You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
A review by amyvl93
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
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
3.75
I definitely surprised myself by how much I enjoyed Book Lovers - I found myself reading this often with a stupid smile on my face, which speaks to how invested I was in the central relationship between Nora and Charlie.
Nora is the stereotypical work-obsessed book agent who is dumped as part of any Hallmark film when the man falls in love with a girl in a small-town; indeed several of her relationships have ended as men have fallen for lodge owners or orchard owners. After her mother passed away when she and her sister Libby were young, she is determined to provide a lifestyle for her sister and herself that her Mum would be proud of. When her pregnant sister Libby suggests a trip to a small town which happens to the be the small-town setting for one of Nora's author's in the hope of giving Nora a taste of small town life, it is Charlie, fellow big city literary editor who Nora finds herself unable to stay away from.
It's blindingly obvious from the start of the novel where the story is going but I enjoyed the journey all the same; it was refreshing to see a romance novel where the lead character is celebrated for having work passions, desiring a certain lifestyle and not wanting children - and having a male protagonist who thinks all these things make her awesome. I also enjoyed Henry's gentle spoofing of all the tropes that make Hallmark films so fun - a small business being saved, a blindingly attractive potential love interest.
Although I think Henry did do a nice job of crafting Nora and Libby's relationship, I did think we dwelled on the conflict here for a little too long; and I did find Libby a tad grating - which may have been the point in terms of comparing her to Nora. However, this didn't stop my enjoyment, Henry may be the only author TikTok has got nailed.
Nora is the stereotypical work-obsessed book agent who is dumped as part of any Hallmark film when the man falls in love with a girl in a small-town; indeed several of her relationships have ended as men have fallen for lodge owners or orchard owners. After her mother passed away when she and her sister Libby were young, she is determined to provide a lifestyle for her sister and herself that her Mum would be proud of. When her pregnant sister Libby suggests a trip to a small town which happens to the be the small-town setting for one of Nora's author's in the hope of giving Nora a taste of small town life, it is Charlie, fellow big city literary editor who Nora finds herself unable to stay away from.
It's blindingly obvious from the start of the novel where the story is going but I enjoyed the journey all the same; it was refreshing to see a romance novel where the lead character is celebrated for having work passions, desiring a certain lifestyle and not wanting children - and having a male protagonist who thinks all these things make her awesome. I also enjoyed Henry's gentle spoofing of all the tropes that make Hallmark films so fun - a small business being saved, a blindingly attractive potential love interest.
Although I think Henry did do a nice job of crafting Nora and Libby's relationship, I did think we dwelled on the conflict here for a little too long; and I did find Libby a tad grating - which may have been the point in terms of comparing her to Nora. However, this didn't stop my enjoyment, Henry may be the only author TikTok has got nailed.