Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This romcom ticks all the boxes: it's cute, it's steamy, it made me laugh and it made me cry. Our two main characters are likeable and have good chemistry, and the plot is just unrealistic enough to provide a lovely escape from reality. I particularly enjoyed the self-awareness of this story - books, especially small town romances, feature heavily in the plot, and yet this particular one manages to separate itself from your usual "girl meets boy in small town and gives up her entire life to be with him". One of the main features that sold this love story to me is that both our main characters are honest with each other from the off, and they stay true to themselves. Their happy ending isn't endangered by some big secret or misunderstanding, it's just complicated by life.

The book is well written and super easy to read. I read the first 80% in one sitting and just couldn't put it down, although it did drag slightly in the end. Also, if I was Henry's editor (which I am most certainly not qualified for), I might have suggested to cut the last few chapters and make for a slightly different ending. Either way, four stars for a very solid romcom.

This is essentially a will they or won't they get together type of romance, when Nora finds Charlie- a work rival/colleague, at her holiday destination, it's quite obvious where this story is headed. There's a bit of a mystery going on with her sister Libby and lots of reflection on losing her mother and then having to raise her sister. Overall I found this abit under whelming.
The thing that kept me going is Emily Henry's style of writing. She digs deep into emotions and is able to express them so eloquently. I kept going because of Emily Henry even though this story didn't fully grab my attention.

I really enjiyed this one although the writting itself at times wasn't really cup of tea. What I enjoyed the most is how it ended, somehow expected but in a nice way. Some bits resonated a lot with me. I was expecting it to be lighter but it can get heavy at times. I devoured d this one on a flight, it flows so easily.

I'm completely new to this genre for 2022, and after reading Beach Read and People We Meet On Vacation, I knew that this was most definitely a book I'd be requesting. This was just utterly delightful. Nora is a dream, one of those protagonists you really find yourself rooting for. Charlie is delicious, can we see him? No, but I definitely have a crush. I loved the setting of the town of Sunshine Falls, the book shop and the pacing was perfection. I absolutely sobbed at the end, and it's definitely a book I would look to reread just for the chemistry between Charlie and Norma. 5 Stars for sure!

My rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“For a decade, I’ve known I will never again have everything, and so all I’ve wanted is proof that, someday, again, I’ll have enough. That the ache won’t always be so bad. That people like me aren’t broken beyond repair, too frozen over to ever thaw, too thorny to ever let anyone close.”

-

Oh my GODDD. JKGKGKKG. AHHHH. Will I ever get over this book? No. Absolutely not. I’ve already reread so many scenes - it’s concerning 😭. This book is everything I want a romance book to be. Complex? Yes. Moving? Yes. Flawed characters? Yes.

Nora and Charlie will stick with me for a long long time. They were absolutely perfect for each other - but that doesn’t mean they are perfect people. They are flawed, damaged by their life experiences, untrusting. But their flaws work together like clockwork - supporting each other, making each other stronger, working together to heal. Oh how I adore their relationship.

Nora was a breath of fresh air in terms of romance protagonists. She’s flawed, but with so much depth that we gradually unravel and get to grips with as the novel progresses. We learn the reasoning behind these perceived “negative” traits, and how her life has led her to being the way she is. And, of course, Charlie is just a delight. I have no more to say other than i am totally in love with him. He’s perfect for her, and their relationship is just so stunningly written.

Their banter was brilliant, it had me laughing out loud at times. I adored Nora’s interactions with both Charlie and the members of her family, especially her sister. Their relationship was gritty, bonded by pure love as well as past pain. They all couldn’t have been written any better.

The pacing and plot - perfect (are you noticing a recurring theme of me calling everything perfect?). The ending had me squealing, and I finished it with my heart so full of joy, love and happiness. And the descriptions of the setting - equally perfect. I felt like I was transported into the town, the vibe of it was so tangible. Ugh I am in love with everything.

It’s being published on the 3rd of May 2022. Buy it!!! It’s amazing.

- Lara <3

This book might be Emily Henry’s best yet. I devoured it in less than 24 hours, hooked by Nora’s story. It explored so much, not just romance but the importance of family and putting yourself first every now and then again. I laughed and I cried and I’m so thankful to NetGalley and Penguin UK for the ARC.

