I simply cannot emphasise enough how much I loved Book Lovers. Reading this book was a constant cycle of laughing out loud, swooning at the banter between Nora and Charlie, and highlighting at least a paragraph a page, each time convinced that it was going to be my favourite quotation from the book. I repeatedly found myself picking the book up, reading a page or two, and then slapping it right back down again, hoping that this would somehow make it last longer.

Nora Stephens is independent, ambitious, and constantly feels like “the wrong kind of woman” – or rather, “a frigid, evil robot who sleeps in a bed of hundred-dollar bills and raw diamonds” – and I love her for it. Make no mistake: this is absolutely not yet another tiresome, two-dimensional female protagonist who is presented as quirky and clumsy and ‘not like other girls’. Nora compares herself to other women and finds herself lacking, torn between maintaining the sense of safety derived from her cold-blooded, almost ruthless pursuit of financial security and control for herself and her sister, and the knowledge that her relationships and her own dreams suffer as a result.

There are so many things I love about this novel (including but not limited to the imagery, the dialogue, and the Bigfoot erotica) but in particular it’s the fact that there’s no big transformation. Nora doesn’t spend a few weeks in a small town, shed her skin, and become a completely new person. She doesn’t become a gentler, softer, more ‘feminine’ version of herself thanks to the magical healing powers of the love of a good man. She doesn’t, thankfully, find herself involved in a small-town romance that culminates in “a big wedding inside of a barn, or an epilogue involving babies”… She gets her happy ending, but in a way that doesn’t force her to be something she’s not.

This book further reinforces my love of Emily Henry’s writing, and she has long secured her spot on my ‘auto-buy authors’ list. Her writing remains clever and engaging, and her characters continue to stay with me long after I’ve finished the final page.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for an ARC, made only slightly less special by the fact that I had pre-ordered this book the second I knew of its existence so still ending up buying my own copy…

I love Emily Henry books. They are so sexy, funny, and full of joy. AND Book Lovers is my new favourite! I enjoy an enemies to lovers story 😍

The characters were a dream. I loved Nora who is a tough but literary agent determined to stay on top of her game. Libby, her sister was so lovely and persuades Nora to swap the city life for a months break in Sunshine Falls. Cue a cute small town where every romance book trope is actually reality 😂 And how could I forget Charlie. An editor, Nora’s nemesis and just so happens to be visiting Sunshine Falls too. 
I adored all the witty banter, sexual tension and chemistry, and obviously all the book talk.

If you haven’t read any of Emily’s books yet, I highly recommend them if you enjoy romantic comedies 🥰 Book Lovers is a perfect summer read.

I want more. I didn’t want this book to ever end. But that ending was just perfect.

Damn I loved this book. I could not put it down and cursed when I had to eat or be a parent and stuff like because it meant I couldn’t continue reading.

The banter in this book is the absolute best. The sarcastic humour on top of that? I couldn’t get enough!

Nora and Charlie are perfect for each other. The other dynamics and tension building scenarios had me pushing to read more so I could figure it out! All my guesses were wrong btw,

I am in love. Emily’s best book yet.

Another great Netgalley book checked off the TBR. It's been so long since a romance has provoked so much emotion in me to the point where I started crying at the last few chapters.

If you haven't already got Emily Henry's latest book Book Lovers I beg you to buy it! It is currently (as I post this) 99p on kindle.

An amazing romance with the love of books intertwined with in a love story. Full of tropes and book references which is one of the things I loved the most about this book.

And for Nora her entire life is books. Morning, noon and night. She loves her job as a literary agent more than anything. She is a shark. She knows all the tropes all the possible endings she is not the girl who gets the guy, she's the go between before they find the one.

Her sister Libby a hopeless romantic with an equal passion for book, convinces Nora to sacrifice her life in the city for a once in a lifetime trip to Sunshine Falls determined to make Nora her own hero. Until Nora bumps into the last person she ever expected to see there. Charlie Lastra, a book editor from the city she's just been dragged away from.

Finding themselves in close proximity with no working conditions force both Nora and Charlie to get to know each other and open themselves up to a possibility of their life going in a different direction.

I absolutely loved this one even more than her last book! A great summer romance that you won't be able to put down until the very last sentence!

