LOVED - her best yet. Her other 2 were just "ok" for me but this is clearly her strongest book. It all worked for me - loved the banter, the slow-burn/simmering chemistry throughout - all of it. Would totally recommend to romance fans.

Thank you Libro.fm and Penguin Random House Audio for the complementary audio in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know what to say other than I absolutely adored this book. I wouldn't change a single think about it. Book Lovers is a story that is going to stay in my heart for a long time. As an older sister and someone who lost their mom to cancer at a young age, I felt so seen reading about Nora. Emily Henry always writes about tough subjects with such care and Book Lovers is no exception.

Charlie and Nora are my new comfort couple. They were imperfectly perfect. True soulmates. I want to be besties with Nora and Libby. I am Nora Stephens. Nora Stephens is me. WE ARE ONE. I'm impatiently waiting for Emily Henry's next novel.

Nora, a tough-as-nails literary agent who normally finds herself on the wrong side of the romantic storyline, travels to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina with her pregnant sister, Libby. Libby plans a small-town bucket list vacation, which takes a turn when Nora encounters her big-city rival, Charlie. What transpires is heartwarming, poignant, and laugh-out-loud funny. I expect this to go down as one of my favorites of the year.

If you’re only going to read one contemporary romance book (or one book even) this year, let it be BOOK LOVERS by @emilyhenry

If you want to experience a masterclass in how to utilise classic romantic tropes in a modern and refreshing way, go check out BOOK LOVERS.

If you love books about books, pick up BOOK LOVERS. The way Emily Henry infused her love for literary classics like Wuthering Heights into this book had me

If romance is not your usual go-to genre, try BOOK LOVERS

I could go on.

The bottom line is: this book is brilliant and it deserves all the hype it’s getting. This gem is definitely going to end up in my top 5 of 2022, I think it is my favourite Emily Henry book yet and I adored TPWMOV and Beach Read.

Thank you @berkleypub @berkleyromance for gifting me with an early e-ARC for review

Book Lovers is utterly charming — whether or not you identify as one yourself. I read this novel in one day (almost in one sitting). The characters, the setting and the dialogue all sparkle, as is standard with Emily Henry's books, while the tongue-in-cheek nod to tropes keeps things from feeling too saccharine. This is my favorite book of hers yet, and I'm already looking forward to her next one.

Book Lovers
By Emily Henry

YOU
MUST
READ
THIS
BOOK

I could not put this book down! This book is INCREDIBLE! I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love with Nora and Libby, & Nora and Charlie. I loved Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation - I mean I love everything Emily Henry writes but Book Lovers really topped them all.

Book Lovers is a story about family, grief, the bonds of sisterhood, and of course, love - love of books, love of publishing, and of course the Mecca, New York City.

It’s only May, but I think this is the 2022 best romance for me. Don’t wait too long to read this gorgeous book.

Emily Henry has done it again! I don't think there is any romance author out there that hits it out of the park with every book. The banter between Nora and Charlie is perfection. I love how witty the characters are. Nora and Libby's relationship is so heartwarming and gives depth to the story. Nora feels like all of us trying to make everything work and take care of everyone. It is so easy to fall into an Emily Henry book and I look forward to what else she has in store!

I really wanted to love this book, but I just liked it. I don’t know if it’s a case of the right book at the wrong time, or just not the most ideal book for me? The author’s previous book, People We Meet On Vacation, gave me all the happy, zingy feelings I was hoping to get in this book. Book Lovers is like a Hallmark movie with better dialog and more sex. Although, for being an open(ish) door romance novel, there just wasn’t enough romance. I can’t put my finger on exactly what I didn’t love about this book, it just felt unoriginal? Phoned in? All this to say, it was enjoyable, just forgettable.

emilyhenrywrites will never write I book that I don’t absolutely love, and I can say that with 100% certainty. This was easily one of my most anticipated books of the spring/ summer and I finished it in a day. The characters are so likable, and relatable, and funny and that’s what makes her books so perfect. What’s a book you’re waiting for this summer?! Have you read Book Lovers yet? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This did not disappoint! I don't know how she does it but Henry has a perfect and unique writing style that is simple, funny, insightful, relatable...all the things. I also personally related to the characters and as someone who is an older sister with a younger sister.

I loved Nora from the start. Even though she's described as a "shark" aka the mean city girl who the guy leaves in all the lifetime movies, I never felt like she was actually that harsh of a person. She has a good job, appreciates nice things, and cares so much for her sister and family. Sounds like my kind of person!

I also love the sister relationship and reading about where the sisters get along and just want to support each other. Going on a month-long trip to a quiet town with your sister takes a special bond.

Charlie...🥰. That's all.

Overall, I loved the characters, the writing, the ending, and everything in between. Henry will remain one of my favorite authors and I look forward to all her future books.

Does anyone NOT love Emily Henry? She has an incredible gift, undeniably, and we are all blessed by her largess. There is so much snarky joy in this book, mixed deeply (as joy is wont to do) with grief. So much good hearted mockery and tender self revelation. So many surprises and small cave ins of self deception. This book is a quiet love song to all the tiny things that make somewhere feel like home and make us feel like we have found our place. I absolutely loved it.

Emily Henry is an author I will always read, so I was very excited to get my hands on a copy of "Book Lovers." Her humorous and snappy style of writing did not disappoint. The sorta-enemies-to-lovers storyline set in a small town that also serves as a fictional setting for a book the characters are connected to is sweet. Maybe a little predictable with a Hallmark feel, but nevertheless still a feel good, laugh-out-loud, perfect read for travel or relaxation.

