A review by tallangryplanet
Book Lovers by Emily Henry

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

4.0

Nora Stephens has dealt with enough romantic comedies to know her life cannot be one. She's too ambitious and loves her job as a literary agent in New York too much to even think about moving to a small town and marrying a pig farmer. And yet, she finds herself unable to say no when her little sister asks to go on a summer trip to Sunshine Falls, and her carefully constructed narrative starts to fall down thanks to the presence of Charles Lastra. Maybe she can actually get a happy ending this time. 

I was slightly confused in the beginning of this book, as I could not for the life for me figure out what Charlie and Nora's relationship was supposed to be. Sure, they were coworkers, but their familiarity threw me off. However, as soon as I got through that initial confusion the book was so good! It's not as centred on the romance as I expected in the beginning, which was an awesome surprise. There's secondary characters that actually get development! Nora's relationship with her sister was a big focus of the story, awkward at times and pretty realistic. Their shenanigans were hilarious, though I don't know how Nora managed to put up with Libby's antics sometimes. 

The ending of this book was also incredibly satisfying. I loved how Nora was confident enough in herself to know she shouldn't give up her life and her goals for some dude, despite her having the awful pressure that is often put on women to live for others. Even though she knew people might perceive her as too rigid and "unfun", she was sure of the way she wanted to live her life. It was a big deal throughout the story, the way she had already given up so much in the name of being helpful, and I actually doubted whether the author would give this story the "correct" ending, but I never should have questioned her judgement because she did it in the best way possible.

If you're interested in the things that tend to be relegated to the sidelines of a love story, rather than just having the protagonist think about how in love they are all the time, this is the book for you. It's funny, with sometimes-frustrating characters, and a lead truly worth getting invested in. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.