This review will be published on Sunday, January 9th, 2022, on my blog:

“There’s more to you than just your book.”

Genre: Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings: Discusses racism, suicide, and suicidal ideation.

You know the feeling when all the things that could go wrong, actually go wrong? Well, that’s exactly how Nora Hughes is feeling after she finds herself stuck in a job that’s underpaying her and that’s in her dream field, but not even remotely close to her dream job—she’s an assistant editor at a publisher…..that only publishes business books written by middle-aged white men for middle-aged white men. She dreamed of editing the next big American novel, but that couldn’t be further from her reality. So when they cut her salary even further, making it so she can’t even afford rent anymore, she will have to resort to some slightly unethical practices to survive.

Don’t let the cover misguide you. The publisher does not classify this as a romance book, and they’re right at that. “Must Love Books” is not a romance per se, even though there are some romantic scenes and sexual tension here and there. It, in fact, does not bang (like, they do bang but we don’t get to see any of that).

On another note, I found it a bit off-putting how the narrator went about addressing race. I feel like she put so much focus on people being white, judging them instantly at times. And I get it, I’m latinx and I’ve been underestimated by the way I look, but in Nora’s case, it was mentioned too much, especially in the beginning of the book.

Putting those things aside, this was a great book. I mean, what reader doesn’t love a book about books? The characters were charming and the story engaging at all times.

I would recommend this book to readers who’ve enjoyed books by Sally Thorne and Emily Henry. I mean, to be honest, I will probably be recommending this book all year round. It’s that good.

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ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: January 18, 2022

This was a struggle for me. A STRUGGLE! I did finish but I must say it was not for me.

I went in hoping for this amazing story of a BIPOC female in publishing finding her way. That did happen but throughout the book I was yelling in frustration. Even my husband was like, "please stop reading that. You're way too upset."

It wasnt all together bad, the ending was a nice place to land. I just didn't agree with the deception frustrations, mention of drastic mental illness without being addressed, and just overall meh.

Thanks Sourcebooks for an opportunity to read an advanced copy. I hope it's a better fit for others.

Must Love Books wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I was expecting a spunky rom-com about a woman struggling in the publishing industry.

But what I got was a hard hit in the feels. This book will hit home with anyone who is still struggling in their twenties to find "success".

The characters were all great and well fleshed out.

ARC received in exchange for an Honest Review
Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley!

Publication date: 18 January 2022

Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson presents us with the overworked and lost Nora at a very stressful point in her life. After pursuing a career in publishing for the last five years, Nora finds herself in a meaningless job that does not even pay the bills. Her colleagues and friends have all left and she is the last one standing, making her wonder if ‘dream jobs’ are even real.
Nora will have to take risky decisions when the opportunity comes to work part-time for the competition and this makes her examine her loyalties - but can she do? She has no money or another plan. Along comes Andrew Santos, the bestselling author whose signing could give Nora a promotion in the company she already hates, or he could sign with the new publishing house and secure her a full-time job. On the other hand, he could be something else, someone else in Nora’s life that stirs her into looking for personal fulfillment instead of just precariously getting from paycheck to paycheck.

