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.

I was just not expecting this from Henry, I found it lacked depth which is surprising since I didn't get that sense from her other novels. I was so bored and found myself itching to reach the end. while i did like the actual characters, i didn't care so much for their back stories. I didn't feel like the story connected together very well.

I would 100000% recommend checking out her other two novels !

I love Emily Henry and she has done it yet again. Another fun romance that I couldn't put down. I can't wait to see what else she makes.

This is super cute-- recommended more than Meet Me in the Margins. A snappy professional heroine for whom the HEA is allowed to look different is refreshing, and the quasi-meta inclusion of romance tropes will delight genre fans.

Not quite five stars for me; the main character's back story of taking care of her little sister after their mother's death and how she has to hold the entire world together isn't just a constant undertone but a non-stop focus, far more than needed. I don't expect her to have worked out all her problems by her age, but she should be self-aware enough to recognize that she has issues and some change is needed, even if she's not up to making it happen yet. Anyone this out of touch with themselves isn't in a healthy place to start a relationship, and even someone seeing "the real you" doesn't magically fix baggage. By the end of the book, she's taking steps to change bad habits, but ten years of unhealthy coping mechanisms will take a long time to break, and she deserves a great therapist just as much as she deserves her hot boyfriend.

This book was surprisingly funny. I wasn't expecting to laugh out loud, but the banter between Nora and Charlie was really great. I thought the relationship between Nora and her sister Libby was well-done, and the romance believable. Will definitely recommend this book to others.

Nora will do anything for her sister, after their Mom died Nora vowed to do anything to protect Libby and make sure she is happy. When Libby proposes a month in Sunshine Falls, NC, the fictional setting of a book one of Nora's clients wrote, Nora reluctantly agrees because something is off with Libby. What Nora doesn't expect to find is her nemesis, editor Charlie Lastra. When Charlie becomes the editor of one of Nora's authorsshe never expects what happens next. A story of family and finding a way to be part of a family and true to yourself.

This is an amazing read and I think Henry has outdone herself! The characters are great plus they are bookish people! Omg!!! This was funny (which I wasn't expecting) with witty banter and all--LOVE IT!!! Friendship on point,. Romance check. Chemistry on fleek and that's on periodt poo!!! GREAT WORK!!!!

This book was adorable, especially for someone who loves books and has a career with them. There were so many levels of depth in this book, which ranged from unexpressed grief to family to relationships. I loved the banter between Nora and Charlie. I could definitely see myself in Nora and really connected with her character. This was another great book by Emily Henry. Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book early! I can’t wait to add it to my library’s collection!

Book Lovers treaded the perfect line between humor and depth with Henry incorporating traumatic backstories and flawed personalities abound. As an enemies to lovers romance, they did a great job of developing a believable relationship while also incorporating favorite romance tropes. Solid recommendation for enemies to lovers fans or anyone looking for fleshed out romance characters.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry is a sweet, funny enemies-to-lovers romance. The characters are will defined and likeable. This is the first book by Henry that I've read, and I understand why she is is popular. The story was heartfelt and warm. Recommended for all modern romance fans. Also, a good entry for those new to the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC of Book Lovers by Emily Henry.

Nora Stephens is a literary agent who takes an instant dislike to Charlie Lastra, a book editor. With a few twists of fate, they find themselves in the same small town of Sunshine Falls, NC - a town that has become "literary famous" because of author Dusty Fielding's newest novel - Nora's biggest client and a book that Charlie passed on. Nora and Charlie can't seem to stay away from each other in this small town.

The chemistry between Nora and Charlie is untouchable. And the quick-witted banter between them? OMG. But there's so much more to this story than the romance. Nora is such a complex character and her growth is exponential. The characters are written well and the storyline pushes Emily to the top of her craft.

Highly recommend. I have no doubt this will be a bestseller this summer.

Emily Henry’s latest read a lot like The People We Meet on Vacation to me. I enjoyed it the whole way through and thought it was cute and funny but it wasn’t a can’t-put-it-down type of read so it took me a minute to get through. The premise was great (that Nora, a seemingly rigid and cold book agent always gets dumped by guys who fall for the Hallmark movie small town girl, goes with her sister to a small town to find their own Hallmark movie adventure). Although it was more of a medium pace, the payoff in the end was worth it and I would recommend. Would especially love to see this as, yes, a Hallmark movie.

Emily Henry did it again!! I absolutely loved this book!

I loved how Nora is not your usual heroine. Instead, she usually finds herself as the city girl that her boyfriends always ditch after some small-town whirlwind romance. Her words, not mine, She's a "shark" in the workplace and always needs a checklist before making any decision, including if a guy deserves a second date.

But when Libby, Nora's younger sister who she adores, pleads with Nora to take a month off in Sunshine Falls with her, she can't say no.

From there we see the romance blossom between Nora and Charlie, her colleague from back home, who she had a rough first encounter with.

Nora and Charlie's romance was the type that when I finished the book, I knew I would never read anything like that again. Their understanding of each other's expressions and emotions showed how deep their connection was. It didn't matter that Nora wasn't your typical heroine, nor Charlie your typical love interest, they were perfect in their own way and for each other.

Aside from the amazing plot and characters, I also loved the connection back to Beach Read! Just knowing they exist in the same universe made the book all the more fun to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this arc with me! I enjoyed every second of reading it.

Emily Henry never fails to deliver
I have loved everything by this author, so when I saw this book I was hopeful for the opportunity to read it.
I was not disappointed. This book was so fun! I got swept away for hours
I recommend everything by this author
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced opportunity to read this amazing book

This book was such sweet fun with just the right amount of heartbreak - exactly what I've come to expect from Emily Henry's romances. The banter between the couple left me smiling. The tender and nostalgic relationship between the sisters and their mom brought tears to my eyes and was very relatable. I'll pick up any romance featuring book people, but this one far surpassed my expectations. I'll be visiting Goode Books in my mind on a daily basis.