I have read and loved all of Emily Henry's romances, but this one is my favorite!

This book has Henry's trademark wit, memorable characters, and romantic tension. But it also does a great job of exploring what it means to be the Woman who Doesn't Get the Guy in romantic comedies, as well as how some of the romantic tropes impact women. It was written with the love of someone who loves that genre but also wants to poke fun at it a little bit without it feeling mean or forced. Charlie and Nora's romance is wonderful, but I also absolutely adored Nora's relationship with her sister, who she is incredibly protective over. This is a book that will make you want to hug it to your chest after you finish reading.

I ADORED this book. Emily Henry was my introduction to the contemporary romance genre and she’s done it again here. Nora is a city slicker literary agent who keeps getting dumped for small town women with struggling bakeries or Christmas tree farms. Charlie is a brooding editor who passes (and hates) on the new book from Nora’s star client. Their relationship is antagonistic but delightfully bantery. Later they both find themselves in the small town where the aforementioned book is set, Nora having followed her sister on a bonding adventure. The two keep crossing paths and their chemistry is undeniable.

I loved everything about this book. The slow burn, razor sharp wit, enemies to lovers, romance was executed perfectly. Like other Emily Henry novels, this one is hyper aware of tropes and trends in romance and plays with them, turning some in their head. The commentary on being the “right kind of woman,” and being small and easy enough to love was interwoven so expertly with the plot; it didn’t feel heavy handed in the slightest. All of the characters felt real and relatable, and the family storylines were equal parts heartbreaking and warming. I finished this book in a day because I couldn’t stop myself but I wish I could just keep reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the free ARC in exchange for the honest review.

Book Lovers is Emily Henry’s best work yet. Emily was already an auto-buy author but after three books of this incredible writing, she’s probably one of my favorite authors of all time now. Her writing is what I’ve fallen in love with time and time again; it’s so nuanced and I don’t know how to capture it that could ever do it justice. She scratches that part on your brain you didn’t know you needed scratched and she captures being human in such a raw and realistic way. Like my friend Diya said, “This book feels like coming home and accepting yourself.”

I deeply connected with the main character, Nora Stephens — a woman grappling for control in a world where control simply doesn’t exist. Emily wrote about love, romantic or otherwise, in all three of her books and this one, more than any of her other books, has been about self-love. This book is absolutely a love letter to New York but it’s also one to the women out there who want it all.

I love, love the way Emily writes. It reminds me of what we studied in English class growing up but this time, the metaphors, allusions, and all other literary devices are actually intentional and not just white men writing while they’re high. I have a last-page ache in my chest after finishing this — this book that’s likely going to be my best read of the year and one of the books that I’ll always turn to for comfort when I feel like I’m living at half-volume. Heartbreaking in the best way.

This book provides an original perspective–that of the self-proclaimed “Other Woman”. In Hallmark movies and traditional romance novels, there will be the "other woman"--the woman that the hero is dating before he finds his one true love. Nora self-identifies as the career-driven, city woman who’s dated not one, not two, but four different men who left her for their soulmates in romance novel trope-like situations. Nora is a cutthroat literary agent, and in this book, her sister, who’s pregnant for the third time, decides to take her to a small town for a much-needed break. But Nora doesn’t want a break. She loves her job. She loves the city. Everything about this small town goes against everything she is and everything she wants out of her life. As much as Nora wishes she could be something that she isn’t, the truth is, heartbreak aside, she’s happy with her career-driven life.
But then she keeps bumping into an editor from the city that she doesn’t get along with. It turns out that he’s from this small town, and he’s back to help his father who’s sick. They’re both working remotely (much to Nora’s sister’s dismay), and they grow closer as they start to edit a book together. Sure, Nora is viewed as a shark in the industry, but is it possible that someone can love her because of it, not despite it?
The banter between Nora and Charlie is what makes this book oh-so-freaking amazing. There’s so much angst in the storyline–particularly because of Nora’s self-loathing for not being the type of person that everyone else wants her to be, but also because Charlie is stuck in town taking care of his father, and anything that develops between them can’t go any further. She’s a city girl, through and through.
This book is so unique and special in that it somehow has you laughing while simultaneously battling heartache. I feel for Nora’s plight, and the plotline nicely allows for her self-discovery and growth, while not completely going at odds with who she is. The message is quite nice and it’s refreshing to see this trope turned on its head.
I recommend this book to those who want a witty and angsty romance read with themes of self-acceptance and love.
*This review will be posted on April 12, 2022*

