Love By The Book by Jessica George is a beautiful story about female friendships and navigating life as a complex woman.
Meet any woman on the street, and I’ll show you a complex woman. Each woman has complex feelings about an array of things. Love By The Book focuses on two women who are filled with complex feelings. They are both trying to navigate the world and find friends. Both of these things can be very awkward. When Simone and Remy find each other, their friendship instantly blooms. Plus, there’s the mystery of Simone and why she doesn’t communicate with her family.
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Love By The Book Overview
Title: Love By The Book
Author: Jessica George
Pages: 336 Pages
Publish Date: April 7th, 2026
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
My Star Rating: 4/5 stars! (I loved this book and would recommend it to everyone.)
Grab Your Copy Here: https://amzn.to/4re3cb4
Synopsis from Amazon
Remy is lucky. Her debut novel, based on her three best friends, became an instant bestseller when it was released, and her agent and publisher are clamoring for a follow-up. But just as Remy’s creative inspiration seems to leave her, so too do her friends: one moves to New York, one gets pregnant, and one gets back together with her (awful) boyfriend. After an ill-advised one-night stand complicates matters further, Remy is left deeply alone―and unable to find her next book idea.
Simone is successful. A Kindergarten teacher with a passion for kids, and a well-paying side hustle that affords her all the material comforts she desires, she doesn’t have time for a robust social life. All Simone needs is her close-knit family―but after the true nature of her work is revealed, they cut her off, and she realizes for the first time just how isolated she is.
When Simone and Remy bump into each other (literally) in a bookstore, it isn’t exactly soulmates at first sight. Simone is guarded and prickly, Remy is insecure and heartbroken, and each woman is harboring a secret. And yet they might just be the missing piece the other has been searching for―if only they can let each other in.
Can Simone help Remy make one of the most important decisions of her life―and can Remy help Simone recover all that she’s lost? In Jessica George’s heartwarming, funny, and soulful second novel, she explores the restorative nature of female friendship and the life-changing power of platonic love.
My Review of Love By The Book
First, thank you to NetGalley, Jessica George, and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced reading copy of Love By The Book. This book perfectly encapsulates the awkwardness and loneliness of being a grown woman and trying to find new friends.
This book is a very character-driven story, and the focus is on both Simone and Remy’s development. I loved how both women had completely different lives and therefore had different responses to things that happened in the book.
I loved Simone’s story and found it just as interesting as Remy did. Also, I really wanted to know what had happened to Simone and her family, and whether they would reconnect.
One of the things I found interesting about Love By The Book was the Alt. chapters of the book Remy started writing. It took me a moment to understand what was going on, but I blame myself because I was up late reading, and it threw me.
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was how these two women barely knew each other, but it seemed like they just couldn’t stop helping or supporting each other. I love connections like that. Where two people (lovers or friends) just seem drawn to each other.
This book is perfect for anyone who loves books that focus on womanhood, sisterhood, and complex female characters. It’s a slow-moving story that focuses more on character development than on plot.
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Final Thoughts
This book isn’t for everyone, but if you get over the slow-moving pace, you’ll enjoy it. If you have any questions about this book, let me know. If you read this book and have thoughts, let me know. I love hearing from all of you.
If you know someone who would love this book, share this review. I appreciate all the love and support.
Thanks for Reading,
Kel
