Emily Henry is an incredible talent and this book proves that she’s brilliant at writing nuanced protagonists with stunning romantic chemistry. Nora and Charlie were just pitch perfect together. I will however say that I think this book is poorly marketed by labeling this as “rivals to lovers” because they simply are not rivals. The barely know each other and have had a vaguely bad first meeting but that does not a rival make. But I digress, they were fantastic together and Charlie made me swoon so many times!

If only the book was solely about them, however this book also focuses on Nora’s complex dynamic with her younger sister, Libby, and while I think that dynamic was well explored I simply did not care. It takes up so much of the narrative and so much mental space for Nora that her romance actually felt like a side plot to her relationship with Libby.

Also this book is incredibly meta and because the characters are in the publishing industry, they are hyper aware of the character archetypes and narrative tropes they fall into. Which is cute at first but felt a bit grating to me after a while.

I’m conflicted, love Nora and Charlie, but I’m not sure I loved the book.

3.75 stars

I really ended up liking this one. I'm not normally a rom-com fan, but this one won me over by the end.

Well written book, but witty banter isn’t my favorite thing. I was in the mood for a story with more action than this.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I’m so late (Dangit work, kids softball practice, dinner, laundry, and all the damn things)
HAPPY PUB DAY to @emilyhenrywrites!! She does it again folks!!! Another 5 star read for me! I have NEVER been disappointed by her books! This was the perfect enemies to lovers, let’s live out a bunch of tropes, book about books ever!! The chemistry, the hate, the real life 💩. I LIVE for that! If you can make the romance book relatable I am here for it. When I open a Emily Henry book I am always immediately sucked in, there is no sitting around waiting for the good part, there is no OMG when will this be over. There is always an ok I need to make sure I don’t have anything going on because once I start I am unavailable, I am not stopping until I finish mindset. Tonight I wanted to tell my kid that saltines and goldfish crackers were for supper because I didn’t want to stop. Instead I heated up breakfast sandwiches (huge upgrade and I hardly had to stop reading). Emily Henry is an auto buy author for me and after this it will never change. Anyway enough of my rambling. Thank you @penguinrandomhouse, @berkleyromance, @berkleypub, @netgalley, and @librofm ( y’all I feel like I’m at the academy awards) for the advance e-copy and audio!! Also picture brought to you by me, featuring the amazing KS sunset in the back! Next time I will try and catch it sooner!
PS @justjuliawhelan is an amazing narrator!

Book Lovers is a great relaxing read! I guess you could say it’s an enemies-to-friends-to-more romance. I really enjoyed Nora’s small town experience in North Carolina. Because Nora and Charlie both work in publishing, the story includes a love for books that avid readers will really enjoy, especially if you like romance books. The characters are all wonderful, including Nora’s pregnant sister. I just loved everything about this book and it’s now my favorite Emily Henry book. Grab your copy ASAP!
Thank you to @berkleyromance for a free digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review.
This is my second Emily Henry book (the first being People We Meet On Vacation) so while I got to know the author a bit in that first book, I feel like this book really showed me the depth her writing can take.
I was approved to read it the night before it was due to be published, so I jumped in right away hoping to finish it by the day it came out; close by no cigar!
This book is everything I really want in a romance.
Let's talk characters.I love the main character, Nora, who is definitely a shark but has this mushy dolphin feeling come into her personality as she grows. She's like the shell of a brazil nut, with it's super hard exterior, that you finally crack and realize the amazing thing that's inside. Then there's Charlie. He's another one with a hard exterior, but he's definitely a bit more pliable, his soft side oozing out warmly and engulfing everything in it's path so it, too, feels that warmth. I could go on about Libby, Nora's sister, who compliments her so well, their banter so easy and their love for each other as sisters so real. Or Sally, Charlie's mom, who we don't get to see enough of but is enough around the periphery to give us a hint of the momma hen she truly is. And Clint, Charlie's dad, who we just glance at for a few times but who definitely gives some wise words as well as learns some wise lessons in his big scene.
Being from New York, I love how the author is able to work it into little details in the book that remind me of growing up. The way people rush about, the woosh of the train entering or leaving a subway tunnel, the crowds of people when that first real day of Spring hits and everyone comes out and about (even if it is only 55 degrees). She makes me miss living there. She makes me miss some of that hustle and bustle, even though I'm perfectly content living in my comfy, suburban, New Jersey home.
I don't want to go on about how the story progresses or how it ends because I feel like that would spoil the wonderful that is this story.
The one thing I will say is besides the growing and analyzing and decisions made in this book, there is TONS of humor. Each chapter had me laughing out loud at something (at least until the very end when I will tell you there were some tears).
I'm so glad I picked this one up. It is 100% worth the read. I urge you to go buy it if you want a love story that's not quite a love story that turns out to be something like a love story!