The more I read from Emily Henry the more I love. Beach Read was good, You and Me on Vacation I loved but Book Lovers is really something special.

Book Lovers feels like it was written for me, for me personally. Henry has taken so many things I love and put them together in one book with two amazing characters. I’ve been obsessed with New York for as long as I can remember, it’s my dream to visit and visit all the little bookstores. I adore it when characters love books as much as I do, when I feel that same passion for reading in them that I have. If they work in publishing even better. Finally, I love small town stories (thank you Gilmore Girls) and the people you find in them. All these things were mixed together to create a wonderful story and this has become a firm favourite of mine.

Nora and Charlie are going to go down as not just one of my favourite book couples but individually as two of the most brilliant, complex and real characters I’ve read. Nora is fierce, determined and kick ass. Her relationship with sister Libby was lovely. The build up between Nora and Charlie is perfect. Their chemistry is exquisite, the banter hilarious and the conversations they have completely engaging.

This was funny, moving, witty, heartwarming and joyous to read. Bring on the next book Emily Henry!

"For what it's worth, I doubt I will ever like anyone else in the world as much as I like you."

Rating: 4.5/5

Do you need a synopsis for this much-loved book? Probably not, but here's a one-liner anyway. Literary agent, Nora's sister Libby convinces her to spend a summer month in small-town Sunshine Falls, where she runs into editor, Charlie and the pair work on a book together.

Ok, here are all of my thoughts in some sort of cohesive manner:
- First, I think marketing this as "two rivals" and/or enemies to lovers isn't accurate. Although they had an awkward first meeting, Charlie and Nora were basically like two peas in a pod and complemented each other so well (hello, amazing chemistry). They had an ease and familiarity around one another and I just LOVED how open and vulnerable they both were from the beginning. Honestly, relationship goals, I tell ya!
- Nora is a complicated protagonist, but I really liked her character arc. She always put everyone else first, whether that's her clients or her family. She also constantly kept her emotions in check as couldn’t afford to let go. But it was so heartwarming to see her finally let down her walls and let someone else in.
- Charlie was just the perfect book boyfriend, you know? He was all the things you want: selfless, encouraging, compassionate and open. Did I mention hot? 😂
- I also think it's now impossible for me to rate any Emily Henry book below 4 stars because her writing just puts a smile on my face. The way she described Nora's NYC was so atmospheric and transported me there. She is also the QUEEN of banter. Charlie and Nora's quick and witty dialogue was an absolute joy to read. I'm addicted 😆.
- Finally, I loved how Henry put her own spin on the quintessentially idyllic small-town setting.
- My half-star deduction is because Libby wasn't my favourite, sorry folks 🙈. They had this incredibly special sister bond but were missing that vital honesty at times. I also hated when she was rude about Nora's work-life balance, although Nora gave up so much for her.

But overall, I think it's pretty obvious I thoroughly enjoyed this book like everyone else in the world.

Two years ago Nora had her first interaction with book editor Charlie as she arrived later for a lunch meeting to discuss a book from one of her authors. Having just been dumped over the phone by yet another man who has fallen foul of a romance trope and she is the woman left behind. Slipping her professional mask back in place she hopes that the meeting will be OK, however, Charlie doesn't like the book and passes on the opportunity stating that Dusty has clearly never visited Sunshine Falls, North Carolina.

Now they work in the same building and Nora can be smug that the book became a hit without his assistance. Meeting with her pregnant younger sister she suddenly notices how tired she looks so when she suggests a trip away just the two of them Nora can't say no. Heading to Sunshine Falls as Libby loved the 'Once In A Lifetime' book. The town is not how it is described in the book but it doesn't appear to bother Libby, although finding Charlie in town is somewhat of a surprise to Nora.

Literary enemies, they banter back and forth via email and text, with him taking over from Dusty's usual editor who has gone on maternity leave early they are forced to work together from his family's book store. Whilst Libby has a checklist of things she wants to complete together before they head back to New York. As she and Charlie grow closer they discover that they each have made sacrifices for the ones they love and would give up a chance at happiness for them.

