Emily Henry has done it again!

Book Lovers is everything I didn’t know I needed and yet so much more too. I immediately loved Nora, she’s just the kind of person who steals your heart right away. Charlie, you just can’t help but fall in love with him too. And then what these two have together is just magic and beautiful, ahhh it was just so delightful and had me screaming!

I also loved seeing the sister relationship between Nora and her sister, it made me emotional and was one of my favorite things in the book! It was just really heartwarming to see in the way that Nora cared deeply for her sister, I don’t have a sister but I do have an older brother and the sibling bond was just very relatable.

I could spend forever telling people why they need to read this book and I honestly will, this book is never leaving my heart so I’ll be screaming about it until the end of time.

I will personally read anything and everything that Emily Henry writes!

As a lover of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, I had huge expectations for Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I'm pleased to say that this book was just as, if not better than her first two novels. The characterization was stellar. Henry manages to bring so much depth to the book while also provoking moments of humor and romance.

I loved this book so much. Nora Stephens is a cutthroat literary agent in New York who is the hallmark movie girlfriend who the hero leaves to be with the small town girl he meets and falls in love with. This has happened at least 4 times to Nora and when her sister Libby asks her to go on a girls trip to the small town of Sunshine falls, North Carolina where she will have a list for Nora to accomplish with everything you need to have a hallmark movie transformation. But when they get there instead of meet cutes, Nora ends up running into Charlie Lastra a book editor from back in the city and when every meeting is the opposite of meet cute. As they are thrown together more and more they start to realize that they like each other and maybe they can have a happily ever after of course with some conflict along the way. Just so funny and I love the banter between Charlie and Nora. Nora has been taking care of her sister Libby since their mom died when Libby was 16 and she doesn’t how not to solve her problems for her which have stopped Nora from going for her dream job since she feels responsible for her sister even though she is married with 2 kids and 1 on the way. I just really loved this book and I can’t wait to read her next book.

Thanks Berkley and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

Truly a book for the book lovers out there. I am obsessed with Emily Henry and this might just be my favorite rom com she's written so far. I loved that she poked fun at the common romance tropes and that this book had more characters/relationships central to the plot than in her previous two. Highly recommend for a light summer read.

Emily Henry’s books have been a hit or miss for me. I didn’t connect at all with Beach Read or its characters and I thought it did not embrace all its rom-com potential. On the other hand, I loved People We Meet On Vacation. It was cute, fun and the perfect beach read. As you can imagine I was anxious to see where Book Lovers would fall (with that title I was praying for a hit) and I’m glad to say that it did!

Nora Stephen is not a sweetheart heroine. In fact, she’s the total opposite! The ambitious, hard working, career driven woman that never gets her happy ending. When her sister Libby asks her to go with her for a month to the small town of Sunshine Falls, to follow the steps of those heroines she has read so many times about, she’s not expecting to meet there an old rival, Charlie Lastra, a book editor from back in the city that is more nemesis than hero.

I loved, loved, loved the beginning of this book. Just in the first few pages I laughed out loud several times as Nora takes us through all this book tropes. She immediately comes as a likeable and relatable character. The thing I liked the most about her was how, under that hard exterior that made everyone think she was self focused on herself and her career, she was actually doing it all for her family, putting other people’s needs ahead of hers.

Her wit and banter with Charlie was so much fun! I know they were supposed to be enemies but I never really got that vibe. The small town setting and all the book talk were another great element in the story.

The reason this was not a 5 ⭐️ for me was the exact same one PWMOV was not. I thought the last part dragged a little bit. If you both like each other why keep putting stones in your way? Kiss already and be happy, damn it!!

I also loved how at the end Nora’s not punished for her ambition career wise. Why can’t she have it all? She can and she should!

Nice and sweet story that tries to subvert all those romance tropes, touching as well on other topics as sisterly love, grief and personal growth.

Emily Henry is a romance sensation for a reason! This was the perfect book to read while I was on vacation in Florida. It was romantic, steamy, and I loved that the main characters were both authors so they could connect with one another on so many levels.

This was my first read from Emily Henry. After hearing so many others rave about her work, I decided it was about time I should check it out myself. I did feel that it would be hard to reach that high bar that was set by others, but I wasn’t disappointed. I loved that the story had many different layers, while still holding space to develop the characters in depth. I felt like I was right there with them in the bookstore and was listening in on their conversations and plans. Well done!

Emily Henry is the new queen of the romantic comedy and I fell in love with Book Lovers. Such sharp and hilarious dialogue, tender family moments, small town charm, and oh so much book love. The perfect summer read!