What I Liked: Emily Henry has become a must read for me because she writes characters I wish were real, characters I want to be friends with, and characters I want to date and fall in love with. Only in my dreams do I have the ability to speak like her characters do-the witty banter between Nora and Charlie, the heartfelt conversations between Libby and Nora, it was all perfection. Charlie is a perfect, brooding, enemies-to lovers romance hero who has flaws and imperfections but who deep down wants to be brave enough to show his true self to someone who deserves it. Nora is a true queen and a breath of fresh air in the romance novel world. She’s not the girl who dreams of the white picket fence or 2.5 kids. She knows who she is and what she wants but that has left her feeling left out in a world that places so much emphasis on being the sweet, docile woman. I love that Nora and Charlie compromise for each other without losing themselves in the process. While categorized as a romance, one of my favorite parts of this book is the complex relationship between the sisters and the evolution of that relationship. The way Henry shows how two people who are everything to each other can still view shared experiences differently is masterful as is the way she shows how two “identical” people (Nora and Charlie) can be vastly different.

What I Didn’t Like: I loved everything about this book. There is nothing I would change.

Who Should Read It: Fans of Emily Henry will love this book as will fans of complex yet fun romances.

Review Wrap Up: This book was truly an enjoyable experience that checked all the boxes I look for in an enemies-to-lovers romance: flawed yet likable characters, sexual tension, witty banter, and a satisfying ending. Emily Henry continues to write entertaining stories that are must reads for romance fans and I highly recommend this book.

Favorite Quote(s): “Is there anything better than iced coffee and a bookstore on a sunny day? I mean, aside from hot coffee and a bookstore on a rainy day.”

“That is what I’m looking for every time I flip to the back of a book, compulsively checking for proof that in a life where so many things have gone wrong, there can be beauty too. That there is always hope, no matter what.”

"Is there anything better than iced coffee and a bookstore on a sunny day? I mean, aside from hot coffee in a bookstore on a rainy day.”

Scrappy, always witty, laughs, vivid, Charlie & Nora. So many literary focuses and themes. This book goes out to all the older sisters out there 🥹 “Yes, I already told you, Nora. I’ll go anywhere with you.” but ugh, Charlie. What I loved about him is that his love language with Nora is physical touch and it’s just, perfect.

Emily Henry had Nora describe the book they’re editing in the plot as: ”This book has crushed me with its weight and dazzled me with its tiny bright spots. Some books you don’t read so much as live, and finishing one of those always makes me think of ascending from a scuba dive. Like if I surface too fast I might get the bands.” BECAUSE SAME. Book Lovers gets that.

”For anyone who wants it all, may you find some thing that is more than enough.”

Adored it. Merry Christmas Eve! Officially Emily Henry’s holiday. Obvi obsessed with her. The present under our tree.

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy of this book.

I loved the previous two books by this author, but this is my new favorite. I loved everything about this book. The two main characters had killer chemistry, and the fact that they both work in the publishing world? Perfection. Add in a sister relationship, a small town, excellent banter/dialogue, and a slow burn romance, and you have one of my top 5 books of the year so far.

Nora is a literary agent who represents the author of her sister Libby's favorite book (a book which Charlie, an editor said would fail - it did not). Libby wants to take a sister trip to Sunshine Falls, where the book is set, and Nora agrees. The town starts as a disappointment, with one cab, closed shops, one restaurant and barely working wi-fi - and none other than Charlie working at the town bookshop.

As Nora and Libby work on the bucket list Libby made, Nora is also working on Dusty's new book, and convinces Charlie to help her. Enter the chemistry, the enemies to friends to maybe more, and the swoony situations that had me begging them to just hook up already!

I will definitely re-read this one and it's got a spot on my favorites of 2022 shelf!

I could not have loved this book more! This is the first Emily Henry book I've read and I'm moving more of hers up to the top of my TBR. The characters were wonderfully complex. I wasn't ready for the book to end and I hope some of these side characters have their own stories ;)

Nora Stephens has been overworking herself her entire life. With her mother passing away at a young age and having to take care of her sister, Nora has never known peace, especially in her own love life. When Nora gets the chance to go with her sister Libby to the town behind one of her client's books with a list of things to do, she comes to realize that things can be easy, and it all starts with brooding Charlie.

I was absolutely hooked into this story! I love pretty much every single character. Nora is snarky but also knows how to get stuff done. However she is also such an overworker and is scared for change, and I related to her and her situation so much. Her sister Libby is really sweet as well, and their sibling dynamic is really strong, especially towards the end. I may be an only child, so this relationship didn't have as much as an impact on me, but regardless it was still really well written and composed.

