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Chester Falls #0.5
How to Catch a Bookworm
Ben has two passions in life, books and Bookmarked, the bookstore he owns in the town of Chester Falls. But when he spots the guy across the bar, all broody, gorgeous and hard muscle, he can't resist reaching out.
Tristan's life could be worse, but moving into a new town and finding your boyfriend cheating on you with a random guy, all on the same day, is pretty up there on the scale of 'how much worse can it get?
Things start looking up the moment the sexy stranger with the nerdy glasses and deep brown eyes asks him the right question at the right time.
It was a one off.
It meant nothing.
Right?
When fate traps Ben and Tristan into a second meeting, will Ben finally listen to his best friend? And will Tristan put his past aside to catch his sexy bookworm?
Welcome to Chester Falls, where you can expect to meet sweet men, sexy situations, interfering friends and lots, lots of feels.
How to Catch a Bookwork is a 12k, MM romance short story set in the small town of Chester Falls. The events in this story happen before the events of How to Catch a Prince.
Tristan's life could be worse, but moving into a new town and finding your boyfriend cheating on you with a random guy, all on the same day, is pretty up there on the scale of 'how much worse can it get?
Things start looking up the moment the sexy stranger with the nerdy glasses and deep brown eyes asks him the right question at the right time.
It was a one off.
It meant nothing.
Right?
When fate traps Ben and Tristan into a second meeting, will Ben finally listen to his best friend? And will Tristan put his past aside to catch his sexy bookworm?
Welcome to Chester Falls, where you can expect to meet sweet men, sexy situations, interfering friends and lots, lots of feels.
How to Catch a Bookwork is a 12k, MM romance short story set in the small town of Chester Falls. The events in this story happen before the events of How to Catch a Prince.
86 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 28, 2019
76 people are currently reading
302 people want to read
About the author
Ana Ashley
55 books758 followersMeet Ana Ashley, your friendly neighborhood romance author!
Ana has been lost in the pages of books for as long as she can remember, taking a few amusing missteps with her childhood writing attempts. But everything changed when she discovered the magical world of LGBTQ+ romance—cue the confetti!
Ana's books offer sweet and sexy romance with a charming mix of humor and heart. Getting her guys together wouldn't be the same without the meddling but well-intentioned cast of secondary characters, who always insist on having their own story.
When she’s not crafting heartfelt tales, you can find her indulging in her favorite pastime of baking delicious treats, enjoying quality time with friends, or staying up late immersed in the pages of a good book.
You can find out more about Ana and her works-in-progress by joining her Newsletter. To sign up visit Ana's website anawritesmm.com
Ana has been lost in the pages of books for as long as she can remember, taking a few amusing missteps with her childhood writing attempts. But everything changed when she discovered the magical world of LGBTQ+ romance—cue the confetti!
Ana's books offer sweet and sexy romance with a charming mix of humor and heart. Getting her guys together wouldn't be the same without the meddling but well-intentioned cast of secondary characters, who always insist on having their own story.
When she’s not crafting heartfelt tales, you can find her indulging in her favorite pastime of baking delicious treats, enjoying quality time with friends, or staying up late immersed in the pages of a good book.
You can find out more about Ana and her works-in-progress by joining her Newsletter. To sign up visit Ana's website anawritesmm.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
March 4, 2025
2,5 stars.
Cheesy. Very cheesy.
A one night stand. Next time they meet by accident they're basically a couple?
Not really my cup of tea, but I'm sure many enjoy this.
Since I got the audio book for free I'm rounding up.
Cheesy. Very cheesy.
A one night stand. Next time they meet by accident they're basically a couple?
Not really my cup of tea, but I'm sure many enjoy this.
Since I got the audio book for free I'm rounding up.
August 16, 2020
Many thanks to GayRomanceReviews.com for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review
This was a sweet little reading. Being 1 hour/47 pages, it moves very quickly and hits the ground running. It was pretty steamy and there was a fairly large amount of sex scenes. This was also a great introduction to the Chester Fall series. I really enjoyed the narrator although he would pause for a while in between each sentence which was a tad annoying.
All in all, this was a quick, sweet, and very gay read.
