Book Lovers

Title: Book Lovers

Author: Emily Henry

Genre: Romance, Fiction

Published: 3rd May 2022

Pages: 377

Start Date: 3rd July 2022

Finish Date: 3rd July 2022

Summary

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming. Nora is a cut-throat literary agent at the top of her game known as the Shark. Her whole life is about books. Charlie is an editor with a gift for creating bestsellers as well as being Nora's work nemesis.

Nora has been through enough breakups to know she's the woman men date before they find their happy-ever-after. That's why Nora's sister Libby has persuaded her to swap her desk in the city for a month's holiday in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina.

It is a small town straight out of a romance novel (literally), but Nora keeps bumping into Charlie instead of meeting sexy loggers, handsome doctors or cute bartenders. She's no heroine and he is no hero. So can they take a page out of an entirely different book?

Review

Book Lovers ticked all of my boxes regarding romance; it had fun banter, a hardworking heroine, a guy who might have his broody moments but is not a jerk and hot steamy encounters. Book Lovers is an enemy to lovers' romance, with a literary agent and an editor who loves books drawing them together.

I loved how Emily Henry made use of Nora and Charlie's career; she is a literary agent, and he is an editor; to challenge, make fun of and subvert the romance genre's tropes. I also love how Emily Henry didn't change Nora or punish her for being hardworking and ambitious. I feel men can be obsessed with their work, whereas women tend to be portrayed as cold-hearted or selfish in focusing on their careers.

Nora is a hardworking city girl; multiple boyfriends have left her in the past for wholesome country women who bake and dutifully pop out children. She is career-driven, ambitious and particular about the shoes she wears; she is not the kind of woman someone wants to be in the long term. Nora also does not like to go in blindly. She has to know there is a happy ever; she reads the end of the book before committing. I am similar to Nora; I felt I could relate to her for a long time. Not knowing the result gave me so much anxiety, but now I can deal with it. Nora also likes to 'fix' things, especially when it comes to her little sister Libby.

The book is from Nora's perspective. She is an easily likable heroine who is quick-witted and intelligent; the one downside was I wanted more of Charlie than Libby. I adored Nora's commentary on bookish tropes and literary references.

I loved reading this book because it felt interesting to see a book lover's romance played out as a book lover myself. So, if you love books that are all about publishing and books, this is for you. Nora and Charlie's relationship was just pure tension at times, especially when you could tell Charlie was falling hard for Nora. I would have loved to know Charlie's perspective. I found it got pretty heavy and emotional when it came to Nora dealing with the growing gap between her and her sister, but I also felt this was a turning point for Nora, Nora, and Charlie's relationship.

Book Lovers is my first time reading a book by Emily Henry, and I am thoroughly impressed. Her writing was impeccable and had me feeling the same as Nora. The book made me giggle like a little girl and cry with Nora. It is very nice that I like all the characters within a story, but I genuinely loved them all. They each played their [part in the book.

This book takes you on a journey from enemies to lovers, a romantic-comedy with everything in between. The characters' development feels authentic and not forced, and I can genuinely connect with them. I highly recommend this for a summer read!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️