Charlie is an entire league on his own. His introduction to the story is stellar, and he shows off how kind and humorous he can be under such a hard exterior. Some of my favorite moments from this book involved him, especially at the ending. I was rooting for Charlie from the first page, and he really shone in not only how he treats Nora, but also in how selfless he is as a person.

One of my favorite things about this story was probably the interlacing of the publishing world into the story. It was seamless with not too much emphasis, and it really brought out the best in the characters whenever they were working on novel editing. The humor was unmatched, with my favorite running gag being the Bigfoot erotica. It had me laughing until I was crying.

Most romances tend to have some side romance with other minor characters. While this does occur, one of the things I love is that it's resolved in a manner that doesn't make it hostile. The guy accepts that the girl doesn't like him, and moves on. It's nothing blown out of proportion, and it made me love the story even more for not including that typical stereotype.

Book Lovers is a light-hearted and familial story, and perfect for anyone looking for a quick and bright romance.

I received a copy of this book as an e-arc from NetGalley. Any and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Happy Belated Pub Day to this bookstagram darling - BOOK LOVERS by Emily Henry!

Have you ever connected with characters so much that when they hurt, you hurt just as much along with them? That’s what I felt the entire time I was reading. I felt probably one of the most visceral connections with these characters, especially Nora.

Emily Henry has such an incredible way of writing characters and allowing them to flourish in the worlds she creates. You won’t be able to help falling head over heels in love with every single character! They’re just so wholesome? But also so spectacular and relatable.

What really captivated me, aside from the blossoming romance, was the sisterly relationship between Nora and Libby. Seeing Nora take on so much as the older sister was so intense because same. I could relate so hard to that. The way their love shined through every single interaction made all the tears well up in my eyes - as is happening right now, just thinking about it.

I will probably never recover from how much I related to this book. I laughed, I cried, I felt so many emotions all at the same time!

Thank you so much to @berkleyromance for the opportunity to read an e-ARC 💕

I love Emily Henry books and enjoyed “Book Lovers”, although admittedly I think this is probably my least favorite of the three I read. This follows a NYC book agent who realizes her life is like the b-characters/antagonists in romance novels. As a lover of books and Hallmark movies, this is a different side of the trope that we are familiar with. Unlike her previous novels though, I didn’t feel the true development and draw in the love story of Nora and Charlie. It just seemed to develop out of nowhere. As always, Henry has great banter and humor in this one, which caused me to round up. 3.5 stars ⭐️ up to 4 stars ⭐️. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.

Over the years I’ve come to love many authors. Authors whose books resonate and whose characters hold a special place in my heart. Emily Henry is one of those authors, and BOOK LOVERS is one of those books.

There are so many things I loved about this story, from Nora and Charlie’s love for all things books, to Nora and Libby’s “small town vacation transformation checklist”, and every time we learn a little more about why Nora and Charlie are the way they are. Nora's desperately holding on to pieces of the life she remembers and is determined to keep her nicely curated bubble intact. She lives in the fear that it will all slip through her fingers, so she hangs on to what she has with everything in her. Charlie, underneath his own shell, is looking for the place where he truly belongs, where his own happiness is. These two seemingly opposites keep attracting each other, until they realize they aren't so different after all.

Do you ever connect with characters so much that when they hurt, you hurt a little bit alongside them? That’s how I felt pretty much the entire time with these two. (But let me tell you, when they finally get their happy, it’s more than worth it).

Nora’s relationship with her little sister, Libby, is also a big part of the book and it’s one of things I loved reading about the most. Maybe it’s because I also have a sister who’s four years older than me, but their connection and their “us against the world” dynamic made me think of my sister, who is—like Libby is to Nora—one of my favorite people in the world. I love that their relationship isn't perfect, that they have their communication problems, but their love for each other really shines through, in their own ways.

BOOK LOVERS is a testament to all the love we’re capable of: for our families, our jobs, our significant others, our hometowns and all their quirks, (and books, of course), and that we aren’t and shouldn’t be defined by one or the other. You all know I’m a sucker for a happy ending, and this one was so, so satisfying for me. I can’t wait to see what you all think! This is Emily Henry at her best.

I may be a *tad* bit biased here… but ANY book with a female character named Dusty (not Dusti, unfortunately, but close enough) has to be great! I think this is only the 2nd time I have encountered this phenomenon. And this Dusty is a WRITER (my dream job)!

But seriously - Is there anything better than the witty banter between love interests in an Emily Henry novel?? No, really. Is there?