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This was a sweet little reading. Being 1 hour/47 pages, it moves very quickly and hits the ground running. It was pretty steamy and there was a fairly large amount of sex scenes. This was also a great introduction to the Chester Fall series. I really enjoyed the narrator although he would pause for a while in between each sentence which was a tad annoying.
All in all, this was a quick, sweet, and very gay read.
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November 10, 2020
I realized when I read the blurb about How to Catch a Bachelor that I didn’t really know the story of Tristan and Ben. It was just a short story introduction to the series. I love the way that Ana Ashley writes , but this book was just too short. At least when I read the next one I’ll know how Ben and Tristen met.
January 6, 2021
Hello Chester Falls , I think you may be my newest mm small town romance obssesion 🥰
April 29, 2025
HOW TO CATCH A BOOKWORM was a cute read and Ben and Tristan had instant chemistry when they met at a bar and had a one night stand. I liked both Ben and Tristan but since this was a novella we didn't learn a whole lot about them. Overall, this was a quick read but it felt a little simplistic and didn't really leave a strong impression for me. I don't plan to continue with the series but if you like small town, fluffy MM romance then give this one a try.
December 22, 2021
This wasn't really my favorite... I kept getting confused as to who was speaking. I also found the narration a bit annoying in the fact that there were a lot of pauses in between sentences... long enough that I kept having to check that the sound was on still. The story was sweet, but not really my thing.
August 6, 2020
This was a sweet and sexy short. I've seen Tristan and Ben in all the books (that I read before this one) so it was nice to see how they got started. I wish it would've been a little bit longer. Even so, I enjoyed it.
August 26, 2020
I loved this very sweet, sexy and short read. Ana Ashley is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite authors.
January 12, 2024
::slowly backs out of Chester Falls, never to return::
::eyeballs the sweet romance story wondering how the hell she got here after a psychopathic, obsessive, serial killer romance::
::runs full steam ahead back into darker waters::
Nothing wrong with it exactly... except maybe the narrator was soooo freaking slow I had to speed it up ridiculously just to tolerate the story. Just too sweet and pointless for me. I can daydream that shit on my own. I need a story with something interesting going on. Not a hookup turned relationship. I mean, duh. 🤷🏻♀️
::eyeballs the sweet romance story wondering how the hell she got here after a psychopathic, obsessive, serial killer romance::
::runs full steam ahead back into darker waters::
Nothing wrong with it exactly... except maybe the narrator was soooo freaking slow I had to speed it up ridiculously just to tolerate the story. Just too sweet and pointless for me. I can daydream that shit on my own. I need a story with something interesting going on. Not a hookup turned relationship. I mean, duh. 🤷🏻♀️
February 6, 2024
So here's the thing, it's so hard for me to find a good novella. This one fell short for me. The connection between these two seemed really good, but then it just fell flat. The whole, 'I wasn't sure if you wanted me to call' bit was really cliche and didn't match how connected they seemed.
I did like them together, so I hope we see more of them in future books.
I did like them together, so I hope we see more of them in future books.
August 16, 2021
3.5 stars
A sweet' short start of a new series. I thought it laid the groundwork for whatever is coming in and entertaining cute, sweet way. Ana Ashley is new to me and since I am excited about reading the next book in the series I call that winning.
A sweet' short start of a new series. I thought it laid the groundwork for whatever is coming in and entertaining cute, sweet way. Ana Ashley is new to me and since I am excited about reading the next book in the series I call that winning.
June 19, 2025
3,5⭐️
Dopo aver letto quasi tutta la serie Chester Falls, ho deciso di recuperare anche i racconti brevi collegati.
“Come accalappiare un nerd” racconta la storia di Tristan e Ben, la prima coppia formatasi a Chester Falls.
Il racconto è davvero breve, ma molto carino, perfettamente in linea con lo stile degli altri libri della serie: dolce, leggero e coinvolgente.
Se non avete ancora iniziato la serie, consiglio di partire proprio da questo racconto.
Dopo aver letto quasi tutta la serie Chester Falls, ho deciso di recuperare anche i racconti brevi collegati.
“Come accalappiare un nerd” racconta la storia di Tristan e Ben, la prima coppia formatasi a Chester Falls.
