I thoroughly enjoyed this story about Nora and Charlie, the chemistry, the wit and banter between them is electric and I enjoyed getting to know them both as well as Nora’s sister And other characters, a totally engaging love story that I was actually quite sad to finish as I was enjoying it so much, would def recommend. Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this early copy.

this book is everything to me and more. emily henry has always had a way of comforting me through her books but this one felt so much more personal. i completely adored this book so much so that i wanted to turn back to page one and experience it all over again.

Loved this! It had depth past the usual contemp fiction tropes and was really enjoyable, you cared about the relationships and wanted everyone to come out on top at the end. Emily Henry is really growing as an author and I can't wait to read the next one.

This Book!!!!!!

Honestly to say I adored it would not do it justice. Emily Henry has <b>upped her game </b> and I didnt even think that was possible!! I absolutely adored Beach Read but this one was even better!!

Synopsis
This book follows Nora who is an literary agent as she goes one extended holiday with her younger sister to the town in which one of her main author's books is set. Nora is sick of the dating world and having her heartbroken so this break is exactly what she needs to get away from her desk. Her and her sister set the perfect plan for all of the small town perfect men she will meet but instead Nora bumps into Charlie, Nora's book editing work nemesis.

My Thoughts
Emily Henry's writing style really works for me, the way she gets the perfect combination of keeping the writing clear and easy to read whilst providing depth to both her characters and plot is so engaging and makes her books so hard to put down. For me, the writing style of this one felt so much more sophisticated and as though she has written it with so much confidence in the characters and plot that she has created and without putting words into her mouth or making assumptions i feel this could be largely down to this featuring books so heavily and therefore being Henry's comfort zone- whatever made the writing what it was just worked so so well.

I loved that this one was full of books, i loved the references, the insight into the publishing world and the way you could tell it was authentic. As someone that follows the author on instagram i know that she herself is a book lover and I think this really came through in the references- you could tell she wasn't just researching which books to reference or what had been popular. You could tell she was writing what she knew.

As far as main characters go, Nora and Charlie were my favourite of the MC's across her three books so far and I think their relationship built on a level on angst and banter built up really well and the connection between them felt really real. I thought the burn was gaged perfectly in that it didn't move to fast making it unbelievable but it didn't go too slow leaving me wishing for more.

I also really enjoyed Nora's relationship with her sister and felt really connected to this element to the story. As an older sister myself i know how easy it is to be protective and am definitely guilty of making decision that i think will protect my younger sister when actually maybe thats just an excuse to stay within the realms of my comfort zone. This is something I wasnt even aware i had done in the past before reading it here (basically a therapy session at this point!)

I loved that this book being so book focussed allowed the characters to almost laugh at themselves and the stereotypical elements of the whole 'small town city girl' trope as it took away the risk of it not then feeling real.

Overall I loved this one, I would 100 percent recommend picking it up especially if you are a 'Book Lover'

This book was everything I wanted it to be, both as a book lover and older sister after losing a parent. The story perfectly encapsulates the anxiety and feelings of needing to fix things.

I loved that this book pointed out the romance tropes as progressed and I was laughing out loud throughout and crying at times.

The romance between Charlie and Nora was amazing and I could happily have read pages and pages of their snarky emails.

Emily Henry is now an autobuy author for me, I can't wait for more books.

For the vast majority of romance books, it's really easy to predict the story, so for me what really makes a book stand out is the characters. Emily Henry really knows how to to write the best characters for her stories.

Nora and Charlie are just perfect, in the best non-perfect way. A really smart enemies to lovers story with the most wonderful banter, humour and snark from the both of them.

We also had a story filled with a fabulous cast of small town characters, lovingly poking fun at Hallmark movies while also exploring deeper family issues.

Sister love, book love, and snarky banter love = me love!

