Emily Henry has solidified herself as the queen of beach reads amongst the #BookTok community, and rightfully so. Her novel Beach Read is an unexpectedly poignant affair, and People We Meet on Vacation is a crowd-pleasing resort fling.

But where they are solid additions to the genre, Book Lovers is a love story on steroids.

There is little this ambitious read cannot do. It delivers a swoony-worthy, “burn your house down the tension is so hot” enemy-to-lovers romance, a small picturesque town with quirky locals, and heartbreaking family dynamics that transcend (if not scold) the shallow genre.

The premise is one I will never grow tired of because it is an instant hook. We all know the archetype: the cold, bitter businesswoman that never gets the man because she cares more about demolishing a Christmas tree farm than tending to her boyfriend’s needs. However, Nora Stephens is not the plucky hometown girl urging men to leave their cutthroat girlfriends; she is that cutthroat girlfriend. She’s a killer negotiator and a formidable book agent. Her career is her passion, and her icy exterior is her coping mechanism.

Book Lovers is not here to embrace the idea that women must abandon their big-city ambitions for the small-town lifestyle to find love. On the contrary, this romance novel manages to be both a fun tribute to and a ruthless takedown of the tropes that define Type-A personalities like Nora and Charlie, the book’s equally sadistic love interests. It views the small town’s late-night skinny dips and bookstore restorations as aids in healing Nora’s residual traumas while reaffirming her desire to return to the city’s work grind.

Nora’s journey transcends typical trappings that have become the downfall of many rom-coms. By acknowledging the flaws these tropes create, Book Lovers avoids predictable pitfalls and still gets to have fun in this playground of cliches.

The rival dynamic between Nora and Charlie is enemies-to-lovers at its finest. There’s no polarizing hatred that bonds these two. They are simply two headstrong people who want what is best for their careers, which means disagreements are inevitable. Their banter is as sleek and cutting as their professions, except for an ongoing joke about Big Foot smut that proves to be a charming disarming tool.

What readers will love most about Nora and Charlie is their ability to communicate — because talking through our feelings is hot.

No crossed communication or big secrets threaten to demolish the lingering touches and juicy character developments they cultivate. These two negotiate for a living and are happy to discuss the weaknesses of their romantic relationship with blunt honesty, proving intimacy is more than writing a good sex scene. It’s embracing the harsh realities of dating with vulnerability, not shock value.

The great love story of Book Lovers, however, is not romantic.

At the heart of this book is a sisterly bond worth prioritizing. So often in these rom-coms, the family relationships are superficial side-shows. This summer read is determined to make Nora and Libby’s relationship growth just as much a centerpiece of the plot as the romance.

It is also a startlingly accurate portrayal of the sister dynamic. There are times when Nora’s oldest-sibling traumas hit too close to home, where the crossroads between the eldest daughter and the Type-A personality intersect a little too close for comfort. For this, the novel’s desire to take on an unlikely and “damaged” heroine allows readers to resonate with Nora more than your typical leading lady.

Book Lovers is that rare beach read that stays with you long after the sun and sand fade. With amusing small-town tropes, charming characters, and one particularly sensational plot twist, Henry’s latest romance is the must-read book of the summer.

Another amazing book that had so many layers to the story line!
Meet Nora Stephens, she’s a top literary agent in Manhattan. She’s a take no prisoners and earned the nickname The Shark. Her sister Libby and her nieces are the ones that get to see her softer side. After her mothers death Nora took on the mother role and will do anything for Libby. Libby is now married and pregnant with baby number three and Nora still mothers her and always puts her own needs on the back burner. Nora is shocked when Libby says they need to take a sister vacation before she has the baby, and she wants to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, which is the the tiny town that inspired one of Nora’s client’s most famous novels. Libby has made a list that Nora needs to follow, a list to help her have fun and spread her wings a bit, like skinny dip and sleep
with a local and wear flannel. When they arrive Nora is shocked when she bumps into Charlie Lastra another editor. To say their first meeting went horrible would be an understatement. Just before they met, Nora had been dumped and she ran late to their meeting and she felt Charlie had been rude and condescending.
Now in Sunshine Falls they can’t deny the sparks that fly. So when a crisis occurs and with one of Nora’s biggest client’s she and Charlie work together. But What happens when Charlie seems to check so many of the boxes on her list and she knows it’s going to be hard to walk away but what if she doesn’t and she gives love a chance?