This is my favourite Emily Henry book yet!!! Nora and Charlie are unparalleled, I loved their banter and how easily they fell together. I honestly could not put the book down, their story was addictive

Emily Henry still kills it. I immediately bought into our couple as individuals and a pair and the romance continued to be so well developed throughout the story. I loved how their semi-grouchy personalities and their banter was spectacular.

In Book Lovers the main non-romantic topic that we explored was Nora’s relationship with her sister. I personally found this aspect of the story didn’t speak to me on the same level as her previous books since I don’t have a sister myself but perhaps if you do it’ll have a profound impact on you. I did find the sisterly plot to be slightly anti-climactic and a bit silly at times but perhaps that’s again coming from a place where I don’t fully get it.

I would still say as a romance this book is top tier but not my favourite from EH.

**Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are subjective but my own.**

This book introduces us to Nora and Charlie. They both work in publishing, but after a disastrous first meeting, they don’t appear to get on. When Nora’s sister persuades her to take some time out in search of Nora’s happy ever after, they end up on holiday in Sunshine Falls…where Nora keeps running into her nemesis, Charlie! Unfortunately, I think I must be in the minority with this book! I’ve heard such good things about it and have seen people raving about it in their reviews. I have to admit though, whilst I thought it was an okay read, it certainly didn’t grab me as much as I expected it to! I liked both Nora and Charlie’s characters, although I did lean more towards Charlie! Nora is determined, sensible and has a strong work ethic, always being there for her clients no matter what. Charlie is similar, but he’s also got that laid back vibe going on, and I loved how he was around his family and friends. The banter between the two was funny and I enjoyed their relationship together.

However,…I really struggled to keep the connection going with the storyline throughout! I found some parts were great and others I really wanted to skip through. The premise of the storyline was good – it’s about books and romance, why wouldn’t it be?! It just seemed that there were chunks of the storyline which seemed to drag on with no purpose, and I could have easily skipped them and still understood what was going on. I don’t often read American themed romances, so I think that may have played a part as well as to why I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. However, it wasn’t a complete no-hoper, I enjoyed parts of it and liked some of the characters. It just wasn’t the funny, all-out modern-day romance that I thought it was going to be!

I really enjoyed this. Great characters and a great storyline. I was rooting for Nora throughout. Definitely recommended for your beach read this summer!

I am such an Emily Henry fan and am so pleased to report that her books only get better and better. I loved the relationship between Nora and her sister Libby - difficult, complicated but steeped in love. Emily writes so movingly about loss and having to be one's own shoulder to cry on. Charlie was the perfect foil and then the perfect match for her. An absolute five star read.

Enjoyed this book - I liked the sister dynamics between Nora and her sister and the exploration of their and her sister's relationship. I also liked the bookish elements of the story. That said, I didn't really see this as an 'enemies to lovers' romance which was what it was sold as - it's more 'inconvenienced acquaintance,' which is fine, but I'm an absolute sucker for an enemies to romance so I'm slightly disappointed there wasn't more cattiness and hatred.

That said, it was still a solid read and I rated this 3.75/5 stars.

Exactly like a hallmark movie but better. I absolutely loved this book. I read it in under 24 hours. I could not put it down. I loved every single character, the plot and the setting. I have already gone and bought a physical copy after reading it on kindle.

A nice, easy romance read with family dynamics stirring the pot. The outcome may have been predictable but that helped the story along its way. Just a lovely tale of misunderstanding and romance winning out. #netgalley #booklovers

This was really fun and entertaining, and both main characters were really good. It was well written, as one would expect from an Emily Henry book, however, as it was about books again I tend to compare it with Beach Read, which I liked better.

But we can't go wrong with a book like this, that plays on the clichés of its own genre. Recommend it to everyone who likes romances.

Review will also be published on my blog on the 8th of June, link below.

This is my first time reading a book by Emily Henry, so I had high expectations going in. Nora Stephens is a literary agent in New York, she’s extremely close with her sister Libby, particularly because it’s just them two as their dad walked out on them when they were young and their mum passed away roughly 10 years before. The two sisters go on a break to Sunshine Falls in North Carolina and it’s everything a small town ought to be. While they’re there, Nora bumps into Charlie, an Editor she met a couple of years before and instantly clashed with (but in a way that kept them coming back for more). The first half was great, the characters and setting were well developed. But things just got weird in the second half. It became less about the romance between Nora and Charlie, and more about the sisters’ codependency and deep psychological drama since their mum’s death. Also a shame about the lack of diversity in this book - so pretty vanilla all around.

