3.25/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Amy James for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love the cute cover!
This was an easy to read contemporary fiction. Is it even a romance too tho lol? This book was a good palate cleanser for me since I mostly have been reading romantasy, fantasy and horror books these past weeks. The book could’ve honestly been shorter tho based on the premise.

Emily (FMC) is a soft cinnamon roll. I can definitely relate to her cos I’ve gone through not knowing what I want in life while trying to dream big at the same time (which I’m sure most of us have gone through). John (MMC) is alright, not really my type of grumpy. He’s just meh lol I don’t really see the chemistry between them. Definitely such a slow-burn romance it could’ve been nonexistent. Felt like Emily just settled for him cos she’s in close proximity by working with him, lives in a small town and doesn’t meet many guys her age lol

The story is mainly about Emily finding herself and what truly makes her happy despite all the imaginations she’ll have of what her future can be. Very Hallmark-y! I recommend if you're looking for a light read!

#AFiveLetterWordforLove #NetGalley

No. I’m sorry, but no.

Thank you to Netgalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me the opportunity to read this. Unfortunately, I read the whole thing.

The premise of the book is super cute. Emily is a receptionist at a car shop in a small town dreaming of a city life. She meets John, a mechanic who works at the shop, and they develop a friendship and later a relationship by completing the Wordle (a NYT game) together daily. Cute, sure.

This book is definitely trying to give grumpy-sunshine but instead it comes off as sociopath with zero emotions meets delusional hyperactive teen girl. The book is narrated entirely by the FMC so you have to live in this girl Emily’s head the ENTIRE time and it’s exhausting. The MMC doesn’t string together more than 5 words for about 56% and you’re just supposed to believe they start dating & fall for each other so hard they’re sleeping over each other’s house? There is absolutely no chemistry between the characters, nothing.

Not to mention, there is far too much focus on Emily finding “the right career” that there are literally no pivotal moments that could have made the romance more believable. VOLUNTEERING AT A BARREL MAKING MUSEUM??? The book is just outright boring and has random topics everywhere. Barrel Making?? How can I believe this woman has time to take care of 5 different elderly people while still being able to keep a job as a receptionist and volunteer at a museum? Also, Barrel Making???

I can sit here and slam this book further but I’ve already wasted enough of my time. I’m sorry. Nah. The best part of the book was when I deleted it from my Kindle.

4.5⭐️s. Coming December 3rd!! Need something sweet and real in your romance novel. Look no further than this gem. Sometimes when things are easy and simple, it’s just what you need to be fulfilled.

Emily feels like there is so much more out there. Stuck in a basic reception job at the local auto shop, she dreams of big and better things. Her biggest goal is to keep up her streak of Wordle. It always seems to relate to her life in some way. But one day she has one guess less and can’t figure it out. John is her only option for help. However, he’s less than chatty. Down right stoic. Little does Emily know that this will be the start of something she never expected.

Emily and John begin to talk at work and that leads to texting. Then she’s going on a date with him and meeting his family. But just when things are great between them, Emily’s dream opportunity becomes a reality. Read to find out whether she chooses the dream or John.

Thank you to @netgalley @avonbooks and @amyjamesbooks for the advanced reader copy. #afiveletterwordforlove #amyjames #netgalley #arcreader #advancedreadercopy #bookstagram

Title: A Five-Letter Word for Love
Author: Amy James
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: December 3, 2024

I received a complimentary eARC from Avon and Harper Voyager via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Wholesome • Muddled • Encouraging

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Twenty-seven-year-old Emily doesn’t have a lot going well in her life right now. She dreams of a creative career but works as a receptionist in an auto shop. She longs for big city life but lives in a small town on Prince Edward Island. She craves a close group of friends but is stuck with irritating, car-obsessed coworkers.

What Emily does have is a 300+ day streak on the New York Times Wordle. But one day, with only one guess left and no clue what the answer is, she’s forced to turn to one of her irritating, car-obsessed coworkers, John, for help—and in doing so, realizes that he might not be so irritating after all.

As they make their way, word by word, toward a 365-day streak, Emily is drawn into a surprising romance that will take her outside of her comfort zone—and challenge everything she thought she knew about happiness, success, and love.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Wordle took the world by storm in December 2021 and it's no surprise someone would eventually use the simple word game as the focus of a rom-con. I was one of the people who instantly added A Five-Letter Word for Love to my TBR without even reading the synopsis, but simply based on the Wordle aspect. It was an added bonus when I found out it was Canadian author Amy James' debut novel.

