loved loved loved... but I already knew I would because it's Emily Henry. These characters, especially Nora, were so relatable and realistic. They had great banter and their relationship grew naturally. I loved that she romanticized both NYC and the small town.

This was my first time reading a Henry book and I was disappointed. The plot was dull, the characters had little personality, and there is so much dialogue that I found it difficult to pay attention. I was hoping for some beautiful prose in between the banter, but no such luck.

This book was such a charming read, without being saccharine or overly fluffy. I think I liked it better than Beach Read, which I loved. The only issue I had was that I could not picture Nora as anything but a high-powered brunette.

So much fun with lots of heart.
Nora was a refreshing protagonist who didn’t want or have to change to find love. Can’t wait to recommend this one!

This was unfortunately a DNF for me.

I really wanted to like this book, especially after how much I enjoyed People We Meet on Vacation, but I just couldn't enjoy it. From the first few pages I already had an inkling that this just wasn't for me. My biggest issue is that I couldn't connect with the characters. They all fell very flat, and even when their backstories started to be introduced, I just didn't really care because I found that they weren't developed well, and felt very two-dimensional. Honestly, I found all of them pretty annoying. And when I say all of them, I mean ALL of them. There was not a single character that I even vaguely liked.

All of the characters felt like caricatures, and while the story I believe was meant to include trope-like elements that are common in literature as part of the plot, in my opinion it just did not come across well.

I gave this book a good chance, but after seeing no signs of anything different occurring or the story developing in a way that I enjoy, I decided to stop. I would have only gotten more infuriated with it than I already am.

I likely will still give Emily Henry's future books a try, but this one just wasn't for me.

I'm a huge fan of rom-coms. Always have been. This was adorable. I loved the banter between the two love interests. I loved the love between the two sisters. I laughed out loud at the "LION!" scene and a few others. Fun read. Will recommend to others.

This was my first Emily Henry book, and I have to say I'm a bit underwhelmed and unsure about how to rate this. Overall, the book was highly readable. I finished it in two days. The dialogue and banter is excellent; it's humorous and hard to put down.

On the other hand.... The plot was predictable, and tropey. Plus, I really hated Nora. I get that she has issues (that's the whole point) but the way she felt justified in controlling the life of her little sister (a grown ass adult with two children) was so irritating. I also found the romance a bit low stakes.... Right from the get go, they seem to hit it off, so it's pretty obvious how it's all going to wrap up.

This book is everything you want an Emily Henry novel to be - fun, romantic, and hard to put down. Book Lovers also examines a strong sister relationship, adding to the complexity of the plot and the characters. The witty exchanges between Nora and Charlie are highly entertaining; I really did enjoy everything about this book. I have a feeling this is going to be a big summer hit this year!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

Emily Henry does it again with another can't put down work that gripped me from start to finish.

Book Lovers hit every mark for me and if as my first book of the year is any indication of the state of the books I'll read this year, it is going to be a GREAT one.

The witty banter, the scenic small town setting juxtaposed against New York, the romance! This was a fantastic work. What I especially loved about this book (and found SO unique) is that the main characters work in publishing and therefore are aware of all the tropes that they themselves play into as people. It makes for some pretty fun, meta reading and also helps the book not take itself to seriously. This also helped avoid any sense of corniness for me!

Just the right amount of spice, perfectly paced and wonderful, this book is a 5 star read.

The phrase “it’s about the journey, not the destination” may be cliché, but clichés exist for a reason, and Book Lovers, the latest from Emily Henry proves it.

This is a book that both mocks romance novel tropes and also relies heavily on them to tell the story of Nora Stephens, an uptight literary agent experiencing a bit of a delayed quarter-life or early-mid-life crisis as she takes an impromptu vacation with her little sister.

Instead of falling prey to the big-fish-in-a-little-pond-falls-in-love-with-the-earnest-and-attractive-local trope, Nora instead finds herself drawn to her literary nemesis, Charlie Lastra, who scowls and grunts like Roy Kent impersonating Fitzwilliam Darcy.

But, as in any romance novel worth its salt, complications and self-imposed barriers ensure that the path to true love never does run smooth.

Henry’s wit lifts Book Lovers out of the trap she unwittingly sets by trying to turn the tropes on their head and instead landing Nora and Charlie in the biggest romance trope of all. Their easy banter and overall likability gives the story spark and wins the reader over with its charm. We know where we’re going and we’re just going to enjoy the ride.

Book Lovers will be released May 3, 2022.

Special thanks to Berkeley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC.

My favorite book of Emily Henry’s so far!

Nora Stephens is a book agent in NYC who others consider a “shark”. Her sister, Libby, convinces her to travel to a small town in North Carolina for a month. While there, she runs into her nemesis Charlie Lastra, a book editor who passed on a book she pitched a few years earlier.

