I'm a huge Emily Henry fan, the way I feel she personally writes to me in her books is amazing, I truly relate. This book is made for book lovers, soooo...

I adored the characters, and the ending was so wholesome. Go read it.

Every year a new Emily Henry comes out, I think "this can't possibly be better than the one before" and then she proves me wrong! Book Lovers is my favorite book by her to date.

What I think Emily Henry does particularly well in Book Lovers is flip the stereotypes on their head. Nora is the woman who always gets left by the hero for the small town, girl next door. She's opinionated, strong willed, committed to her job, and she normally wouldn't get the guy. But in Book Lovers she does.

I loved Nora and Charlie's rapport and I loved Nora and Libby's relationship even more. Oftentimes in rom-coms, it feels like every side character is there just to act as a sounding board for the main character. But Emily Henry made the characters fully fleshed out with their own problems that we become invested in as well. I also loved the dual setting of small-town Sunshine Falls and New York City.

Overall, a really great read that deserves a spot on your reading list this summer!

I'd rate this as my favorite rom-com of the year. Henry has done a wonderful job of creating characters that one has no choice but to adore.
The love/hate (can you say sexual tension) relationship that occurs between the two lead characters is a foregone conclusion but the road to happiness is so fun that you don't want the trip to end.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. It was my first Emily Henry book but won't be the last.

Aviso de conteúdo: luto e estresse pós-traumático.

Nora Stephens é uma agente literária e uma verdadeira heroína para seus clientes, porém, em sua vida pessoal, ela acredita ser a vilã da história de seus ex-namorados e nada muda isso. Durante sua viagem de férias com Libby, sua irmã, Nora encontra Charlie Lastra, editor e um possível rival no trabalho, e essa surpresa traz uma proximidade que pode, enfim, mudar seus pensamentos sobre si mesma.

Emily Henry acertou mais uma vez! Book Lovers é uma homenagem pra quem ama livros, seja leitor, editor ou até mesmo escritor. Assim como em Beach Read, Emily consegue lidar com assuntos pesados – luto e estresse pós-traumático – de uma forma leve, mas eficaz. O livro consegue balancear bem o romance e o relacionamento de Nora com Libby, o que pra mim foi a parte mais importante da história.

O romance é ótimo e a dose de slow burn é perfeita, assim como as cenas mais picantes! Os diálogos entre Charlie e Nora são a minha parte favorita do livro e eu poderia ler um livro inteiro só com os dois falando sobre qualquer coisa. Se Emily lançar um livro por ano, serei a pessoa mais feliz do mundo!

Emily Henry does it again!
These characters worked so well together and the book was a wonderful blend of romance tropes but self aware of them and made them better somehow.
The epilogue being in a different narration style and very short are my only really criticisms but really don't take away from my overall enjoyment of the novel.
I look forward to what the author does next and will be (im)patiently waiting to buy it for my library.

Sweet book that was as much a familial love story between sisters as it is a romance. Light summer fare for the beach or park.

*Thank you to Berkley, Emily Henry and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

The People We Meet on Vacation was one of my favorite contemporary romances so I was very excited when this book was gifted to me.

Nora is a literary agent, and Charlie is a book editor. Their first meeting several years before the book takes place is actually sort of rough. But when Nora's sister, Libby, suggests that her and Nora get away for a few weeks before Libby's third baby is due, Nora begrudgingly agrees. Little does she know that Charlie Lastra is staying there also, in Sunshine Falls, where the book Nora is agenting takes place. The book Charlie turned down several years ago. When Nora's editor has her baby a month early, Charlie agrees to help with the final edits.

The story of Nora and Charlie falling in love is beautiful but what sticks out in this book is the wit and banter. I rarely laugh out loud at books but this is absolute perfection. Some quotes -

"Maybe this is why people take trips, for that feeling of your real life liquefying around, like you do will tug on any other strand of your carefully built world."

"That's the thing about being an adult standing beside your childhood race car bed. Time collapses, and instead of the version of you you've built from scratch, you're all the hackneyed drafts that came before, all at once."

or

"Sometimes, even when you start with the last page and you think you know everything, a book finds a way to surprise you."

Gorgeous. This book is a work of art. Absolute perfection.

Witty banter here is the best she's ever done. Sexual tension to a Tee. And the small town dynamic is delightful. Loved it.

This book was fun, but for some reason, it took me a long time to finish. And this should be a 2-day read, tops! The characters are likable and the situations as relatable as any romance story.

