2.5 stars

I really wanted to liked this book but even with the audiobook i couldnt connect with the characters.
Also, I usually like slow paced book but this one felt a bit too slow for me which made me lost interest in some points of the story.
Overall, it wasn't a bad book actually the humor was really good but it just wasn't the book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to listen this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

✍️ One Sentence Synopsis: Overworked and underpaid Nora must decide what’s more important — her dream job or dream life?

💭 Overall Thoughts:
Heartfelt self discovery book with a romance plot. This explores the different pieces of an identity that could come to bat with each other: is it more important to go for that dream job or the ideal quality of life?

This was an enjoyable read (or listen as it was an audio book) but it didn’t wow me. It is possible that it’s because I listened to this while also reading Jasmine Guillory’s By the Book which has a similar plot. I couldn’t help but compare the two and I personally enjoyed By the Book more 🤷🏼‍♀️

Highlights:
📚Bookish character
💡Self Discovery
🌱 Character growth

Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for allowing me to listen with request for review.

Nora works an unfulfilling job at a publishing house, and when she has a salary cut, she is forced to lie and get another remote job to make up for the lack of money. What ensues is a chain of half truths to avoid being fired from either posts.

I'll admit it took me forever to get into the story and start caring for Nora, but I did like it in the end. I have very mixed feelings for this audiobook. What mainly put me off was the infinite seeming places, people, and events I had to wrap my head around. Later on, as I got to know Nora better and empathize with her hardships, I started liking her more.
Andrew Santos is a great character who I felt added depth and humor to the plot which was lacking at times. Nora and Andrew's chemistry felt pretty okay, nothing too memorable, unlike the rest of the bonds which made me feel nothing. Another thing that pushed on my curiosity was the bookish background as I am a book reviewer and consider myself a part of this community irrespective of how meaningful my contribution. The flashbacks came in pretty las in the story, but I'm so grateful for them! Speaking of the narrator, I think she handled the dialogues quite well but it wasn't a very unique experience for me. I can't point out why, but I went very slow with this audio book and took a week to finish a 10 hour audio book at a 1.5 speed. (I would usually finish it in 2-3 days.) I think there are many who will love this book, but not really for me.

I received this audiobook ARC through NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio.

Thank you to the publisher for an ALC of the this one!

This is a debut, so I was curious about this authors style. Although it was an interesting topic that highly reflects the current atmosphere in publishing, Nora made for a very difficult character to enjoy following. As others have said in their reviews., I spent most of the book yelling at her.

While I enjoyed parts of it and the mental health rep, it just was too frustrating at times to enjoy.

I really wanted to like this book, and I probably would if I had read the book instead of listening to the audiobook. I was unable to finish it, the narration is so dry and boring. The premise is in my wheel house and that Characters are probably likable but again I just couldn't get past the narration. I'll be on the look out for paperback copy of this one so that I can give is another shot.

Must Love Books, by Shauna Robinson, is an interesting study of a young mixed race woman, Nora Hughes, and how she is breaking into the publishing world. With goals of becoming a fiction editor, Nora has been employed as an acquisition editor for five years for a failing publisher of primarily nonfiction business tomes.

As layoffs remove the people Nora worked with and for, taking away the relationships that made her job bearable, she slumps into a depressive state. But meeting and associating with top author Andrew Santos helps her to find her way back.

This is a very interesting story that addresses suicidal tendencies along with depression and shows one person’s rise through the mire bringing her down. Although a difficult story at times I found it very worthwhile. I learned from this book and do recommend it!

