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A review by lewnie
Book Lovers by Emily Henry

emotional funny relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 
Romance book tropes abound in this stunning new novel from Emily Henry. Nora is the one who gets left behind when her boyfriends meet the woman of their dreams after visiting a small town to close the local boutique hotel or Christmas Tree farm, etc. Nora is the one in the sky-high stilettos with a 16-step skincare routine and she’s just fine with that. But she also knows that means she isn’t the heroine of anyone’s rom-com. When her sister, Libby, suggests a month-long visit to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina Nora wasn’t expecting to run into Charlie Lastra, a big-time editor from New York. But then they continue to run into each other. While nothing like the romance tropes she’s come to expect, there just might be something between them after all. 

The good: I don’t need to tell you how good this one was. Trust me, it’s as good as you would expect from Emily Henry. Even better, honestly. I loved Nora and Charlie. Nora is so unapologetically herself. She’s vain, she likes expensive things, and she’s a workaholic. But all of that is fine with her. And I love that Nora is the person we have come to expect as the “villain” of the romance novel, the woman that we root against, but she is such a likable and relatable character. The relationship between Nora and Libby was so wonderful to see. I think the way that Nora cares for Libby will resonate with so many eldest siblings in such a real way. The romance is also so wonderful. It has been described as grumpy-grumpy which I think is perfect. Charlie is also incredibly attractive without being hypermasculine. 

The bad: The first part of the book is more meandering than Henry’s other works I think but I honestly enjoyed being able to sit with the characters and feel like their relationships were developing naturally, rather than just jumping into something in the last 5 chapters. 

Overall: This is the best of Emily Henry’s books in my opinion. I felt so connected with Nora. An absolute comfort read.  

CW: sexual content, death of a parent, pregnancy, medical content, abandonment, panic attacks, alcohol. 

 
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