As someone who LOVED Emily Henry's last two romance releases (Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation) I'm sad to say I liked Book Lovers, but I didn't love it.

Book Lovers follows Nora Stephens, a literary agent known for being ruthless in the industry. Nora decides to take a well needed break from work and travels to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina with her sister, Libby. Sunshine Falls is not what Nora and Libby expect, but Nora is even more surprised when she runs into Charlie Lastra. Charlie is a book editor, and Nora has had some unpleasant run-ins with him in the past. Book Lovers follows Nora as she and her sister work through small town bucket list and try to see the positives of being in a place like Sunshine Falls. Nora ruminates on family, work, and love.

Book Lovers is so funny, I love Emily Henry's humor! Much like Beach Read, Book Lovers is also hard hitting at times, as Nora works through losing her mother at a young age and taking care of herself and Libby and how that has shaped her into the woman she is.

Book Lovers still has all of Emily Henry's charm and great storytelling. I didn't love it as much as I expected to, but I still recommend it highly. If you like reading about characters in the book industry, small towns, or romance between characters that can be considered unlikeable, this book is perfect for you!

As always, I am highly anticipating whatever Emily Henry writes next!

Book Lovers is a book that knows exactly what it is. The main character, Nora, starts it right off by comparing her life to a Hallmark romance movie where a girl or guy who lives in the big city goes in a relationship goes off on a work adventure to an idyllic town and realizes that the person they are truly meant to be with is the small town person instead of their work obsessed love interest back home in New York or LA or wherever it is that the movie is set. Only Nora isn't the girl who gets the fairy tale ending and the big sweeping romance, she's the work obsessed city girl who gets left behind.

And that's where Book Lovers starts. With Nora, a literary agent, breaking up with yet another boyfriend just as she's about to meet with editor Charlie, who seems to be just as work obsessed and rude as Nora seems to be. Of course that meeting doesn't go well.

Fast forward a little bit and city loving, work until you drop Nora is convinced to travel to an idyllic little town with her very pregnant little sister. And although Nora still wants to work, work, work, she also wants to mend whatever is happening with her sister. So off they go to a small town, the draw being that it just so happens to be the location where one of Nora's clients books is set. Only the town, at least at first glance, doesn't seem to have as many charms as it's fictional counterpart.

That all changes when Nora and her sister start to get to know the residents of the small town. And it just so happens that this small town is where editor Charlie grew up and is also currently staying. (If you've watched a Hallmark movie you can probably guess where this is going to go.)

What happens next is both predictable and unpredictable. There's some miscommunication, there's some sibling fighting, and there's some spice and although tensions are high between multiple characters during most of the last quarter of the book, Henry still gives a vibe that everything is going to be just fine.

But you'll have to read to find out.

Overall, I really enjoyed Book Lovers.

I just loved it. It’s tropes all the way down done in a way that proves why tropes work. Plus Charlie reminds me of Jason from Gilmore Girls and I rather liked him. I loved this even more than People We Meet on Vacation.

I have loved everything I have read by Emily, so I was READY for this book. I know I am a little late to the game here, but I loved it just as much as everyone else! The writing was as amazing as always, witty and fun and sexyyy! I loved the main characters being book agents and editors, usually when a character is in the book world they are librarians or work in a bookshop (which I also love, sooo). I also really loved the relationship Nora has with her sister Libby. And of course, CHARLIE. He is amazing and this book is amazing and everyone should read it and that is just that.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

While I know this is a favorite among many people, I wasn't a huge fan. It was ok. I liked the storyline, but I wanted there to be more spice.

How do I even start?

Firstly, Emily Henry is hands down one of my favorite authors. Everything I've read of hers, especially in the adult space, has pulled at my heart and stuck in my lungs. I cannot recommend her enough.

But Book Lovers? Book Lovers felt like it was me. Nora isn't a character we always see in romance. She's harsh and cold. Overwhelming and overwhelmed. A friend who read this before I did immediately texted me and said "this story is for you". She wasn't wrong.

If you're a woman who feels like they've never quite seen themselves as a love interest before and have connected with the "villainess" more often than not. This book is for you. For us.

