Battle of the Bookstores

“I should say something to break the tension, but I don’t have a clever bone in my giant, awkward body. Especially around a woman who’s as intimidating as she is striking. The Hating Game comes to mind, and I wonder what Josh Templeman might say to Lucy Hutton in this situation. But I’m no Josh, and I don’t have Sally Thorne drafting my dialogue.”

This passage highlights Ryan’s deep insecurity and self-consciousness, contrasting his ordinary self with the cleverness of romance heroes. By invoking The Hating Game and Sally Thorne, Brady playfully blurs the line between fiction and reality by drawing on real novels, a form of light metafiction common to the contemporary romance genre. Ryan is hyperaware that he falls short of genre ideals even as he longs for connection.

“Cue the usual response: eyeing me suspiciously as the wheels turn in his mind. This small, young woman cannot have any sort of actual influence or authority. I am in fact thirty years old and of average height, but I was cursed with a baby face that makes me look at least five years younger—which is why I dress professionally and always wear my hair up.”

In this passage, Josie reflects on the sexism and ageism that undermine her authority, exposing how often she is underestimated in professional spaces. Her choice to present herself in a deliberately polished way is a means of countering the dismissals she anticipates. This is also indicative of her insecurities about dropping out of college.

“Eddie’s my friend—and he underestimates me, too? Maybe he knows something I don’t. He’s like the Mayor of Davis Square, keeping tabs on everything. He sees how many people go into Brian’s store compared to mine and how many walk out with purchases. Meanwhile, I don’t know much about Happy Endings. All I know is that the clientele is mostly women (judging by the customers I’ve seen holding the store’s pink-and-gold bags), and I think the employees are, too.”

This moment captures Josie’s creeping self-doubt as she realizes that even her friends, like Eddie, may not believe in her ability to win. Additionally, Brady uses Josie’s judgments based on limited, surface-level knowledge of Happy Endings to highlight how her elitism blinds her from truly understanding Ryan’s success, setting the stage for the book’s exploration of Breaking Down Artificial Genre Boundaries.

“‘This might be controversial,’ I warn, ‘but nothing pulls me out of a story more than an enemies-to-lovers trope […] It normalizes toxic behavior and romanticizes serious issues that shouldn’t be glossed over […] if someone’s really your enemy, you wouldn’t fall in love with them. It’s not plausible.’”

Brady layers irony here: Ryan and Josie embody an enemies-to-lovers dynamic even as he disavows it. The exaggerated reactions of his coworkers highlight how well-loved this trope is, for good reason, further foreshadowing that an enemies-to-lovers dynamic will be occurring between Ryan and Josie.

“After that, everything fell apart. I don’t regret choosing my sister over my own plans, but it took me years to crawl out of that hole. To create a life I’m proud of, even if it’s not what I always hoped for. And now that life feels fragile. Like those wineglasses shattered on the floor.”

The wineglasses metaphor conveys how precarious Josie’s hard-won stability feels—and losing the competition could undo years of rebuilding. Brady emphasizes that Josie’s defensiveness and ambition in the bookstore competition are less about pride than about protecting the fragile life she has fought to construct.

“Romance doesn’t speak to me. I love literary fiction because it’s gritty, raw, and complicated, like real human experiences. No guarantees, no tidy conclusions. No false hopes, either.”

Josie’s dismissal of romance reveals how her elitism is rooted in personal pain—she associates the “no guarantees” or “tidy conclusions” or “false hopes” of the literary fiction genre with a more realistic version of life due to her upbringing with an unreliable mother. By elevating literary fiction as more “real,” she shields herself from the vulnerability that romance tends to evoke, convincing herself that pessimism is equivalent to wisdom. Brady uses this moment to expose Josie’s bias while foreshadowing the irony that her own story will unfold with the very hope and intimacy she denies.

“It happened after every bad breakup: Mom would pull out her paperback romances, the ones with clinch covers featuring bare-chested men embracing women with heaving bosoms, and she’d hole up in her room for days at a time like they were an escape hatch from reality.”

This passage explores The Benefits and Dangers of Literary Escapism, linking Josie’s disdain for romance to formative childhood trauma, showing how her mother’s escapism became synonymous with neglect. This has made it impossible for her to separate romance books from the pain they caused in her life.

“I know she wants to believe our mother can change, and I love that about her. Unfortunately, it’s never going to happen, and the last thing I want is for my sister to get hurt again. So many popular novels showcase big, sweeping character arcs—but that’s the author’s imagination. Fictional. In real life, people don’t change, not enough to make a difference.”

