Book Lovers

And yes, “the romance gods” would be proud!!! 5 stars for a wonderful romantic story where once again the “Opposing magnets are the ones that draw together.” and make for the most interesting stories when written well. And this one certainly delivered. I confess to feeling disappointed in the first 100 pages wondering what all the fuss and hype was about. Then the book moved up several gears in just a few pages, and I found myself another one of those ‘Book Lovers’ that loved the ‘Book Lovers’. I will go as far as to say this is probably my favourite RomCom novel this year. Here are the reasons why 1. We had some serious themes without being too heavy, which gave the book depth and purpose. The themes blended perfectly with the storyline and the characters. Sister relationships, parentification, loss, grief, ambition with broken and strained relationship at the heart of the story. 2. A solid romance that builds slowly as two people get to know each other, coming from being arch-rivals. Same old troupe? It did not feel like it. The story brought the perfect blend of love, sexual tension, and the theatre without any of it overplayed or sentimental 3. The characterisation was excellent with all characters likeable but imperfect but not with the same old flawed characteristics we read about too often. They felt real and believable 4. The build-up in the story inspired a hungry turn of pages and I found myself captivated and absorbed in storyline. Nothing felt rushed not even the two lovers getting between the sheets which all added to the intrigue. A brief summary of the plot. There are many shades to Charlie, the arch nemesis of Nora. Small town boy who seeks a better life in the big city. The book starts with Charlie this once quiet, unfocused boy, precocious, and resentful boy returning as the sharp-edged man trying to fit back into his childhood home and environment. A place he never belonged to begin with. Now take Nora who returns to North Carolina with her pregnant sister Libby, who appears to be having relationship problems of her own. The relationship building between the two sisters was a bonus side line to the story that could easily have been just about Charlie and Nora. Adding more detail to the storyline would only spoil the surprise, needless to say Charlie's and Nora's paths cross, clash and unite as we see the future unravelling for true soulmates. A final thought. “The tropes, the archetypes, the common plot twists all start to organize themselves into a catalogue inside your brain, divided by category and genre”, until a story comes along like Book Lovers, that adds more meaning and depth with real themes that accompanied that all important feel good factor. Positives that compensated for the very neat and convenient ending where everything slots perfectly into place. Thoroughly enjoyable, perfectly written and highly recommended, to keep the romance God's proud!!!

I really enjoyed the whole concept of this book. Nora and Charlie gives the reader a chance to get more of an insight into the publishing world and it was great to read. Nora even takes a trip to a small town where one of her client’s authors books are set! How many of us would love to be able to do just that? I have to say being tall, it was so refreshing to have a leading lady the same height as me in a book! High five to the author! Obviously it made me relate to Nora even more on that score. There is a real bond between Nora and her sister which was endearing to read. I don’t have a sister but it made me wish I had one with how close these two are. Both sisters are very different in terms of what they want out of life and there are some ups and downs on their trip. Charlie makes a great love interest and boy, do things get more than a bit hot under the collar! The sparks between the two were leaping from the pages! Book Lovers was a fun, charming and heartfelt read that had me wholly engaged. It’s light-hearted with some meaningful parts as well as plenty of zest. The title couldn’t be anymore suited as book lovers of this genre will adore the whole storyline. Can’t believe that this is my first book by the author and will definitely be checking out her others.

