Miss Emily Henry does it again!!!! There’s something about her romances that are so comforting to me - maybe it’s because I always read them in the spring/summertime, but I can’t get enough of them. ⁣
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Her characters are witty, sometimes a little spiky, but always full of heart. Her books remind me that it’s okay to be a sap, to enjoy the little things & the big things and everything in between!!!⁣
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And on that note, NORA & CHARLIE FOREVER 🫶🏼

Nora Stephens has been dumped not once, not twice, but FOUR times by men who leave New York City for a Hallmark-movie-ending in the country. If her life were a romance novel trope, she'd be the "Evil City Girlfriend." Nora adores NYC, though, and has zero desire to live anywhere else. She is a classic workaholic, devoted to her clients and dedicated to securing the best publishing deals she can in her role as a fierce literary agent. She is also devoted to her younger sister, nieces, and brother-in-law, so when Libby begs her to take a month-long sisters' vacation to the very small town that's the setting of a client's best-selling novel, she acquiesces. Little does she know her sister has ulterior motives for the trip and is on a mission to give Nora her very own Hallmark movie experience. Not long after the women arrive, it's not a handsome stranger they run into, though, but the very editor who once turned down the book that put this town on the map, so to speak, and Nora begins to learn that everyone has a backstory, and sometimes first impressions are dead wrong.

I absolutely adored this book! Yes, the solution the characters struggle to see was obvious to me from the moment we learn what Libby's secret is--and it crossed my mind even before that--but the journey they took to get there was necessary, heartwarming, and sometimes even heart wrenching. Plus the witty banter was perfect, like an R-rated Gilmore Girls, and had me laughing out loud or at least grinning 'til my face hurt though most of the story.

What I don't understand is why the official synopsis of this book says Nora and Charlie are rivals. They barely know each other until Nora & Libby arrive in Sunshine Falls. The only time they've ever interacted was 2 years prior at the meeting where Nora pitched Charlie the manuscript for Once in a Lifetime, and he turned it down because he hated the setting. In fact, when Nora does spot Charlie in the coffee shop, she isn't sure it's him and has to look up his address to send an email as a test to see if the man ahead of her in line responds. Which he does, because apparently they both have email notifications turned on--something I would never do because the constant pinging would make me insane, but I suppose it makes sense for their business email accounts. At any rate, they aren't rivals; they are acquaintances who become colleagues and friends with enough electricity sparking between them to start a wildfire.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, language secondary (for the banter). There is no violence, but there are a few steamy sex scenes and some profanity sprinkled throughout.

Many many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the free eGalley copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really loved Nora and Charlie separately and together, though their relationship didn’t feel as central to the story as I expect from a romance. I also really liked Nora’s relationship with Libby. Their conflict felt a bit goofy even though the emotions around it or genuine and I thought well done.

The beginning of the book felt very slow, though I’m not sure if the pacing picked up or if I just began to feel more comfortable with it.

Overall I really enjoyed this one. Definitely more so than PWMOV.

I could not put this book down! I read through it so fast because I just had to devour it! Although now, I'm wishing I had savored it because I do miss it. I will definitely be re-reading soon! These characters were all so complex and I loved all of them. Sunshine Falls is the cutest little town and definitely reminds me of Stars Hollow--- right down to the town meetings!

Another really solid romance from Emily Henry. While I didn't love this quite as much as People We Meet on Vacation, the strength of this one for me was in the characters. I really liked both the protagonist and the love interest and the reasons they had for liking each other. It felt different to have two people both kicking ass in their careers and not apologizing for it; their careers were important to them, and so they were important to the other as well. Overall, a really great romance, and it made me realize that I still really need to pick up Beach Read.

This book still gives me a warm hug type of vibe every time I think about it!

What I loved about this book:
✨ There’s so much banter! Charlie and Nora both have the wit and enough sarcasm to have such entertaining banter.

✨ Nora is the career-driven, highly-focused type of person. Charlie is kind of the same which is why he could “read her like a book.” Love finding out about their upbringing & experiences that made them the way they are.

✨ all the sibling moments with Nora and Libby! as an older sister, I resonated a lot with how Nora wants to do all she can for her younger sibling.

✨ It’s set in a small-town which was quite charming. There were also lots of vivid descriptions about New York since it’s where the characters grew up. I love seeing the differences of both but also how EH sheds good light on both settings 😌

This was really nice! Kind of a reverse-Hallmark movie. Definitely felt like the personal story of the heroine and her relationship with her sister were more of a focus than the romance. Well done with the slow burn, though. Emily Henry is a reliable writer and I am looking forward to her next release!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

i was extremely nervous going into BOOK LOVERS because @emilyhenrywrites books come with a LOTTTT of hype 👀 but this one tugged at my heart and didn’t disappoint 💙

thank you @berkleyromance for the #gifted early copy 📚 this highly anticipated 2022 release hits shelves tomorrow!!

