Reviews with content warning for Cursing - Book Lovers

The use of the "F" word is so frequent that it is actually distracting. I subtracted one star for that reason alone. I love Charlie. Nora is enjoyable. The family dynamics are annoying to me, but I don't have a sister so maybe it hits differently for other people.

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emmysforeverbooked's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I cannot explain how much I loved this book. I saw so much of myself in Nora and Libby reminded me of my own sister so it really just kind of hit close to home. I think both Nora and Libby were very well written. I think Charlie was just such a beautiful love interest. The only reason I haven't rated this 5 stars was because of the slight love triangle element to it. I wasn't a fan of Charlie's cousin at all and that part of the story just kind of annoyed me lol. But other than that, I just absolutely adored this book.

EDIT: I just finished this for a second time and these are my thoughts this time lol

This is my second time finishing this book and it wrecked me this time more than it did the first time 😭🤚🏻

If you want a grumpy x grumpy, city folks in a small town romance, please read this book. Emily Henry's writing style is so mwah and even if you don't like the main characters (couldn't be me tho) the side characters are genuinely the light of my life.

Please read this book, you will thank me later 🫶🏻💙🧡

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taylorleilani's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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chloelj27's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved this book was not just about romance, but handling grief too.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Charlie Lastra has my heart. He is confident, romantic, passionate, understanding, supportive and just AMAZING! I grew to love Nora although it took me a while to connect to her. However, that is where Emily’s writing is perfect - Nora is a woman who doesn’t open up and so we always got the hard exterior until later on.

One character I felt I couldn’t connect with unfortunately was Libby. I found her to be somewhat irritating at times and the holding back Nora and her done had me frustrated. Despite this, I loved seeing how they both handled life after their mother’s passing and the emotional journey that came with it.

The romance in this book though! Even in the spicier scenes, the romance was always present. Those scenes weren’t all about lust and “must have each other instantly”. It was about respecting, learning and loving each other for everything they are. This whole aspect was my favourite of the book. The sexual tension was great and I adored every interaction between Nora and Charlie!

I think the story slowed in places and some parts were not necessarily needed, as well as being predictable at times, but I still really enjoyed it.

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nehanaomi's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i knew it would end like that and i loved it

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Title: Book Lovers
Author: Emily Henry
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: May 3, 2022

T H R E E • W O R D S

Modern • Funny • Heartfelt

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Nora, an unapologetically fierce and cutthroat literary agent, is the heroine in her sister Libby's life. When Libby begs Nora to go to Sunshine Falls for a girls' trip away, she begrudgingly agrees. However, Libby has ulterior motives and envisions a small-town transformation and happily-ever-after for her sister.

Nora bumps into Charlie, an equally ruthless editor she has dealt with countless times before, and who just so happens to be visiting his family in the same area. Coincidentally, when Charlie starts working on one of Nora's clients books, they will be thrown together again and again.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Of course, I was highly anticipating Book Lovers release as the premise sounded so good. Unfortunately, this one just didn't live up to my expectations nor the hype.

What I like:
- that the main characters both loved books. I am here for books about books. Every. Single. Time. There were some very satisfying quotes.
- the small town setting. There is just something about small town charm that sucks me in.
- the banter. Nobody does romantic comedy banter quite like Emily Henry.
- the sister bond. Although at times feeling very co-dependent, I still enjoyed Nora and Libby's relationship. In fact, I appreciated this relationship and the portrayal of family way more than the romance.
- the portrayal of ambition. Nora is driven, independent, and knows what she wants. She wasn't looking for a knight in shining armor. I liked this.
- the portrayal of grief. There were some powerful and genuine moments and thoughts on grief that resonated greatly with me.

What I didn't like:
- that the setting didn't play a bigger role. I wanted so much more of the small town charm. It honestly felt like this could have taken place anywhere, which was disappointing.
- the characters. I wasn't drawn to any of them. And honestly I just didn't really care what happened.
- the romance. I think this story would have been fine (or even better) without the romance. I found it hard to believe.
- the length. For a rom-com it felt overly drawn out, almost like two stories in one - the romantic aspect and the family aspect.

In a nutshell, I didn't feel strongly about this one way or the other. I was left feeling a little underwhelmed when I finished, but I did learn that enemies-to-lovers is my least favourite romance trope. Maybe I was waiting for a 'wow' moment that just never came, or it has been grossly overhyped, either way this was my least favourite of Emily Henry's adult romances.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers looking for a beach read
• anyone who likes the enemies-to-lovers trope
• Emily Henry fans

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"In my favourite books, it's never quite the ending I want. There's always a price to be paid.

Mom and Libby liked the love stories where everything turned out perfectly, wrapped in a bow, and I've always wondered why I gravitate toward something else.

I used to think it was because people like me don't get those endings. and asking for it, hoping for it, is a way to lose something you've never even had.

The ones that speaks to me are those whose final pages admit there is no going back. That every good thing must end. That every bad thing does too, that everything does.

That is what I'm looking for every time I flip to the back of a book, compulsively checking for proof that in a life where to many things have gone wrong, there can be beauty too. That there is always hope, no matter what."

"For a decade, I've known I will never again have everything, and so all I've wanted is to believe that, someday, again, I'll have enough. The ache won't always be so bad. People like me aren't broken beyond repair. No ice ever freezes too think to thaw and no thorns ever grow too dense to be cut away."

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