This is the fun story of an uptight literary agent and a smug book editor finding each other in the most unlikely place possible.

This story is like many others - where the couple changes because of love and all that good stuff, but it’s done in a sarcastic and interesting way that doesn’t make it too cheesy.

I think this book is a bit more steamy than her previous books, and the build up is great!

Overall, it’s a sweet and sexy rom-com about how we write our own stories - our own endings. What’s not to like?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 - the half star is for actually making me laugh out loud several times. That never happens!!

“Some books you don’t read so much as live…”

This is Emily Henry’s best book yet!

I adored the characters, the setting, the banter, everyone was just so perfect. And the best part: it’s enemies to lovers with NO miscommunication trope!

I was so excited when I saw the setting was a fictional little town near my real city of Asheville! (Petition for Emily Henry to make an appearance at one of our bookstores please 🙋🏼‍♀️).

This was a sweet story about finding yourself and letting go. It’s a romance but also features a strong relationship between sisters and the bonds that hold them together. Libby and Nora saw their childhood in completely different ways and it affected both of their future relationships. While Libby clung to the security of her husband and children, Nora cut herself off from close relationships and refused to put herself in vulnerable situations.

I love the way the story played out in the end. Emily Henry has a way of writing enemies to lovers with the most hilarious banter and I was cheering these characters on every step of the way.

My ONLY gripe was that Libby called Nora “sissy” and she sounded like a 3 year old every time she said it in the audiobook. Speaking of the audiobook, Julia Whelan narrates and I 100% recommend that format!

I will buy anything Emily Henry writes and I can’t wait to see what’s next from her.

Thank you Libro.fm for the gifted ALC!

Emily Henry’s best work yet! Get ready to ignore all your responsibilities because you won’t be able to put this one down!

Why are you still here? 🏃🏻‍♀️ Click buy now! I checked it’s on Prime, you can get it by tomorrow 😂😂

Yes this is my review! What more do you need?

But I must warn you, if you aren’t into Bigfoot erotica then this one might not be for you.

Thank you to @berkerlyromance for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my very honest review!

🎉 Happy pub day to to @emilyhenrywrites's latest brainchild! 🎉 When I was approved for this book, I was absolutely shocked. I still believe Berkley approved the wrong Emily, but hey, I am NOT complaining.

My favorite romance trope of all time is the busy career woman 😤 with no time for romance ⛔ but falls in love with someone who brings out the best in her and shows her she can have both her career and love 👩‍💼🌹, and boy, did Emily Henry deliver on this trope, but with so much more hearts and laughs than ever before.

Nora and Charlie had the banter, chemistry and competition that I need in a book like this. Dare I say Charlie Lastra is the best romantic male protagonist Emily has ever written? Because I adore him. And when this is made into a movie one day, I DEMAND Oscar Isaac play him. The relationship arc between Nora and Charlie (hello, enemies to lovers) was just delicious and I loved every moment.

I loved how meta this book was; it gave me the same giddy feeling I have when reality stars break the 4th wall. I loved this sneak peek into what the publishing industry is like.

My only qualm is I wasn't a fan of Nora's sister. If I had to read "Sissy!" one more time... I just found her flighty and immature, but that was a great contrast between her and Nora.

If you're even THINKING about reading this book, do it. I will read anything Emily Henry writes. She could write about rain and I'll read it. But I'm so glad she writes romances.
•••
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Nora.

Charlie.

There are truly no words that will suffice when it comes to Nora Stephens and Charlie Lastra. No words that could ever encapsulate their very essence - the beauty within themselves, and the beauty within the magic they create together.

Emily Henry is truly a literary genius, and I will read everything and anything she writes.

Book Lovers is for the eldest sisters; the readers; the writers. The selfless folks who always put others before themselves. The ones who hold absolutely nothing back.

The sharks.

While Poppy and Alex live forever in my heart and soul, they had to make some room for Nora and Charlie.

This story will make you roll your eyes, laugh, smile, cry, and chase after your dreams.

Don’t miss out on the chance to change your life.

5-stars for Book Lovers! It’s out today and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!!!

It’s sweet, serious, and hilarious in all the right places. The author’s love of words and stories drips from every page. It’s full of tropes but in the freshest way possible. It’s a love letter to all things literary. It will make you fall in love with NYC and rural North Carolina at the same time. It’s an absolute delight and I can’t recommend it enough!

I mostly read Book Lovers on my kindle, but also received the audiobook from LibroFM and listened occasionally. The audio is narrated by Julia Whelan (our queen!) and she is phenomenal as usual!

Thanks to Berkley, NetGalley, and LibroFm for the gifted copies.