I believe I am just the target audience for this book - so maybe I am incapable of writing an objective review. I am Nora. I am 24 with an English Degree and dreaming of the perfect job in publishing. I see so much of myself in the main character that it is difficult to separate myself but allow me to try:
-Must Love Books might look like a cutesy romance at a first glance but like The Midnight Library (that also features a Nora), this novel is about self-discovery. A late coming of age that is much less popular and romanticized than the YA counterpart. Nora is in her mid-twenties and before even allowing herself to find love, she needs to allow herself to find who she is and what she wants.
-Robinson makes an exquisite job of portraying the bay area. As a UC Berkeley grad, I know what it feels like to be in the BART mentally counting how much money you have left and how many meals you can skip until your next paycheck. We see a San Francisco that is less about glamour and more about the big city feeling of isolation.
-Nora as a character feels like an actual human being, that as a reader, I understood why she took the decisions she took, and honestly, in her place, I would have probably done the same.
-On that note, the other characters like Beth and Andrew went beyond their typical roles of ‘friend’ and ‘love interest’ and have a certain complexity that enriched my experience. Although I would have liked to see more of Nora’s roommate.
-The majority of this novel develops in the office, and in this space as a black woman of lower-ranking, Nora faces a lot of microaggressions due to her gender and standing as one editor from the NY office uses her for the most pointless tasks and mansplains every detail. I think this window into office life and the team behind our favorite books is so important and it brings visibility to the otherwise forgotten members that work in publishing.
-Most importantly, I think this book addresses very important subjects like mental health, race, and class. Nora for the majority of the book is in a dark place - one that I have the misfortune of knowing very well -and realistically, it is up to her to change her situation. Even when Beth and Andrew want to help, the book delivers an open ending that empowers Nora -and the reader- to accept that it is okay to still be figuring stuff out.
Moreover, race and class make an important part of Nora’s identity and the decisions she can take. Publishing is predominately white and as a half-black woman, Nora feels the responsibility of representing but also masking her race when she is working. The people around Nora are also more wealthy than her, and money might not give happiness but it gives options. Because of this disparity, Nora can not fully relate or talk with her friends as she knows they do not understand how impossible it for her is to leave one job for a part-time offer or to not have something stable as she has massive responsibilities and payments due.

In conclusion, I think it is easy to disregard this novel as another quirky office romance -that there is nothing wrong with them and that I love them so much as well- but if you give Must Love Books a chance, you are in for so much more than you expected. I am very happy to have finished 2021 with this book and I wish Shauna Robinson all the luck and success in the world.

Follow the author on Twitter as @shaunarobs
and you can find me as @isabelsdigest everywhere

Nora Hughes is overworked, underpaid, and the last editorial assistant left at Parsons Press. When she first took the job she thought it was the first step towards her dream job. However, after five years, Nora has come to the conclusion that dream jobs don't exist. When Parsons cuts her already unliveable salary, Nora decides to freelance for a rival publisher to make ends meet, and potentially steal some Parsons authors along the way. But when Andrew Santos, the bestselling author that Parsons can't afford to lose is thrown into the mix, Nora must decide where her loyalties lie; her new dream job, Andrew, or her future.

From the cover this looks like a lighthearted romcom, and while there is a romance, this is very much a quarter life crisis book. Nora's mental health has deteriorated over her time at Parsons as she has taken on several different roles as her co-workers have gotten laid off, and feels under appreciated by her remaining co-workers. None of them noticed her struggles but it was heartwarming to see both Andrew and her best friend Beth help her take the steps she needed to improve her life. I also liked seeing the publishing aspect and Nora finding her love for books again. This was overall a very solid debut and I can't wait to see what the author writes next!

TW: suicidal thoughts and depression

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

While books about books are always a win, this one was very heavy. It was very job focused and Nora's place in life left me wishing for the fun rom com that I expected. I really liked Andrew but the secrets and lies in an already tough situation just didn't work for me.

This book was a tough one for me to read. It hit very close to home. Nora's disengagement from her soul-sucking job and the subsequent depression that over took her life was difficult to read. I think if I was at a different point in my life and my career, I would have enjoyed this book, but for me, it was too on the nose and I was hoping for a light romance, which this was not.

Don’t let the cutesy cover fool you—there is nothing light about Nora’s journey. The first chapters were dismal and I almost stopped reading. But that’s the point—Nora’s {3} and the reality of her struggles. Her monsters are disturbing and Nora makes mistakes. The story becomes interesting when Nora begins to trust her friends. Through their support, she begins a quest to discover her strengths and identify what brings her joy. Honesty with herself, her friends and her co-workers is key.

