This wasn’t my cup of tea. Emily came across as a snob and it was hard for me to overlook that. And once I was put out with her, it was hard to enjoy the book.

My favorite part of a book is that AH HA moment when the book title is mentioned in the plot and everything comes together. In the book, A Five Letter Word for Love that AH HA moment never happens. The book starts out slow and honestly does not get better until the very end. I’m the beginning, we are introduced to our main character Emily, she is the epitome of a ditsy snob who has no concept of reality or the real world. I get that the book revolves around her obsession with Wordle but that is not ALL the book is about. We are first introduced to her Wordle obsession and the fact that she thinks her coworker is stupid. Spoiler she thinks this man is stupid and later falls in love with him what a romantic story NOT. You’re telling me this man works with her for a year and all of a sudden becomes interested because he sees her playing Wordle in the break room? Not likely. Emily is that one person that peaked in high school and is stuck there thinking she is all that and a bag of chips when in reality she is not. She is a 27 year old with no direction thinking she has to do something amazing with her life yet she is still trying to drag her “friends” from college into her life by still texting them in a group chat that she eventually realizes that none of them want to be in. Girl you graduated college like 5 years ago. LEAVE THEM BE. Back to John the hot coworker, Emily admits in her internal dialogue to immediately being attracted to John when she first started there a YEAR ago and stalking him on Facebook. John straight up tells her multiple times during the book that she is weird and it is overlooked as something endearing and that she is eccentric. With the way both Emily and John are portrayed, her obsessing over everything and John’s disinterest in mostly everything besides cars it made me believe the author was trying to suggest that one of them has autism but I wasn’t sure which. Emily admits that she does not really have any friends and no wonder because she has a bad attitude and a not great personality. There are a bunch of parts in the book that just don’t make sense. Emily stated she didn’t want wealthy and status she just wanted happiness and purpose after she already stated she wanted to make $100,000 a year. Then in Chapter 14, it starts with Emily at her neighbors house at 11:45AM trying to get her to take her medicine and when she won’t Emily goes to the museum for her shift. While at the museum, John texts Emily to ask her if she wants a coffee and the text is time stamped 11:24AM, did we just go back in time? When asking people what makes a great relationship they mention certain things and then BAM John does them. Emily is definitely not the brightest crayon in the box when at the event she wants to put a paper chain decoration on a dang grill and another character has to tell her it is not a good idea because it is flammable. There are multiple instances where it seems like Emily is attracted to girls and makes comments about dating and being with them and this seemed very pointless to the plot as nothing ever happens between Emily and another woman. “Heart fizzy” is another thing the author came up with that was annoying. Part of this book talks about a character hiring her daughter at the museum as a nepo hire. This makes me feel like Amy James knew someone at the publishing company because I really want to know who read the manuscript for this book and was like “yeah! Let’s print this book!” I am sorry this book is just so terrible and I have no idea who thought it was a good idea to publish this.

Please note I received an ARC of this book and noticed multiple issues with the formatting and some of the dialogue that I am hoping have been corrected before publication. I had to force myself to get through this book. This is my honest review, unfortunately it may be harsh but my review is my honest opinion.

I absolutely adored this book. To me, this book really was more than a cute, cozy small town rom-com. I also really loved this FMC. I think that me being 26 and reading this book while actively going through very similar struggles to Emily, I related SO MUCH to this book. The use of wordle throughout this book was also really adorable, when I first started I was unsure how it would make me feel, but I really think it added something special throughout the book. I also really enjoyed how “normal” John was. He seemed like more of a background character while we went through life with Emily and I loved how “real life” their romance felt. I do think if you go into this book looking for a romance you may be underwhelmed, but I enjoyed this book so much, and it was more for Emily as a character and less for the romance aspects. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends, and I look forward to going out to get a physical copy when this book comes out on December 3, 2024.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Amy James, and Harper Collins for sending me this ARC.

I felt like I needed to read this at exactly the time I did.

This really didn’t work for me. Emily came across as incredibly shallow and, frankly, rude. It made it difficult to root for her. Also, many of the side characters were pretty one-dimensional.