Just ok. Neither character was particularly likeable, though they did have good chemistry at times. Both generally seemed arrogant and self-centered. The history between the protagonist and her sister kept coming up, but her guilt over the past and need to mother did not exactly seem true to life. The sister's big secret, revealed near the end, was no big deal. And her reason for wanting to make the trip was rather silly.

Oh my gosh Emily Henry is the absolutely queen of romance.

I absolutely loved this and I CANNOT wait to read her next book. I will read about anything from her grocery list to her lists of to do for the day.

So much steam, humor, sassiness, and chemistry that is just on fire.

And can we talk about a book within a book?!!! Also, the sisterly love... I wanted to cry. I think this was almost my favorite part of this book.

Henry.... can you just give us more books already please haha.

Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 5/3//22
Published to GR: 9/13/22

5/5 stars

After seeing this book and its cover pop up everywhere, as soon as I started reading I understood why, and loved it too. Made me laugh so much and I really enjoyed the premise as well as how the little details fleshed everything out.

Great light story with likable characters. If you like books and romance you will love this. Set in a beautiful location I would love to visit!

I will read anything that Emily Henry writes. Literally anything. To say that I loved this book is an understatement. Nora and Charlie held my heart in their hands! I loved the relationship between Nora and Libby too. I would recommend this book to anyone, ever!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

All Nora knows is work. She is a literary agent and is working all the time. Her sister Libby knows that Nora needs a break.

Enter Sunshine Falls North Carolina. The home of a best selling book from one of Nora's authors. While there she sees Charlie, an editor who she hasn't gotten along with for years.

Cue sisterly bonding, small town life, and romance. Book Lovers has it all and does it so well.

It took me so long to finally read this because the hype had me so scared, but I really enjoyed every bit of this and love how absolutely relatable it is to a book lover, the title speaks so much haha, and as my first Emily Henry book I am so impressed and absolutely in love!!

Emily Henry hits it on the head again! Who doesn't love a book that leads you on a romance that has book references, tropes.... At times sisters do know best even if they don't give you all the information. A scavenger hunt is the best way to find out who you are, big city or small town girl. Find out which Nora isl

Exactly what I was looking for. Somehow it manages to be a love letter to books, small towns and NYC. She even manages to make editing sound fun and sexy. It was the best kind of diversion.

This book was great! I had read some mixed reviews before reading so I was a bit hesitant going into it, but I absolutely adored these grumpy characters and learning their individual stories. As they came together I was shipping them hard and had all my fingers crossed for their happily ever after.

What I loved:
1. These characters aren't super cheesy and had just enough wit and sassy to find them relatable. It was easy to like them and their love story.

2. This book had me laughing out loud throught the read and I think we all could benefit from some extra laughter in our lives.

3. It was interesting to see the process involved in getting a book published/edited.

Having recently finished the previously published “Book Lovers” by Emily Henry, I am happy to have had the chance for the e-copy; thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group!

Did I know how this story would end? I had a pretty good idea; but the great chats and moments between Nora and Charlie throughout this story brought me chuckles and made them a memorable couple. I truly enjoyed the time I spent hanging out between the pages to see how their love story had been edited.

This was my first dive Into Emily Henry’s books and what a joy to find substance, heart and real characters with flaws, hopes and a greater understanding of how the real world works. If your looking for your next fun contemporary romance with some humour and grit you have found the right place! The main character has so much life and pops off the page with her quirky personality. The seamless chemistry Nora and Charlie have throughout this book is just inspired and makes them such a perfect pairing. I look forward to picking up more of Emily Henry’s creations.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

Definitely worth reading, if only for the joy of discovering the possible existence of "yeti porn". While the main plot is a pretty standard enemies-to-lovers trope, it's well fleshed out with details about literary agents and editors, as well as lots of quirky small town folks. This book is also a nice reminder that not everybody's happily-ever-after looks the same as yours.

Emily Henry has perfected the art of writing THE summer read. Her characters are engaging - far from perfect and quirky enough that you want to get to know them in real life - and her plots are plausible enough that you can imagine something similar happening in your own life while hoping everything turns out as good as it does in the book. (As a Librarian, I found the book theme of this title particularly engaging.)