Let me first tell you how scared I was when, a chapter into this, I wasn't feeling both the main character and the supposed-to-be love interest. Inside I was screaming, "No, this is an Emily Henry romance. It'll work." AND IT DID.

Nora Stephens is an ambitious, city-loving literary agent who's been left by multiple boyfriends in the past for wholesome country women. She thinks happy endings exist, they're just not for her. When her sister Libby invites her for a getaway to the country, Nora takes it as an opportunity for the two of them to catch up on years of feeling like they've outgrown each other. She has no clue that Libby intends for her to go explore the place and finally find her one true love. But how can she, when she keeps bumping into the sarcastic and brooding book editor from back in the city, with whom she shared the most awkward and frustrating meeting cute?

Charlie Lastra is the perfect rival/company to Nora's control freak/career-driven side. It was almost like a grumpy × grumpy trope with lots of swoon and straightforward but heartfelt honesty. I love that Nora and Charlie are both unapologetically workaholic and that they make sense together. It definitely isn't the type of story where you expect the characters to simply abandon the things they used to want so much, just to say they've reached the end.

Book Lovers isn't just for us book-obsessed individuals, but also a story we dedicate to our siblings, family, lost chances, meaningful relationships, and found selves.

This was absolutely everything I love in a romance. This follows a romance between two people who are very similar and I love that. I related so much to our main character and so many lines resonated with me.

This was not only a delightful romance to read, but a wonderful exploration of a character. I loved Nora working, Nora interacting with her sister, Nora living her kick-ass agent life. Of all of Emily Henry's characters, she's the one that I would love to read more and more and more about. Five stars, will read hundreds and hundreds of times again.

Nora Stephens takes care of her sister, Libby, and makes sure she has everything she’s ever needed since their mom died several years ago. But at what cost… to Nora and to her relationship with her sister? Libby plans a big trip for them to Sunshine Falls, the location of one of the books Nora is the agent for. The trip is complete with a cute cottage, checklist of fun things to do, and quality time together. While there, Nora runs into her nemesis, Charlie Lastra. He has been rude to her on more than one occasion, and they are less than excited to run into each other. Throughout her visit, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie. And then they start working on a new book together with Nora as the agent, and Charlie as the editor. As in a typical romcom, their relationship moves from there with a few twists and turns. Meanwhile, Nora is afraid she’s losing her sister, and that she’s keeping secrets from Nora.

I really liked Nora, Libby, Charlie, and the other cast of characters are very likable and relatable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Small town love stories are the best and no one can tell me otherwise!

Book Lovers revolves around main character, Nora, a literary agent who has no time or interest in love. To get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Nora and her sister, Libby, visit Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. At first, the small town seems anything but charming... until Nora runs into her enemy, Charlie, and everything Nora thought she knew about life is turned upside down.

I really enjoyed the banter between Charlie and Nora and the relationship between Nora and her sister. At first, Nora wasn't super likable to me, but as we got to know more of her backstory, I really enjoyed her as a character. I also enjoyed reading about Charlie, too!

Of course, I don't want to give too much away, but if you liked Emily Henry's previous books and/or are a Hallmark movie fan, you'll want to pick this up ASAP!

I love anything that Emily Henry writes and this book did not disappoint. Books and romance are my cup of tea. I can't wait till Ms. Henry writes another fantastic story.

Emily Henry does it again with Book Lovers! A cute and fun contemporary romance that is perfect for all book worms.

This is my second Emily Henry book, and I have decided that she's become an automatic read for me. I don't typically read contemporary romance, but Henry manages to perfectly blend humor, witty banter, a compelling but low-stakes plot, and of course some spiciness. I particularly enjoyed how this novel poked fun at common tropes found in romance novels and Hallmark movies by taking the perspective of the ice-blond city woman who is always left for the small town girl next door who just wants to save her family's bakery/Christmas tree farm/bookstore. This is a great book for anyone looking for a lighter read to enjoy at the beach.

Writers agent Nora Stephens is consistently dumped by men who end up leaving her for love in a small town. So when her sister Libby drags her from New York to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for a girls trip, she is less than thrilled. To top that, her arch nemesis Charlie Lastra shows up in the same town. Cue a few weeks of Nora figuring out that initial impressions can sometimes be way off.

I simply love the way Emily Henry weaves complicated emotions together in her books. They are a great blend of beach read and substance, blending complicated family emotions and dynamics with comedic love.

If you have ever watched a Hallmark movie and wondered what happens to the uptight corporate girlfriend who is left by the male love interest for the bubbly small-town protagonist, then I come bearing good news: Emily Henry has answered your question.