Josie’s cynicism here exposes how deeply her mother’s failures have shaped her worldview: She rejects the very possibility of character growth outside fiction. Brady uses this conviction to heighten the irony of the novel’s trajectory, since both Josie and her mother will ultimately embody the change Josie insists is impossible.

“If RJ knew who I really was, I’d feel pressure to be the persona I’ve created over the past five years here at Tabula—the polished, professional bookseller who never lets her guard down. I’d start second-guessing everything I share, censoring myself. It would never be the same.”

Josie’s fear of RJ discovering her identity reveals how tightly she clings to her curated persona as a shield against vulnerability with others. Brady uses this tension to foreshadow the inevitable collapse of her dual identities, showing that true intimacy requires dismantling the walls she has built.

“I stare at her words, wondering how she’s turned this around so that she’s complimenting and comforting me. But after my run-in with Josie earlier, I needed to hear this, to remind me of the kind of person I want to be. The kind of person I know I can be, if I’m honest with myself about my behavior and make some changes.”

BookshopGirl’s compliments to RJ inspire Ryan to become the person he wants to be instead of stewing instead of being defeated by Doubt as an Obstacle to Romantic Fulfillment. Brady once again evokes irony by having BookshopGirl inspire this feeling in Ryan right after Josie made him feel the opposite earlier that day.

“My eyes widen. I try to keep my messaging with BSG to nonworking hours, but a few times—okay, a lot of times—we had really good banter going, like, Emily Henry-level banter, and I couldn’t wait to reply.”

Ryan’s occupation as a romance bookseller provides ample opportunity for metafictional allusions to other romance novels. Ryan’s love for the genre means that he interprets nearly all his experiences through its lens.

“Ryan must know that, too. Does he feel bad for me now? Does he want to prove that he’s a ‘good guy’ as he crushes me? Unless he actually is a good guy? That thought sends an uncomfortable twinge through my chest. Regardless of his motivations, I owe him, big-time.”

Josie’s conflicted reaction to Ryan’s moments of kindness illustrates her instinct to frame Ryan’s actions as performative or manipulative. Her discomfort in reaction to these moments shows that she is not used to expecting kindness from others. Brady captures Josie’s ingrained distrust due to her past and the slow erosion of that distrust as Ryan repeatedly proves himself.

“I catalog another difference between the two women. Where BookshopGirl seems eternally curious, excited to learn about new things, Josie can’t handle looking like anything less than the smartest person in any room. My mind flicks back to the story she told me about losing her scholarship and dropping out of college. The deep shame she still carries. Maybe I’ve been misreading her; what if it’s not about wanting to look smarter, but she’s genuinely insecure? My heart gives a teeny, tiny squeeze of sympathy.”

Now aware of Josie’s dual identity, Ryan is able to reflect more on her in-person behavior. What he previously saw as arrogance and superiority is actually a mask for her insecurity. By contrasting how Josie interacts with him as BookshopGirl versus how she acts as Josie, he is able to identify the pain beneath her icy exterior.

“Dad’s voice cracks, and he pauses. My mom steps in to take the mic, and I marvel at the way they instinctively know what the other one needs. My chest tightens with the longing I try so hard to ignore—to have what they have. To know like they know.”

Though Ryan doesn’t believe he will get his own happy ending, he yearns for it deeply. His admiration of his parents’ relationship contrasts sharply with to his perceived inadequacy in his own relationships, setting the stage for character development as he overcomes Doubt as an Obstacle to Romantic Fulfillment.

“Ryan left his tie and jacket at the party, and now he’s unbuttoned his top button and rolled up his shirtsleeves. His hair, which was neatly combed at the start of the night, has reverted to its usual floppy state, and it makes him look more like himself. All evening, it’s been difficult to remember that this handsome, imposing man is the same guy who wears tortoiseshell glasses and cardigans and a lanyard covered in ridiculous pins. The same guy I’ve been competing against for weeks. Real life seems far away, here on a beach in the moonlight with the waves whispering against the sand.”

This first moment of intimacy between Josie and Ryan is a culmination of their growing attraction. However, Josie’s statement that “real life seems far away” highlights that she only acted on her feelings in this moment because the situation is removed enough from their day-to-day life to feel fictional. Josie feels safe acting on her feelings in this setting, but reasserts her boundaries when they return to Boston.

