A five letter word for love
by Amy James
3⭐️

I had really high hopes for this book because it sounded like such a cute plot. I do not like it when the narrator/character talks directly to the reader, it happened a little too much and came off as cringey and unnecessary. The whole book was literally all tell and no show. I wish it a lot of the conversations could’ve actually happened on pag. I was trying to keep myself open but from the very beginning I just didn’t like Emily. I don’t do wordle and I don’t know anything about it other than it’s popularity in the last few years so I was intrigued in a wordle focused romance but Emily’s attitude was just weird and condescending. It rubbed me the wrong way how shocked she was that John does wordle on hard mode and might be smart? I get what the author was going for because for me discovering a man reads is the hottest thing a man can do and discovering he likes romances is even better but the way it was written here was kinda gross. Her attitude and judgement towards people never actually changes, she says it does and she apologizes to John for her prejudices but I never get the feeling that actual change happens. For the most part I liked John but again I feel like we needed more time with him as a character because a lot of the book is just summaries of what happened. I really wish this could’ve been different because I was really excited for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for this gifted arc!

“A Five Letter Word for Love” is a romance book by Amy James. This book follows 27 year old Emily, who is living in a small town, yet she dreams of living in a busy, bustling city. She works at an auto repair shop, doesn’t have a lot of friends, and dreams about her “dream job,” which changes all the time. The one consistency in her life is doing the NYTimes Wordle puzzle daily. My thoughts about this book - I had a difficult time really believing that Emily was 27. Maybe it was the pure lack of direction she had for part of the book, but something about being that unsure of “what I want to be when I grow up” drove me a bit crazy. I know - at the age of 27 I didn’t know what I wanted to be long-term, but I studied, I read, I researched, and eventually made the job I wanted appear. Emily does do this, but there was a lot of pie in the sky dreaming. Now, however, for the most part I did like Emily - she had some rather out there ideas, but I think in real life she’d drive me a bit bonkers. I didn’t really see how her “university group” added much to the overall story - they were more absent friends than helping the plot move along. I did like her romantic interest, John. He’s quiet, he’s introverted, and he conserves his energy when it comes to doing things (conversing comes to mind). This book was a bit predictable (conflict at the 75% mark - check!) but I cannot say that I didn’t enjoy the book - I just didn’t *love* the book. However, a shout out to the adorable cover and Ms. James for building a story around Wordle. I think if you like sweet romance stories with a female lead who isn’t quite sure what she wants to be when she grows up - yet does figure it all out - this might be a book for you to explore. Overall, 3.5 stars.

Big thanks to @NetGalley and @AvonBooks for this delightful ARC! 📚💕

Amy James truly nailed it with this adorable story, blending humor, romance, and a whole lot of heart. 💖 It’s one of those fun, easy reads that had me giggling, swooning, and reflecting all at once!

Our girl Emily might not be the easiest to love at first—seriously, who disses car lovers like that? 🚗😅 But John, the sweet and steady hero, completely stole the show. His kindness? Absolute perfection. 🥺✨

This book is a gem for anyone who's ever felt a little lost or unsure of their path. Emily's journey is so relatable, and her sweet moments with the elderly? Just chef’s kiss.

If you’re looking for something that’s cute, wholesome, and full of warm fuzzies, this one’s for you! ❤️

It was a good book, not really for me though it does have a happy ending. Thank you for letting me read this book.

This book was like a warm hug! I loved it! I loved the town, the characters, the lessons learned. I also really related to the couple. Emily reminded me of myself, and John reminded me of my own husband John! They complemented each other well, helped gently identify areas for improvement, and supported each other. This should be a series! I want more.

3.5 stars rounded up. I devoured this debut novel and felt so many emotions: laughter, annoyance, frustration, sadness. It ticked almost all of my boxes. However, there were a few things that are keeping this rating lower.
1. Emily was condescending and so entitled at times that it was beyond frustrating.
2. The chemistry between both characters felt both rushed and slow in the same breath. The chemistry also wasn’t really there for me.
3. There was a lot of telling for descriptions instead of showing and it didn’t really allow the mind to wander and create its own scene.