What a fun and charming idea! I absolutely adore the concept of two MCs bonding over Wordle and it worked perfectly for this work place romance. Their relationship develops slowly and then all at once, which didn't necessarily make sense. It's a story of self-discovery, of Emily finding her own personal happiness. And I thought the ways in which John shows up for her time and time again were heartfelt and genuine. The wholesome small town PEI setting, the Anne of Green Gables references, the museum gig, the impromptu caregiving, and the community were a few of the elements that drew me in. In fact, some of the unlikely relationships that develop outside of the romance were even better than the romance itself.

Despite adoring so many aspects, there were some major plot holes (particularly timing issues) that I couldn't ignore The inconsistencies are often subtle, but for anyone paying attention they stand out like glaring red lights. Emily's character could have used some fine tuning - she often felt like two different characters at various points. Additionally, the ending was entirely predictable and felt a little too happily ever after.

A Five-Letter Word for Love is a difficult book to review - I loved the idea, the small town setting, and the characters (including the side cast), yet there were many issues with the execution and some much needed editing would have helped. It was a cute, light-hearted read from a debut Canadian author I'd be willing to read more from.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• small towns
• unlikely friendships
• Wordle

⚠️ CW: death, death of partner, child death, cancer, injury/injury detail, medical content, misogyny, sexual content, pregnancy, alcohol,

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Life is only as complicated as you make it."

"There were thousands of things I wanted to do, I'm sure. But you can't do everything you want to do in life."

First, I want to thank NetGalley for an early arc of this book! I enjoyed this book so much. The Grumpy x Sunshine trope always works on me. Emily is wanting her “dream job” and will do anything to try to achieve it. She works as a receptionist in an auto shop where she tries to figure out the broody man, John. When she finds out that he plays Wordle too, she’s over the moon. This book is more than a romance. It discusses a topic about how important to find what you love to do, even if it’s working in a museum!!

One of the standout features of this book is the characters' shared interest in Wordle. Their conversations about the game add a delightful and relatable element to the story, showcasing their personalities and deepening their bond. It's a unique touch that sets this book apart, making it a fun and modern read.

Overall, this book is a must-read. It’s a perfect blend of romance, humor, and contemporary culture.

DNF'ed at 33%

I think this book is definitely for someone, that someone just isn't me! I had some big issues with the amount of internal monologuing we get from the FMC. Additionally, the lack of characterization of the MMC and just general lack of friendly interactions between the two of them really didn't get me hooked in this story.

Also, I think an issue I have plot wise, is that the FMC isn't completely new to the town when the story kicks off, she's been there for a bit of time. However, with that in mind, her switch up to finally getting involved in the community felt a little out of nowhere. I do wish I would have enjoyed this more though because it has a cute cover and I love Wordle.

I don’t make a habit of reviewing books that I DNFd but I needed to share this. On page four of this book the author wrote that Emily got a fifty day streak by getting the word BOWLS on Wordle. BOWLS has never been the answer before. BOWLS is not a possible answer in the game. Words that are made plural by adding -S or -ES are not options in the game.
The audacity to have your novel be inspired by a game and then get it wrong on PAGE FOUR.
At this point I had seen some negative comments from a friend also reading the book and came and read other reviews (they’re not great…) and made the decision to DNF. This is truly the pettiest DNF of my life but it is what it is. I didn’t even finish the first chapter.

Emily is a twenty-something living on Prince Edward Island. Her life is quiet and small and she feels like she's destined for a greater or bigger life. However, at the moment, she rents a house from a couple who live in Arizona in a very small town, and is working as a secretary at an auto shop. Her biggest thrill is her 300+ day Wordle streak. All of her friends from college have seemed to move on with their lives without her (and all of them live far away from each other).

Honestly, I didn't find Emily to be a compelling character at all. She was judgmental, expected so much to happen just because, and her inner monologue drove me nuts. She came off as very naive and I wanted to just shake her a bunch of times. This was billed as a romance but her relationship with John didn't have any emotional build up. He was just quiet and didn't say anything to her and then one day he did. They had a connection because he also played Wordle. And John was never really fleshed out as a character. So when they got together, I wasn't really invested. There weren't any steamy sex scenes so it was a very tamed "romance." In fact, it felt more like a coming of age story.

Emily gets an internship at the Met in NYC and also is accepted to a master's program at NYU so she moves to New York. This results in her and John breaking up. He says that she can't do it all (she wants to be a caregiver, run the barrel museum in town, go to New York for an internship and grad school). She wants to at least try and they break up because their lives won't fit together. He wants to stay in the small town. There is also a lot of discussion about a dream job. John winds up staying and getting his dream job (and dream house) while Emily goes to New York. While there, she realizes she wants to be back in the small town and being with the people she cares about. This was all a matter of maybe a month.

Surprise, she returns home and gets back together with John. He actually bought the house she had been renting and they get back together.

