“Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life – well, valuable, but small – and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven’t been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn’t it be the other way around? I don’t really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void.”
Kathleen Kelly, You’ve Got Mail
It’s no secret that I adore the Heartstrings series, which is inspired by the Holy Ephron Trinity (Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, and You’ve Got Mail). It’s also no secret that my favorite movie of all time is You’ve Got Mail and that I’ve been waiting for Borison’s version for literally 2 ½ years. And I got exactly what I wanted, and there was never any doubt in my mind that I would.
You’ve Got Mail follows a professional rivalry between two bookstore owners. Kathleen Kelly owns an enchanting children’s bookshop in NYC, while Joe Fox and his family own a bookstore conglomerate that’s opening their newest store around the corner from Kathleen’s shop. In Longtime Listener, Maggie Lin is a local Baltimore radio station manager and Cooper West is assigned to her station as an acquisitions executive from a Fortune 500 company.
Borison has already proven her skill for bottling the magic of each Ephron movie and seamlessly transporting it into her novels. Longtime Listener has the same tension as You’ve Got Mail, with electric barbs and no-holds-barred arguments. Cooper’s character has the same subtle depth as Joe Fox, with his mega-watt charm at the forefront. And Maggie Lin is the quintessential lone reed, standing tall, waving boldly in the corrupt sands of commerce, and winning over everyone in her path.
I’d highly recommend this book, and the rest of the series, to absolutely everyone and anyone who loves the magic of a rom-com. And if you’ve loved the other books in the Heartstrings series and are ready for the grand finale, put February 23, 2027 in your calendar today!
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
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