I opened the book expecting to find a contemporary romance with the premise that the protagonist works in a publishing house but I found a different book than I expected. Must love book is a contemporary fiction with a bit of romance
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The book narrates from the perspective of Nora Hughes, an editorial assistant since she left university . How she started working with a lot of enthusiasm and after five years in the same position she finds herself with double the work and a salary reduction with which she can barely make ends meet. With her co-workers leaving for other companies, Nora begins to experience a bit of depression, to which is added the stress of adding another Freelance job, which leads her to an extreme point of burnout.
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It is at this point in her life that she meets Andrew, a best-selling author who for some reason is attentive and kind to her.
Nora begins to trust him a little and lets their relationship flow without opening up completely.
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In this nebula of depression and exhaustion, Andrew ceases to be an escape and is the one who gives her hope and is by her side while she finds a way to get out of that place and find her own happiness.
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It is a very interesting book about the publishing world that definitely goes beyond the love of books and discovers the difficult path towards the personal search for a balance of one's own.
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I couldn't get too hooked with Nora, and that's why I had a hard time picking it up every time I left it. I liked the last chapters and knowing how this book reflects a bit of the author's personal experiences.
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The voice of Tyra Kennedy sets the perfect tone for Nora and the other characters and makes it so good that once you press play you stay listening until the last moment, saying to yourself 'just one more chapter'
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Thanks to Shauna Robinson and Orange Sky Audio for give me this beautiful book in exchange for my honest opinion

I recently read Must Love Books, a book about Nora, a woman working as an assistant at a publishing company who needs to moonlight at a rival publishing company when her salary gets cut at her main job. Nora gets caught in the middle of the two jobs with a popular author and has to decide where her loyalties lie (and makes a few cringeworthy decisions along the way). While, I had frustration at times with Nora’s decisions, I loved the self-discovery themes in this book and watching Nora find herself and do what she needed to do for her own happiness. There was also a very honest and realistic look at mental health that made it feel very genuine and real. Lastly, as a reader, I loved the glimpse into the publishing world. Overall, this was a cute read with a sweet romance but with a warning that this is definitely not light hearted fluff given the exploration into Nora’s depression. Thank you partner @sourcebooks for my gifted copy.

Thank you to NetGalley & Orange Sky Audio for the ARC! This book wasn't what I was expecting but I enjoyed it a lot. I was expecting more of a rom-com but it was more about Nora and her life, what she struggled with. I think this one is relatable to any 20/30 something who isn't sure about what they're doing with their life.

I wanted to love this book, the way I love books. I always think a book that has books as part of the theme will be a great fit for me, but this one did not live up to my desire for it. While Nora was a character that I felt for in reference to her struggles at work and in life, I was not really rooting for her and engaged with her until the second half of the book or perhaps a bit later. I loved the banter between Nora and Andrew and the ultimate development of their relationship, he was not as fleshed out as a character as I would have liked to see. Both were likeable characters, but again, through the first half of the novel, I didn't care enough about what happened to them. I was appreciative of some of the challenges that Nora worked through and the support she got from others along the way. I appreciated a different view of how publishing can be and the struggles of a decreased workforce in this industry. Especially now, when this struggle is everywhere.
I had a tough time with the narrator, who I think would do amazing reading children's books or even guided meditations, but whose voice was less engaging than I needed it to be. There was not a lot of variation in voice, between characters, which also bothered me, as this is part of what makes listening to an audiobook so appealing.
Despite all of the negatives I have in this review, this was not a bad book, and I wouldn't rest of this review alone, as there are likely others out there that loved it thoroughly.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orange Sky Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this advance listener copy.


Description from NetGalley:
When Nora landed an editorial assistant position at Parsons Press, it was her first step towards The Dream Job. Because, honestly, is there anything dreamier than making books for a living? But after five years of lunch orders, finicky authors, and per my last emails, Nora has come to one grand conclusion: Dream Jobs do not exist.

With her life spiraling and the Parsons staff sinking, Nora gets hit with even worse news. Parsons is cutting her already unlivable salary. Unable to afford her rent and without even the novels she once loved as a comfort, Nora decides to moonlight for a rival publisher to make ends meet...and maybe poach some Parsons' authors along the way.

But when Andrew Santos, a bestselling Parsons author no one can afford to lose is thrown into the mix, Nora has to decide where her loyalties lie. Her new Dream Job, ever-optimistic Andrew, or...herself and her future.

I think part of my reaction to this book is what I thought it was going into. The summary reads as a rom com sort of book when it is definitely more of a story highlighted with a slow burn romance. The narrator does a good job, and the story is solid. This is really a case of it’s not you, it’s me. Others are sure to love this book.

Overall: 3/5

This book. This is a book that you need to be in the right mindset, and maybe in the right place in life to read? If that makes sense?