I'm probably being a bit too cynical about the story. It was perfectly fine. I did read that this was the author's debut novel so maybe her next works will be better. Rounded up from 2.5 to give this book 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins (through BookClubGirl) for the ARC.

A Five-Letter Word for Love by Amy James is a charming romance that captures the fun of Wordle and the thrill of an unlikely connection. Emily, stuck in a rut at her auto shop receptionist job, clings to her impressive Wordle streak as a bright spot in her daily routine. But when she finds herself one guess short, she reluctantly turns to her grumpy coworker, John, who—surprise, surprise—is also a Wordle player. Their teamwork quickly shifts from prickly exchanges to a warm partnership as they aim for a year-long streak together.

John’s gruff exterior hides a surprising depth, and as they banter their way through tricky five-letter puzzles, Emily starts to see a softer side to him that changes everything. Their slow-burn romance, shaped by a shared love for Wordle, challenges her dreams and ideas about love and happiness in ways she never expected. If you’re a Wordle fan or love a romance with heart and humor, this story will leave you grinning from cover to cover!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

This book was such a cute and quick read! I was hooked from the start honestly.

I really enjoyed the Wordle aspect and how it drew the main characters together.

Emily did annoy me slightly but overall I feel like she found herself and realized what matters in life.
John was so sweet and he also grew and realized what he really wanted for himself. Emily and John were cute together and their relationship shows that opposites do attract.

Would definitely recommend to other romance readers!
Thank you to Avon Publishing and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was okay for me. I love the wordle concept (perfect for the craze). However, that was about the only thing that really stood out to me. I personally found the characters written a bit young for their age. I found mind wandering quite a bit, just lacked that special spark.

Overall I thought the book was cute. The only thing I did not like was that the way the book read as If Emily was talking to us or writing in her journal. I loved John, that he wasn't written like most guys. He was someone who was happy were he was and knew that with Emily that he could be even more happy. I loved when they got together the book really started to pick up at that point for me. Emily she took to grow on me, because she just kept thinking that she needed the next best thing that she couldn't really see what she had right in front of her. When she made that decision to go to New York and not stay with John I wanted to scream!! I though it was creative to take a very popular word game and make that the one thing that these two character had in common and that everything else just worked. It also show the realism of how people fall out of your life and how new one find you. I would defiantly recommended this book to any one who like the modern romance.

This is a solid debut, with a compelling character arc and evocative themes. But this is not a Romance. (Nor is it, despite the title, about crossword puzzles. But I digress…)

Yes, there is a relationship arc, with its own conflicts and a HEA/HFN. But the character growth is not inextricably intertwined with the romance. So, if you are the type of reader who knows what “HEA/HFN” means without thinking about it, you may be disappointed.

What this is, though, is one of the most accurate depictions of ADHD I’ve ever encountered. The ARC didn’t include an author’s note, so I’m not sure if it was intentional or not. But Emily’s hyperfixations, imposter syndrome, and existential analysis paralysis worked together to paint a portrait of someone stuck in Standby Mode because she doesn’t know where to devote her energies.

The small-town setting coupled with this dream of having a Dream really drive home the sense of isolation and loneliness Emily feels at the beginning of the story. Watching her slowly find and make her own happiness where she thought there was none to be found was fun and sweet and, ultimately, super satisfying.

John–Emily’s love interest, coworker and fellow Wordle enthusiast–is not grumpy so much as he’s not a fan of small talk and doesn’t suffer fools. I liked him a lot and think he and Emily’s personalities balanced each other out. I also really appreciated that he didn’t play games or compromise on his clearly stated values.

There's a diverse cast of other supporting characters, with varying levels of nuance and dimensionality.

The beginning was a bit info-dumpy and the first-person narration starts off overly conversational. But the author's voice settled down once the story got going and Emily’s voice and perspective could develop through dialogue.

Using Wordle to bring the two love interests together was a really cute idea and well-executed overall. I will say that I found it a bit distracting when Emily was in the middle of figuring out that day’s puzzle while also moving along through the story. And it was incredibly frustrating when she wasted guesses on inefficient words because they were topical to her day. But, that’s probably my ADHD talking.

All in all, highly recommend. So long as you're not looking for a Romance.

Perfect RomCom for those who love the game Wordle

Super cute RomCom that is great for a palate cleanser. It’s not too much substance but it kept my attention the entire book. I did not realize that I was speeding through this book since it’s so easy to read.

Most of the side characters are lovable and really add to the storyline. There are some tug on your heart string parts.

I did not like the ending though. I do not want to spoil it but I want a rewrite 🤣

Also this book was a daily reminder for me to play my Wordle map everyday.