I think we as a society (and mostly me personally) have reached the stage where starting a new Emily Henry is a whole spiritual Experience (capital E necessary!!), as well as a rollercoaster - you are expecting it to be FANTASTIC, but at once fearing that it may not live up to what is, arguably, already perfection.
Alas, we can all rest assured, for ms Henry does! not! miss!
I've come to appreciate some of the most identifiable Emily Henry elements of these books - the seamlessly interwoven explorations of grief, the self-awareness regarding the genre, the willingness to subvert expectations while at once playing into them, the tentative, charged chemistry between the leads and the angsty, delicious slow burn romance.
You may be able to tell, I ADORED THIS.
I think what your favourite Henry novel is depends on who you are as a person, and I have to face the facts that this might just be The Emily Henry novel for me. The moment I read the first page, I knew I should have never allowed any doubts regarding Henry's work to set in and felt ready to trust whatever story she wanted to pull me into.

wow, by farrrrr emily henry's best. the connection i felt with nora became so strong throughout this book, the plot was incredible and i loved charlie and nora so so much. this book i definitely one of my most favourites ive read in so long. emily henry just hooked me in so beautifully. i cried so so much.

Brilliant book! Emily Henry hits this one out of the park skewering the rom com tropes and having fun doing it. Between her high powered literary agent, the small town setting the NYC agent ends up in plus the "small town boy" who is anything but this book somehow skillfully avoids becoming a cliche with some twists that I would not have predicted nor did I see coming. Thoroughly enjoyed the read, five stars

This was such a cosy read and I can see people enjoying this sitting around the pool or curled up in a chair with a blanket.
I loved the relationships, the bond between the sisters, the small town/Stars Hollow feel - it all felt very comforting for some reason and I enjoyed sinking into the story.

Another great read by Emily Henry. If you are looking for a good rom com with great characters, good story lines and plenty of romance then this is the book for you. Great holiday read that will hold your interest and you won't want to put it down. I really enjoyed it

3.5 stars rounded up

Nora Stephens' life is books = she's read them all - and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent. and her beloved little sister Libby. Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls. North Carolina, for the month of August. when Libby begs her for a sister's trip away - with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she's convinced needs to become the heroine of her own story.

Nora Stephens is a book agent who succeeds in getting her authors the best deals. She works hard at being a cutthroat literary agent. Nora takes her little sister on a trip to complete a list inspired by their favourite book. I like the banter between Nora and Charles but it's a bit of a slow burner. There's lots of laugh out loud moments. This is a good character driven story, Charles was my favourite.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #PenguinGeneralUK and the author #EmilyHenry for my ARC of #BookLovers in exchange for an honest review.

4.5*

This is a fabulous romantic read. It’s a slow burn romance with a depth to both characters and story.

Nora is a literary agent at the top of her field. She’s successful and high maintenance. And loves living in New York.
On the surface she’s hard and focused. She hasn’t cried in 10 years she also hasn’t slept over at a boyfriends in all that time. Her one weakness is her sister Libby, she’d do anything for her.

As the story unfolds we discover why Nora is the way she is.

I’m not saying anymore you just need to read this yourself.

I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by the publisher and NetGalley

I will start this review by using a quote from the book:

<i>Does anyone ever want to finish a good book?</i>

Well the answer is obviously no, even though you want to see the end, you don't want the book to end and that is what happened to me while reading Book Lovers.

Nora is a literary agent living her life like she is in a romance book, though she isn't the heroine but the woman the hero leaves behind. This has happened enough times already to know what to expect but it doesn't mean it hurts any less.

After her latest break up her sister Libby, propose they go to an adventure, on a small town that was the inspiration for the latest best selling book of the year, where they could live a real book storyline.

The last person Nora expects to see there is Charlie, a book editor and her work nemesis just strolling around town. One too many encourages bring them closer but that doesn't mean anything, Nora is not the girl the hero chooses after all.

This book feels like a love letter to books and to book lovers. The plot was truly amazing with many witty remarks along the way that made me laughing out loud more than once. The book within a book plot worked perfectly.

Nora and Libby are very interesting characters and I liked seeing the sibling dynamic and learning more about their past.

Charlie was so sweet but he hide it a little too well, he was a wonderful hero. The romance was beautiful written and I couldn't get enough of their interactions, their banter was next level amazing.

Even though the book takes place in a small town it also shows how beautiful and full of life New York is. It highlights the good in both worlds.

This book immediately became one of my favourite books of the year.

* I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

Had a good time reading this one, as with any Emily Henry. If you liked her previous books, this is very much what we've come to expect from her. A light and refreshing romance but with some emotional stuff going on under the surface.