This was Emily Henry's best yet, and that's saying something! On the surface, Nora and Charlie agree they could never suit. But when they keep running into each other in the small town of Sunshine Falls the reasons why become much more confusing.
Book Lovers was, as the title might suggest, a perfect love letter to books and readers. There's publishing drama, tiny small town bookstores, and a keen sister to encourage Nora to meet someone like in the books.
I absolutely adored Nora and Charlie's constant quibbling, their texts back and forth (get ready for Bigfoot erotica), and the way these two troubled people became their best versions for each other. Henry has a remarkable way of writing romances that make your heart hurt, that break you just a little bit before she puts it all back together again.

Yet again I really enjoyed this Emily Henry book.

Nora’s sister – who is called Libby (not many Libby’s in literature – so I was quite chuffed to have a namesake!) – takes Nora away for a month before Libby’s third baby is born. Nora loves romance novels (I was vicariously proud when one of my other favourite authors Mhairi McFarlane was name checked in the book!) and the sisters have a checklist of standard old school romance fodder to complete whilst on their month away together in the countryside.

As with previous books the main characters are based in the book industry – although this time as an agent and an editor rather than as authors – and I liked this variation on a theme. Also as with Beach Read you have to suspend belief a bit at the total coincidence that Nora would bump into her work nemesis, Charlie, whilst miles and miles way from Manhattan.

Sunshine Falls has a large group of ‘supporting cast’ who feature in the book – with some typical caricatures of ‘country life’ in there – but as Nora surmises, the tropes have to come from somewhere!

After their Mum’s death a decade before, the sisters are incredibly close – despite Libby now being married with an ever expanding family – and Nora is clearly still very much governed by her role as eldest sister.

Nora and Charlie’s relationship develops throughout the book – and the banter between them in texts and emails is brilliantly written. Cutting, witty, emotional – and entertaining.

I don’t really want to give too much away of the storyline, as you need to live it with the characters – but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it – and it’s available NOW!

A big thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for my ARC.

“Nora.” He just barely smiles. “You’re in books. Of course you don’t have a life. None of us do. There’s always something too good to read.”

BOOK LOVERS, by Emily Henry
rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ and more. Absolutely adored it!

First of all, a HUGE thanks to Penguin General UK, Netgalley and Emily Henry for giving me the chance of reading and reviewing this book. It still feels surreal!!

How to start. I have way too many things to praise and rant about from this book. Going into it, I was sure I would love it just by having red the blurb, but Book Lovers was more than I could have ever imagined, and it has quickly become one of my favourite romance books EVER.

There isn't a single thing I did not enjoy from this book: from the characters and their personalities (both Charlie and Nora gave me Rose/Connor vibes right since the beginning of the book, and I was completely obsessed with that), the plot and how Emily Henry uses the general idea/trope of a small town romance and twists it to her own liking, making it different, fun and addicting. The book talk was just the cherry on top, along with the character's AMAZING chemistry and the author's writing. I can only talk wonders about every single page I read.

Charlie Lastra and Nora Stephens. Amazing. Stunning. Beautiful. Different and real. I was obsessed with their personalities, their sense of humor and their interactions. The way their past affected their present, and how we were able to see them vulnerable despite giving that cold exterior in the beginning of the book. The relationship between Nora and Libby was also one of my favourite things in the book. The sisterly love in it made my heart warm. The romance was absolutely fantastic right since the beginning: the tension, the boy obsessed vibes from Charlie, the small moments the author kept delivering, how straightfoward they were with what they wanted and with each other!! it was amazing. Everything I love in a romance and more.

The ending and those last chapters were bittersweet at first, but again, I really enjoyed to see how Emily Henry got the general idea of a romance like the one we see in the book, and made it hers. Those last chapters and the epilogue (THE EPILOGUE) were absolute gold and just the perfect way to wrap up Charlie and Nora's story. I was totally pleased by every aspect of this book, and the many quotes and moments I tabbed/highlighted along the way still don't feel enough. Thank you, Emily Henry, for this absolute gem!!