About the Book:
One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn’t see coming…
Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.
Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.
If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.
My Review:
PERFECTION! A book about the book world and a book editor and a book agent? Now that’s my kind of book!
I did not love Emily Henry’s ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ so I was a little apprehensive about reading ‘Book Lovers’. It is, however, every bit as engaging as ‘Beach Reads’. Nora and Charlie are absolutely perfect. And I love the author’s sense of humor!!
“Nice haircut, by the way.”
“Straight men love bangs,” I say. “They make
women approachable.”
“Nothing more intimidating than a forehead,
he agrees solemnly.
Nora and Charlie have seen every trope come across their respective desks so they make endless jokes about how they are each a typical cliché. Nora is aware that she is the driven, Type A successful career woman who always loses the boyfriend to the small-town, innocent shop owner. She makes endless jokes about it but in reality, she is terrified at falling in love with someone. Nora is tough but so relatable!
Charlie is the perfect foil for Nora. He is a gruff editor who sees right through Nora and teases her about her habits. They seem to hate each other at their first meeting but when they both find themselves in a small town outside Ashevile, NC, the anticipated sparks begin to fly.
The author has written an incredibly creative and engaging book that grabbed me from the first page. Because this book is also very much about family and responsibility, it is as much women’s fiction as it is a smart romantic comedy. Some of the banter between Nora and Charlie reminded me of one of my favorite rom-coms, ‘The Proposal’, which yes, contains the trope of the Type A successful professional woman falling for a small-town guy.
The character development is top-notch and while I was ready to nit-pick this book, I could not find anything to complain about. The dialogue between Nora and Charlie is unforgettable and the author’s sense of humor is fantastic! Add all this to the chemistry between the main characters, and you have the perfect summer read.
“Don’t tell me I hurt your feelings,” I murmur.
“You of all people should know,” he says, gaze
dropping to my mouth, “we ‘surly, monochromatic literary types’ don’t have those.”
Highly recommend this slow-burn romance. It might be Emily Henry’s best book yet.
(Thanks to the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.)