I love books about books and this one took that love to a new level! I love how Emily Henry acknowledges all the tropes and then uses them in a new way here! Libby and Nora were well developed characters and I was really rooting for them! My only irritation was how Charlie and Nora would spill all their insecurities so quickly to each other, (didn’t feel true to character)and the timing/pacing felt off. Seemed like they were in Sunshine Falls much longer than three weeks.

Emily Henry strikes again with a book full of banter, tension, and two characters just dripping with tension! Nora is a big shot agent in NY and completely devoted to her work but secretly wants to be an editor. She has a record of getting dumped and has a bit of a black heart.... and then we meet Charlie who is a brooding, darkly intense and handsome editor who seems to just get under her skin. Both of these bookish people are eerily similar with their own sets of issues, but unexpectedly end up in a small town together and that is what everything ignites. Henry masters tension pretty much in every conversation with these two and I loved the small town setting.

I loved this book and is my favorite romance by this author! It was smart with warm romance and a fun plot. The humor and snark were wonderful!

I received a copy of Book Lovers from NetGalley, thank you NetGalley! I previously read one other book by Emily Henry and was an immediate fan. Book Lovers furthered my love of Ms. Henry’s work. This was an almost perfect romance. an enemies-to-lovers storyline. The main character, Nora, is a book agent who ends up in a small town in North Carolina for a month in the summer, torn away from her beloved home in New York City. She would do anything for her sister, who asked her to come on the trip with her. Her sister has a checklist of vacation experiences and Nora sets out to complete the list, although she is still working remotely. On the list is meeting and dating a small town resident, which is problematic, since Nora is well aware of all the romance tropes. In addition, she keeps running into Charlie, a NY editor she had previously met and did not like. While openly discussing typical romance plots and expectations, Ms. Henry still manages to create a few surprises, as well as a very satisfying ending. And the book love throughout the story is just wonderful! This was one of my favorite romance novels I have read and I highly recommend it.

In true Emily Henry fashion this book was smart, heartfelt, and amazing. I loved the main characters and all of their flaws and I especially loved that while the story followed the predictable enemies-to-lovers romance plot with the typical bumps along the way, the characters weren’t following the same old cookie cutter tropes. Without giving too much away- Nora (MC) wasn’t dreaming of moving out of the big city into a house with a picket fence and then having 2.5 kids with her Mr. Wonderful, she was a career-oriented woman who gave every part of herself to her family and those in her life who needed her. This story also touched on the realities of life where there isn’t always an easy way or happy ending, there are complications, heartbreak, and other people to consider that change the direction your path takes. These things gave this book depth and a realness that a lot of other romance novels are missing which make them feel a bit flat and fake. I devoured this book and am looking forward to whatever Emily puts out next! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC for review!

As someone who has a nuanced relationship with contemporary romance, I found this to be enjoyable.i know people love Henry's work and I believe that this book will live up to their standards.

This book is the kind that gets turned into Hallmark movies. It is also about books that are turned into Hallmark movies, It tries ver hard to be that, which isn't the worst but it felt a little heavy-handed at times. The characters were exactly the archetypes one would expect and they live up to those identities throughout. The romance was on point - mostly accessible but occasionally robust and sexy.

All in all, a solid read.

Thank you @berkleyromance for a copy of Book Lovers. This was a romance with so much depth about family relationships and following your dreams.

I loved the relationship between Nora and Libby and their adventures in Sunshine Falls. The relationship between Nora and Charlie - my heart...it's everything. They are both trying to be professional and resist their desire to each other. Their tension was amazing and I could not wait for them to get together.

The pacing of the book was perfect with it matching the edit of the book they are working on.

Charlie's family was great and I loved the town of Sunshine Falls.

Seriously, Emily Henry is never allowed to stop writing. I'll form a mutiny.

Beach Read was amazing, People We Meet On Vacation, great, but Book Lovers has topped them both! This is such a strong, relatable read for anyone who loves books as much as Nora, our heroine. She may not be the one who gets the happy ending (her words), but she is happy in her job as a literary agent, the best big sister to Libby, and an amazing aunt. While on vacation with Libby, getting some much needed relaxation in Sunshine Falls, the location of one of her author's bestsellers, she continues to meet Charlie Lastra, a brooding editor who is infuriating and very hot.