I absolutely love the concept that this book about book lovers is read and enjoyed by people like my myself who love books. What could be more perfect!! Once I got passed the first few chapters there was nothing I didn’t love about this story. As soon as Nora and Libby went on their travels, I found myself hooked and not wanting to put my kindle down. The characters, the settings, the storyline and all the different emotions that this story brought out in me are fabulous. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve already messaged some friends to grab this book and read it for themselves. To me, I felt that this book followed two separate but interconnecting storylines. The first being the relationship between Nora and her sister Libby. The other being Nora’s role in the literary world which also relates to Charlie. Both I absolutely loved. In many ways I envy the relationship that Nora and Libby share. Although they have experienced much heartache together, I loved how they are there for each other through the good times and the bad. Nora tries her very best to be everything to Libby. However, even with the best of intentions mistakes are made and there are errors of judgement, so for me the message about honesty and communication throughout this story was loud and clear. I adore their friendship. They made me laugh out loud so many times throughout this narrative, and they made me cry once or twice too. Nora and Charlie’s interactions are a highlight of this story. I laughed, smiled and swooned constantly throughout this narrative. They truly are perfect for each other. I loved how easily they trusted and fell in love with each other. Their scenes together are incredible, and I’m certain you will feel the same way too. I highly recommend Book Lovers to you to read. This story is filled with banter, humour and fun scenes - which I loved. There are also some more serious aspects to this story that I found to be emotional and thought-provoking. I award Book Lovers 5 stars. I can’t sing this story’s praises enough.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and thought that the book was well written with nicely drawn, likeable characters. But there was something missing and I’m not sure what that was. I bought the book two years ago and had tried to start it a few times, but didn’t and read something else, which should say something. Both Nora and Charlie had difficult childhoods, Nora because her mother died when she was young leaving her responsible for her younger sister and Charlie because he never felt as though he fitted into his family or his home town. This formed their characters and behaviours as adults, I suppose they worked hard long hours to compensate for the gaps in their lives, Nora as a literary agent and Charlie as a book editor. Then things changed; Libby, Nora’s sister, convinced her to spend a month together in the town that was the setting for one of their favourite novels, Nora never refused her sister anything and reluctantly agreed. Nora loved New York and didn’t know how she would cope without the internet or takeaways and the convenience of living in a city. The story was centred on the list Libby made and the township, but somehow the image I had of the place was a bit down at heel, with bizarrely name shops and restaurants, not the ideal holiday spot. Perhaps that was why I couldn’t get into it, the place seemed so unlikely. I enjoyed the romance aspect but the rest of it seemed to move quite slowly and the twist, if you like, did make sense of the choice of town but I was losing interest a bit by that time.

I have recently read all the Emily Henry books. This isn't my favourite but I really enjoyed it. I particularly liked how she writes about writing, books, and the author's and that world she knows well. It makes it really realistic and the themes flow excellently much better than your normal romance novel. Nice that the leads were not the usual leads as well, but the romance was very sweet. Good job tackling grief as well and how it affects people differently.

From this book lover to Book Lovers: to me, you are perfect. It is full of feeling and side splitting humour. It has loveable characters and a cosy small town vibe; all the better to get emotionally attached to. With every chapter flowing flawlessly into the next, and no shortage of themes, Book Lovers was exceptionally difficult to put down. Henry writes beautifully about how life changes, never to be the same again; accepting the pain of that and embracing the hope of new memories and exciting adventures. At the heart of it all, is the bonds of family and what makes home, home. Furthermore, the characterisation of Nora was impeccable. She’s a workaholic, struggles to become emotionally attached (in all of her ex-boyfriends opinions) and cares more for pragmatism instead of whimsical romance. Henry takes character traits typically reserved for a villain in the romance genre, and gives them the limelight in a very refreshing and satisfying spin. As for the romance… Charlie and Nora’s chemistry sizzled off the page. They illustrated a very believable portrayal of an initial liking filled with banter and flirtation, into kindred spirits and love. They intellectually challenged each other and emotionally unravelled and supported the other, all of which provided fluffy feels, so many laughs and made me smile like the Cheshire Cat lord knows how many times. You know a romance delivers everything it ought to when the reader is left thinking: where’s MY Charlie Lastra???? All in all, Book Lovers delivers a perfect contemporary romance. It’s a humorous and emotional warm hug of a book. I thoroughly loved it.

Enjoyed immersing myself in this one. It had amazing character building with fantastic comedy and banter in the mix. Absolutely smashing read! Definitely recommend!

It took me two attempts to get into Book Lovers, the first time I gave up as it didn’t grab me, but I kept reading glowing reviews so thought I’d give it another go. I am so glad I did. Nora is a successful literary agent and a bit of a workaholic; Charlie is an editor with a reputation for discovering bestsellers. Their first meeting is not a success. Nora wants Charlie to work on the new book by her client, Dusty Fielding, which is set in the small town of Sunshine Falls, N Carolina. He turns her down. Two years later, ‘Once in a Lifetime’ is a bestseller, and Nora’s sister Libby persuades her to go away for a few weeks for a break before her third child is born. Unbeknown to Nora, their destination is Sunshine Falls. What follows could be the script of a rom-com – I could almost see it playing in my head – as Nora and Charlie get to know each other and fall in love. There are obviously obstacles in their way, but no spoilers so you’ll just have to read it for yourself. The story is told entirely from Nora’s point of view so we know what she’s thinking and how her views change as the story unfolds. The characters are well written and believable, there is a lot of humour at the expense of small-town life where everyone knows your business, and we get fascinating glimpses into the world of books and bookshops. The outstanding feature of Book Lovers is the relationship between Nora and Charlie. The witty banter, amusing emails, and the fact that there is enough interaction between them for their romance to be believable make this one of the best romance novels I have read in a long time. The narrative strand about Nora trying to sort out all her sister’s problems did become a bit repetitive after a while, but I thought the ending worked really well, and am looking forward to reading Emily Henry’s next book.

