After for himself, but he finds fulfillment in helping others find their own happy endings through his bookstore. Cinderella teases Ryan about his interactions with Josie lately, even implying they are a real-life version of the enemies-to-lovers trope he despises.

Brenda Palmer, the mother of JR—a boy who used to be friends with Ryan in their teens, before JR’s tragic death during their senior year of high school—visits Ryan for the first time in over a decade. She buys an LGBT+ romance book on his recommendation, and they have a brief but warm catch-up before she leaves. The reminder of JR’s death makes Ryan consider his bookstore, which he has curated as a place and comfort and support for all people. He becomes further determined to win the competition so Happy Endings can stay open and have a positive impact on others.

Xander’s hired construction crew finally arrives to take down the walls between Happy Endings, Beans, and Tabula Inscripta, joining the stores and the coffee shop into one massive, open space. Josie notices a smell of burning incense wafting over to her store, which triggers memories of one of her mom’s old boyfriends and causes her nausea. While Josie worries after seeing more customers coming and going from Happy Endings all day, she reminds herself that Ryan’s operating costs are higher and his books are typically less expensive. This doesn’t lessen the sting, however, when one of her regular customers shops at Happy Endings for her daughter after leaving Tabula Inscripta.

That evening, Josie settles behind the checkout counter after closing to read more of 11/22/63, which she is enjoying. Irritated by the applause from an event at Happy Endings, Josie impulsively decides to move bookshelves to create a makeshift wall to block her store off from Beans and Happy Endings. Moving the shelves emits a loud screeching sound that lures an angry Ryan over to scold her instead of helping. Josie angrily stalks up to him in response, backing him up against her shelves. The moment becomes sexually charged, but they are interrupted by sounds of laughter from Happy Endings.

Josie’s comment bothers Ryan, who has tried his whole life not to be ordinary or an asshole. While each of his older brothers excelled in athletics, comedy, or school, Ryan was always mediocre and failed to meet people’s expectations.

One day, Ryan and his employees set up their bookstore after hours for the engagement of their friends Barb and Eva. While they’re setting up, Ryan’s friend Gretchen texts asking if he’s thought about her proposal to work for her in the Cape. Ryan is not ready to let go of Happy Endings just yet and tells her so, but Gretchen implies she’ll be waiting if he changes his mind. The engagement between Barb and Eva is sweet but reminds Ryan of his failed relationship with Kate. He is happy to help this couple find their happy ending, though. The engagement causes commotion during Josie’s event, and she angrily comes over to snap at Ryan for being disrespectful. When she cuts off his apology with a threat to call the cops about him serving liquor without a liquor license, Ryan’s good will ends. He instructs the guitar player for the proposal, Alan, to play louder.

Later, BookshopGirl and RJ chat online. BookshopGirl tells him about chatting with a customer who came in for a book. The conversation took an unpleasant turn when BookshopGirl mentioned how much she reads, and the customer replied that it would be nice to have the time to read like that, but she has actual responsibilities. BookshopGirl rants to RJ about how it is her job to know the product she sells and that if her customer really loved reading, she would find the time.

Josie tells RJ over BookFriends that she loved 11/22/63 and asks for a new recommendation. Talking to RJ leaves her giddy and feels like reading a good book. She refers to them as “characters in a story of our own making, with no real-world complications to muddy the waters” (112). RJ recommends The Princess Bride.

Josie later has a progress meeting with Xander, who tells her that while her sales are up compared to last year, she is behind Ryan and must try harder. Afterward, she prepares for her event that night—a book signing for Kenneth Michael Rutherford, an international bestseller who was also shortlisted for the National Book Award for his debut novel. Though Josie hasn’t read his second book, which came out two days ago, she loved his first and is excited to host the event. However, though her store is packed with people for the event that night, she notices that the attendees are all white men. She posts on BookFriends asking about the author and receives comments back talking about his recent controversies. His new release “endorses sterilization of individuals with disabilities,” a form of violence associated with the eugenics movement of the early 20th century (120). Josie feels horrible for hosting the event without knowledge of his problematic book. She wants to kick him and his fans out but is terrified of doing so as the only woman and the only staff member in the vicinity. Though Ryan is likely in Happy Endings, Josie is doubtful he will help her. Instead, she waits uncomfortably for the event to run its course and decides that all her proceeds from the night will be donated to organizations that support individuals with disabilities.

That night, when RJ messages asking how her event went, Josie states vaguely that it went horribly and that it brought up some stuff from her past. The conversation turns to personal wounds. RJ shares that his wound comes from the perceived inadequacy of being a mediocre child in a family of overachievers. Meanwhile, Josie shares that despite being the smartest kid in her high school, she had to drop out of college during her senior year; since then she has felt a deep-rooted fear that she doesn’t have what it takes to succeed in anything. RJ insists that she is hardworking, smart, and passionate and more than capable of succeeding.

Xander calls Ryan to tell him that while his sales are up from last year, he is behind Josie and must put in more work. Ryan reaches out to Gretchen to mention that he might be interested in her job proposal. He then messages with BookshopGirl, who is enjoying The Princess Bride.

Ryan enters Beans, where Eddie and Josie are talking. Josie tells Ryan about her disastrous event with the problematic author. Ryan has made this mistake before and sympathizes with her. When Ryan states that he hopes she kicked the author out, Eddie tells Ryan that Josie feared for her safety and couldn’t. Ryan insists he would have helped her, but Josie admits she didn’t believe he would have. Ryan is bothered by this and insists he will help her whenever she’s in need. Josie accuses him of having a hero complex, which hits on an old wound of Ryan’s.

That night, Ryan tells BookshopGirl that someone implied he wasn’t a good person earlier that day—referring to Josie. BookshopGirl insists it’s not a him-problem but likely a personal issue the other person is dealing with. She mentions that she hasn’t been able to stop thinking about their conversation about wounds. She has never spoken to anyone about why she dropped out of college but confides in RJ, telling him about her sister’s accident and how their mom left with her boyfriend shortly after. BookshopGirl failed two classes and lost her scholarship during that stressful period. Even when her mother came back, she had a depressive episode after her breakup, and BookshopGirl dropped out of college to help care for her sister. Ever since, BookshopGirl has viewed herself as a person who gives up. However, Ryan tells her that he views her as a resilient person who sacrificed her future to help her sister. BookshopGirl mentions that her job is in jeopardy and everything it stands for—her purpose and sense of accomplishment—could be lost along with it, but RJ reassures her that she is capable of adapting and persevering.

Georgia forces Josie to talk to their mother on the phone. Josie learns that their mother is engaged to a doctor named Darrell and that Georgia has plans to visit them in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, soon. After the call, Georgia insists that their mother has changed and that her relationship with Darrell seems like the healthiest she’s ever had, but Josie is inclined to not believe this.

While Josie settles in for lunch behind the checkout counter with her copy of The Princess Bride open, she hears the sound of water dripping. The pipes that the plumbers have been working on are leaking and dripping on a display table of new hardcovers. She rushes to save them but is unable to move the table. Ryan rushes over to move the table out of harm’s way. Though Josie is devastated, thinking she’s lost thousands of dollars of stock, Ryan calmly goes through the books and discovers that fewer of them are damaged than Josie first thought. He suggests she discount the damaged ones so she can still make a profit. Josie appreciates his help. When Ryan notices that her current read is The Princess Bride, he seems shocked and abruptly exits the store.