This was my first Emily Henry book, but it certainly wont be my last (Beach Read is already waiting for me in my audiobook library!) Nora is a workaholic litary agent whose heavily pregnant and burnt out sister persuades her to take a month long holiday; In the small town that inspired her client's best seller. Armed with a list her sistsr Libby hopes Nora will live more and maybe even find her own small town HEA. But Nora knows that would never happen to her, she is the city girl the hero leaves behind when he goes off to have his own small town romance and fall for the town's adorable baker/florist/"insert cute small business here" and unfortunately for Nora she has a track record to prove it. I loved how this well known trope is flipped on its head. We get to follow the woman who WANTS the City life, be ambitious with her career and enjoy the nice things her hard earned money can get her. And honestly its hard to fault her for it. Because all these things that label her a "shark" and "unfeeling" would be seen as admirable qualities in a man in her position. I really enjoyed how believeable and nuanced all thr characters were. The bond between the sisters was beautiful. And the Banter between Nora and her work "nemesis" Charlie, a no nonsense Editor was top rate. I found myself chuckling more than once and that rarely happens. I found the plot engaging, and enjoyed how it delved deeper into Nora's and Charlie's past life experiences so that we got to understand them better. It made for a richer reading experience. Was sad how quickly I finished it. I'll definitely be reaching for an Emily Henry book when I am in the mood for a contemporary romance with depth, fantastic banter and memorable characters. Highly recommend it to all!

Brilliant. Amazing. I loved every page. Emily Henry does it again. I couldn’t love her anymore if I tried!

I will almost always pick a book about books to read, so when I saw Book Lovers I figured I had to give it a go. While I enjoyed it in the main, it was still a very trope-y and not a quite original story. It is still fairly light-hearted, and it was easy to get back into it whenever I picked it up.

This is my favorite Emily Henry book yet! It centers around books, I can feel Nora, and just like Beach Read there’s some funny banter between Nora & Charles! This is a perfect summer read! Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a gifted copy!

Book Lovers is honestly the perfect book for any book lover. Emily Henry's writing was amazing as always. I've read both Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation (I preferred Beach Read much more - it's one of my favourite books) and can say that Book Lovers lived up to the expectations she set in writing Beach Read. Though I prefer Beach Read, Book Lovers was just as enjoyable. I found myself smiling at the characters and what was happening so much. I highlighted so many quotes of the book just from the sheer amount I loved it. Though it is primarily a romance book, it still had other features (family, mental health, grief) that meant the book wasn't just focused on the romantic plot but other equally important ones too. Would strongly recommend for anyone looking for a very well-written, funny, all round amazing romance book.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Book lovers by Emily Henry

Rating: 4.4/ 5

How is this my first Emily Henry book? I have no idea but no that I will not rest until I read her other books. If that isn’t testimony enough of how sold I am by Ms Henry’s books, I really don’t know what is.

Ok from the FIRST SENTENCE I kid you not I was in love with the writing and the book. Emily Henry’s writing is perfect for rom-coms. It’s funny, easy and flows well.

Her characters were not what I was expecting which I enjoyed. Nora is straight-forward, honest and where some may see her as a shark, I loved everything about her. She is everything I needed in a female MC and I saw myself in her through the relationships she has especially with her family. Not only that but watching Nora learn about relationship dynamics taught me so much as well and I can’t thank Emily Henry enough for writing such a perfect character
And Charlie. Charlie is my new-found comfort character. The banter, interactions and chemistry between the 2 was nothing less of impeccable. I genuinely found myself laughing at the inside jokes and the dry humour. The balance between this and the deep conversations the 2 MCs had with each other: I’ve repeated this so many times but it was amazing. Emily Henry really sets it up to keep you reading.

This book is for book lovers and if that isn’t a reason to read this book I don’t know what is. I will be happily purchasing this book and any other book Emily Henry has wrote or will write.

Thank you to Emily Henry, Netgalley and the amazing Publisher for this eARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

Book Lovers is the latest novel from Emily Henry, and I believe it is her best yet - it certainly is my favourite out of her current catalogue.

You need to set asid some painkillers before reading this book. Why? Well, Nora and Charlie brought me such joy that I could not stop grinning, laughing, exclaiming out loud in happiness (with tears of laughter, and the occasional sobs of emotional, tense pain) that by the end of the book, my face was hurting.

Nora and Charlie are quite simply my favourites. I loved their relationship - the way they teased each other, laughed together, and grew together. I loved that they challenged each other, bringing out the best in both of them (and letting them work through what they thought was the 'worst' thing about themselves) to get to a place where they were both happy.

