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annarbpollock's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Mental illness
mallory10100's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Cursing, Sexual content, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Rape, Murder, and Vomit
10/10 emily henry you never misstoofondofbooks_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I get why they didn't like it, I don't think that this book is for everyone, but I think because I knew going in that this was more about sisterhood than romance, I wasn't disappointed. Like its predecessor, "Beach Read," Book Lovers is heavy on the family dynamics and familial trauma, and is often flat out sad. There is still a romance IN it and its prevalent, but this is very much a story about the growth in the relationship of Nora and Libby (whether or not I liked Libby as a character is a completely different post altogether). While a lot of people hated this aspect, I think it made the book more memorable for me. It reminded me of a Hallmark movie but with more depth.
It was refreshing to see a female character from Emily Henry who is so starkly different from her other heroines, Poppy Wright (my beloved) and January Andrews (my other beloved). It was even refreshing to me for there to be a character in an Emily Henry book that I didn't like. I didn't know that was even possible, and instead of it making me rate the book down a star, it just made me more entertained.
People We Meet On Vacation is still my favorite Emily Henry book but, like Beach Read, this also captured me. Interesting characters and a great atmosphere from my newest auto-buy author.
This is the section where I'm going to share a critique - I know, wild that I'm adding a very specific critique to a 5 star book, but I feel like I'd be doing people who genuinely trust my opinions a disservice if I pretended this book was perfect.
Anyway, there is a line in the book that gave me pause. My best friend and I both raised our eyebrows at this line from Nora:
"Straight men have it too easy. A heterosexual woman can see a very normal looking, nonsexual appendage, and biology's like, Step aside, last four thousand years of evolution, it's time to contribute to the continuation of the human race."
My issue here isn't that Nora is straight and experiencing attraction, but the use of the word heterosexual specifically feels not only unnecessary, but unintentionally exclusionary. It seems to me that while writing this part, Henry - in order to not seem like she was lumping all women together (after all, not all women or afab people experience attraction to men and some don't experience sexual attraction at all, and furthermore, sexuality is obviously a spectrum and many women are attracted to men, women, and those who do not conform to the gender binary), she overcorrected and got too specific, which felt kind of alienating to read as a member of the lgbt+ community. It isn't a *big* thing, but it's still a thing that's been on my mind. I don't think that EH was trying to be exclusionary or homophobic here, but I think that line could've been taken out or edited a certain way so as to not come off strangely.
Graphic: Sexual content, Misogyny, Grief, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Medical content and Alcohol
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Abortion
alexxm13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
🎵cigarette daydream by cage the elephant
Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Grief
simixfe's review
2.5
I wanted to like this book and in the beginning I did. It started out as the cute, light-hearted romance it was marketed as but it got rather sad and depressing towards the end. It may be that I am sensitive but it bothers me a lot when a book is praised as the perfect light-hearted summer read when it is not.
Also the plot and characters were kind of boring.
On a positive note, the writing style is great and very readable.
Conclusion: I thought I would like this more than 'People we meet on vacation' but I didn't :(
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Medical content
chichisode's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcohol and Toxic relationship
Minor: Bullying, Mental illness, Vomit, Car accident, Cursing, and Medical content
hapalyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent and Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit
cozyreadsandcoffee's review against another edition
- 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
It is not just a romance, but it also explores the bond of sisterhood, family, balance of work/home life, and understanding the importance of following your passions.
The romance is also super cute between Nora and Charlie! Nora allowing herself to explore romance while understanding her role as big sister felt super relatable. Emily Henry's writing with sparkling dialogue, complex characters felt so real.
read if you enjoy books, exploring family dynamics, and cute romances that are just a little more than a hallmark movie.
Graphic: Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Mental illness, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Cursing, Medical content, Alcohol, and Emotional abuse
sydapel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content and Mental illness
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Cursing, and Abandonment
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Bullying