I don’t want to give any other details - I went into this blind, and enjoyed the journey of the story as it was told. I enjoyed the dynamics of Nora’s relationship with her sister and with Charlie. Highly recommend!

I'm moving to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina! I've enjoyed all of Emily Henry's books so far. This was a very sweet story. Big-hearted characters with small town glory! I loved the coziness of the town, warm friends and family, and Poppa Squat restaurant made me laugh. The romantic encounters were extremely hot, but tastefully written. It was really fun to have a love story centered around the world of literature. I did find Nora a bit annoying. The way she tried to “protect” (control) her sister, an adult with two children and one on the way, was disturbing and selfish. Overall, very enjoyable. Recommended for those who enjoy lighter reads, small towns, and romance.

A digital advanced reader’s copy of this book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. This was a fantastic read. It has a nice plot and solid writing. I will certainly recommend this book and our library will purchase it. Thank you for the ARC!

I was very excited to receive an ARC of Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I absolutely adored People We Meet on Vacation. In this new novel we are introduced to Nora, a literary agent, who is a workaholic, but would drop everything and anything for her sister, Libby. Libby proposes a month long vacation to Sunshine Falls in North Carolina, the setting of one of Nora’s client’s books. There, in an act of kismet, Nora runs into Charlie, an editor from New York. Nora and Charlie team up to edit a novel, develop a friendship as well as something more. I loved Emily Henry’s writing in this novel. The characters were so real and flawed. They learned to find themselves in Sunshine Falls and found acceptance within themselves, flaws and all. I did, however, find some of the eccentricities of Sunshine Falls to be a little bit too much. Though I did enjoy this book and would recommend it, People We Meet on Vacation is still my Emily Henry favorite read.

"Sometimes, even when you start with the last page and you think you know everything, a book finds a way to surprise you."

Nora Stephens is a literary agent shark. She's cutthroat, hardworking, and never takes a break. When her sister Libby insists they spend a month-long sister trip in Sunshine Falls, NC, she has no idea it's exactly what she needed.

As I'm sure we all do, I LOVE books about books. Or in this case, book editing. But it’s also almost mocking (in the most loving way possible) cliche romance books and movies but we’re also in on the joke. It feels like it’s breaking the fifth wall. Does any of this make sense? I don’t know but I love it.

Nora is aware that she’s not the heroine in a hometown hallmark movie, she’s the villain the leading man will inevitably dump. But of course, she’s our leading lady. She's so uptight in the most NYC rigid way but she’s also loyal and loving and so protective of her family, with good reason. She’s afraid to love and so resistant but then there’s Charlie. Nora hilariously tries to avoid the attraction.

Emily Henry is the queen of witty banter and tension. Nora and Charlie have that in spades. As they work together (begrudgingly at first) they slowly peel the layers back, learn each other's stories, and begin to see each other as more than coworking enemies. Be ready to fall in love with Charlie Lastra.

I forgot to mention one other this book has that I love: BUCKET LISTS! I don't know why but I love a good bucket list in a book. Nora's sister Libby is determined to make the most of their trip and that comes with a delightfully fun bucket list.

I really loved this book. It was fun, cute and quick witted, but I have to say it started off just like the movie "The Holiday" and I feel like there are areas of the book where it was just taken from romcom movies like The Proposal. I liked the characters and the banter and dialog between them. I would still highly recommend this book.

On paper, main characters Nora and Charlie should be unlikeable. But Emily Henry finds a way to make them LOVABLE.

You ever read a romance book and there’s those side characters who pretty much have a stick up their bum? The main characters’ original love interests that get dumped for being stuck up? The “villians” of the romance genre? Well this is THEIR story.

Emily Henry makes you feel for all of those characters whose downfall you prayed for. These characters were so complex and I enjoyed watching the two of them unravel and peel back their layers.

Book Lovers is the perfect reminder that we all have a story. We all have gone through things that make us who we are. All it takes is the right person to understand us and make us feel not so alone.

I can’t recommend this enough!

I didn't think Emily Henry could top her other two books but I was SO WRONG! THIS IS THE BEST ONE YET!!! I can't get over how obsessed I am with these characters. I read this in one sitting of course and stayed up way too late because I just had to finish it. Perfection. This is definitely on my top 10 of 2022 books!

I love Emily Henry's books. The characters are always complex and well thought out. I love that it isn't a perfect romance, that their are ebbs and flows. The book is realistic with many issues that relationships encounter. AND who doesn't love people who love books!

I honestly don’t know if Emily Henry can do any wrong at this point 😩 Just like Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, this was a 5 star read for me. And I can’t resist a good enemies to lovers trope! I appreciate that Henry’s romances always have strong character development and witty banter. I’ve also noticed her books tend to have a strong theme or storyline involving. In this one, the main character has a strong relationship with her sister whom have both lost their mom. The story is equally centered around that as it is the enemies to lovers storyline. I really enjoyed this one and the meta-ness of the two main characters being literary agents was a fun choice!