Not to give out too many spoilers, but I loved how this book ended. I love how it didn't end with either of them having to sacrifice anything, or go back on their firm beliefs. They were able to find happiness, yes by growing and changing, but they still held their core values: if anything they grew in to them while allowing themselves to let go of the things holding them back from fully enjoying it. (view spoiler)

I also loved the way familial relationships were worked through in this. Nora and her sister were an absolute delight and a real highlight of this novel.

Overall, I really freaking loved this book. I loved Nora and Charlie (heart eyes), I loved the romance, the humour, the discourse surrounding publishing and books, and as soon as I finished reading I wanted to click right back to the start and dive back in to it again.

I'm still in awe that Penguin reached out to me offering an e-arc, and not to be greedy but pls send me anything and everything Emily Henry writes, I will be eternally grateful.

Screaming crying and not wanting it to end are what I felt all throughout reading Book Lovers. This is my third Emily Henry book and, dare I say, the best one yet? Because aside from being a FANTASTIC romance (with lots of tension and incredible spice 🌶), Emily wrote a book about the struggles of being a big sister, the difficulties of losing a parent, feeling lost and finding yourself all over again, and so much more. Emily’s books are never just your typical romances that follow tropes. Except, this one does…

Nora, a high-profile literary agent from NYC, gets dumped. But this time, she’s on the other end of the typical small town trope. Her ex moves to a remote town, gets together with the small business owner’s daughter and then helps to save said small business. And then there’s her work nemesis, book editor Charlie Lastra, who is making her life a lot more difficult than it needs to be. This is why Nora’s little sister, Libby, persuades her to go to Sunshine Falls for a whole month - the idyllic location from Nora’s client’s bestselling book. But she just can’t stop bumping into Charlie, and then she can’t stop thinking about him…

This was just SO good. We have the small town trope, two strong sisters that I just want to squeeze SO tight and tell them everything is going to be ok, we have the smouldering MMC who is incredibly snarky and funny and sexy, we have banter, spice (and really well written spice as well!), the MCs just keep gravitating towards each other with this electric energy and tension... OOF 🔥

Nora is a literary agent, who prides herself on being top of her game and getting the best for her clients, including her favourite Dusty. Previously she met editor Charlie and the two of them did not get on, with Charlie slating one of Dusty's books. It didn't help that Nora had just been dumped and arrived late at the meeting. Now a few years later, Nora's sister Libby has persuaded her to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for month as it is one of her favourite literary settings. Nora's not sure she can last a month outside her beloved New York City but she would do anything for Libby. She then keeps bumping into Charlie. Can she survive the month in this small town with her enemy or will she be running back to the city the first chance she gets?

I really enjoyed this book! I love that from the get go, Nora talks about romance tropes and how they always play out, it was smart and meta and worked for the profession she's in. Nora talks about how in a typical romance, she's the hard working, cold blooded lover that ends up alone by the end of the book or film, as the male lead goes to a small town to shut down the local failing Christmas tree farm/bakery/pumpkin patch but falls in love with the daughter who's the complete opposite to Nora: friendly, warm and kind. Libby has a list of these small town cliches for herself and Nora to complete while in Sunshine Falls (Wear flannel! Ride a horse! Skinny dip! Go on dates with locals!) which adds to the fun of the book.

Romance wise, it's an enemies to lovers story, complete with some small town cliches. I enjoyed the chemistry between Nora and Charlie and seeing their relationship unfold. I found this book much more satisfying than Emily Henry's previous book People We Meet on Vacation. That I found slow moving whereas the pace in this one moves along nicely, completely with some obstacles thrown in to thwart the path of true love!

Tropes wise, this hits on many of them, good and bad. There is some miscommunication, which is my least favourite trope but it wasn't the worst I've encountered and happens more between Nora and Libby. These sisters are close but have drifted apart recently, which is part of the reason why Nora agrees to the trip. The book touches on issues such as grief, self-sacrifice and the impact this can have on your life and relationships with others

I loved reading this, it was so comforting and I couldn't wait to go back and finish it, despite not wanting it to finish either. A perfect read holiday romance for summer 2022!