Henry’s third adult romance novel, “Book Lovers,” follows the life of Nora Stephens, a cutthroat literary agent who has platinum blonde hair almost as icy as her heart. After a series of unfortunate breakups, wherein Stephens finds herself on the unfavorable side of the romance tropes she knows all too well, she has all but decided to swear off looking for love. And she most definitely is not looking for it in brooding Charlie Lastra, a successful editor and her professional nemesis.

However, it is just Nora’s luck that a month vacationing with her sister in the small fictional town of Sunshine Falls, North Carolina leaves her bumping into Charlie left and right. In line with the ever popular enemies-to-lovers plotline, Nora and Charlie’s continual and annoying run-ins escalate to something more.

The narrative brilliance of “Book Lovers” lies not only in Henry’s mastery of pacing, but in the novel’s keen sense of self-awareness. In a book centered around subverting tropes, Henry repeatedly succeeds at breathing new life into otherwise banal plot elements. The setting of “Book Lovers” is indulgently cliché; Sunshine Falls embodies the quintessential small-town experience including gossip, family drama and cheesily named local businesses such as the favorite town bar, “Poppa Squat.”

To top it all off, Nora’s sister even creates a small-town checklist for her and Nora to complete that seems handcrafted to land Nora in Charlie’s company. Henry leans into this and pushes clichés in order to further the plot by contrasting the characters with the overused setting. The descriptions of the city-dwelling pair braving the countryside then add necessary levity to the seemingly hackneyed setting.

Nora describes herself as the “foil to the Good Woman.” In her quest to disrupt literary norms, Henry elegantly characterizes Nora as a cynical anti-heroine to deconstruct sexist stereotypes rampant in contemporary society. Henry tackles how powerful women are often seen as bitchy, cold and otherwise unpleasant while their male counterparts receive no such criticism. Nora’s ex-boyfriends serve as a commentary on men who fear women that are their equals. Her past relationships provide a stark contrast to her connection with Charlie, who treats her like an equal.

Henry has developed a fiercely loyal following for her character-driven novels and “Book Lovers” is no exception. Charlie and Nora, Henry’s most well-rounded main characters to date, effortlessly deliver the snarky, humorous banter that her readers have grown to love. Henry’s refreshingly modern dialogue is shown in the pair’s expertly exchanged barbs via their work emails. Their back-and-forth dynamic is enhanced by the fact that Charlie and Nora are cut from the same sarcastic, workaholic cloth and therefore equally matched. Their embodiment of two sides of the same coin also allows Henry to seamlessly blur the line between love and hate as their antagonism evolves into flirtation. These characters understand each other to the very core, allowing them to embrace both their own and each other’s fallibility.
The end result is a flawed, incredibly human element in their relationship: an element that many other romance novels lack and that is sure to resonate with readers.

However, “Book Lovers” shines the brightest in its very ability to poignantly speak to universal experiences of being a reader. Authors love to write books about books — after all, they know the audience they are pandering to. The novel’s title IS the target audience. There is an earnest understanding of what it means to love books from all sides of the industry. Henry provides an insider perspective on the publishing industry from Nora and Charlie’s respective agent and editor positions. Henry even throws in a few good-natured jabs at the volatile temperaments of the authors publishing teams work with—all of this is done, of course, with the intent of showing how much passion and care is put into the development of every book that lands on shelves.

“Some books you don’t read so much as live,” Nora says in an internal monologue.

Henry perfectly captures the aspect of the reading experience that keeps her readers coming back for more — they will want to eat and breathe “Book Lovers.” In an almost meta-literary experience, Henry is able to artfully articulate the feelings experienced by her readers as they progress through the novel. True to her no-nonsense form, Nora refuses to start a book until she reads the last page and determines whether the novel is worth committing her time. While Nora’s ending-first method may be necessary for other stories, rest assured, “Book Lovers” is well-worth the investment starting from page one.

My favorite Emily Henry book yet!! This book is everything one would look for in a fun summer romance novel. Centered around Nora, a successful literary in NYC but not as successful when it comes to love. Nora's sister takes her on a (forced) trip to the location of her favorite book. There she runs into Charlie one of the unlovable editors from back in NYC. But is he as tough as he comes off?

Highly recommend reading this book. Thank you NetGalley, Berkley, and author Emily Henry for this ARC.

I know I am not alone when I say I love Emily Henry’s books!
I was hooked from the first page and the only reason I stopped was because I had to make some snacks for friends that were coming over.
This enemies to lovers set in the book world is beautifully written. Nora and Charlie are the perfect characters for this story. Yes, I got teary eyed, I laughed and I fell in love with the sub plots that were emotional as well in this book!
YOU MUST READ IT!