“And when he lifts me into his arms—when he carries me to bed—I don’t feel like a guest. I feel like I belong.”

The Bibliophile and the Beekeeper by Chloe Parker is a side quest novella set in her Galactic Librarians series. We’re thrust into the alien world of M’mir, following the human librarian Iris. Earth fell ten years ago, and for reasons we haven’t discovered, aliens were sent to our planet to save us and our culture, especially our literature. One shy giant soldier-turned-beekeeper named Garrik protected Iris on the war’s front lines. But now they’re fighting a different battle as they realize there’s more than friendship that has blossomed between them.

“Because when she rises on her toes to kiss me, right there beneath the storytree’s hanging vines, I know two things: She’s already mine. And I’ve been hers since the day I was born.”

The cozy vibes were immaculate and oh-so-sweet. I loved the best-friends-to-lovers dynamic and the incredible size difference! It was also fun to read about two people who were earnest and good-natured, a rare golden retriever x golden retriever dynamic in romancelandia, saturated in shades of morally gray. The dual POV was the perfect pick for this fast-paced love story, and I came away falling in love with the characters. And, I can’t lie, the copious inappropriate use of honey throughout the story was *chef’s kiss*. Even if you haven’t read the rest of the series, like me, I would still highly recommend The Bibliophile and the Beekeeper.

Recommended for Readers who Love:

— best friends-to-lovers,
— gold retriever MMC x golden retriever FMC,
— and, a cozy alien romance set in space

Thank you, Chloe Parker, for sending me a digital advance reader copy on Booksprout. You can find more of my reviews on social media at @crownebooks or ww.crownebooks.com.