Book Review: Book Lovers by Emily Henry
The Details
Media Type: Kindle Book
Title: Book Lover
Author(s): Emily Henry
Publisher: Berkley
Pages/Length: Kindle; 398
Release Date: May 2, 2022
Source: Library Borrow
Add it on: Goodreads | Amazon | Bookshop
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.
The Review
I am absolutely blown away by this book. I’ll be honest, Book Lovers was my first Emily Henry book but I now know that it won’t be my last. In the world of romance it’s easy for books to be cookie cutters of one another. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad thing! In fact, it is why us readers flock to the genre, because we love the comfort of knowing what’s coming next. Which is why I was so impressed when Book Lovers took all the tropes that I love and made them something… more. Something infinitely sweeter and more addictive.
Can I please praise Henry for her characters, first and foremost? My goodness. Nora was an absolute delight, and I loved her with my whole heart. Used to her busy routine, the buzz of the big city, and being the “big sister” at all times, Nora could have been a stiff and cold. In fact, that’s how she saw herself. Brilliantly though, the reader soon discovers that is anything but the truth. I also loved Libby, and her loving but stubborn demeanor. She was the perfect ying to Nora’s yang. But the standout? Charlie. Always Charlie. I won’t spoil anything, but he is far from your typical romance love interest. I adored this man, and I don’t care who knows it.
It feels cliché to say, but the town of Sunshine Falls itself is even an amazingly written character. A little town, romanticized by so many for being the setting of a favorite book. When, in reality, it’s just a little town that’s struggling to get by. The slowness of daily life, the silly names of stores, all of it just made for an excellent backdrop to Nora and Charlie’s story. Henry doesn’t just strip the glitz away from the whole Hallmark meet-cute moment, but also from the town that is always so idolized in all the stories. It lets the characters themselves shine through, and it works.
It felt so smart to have Nora’s life revolve around the very thing she was wrapped up in. Attempting to edit a story, while feeling at the same time like she was trapped in one of her very own. The little nods to the “Hallmark” aspect of Nora’s story were perfection. It felt like, because she acknowledged how much of a romance novel she was living in, her character was able to feel so much more realistic. Nora’s little internal monologues, as she tried to navigate her time in Sunshine Falls, made this whole story vibe. There wasn’t a single bit of this story that lagged, or felt forced. All of the chemistry between Nora and Charlie felt like something honest, and fierce. Oh, and if you like witty banter? You’re going to be very pleased with this book. Oh yes, and the ending? The way I cried. You’ve been warned.
I wish I could say more, but I wouldn’t want to spoil a moment of this book for any potential readers out there. The fact that I’ve been on a romance kick lately and this book managed to stand out from the crowd? Very impressive. I’d easily rate this one of my favorite romantic stories of all time, without blinking an eye. If you’re looking for something that will equal parts tug at your heartstrings and make you laugh out loud, here’s your next read.