Ugh. So good. Book agent Nora has spent her whole life taking care of her little sister, Libby, from the time her mom would go out on acting jobs to when mom died suddenly, and even into adulthood. Her dedication to her job and her sister have led to many of her romantic relationships ending in Hallmark-movie (or romance novel) fashion-- except she's the uptight city slicker who gets abandonded for the small town bakers, B&Bers, and Christmas tree farmers. When Libby, who is very tiredly pregnant with her third child, gets a hankering to make an escape to little Sunshine Falls outside of Asheville-- the setting of one of Nora's author's latest books-- Nora goes along with it-- and Libby's checklist of things to do while in town, which include things such as sleeping under the stars, saving a small business, and dating a local.

Imagine Nora's surprise when Charlie, a hard-ass editor from New York who initially bashed the book set in this small town, appears in the middle of nowhere. Turns out he's from Sunshine Falls. And is going to be there for the foreseeable future, helping his family after his dad's stroke. And he wants to edit Nora's client's newest book-- with Nora's input. Close proximity in a small town with a three week vacation!

I could not put this one down. As, I suspect, will be the case with anything by Emily Henry.

Emily Henry is quickly becoming one of my favorite and go-to authors. There has not been a book she has written that I haven't loved, or devoured in more than a few days. Book Lovers is was no different. City slicker and literary agent Nora is all business and a fierce protector of her younger sister. When Libby asks Nora to spend a month with her in the small, mostly desolate town of Sunshine Falls, she can't say no. She expects nothing but disappointment from a town with barely any wifi, until she runs into the cranky book editor who rejected her book pitch two years earlier. When Nora is forced to work with Charlie editing new book while both living in Sunshine Falls, she fasces her own plot twists along the way. Henry's humor and wit in her books are always enjoyable, as are the characters she creates, but this book was especially fantastic in that sense. It will have you both laughing and crying by the end. I found myself in both Nora and Charlie, who both hate when a good book has to come to an end. Can't wait for her next book!

Emily Henry once again has delivered a PEAK romance novel, overthrowing her two previous books to make Book Lovers my favorite of hers to date. A poke at go-to romance tropes, this novel perfectly balances making fun of the usual Hallmark plots and changing–more like leveling up–the tropes. We’ve got a steamy enemies-to-lovers workplace romance, a sprinkle of drama and comedy here and there, and lots of lots of book talk. Nora and Charlie were perfect couple goals, but the real love story is with Nora and her extroverted pregnant little sister, Libby. Wholesome, hilarious, wonderful, heart wrenching. Emily can do no wrong.

*ARC provided via NetGalley

Let's just get right to it: I loved this book a whole lot. Emily Henry really know how to deliver on beautiful writing, emotional depth, realistic characters, and bright/witty dialogue. Her books always feel so immersive and this one is no different.

Nora Stephens is the high-maintenance city girlfriend in every guy-goes-to-a-small-town-and-falls-in-love romance book. She loves her Peloton and her impractical shoes and fancy skincare, and she loves her sister Libby and her agenting job even more. So when her sister drags her to a small North Carolina town, Sunshine Falls, that's the setting of one of her client's books, she's not feeling the need for her own small town romance. And the best part? That's not what this book is! Oh, there's definitely love, but it's with sharp-eyed editor, Charlie Lastra, who's visiting home from NYC to help his parents out. Both of them are city-people who don't quite fit into small town life and they can't help but be drawn together again and again.

This book feels like magic. It's packed full of emotional weight as Nora deals with her floundering relationship with her sister, faces the walls she's put up when it comes to dating, and lets herself unwind in Charlie's constant and supportive presence. She's a heroine I haven't read much of and this book felt like a breath of fresh air.

And Charlie, don't get me started on Charlie. I think he might be my favorite of Emily's heroes, and Gus has held that spot pretty firmly for awhile. It's just so clear how totally gone for Nora he is pretty immediately which is a trope I cannot resist. He's smart and sexy and believes the best in her. He loves her sharp edges and her dedication to her work. They're like a perfect matching pair and reading their love story was a joy.