Boy, oh freaking boy did I love it!

Nora and Charlie were everything and more. From their banter to the way they wanted what was best for the other.

There was some spice, but mostly it was funny!

This book is going to be on my top reads for the year!

Charlie and Nora’s hate banter was top-notch and, to be honest, I couldn’t hold my laughter. When they both find out they’re in the same place, avoiding each other is impossible.

This book isn’t far away from reality because of how both characters build their relationship from enemies, to friends, then to lovers. It also deals with difficult topics — anxiety and grief — but Emily tackled each issue with perfection.

This is a mostly light hearted romance that explores many of the overdone themes of the romance genre of books and made for the small screen movies. Nora, the New York City born and bred book agent, and her sister Libby spend a month in a small North Carolina town, where they encounter all of the typical locals that you are used to…and also Charlie, a New York based editor who came home to help his family. This is a character driven romance, with great chemistry between the two main characters.

I don't know how to start this review because Book Lovers did not meet my expectations.

Perhaps I expected something similar to Beach Read and that's why I wanted to like this one. To be honest, I liked the relationship between Nora and Charlie, I would have loved it more if there was a little more drama between them. In the same way, it has been a good book to pass the time.

I would like to say something else but I don't know what else to say, only that the main character thought a lot, and sometimes she was frustrating. I think the one who takes the spot in the book is Nora's sister, she was refreshing to read.

Likewise, if you have read the author's other books and liked them, you will also like this one.

This book is not going to be for everyone. But if you loved Beach Read like I did and part of what you loved about it was how many feelings it gave you, I think you'll like this one, mostly because I loved this one. I love books about sisters. I love books with that slight melancholic note throughout, especially when I know that in the end, all is well that ends well. And I love books where I really understand the connection between the love interests. I suppose I should actually tell you more about Book Lovers itself though.

Nora is our protagonist and her sister, Libby, convinces her to semi-vacation for the month of August in a small town in North Carolina outside of Asheville. The two of them are very close because their mom died when Nora was 20 or so and Libby was a teenager. Nora has taken on a ton of responsibility for her sister and feels a lot of responsibility to make sure she has a good life. The best life. In this small town, Nora happens to run into Charlie Lastra, who is an editor that Nora doesn't really have the best relationship with. The book has been marketed as rivals to lovers, but I don't really think it behoves you to go in expecting that type of dynamic. They do have amazing text message exchanges and in person banter, but their relationship doesn't really give me rival to lover feels. What it does give me is clear proof that these two people get one another and that they will go the distance.

What this book really is though is a character study. Nora is competent and put together and really, really good at her job. She's also slightly neurotic, anxious, and tires so hard to compartmentalize a lot of things out of an intense need for control. And Charlie falls for her exactly how she is. And he sees her. I think some people won't like her because Nora is not a fun kind of messy. She's a person you sometimes want to shake because some of her problems are self-created or a result of her not really communicating or setting boundaries, etc. But Nora felt very real to me. And her happy ending is perfectly suited to this story.

This is not my favorite by Emily Henry, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

SUMMARY
Nora Stephens is a classic workaholic literary agent who lives and breathes NYC. She has high expectations for her romantic relationships and has often been jilted by previous partners for "nicer" women. After a disastrous meeting with in-demand book editor Charlie Lastra in NYC, Nora's beloved sister Libby convinces her to go on an August vacation with her to Sunshine Falls, NC - which happens to be the setting of the most recent bestselling book by an author that Nora represents. While on vacation in Sunshine Falls, Nora unexpectedly runs into Charlie Lastra and their chance encounters keep building until they are working on the same book together, and of course, sparks fly. Also, Nora is determined to keep her relationship strictly professional with Charlie, but those of us romance readers know better... Oh, and there's also some tension building between Nora and Libby as their close-knit relationship seems to be on the rocks as Libby is definitely keeping something from Nora.

OPINIONS
This is my least favorite Emily Henry that I've read. The beginning prelude was confusing and unnecessary. At times, it read like Gilmore Girls fan-fiction (town hall meetings, quirky town characters, beloved small businesses), which was DEFINITELY not something I enjoyed. It was as if the author was trying too hard to force charm that seemed more natural in her others. This was definitely "fluffier" than Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, which is not necessarily a negative but more an observation.

I really enjoyed the slow build between Nora and Charlie and their relationship. Their chemistry was palpable, and their conflicts understandable.

Overall, a great fluffy romance that lacks some of the punch of Emily Henry's others. I will be recommending this one.

Thanks NetGally for an ARC!

There are books that you wish that you could read for the first time again. That is How Book Lovers feels to me. I loved every aspect of this book. Nora was the high-functioning anxiety problem solver mess of a heroine. I was surprised at how quickly I fell in love with her and her story. There were parts of her story that just resonated deep. There was not a character in this cast that I didn't at least like, if not love. The way Henry was able to sprinkle the love of books into this without making it overkill. The enemies to lovers was super well done without pulling into the bullying or just being mean. Honestly this was just a perfect book. It is an ode to books, the people who love them, big towns, small towns, family (the good and the bad), and how to move on. I feel like this review is a mess but all I am trying to say is read this book!

Emily Henry has outdone herself in this novel as the romance takes well known romance tropes and spins it on its head.

Typically the city work obsessed main character goes to a small town to fall in love with it as well as it's love interest but in here you are two like minded workaholics that have realistic goals. The characters are fleshed out, the build up and set up for each character's arc is wonderfully done, and the romance is adorable.