Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Book Review: Book Lovers by Emily Henry


 
Pages: 377
Genre: Adult Fiction
Pub. Date:  May 3, 2022
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Personal Copy
Other Books By Author: Beach Read
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
 
 
Goodreads says, "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."

 

Nora Stephens is a high power literary agent in New York City. She is good at what she does, so much so that her work is essentially her life.  She does make time for her younger sister, Libby, and before Libby is about to have another baby, she convinces Nora to come along on a girls' trip to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, which just so happens to be the setting of Libby's favorite series.  Libby has come up with a list of things to do while there like save a small business, wear flannel, date a local, etc.  This small town is like a Hallmark movie come to life, especially when compared with Nora's life in the city.  All is well and good until Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, someone she knows from her literary life back in New York City. The last time she had a work meeting with Charlie, things didn't end well; in fact, he basically made fun of the book that is set at Sunshine Falls, so why on Earth would Charlie be there? The more Nora runs into him, the more she can't deny the attraction to him, much to her dismay.  Book Lovers by Emily Henry is an entertaining summer read despite my disappointment in a few areas.

Nora is an entertaining character in Book Lovers. I liked her immediately and I love that she is named after Nora Ephron. It was interesting to read about her work as a literary agent as I find that really captivating and I think most bookworms would agree.  I loved the whole fish-out-of-water romance trope that Henry was going for by uprooting Nora from her New York City life to a small town in North Carolina. It was straight out of a Hallmark movie and I adored that.  Henry really played into some tropes in this novel and I thought it was a lot of fun. One thing I didn't enjoy regarding Nora was her relationship with her sister, Libby. I get they are both dealing with trauma regarding the death of their mother and all they have is each other, but the relationship was a lot. They are too codependent and I found that aspect of the novel really taking away from my overall enjoyment.  

Nora's relationship with Charlie was also pretty entertaining in Book Lovers, although it took awhile to get going. Nora isn't sure why Charlie would show up in Sunshine Falls, and slowly readers are privy to his backstory and what brings him to this small town. I enjoyed their witty banter and slow burn, but at times, I felt compared to Henry's other novels, that this relationship was missing something. 

The setting of Sunshine Falls was done well. It reminded me of Stars Hollow and if you know me, you know that's a good thing.  So, if you are looking for a cute summer read and are a bookworm, give Book Lovers a try this summer. While I didn't enjoy this one as much as her previous novels, it was still a solid read.

Are you a fan of Emily Henry? Have you read Book Lovers? Is it on your TBR list? Let me know in the comments below. 

 



4 comments:

  1. Her books are so hit or miss for me. I enjoyed People We Meet on Vacation but i quit both Beach Read and Book Lovers within the first few chapters. Obviously a me problem since people generally love these stories!

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    1. I loved People We Meet on Vacation! No, it is definitely not a you situation, because this book wasn't nearly as good as People. I was disappointed. Thanks so much for visiting, Michele!

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  2. This one is on my TBR, I need to catch up on her books. The small-town setting sounds really fun!

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    1. It reminded me of a Hallmark movie. I look forward to your thoughts on this book! Thanks for visiting, Angela.

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