Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Liz

May 27

37th book of 2022

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.

CW: Grief, death of a parent

Rating

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Review

I simply love this book! I read at the right time as the weather was good, and I feel like it was the same period as in the book.

Books play a big part in the book as Nora and Charlie work in this field as agent and editor, but you also have the reasons for their love for books, and it's easy to relate to them. However, another subject is heavily present: Nora's grief. I liked to see how she told her story after her mom's death.

You have some "mystery" as you follow the two sisters, Nora and Libby, going on vacation at Sunshine Falls, but you rapidly discover there is more to it than just a vacation. The revelation is a good one as you have the pov of them both, and you understand their reasons, and let me tell you, I cried.

I loved the romance so much in this book. I don't know why but I was sure it would be a hate-to-love trope (don't ask, I don't know why.) However, the amount of bickering between the two was so incredible. Those are initially mostly by text, and I was literally screaming or laughing every time it was happening. Even if the relationship evolves as you read and become more serious, you still have some funny moments as they know how to grow as a human and couple.

This book gives me the want to reread Beach Read. I just love Emily Henry's books as they have a sweet romance but can at the same time deal with some heavier subjects and be easy and enjoyable to read.

Liz.

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