I'm always really impressed with Henry's writing. The way the plot feels so unique to each character, but then she hits us with the great universality of reading, of being a book lover, and we get to see our own personalities reflected in her characters. I cry when I read, but this ending had me an absolute wreck! Once again, Henry doesn't disappoint, and I'm so excited to see what she's going to give us next.

This book sucked me in and brought tears to my eyes in the best way. Henry does not disappoint with Book Lovers - well written, humorous, full of a lovable cast of characters. Could not put it down!

Thank you so much to Berkley for an advance copy of Book Lovers. This is Emily Henry's best book IMO.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: May 3, 2022

This book. I don't even really know where to start. This book spoke to me on so many levels, and I was completely enthralled with it from the first chapter.

First, these characters. The connection between Nora and her sister was written to perfection. As I read this book, I just felt like Emily Henry understands the responsibilities and feelings that come with being an older sibling. Through her writing, she spoke to me and told me that she understands me. I share many of Nora's insecurities and feelings, and I've never really felt seen in the pages of a book quite the way Emily Henry made me feel in Book Lovers. My emotional connection to Nora was unlike any other book I've read. And Charlie...oh, Charlie, my new book boyfriend. He may be a book editor in this story, but his words have woven a tapestry on my heart. The witty banter, the attitude, the chemistry between Charlie and Nora was so well-written, I don't even have words to adequately describe it. The romance between them, told through dry barbs and smart comments, had me laughing, crying, and swooning. I felt all the feels for them throughout the book.

Second, the emotion in this book. This is not a light hearted rom-com (despite there being MANY LOL moments in the book). This story tackles the long-term effects of grief, bullying, and feeling out of place, and at times, that discussion is heavy. Nora's struggle with her grief was particularly moving, and I shed many a tear reading this book. I felt like these issues were handled with care while also providing a realistic portrayal of grief.

There are not enough words and not enough stars in the world for this book. Book Lovers is not only my new favorite book of 2022, but also one of the best books I have ever read. Thank you so much to Emily Henry for putting this story out into the world.

Must read! Preordered as soon as I finished reading. This book is magic and gives all the feels. Everything you would expect from Emily Henry and more. Hilarious sharp banter, enemies to lovers troupe, big city meets small town with a twist, and exploration of family relationships, and one of my absolute favorite parts... the easter eggs linked to previous Henry novel, Beach Read, all had me unable to put this one down.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Stoked that I've already preordered this one! Emily Henry hits it out of the park here! Nora isn't your typical romantic heroine. In fact, she's the one they leave when they find the one. She's no homespun Hallmark movie woman, she's tough. So tough she just can't let me in. She lives by organization and rules. She's a lot deeper than a trope and her relationship with her sister is worthy of further examination. The "lovers" aspect is never basic here. Well written!

I liked this one a lot, Nora and Charlie's snappy banter was amazing (if perhaps too Written for it to ever happen in real life) and I liked that there was just as much focus on Nora's relationship with her sister as there was on her growing relationship with Charlie. I did think the reveals about what was Up With Libby and about the night their mom died were both drawn out for too long but overall I really enjoyed this book!

Book Lovers is as charming and well-written as I expect any Emily Henry book to be, yet it didn’t make me smile the way Beach Read or People We Meet on Vacation did.  A little too winking and knowing in its metafictional take on small-town romance tropes, it attempts to pay tribute to the genre and tweak it all at once.  That means it doesn’t flow quite as easily as either of the author’s previous books, or come off as well.  But it’s still a B-level read, with some fun characters and good ideas.

Nora Stephens is a literary agent with a top-notch New York firm. She doesn’t expect that her workaholic ways are going to be interrupted by her sister, Libby, for whom she would do anything.  On Libby’s request that they take a sister’s holiday Nora comes to Sunshine Falls (yes, really), North Carolina.  They’ll spend all of August there, and surely Nora’s prince charming will come along.

He does, but not in the package she expects.  Charlie Lastra is a grumpy, introverted editor who’s no one’s idea of a stereotypical hero.  Especially Nora’s, because they know each other from their jobs and they’ve never been charmed by each other.  But will the pages to come bring them misery or joy?