I really enjoyed this book - in fact I have enjoyed all of Emily Henrys' books! This would be a perfect summer read.
Sisters Libby and Nora go on holiday to a town called Summer Falls which they imagine is like all the christmas movies that characters end up in ! They have a list of things to do that you would find in one of these fictional movies! Whilst here Nora meets up with a colleague she has crossed paths with years before and sparks fly !
It's funny and witty and a lovely read.

First, thank you so much to Penguin General UK for this arc. I’ve not read an Emily Henry novel before, and what a great one to start with! I started reading with zero expectations, but quickly began to feel that this book will be a hard one to beat!

We follow Nora, a self-professed shark of a literary agent, NYC native and overbearing sister. With a multitude of ex-lovers having left her for their own small-town happy ending with a less… shark like “perfect woman”, and family she would do absolutely anything for, Nora is reluctant to take down her guard and lose control.

So, when her sister suggests, or in fact forces, Nora to take a trip to sleepy small-town Sunshine Falls with her, Nora is most certainly out of her element. Not just because every local business has some strange pun for a name (See Poppa Squat or Mug + Shot… not in New York anymore!) or that her sister is almost DEFINITELY hiding something from her, but because she is co-existing in this tiny town with none other than nightmare editor, amateur Dracula and work nemesis, Charlie Lastra. Known for his less than charming attitude and brooding scowl, Charlie seems to be everywhere… and far from the gentle giant ranch owner her romance novels have taught her to expect in a small-town setting.

Just like small towns, the publishing world is small, and inevitably the pair must work together to publish Nora’s most anxious of clients’ work. With his knack for brutal feedback, and her need for control, it seems like recipe for disaster, or something a bit sweeter.

The setting of this novel seems to ironically poke fun at the classic rom-com tropes, with references to narratives of angsty city dweller meets small-town smart-ass, twisted into something fresh and hilarious. This book does everything that you would expect from a small-town rom com but inverts the classic to keep you guessing. I was fairly impressed with how deep Henry managed to get her claws into me with just the first few pages. I inhaled this book, and I’m excited for her next already!

This was a hug, smile and cuddle of a book. Kissed with tropes from those hallmark movies we all need to watch at some point, this book felt fresh and warm.

Lots of bookish things sprinkled over the story and well, books are central to the plot which is lovely. A romance that you don't think is going to be a romance. Expectations turned on their heads. aah thank you emily!

Just the book you need to pick you up out of a reading slump or after a bad day.

To my slight disappointment, this book turns out to be quite plain and doesn't have any plot twists or ups and downs that own the ability to take the readers' breath away. It focuses a lot on relationships and themes outside the romance, which is not to my preference when reading a love story. I really wanted more of Charlie and Nora so that I could believe in their romance and sexual tensions. I am really disappointed to tell you that Book Lovers fell flat for me. I really wanted to love it, but unfortunately I didn't.

Nora Stephens is a literary agent and a good one at that. Dusty one of her bestselling authors previously wrote a smash hit book centred around small town life set in Sunshine Falls, North Caroline.

Libby, Nora’s sister is obsessed with Dusty’s book and comes up with the idea to go for an extended holiday to Sunshine Falls to experience small town life.

Charlie Lastra a New York based Editor.
Unbeknownst to Nora hails from Sunshine Falls.

Told from Nora’s perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed her as the main protagonist. She jumped off the pages for me as a tough, hardworking and no nonsense woman. Someone that is fully committed to their career.

This was perfection for me. It had me goofy smiling and my heart melting from beginning to end. There was even a Love Actually reference. What more could I want!

I loved Henry’s portrayal of Charlie, the brooding literary grump. A typical romance cliche however I appreciated how well written he was. I also liked the insight in to the publishing world that this story gave me.

I enjoyed the crossover and little touches from Henry’s previous work including the mention of January Andrew’s from Beach Read. It’s special when an author makes reference to a previous book or character and intertwines the story. It’s almost as if they are part of the same universe.


Book Lovers is Out Today May 3rd in the US and May 12th in Ireland and the UK

Thanks to @NetGalley, @vikingbooks and @emilyhenry for my copy in exchange for my honest review.