I absolutely and completely adored this book. Words I would use to describe it are: funny, cute, cozy, emotionally devastating….you know, the usual. This story made me laugh out loud, it gave me butterflies and it made me actually hyperventilate cry (ask Danielle and Taylor).
It seemed like just a cute little rom-com with a fun and cute cover, but this was so much more than that. Truly I was not expecting for my emotion button to be punched the amount of times that it was…

Emily (fabulous name) is our MC and it’s written from her POV. I really loved her as a character - and not just because of her wonderful name - I could relate to her and the way her brain operates. Because like me, she too rambles in random tangents and tells multiple little stories before getting to the point of her original story. The banter she has with her love interest John, is written well. I thought the way the pacing of how their relationship developed was done so well! I often feel like these days there isn’t enough time spent on those little moments or those little details that might seem small but are actually so pivotal in the evolution of the characters relationships.
I really wish we could get a book or heck even a couple of chapters from John’s POV because good lord…I really, exponentially wish I knew what is going on in that head of his.
I also became really attached to some of the side characters 🥹. They really make the story what it is.

The way Wordle played the role it did in the story is such a cute and fun element. Some people might find it silly or whatever but it became so much more than a silly word game to these characters - and it’s actually relevant in current events. Obviously this story isn’t just about a word game. It’s about chasing your dreams and holding out hope that one day you will get everything you want. That you end up happy. It showed the struggles and feelings of self doubt that so many people go through while trying to find the right path for themselves. And it beautifully showed how sometimes your path isn’t what you thought it would be, but through life’s twists and turns, trials and errors, you discover where your true passions lie and what is most important to be happy.

If you love funny, cute, cozy and emotionally devastating books, you will love this one! I can’t recommend it enough.
It will be out on December 3rd of this year and you should definitely consider picking up or downloading a copy!

A big thank you to NetGalley and publisher Avon and Harper Voyager for exchanging this free ebook for my honest review.

This book is fabulous. I was giggling and kicking my feet from the first page until the last! It reads as though Emily, the main character, is telling you this story over mimosas at brunch as if you’re best friends. It is only written from Emily’s POV - which is fine - but I wish it had been a dual POV with John! Hearing his side of things would’ve added more substance and I feel like the maybe the end as a little rushed.. but I still enjoyed it and still think yall should read it! Also makes me want to go do Wordle and visit a museum…

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying this book did not immediately suck me in, but I'm glad I stuck ot out. The writing in the first few chapters felt like when you're trying to look at a recipe online and the person is just monologuing their life story. Like COME ON, GET TO THE POINT. But then it seems like she hit her stride, and the tone changed. It was less someone speaking at me and more a great story unfolding.

I did not care for John at first. This is a one person point of view - our FMC, Emily. So we don't really get to flesh out how John feels and thinks and why he is how he is. But it honestly works.

This book is a great telling of a young woman trying to find her place in life and struggling to be happy. And we have all been there. The relationship between her and John buds slowly over playing Wordle together. Which is an interesting concept.

This book is minimal spice, so don't come in expecting a Canadian dom. I would definitely say it isn't one I would have chosen normally, but it was a great read overall.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the arc! All opinions are my own.

Are you part of the Wordle trend? Our FMC, Emily definitely is! Emily isa 27 year old in small town Canada, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. Her only constant is her wordle streak. Emily is on a mission to find her dream job but is currently a receptionist for an auto shop. Our MMC, John, is a mechanic at the shop and is a very quiet, plain guy. This book delves into their relationship, as well as Emily’s relationships with others, i.e. her college friends, and friends around town. All of this goes on while Emily is keeping her wordle streak going.

I gave this book 3.5 stars out of 5. I really want to give it a higher ranking because I like the concept so much (for me it's like looking in a mirror almost because I’m an Emily who is 27 and having a life crisis and loves wordle!). I just couldn’t get over how much John just didn’t add anything to the story. He was just so plain. I was reading the book and asking myself, “does he even like Emily?”. He got a little better as the book got along but it really dragged it down for me. That being said, I did like the book and if you also like wordle and a sweet romance story you should give it a try.

Having enjoyed playing Wordle form occasionally, I had high expectations going into this because the concept seemed fresh and intriguing. Sadly, I found this book to be a little underwhelming.

The romance didn't make me enjoy this book at all, and the plot was quite dull and rapidly became repetitive, so I was bored most of the time. The main characters lacked development and were quite irritating and immature. The character gave off the impression of being in high school rather than being in their 20s. I can't recall the last time I became so irritated with MCs!

