After catching her husband in a compromising position, Finley Granger finds herself in a new hell: reentering the dating world. When she moves in with her grandmother, her great-aunt, and their best friend, Finley finds herself surrounded by a trio of well-meaning yet bumbling matchmakers.
In spite of their efforts, Finley only has eyes for one person, and that’s Zeke Masters—the 6’4”, impossibly … impossibly built, and ridiculously good-looking new man in town. Along with her nether regions, Finley’s journalistic spidey-senses tingle as to why he’s on sabbatical from Seattle. Is he on the lam or escaping a bad breakup? What’s his story?!?!
As Finley finds herself reluctantly drawn to the gorgeous IT guy, she can’t help but wonder: should she indulge in a rebound tryst with the mysterious Zeke, or has she finally met her match?
‘Shelf Awareness’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book #4 in the Green Valley Library series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.
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Favorite Quotes:
It was after watching one of my favorites, Waiting to Exhale, that I had a breakthrough. Sure, one might say rounding up your husband’s clothes to cut the crotches out of them was more of a breakdown than a breakthrough, but I didn’t care. I had a purpose.
“GramBea, while I might have an English degree, I’m a journalist and an editor, not a librarian.” In my mind, I couldn’t imagine a more depressing prospect. Nothing screams spinster like a librarian. I could literally feel my vagina shriveling at the sexless years ahead of it. Next, GramBea would be suggesting I go with her to The Beauty Mark to get my hair teased before joining her for shuffleboard.
Oh, no. There it was. The opening of the ex-files. I’m pretty sure bringing up the ex on a date was some sort of faux pas. Although I could have told the waitress to nix the wine out of respect for Marcus and his pain, I decided against it. My sixth sense told me I was going to need all the alcohol I could get.
Considering Estelle’s profession, I couldn’t imagine what kind of man she would come up with. Probably one who was vegan, wore sandals, and considered placing crystals on my body as foreplay.
My mouth gaped open. I glanced around waiting for the impending apocalypse brought on by Dot using the word hussy.
My Review:
This was a fun read and my first outing with the delightful Katie Ashley, and I was enamored with her naughty wit, clever humor, and oddly beguiling characters. I adored the gentle giant of Zeke most of all. But I never would have imagined three eighty-something women would be providing a considerable share of the levity and comic relief, but they were exceptionally keen octogenarians, and gifted with purse skills, think Golden Girls but in small-town Tennessee. Ms. Ashley is a wily minx.
Written in the first person POV of a painfully betrayed and heading for divorce thirty-year-old woman the narrative sang with levity, humorous inner musings, volcanic sensuality, and highly amusing observations. Even Finley’s more painful insights came with humorous notes. I frequently smirked and was pleasantly engaged and well entertained throughout.
This was a very fun, highly entertaining, action packed adventure filled with interesting charters and a slow yet intriguing plot. A great read for a relaxing night.
This entire series was a fantastic hit for me! Each one of the stories had its author’s unique voice to it but the essence of the town and the library atmosphere flowed seamlessly from book to book! It was glorious and now I’m totally hooked on this world!
However, this particular story seemed to lack in depth and/or connection is another way of putting it. The story was funny and sweet, but I just couldn’t connect with Finley. With her baggage, I should have had some level of #feels, but I didn’t *shrug* Like I said, cute story with good chemistry and some hilarious secondary characters so overall it’s a #win
Finnie was not running away from her problems. She was just looking for the peace and quiet of her gran’s town where she could stay with her and perhaps find a job. In the meantime, she would be divorcing her cheating husband and dumping him as soon as possible.
As she starts to work at the local library, she discovers a new world of possibilities where she can apply her interest in history and the native americans from the region. In addition, a new friendship with the IT guy at the library definitely provides the tingles she thought she would never feel again.
This is a heartfelt and realistic story of what love really is and of finding yourself.
I am voluntarily reviewing this book. Thanks to the author for sharing a copy with me.
3.5 stars
Shelf Awareness by Katie Ashley is a sweet and hilarious small town romance. If you love reading about the loving and caring small town people and how love blooms beautifully there, Shelf Awareness is the book for you!
Finley moved to Green Valley with her grandmother and her friends after her marriage came to an abrupt and unfortunate ending. She took up the job of taking care of the new History section of library and met Zeke Masters, a tech wizard volunteering in the library. She should not think about a man so soon. But there is something in the gentlemanly, nerdy and charming way of Zeke.
The three old women ( only by age) provides the chunk of the entertainment for the story. They are a bit crazy, a lot nosy and with a strong no nonsense attitude. They brought Finley and Zeke together. And in a way, the true heroes of the story. My issue with the story was I could not feel the chemistry between Zeke and Finley. There were sparks sometimes but it did not ignite a fire. It was a lot predictable and simple. It felt like something was missing. The romance was sweet and soft and slowly building with some humor. There was not much drama or ups and downs. So it felt a bit flat.