“Must Love Books” gives an interesting glimpse into the world of publishing. Nora’s career issues are something most of us can relate to. Well done.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

Ok this book wasn't what I expected and that's both a good and a bad thing.
I expected this book to be a rom-com and it turned out to be a pretty serious book on choosing one's career and how this mythical "career path" do not exist.
It's an important thing, for people to know that it's ok to change careers at any given time of life, that it's ok to get into your dream job and end up hating it.
What is not ok to whine about not having money to live on and choosing to take a freenlace job at a rival company (and getting oneself into a spiral of lies). The protagonist could have got DOZENS of other jobs and yet she chose lying to everyone, bc doing anything else just did not occure to her. Which makes her either extremely sheltered or extremely stupid.

I really enjoyed this one, and rooted for Nora to find a fulfillment (and $$ to pay her rent), not just in work, but also in her friendships and maybe even love. It’s not a swoony romance, so don’t let the cover fool you. Don’t get me wrong though, Andrew Santos is a great character. A highly relatable novel, certainly for publishing professionals, but also for anyone who wonders if Dream Jobs exist.

First, I think this book should have come with a trigger warning about her suicidal thoughts and depression that really wasn't addressed other than some well-meaning friends trying to help her.

The cover led me to believe this was going to be a light hearted romance and it really isn't. I wanted to like the main character, but really couldn't relate to her inability to figure out what to do next for herself.

The books starts to redeem itself toward the end, but still isn't something I would suggest to others as a must read book.

The title drew me in, I was most interested in the details about the publishing industry, it sounds so glamorous, yet.Nora’s daydream of her job is a far cry from the reality. Faced with staff reductions and pay cuts she goes rogue, which eventually has consequences. I was all into the book, but halfway through it sputtered a bit. I thought the main point was belabored quite a bit and was becoming redundant. Nora’s risks had consequences, some good and some bad. It’s an interesting novel.

There’s a lot to love about this book. It hits all the emotions- I laughed, I cried… I mentally smacked a main character… it gets a bit heavy sometimes (let’s face it, our girl is clinicly depressed with past suicidal thoughts but we haven’t talked to a therapist or gotten on medicine because that level of self care is just not a thing everyone thinks of) but there’s also moments of levity- hilarity even. Add to that the fact that she has people that are literally all in for supporting her- and not just brushing things aside and telling her to “smile” or “get over it” but helping her come up with self care plans. Be it reading a happiness report (a real thing, by the way) to help figure out how Nora, a three out of ten, can become the nation’s average- a six-point-something. Beth is sweet, hilarious, and the definition of ride or die. From weekly lunches, scheduling reading dates so Nora gets back into her favorite past time, and gossiping about “Daddy Santos”, she is here for her girl. Andrew comes of as a smart man with far too much charm. He seems breezy and cheerful, but whenever Nora needed him, not only was he there but he listened. The professor in him came prepared with reports and a self help book ( Nora describes What Color Is Your Parachute? pretty vividly. Turns out this is a real book as well). He cares, he listens, he opens his life up for her… even after everything fell apart he gave her credit for the work she did. This man is literally to good for this world and I loved his character for it. What I really loved, though, was that he showed that caring didn’t mean being a push over…. but also that you could stand your ground and still try to understand others. I liked that he was still willing to talk to her, as was her old bosses and a few coworkers that she pulled together to try to help her with a life plan. Seriously, these people are kind of Squad Goals- you only see this level of support-bordering-on-insanity in Asian Dramas.

I loved that there was some actual character growth throughout the book for Nora. I understand despression, and I felt for her because I feel like I myself had felt these things in the past. That doesn’t mean I liked her choices- hated a great many of them and cheered when one of her gal pals called her on it… but I also loved that by the end of the conversation the friend was saying that she understood Nora hadn’t meant to hurt anyone opening an avenue to possible friendship later. This was an honest and believable reaction. We all need a Lynn just as much as we need Ride-or-die Beth and Cinnamon Roll Andrew. It was a quick read, but one filled with a lot of feelings. I couldn’t put it down! For me, this is a five star book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
As far as adult content goes, there is sexual content, drinking, and language. While none of it is over the top, I would still say this book is geared more toward a sixteen and over crowd.

I was lucky enough to recieve an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review. I am, as always, extremely thankful for this oportunity. That said, I will be buying myself a copy of this one (and possibly one for a couple friends and a library copy). It’s definitely a book worth sharing!

