The vibe of the book was very informal, which I liked. I think given the, somewhat cringey, premise, the informal tone and the breaking of the fourth wall made it all feel cohesive. I also appreciated there not being any serious traumatic back story that is furthering the plot, and instead continued with the largely light story. I read this very quickly, and it was the perfect afternoon audiobook to listen to while I baked cookies. That being said, I thought the romance plot was generally lacking. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Emily and John, particularly because while I know John’s character was intended to be subdued, I instead found him to just not have a lot of depth. Some points when he was refusing to engage with Emily, instead of being shy or charming, instead came across as rude or uninterested. I would’ve loved a more indepth development of their relationship, and more of a focus on it, instead of the vast majority of the book being about Emily’s day to day at the museum.

That being said, I really loved all of the side characters of the story, and the town of Waldon. I also loved the random barrell museum, and it felt very reflective of the funky museums that rural small towns have.

Overall I would definitely read a book by this author again, as it was a very easy, light book.

I honestly just didn’t like this story. Emily was an entitled brat and I know this was meant to be about her growth and figuring out what she wants but I honestly just could not back up any of her decisions.

John was a great blue collar representation of a man who loves his job and doesn’t feel lesser than for being blue collar and I loved that.

Ultimately the big decision in the book just pissed me off and left me with no respect for Emily at all.

If it were up to me, she would not have gotten her HEA.

⭐️

This was a sweet, quick read despite falling a little flat on the “romance”. This felt more like a slice of life/self discovery journey not so much a romance novel as the relationship felt like a secondary plot point. The setting was cute and the supporting characters were fun. It made me laugh out loud a couple times.

1/5 🌶️ one brief open door scene with minimal detail.

🏠 small town romance
💞 slow burn
🚗 workplace romance

Thanks to Avon for an early reader copy!

Cute. Just cute.

Emily is working as a receptionist at an auto shop, it’s not her dream job, but it’s a job. She’s on a WORDLE streak and making improvements to her world everyday. Enter in not unattractive coworker John who also does WORDLE…

If you’re looking for a character to like and root for and a love story to go “awwww” to this is the story for you.

Thank you AVON and Harper voyager and NetGalley for the ARC.

Twenty something Emily is looking for her dream job. She doesn’t know what it is, but she knows it’s going to be in a big city doing great things.

For now, she’s the receptionist at an auto body shop in a small town. Her friends from university have all found their dream jobs and have families. Her new friends are geriatrics, who she starts helping out as a side hustle.

One thing she is consistent with is her daily Wordle. She’s in a streak and she’s determined to get to 365 days. Another thing also consistent is her contempt for her grumpy coworker John. They have a mutual dislike for each other, until they find something common. Wordle.

Emily is slowly finding her place and working towards happy. All she needs to decide is where is she the happiest.

I enjoyed this book. The story kept a great pace. The characters are likable. The banter is real and fun. The story is a slow burn that doesn’t fizzle out.

3.5 - Cute little story. I think the character building in it was its weakest point, especially regarding the MMC. In single-POV romance books the author needs to work extra hard to make the other character feel complete and complex; this story struggled to make me care about John. I did think they were adorable together.

I never want to see or hear the word “Wordle” ever again after this book…

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley!

This was… not for me. I am so disappointed because I am an avid Wordle/NYT games player and was really hoping for something fun and sweet and romantic and this was just annoying and boring. Emily is far too naive to be as judgemental as she is and John Smith is as flat and one dimensional as his name would suggest.

I’m so tired of bumbling FMCs in their mid to late twenties who are just absolutely clueless. I understand being at a loss for what to do with one’s life and feeling overwhelmed by the lack of direction at that age - it happens to us all - but paired with her childish inner monologue and high horse attitude I could not find it in myself to feel any sympathy for her. And John is literally that meme of “is he my Mr. Darcy or is he just mean to me”. At every chance he gets he tells Emily how weird she is and makes fun of her interests (in his defense it’s well deserved) and their chemistry seemed to come solely from proximity and being the only single people under 65 in their town.

The Wordle aspect was obnoxious. Emily plays like a maniac with no method to her madness. Also the words always being so simple like HAPPY and SCARF lead me to believe the author was not around when KNOLL and PARER were the solutions.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All of the opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I liked that this story is written from Emily’s point of view, like she is having a conversation with the reader. I laughed and cheered with her and for her as the story progressed. I liked the small-town, friends becoming more like family vibe of this book. I appreciated how everything came together, and the author did seem to leave everything open enough for there to be a follow-up. If there is, I would enjoy reading more of Emily and John’s story.

I enjoyed A Five-Letter Word for Love by Amy James. It was a quick read and lighthearted. While there was some romance, the intimate scenes took place behind closed doors. Though Emily was a bit too friendly/polite for me at times (I'm not that patient), I appreciated her questioning if where she was in life was where she was meant to be. I found her to be relatable when the reader (and her friends) knew she should do one thing, but she chose another. We have all been there, or know someone who has. The Wordle references throughout the story were fun and was something different. While Emily's university friends did nothing for me, I enjoyed the in person friends she had and thought their characters were great.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy for me to read.