Anyways, if it's not clear, I highly recommend this book! My only critique really is the cover. I don't think that this kind of color-blocked illustrated cover design does the book justice, but I'm also not the biggest fan of illustrated covers in general.

Adventurous, hilarious, and heartfelt. The main characters Nora, her sister Libby, and Charlie pop from the pages with witty remarks and charismatic moments that will draw you in. Definitely a fun, romantic read!

I absolutely loved this book! Book Lovers is a romance between two people working in the publishing industry who meet in an unexpected place. The romance between these two characters was so wonderful to read and I think people, like me, who also loved Emily Henry's previous books, especially Beach Read, will also fall in love with this story.

5 stars
Thanks for the free book PRH International!
I loved Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation so I was overjoyed when I could get my greedy hands on that ARC.
Did it meet my expectations?
Well considering that I have unplugged from all social media for one day as I didn’t want to stop reading, I’d say YES!
Also, you all HAVE TO READ that book!

I am just chagrined that my copy being an ARC I can’t quote the book per publisher’s request save checking it with a finished copy (and I don’t want to wait for the release date to try to push that book on you!).
Because that book is certainly quotable!

I adored everything in the book, beginning with the humor and the banter!

Nora and Charlie or even Nora and Libby’s banter was a true feast of sarcastic remarks and dry humor. I laughed, snickered , giggled or guffawed, you name it!
I wish I could talk with Emily Henry to ask her if she thought about these jabs all by herself or if she volleyed back with her husband or friends or… because it was priceless!

I adored the characters!
The sardonic personality of Charlie Lastra, with his dark clothes, admirable brow, his pout, his cold remarks all hiding someone who cares and wants to do good for his family.
The shark reputation of Nora, with her peloton, high heels, love of New York city, fierce protective instincts for her clients and her sister. In the very first pages, the tone is set as her latest boyfriend is breaking up on the phone, smitten by a comely countryside girl while Nora is being told that she does not even have feelings.
The ice queen. The woman with a list with requirements all her potential dates have to meet.
But of course, under the ice queen veneer hides a woman with many feelings and a trauma that was never totally overcome.

The first time these two will meet will be intense, a battle of wits and will set the tone of the beginning of the book.

Soon enough though, we see that Nora does have feelings, especially a very strong love for her little sister Libby. Nora would do anything to see Libby happy, even taking one month of holiday in a small town.
I have never met a more “city person” than Nora so that truly shows her dedication for her sister.
The sibling love is another thing that I really appreciated in that book as well as all the happy memories of Nora and Libby’s childhood in New York City.
I wanted to visit all the places Nora remembered fondly in that story!

As the synopsis states, Nora will find, surprise, surprise, her nemesis Charlie Lastra in Sunshine Falls.
I won’t tell more about the plot.

I also adored that Nora talked and saw life as tropes of books! It was refreshing and very astute! A pure delight. Also Nora being an author’s agent must have been cathartic for Emily Henry! A change of perspective, coupled with Charlie being an editor.
Everything in this story was about books one way or another. Their jobs, the bookshops, the work in libraries, the books… for a booknerd like me it was heaven!

I could rave for hours about the book truly as I also adored the character growth, the romance, the past trauma explaining Nora and Libby’s behavior, the…

Honestly, this is one of my favorite reads so far this year.

I have loved every book I’ve read by this author but, Book Lovers is incredible. This is a top notch rom com. It is also a beautiful ode to sisterhood and walking through complicated grief. The main relationships are between Nora and Libby, and Nora and Charlie, but the supporting characters (including the locations as “characters”) were colorful, thoughtful additions and provided so much to depth to the story.

If you love romance, read this.
If you love family stories, read this.
If you love bookish books, read this.
If you love small town settings, read this.
If you love NYC settings, read this.
If you love stories that make you laugh, cry, swoon, and blush, read this.

Absolutely, loved this back and forth literary duo! The romance and attraction just about jumped out from the page. This is my favorite Emily Henry book thus far & I can’t wait for more!