Shelf Awareness by Katie Ashley talks about empowering self and taking risks for love. A sweet small town romance between two great characters.
Received ARC for Honest review
Shelf Awareness is funny and touching, sweet and hot. It starts with Finley Granger finding out her husband has been cheating on her and things only seem to be going downhill from there.
Finley relocates to Green Valley to stay with her grandmother, GramBea and she pretty much lands right in the middle of her very own ‘Golden Girls’.
Life gets even more complicated when she finds herself very attracted to the super hot and super mysterious IT guy who is volunteering at the local library.
“‘Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.’”…
Holy hell. A good-looking, successful man was quoting Shakespeare. That was it. I could die happy because my life was now complete.”
I loved the great combination of humor, heart and heat in this story. It was my first book by author Katie Ashley and the last book in the first series of Smartypants romances. It definitely left me wanting more of both this author and these Green Valley stories!!
-4 Stars!-
This is the 4th book in the Green Valley Library series. They are all written by different authors as part of the new SmartyPants Romance imprint.
Shelf Awareness by Katie Ashley such a great rom com and a welcome addition to the Green Valley universe. It is so well-written, with great character and story development, and it is a fun, engaging read.
Finley is a strong female lead. She’s moved to Green Valley to be small-town librarian after disaster struck during her career as a journalist in Atlanta. However, Finely does not wallow in self-pity. She’s going to make the best of her situation. While working at the library, she meets Zeke, who has to be the swooniest IT nerd in booklandia! Zeke is a true gentleman, and he just wants to make Finley his own. Add to this a gaggle of Grandma’s (Finley’s grandma and her riotous lot of friends), and you have the makings of a fun time.
3.5 Stars
Shelf Awareness is the latest in the Green Valley Library series but can be read as a complete standalone.
After receiving the shock of her life Finley packs up and moves to Green Valley to escape. Living with her grandmother & great-aunts, she’s ready to start a brand new life away from the embarrassment she experienced in Atlanta. A new town, new job & new crush kick off her new life, and help her gain back the confidence and happiness she lost along the way.
Zeke is on his own journey, having moved to Green Valley for the summer while he discovers where he came from. Volunteering at the library is the perfect excuse for unlimited access to their archives, and not only does he find what he’s looking for he also finds something he was never expecting – Finely.
This was a very cute & funny story, proving that self-discovery, starting over & happily ever after can come at any age. It’s always nice visiting Green Valley again, and while this story didn’t really bring back the characters we know and love, there were plenty of references to them. My favorite thing about this book was definitely the “girls”. I loved GramBea, Estelle & Dot, their friendship, banter & relationship with Finley was definitely the highlight for me.
Shelf Awareness by Katie Ashley is part of the Green Valley Library series and Smartypants Romance books. Finley never expected her life would be where it is now. But after her life in Atlanta took a huge hit, she goes to her grandmother, GramBea, and is living a totally different life. She went from a journalist to a librarian and surrounded by her Gram’s friends. But she knows the last thing she needs is another man in her life right now.
Then she meets Zeke at the library of all places. Can she have some rebound fun? Finley knows her life is a bit of a mess right now, but what is a woman to do? Zeke is handsome, caring and a bit mysterious. I love watching Finley and Zeke together, but will it lead anywhere? Shelf Awareness was fun and sweet read.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
This is the first book I have read of this series, I enjoyed it!
The girls make the book, like for real, so much humor when it comes to them.
Zeke and Finley, what a slow burn. Then add in the twists at the end. I recommend!
4.5 stars – this was a sweet, really funny read.
“Sometimes we’re too preoccupied to see something wonderful right in front of us.”
Finley Granger runs away to Green Valley after making a shocking discovery about her husband. Living with her GramBea, great-aunt Dot, and her godmother Estelle is an experience in family, sisterhood, and realising that life goes on, no matter what age you are and what you’ve gone through in life. Meeting a tall drink of water like the mysterious Zeke Masters gets her zinging in places that haven’t zinged in a while. The fact that he’s also sweet, thoughtful, and a little bit vulnerable makes him almost too good to be true, but there’s no denying that he’s tugging at her broken heartstrings.
“God, you’re beautiful, Finley. Your lips, your eyes, your smart mouth. I could stay inside you all day long.”
I adored Zeke! I loved that he looked like a cover model on the outside but was a real nerd on the inside. He was so genuine in his intentions as well as in his attention towards Finley. I loved that he made her feel sexy and desired. They are some really steamy scenes together.
Finley never realised how her previous relationship affected her until she was free of it, and Zeke opened her eyes to how life and love could be. She got herself into some funny scrapes during this story, which had me cringing and giggling! LOL.