Things I loved:
1. Wordle
2. Emily’s clients
3. Kiara
4. John. Sweet, quiet, John.

I will definitely read this book again once published.

As a romcom lover and someone who never misses out on completing the daily Wordle, I knew I had to read A FIVE-LETTER WORD FOR LOVE! This was such a cute, creative premise for a story, and I was instantly excited to find out more. While I enjoyed following Emily's personal journey, I do feel like the book fell a little flat in terms of the romance. I think so many readers will be able to relate to Emily and her story—realizing you don't necessarily want a life that it feels like everyone else is living, discovering your true purpose and the things that bring you fulfillment, and just finding your footing in your 20s. So many aspects of what she went through definitely resonated with me! I also loved the quirky, sweet side characters and the Prince Edward Island setting, and wished we got even more descriptions of the town. However, I didn't connect to the romance between Emily and John as much, or fully see the chemistry between them. Overall, I think this book had so much potential, but felt like there could have been a bit more depth to certain areas! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

This was... fine. My absolute biggest gripe is two of the puzzles are done incorrectly. Which, when that's the hook line and sinker of the entire novel, maybe that shouldn't be the case! Hopefully it gets fixed before publication day. The romance was... fine. I didn't find Emily and John very nice together, personally. Also the narrator says 'like' a lot and I really needed her to just stop.

Empezó bien, pero conforme avanzaban los capítulos decayó la historia.



Emily trabaja como recepcionista en un taller mecánico, sin embargo, no le gusta su trabajo y está en la misión de encontrar la carrera de sus sueños. Hasta este punto lo estaba disfrutando porque podía simpatizar con su sentir, pero luego hizo un comentario que me hizo verla con otros ojos, dijo que John era un simple mecánico y que si el era feliz siendo eso, puesta bien por el, pero que ella quería ser más.

A lo largo del libro vemos como no disfruta de lo que tiene, siempre está pensando en lo que podría ser y envidiando a sus amigas de la universidad que tienen una buena vida.


Se aferra a que su sueño es ser curadora en uj museo, se gana una beca como pasante en NY y cuando está ahí descubre que no es feliz en ese lugar, que es "una chica de pueblo" y que debe regresar a su hogar. 🙄


Con el titulo uno pensaría que hay romance, pero este no tiene desarrollo, al terminar de leerlo sigo sin entender cuando se enamoraron o en que punto empeo a nacer el amor. Hay más participación y desarrollo de personajes que no aportan nada que John, el pobre es como un muñeco que está ahí cuando se necesita y ya.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader copy!

I think the best word to describe this book is "cute". The wordle involvement was both funny and cringey it made me giggle.

A mindless read but not very impactful.

I don't play wordle or crosswords, any of that- I overthink too much about it so when this book was available, I thought "what a cute idea". This was SO cute! I love a good debut novel.

This was a sweet romcom set in a small town. The characters were well written and they have really good chemistry. While this is a romance book the plot of this one is so unique with the incorporation of the Wordle game. I thought that was very cool and I love when books reflect the current time it's written in, because in a few years when I start feeling nostalgic for this time period, I know exactly what book to go to.

🟩🟨A Five Letter Word for Love🟨🟩
Let me just start out by saying I give this a 5/5 because I love wordle and a good little romance story!

Emily feels stuck, trying to navigate through life figuring out what she wants to do next in terms of career and potentially have an existing love life. The only consistent thing in her life just happens to be Wordle.

The writing was great and I was hooked from chapter one. I really enjoyed how this had current/up to date events referenced. I think it can resonate with a lot of people, in terms of dating/careers especially at the age of 27.

This book tells you it’s okay to be uncertain and it’s okay to want different things than your friends or where you’d thought you’d be at any age. The lessons in this book are something everyone could benefit from, no matter the situation.

I would definitely recommend this cute read! ✨
Thank you to @avonbooks and @harpervoyagerus for allowing me to review this ARC through @netgalley.