5 ⭐️ | 📖 book lovers if she were in a Hallmark movie, Nora would be the ex left behind while the lead goes to a small town and falls in love with a local. she knows that. it has literally happened to her. more than once. when her sister, Libby, decides that they too deserve to have their own small-town-life-altering experience, Nora finds herself spending a whole month in the city that inspired a bestselling book from the author that skyrocketed her career as an agent. what she didn’t expect was to find her nemesis, editor Charlie Lastra, running the local bookshop. while she tries to keep her distance, she realizes this might not be as easy in a small town as it’d be in NY. I went into this book not knowing much. and I thought, I truly thought, maybe I wouldn’t love it as much as Emily’s previous books. I don’t have much in common with Nora. I didn’t think I’d be able to relate to her. I went as far as to convince myself that it’d be okay if I didn’t love it. well, I should’ve known better. even if I had hated Nora, which I obviously didn’t, I’d still have loved the book. simply because of Emily’s writing. what she does with words… it feels like magic. the kind of magic people hunt grimoires down to try to replicate, but it just never comes out the same. there’s a secret recipe that belongs only to her. she has the ability to put feelings into words, and I know this sounds like a basic skill a writer should have, but that’s not what I mean. I just can’t quite explain it. like, in pwmov, when she gave the best definition of “saudade” I’ve ever come across, and she doesn’t even speak Portuguese. i’m gonna leave her own words here, because it’s the best way I can explain how reading her books feel: “This book has crushed me with its weight and dazzled me with its tiny bright spots. Some books you don’t read so much as live, and finishing one of those always makes me think of ascending from a scuba dive. Like if I surface too fast I might get the bends.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️ 🌶🌶

Super süße Geschichte. Hat sich sehr schön gelesen und hat Spaß gemacht. Die Witze sie die Autorin einbaut gefallen mir persönlich sehr gut.

Good book

great

Book Lovers Emily Henry Nora Stephens es la clásica mujer de negocios neoyorquina "fría, calculadora y escalofriante" que generalmente suele ser la villana en las típicas historias de romance quien convencida por su hermana viaja a un pueblo pequeño a buscar su propia aventura. Sinceramente, después de no haber podido terminar Beach Read no esperaba absolutamente nada de este libro y pues me sorprendió! Si bien no es el libro perfecto, si lo considero muy bueno, soy una persona completamente diferente a Nora y aún así me identifique por completo con ella, con su perdida, su dolor y con el peso que que conlleva ser la hermana mayor, la responsable, la fuerte, la que carga con todo y todos y hace lo posible por que estén bien dejando sus sentimientos, sueños y necesidades de lado para hacer felices a los demás. Para mi esa es la parte más fuerte del libro, Nora y su conflicto interno entre buscar su felicidad o la de su hermana. En cuanto a Charlie, el interés romántico, es un hombre bueno pero no muy interesante, no brilla mucho por si mismo 😮‍💨 si tiene muy buena química con Nora y se complementan bien el uno al otro pero no hay nada memorable en el, no hubo ningún momento en el que el personaje me hiciera sentir no se... maripositas o algo jeje! Supuestamente es un Enemies to Lovers pero la verdad yo no lo vi así, Nora y Charlie tienen un ligero choque al inicio del libro pero no los llamaría enemigos 🤔 incluso, si me pongo muy quisquillosa podría decir que el romance en este libro está en segundo plano opacado por la relación y conflictos entre Nora y su hermana Libby. Si buscas romance, Enemies to Lovers y un protagonista masculino que te haga hacer 😍🥰🤤😏 este no es el libro para ti 😅 pero igual dale la oportunidad! Es bastante divertido y sentimental si logras conectar con los personajes.