What I loved about this book was how real it was. What I disliked about this book was also how real it was. Nora is relatable, a young woman in publishing, with a dream of moving up in her career, suddenly finds herself being overworked due to a company restructure. Her pay is cut, and the work continues pile on.

Nora struggles with what she actually wants to do with her life, while watching all the coworkers she loves move on to better jobs at other companies.

I think everyone can connect with Nora, and her situation, in some way, and I think it’s so relevant to the current environment in not only publishing, but many corporate work places.

For me personally, sometimes I felt the story was SO real, that it wasn’t enjoyable to read? I was stressed and frustrated and angry, on this rollercoaster with Nora.

The light in this story was definitely Nora’s relationship with Andrew Santos, who genuinely wants her to be happy and successful.

What I wish this book had, and maybe the physical copy has it and the audiobook didn’t include it, was content warnings. This book deals with depression and suicidal thoughts, and it gets really heavy and could be triggering.

If you’re looking at the cover of this book and the title and expecting a light hearted rom-com, that’s not what this book is. But this book is honest and real, with flawed characters doing whatever it takes to get by. It’s hard to read sometimes. If you’re a mood reader, make sure you’re in the right spot mentally for this one.

Overall I really enjoyed "Must Love Books." I went into it thinking it was going to be a romantic comedy and that turned out to be incredibly wrong. (The title and description are a little misleading in that regard.) It delt more with mental health issues and what happens when you get "stuck" in a job, and the desperation that situation causes. I found it to be incredibly relatable. I think if it had been more upfront about what it was I would have enjoyed it more.

I did listen to the audiobook. This is one of those cases that I would not recommend it. I think the book. I did not love the flat tone the narrator was reading in. I don't know if she was directed to read it that way, but as a listener, it is hard to pay attention when it is read like that, as my mind starts to wander, and then I have to go back.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Any book about the publishing world is a must-read for me, so the cover and title of Must Love Books did a great job of drawing me in. I really related to Nora feeling overworked and underpaid in her current position, and loved that she decided to make a change to improve her mental health. I was excited to read about a BIPOC woman in a very white-male-dominated field!

I definitely expected this one to be lighter and more on the romance side due to how it was marketed, but was pleasantly surprised by the mental health and self improvement aspects. I do wish that the mental illness was addressed a little more instead of just mentioned.

My favorite part was where Nora picked out her core intentions for her career. That is a great idea, and something I should take a look at myself! I really enjoyed her relationship with her coworkers and friends.

Audio Review: The audiobook is narrated by Tyra Kennedy. This was my first book from this voice performer. I don’t think the narration added anything particularly special to the story, but the production quality was good.

Nora Hughes feels stunted. Stuck in a position as an editorial assistant, a title she should have been promoted out of years ago, Nora is floundering in emotional turmoil and severe self-loathing. She thinks she's hit rock bottom until a pay cut gives a sucker punch to her already smarting ego. As an already underpaid assistant, Nora is scrambling to stay in the publishing world amongst a land of books (she doesn't read) and authors (she doesn't particularly like). When an opportunity arises to make some extra cash and possibly a better gig, Nora jumps at it, though it presents some risks and may require Nora to be less than honest.

Enter: Andrew Santos, A fresh-faced, contemporary minded author, compared to the regular Parsons author (old, white men). Not only are his ideas and incites new, but he seems to see Nora is a shinier light. One that inspires her to look deeper within herself for what she's truly meant to do with her life.

But when all of Nora's deceptions come to light and she left flailing for stability, will Nora finally lose the fragile thread that connects her to a hopeful future? Or will the darkness that's always lurked at the corner of her mind black out all the possibilities life has?

This story has a lot of relatable themes: floundering in a dead end job, feeling hopeless about the future, sacrificing mental and emotional health to participate in an endless rat race, not feeling seen/heard/cared about and being drowned out by the world around you. I saw a lot of Nora in myself at points, as far as having a crappy job goes. I think she is a character people can sympathize with. At the same time, there were points where I wanted to shake her and tell her to look at the bigger picture, stop throwing pity parties, be more proactive about making herself feel happy and worthy. Ultimately, this is a book that reminds readers they're never alone in the struggle to persevere and to wait for life's storms to pass. The theme of suicidal ideation is very prominent and relevant to the overall message: never give up, things can get better. I thought this was a very good audiobook and would definitely recommend to other readers.