🔺Coworkers
🔺Grumpy / Sunshine
🔺Small Town
🔺 3rd Act Break Up

Genre: RomCom
APK: Ebook
Pages: 364
Audio Length:
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone

The idea behind this book and the cover are very cute, and that’s why I requested it from NetGalley. Unfortunately, that’s the only positive things I have to say about it. I don’t usually rate DNFs, but this was so bad that I really want to warn people. So many things are completely unbelievable. That in a group of 27 year old college-educated women, 3/4 of them are settled in marriage/career, never mind one of them having 3 (THREE!!) kids. A woman with a chemistry degree taking a job as a garage receptionist and being able to afford a house on whatever that pays.

Beyond that, the only obvious choice for the MMC was not interesting and the conceit of the wordle streak was overplayed within the first two chapters of the book. But what really sealed the deal for me was when the FMC goes on a date and supposedly has no idea what a chemical engineer does. I was a chemistry major for two years and then switched to biochemistry. There is no way that she would not have any idea what a chemical engineer does.

I feel badly because authors work hard on their craft and it is hard to put things out into the world, but this needs some intense editing, if not rewrites. It feels like a money grab based on the cute wordle cover.

As a lover of romance and someone who is very, very proud of her Wordle streak, I was immediately enticed by the blurb of this book. While it was ultimately a little too juvenile and shallow for me, I can absolutely see this author’s potential.

”Then, in the morning, I’m going to dismantle this beautiful dream.”

as someone who adores all the nyt games, especially wordle, i found this to be so adorkable.

Emily is idealist who is desperately trying to find the "perfect" career and build the "perfect" life for herself. But when she and her coworker John bond over their love of Wordle, she starts second guessing if the "perfect" life is truly out their somewhere, or if it's right here in this small tourist town.

Emily and John were incredibly relatable characters; daydreaming, considering career options, and thinking of all of the "what its?" you might miss out on in life. They had quirks and flaws that made them so charming. I wish it had been dual pov though, because i got annoyed with some of Emily's internal dialogue. That girl is a bit delulu at times (but we love it).

TROPES:
opposites attract
small town
forced proximity
workplace romance

Out 12/3/24

I absolutely LOVED this book. First off, I've actually recently become obsessed with Wordle, so reading a romance centered around it was SO fun. Our FMC, Emily, is trying to find her way in life after graduating with a "safe" degree that doesn't quite fulfill her dreams. She envisions herself living in the big city doing big things, but for now, she's a receptionist at an auto shop, working with coworkers like John, quiet/attractive/car obsessed. Emily's also on a Wordle streak of over 300 days. One day, she and John bond over their shared love of the game, and that's where their friendship starts to bloom.

I LOVED Emily, I thought she was so funny and relatable. She was a ball of sunshine and I think John, being more calm and shy, was the perfect match for her.

One of the aspects I loved most of this book was Emily's interactions with the elderly characters in this story. The intergenerational friendships were so heartwarming and added a sweet touch. The side characters were so SWEET especially Jim.

The reason this is 4 stars instead of a 5 is because I wish there were a deeper exploration of Emily's relationships with her college friends and into John's character. I think he could've been fleshed out a bit more. Overall, though, this was sweet, fast-paced, and satisfying.

This was such a cute read!! I wasn’t sure what this book was going to be about but I found that I really connected to Emily feeling a bit lost in her life. She’s graduated and looking for her purpose but in the meantime, working a job to keep busy and make some money. I found her very relatable especially when it came to her silly daydreams about what it would be like to do certain things. I also loved her obsession with Wordle! Her streak was something very important to her and something that was within her control which was important to her. I also loved John! I knew from the very first description of their interactions that she was going to fall for him! He’s the perfect calm to her high energy. I also love that he never tried to change her. If anything he allowed her to be her silly weird self and loved that about her. The bond they have over wordle just proves that you can’t judge a book by its cover! This was such a cute silly little romance and I would definitely recommend

I was initially drawn to this book because before there was Wordle, there was Words with Friends and my husband and I actually exchanged phone numbers through that app as we played it in college. Now, we play Wordle, so I just thought it would be something I’d enjoy.

It was a sweet story line and I liked the idea of the book, but overall it fell a little flat for me. I loved the grumpy x sunshine trope, but honestly, the FMC felt like that friend that continues to talk and really doesn’t say much and you just shake your head politely. The MMC was a little dull, but I thought eventually he came around.

It’s not a book that I would re read and I definitely felt my mind drift off while reading it, but it was a cute/easy read.

I know this is the debut for this author and feel it is great in that aspect. If you like slow burn, small-town romance, and grumpy x sunshine, then I would think it’s worth checking out!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Avon Books for the eARC they gave me in exchange for my honest review.