🌟 rating: 4 stars
📖 genre: romance
#️⃣ pages: 384
🥳 pub day: 5/3
✍🏼 same author of BEACH READ and PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION
read if you like: books, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, character driven plots

i enjoyed BEACH READ, didn’t jive with PWMOV, and BOOK LOVERS made me happy! for a romance, i liked how it didn’t have one main/typical trope… it’s somewhat friends to lovers, somewhat enemies to lovers, and some HEA in there that we all hope and root for. there were a bunch of strong side plots/characters in this one which i think is why it worked so much better for me than PWMOV. i also loved the elements of both MC’s being book lovers (all characters were, actually) and as a girl with two sisters, the family plot also really struck a chord with me. i thought the ending was creative and the “twists” she so heavily teases paid off with shock value. all in all, this will be another hit from Henry!

BOOK LOVERS follows Nora, a workaholic who really only cares about her clients, job and her sister. so when their relationship start drifting and her sister suggests a month away together to a small town, she agrees. but once she’s there, she keeps running into a fellow editor from NYC that doesn’t have the best relationship with. when they team up for a project, Nora’s professional life takes just as big of a turn as her personal one 👀

the longer i sat with it, the more i enjoyed it. i read it at the perfect time (i was sad and sick as a dog) and was very eager to see where it ended. it wasn’t perfect though, and it missed the mark on a few areas—it was a bit long for me, the middle really dragged out, the love story/chemistry felt a biiiiit forced and there was minimal steam.

i’m sure 90% of you already have this in pre-order so have no fear—you will love it! 💙

"One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming..." This fun, sexy romance novel is full of your favorite Hallmark movie/contemporary romance tropes. Well worth a read!

ARC cedida por PRH International em troca de uma opinião honesta

Apesar de muito elogiada por seus romances, eu ainda não havia conferido as histórias de Emily Henry até receber a ARC de Book Lovers. E com a finalização desse livro pode ter certeza que vou conferir os outros e temos mais uma autora queridinha.

Nora Stephens é uma agente literária muito boa no que faz. Livros sempre fizeram parte da sua vida desde a infância e com isso ela sabe que não faz muito o estilo das heroínas de romance. Quando sua irmã a convencer a passar um mês em uma pequena cidade na Carolina do Norte, ela não imaginava cruzar com Charlie Lastra, um editor com quem ela não teve uma boa primeira impressão.

O mais legal desse livro, além claro do romance, é o modo como Emily brinca e utiliza de tropes de livros para desenvolver o seu. Tanto Nora quanto Charlie vivem rodeados de livros, então suas interações quase sempre tem uma referência literária. Outro ponto bacana foi ver os "bastidores" da produção de um livro; no caso Nora e Charlie co-editam a nova história de uma das autoras que Nora representa e achei bem legal mostrar esse outro lado.

Apesar de ter uma ideia bem contrária, Nora é uma heroína de romance e que super me identifiquei com ela. Ela é determinada e super profissional, além de não esconder que ama morar em Nova York e que não trocaria essa cidade barulhenta por nada desse mundo. Temos também o fato que dela colocar seu trabalho em primeiro lugar e por muitas vezes Libby, sua irmã e pessoa favorita no mundo, não compreende, achando que Nora não "vive". Vemos que a agente é apaixonada no que faz e essa é sua vida. E é aqui que entra Charlie Lastra.

Charlie e Nora são farinha do mesmo saco e ele faz questão de demonstrar isso todo o tempo, mas de forma positiva. Desde o princípio de seu envolvimento, ele é direto no que deseja para os dois e deixa bem claro que Nora ser boa no que faz é um dos principais motivos de sua atração. Charlie se mostra um pouco fechado, mas logo a agente descobre o grande coração que ele tem assim como uma lealdade inquestionável.

O desenvolvimento do casal não poderia ter ocorrido de forma melhor, senão através de um livro. Eles são divertidos juntos, passada as primeiras impressões eles acabam se sentindo confortáveis um com o outro justamente pelo fato deles se entenderem tão bem. Os flertes, as provocações, o humor e as brincadeiras entre os dois é fazer vomitar arco-íris de tão fofos e tão perfeitos eles são um para o outro.

Em paralelo ao romance, também temos um foco na relação de Nora e sua irmã Libby. As duas foram criadas apenas pela mãe e cada uma lidou de uma forma com a morte dela, mas sem necessariamente superar o luto. Apesar de ter sentido que o foco na relação com a irmã sobressaiu mais que o romance, esse foco também fez parte da jornada de desenvolvimento de Nora durante a história. As duas irmãs se amam e sempre estarão ali uma pela outra, mas precisam resolver entre si e com elas mesmas alguns pontos que a morte da mãe afetou.

A escrita da Emily é bem gostosinha e Nora é uma ótima narradora. Confesso que queria alguns capítulos na visão de Charlie, mas não se pode ter tudo não é mesmo?

This might be my favorite Emily Henry book yet! It has all of her signatures, witty banner, working through trauma, and complex side characters. But it's Book Lovers call outs to other books that really shined for me. A super satisfying read. Great for anyone who likes there RomComs with a bit of depth.