I really loved the writing, but the premise makes no sense at all. Her sister happens to move to the town where her favorite/most famous author set a book? Which happens to be where Charlie lives? I'm all about fate but that really strains credibility. I kept expecting to find out that Dusty was secretly Charlie's sister so it would all make sense.

Review based on ARC.

This is my first book by Emily Henry and how I need to track down all of her other books and put her as an alert so I know when she releases new books.
LOVED this book! It takes romance tropes and turns them on their heads. The main characters are flawed and by flawed and their relationships are messy. Yes there's a HEA, but getting there means making sacrifices and exploring heartbreaking emotions.

Shelf Awareness for Readers, May 3 2022: Emily Henry's endearing Book Lovers centers on Nora Stephens, a shrewd literary agent who has somehow been cast in the role of "Evil Villainess" in her own life. She's been dumped no less than three times by boyfriends who have left the city on some temporary basis but who fall in love with the small-town vibes--and a small-town girl, decidedly unlike Nora. She tells herself she's made peace with that, pouring her heart into work and her younger sister, Libby, the only family she has left after their mother's death. When her sister invites her on a much-needed vacation to a small town in North Carolina, she doesn't expect Libby's Life-Changing Vacation List, drawn straight from a "small-town romance novel experience," to be actually life-changing. But when the "Dour, Unappeasable, Stick-in-the-Mud" editor she knows from New York shows up in the same small town, sparks fly and lives are, in fact, changed.

Like Henry's past novels (Beach Read), Book Lovers uses classic romance tropes with purpose and intention, offering readers a satisfying romance unto itself, while also reflecting on why romance novels are so enticing to begin with. Henry draws in themes of family and mental health, holding and taking space for self and loved ones, and the power of books to heal, soothe and reveal. "This book has crushed me with its weight and dazzled me with its tiny bright spots," says Nora of a new manuscript she's working on with a client. These words could describe Book Lovers, a smart, charming and dazzling book unto itself. --Kerry McHugh, freelance writer

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me reivew this book.

Emily Henry has done it again! Another 5 star book for me! This rom-com follows publishing shark Nora, who always finds herself being left for the small town country girl. Her sister decides Nora needs her own taste of small town romance, and they go on a vacation to a small Southern town- the setting of a popular book from one of Nora's authors. Of course, she runs into her publishing enemy Charlie while there.

This is such a sweet and fun enemy-to-lovers romance. I enjoyed the small town setting, the view into the publishing world, the sisters' relationship, and how the strong professional business woman gets her man.

A little spicy.

Emily Henry does it again. The way that she writes is so engaging and humorous. Typically, I don't go for romances. Yet, I have read every single one of her books and have loved them all. It's hard to pick a favorite one at this point.

An immersive romance with a small town vibe, witty banter, a strong woman focusing on her career, friendships and family. A satisfying enemy-to-lovers plot. Bookishly endearing, as always.

This is my first year truly attempting to dive into my taste in the romance genre, so most books that feature it are either incredible HITS or awful MISSES. Therefore, I was eager to dive into my first Emily Henry book to see where my taste consisted for her.

Following Nora's meta life as a literary agent, Book Lovers starts with Nora confronting cutthroat editor Charlie. Cut to several years later as Nora is attempting to reconnect with her sister by taking a vacation to small town North Carolina, only to run back into Charlie.