Il racconto è davvero breve, ma molto carino, perfettamente in linea con lo stile degli altri libri della serie: dolce, leggero e coinvolgente.
Se non avete ancora iniziato la serie, consiglio di partire proprio da questo racconto.
May 22, 2022
How cute.
Except the Insta-love. But what should I expect with an audiobook that's under 2 hours long. ... Or, you know, a novella.
Except the Insta-love. But what should I expect with an audiobook that's under 2 hours long. ... Or, you know, a novella.
August 8, 2024
much better than the other one
February 24, 2023
RECENSIONE A CURA DI ELYXYZ
Questa novella, composta da una sessantina di pagine, ha il pregio di essere completa pur nella sua brevità.
Certo, non possiamo pretendere lo stesso approfondimento di un romanzo lungo, ma la trama c’è ed è piacevole, così come i personaggi – protagonisti e non – che ci introducono nel mondo di Chester Falls, questo paesino rurale ma queer-friendly, dove il nostro Ben vive e lavora, presso la libreria che ha ereditato dalla zia.
Ben è un classico ‘topo da biblioteca’, un tipino un po’ nerd e tranquillo, che ogni tanto lascia uscire il suo lato nascosto e va a rilassarsi in un gaybar dove ha incontri senza impegno, perché è convinto che non troverà nessuno adatto a lui.
È proprio in quel locale che rimorchia Tristan, che si è appena trasferito da Boston per aprire la sua attività e ha appena cacciato il fidanzato fedifrago dalla casa nuova in cui hanno iniziato a vivere.
Continua sul nostro blog!
Questa novella, composta da una sessantina di pagine, ha il pregio di essere completa pur nella sua brevità.
Certo, non possiamo pretendere lo stesso approfondimento di un romanzo lungo, ma la trama c’è ed è piacevole, così come i personaggi – protagonisti e non – che ci introducono nel mondo di Chester Falls, questo paesino rurale ma queer-friendly, dove il nostro Ben vive e lavora, presso la libreria che ha ereditato dalla zia.
Ben è un classico ‘topo da biblioteca’, un tipino un po’ nerd e tranquillo, che ogni tanto lascia uscire il suo lato nascosto e va a rilassarsi in un gaybar dove ha incontri senza impegno, perché è convinto che non troverà nessuno adatto a lui.
È proprio in quel locale che rimorchia Tristan, che si è appena trasferito da Boston per aprire la sua attività e ha appena cacciato il fidanzato fedifrago dalla casa nuova in cui hanno iniziato a vivere.
Continua sul nostro blog!
April 28, 2021
How to Catch a Bookworm is a great short story in the Chester Falls world. Ana Ashley captures all I love about this small town in this quick read.
Ben and Tristan's tale starts with a hookup. When they meet up again, everything that follows is pure sweetness. They're adorable together.
The bookstore is fabulous, with the atmosphere and all the feels coming to life. Ben's love of his store is perfectly heart warming.
How to Catch a Bookworm is a sweet novella. Ana Ashley delights in this insta love, small town, whirlwind romance. If you've been reading this series, you'll love it. If not, start now with How to Catch a Prince. The series is full of feel good romances that will leave you happy.
Ben and Tristan's tale starts with a hookup. When they meet up again, everything that follows is pure sweetness. They're adorable together.
The bookstore is fabulous, with the atmosphere and all the feels coming to life. Ben's love of his store is perfectly heart warming.
How to Catch a Bookworm is a sweet novella. Ana Ashley delights in this insta love, small town, whirlwind romance. If you've been reading this series, you'll love it. If not, start now with How to Catch a Prince. The series is full of feel good romances that will leave you happy.
March 22, 2023
Cute short. And introduction to Chester Falls and how Ben and Tristan got together.
* meddling friends
* small town
* sweet
Own ebook in vol 1 compilation.
* meddling friends
* small town
* sweet
Own ebook in vol 1 compilation.
August 22, 2020
Lovely prequel to a great series (an audio review)
I admit I love Chester Falls. A picturesque New England town that is very LGBTQ friendly. There’s something charming about that, especially in the world we’re currently enduring. I’ve listened to all the Chester Falls books, and I have to admit this one started a bit differently. Like with a bang. A literal one. In the bathroom of a gay club. A well-used incident, to be sure, but one that works in this case.