This book was ... ok. It tries to be meta, and it kind of works, but it is also a bit over the top.

Nora is a literary agent in New York. She is married to her work and her Peloton. She's "affectionately" called the shark because of how she goes about her work. She has an uncomfortable lunch with an editor, Charlie. It seems obvious from the beginning that Nora and Charlie will end up in some kind of relationship, and despite the meta-ness of the book, it still follows a rom-com format.

Nora and Charlie fall in what seems to be an insta-love scenario, which is not my favorite trope. Nora is on a vacation with her sister, Libby. Libby is married with kids but Nora insists on mothering her (as their mother passed away when the girls were younger).

I wanted a bit more from this storyline. Libby is pregnant and secretive, but we don't get much more from her. I wanted the sister storyline fleshed out (especially because the sisters are on a vacation together for 90 percent of this book).

Overall, this book is similar to Emily Henry's other books. If you enjoyed those, you'll enjoy this one as well.

I really loved this. There's something about the way Emily Henry writes that just works for me. I think the number one thing is that I love the banter between the main characters. The snark made me love reading this. It's more than just a romance though, it's about family, sisters, learning to help others and help yourself, and realizing that home is much more than a place. It made me laugh, smile, and cry while reading, so it was a hit for me.

Book Lovers was such a delight to read and was super trope-y in the best of ways. I think it is such an interesting twist on the typical small town romance. So often in these kind of romances, who have the high powered city person going to the small town and inevitably falling in the love with someone there, despite having a significant other back home. Nora and Charlie were great characters to follow and they had really good banter and chemistry.

Rating: 4.5

I was so nervous to read this book because I did not vibe with People We Meet on Vacation. I believe in giving second chances and knew how popular and beloved this author was so I decided to listen to this one. I’m so happy I did because I really enjoyed it. My review is really short because even though I enjoyed this one I don’t have much to say about it.

I love when you can feel a bond grow between two characters. A bond that goes deeper than attraction and curiosity. That’s exactly the bond I felt between Nora and Charlie. I loved how they were when they were together and how Nora would think about him when they were apart. I also really loved the bond Nora had with her sister. I was semi close to my older sister growing up but actually haven’t spoken to her in over nine years. So it was nice to see how Nora and her sister interacted with one another and how protective Nora was over her sister.

Honestly, this was a great book in my opinion and I definitely would recommend it. If you're a fan of enemies to lovers or small town romances then check this one out. The writing was well done, the pacing started out a little slow but definitely picked up the more you read.

Thank you so much @berkleyromance for the #gifted copy on #netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Emily Henry knows exactly what she is doing when it comes to writing romance. I said it once before but has FULLY converted me to the genre.

Book Lovers is not only a love story but a love story for books and the world around of them. The characters have a little bit of everyone in them. Its not just Nora that is facing literary parallels.

I'll be buying a physical copy not only for myself but the library as well!

It is not an exaggeration to say this is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE book of the year (so far anyway!) I cannot believe this is the first book of Henry's that I have picked up. It is the absolute perfect mix of self exploration, romance, mystery, and of course wit! Seriously the witty banter is everyyyttthhhiinnggg! I love this book and will be thinking about it for a long time! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

If you have never read an Emily Henry book and decide to pick this one up, you are in for a treat. Set in dual locations between, New York City and small-town North Carolina, two city slicker nemesis within the publishing world, find themselves within a romance plotline of their own.
So many things went right for this book; the banter between characters, the underlining themes working to build the primary theme, accuracy in developed relationships and the feelings the character experienced, and (my favorite) a more realistic ending rather then a Happily Ever After fairytale.
Anyone looking for a summer beach read, a beside the pool read, an on the couch read, or some other type of read; put this book on the top of your list! It is lighthearted, funny, and pulls on the heart strings in just the right ways!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC which I received in exchange for an honest review!

Okay I LOVED this book! Emily Henry is very popular on booktok and her other two books sell like crazy at my work and yet, I had yet to read her books until Book Lovers! I can easily say that if her other books are as good as Book Lovers was, I will definitely be reading those books very soon! If you love the grumpy/sunshine but always wanted two grumps in the relationship, this book is for you.

It's often rare for me to find a book that doesn't have me looking to the back of the book to see how many pages are left to read (very similar to the MC of this book!) and instead hoping it never ends. That was Book Lovers for me. The writing style of Emily Henry is so fantastic and I don't really understand what she does to make me feel this way compared to other really great authors. But for some reason everything Emily writes to me is liquid gold and I can't get enough. And the small nod to Beach Read made my heart flutter, I love this universe she's creating with all of her characters and books!

While this book needs to no help with my 5 star review given the rising popularity of this author and all the raving reviews I've already seen for this new title, don't let the hype scare you away from reading this book! It has a great story with the most amazing banter between Charlie and Nora, Emily has yet to write a book that I don't giggle out loud while I'm reading! Sorry Beach Read, but I think Book Lovers just took the crown of my favorite title so far by Emily!