There was something I felt so CHARMING about the meta quality of this book. With so many conversations about romance cliches, big town vs small town culture, and the sacrifices of being in a relationship with your work, I felt absorbed by the writing!

I also adored Charlie! Where I thought Nora and her sister sometimes became superficial, Charlie always seemed earnest and sincere. He really helped ground the romance for me.

My one complaint would be that the shift from enemies to lovers felt really ABRUBT, but I could overlook it for how much I was endeared by the writing and characters.

This is my second Emily Henry book and I'm eager to read another! Her main characters are intelligent, complicated, and relatable, They are not cardboard cutouts, but realistic twenty/thirty-something women who are trying to navigate the world and their place in it. The dialogue and banter is truly funny (rare!) and aids in the character development of our two protagonists. I enjoyed setting this book in the world of publishing, as well as the focus on sisterhood and family. -- to what degree are you responsible for those you care for? How much should you give up to make them happy? What happens to your own goals and dreams if you find yourself taking on too much? This book hits on these topics in an engaging way without dragging readers down.

Another fabulous story with heart in the familial relationships as well as the romantic relationship. Loved the sister dynamic. Especially loved the chemistry between the two main characters!

I loved this book. Not as much as People We Take On Vacation, but it was still a lot of fun. I loved that the main character found a resolution without sacrificing her values.

I'll start out by saying that if you love Hallmark movies, you'll love this book. But that's not exactly true. I think if you dislike Hallmark movies, you'll still love this book. If you ever find yourself rooting for the "villain" to have their own happy ending, this book will make its way into your own heart. And if you love quirky characters or are any type of a workaholic, you'll especially love this one. Thanks to Netgalley for this arc.

This book exceeded my expectations. The characters seemed real as did the situations they found themselves in. Hardworking literary agent, Nora Stephens, will do anything for her younger sister, so when Libby insists that they take a vacation, Nora agrees. She has just had another boyfriend break up with her, and she has just had a disastrous first meeting with a book editor she was hoping would work with her clients. However, Nora finds it hard to drop everything, she is in the middle of shopping a new book for her oldest client, as well as juggling the stack of manuscripts from other clients, and keeping everyone on track and meeting deadlines. Libby is a big fan of the series of books written by Nora's oldest client, and has chosen Sunshine Falls, the location of those books, for their vacation. What follows is a month of change, secrets revealed, relationships strengthened and romance. This is one of the better romance books I have read. The dialog is smart and funny and feels real. The characters are well developed, smart and funny. The adjustment to small town living is also filled with funny moments and joy. The characters, because of their literary connections, make fun of the tropes found in romance books even while realizing that they are living through many

Nora is an unapologetic career woman and I'm here for it. Charlie is your next book boyfriend. All the cute, witty banter I've come to expect in an Emily Henry rom-com. Probably her best book yet.

Another satisfying rom-com. Delighted to single out this title in my essay In Praise of Summer Reading for Zoomer magazine’s Books section, deconstructing the history and state of mind of the so-called beach read.

An excellent book! A great rom com with bookish appeal and interesting characters for a wonderful summer read!

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Book Lovers is Emily Henry's newest book and she hit it out of the park again! Nora always took care of everything. She took care of her sister after their mother died, she takes care of her authors, and now she needs to take care of her sister again, so she thinks. Libby has booked them on a month long vacation, in the town of her favorite romance book, complete with a check list of small town romance things to do. Since Nora is the character that always gets left in the traditional books, will she finally have the ending she always wanted?

I love Emily Henry's writing! This book has a different kind of trope for a romance and I loved it. I really enjoyed the side characters and the setting. However, I struggled to feel the love of the main couple. I tend to dislike romances that "tell you" they love each other as opposed to show you. Overall, an enjoyable read.

I wish publishers would stop marketing Henry’s books as romance when it’s womens fiction. This was mostly a story about sisters with a little bit of romance and if I would have known that I probably would have skipped this one completely. Also, enemies to lovers where?