Nora is a book agent who agrees to her sister's plan: leave NYC for a few weeks and spend time in the small town of Sunshine Falls, NC, the setting of her biggest client's biggest book. And complete a romance genre bucket list of sorts. Charlie is an editor and was not impressed with Sunshine Falls, the book. At his and Nora's meeting, they were instantly repulsed by one another, the opposite of attraction, whatever that is.

When Nora gets to Sunshine Falls and discovers Charlie is from there and is in fact living there with his parents, it doesn't take long for these enemies to become tangled up with one another, the town, and the next installment by Nora's client...and now Charlie's her editor, too.

I liked the sexual tension between the characters and the fact that they didn't lie to one another about the fact that they liked one another, although the romance was a bit of a slow burn at first. Both Nora and Charlie have hearts and they're not afraid to show them. Both of them place family above all else, even to the detriment of their careers.

Now, I did think things were going to get /very/ bad for one of the characters, but thankfully, this is a romance, so there is a HEA. Phew! It was good to get my adrenaline going for a little bit, there.

My thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Henry gets better with every book. Her characters live inside my head when I’m not reading the books and long after I’ve finished reading them.

Nora & Charlie are a duo worthy of the Rom Com Hall of Fame (Harry & Sally; Joe & Kathleen, etc. etc.) and their banter and barbs make this story so much fun to read. I didn't really get the Schitt's Creek vibes this is being marketed as having but still enjoyed my time in Sunshine Falls. Book Lovers is a love letter to the stories that shaped us and taught us how to dream.

Many thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the ARC.

Never in my life have I seen two characters with such sizzling, magnetic chemistry! Every time Nora and Charlie appeared on the page, I swear my book started sweating. I also loved Book Lovers for leaving me in total suspense over how the central conflict was going to shake out. Usually I can sniff out a solution a mile away, but waiting to find out how Nora and Charlie were going to get their HEA had me furiously flipping pages. Another knock out from Emily Henry!

Emily Henry continues to show her incredible understanding of tropes and how to subvert them in Book Lovers. The idea to set this book from the point of view of the "ice queen" girlfriend who gets dumped in the end of so many Hallmark movies both provides a snarky homage and a fond criticism of those stories that simplify and infantilize small towns while demonizing urban environments and ambitious women. I loved it.

Out of all the Emily Henry books I've read (and I've read them all), this one was BY FAR my favorite. Henry writes in a way that makes you feel as though you are a part of the story, right along with her characters. They're relatable beyond belief, even if they're in a world you have no part of. The relationship between Nora and Charlie is full of quick quippy banter that made me jealous of their connection, to be quite honest.
I read this book in a single sitting. Henry is one to constantly stalk as to not miss anything she published. Well done.

A lot of people who have read this book say it's for the older siblings and they're not wrong. But it's also for the ones who may not be the older sibling but still had to do things on their own. People who like myself NEED control. We need control over every situation so if something were to go wrong we're there to fix it.

Book Lovers follows Nora Stephens who didn't have the most stable upbringing and therefore vowed to make sure she didn't feel that way the rest of her life. And she did. She has a successful career and enjoys seeing how happy her sister's life is. She spent her whole life watching over her sister to ensure her happiness. But Nora's sister, Libby doesn't see it that way. The two take on a vacation in a small town so they can bond again as sisters. But Nora suspects something else is going on.

You see Nora is seen as a workaholic, cold and cunning. She can't seem to let go. Even on vacation. Through the book you see Nora struggling to figure out what's wrong with her sister because she feels the need to fix it. She's a fixer. Despite being someone who is very much a type A person she's riddled with anxiety. She watches everyone in the book very closely, analyzing them to make sure she can respond appropriately. I do the same thing and it's hard to turn off. Enter Charlie Lastra. The two are both workaholics with a sarcastic sense of humor. Charlie doesn't tell Nora she can let go. Charlie instead lets Nora know that she can be herself. That she can spend her days taking care of others as long as he can take care of her.

What I love about this book is that instead of a female lead learning to change herself, Nora doesn't have to compromise who she is to fit in with those around her. Instead Charlie SEES her, UNDERSTANDS her and says, you can do it because you always have but you don't have to do it alone. Charlie sees her for who she is and loves her. Even if she is working late, or cynical. He doesn't ask her to make any sacrifices for him or for anyone else but to put herself first.

This book had me crying at 1:30 am. I've never felt so seen in my entire life. The things Nora would do, her mannerisms, her reactions are exactly what I struggle with. The conversations her and Charlie have are the same ones that I've had with my significant other.

This book had me laughing, crying, annoyed, blushing, swooning and most importantly made me feel okay with how my brain is wired. Also did I forget to mention that Nora is 5'11? We love a tall leading lady.

