Battle of the Bookstores

Battle of the Bookstores (2025), by Ali Brady, is a contemporary romance that follows rival bookstore managers Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson as the owner of both their businesses states that he will be combining their stores and the local coffee shop but will hire only one manager to run it. Josie’s store specializes in literary fiction and nonfiction, while Ryan’s specializes in romance fiction. As the two compete to bring in the highest profits and secure their careers, their rivalry turns into romance—especially when they discover that they’ve been friends all along through an anonymous online community called BookFriends.

Ali Brady is the pen name of writer friends Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey. Their debut book together was The Beach Trap, published in 2022. Since then, they’ve published more romantic comedies together, such as The Comeback Summer (2023), Until Next Summer (2024), and Battle of the Bookstores (2025). These books have been “best of summer” picks by The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Parade, and Katie Couric Media.

Battle of the Bookstores exists in a subsect of “bookish” contemporary romances which features popular works such as Beach Read by Emily Henry, A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston, and Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson.

This guide is based on the e-book edition published by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in 2025.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature mentions of childhood neglect, ableism, suicide, and depression.

Plot Summary

After dropping out of college, Josie Klein finds purpose and pride as the manager of Tabula Inscripta, a Boston bookstore specializing in literary fiction and nonfiction. Tucked on the other side of the cafe separating their respective bookstores, Ryan Lawson runs Happy Endings, a romance bookstore he inherited from his late mentor. Ryan is passionate about making people feel seen in love stories, while Josie, who distrusts happy endings after a turbulent childhood with a neglectful mother, dismisses romance as frivolous and destined to end poorly in most cases. Their paths collide when Xander Liang, who owns all the businesses on their block, announces that the coffee shop between them will be merged with both bookstores into one large store. Only one manager’s position will remain, and Josie and Ryan must compete. The manager whose store brings in the most profits in the three months leading up to Labor Day will get the position.

From the outset, Josie and Ryan clash. Josie sees Ryan as messy and the romance genre as unserious, while he sees Josie as pretentious and rude, with a boring and lifeless store. Their animosity fuels their rivalry as Josie hosts wine pairings and literary book clubs while Ryan stages themed romance events.

As they become closer both online and in person, their insecurities begin to show. Josie feels unworthy due to dropping out of college to care for her sister Georgia after an accident, and Ryan has long struggled with feelings of mediocrity, compounded by dyslexia and a failed past relationship. Ironically, they both unwittingly keep more amicable contact anonymously through BookFriends, where Josie chats as “BookshopGirl” with “RJ” who just happens to be Ryan. Ryan learns quickly that Josie is BookshopGirl, but she remains oblivious when Ryan can’t figure out how to broach the topic. This is compounded by her refusal to meet RJ in real life, as she doesn’t want to lose the anonymity that allows her to be vulnerable and let out emotions she can’t with people in real life.

While it first appears like Ryan is trying to sabotage Josie’s performance in the competition—with his cat interrupting her wine night and his romance customers disrupting her literary book club—eventually, the competition becomes a learning experience. Both Josie and Ryan slowly recognize each other’s dedication to their jobs and the genres they specialize in. Their banter also begins to slip into charged romantic and sexual moments, from a near-kiss to a chemistry-filled fake-date weekend when Josie accompanies Ryan to his parents’ anniversary party in Maine. Away from Boston, they let down their guards: Josie admits why she distrusts romance, Ryan shares his yearning for love despite heartbreak, and their intimate make-out on the beach cements a growing attraction. Yet back home, Josie pulls away, preferring to remain wary while also refusing RJ’s repeated suggestions to meet in person.

As the summer progresses, Josie and Ryan experiment with combining efforts—joint events, reorganizing shelves, etc.—in hopes of convincing Xander that they both deserve a job in the new store. They grow closer, and their flirtation edges toward romance despite Josie’s fear of repeating her mother’s dating mistakes. Meanwhile, Georgia pushes Josie to confront her fears of intimacy. Eventually, their slow-burn relationship culminates in a passionate coupling at the Independent Booksellers of New England conference, where Josie finally learns that Ryan is RJ. Instead of betrayal, she feels relief that both the men she’s come to love are the same person.

At the end of the competition, Josie and Ryan present their plan to Xander, proving that their combined strategies have increased profits greatly, but Xander remains unmoved. Ryan wins by the numbers, yet refuses the position, unwilling to take it from Josie. Xander names Josie manager, leaving Ryan to consider a new job offer in Rhode Island. The uncertain future scares and devastates them both, until they both decide to fight for their relationship and themselves. Josie convinces Xander to give the manager role to Ryan while she returns to college to finish her degree. When Ryan stages a grand romantic gesture in the bookstore, illuminating Josie’s favorite novels, they finally confess their love and commit to a future together.

In the epilogue, one year later, the store has been renamed Beyond the Pages, symbolizing their belief in stories—and lives—that extend past neat happy endings. Josie thrives as a student and bookseller and Ryan continues creating a haven for romance readers while also broadening the catalog of the mega-bookstore. Ryan proposes to Josie with a custom “blind date with a book” package: Clues on the book’s wrapping paper describe the highlights of their own love story. Josie accepts the proposal on the condition that they will someday buy the store together.