It did a great job of two romantic leads who don't see eye to eye at first, but not incredibly forced as it can be. She puts us in many of the old favourite romantic scenarios but always with a spin on it. If anything, my main criticism was that it was deeply self aware at times. But that faded as the book went on.

I can definitely see this being the romantic read of the summer!

Nora, a cut throat literary agent, is the woman men date before they meet 'the one'. She's a diehard city girl, a workaholic and destined to always be alone. So why her sister Libby thought a trip to the town of Sunshine Falls would be a good idea is anyone's guess. It screams small town, with no WiFi or Dunkin Donuts for miles around, and it's the last place Nora wants to be. Enter Charlie. As a hot shot literary editor he's the biggest thorn in Nora's side, and he just so happens to be in Sunshine Falls too...

I think this would be an ideal summer read. It's lighthearted and fun, clearly taking inspiration from every Hallmark movie and tired romance trope going with a bunch of literary references thrown in for good measure. It's very tongue in cheek, answering the question of what happens to that girl who gets left behind when their partner finds their true love somewhere else. The ruthless girl, the one who hates the countryside and doesn't want the big family, and loves her job. Nora is refreshing in this sense, and quite a bit different from other typical romance characters I've read. She's also incredibly witty, and the banter between her and Charlie is great. The constant quips and sly remarks were certainly a highlight for me and really added to the sexual tension between the two.

However I do think that Charlie is nowhere near as well developed as Nora. He's a bit of an engima for a lot of the book, closed off and aloof at times. He's clearly a sensitive guy, with a long history linked to Sunshine Falls, but I just wanted more from him as a character as he was often outshined by Nora. Also for most of the book I found myself largely irritated by Nora's sister Libby. She's suppose to know her sister better than anyone else, yet wants to drag her to a place that is clearly Nora's idea of hell. And then complains and rolls her eyes every time Nora takes a work call. That's not supportive. It's irritating, and I genuinely found myself not caring about Libby was up to in the town.

In addition a couple of the plot points did peter out without really going anywhere, and were clearly just introduced to create tension between Charlie and Nora (ie the Shepherd storyline). I actually got my hopes up that Henry was starting to take this in a really original direction only for it to carry on with the predictable formula.

Great characters with different motivations to the typical romance protagonists and a heap of sexual spark. But this ending up feeling a lot like every other small town romance for me. I'm always extra critical with romance however (I'm cold hearted) and I genuinely think so many people are going to love this. Emily Henry's writing has evolved so much since I read Beach Read, and this definitely has a more sophisticated feel to it than her previous adult romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Henry has done it again. The first chapter was a little too ‘self-aware, breaking the fourth wall, commenting on the tropes’ for my taste but that tone is more measured throughout the rest of the novel and didn’t bother me. Nora and Charlie are both ambitious, somewhat closed off and seen as ‘cold’ from other people. The banter between Nora and Charlie is perfect and sweet and so funny. I adored their relationship and I think they might be my favourite Emily Henry couple.

A great read for romance fans. If you liked either of Emily Henry’s other books or You Deserve Each Other then this is a definite recommend.

A frothy, silly, cute, sappy love story. Emily Henry is great at what she does; this unashamedly cheesy story made me gaze optimistically around my sweaty tube carriage this evening and wonder when *my* meet cute is going to happen. Anything that can dredge up any amount of hope on the Northern Line gets top marks from me.

I really enjoyed this story about Libby, a successful and hard working literary agent, who heads off on vacation with her sister to a small backwater town which was the setting of a famous book by one of her clients. The story of Libby’s emotional issues unfolds as she develops a love/hate relationship with a handsome local, who just happens to be a colleague in the publishing world.
This is my favourite kind of book which has humour, interesting characters and romance all rolled into one. I was definitely not disappointed!

MAKE THIS INTO A FILM IMMEDIATELY PLEASE!!!!!!! Believe me when I saw this is the best romantic comedy I have ever read - ever!!! And I do not say this easily. I was already a fan of Emily Henry’s work and already knew that she keeps getting better and better but this puts all her other work truly in the shade. It makes fun of all the tropes in romantic fiction and then uses them itself to create a funny, smart and heartwarming, genuine story of falling in love. The dialogue is whipsmart and banterous and completely realistic throughout. The backstories never feel like there are just there for drama or to add character or sentiment. And the chemistry between the sisters and then the two main romantic ‘leads’ is insane!!! I will not be reading romantic fiction for a while after this because there will be no point while this lives in my head……truly brilliant!