Book Lovers is as meta as all get-out, but its tone alternates between self-knowing trope acknowledgement and groping to tug on its audience’s heartstrings.  Does it want me to gently snicker at those Hallmark tropes or take the reference to them as a loving tribute?  I don’t think the book itself really knows, either.

Nora has a big problem, and it’s that she can’t unclench.  She’s almost hysterically smothering in regard to Libby, so when her sister announces her intent to move there is much ballyhoo.  Charlie is, however a delightful hero, and the romance here works beautifully.  And yet I had some big issues with the lack of communication between Nora and Charlie.  Was there any reason for them to quit talking, except that Henry was trying to draw their eventual HEA out?

Henry parodies the tropes of small-town romance without being cruel.  The last ten pages of Book Lovers proves to be truly beautiful; I just wish the middle stretch had been the same.

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A sweet and witty rom-com about books and those who love them? I was hooked from the start. Career-driven realist Nora goes on a small-town vacation with her idealistic sister Libby and finds that her professional nemesis, brooding Charlie Lastra is already there. The enemies-to-lovers trope was well executed, as was the organic development of Nora and Libby’s relationship.

I adore Emily Henry's romances. I have given them all 5 stars and honestly am just obsessed with them. I loved the hate to love aspect in this book as well as the usual trope of girl goes to small town and fall in love and how she spins it.
5/5 of course.

Nora Stephens is a top literary agent in New York. Her job means everything to her. She loves it, she’s good at it, and it helps her provide for her sister. Ever since their mom died when they were younger, Nora has been fiercely protective of her sister Libby, so when she feels that something is not quite right between them she reluctantly agrees to go on vacation with Libby to small town in North Carolina. Libby has made a list of small town Rom Com activities to do on their vacation and as much as she hates it, Nora will do anything to make her sister happy, even if she has to pet a horse, go on a date with a local, and save a local business.
Libby loathes how attached Nora is to her job, but she can’t abandon her must valued client, bestseller Dusty Meadows, just as Dusty needs her. Even if that means collaborating with New York’s most unpleasant editor, Charlie Lastra.
Book Lovers was an utterly enjoyable experience. If you love Schitt’s Creek and Nora Ephron movies then you’ll love this! Emily Henry never disappoints.

I have always and will always love a book that is about books, the publishing world, and bookstores, and Book Lovers fit all of this. I loved this book so much, I never wanted it to end! It made me laugh, it made me teary-eyed, and it offered such hope. I read it in one day because I was not putting it down until I had absorbed every last word. I loved the relationships between Nora and her sister, Libby, and between Nora and Charlie. It was cute, funny, and made me fall in love with love again (don't tell my hubby! 😂). I cannot wait to see what Emily Henry writes next!

Full disclosure, I read this book a few months ago, also on a flight, but I totally forgot to write a review because I was a) super blown away by how good it was and b) really tired since I’d just been on a flight. So now, here are my delayed thoughts.

I love Emily Henry’s novels about bookish or writerly people falling in love, but “Book Lovers” really takes the cake. Nora Stephens, literary agent extraordinaire, spends the summer in a small town with her sister but keeps on bumping into Charlie Lastra, an editor who she’s had many conflicts with. And then — you know — they fall in love.

But “Book Lovers” is about more than the titular lovers or even the books. Nora has a lot of personal issues to work through because of her quite traumatic upbringing. Honestly, this is probably my favorite part about Emily Henry’s adult romances: inevitably, as the main characters fall in love, they also have their own personal issues to deal with, and it adds another layer of depth to the story.

Nora has been absorbed in her agenting career, always fending for herself, always trying to make ends meet. And she never lets herself wish for more, to dream about doing more of what she loves instead of just what she knows she’s good at. But Charlie helps her realize her true passion.

(It’s still related to books. Just in case you were worried.)

In conclusion: stunning, perfect, love it, I want Emily Henry to write the trajectory of my life.

“Book Lovers” comes out on May 3, 2022. I received an early copy from the publisher, Berkley, in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romance. The banter between Nora and Charlie just kept me smiling along. I appreciated the focus on the sisters’ relationship. The way the story developed was perfection. I also give kudos for make Nora a real city person and not giving up by moving or compromising in.