Tristan has just discovered his wanker boyfriend is not into fidelity and he’s hurt. He probably saw this coming, but that doesn’t lessen the pain. He drives around until finally winding up at a gay bar far out of the new town he’s just settled in. A quick bang with a cute guy in the bathroom? Just what he needs to feel better.
Except it leaves him feeling empty and wondering about the adorable guy he’s been with. He gave the guy his number, but the guy never called. Still, Tristan is doing his best to settle into his new job and even attends his friend Hannah’s party where she is with her girlfriend Ellie. These two lesbians appear later in the series and I loved watching their relationship blossom and thrive.
Anyway, it isn’t until Tristan meets up with the bookish guy that the pieces fall into place and Ellie, meddling woman that she is, ensures her boss Ben and the man he’s obviously attracted to get some quality alone time. Forced proximity, if only for a short time.
There are other characters who appear later in the series who pop in but the story truly focuses on the two men and whether they can overcome their hesitations to commit to each other.
I’ll give a shout out to Nick Hudson who is doing a fantastic job of narrating the series. He just suits it perfectly. If you haven’t tried these, this audio is a great short and fun introduction to the town and its inhabitants. And hopefully you’ll want to go on and read the rest of the books.
I admit I love Chester Falls. A picturesque New England town that is very LGBTQ friendly. There’s something charming about that, especially in the world we’re currently enduring. I’ve listened to all the Chester Falls books, and I have to admit this one started a bit differently. Like with a bang. A literal one. In the bathroom of a gay club. A well-used incident, to be sure, but one that works in this case.
Tristan has just discovered his wanker boyfriend is not into fidelity and he’s hurt. He probably saw this coming, but that doesn’t lessen the pain. He drives around until finally winding up at a gay bar far out of the new town he’s just settled in. A quick bang with a cute guy in the bathroom? Just what he needs to feel better.
Except it leaves him feeling empty and wondering about the adorable guy he’s been with. He gave the guy his number, but the guy never called. Still, Tristan is doing his best to settle into his new job and even attends his friend Hannah’s party where she is with her girlfriend Ellie. These two lesbians appear later in the series and I loved watching their relationship blossom and thrive.
Anyway, it isn’t until Tristan meets up with the bookish guy that the pieces fall into place and Ellie, meddling woman that she is, ensures her boss Ben and the man he’s obviously attracted to get some quality alone time. Forced proximity, if only for a short time.
There are other characters who appear later in the series who pop in but the story truly focuses on the two men and whether they can overcome their hesitations to commit to each other.
I’ll give a shout out to Nick Hudson who is doing a fantastic job of narrating the series. He just suits it perfectly. If you haven’t tried these, this audio is a great short and fun introduction to the town and its inhabitants. And hopefully you’ll want to go on and read the rest of the books.
August 10, 2020
Audiobook reviewStory: 2,5 stars
Narration: 1,5 stars / 4 stars
Ben and Tristan met at a bar and they had hit it off right away. It was the right time and place and they both saw something they needed in each other. But it was one night, or well hookup, with no real expectation for more. Theirs is hope though. A few weeks later they meet again and Ben’s friend decides to play match maker and traps them together…
How to Catch a Bookworm is a mix between sweet and sexy, maybe a bit too sexy for a book this short – but that’s my own preference. The characters and the story was compelling and I wouldn’t have minded the story to have been longer to really get to know both Ben and Tristan a bit better, to know their history, but also to have their relationship move from that insta-love territory that’s so difficult to get right.
I had a difficult time with this audio. I’ve listened to a book by Nick Hudson before and really liked it, but this time I just couldn’t get into it. The narration was choppy and had long and awkward pauses between sentences, and even in the middle of sentences that just didn’t make sense. But the really strange thing was that other parts had a great and natural flow which I really loved. Those parts were engaging and I really got into the story, but then suddenly it changes without any real reason. And in the end I’m torn, parts were great and others were not.
A copy of this audiobook was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 6, 2021
Don't know how to feel about this.
It started off strong, but ended on a weak note. The writing was pretty good, but the dialogue was cheesy and cringey. I liked the MCs seperately, but I wasn't convinced of their chemistry. Overall it was supposed to be a quick and easy read, but it ended up feeling like it was dragged out far longer than it should have been.