From the beginning pages of the book I appreciated the author’s writing style and delivery. The premise is unique, when a mutual friendship begins to slowly take form between two colleagues at an auto shop who seem to have absolutely nothing else in common. Slowly, their camaraderie over wordle day after day begins to provide a peak into each other’s thought process and personality.

The writing was fun, the premise entertaining and the romance was sweet. The main female character was a bit lost at times, unsure of her path moving forward and what she wanted out of life. It did take her some more time than I would’ve like for her to have figured it out, but she got there and this main male character was sweet and honestly himself throughout the story.

I especially enjoyed the way the main character enjoys spending time with elderly people in the community and seeing how she begins to develop her caretaking skills throughout the course of the book. The quirky barrel museum and Prince Edward Island setting (along with a leading lady who loves Anne of Green Gables) made this story fun and unique.

Many thanks to Avon and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this story. All thoughts are my own.

Emily aspires to a life beyond her role as a receptionist at a small-town auto shop on Prince Edward Island. While she plots her future, she plays Wordle every day, trying not to lose her streak.

When she discovers that her co-worker, John, a cute mechanic who’s always ignored her also enjoys the game, they slowly but surely become friends. Soon Emily and John begin to date, and she begins to make ties to the community.

But when she gets accepted into a prestigious internship in New York, she has to decide whether to pursue her long-held ambitions or remain in the town she has come to love, alongside the man who has captured her heart.

What starts off as a novel with a fun premise transforms into a richly told story about a young woman trying to find her place in the world and defining her own happiness.

Themes of growing up and growing older, personal growth, friendships and career are explored thoughtfully in this romance that's a cozy read in every sense of the word.

This heartfelt book will surely garner an enthusiastic following for debut author James.

Really cute small town romance novel. I loved the ongoing wordle game played, the simple banter between the couple, the simplicity of things when you find the right person.
This book made me want to check out wordle, check out PEI, have a Heath Ledger movie marathon and learn more about the Flex 3000 & Tirenator 4000 (lol).

I have a soft spot for older adults so I loved the older characters and their stories. Jim was sweetheart and I love how they mention him being ready since losing his wife.

Super cute book - I enjoyed it a lot. I did however find the FMC to be a tat snobbish, especially when it came to John and the simple life he chose and loved. I would've had the FMC begging a bit longer - not going to lie, but the fact that he bought the house made me so so so happy. Also, I would've outted Shelly to the historical society a long time ago - Em was too nice about it.

**Unable to post review on Amazon since the book has not been released yet**

Really cute and current. As a Wordle player I loved how the game was incorporated into the story. Love triumphs, of course!

As soon as I read the synopsis for this book I knew it was going to be for me.

This romance is fun, quirky, heartwarming and full to the brim with Wordle. I thought this was so cute and charming. I liked how everyday everything felt. It seemed realistic and relatable.

I enjoyed the romance. I found the love story to be sweet, even though Emily and John don't start off on the right foot. I liked their interactions. Their banter and sexual tension was good.

A delightfully charming debut!

This sweet tale flows like the start of a Taylor Swift album and ends with the tone of one. I was so pleasantly surprised to have inhaled this in one day. Romances are not really my thing and for me to actually fully enjoy one, it speaks measures. I think I have a new book bf!

“A Five Letter Word for Love” is a sweet and easy romance book. It follows Emily, a twentysomething in PEI trying to figure out what to do with her life. She connects with a coworker, who previously didn’t talk to her over Wordle. Yes, wordle. This love story is based on the online word puzzle game. I think it is cute how it is tied into Emily’s life and her relationship with John. I guess we all had moments in our twenties where we didn’t know what we were doing with our lives and unsure which decisions to make. I enjoyed going along for the ride with Emily, the people she met, and decsions made. This is drama-free and just a cozy romance/quarter-life crisis type of book.

Thank you NetGalley, Amy James, and Harper Collins for an advanced digital copy of this book