I liked the Wordle part of the book. The way that MC sought to incorporate the word into her life made her fascination with it very humorous.

Overall, this book was just not for me.

This might be the best book of 2024!!!
A Five Letter Word for Love tells the story of Emily, a young woman who dreams of having a creative career but works as a receptionist in an auto-shop andJohn, a grumpy mechanic. As Emily explores different careers and learns more about herself, the readers embark in a wonderful story of passion, choices and living a fulfilling life.
I LOVED all of the side characters and how much joy and wisdom they brought to the book. I LOVED that John made choices for himself and Emily made choices for herself and each of them created a life that brought them happiness.
Every twenty-something year old should read this book - it is a fun romance but it is so much more! it is a story about making choices and sticking to them, it is about accepting that there are many wonderful lives you can live and you get the joy of picking one!

What I liked: As an avid fan, I loved the Wordle Puzzle aspect of the plot.

What I disliked: The story reads more as a coming of age story than a romance, as the main characters have no magnetism.

A Five-Letter Word for Love sounded super cute, and I loved the incorporation of Wordle, but I just didn't end up loving this one as much as I hoped.

Such a cute and heartwarming read! When I saw this book was set on Prince Edward Island, I knew I had to pick it up immediately. Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite books, and the vibes of the main character and town in A Five-Letter Word for Love reminded me a lot of that book. Emily, a twenty-something girl struggling to find her place and achieve her dreams, was going through a lot of struggles I found so relatable. Self doubt, having a degree that has nothing to do with what career you want, struggling to keep in touch with uni friends, and just feeling lost about the direction of your life--the author really made these emotions come to life.The romance was cute, and the cast of side characters were funny and heartwarming at the same time.

Initially I was a bit skeptical about the inclusion of Wordle, but I ended up really liking the way it was tied into the plot and the romance! Overall an enjoyable read, but I think the writing was a little clunky at points(the explanations of Wordle, some of the descriptive language used), and that bumped this down to more of a three star read for me.

I was excited for this book based on the premise; I love wordle. Even if you’ve never played, it was a fun way to meet Emily and John, coworkers who don’t have much in common bonding over a puzzle each day. I loved the barrel museum setting and how going there on a whim tumbled Emily out of her rut and onto a new path, even if she wasn’t ready for it. As the town of Waldon opened up to us, I found myself wanting more depth to the characters. There was a lot of potential with the cast but they sometimes seemed flat and one dimensional. Emily was quirky and an idealist, almost to a fault. I doubted that she was 27, she read younger and so unsettled. She may have ended in a better place but I didn’t see much on-page growth so much as we were told she grew.
The ending of the book is what lost me. I don’t mind predictability in a romance book but I was disappointed by the hasty ending and resolution that we got with Emily and John.

I would read from this author again, especially if she veered toward literary fiction. At times, this novel was funny, sweet, and fun. Her writing really shone in the introspective moments and the friendship between Emily and Jim.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher Avon and Harper Voyager for this arc!

I love the idea of this book, especially as a girl who spends a lot of the time playing wordle. Such a cute little romance book and incredibly grateful for this ARC, and it was definitely a good one, for my first one. Truly amazing experience and cannot wait for it to come out and people to read it!

I was excited to request and then get approved for this book, the premise sounded promising and I was excited to read how a Wordle game would bring two people together, and yet the execution fell flat. In beginning of the story, I could see the potential romance between the characters, but even then, it felt a little forced (I mean during their whole work relationship they don’t talk and after one game of wordle that they play together a switch is flipped and their relationship is different but there’s no lead up, no tension, no chemistry between the characters.) Even so there was still so much of the book to convince me that a romance between these two characters feels right, but by the end of it I wasn’t convinced. The connection of the two main leads gets lost and becomes forced. We really don’t know much about the male love interest we're just told that he’s the male lead so by default we should root for him. In the middle of the book the romantic arc of these two characters gets lost, with other storylines in the book getting center stage, by the end I was convinced that it was just a book where the female lead finds her purpose in life and that’s fine but just market it that way.

Solid 2.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

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! ❤️

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a great book. Such a quick and easy read. I enjoyed this book. All of the characters are great. Also great story and awesome writing style.