This is another case of “Sarah not reading anything about a book and then being completely surprised that it was not what was expected.” In my defence… does this cover not scream sweet little rom-com to you??
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Well it’s not. There is a little bit of rom, no com though. It is the story of Nora. She works in publishing and has slowly lost her love for her job, and pretty much her life. Its actually a very real portrayal of depression and suicidal ideation and there are moments that just feel like a car crash that you can’t look away from.
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Initially the narrators voice bugged me, and I was not liking the story at all, but that was while I was still expecting romcom. Once I figured out it wasn’t, (and read some reviews), I changed my expectations and went with it. Then I became really impressed with the writing and the way Nora’s mental health was described. I loved reading about the publishing world too!
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Thank you @netgalley for the #gifted audiobook. Nora kept me company on many short drives around town and I ended up just truly hoping that things would turn around for her. ❤️

A story about a woman who's romanticized idea of her future career has achieved her goals, only to be depressed and questioning everything.

A tragic but highly relatable story of someone's big dreams not living up to their expectations. I love how this book is all about giving yourself permission to let go of old dreams and take the time to slowly figure things out as you go.

I was expecting the romance plot to be a bit more prominent - which was a bummer - but if you know that it's only a subplot, you'll enjoy this.

I expected this one to be a lighter and more romantic read than it actually turned out to be. Nora Hughes works in publishing - as she has for the last five years. But with constant layoffs and budget cutting, her dream job has become more of a nightmare. Her favorite co-workers have all left and too many unrelated tasks wind up being shoved off on Nora's already overextended plate. When her salary is cut, Nora decides to start freelancing for a competitor. Juggling both jobs, and a few friendship with an author leads her to some impossible situations.

Nora has also lost her own spark of joy - she can't even find comfort in what used to bring her so much joy and brought her to this career in the first place - reading. Her love of books led here here, but what can possibly bring her out of this hole where the ceiling fan's blades are all she can be entertained by? The book covers suicidal thoughts, financial strife, deceit and self-discovery with the romance as more of a sideline than a focus which did surprise me. I think the cover especially makes this seem like it will be more of a romantic comedy - and this is not that. There may be some romantic banter and flirting, but this deals with real, and darker and topics. I think that Nora's struggles will resonate with many readers - especially any who have felt trapped in their careers. The ending isn't quite as finite as I'd hoped, but I did enjoy the audio performance and the author's own experiences certainly added a strong layer of realism here. I just wish that it had been an overall more uplifting and lighter read.

3.7/5

🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ Insight into the publishing world
~ POC representation
~ Work drama and its impacts
~ Questions to reflect on at end of book

Nora, the woman with whom I could not really empathise, is hell bent on making decisions that do nothing for her mental health and well being 🤦. Disillusioned by the publishing world, she is on the brink, one choice away from being fired. Between battling depression, losing loved co-workers, financial difficulties, an uninspiring workplace and annoying af bosses, Nora can’t see her way out. When Andrew Santos appears he seems like the answer to several prayers. Santos, the successful author, optimist and hero presents the gates through which Nora could walk, if she manages to undo the knots she has made of her life.

Ngl, I was mightily irritated by this book. The MC is someone I was frustrated by, I couldn’t find patience for her issues and I wish I could push her in a crevice - HOWEVER, I see this story appealing to many persons.

✨Give it a read.

🌱THE MEH
~ Lie and delay trope
~ Making terrible choices KNOWING you are making terrible choices and keeping it up trope
~ Somewhat boring MC
~ Nora is an a$$ 😒

♡🌱 But that’s just me ;)

This is the story of a young woman's struggle with finding the right career path. She currently works as an editorial assistant, but is increasingly given mundane tasks and doesn't see a route to becoming an editor. As she explores other options than her current downsizing publisher, she becomes involved with one of the authors. Things get very complicated when she makes some dubious choices in order to further her career.

It was informative to view the perspective of a young black woman in a too-white industry, including many of the microaggressions that occur in the workplace. The story line moves quickly and held my attention. I was just a little disappointed that not everything was completely resolved by the end of the book, but maybe there will be a sequel.