I enjoyed this story so much and I’m sad this Green Valley series in the SPU are done now.
Sweet, funny, adorable, and full of southern goodness!
***4 Stars***
This was a fun, quick read that was low on drama and angst and filled with some laugh out loud moments as well as some swoon worthy ones that had me melting and a cast of characters that definitely made things all kinds of interesting.
I loved Finley and Zeke. Finley is sweet, sassy and though she’s had her world flipped upside down, she slowly works through it all (with a little help here and there) and comes out stronger for it in the end. Zeke was a surprise and a very pleasant one at that. He’s sweet, geeky and quite open in a way that had me swooning. Their journey to their HEA was a lot of fun. I loved watching as they got to know each and finally succumbed to their mutual attraction. Their bantering was on point, the chemistry strong and though there was one little hitch, I loved how everything worked out for them in the end.
I had a great time reading this book. There was a bit of drama that was unexpected but I loved how it ended up getting resolved. There were a lot of fun characters in this one. It was fun catching up with Sabrina, Naomi and Thuy but Bea, Dot and Estelle totally stole the show ~ especially Estelle, she was awesomesauce! ~ These three definitely know how get things done. So, if you’re in the mood for something more on the sweet, but swoony side with a dash of drama, then this is a must click for you!
~ Copy provided by Social Butterfly PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
“It won’t be a new life until you start living it.”
Finley Granger needs a fresh start. After quitting her job and moving in with her grandmother, aunt and godmother, she gets that new start in Green Valley, Tennessee, where she gets a job at Green Valley Library and meets the mysterious Zeke.
“‘You think I’m mysterious?’ I nodded. ‘No one seems to know anything about you.’ ‘I know about me. All you had to do was ask.’”
This was my first novel by the hilarious Katie Ashley. There were several laugh-out-loud scenes provided by the heroine herself and by her golden girls. I enjoyed both Finley and Zeke’s characters, and I loved the interactions between them. There was a lot of situational comedy that I could easily picture in my mind.
My only trouble with Shelf Awareness was that conflicts between our two main characters resolved so easily. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a nice change of pace from a lot of couples, it just highlighted to me that this book is a work of fiction. Aside from that minor detail, I really enjoyed this book. It was highly entertaining and a nice addition to the Green Valley Library Series.
Shelf Awareness is maybe the most perfect RomCom!! I haven’t laughed, cringed with awkwardness (trust me…you’ll know when you get there), & swooned at a book this much in forever! Finley is hilarious and awesome! I loved that we meet her at maybe the worst moment in her life, and that throughout the book we get to see her find herself and regain her confidence!
Zeke is so adorkable!! I loved that he is so open and friendly. Gahhh! I loved these two together. They had so much unstoppable chemistry that I couldn’t put the book down! And that epilogue….! What a perfect book to end this first round of SmartyPants books with!!
Out of the four books in the Green Valley Public Library series, I enjoyed this one the most. I enjoyed them all, but this one is definitely my favorite.
I don’t read all of Ashley’s books. I have read many of them over the years, and it amazes me how well she can switch gears in her storytelling. Her books aren’t just romance. They each always have their own niche to them, which makes them entertaining and enjoyable.
I loved the characters in this book. And let’s be honest, the characters are probably the most important part of the book. If you don’t like them, it’s hard to fully dive into the book. These characters are everything. Such a wonderful band of misfits, really.
This book will take you up and down and up and down. There will be many giggles and snorts throughout the book.
Cute, Sweet Read
I like how Finley took control of her life when everything fell apart. I liked how Zeke embraced his nerd side and it made him more endearing.
Overall, Shelf Awareness is a fun and enjoyable read.
**ARC provided for an honest review.**
This book is pure gold! Katie Ashley not only gives you a story set in Green Valley, she gives you a great love story! Finley is divorcing her cheating husband and leaves Atlanta to stay with her GramBea and her two friends—imagine Golden Girls. With her GramBea’s help she scores a historian position at the town library where she meets the new techie, Zeke. He is from Seattle, looking for his birth parents. Add in a lot of shenanigans and a small town full of the best kind of people, you get a book you will not want to leave! I loved this book hard! 5 amazing stars
My favorite Katie Ashley book to date. 5 Fabulous Stars!!
Shelf awareness Katie Ashley
I had so many laugh out loud moments while reading this, references to many TV shows, movies and books. When Grant comes out to his wife Finley in the worst possible way, needless to say she was beyond shocked. So she packs up and moves to her grandmother’s house, which was a mix of the Golden Girls and Steel Magnolias based in Mayberry. I love all these women but Estelle is my favorite. As Finley gets her life together and meets Zeke, he challenges her to branch out of her comfort zone. As it turns out, the library is an erogenous zone. This is a fast paced, love everything about it story with a happy ending.