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chelsea_shelves's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
This book reeled me in with humor and then won me other with sentimentality - the sweetness of sisterhood, the unconditional love of parents, the strength of true love and the beauty of community. It’s a bonus that it all revolves around books - reading, publishing, editing, writing, selling - the whole cycle. I enjoyed the literary allusions throughout and the satire of its own genre. The foiled settings of NYC and rural North Carolina were equally beautiful and tangible. The romance was just right. While I did feel it was a tad too long with some points being overstated, I really enjoyed the flow of this book and pacing of the plot. Maybe I didn’t enjoy the plot of Frigid (one of the books within the novel) other than the premise, but that’s it, very minor critiques. The great parts were just so great, and I’ve saved so many quotes - hilarious ones and meaningful one. I closed the book happy and warm and grateful for the story. I’m certain I’ll be reading more Emily Henry this year.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Death of parent
lauraelovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Reread in 2024. A wonderful book with all the wit and banter you can expect from an Emily Henry book!
Nora and Charlie were so great and I loved the bookish plot and small town setting. The excerpts of Frigid (the book within the book) were a nice touch and offered an interesting angle to Nora’s character growth.
I laughed out loud many times but especially at the prologue. It really nailed those big city/ small town romance books.
I also loved the family centeredness of the book (though I’ll admit Libby got on my nerves a bit, likely because we were seeing her only through Nora’s eyes, painting the picture of the quintessential little sister)
Book Lovers is in my top three Emily Henry books so far and I highly recommend it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Abandonment
Moderate: Pregnancy
gabiboyle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Vomit and Abandonment
nineinchnails's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.5
i feel like this one missed that je ne sais quois from the last 2 emily henry books but i think the fact i've been reading a bunch of depressing books back to back may be responsible for that. i don't know if it's just placebo effect but i felt like the characters weren't quite as well developed as her previous mcs. i kept laughing out loud and blinking back tears (as expected) so i know i'm sure i'll love this even more on a reread! the 'beach read' easter eggs were so cute and i loved all the characters (again, as expected) even more than i was prepared for.
the pacing was really good here - i wasn't bored for even a second and ended up reading this is in one 4 hour sitting. it was pretty meta, which i'm not usually a fan of in romance since it ends up coming off juvenile, but it worked for this. the only gripes i have is it feeling a little corny at times (i did just finish 'young mungo' though) and the characters not seeming as fleshed out as her other mcs.
the pacing was really good here - i wasn't bored for even a second and ended up reading this is in one 4 hour sitting. it was pretty meta, which i'm not usually a fan of in romance since it ends up coming off juvenile, but it worked for this. the only gripes i have is it feeling a little corny at times (i did just finish 'young mungo' though) and the characters not seeming as fleshed out as her other mcs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Medical content
Minor: Death of parent and Body shaming
gibbse97's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Abandonment
orvillefartenbacher's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-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
4.25
A little pretentious but cute
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse and Abandonment
edietz22's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
sestout's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Death, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Abandonment
im_just_vidu's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This feels like a dream. It absolutely took me to heaven and threw back to earth, but in a good way. Nora: the main character and Libby: her sister, has the most amazing sibling relationships ever. The way they care for each other, worry about each other, put each other before everything is absolutely marvelous.
Nora has this big sister aura, that you feel instantly protected. I would like to have a sister like Nora. Libby on the other hand, doesn't seem to show it that much, but also deeply care for her sister. The story runs through with the suspicion of what happens and why would Libby suddenly wants to spend a vacation with her sister.
And Charlie....
He's just.... Damn. I just don't have any words to describe him. He's the guy who has correct intuition, best words at perfect timing and doesn't even know he's good. Typical small-town grumpy boy.
The fact that they are book lovers, and the way they describe their love for reading and books, gives me euphoria. As a reader myself, knowing someone's feelings towards books is such a beautiful thing. It has nice flowing, easy to understand language and good writing.
Nora has this big sister aura, that you feel instantly protected. I would like to have a sister like Nora. Libby on the other hand, doesn't seem to show it that much, but also deeply care for her sister. The story runs through with the suspicion of what happens and why would Libby suddenly wants to spend a vacation with her sister.
And Charlie....
He's just.... Damn. I just don't have any words to describe him. He's the guy who has correct intuition, best words at perfect timing and doesn't even know he's good. Typical small-town grumpy boy.
The fact that they are book lovers, and the way they describe their love for reading and books, gives me euphoria. As a reader myself, knowing someone's feelings towards books is such a beautiful thing. It has nice flowing, easy to understand language and good writing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Abandonment, Bullying, and Grief
annabananadel's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
“If I had to pick one person to be in my corner, it’d be you. Every time.”
I'm happy to have this as the last book I've read in 2023. Emily Henry just writes the cutest characters with a tint of a deep backstory. There's so many quotable quotes from these two especially all the book related lines! I'm living for it. Emily Henry really knows how to stir up her readers. The book isn't just about the two main character's love story but also more of a family-focused type of story. Nora with her sister, who seems to be having family related problem and she really needs to solve this problem that her younger sister is keeping, and Charlie, who has a father who needs medical help and a mother who needs him to manage the business. So it's really not a priority for them to have significant others at the moment.
The angst between the two can be evidently seen only a few chapters in and it has an enemy to friends to lovers trope which I love so much in a story. The author showed us a sneak peek at the first thirds of the book that made me want to read more of their chemistry and how they'll come to be together given the several reasons as to why they are not to be together. Then the dynamics when the two families are joined together in the same setting. I love how it's the complete opposite of small town romance because the both of them are city people - they love the city and would *not literally* die if they got to stay in that small town for a few more months. Additionally, it would have been so relatable for people who are the eldest in their family. Emily Henry wrote the struggles of being the bread-winner and the person responsible for their siblings had their parents died or simply just left and not cared anymore. Nora was that eldest sibling who really wanted nothing but to see her younger sister happy.
Overall, would recommend more than her other books, imo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy and Sexual content