The characters were interesting, but they mostly felt interesting on a superficial level. They were lacking in depth and dimension. The entire time I was reading this, I was always hovering at the point of enjoyment but never quite reaching it and always feeling like I landed flat.
The only good that came out of this, at least for me, was that if this little teaser novella is a promise of what's to come in the series, I darn well need to think twice before I pick up the next book.
It started off strong, but ended on a weak note. The writing was pretty good, but the dialogue was cheesy and cringey. I liked the MCs seperately, but I wasn't convinced of their chemistry. Overall it was supposed to be a quick and easy read, but it ended up feeling like it was dragged out far longer than it should have been.
The characters were interesting, but they mostly felt interesting on a superficial level. They were lacking in depth and dimension. The entire time I was reading this, I was always hovering at the point of enjoyment but never quite reaching it and always feeling like I landed flat.
The only good that came out of this, at least for me, was that if this little teaser novella is a promise of what's to come in the series, I darn well need to think twice before I pick up the next book.
July 18, 2020
This cute little story was adorable and now I want to get to know Indy and his story. I hope it's the next in the series!
As for Ben and Tristan, they were absolutely adorable and I loved their story.
As for Ben and Tristan, they were absolutely adorable and I loved their story.
July 29, 2021
This is a short story prequel for Chester Falls series.
During the story we are finding out how Tristan and Ben met and how their relationships started.
It is a short, sweet and very gay read.
Also I enjoyed an audiobook narration a lot.
During the story we are finding out how Tristan and Ben met and how their relationships started.
It is a short, sweet and very gay read.
Also I enjoyed an audiobook narration a lot.
October 23, 2020
Cute
A sweet novella but very instalove which isn't for everyone. I didn't really feel the chemistry so that's why I've related it 3 stars
A sweet novella but very instalove which isn't for everyone. I didn't really feel the chemistry so that's why I've related it 3 stars
January 31, 2022
Too instant love for me. Plus their were some weird inconsistencies with what the characters did/said.
March 8, 2023
3.5
Un inizio di serie carino
Un inizio di serie carino
May 16, 2024
Come inizio della Serie, questa novella è davvero dolcissima, mi sono piaciuti Ben & Tristan! 😍
Benvenuti a Chester Falls!! 😘
💖💖💖💖💖💋
Benvenuti a Chester Falls!! 😘
💖💖💖💖💖💋
November 9, 2020
This was everything I didn't know I was missing from this series. I love Nick and him bringing Ben and Tristan to life in their own little story was amazing as usual. Be aware, this one is hot right from the start
August 18, 2020
This book was okay, which is technically 2 stars, but 2 stars tends to be seen as awful. I think part of my meh feeling about it comes down to personal taste.
I personally found it to be too over the top insta-love with essentially declarations of eternal love after an extremely short time & very little time spent talking & getting to know one another. I know it's a short story, but I still felt like it happened way too fast. There are fated mate shifters who take more time to commit than these two guys.
There were also perhaps too many metaphors & clichéd phrases - at least, again, in my opinion. Sometimes purple prose of this nature doesn't even register with me, but since their feelings were so flowery so fast, it stood out.
The setup of this book is the kind of thing I often go for - the small town vibe & bookstore, two guys hooking up & running into each other unexpectedly later. It just didn't do it for me this time. Others who want a fluffy insta-love story might find it more entertaining.
The narration for the audio was pretty good - no complaints for this short work.
I personally found it to be too over the top insta-love with essentially declarations of eternal love after an extremely short time & very little time spent talking & getting to know one another. I know it's a short story, but I still felt like it happened way too fast. There are fated mate shifters who take more time to commit than these two guys.
There were also perhaps too many metaphors & clichéd phrases - at least, again, in my opinion. Sometimes purple prose of this nature doesn't even register with me, but since their feelings were so flowery so fast, it stood out.
The setup of this book is the kind of thing I often go for - the small town vibe & bookstore, two guys hooking up & running into each other unexpectedly later. It just didn't do it for me this time. Others who want a fluffy insta-love story might find it more entertaining.
The narration for the audio was pretty good - no complaints for this short work.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews