I admit that I struggled a bit through the bulk of this book and I couldn't figure out why. Partly, I found myself reading this quickly and at night and couldn't really keep track of what was going on. That is my fault, not the book's. That said, I was enjoying the characters, the mystery and the emotional journey so I was along for the ride. At the heart of the conflict with the protagonists is the idea that they are not worthy of love and happiness so it was difficult to believe that there could be a happy ending when they didn't believe themselves. I was so invested what was going to happen that I couldn't see a way out either and I think that was at the true root of my sense of dissatisfaction. As in her previous books however, Emily Henry has written a satisfying emotional journey that really delivers by the end. It is that emotional payoff that really sold it for me and I think other fans of her books will like this too.

While Beach Read still holds the top spot for my favorite Emily Henry book, Book Lovers has come extremely close to knocking it down a peg. I absolutely adored Nora and Charlie. Their banter and snarky comments back and forth constantly had me cracking up. My favorite part about this book though is probably how it doesn't seem to take itself seriously. Sure there are some serious topics brought up but as a whole this book is packed full of heart and laughs. It is basically poking fun your typical Hallmark movie (big city girl visits small town, finds romance) while actually being one at it's core. I found I couldn't put this book down. Emily Henry has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary romance authors and I will eagerly sit here waiting for her next release.

A big thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to get my hands on this book early. I look forward to giving it another go when the physical copy arrives at my door later this year (because you can bet I already preordered it).

Nora Stephens aka The Shark is a literary agent in Manhattan. Charlie Lastra aka Thundercloud is an editor in Manhattan. Their first meeting appears uneventful. Fast forward two years later and they meet again in Sunshine Falls, the town the fictional book they last met about, is based on. Nora is there due to her pregnant sister's need to fulfill a wish list of rom-com tropes before her third baby arrives. But why is Charlie there? And does their meeting go any better the 2nd time around?

I was first introduced to Emily Henry by her book People We Meet on Vacation. I instantly fell in love with the book and its main characters. The exact same is true for her newest book Book Lovers. I was connected to the characters from the start and even though I had a pretty good idea of where the story was going (Okay, I suffer from the same affliction about books as Nora.) I enjoyed every step of the way. I both wanted to finish the book right away and didn't want the story to end.

Emily Henry is at her best with Book Lovers. The main character is fabulous and unique. I love how Henry makes fun of romance tropes. I also laughed out loud multiple times reading this book. Perfection!

Harlequin Junkie Top Pick!

Emily Henry made me laugh as well as swoon repeatedly with her latest knockout novel, Book Lovers. Delicious enemies-to-lovers, small town vs. big city, family drama–this had the tropes we love all in one memorable place.

I'm honestly not sure what I loved more about Book Lovers. The stunning relationship that grew between Nora and Charlie after starting off on the wrong foot? Nora's awesome sister Libby and their comical, heartfelt conversations? How this is about multiple characters who live and breathe books–with the added bonus of snippets from Nora's long-time client Dusty's newest novel? Nora's love-letter-type-thoughts on New York City which made me want to book a trip there asap? Or the beautiful and utterly charming town of Sunshine Falls itself? Yep. All of it added up to a stellar story that captured my heart from the start.

I had my doubts at first that Nora "The Shark" would be able to relax and enjoy her vacation with her sister. But what fun it was to watch as pieces of her protective walls crumbled, while she found her niche in the town that was the polar opposite of NYC. It felt genuine, the changes that slowly took place for Nora. As did the way she fell for her colleague Charlie. They were so similarly matched in their careers and devotion to their family that it was easy to see why they would butt heads at first. But I think Charlie brought out the best parts of Nora and vice versa. It was sexy. It was sweet. And it seemed written in the stars. Although their incredible sigh-worthy HEA took some doing.

The dialogue Emily Henry created for *all* of the characters was fast-paced, hilarious and witty, and fit the scenes. Some of my favorite back-and-forths were between Nora and Libby. It seemed real and showcased their differing personalities to a T. It also revealed the thin cracks that marred Libby and Nora's strong sisterly bond. Something that was patched up during their time together, thankfully, but in a way that didn't seem forced. They still had some healing to do after past trauma, some words to get off their chests and out of their heads, and Sunshine Falls was the right place to do so.

It’s official…Emily Henry is a new auto buy author for me. Somehow she is able to keep me turning pages in a character driven romance. 🙌🏽

Nora Stephens is known in the publishing world as a shark. She is a Type A girl boss who gets things done including caring for her younger sister, Libby. When Libby plans a girls month long retreat to a small town, Nora must adjust her big city lifestyle. Little does she know a fellow publishing colleague, Charlie, is also adjusting to small town life.

I loved Nora so much (she may have reminded me of myself at times 😆). Seeing her sacrifice herself for her family was heartbreakingly sweet. As always Emily Henry is the queen of snarky banter and could not get enough between Nora & Charlie. Highly recommend this one if you loved Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation.

Emily Henry is the top modern romance/women's fiction writer right now and I will read anything she writes. "Book Lovers" drew me in immediately with Nora's story and reads more akin to "Beach Read" than "PWMOV" in terms of how Henry connects the reader with her characters. I appreciated that there was more of a focus on the main character's relationship with her sister and the emotional struggle of losing a parent. Henry also nails the moments of humor and lightness that help break up the more serious plot points. My favorite of all of her books so far!

Nora and her sister leave New York for a vacation in small town North Carolina. There, Nora runs into her publishing nemesis, Charlie.

I am now an all-in Emily Henry fan! The People We Meet on Vacation was one of my top reads of 2021. I was squealing inside when I was approved for this ARC and it did not disappoint! I loved how their relationship developed as well as the time she spent bonding with her sister, who she didn't get to spend as much time with due to work and family obligations. This will definitely be a big summer beach read hit.

Nora Stephens has been through some stuff. And she goes through it caring more for the people around her than she does for herself. This book is about messy family dynamics and a woman who struggles with what she wants versus what she thinks she should do for those she loves. Will she put herself first or will everyone win? Well, as you know, it wouldn't be a romance if it didn't have a HEA. Emily Henry does NOT disappoint and this one is her best yet. Loved it!

Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley & Berkley for the ARC.
This is a fun and different enemies to lovers romantic comedy. Charlie and Noras relationship is playful but also steamy.

Ps. Charlie’s the reason they had to change the green M&M to be less sexy. (Don’t know how Emily Henry saw that coming haha).

***Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for provided an e-arc***

We follow Nora and her sister Libby. Nora is a publishing agent in New York City and Libby is a free spirit about to have her third child. Nora being the big sister who helped raise Libby is worried about the rift growing between the two of them. So when Libby ask to take a vacation to sunshine falls the town in the story her sister helped publish. She can’t help but say yes, hoping that her sister will open up about what has been bugging her, they create a list of all the typical small town tropes that happen in small town romances. When they arrive who does Libby find but they rude editor who turned down her best clients book! Charlie is there helping his family’s bookstore after his father had a stroke. Even though they can’t seem to be around each other without fighting Nora and Charlie can’t seem to stay away. But as the drama with Libby comes to a tipping point, Nora must deal with her past and her present.

I loved this book. The banter between Charlie and Nora was everything I love to read in romance novels. Bonding over Bigfoot erotica, and love for the city. I especially love that Nora reads the end of books, as someone who does that as well. This is a definitely must read, perfect for summer.

thank you berkely and netgalley for this arc!! wow emily henry has done it again! i really really REALLY enjoyed this book. i loved that NYC played such a big part in this book as well it was almost like it was its own character. while the book is a romance between charlie and nora (amazing banter btw) there is also the love story between the two sisters and having that as a major plot point was refreshing but also accurate on how consuming and frustrating sibling relationships can be.

In the romance novel of life, Nora Stephens is the villain. She is the buttoned up, organized, super-successful business woman. She is the one that the hero always seems to leave in favor of the sweet, small town girl. Nora has accepted this as her role and she's satisfied with her life, even though she feels like things with her sister are starting to change and she's still not over the death of her beloved mother. When her younger sister Libby suggests a girls' trip to the small town featured in her favorite romance novel, Nora agrees, willing to do anything to try and reconnect with her sister. But the trip is filled with surprises, including the unexpected appearance of Charlie Lastra, Nora's work nemesis from New York.
Book Lovers was a cute and charming romance although for me it lacked the magic of The People We Meet on Vacation, I liked Nora, and the exploration of who she truly was underneath the buttoned-up, ambitious career woman facade. The build up of the sexual tension between Charlie and Nora was excellent at first, although I did reach a point where I thought, "just get on with it already!" Emily Henry's writing is always entertaining and engaging and overall this was a sweet story but a bit predictable in my opinion. Bottom line, Book Lovers is a good story but not quite a great one.

This book is a love letter to books and booksellers. It has all the things people have come to love in Emily Henry's books. I laughed, cried, and felt seen. This is her best book yet!

Maybe it's too early to say this, but this is probably going to make my top read of the year list. The characters were interesting, the banter was top notch, and the big sister/little sister dynamic was relatable. Nora and Charlie are one of my favorite characters from a book. The chemistry, the steam, the tender moments between them. I was full on swooning nearly every chapter.

5 full stars for this one.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

Nora Stephens' life is books, and she's read enough of them to know that she's not the heroine in a romance novel...she's the woman that gets dumped for the heroine of a romance novel. And she's mostly ok with that. She has cut out a successful life for herself as a fierce literary agent who won't take bullshit from anyone, even brooding book editor Charlie Lastra. Nora and Charlie get off on the wrong foot and stay there, so Nora is quite perturbed to find him an upfront presence in her sisters' trip to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. A trip she can't really afford to be taking away from the city, but which she agrees to go on because her younger sister Libby begs her to take a break. As the sisters work their way through Libby's list of small town challenges meant to transform Nora's work focused life, Charlie keeps popping up in the most irritating of ways. He's a distraction Nora is increasingly fascinated by, but can't afford as it becomes apparent her sister is keeping secrets and her highest profile author's new manuscript may be forcing Nora to take a more critical view of her own life...

This book grabbed me from the get go. We meet Nora at a low point, that is only made lower by her first meeting with the infamous Charlie. There's a little whiplash as Henry then immediately jumps ahead two years, but that first encounter is truly the perfect setup for a enemies to lovers / workplace (sort of, more colleagues in a small field) romance. I love the inevitableness of Nora and Charlie's romance which is enhanced by their far from perfect history both familial and romantic. There are elements of loving yourself, loving your family, and loving another person. Both characters grow exponentially because of challenges they face from outside sources and circumstances, as well as what they are experiencing together. This is my favorite Emily Henry novel to date.

“So if you’re the “wrong kind of woman”, then I’m the wrong kind of man.”
📖
Nora Stephens is the villain in your Hallmark movie. You know the one. The ice blonde who’s dating the male lead until he meets the girl next door he’s really supposed to end up with—that’s been Nora’s last four relationships. Ditched by a man who met the love of this life outside of NYC. So when her pregnant little sister Libby suggests a getaway to Sunshine Falls, NC (home to agent Nora’s favorite author’s recent popular book setting) she’s all in. Instead of the idyllic vacay she’s hoping for, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, book editor who hated her favorite author’s last book that ended up being a hit. Everywhere she turns there’s Charlie and his family. When Charlie and Nora are out together on an assignment, Nora learns more about the brusque man she’s always thought of as untouchable. Nora is the villain and Charlie is no one’s hero, but there’s something there…
❤️
Okay, just when I think Henry can’t top her last two adult romance books she pulls off this masterpiece! I was bawling the last 25% of the novel! Like what?! So much emotion, so META writing about a book within a book! And characters we don’t see everyday—like I loved every bit of it. You are one of my favorite authors in this genre, bar none. Grab multiple copies of this to keep and give out to friends on May 3!
CW: stroke, parental death, pregnancy complications, anxiety, PTSD, fear of flying, grief

This was MADE for book lovers. If you love Gilmore Girls, rom coms, and everything book related- you will LOVE this.

As a fan of Henry’s past work, I couldn’t wait to read her newest novel—Book Lovers. People We Meet on Vacation was perfection, and Book Lovers was an excellent follow up just not as lovable.

Henry’s flip of the archetypal cold, career woman as a romance novel lead was different and fun. I love how Nora wasn’t your stereotypical lead. She’s a very independent, successful woman with her own share of issues. I particularly loved her relationship to New York. Her vivid descriptions of what she missed most about the city was enchanting and had me missing it myself. Nora and her sister’s bond read believable at times, but I didn’t really enjoy how crazy protective she was of her sister. Her backstory explained some of it, but it was still a bit obsessive. The big reveal of what was going on with her sister and the whole purpose of the trip rubbed me the wrong way as well.

The chemistry between Nora and Charlie was steamy, but I didn’t vibe with them as much as I did with Henry’s past leads. However, I really adored the witty banter between them. Their email exchange about the big foot erotica had me in tears laughing.

The ending was sweet, and I enjoyed the novel overall. I just didn’t love it as much as People We Meet on Vacation or Beach Read.

I absolutely loved this book. It is so smartly written, with fantastic characters and an engaging plot.

I immediately fell in love with Nora and Charlie and their story. Their on-page chemistry is off the charts, and their genuine regard for each other is admirable. Each of them is unique and readable as a character, and they are allowed to be individuals and work on themselves, as well as to grow together.

The literary angle of this book was really interesting to me, and I enjoyed that component.

Emily Henry has made me a fan with this book, and I'll definitely be picking up her others.