Read this book if you like:
✧ Slow Burn
✧ Small-Town Romance
✧ Workplace Romance
✧ Shared Hobby
✧ Opposites Attract
✧ Self-Discovery
✧ Eccentric Side Characters
✧ Clean Romance

Though the book is marketed as a romance, it felt more of a women's fiction which dealt in self-discovery of the main character. Emily was irritating for me and I just wanted to skim and skip her monologues and thoughts penned down. This book is not a pick if you are looking for full blown romance but it was entertaining if you are love wordle and small town stories.

I have picked this one up twice and not been able to really get into it. The FMC, Emily, is written with a lot of monologue/dialogue describing things and I grew tired of 'listening' to her as she set up the scene and story. I am an avid word puzzler so I thought the Wordle angle would be fun but the challenge of integrating it into the romantic storyline was just clumsy for me.
Thanks so much for the ARC and the opportunity to read this one.

happy belated pub day to this lovely book! it was a terrific read. i enjoyed it so much. the premise was cute, abd the story itself lived up to everything i wanted. also, can we talk about the cover?! i need this book on my shelves if only for the cover! 😍

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a review as well as Goodreads for the physical copy.

This was a cute and easy read. I did laugh out loud a few times.

There are a few things I felt like could be different/better. I felt like the build up to their relationship could have more. I feel like while you knew she had feelings there were no initial signs from John.

I know this book is about WORDLE but I didn't realize how much it was about WORDLE haha. I didn't mind it though.

Overall, this was a cute read but not one of my favorites.

An adorable concept for the basis of a sweet romance story! Emily isn’t sure what she wants to do with her life, but her one constant is her 300+ day streak solving the Wordle puzzle. But when she has only one guess left and no clue what the answer is, she turns to her grumpy coworker John, who helps her discover the answer and continue her streak. The pair quickly bond over the daily Wordle puzzle, become friends, and start to wonder if there could be more between them than words.

This quick romance read was fun from start to finish! I adored Emily and John as they both tried to find their way in the world and in the hopes that their chosen paths would keep them together.

Read this one if you like grumpy/sunshine, small town romance, workplace romance, found family, and stories about finding yourself.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author Amy James and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

*“A Five Letter Word for Love”* by Amy James is a charming debut that follows 26-year-old Emily Evans, who’s living in a cozy house on Prince Edward Island while working as a receptionist at Martin Auto. Emily dreams of a creative career in a big city like London or New York, but for now, she’s stuck in a small town with a job that doesn’t quite match her ambitions. Her life consists of watching Heath Ledger movies, playing Wordle, and occasionally caring for her elderly next-door neighbor. When she gets to know John, a quiet mechanic who shares her Wordle obsession, their unexpected connection leads to a sweet romance. Despite her plans to leave, Emily finds herself volunteering at the local museum and coming up with ideas to bring in visitors, with John offering his help. Though Emily initially seems a bit self-absorbed, she proves to be kind-hearted, creative, and full of initiative. While the story is fairly predictable, the journey to a happy ending is delightful, with well-drawn characters and plenty of heart. Amy James’ debut is a heartwarming, feel-good read, and I’ll be eager to see more from this author in the future.

This review is from an ARC provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia.

This was not a book I found myself invested in. It would have worked better as a novella or short story.

3 Stars A Five Letter Word for Love has a really cute premise which initially drew me in. Emily and her coworker John strike up an unlikely romance after bonding over a shared love of completing the New York Times daily Wordle game. This is a light and easy read. I wasn’t a huge fan of either main character and they seemed to be lacking some depth. But overall it was a fine read.

So cute. A little slow on the start but honestly I couldn’t put it down. Emily’s rose-colored glasses on life and her pursuit of a dream job gives her storyline a fun and fast-paced spin. The Wordle tie-in was also a cute addition. Her romance was sweet. More women’s fic than romance. Low on spice.

A great read. Emily meets Jack when she is living on Prince Edward Island, working as a receptionist in the garage where he works. They bond over wordle and soon it leads to more, but can she be happy with what has now? Great setting.

📖🎉 Pub Day Book Review

📱 A Five Letter Word for Love
By @amyjamesbooks
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🔠Wordle
😡Grumpy coworker
👨🏻‍🔧car mechanic
💵Career uncertainty
💫Leaving to follow dreams
🏡Small town love
🇨🇦 Canada
💁🏻‍♂️He falls first
🐟 fish
🛢️ barrel museum
🗽 New York
🔥 slow burn

This book was a cute small town romance set in Canada. I absolutely loved the community in this book. Also, It made me pick up Wordle again. Read this for a quick, easy feel good romance. It’s out today so go grab your copy!

Thank you @netgalley @amyjamesbooks and @avonbooks for this Advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

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