“Because he’s more than a friend. The truth of it barrels down on me: I care about him. I care about his opinion of me, too. And I’m terrified that meeting him in person will strip away the carefully constructed layers I’ve built about myself, that I won’t live up to the version of me he’s come to know.”

Josie’s confession captures a central theme and part of her character arc: the fear that intimacy will expose her as unworthy of love. Her worry about “living up” to RJ’s perception reveals how fragile her sense of confidence and identity is.

“Is it so wrong that I don’t want things to change? Is it so terrible that I want to stay in this online bubble where I can choose my words, take my time, keep everything safe? The thought of meeting him out there, in the real world—of being seen, really seen—makes my chest constrict. It’s suddenly hard to breathe.”

This passage lays bare Josie’s dependence on anonymity as a shield. Her desire to remain in the “online bubble” reflects how escapism has become a survival strategy, allowing her to curate a controlled environment in a way real life never permits. Brady’s imagery of a constricted chest conveys that for Josie, intimacy is emotionally daunting and physically suffocating, depicting just how terrifying the prospect of being fully known is to her.

“Before last weekend, the idea of me winning and Ryan skulking off in shame would have made me giddy with excitement. Now it leaves me unsettled. […] maybe because I now understand how much Ryan loves what he does—and how protective he is of his staff and customers. And all that nice-guy behavior? It’s not an act. He actually is a good human. It’s terrible news for me; a complete disaster. Humanizing your enemy makes it difficult to destroy him.”

Josie’s shifting perspective reveals a crucial turning point. She can no longer caricature Ryan as a rival since she’s recognized the depth of his passion and witnessed his integrity. This adds further stakes to the novel, as now whichever way the competition goes, neither outcome is truly a win.

“Josie turns back toward me, but she’s put distance between us, like the bridge has gone up and there’s no chance of crossing the moat to rescue the princess from her strictly regulated world.”

Ryan’s metaphor casts Josie as a princess locked away by her own rigid boundaries and fears. The imagery of the bridge and moat appear as self-imposed defenses which block any attempts at intimacy. This use of romantic, fairytale language fits with Ryan’s character as a romance bookseller.

“I’d call it attraction, except he has absolutely nothing in common with anyone I’ve ever been attracted to before. Maybe I’m just confused. I’m in a state of heightened stress, my job on the line, and here’s this big, kindhearted man who listens to my ideas and says lovely things and treats me like I’m not just a college dropout who spends her days unpacking boxes and ringing up purchases and trying to prove that she’s made something of herself while battling the ever-present fear that she hasn’t.”

Josie’s reflection reveals how her attraction to Ryan destabilizes the rigid narrative she’s built about herself and what she deserves. Her self-description as a “college dropout” exposes the deep insecurity beneath her elitist exterior. Brady positions Ryan as a catalyst for Josie’s growth, someone whose genuine respect challenges her belief that her worth is defined by her past.

“Part of me wishes I could pour my heart out to him, but that would mean revisiting the whole messed-up saga, and Ryan hates complicated stories with sad endings. He said so himself. He prefers the ones that end neatly, tied with a bow, happily ever after, the end.”

Because Ryan reads romances, Josie believes he’s not open to discussing potentially tragic topics, instead preferring feel-good stories with happy endings. She uses this an excuse to maintain boundaries instead of sharing her painful memories with him. This is a faulty assumption, and Ryan’s reading tastes do not reflect his ability to handle real-life conflict.

“She’s hit the nail on the head, and my eyes fill with tears again. There’s no turning the page and moving on when it’s your own life. No closing the book and choosing a new one. I’d have to face my own feelings, and that’s the scariest thing of all.”

Josie’s metaphor of life as an inescapable book captures The Benefits and Dangers of Literary Escapism: Unlike fiction, she cannot abandon her own narrative when it becomes uncomfortable. Her fear of “turning the page” reflects her resistance to vulnerability and change.

“He’s repeating my words about my favorite books, but he’s saying them about me. It makes me feel, for the first time ever, that my protective shell isn’t a character flaw; maybe I’m not too difficult to get to know. Maybe I’ve just been waiting for someone who’s willing to put in the work.”

Josie’s realization that Ryan is willing to put in the work to validate her shows Josie that intimacy doesn’t require her to abandon her defenses. Instead, she need only find someone trustworthy enough to meet her inside them. Ryan’s patience in waiting for Josie to finally let him in shows her that he is committed to staying.