BOOK LOVERS

 

SYNOPSIS

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming...

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 sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

Title: Book Lovers

Author: Emily Henry

Publisher: Berkley

Publication date: May 3, 2022

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to PRH International for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Henry’s books have been a hit or miss for me. I didn’t connect at all with Beach Read or its characters and I thought it did not embrace all its rom-com potential. On the other hand, I loved People We Meet On Vacation. It was cute, fun and the perfect beach read. As you can imagine I was anxious to see where Book Lovers would fall (with that title I was praying for a hit) and I’m glad to say that it did!

Nora Stephen is not a sweetheart heroine. In fact, she’s the total opposite! The ambitious, hard working, career driven woman that never gets her happy ending. When her sister Libby asks her to go with her for a month to the small town of Sunshine Falls, to follow the steps of those heroines she has read so many times about, she’s not expecting to meet there an old rival, Charlie Lastra, a book editor from back in the city that is more nemesis than hero.

I loved, loved, loved the beginning of this book. Just in the first few pages I laughed out loud several times as Nora takes us through all this book tropes. She immediately comes as a likeable and relatable character. The thing I liked the most about her was how, under that hard exterior that made everyone think she was self focused on herself and her career, she was actually doing it all for her family, putting other people’s needs ahead of hers. 

Her wit and banter with Charlie was so much fun! I know they were supposed to be enemies but I never really got that vibe. The small town setting and all the book talk were another great element in the story.

The reason this was not a 5 ⭐️ for me was the exact same one PWMOV was not. I thought the last part dragged a little bit. If you both like each other why keep putting stones in your way? Kiss already and be happy, damn it!!

I also loved how at the end Nora’s not punished for her ambition career wise. Why can’t she have it all? She can and she should!

Nice and sweet story that tries to subvert all those romance tropes, touching as well on other topics as sisterly love, grief and personal growth.