Battle of the Bookstores: A Rom-Com That Misses the Final Chapter
Imagine a film that wants to be You’ve Got Mail but ends up more like You’ve Got Mild. That’s the vibe of Battle of the Bookstores, a literary rom-com that tries to charm with rival bookstore managers, secret online identities, and enemies-to-lovers tension — but stumbles on the very tropes it aims to celebrate.
Set on a quaint street that’s supposedly Boston (though it acts more like a confused movie backlot version of Somerville), we meet Josie, the snobby lit-snob manager of Tabula Inscripta, and Ryan, the warm, progressive manager of a romance-only bookstore called Happy Endings. When a corporate merger threatens their livelihoods, they’re forced into a reluctant alliance — or maybe rivalry? Or maybe both? It’s a love story with the bones of a Hallmark plot, but none of the heart.
This could’ve been The Shop Around the Corner for the BookTok generation, but it never fully commits. The film version would suffer from tonal whiplash: one moment, we’re meant to root for Josie’s journey of literary self-discovery, and the next, we’re enduring sneering takes on the very genre the movie belongs to. It’s like filming a rom-com that rolls its eyes every time someone falls in love.
There are flickers of charm — a hidden online friendship (cue the inevitable “It was you all along” moment), cozy bookstore interiors, and a lovable supporting cast from Happy Endings — but the chemistry never fully ignites. The story never quite decides whether it’s a satirical workplace comedy, a heartfelt romance, or a love letter to reading — and so it does none of them especially well.
Call it You’ve Got Mail with a Wi-Fi connection but no spark. Fans of true bookstore romances might want to browse elsewhere.
Genre: Romance