Spice: 3/5

Emily Henry knows how to write a fabulous book!

Nora’s life revolves around books, even though she is never the heroine in her own life. One summer her sister Libby convinces her to go to NC for a month in the summer as a girls trip. Nora is in for a surprise when she bumps into the brooding book editor she works with. Who would have thought she would run into him in this small town? Nora has no idea what she is in for this summer.

This book lived up to my expectations! I loved it from the first chapter. If you have enjoyed Emily Henry’s other books, here is one you must go out an read!

5/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I loved this book. I adore Emily Henry's writing and have loved all of her prior books. This one was no exception. Nora felt very relatable, I really related with her and understood where she was coming from. I was sad, happy, frustrated, and even a little angry at times. I felt all of the emotions here and loved every second of it. I would absolutely recommend giving this book a read. Emily Henry continues to be an auto-buy author for me and I am happy to continue to fall in love with her books.

It pains me to say this, but could not finish. Just couldn’t get through it. At first I was intrigued by the characters, but eventually I just didn’t care about any of them. The only part I enjoyed was the small town setting. Strangely, I was in the mood for a light romantic read, but there just wasn’t enough here to engage me. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advance copy.

My reviews are now my thoughts and I have a lot of thoughts about books. Here is some of them.

The Characters: Who are the lovable romantic couple, and how did they meet?

Nora and Charlie are not the typical couples you might find in RomComs. Neither are all that delightful or charming, and I loved both right from the start. They are both outsiders with the same ambitions and priorities. Nora is a driven, busy literary agent, too “cold” to be that lovely attentive love interest for some man. She is a “city person” but “not the one who meets the hot farmer. The other one” The uptight, manicured literary agent, reading manuscripts from atop her Peloton while a serene beach scene screen saver drifts, unnoticed, across her computer screen. “I’m the one who gets dumped.” Charlie is a grumpy stick-in-the-mud book editor and not that typical charming and handsome hero who returns home to save the day and gets the girl. He looks “like publishing’s own metropolitan vampire” whose demeanor is like a black hole “sucking all the light out and swallowing” up a room.

They meet to discuss a book by one of her favorite clients. Much to Nora’s dismay and disbelief, Charlie is not interested in editing the book because it is “unreadable” and the setting is “completely unrealistic.” Charlie would know!!!

Did I enjoy the banter? Yes!! Emily Henry keeps it real! It feel natural, funny, entertaining and not forced.

Tropes: What tropes are used, and do they feel fresh and exciting?

Nora works with books, reads them, and processes life in terms of tropes, because that’s her life that “governs her days.” The stand-out trope is the small-town love story, and there is “something truly new under the sun” here. The story has one of the best openings and hooks as Nora narrates her life through that overused small-town trope, and I was hooked.

Nora and Charlie do not fit the bill for your typical cynical hotshot heroes using that trope. Neither are that high-powered, neglecting everything and everyone but work who learn “the meaning of life” in a small town and are transformed by the love of a good woman or man. Emily Henry creates something fun, fresh, modern, and compelling here as she turns that trope on its head.

Relationship in Jeopardy: How are the characters tested?

Family is at the heart of the story here, and both Nora and Charlie put them first, defying those tropes around love coming first. Their relationship and devotion to their family test their growing relationship. Nora and Libby’s relationship is the heart of the story. Since their mother’s death, Libby has come first for Nora, and she will do anything for Libby.

Charlie has some secrets that add to his family dynamics that test his building relationship with Nora.

The Grand Gesture: Was there an incredible romantic line or moment that stood out?

The gesture here might not be grand but it fit this romantic or more like non romantic couple and I love it. There was an incredible romantic line that stood out for me but my lips are sealed.

Happy ending: Was I convinced they will have a happy life together or are meant to be?

YES!!

Everyone should get a once-a-year award to give to a book that defies 5 star ratings. If such an award existed I would use it for this book.

I have loved both of Henry’s previous books, and did not think I could love anything more. But I was wrong.

The chemistry between Nora and Charlie is off the charts. It’s witty, it’s sarcastic, it’s full of humor and intelligent banter; I loved it. I couldn’t get enough. A lot of authors try to mimic this and fall short. Henry writes character chemistry like a master.

I had conflicting feelings about finishing; I wanted to know how it ended but also didn’t want to leave these characters behind. The sister relationship was so sweet and Libby and Nora were real to me. Nora’s grief jumped from the page and made me feel so many emotions for her.

In summary, I loved every aspect of this book and award it 10 stars.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.