Emily Henry is the Taylor Swift of authors. She has the ability to take a trope, a situation, characters, and make you feel like you've known them your entire life. She has the ability to weave in real life thoughts, experiences and emotions into a fictional story, as if the story was written just for you.
When her third book, Book Lovers, was announced and released last year I was over the moon. I love books and books and a book named 'Books Lovers' which was about a pair of rival book agents/editors partnering on a new novel, sounded ideal.
However, I get into this place with books I'm really excited about where I can't read them right away. It's like I don't want to delve into the anticipation too hard or too fast. I wait for the perfect time to read my most anticipated books because I don't want to be disappointed or have that feeling go away.
It's very complicated feeling that doesn't make a ton of sense.
That being said, Book Lovers was the last book I read in 2022 and what a way to end the year! It was beyond my wildest expectations; it was better than incredible... it is indescribable how wonderful Book Lovers was.
Publishers Summary
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 Thoughts
Like I said, this book is better than anything you could imagine. It left me feeling empty in the best way possible. I was sobbing at the end of the book, even though it wasn't inherently sad.
I felt seen in this book and I'm not sure why because I didn't feel like I was anything like Nora in personality. I was like her in the way I feel about books though, so maybe that's where the similarity comes in.
There was a clear theme of Nora being insecure about her life in a way that I don't think a lot of people can properly express. She was so concerned about making the world ok for her sister she forgot to make it ok for herself. Nora had eldest daughter syndrome and I can understand that, I can relate to that.
Charlie and Nora's chemistry was off the charts; it made me giggle like a little girl. I don't think you can even define them as enemies to lovers because I don't think enemies was ever even on the table for them. I think they were always more than friends and it was really exciting to see.
The thing about Book Lovers was that I didn't know which way it was going to go. It had a mild feeling of suspense all throughout because you weren't sure if things were going to work out for Nora. There was also a level of secrecy in the reasoning behind Libby's sudden vacation plans. That subplot kept me on my toes the entire time and I loved it!
I have to mention a mild spoiler alert here -- I was tickled pink when there was a Beach Read mention in the book! January Andrews name popped up and I almost lost my cool. It was such a fun surprise and made me so happy.
Emily Henry's writing style has a way of being gut wrenchingly beautiful without being overly sad. She hits on every emotion and nerve you have inside of you in a way I don't think many people can. Her way with words is powerful and can make even the smallest, minuscule scene feel intense.
Book Lovers is by far my favorite Emily Henry book and if you weren't a huge fan of her others, I think you might fall in love with this one!
Did you read Book Lovers? What did you think?
xoxo
B
Add your comment