I adored this book. A city-girl outside her element, family drama, love, humor and a world full of books, what more could I ask for? A fun read that still tugged at my heartstrings.

As a literary agent, Nora Stephens is perfectly aware that she's an archetypal rom-com villain. She's the tough, platinum blonde, career-minded New Yorker who gets left behind when the guy falls for a down-to-earth cherry farmer in a charming small town. When her sister Libby convinces Nora to join her for a month living their own small town fantasy, she didn't expect to see her New York rival Charlie, an editor with his own ax to grind with quaint small towns, and she definitely didn't expect to fall for him.

Do you ever read a book that's so good it makes you mad? This book made me FURIOUS and, of course, ridiculously happy. I was completely in love with Nora and Charlie from page one, and angry that I'd fallen for two big city grumps so quickly. I was also pissed at the ending that made me cry for THREE full chapters, despite the fact I'd known for half the book exactly what was coming. How does Emily Henry do it??? This book is perfect in every way. Read it. Bring tissues.

I loved this book so much, what a masterpiece! This is easily one of the best romance stories of the year

I read this book on a flight and couldn't put it down! As a librarian, I loved how books played a central role in the plot.

Classic tropes here subverted just enough to be fun - the city girl fish-out-of-water in small town didn't feel demeaning to the small town even while acknowledging the misfit. I appreciated that Nora didn't lose her personality or strength while still growing over the course of the story, and that Charlie was not her rescuer or any more of a catalyst that her relationship with her sister. The enemies-to-lovers trope can walk the line between snark and meanness, and it was managed quite well throughout the novel.

Emily Henry is officially and author that I will auto-buy now. Though I don't think this is the strongest of the three works she has put out so far, it is a still an excellent novel.
I love the trope of big city girl going to a small town, meeting prince charming, etc.... But this book is so much more than that. The most impactful relationship was the bond that Libby and Nora shared as sisters. This book had amazing family dynamics and I liked that it showed the lengths that some people will go for their family.
I also love the humor with which Emily Henry rights. I found myself giggling out loud, and maybe even a little snorting. I know I got more than one funny look while reading and I LOVE that about it.
Can't wait to see what she comes out with next!

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Romance for providing me with an e-ARC to review. All opinions are honest and my own.

I have to say this is my FAVORITE Emily Henry book to date!!!

My ranking of Emily Henry books:
1. Book Lovers
2. Beach Read
3.
4.
5. People We Meet on Vacation


I’m well aware she only has three adult romance books out, but my listing gives a better sense of how I thought of them. I also think if you didn’t like her previous books, this one is both similar and different enough that this particular story, may be a better fit. It’s the most “similar” to Beach Read if that gives you a gauge, however it’s still very much it’s own story and not a copy cat by any means.

This book is a love letter to people, women in particular, who feel like they aren't the girl who gets the "Happily Ever After' in romances in fairytales. This is for those who may be rough around the edges, but hearts of gold and want to share their love with those they treasure in their lives, and yet somehow they still feel disconnected. Like their best isn't good enough, that they aren't enough, aren't worthy. Whew, Nora's character, and Charlie too, really spoke to my soul on a personal level that I wasn't expecting. A career-driven woman who is constantly villainized, but constantly FEELS EVERYTHING.

I also loved this twist on a classic romance trope of an "uptight city girl" moving or vacationing to a small town in falling in love, because yes, but also it happens completely differently than every Hallmark movie. I think Charlie is a dynamic and great love interest, he is also ill-perceived and scrutinized I'm glad to people could learn to love and grow and be open together. This is a much better pairing then say, placing Nora with a man who can fix her or evokes her change. Nora develops because she becomes aware, because she values her bond with her sister, her Clients at work, and her own well-being. She is both in-control and out-of-control at her own hand and her autonomy in this situation is crucial.

I’m going to say this as someone who really has adored some Emily Henry novels. I’m not a fan of her endings, for any of her adult romances. They either feel rushed, disingenuous to the character, or like a cop out and I felt the same here. Knowingly, I am a rather harsh critic on endings in all media I consume. I still LOVED this book and would reread it in a heartbeat, but once again I wasn’t a fan of how it ended. To clarify, when I say I don’t like her endings, I specifically mean how she wraps everything up in the last chapter.