I loved the premise of this story! Unfortunately, I felt that there was too much emphasis placed on the minutiae of Nora's daily responsibilities. I appreciated the focus on mental health and the acknowledgment of the career struggles faced by the millennial generation, but the pacing of the plot was too slow to be truly enjoyable.

Any book with "must love books" is already doing great things in my mind. And this one really lived up to the hype. I related to the main character SO WELL and I think that's why I liked this book so much. I struggled with my "dream job" not being what I wanted it to be so I really felt like this was a personal journey for me. It had that element of romance but it wasn't overly romantic, which was nice. I suspect for those who are looking for a bit more of a rom-com this might be a letdown, but I had such a smile on my face. I want everyone to read this one.

DNF @ 78% - I really tried to get through this book but it was sooo slow. I think if you are in your late 20s or struggling to figure out if your childhood dream job is really still what you want - this would be the book for you! However, for me, I wish it had a little more romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and Books Go Social for this eARC.

CW: depression, suicidal thoughts

I requested and began reading this book expecting it to be a lighthearted romance. Unfortunately the romance aspect was lacking and the main character’s “relationship” seemed dry and forced.

I would label this read as more of a workplace drama. Nora, is on a rut. She has been working at the same publishing company for 5 years and after layoffs, more clerical responsibilities and less of what she loves and a paycut she finds herself spiraling down. More of a coming of age novel, Must Love Books sheds light into a current struggle many young workers face.

Must Love Books is a well-crafted novel that will speak to many in the current adult generation. What makes this book such a draw and unique is its exploration of millennial disillusionment with the workforce. Many in this group were told by those who came before us that work would give us fulfillment and should encompass our identity; however, through Nora's journey, we quickly see the lies and toxicity in this. Nora's reactions and ruminations are so relatable and the subplot of her relationship with Anthony was also another source of reading pleasure. The book ends perfectly--realistic and unwavering in its truth.

Nora works works for Parsons Press as an editorial assistant with the hopes of using that position as a stepping stone to her Ultimate Dream Job. When Parsons begins making cutbacks, and letting people go, Nora’s workload ends up increasing dramatically. She is now doing the job of three people, and was just told that her pay was going to be reduced. Worried she won’t be able to pay for her apartment she starts searching for second job opportunities. Weber, a competitor Publishing house is looking for freelance workers to bring new authors over to sign with them. When Nora meets Andrew Santos, a handsome author the Parsons is scmoozing, she finds herself caught between Parsons and Weber and her own romantic feelings for him.

I really enjoyed the inside look at Publishing this book gave. This is definitely a book for people who enjoy books. The romance was cute and sweet, and the conflict was definitely troublesome! I enjoyed the self discovery that Nora went through to find herself and what truely makes her happy. I liked how she was finally able to admit that she had a problem (suicidal thoughts) and reached out to a friend who was more than willing to help and give insightful advice.

Must Love Books is not considered a Romance, and not a light or fluffy read. It deals with some deep issues, and gives us some insight about realizing that sometimes your dreams have to be considered seriously and may not work out the way you plan in your head.

⚠️ TW: Suicidal thoughts and depression ⚠️

Thank you so much @netgalley and @bookmarked for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This one is out Jan 18, 2022 so if you love books then be sure to check it out!

Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson

#ninetysixthbookof2021 #arc

CW: suicidal ideation, anxiety and depression

This book is somewhat billed as a romance, but I would argue it’s more of a workplace drama with a little romance on the side, and the workplace story was definitely more interesting to me than the romance. It was also very anxiety producing for me. Reading about Nora’s career struggles was difficult for me at this time in my life. I also wish the book had delved a little deeper into her mental struggles, although I appreciate that it was presented very matter of factly. People struggle with anxiety and depression and I like that it’s becoming more mainstream to address those issues as commonplace, because they are. I think the title makes the book seem like a light read, and I don’t think it represents the story very well, although I understand why it was chosen.

Thank you to @netgalley and @bookmarked for the advance copy. (Pub date 1/18/22)