I am decided to have YOU read that book! Book Lovers by Emily Henry. A must read in 2022! Review

Synopsis

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.

Review

5 stars

Thanks for the free book PRH International!

I loved Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation so I was overjoyed when I could get my greedy hands on that ARC.

Did it meet my expectations?

Well considering that I have unplugged from all social media for one day as I didn’t want to stop reading, I’d say YES!

Also, you all HAVE TO READ that book!

I am just chagrined that my copy being an ARC I can’t quote the book per publisher’s request save checking it with a finished copy (and I don’t want to wait for the release date to try to push that book on you!).

Because that book is certainly quotable!

I adored everything in the book, beginning with the humor and the banter!

Nora and Charlie or even Nora and Libby’s banter was a true feast of sarcastic remarks and dry humor. I laughed, snickered , giggled or guffawed, you name it!

I wish I could talk with Emily Henry to ask her if she thought about these jabs all by herself or if she volleyed back with her husband or friends or… because it was priceless!

I adored the characters!

The sardonic personality of Charlie Lastra, with his dark clothes, admirable brow, his pout, his cold remarks all hiding someone who cares and wants to do good for his family.

The shark reputation of Nora, with her peloton, high heels, love of New York city, fierce protective instincts for her clients and her sister. In the very first pages, the tone is set as her latest boyfriend is breaking up on the phone, smitten by a comely countryside girl while Nora is being told that she does not even have feelings.

The ice queen. The woman with a list with requirements all her potential dates have to meet.

But of course, under the ice queen veneer hides a woman with many feelings and a trauma that was never totally overcome.

The first time these two will meet will be intense, a battle of wits and will set the tone  of the beginning of the book.

Soon enough though, we see that Nora does have feelings, especially a very strong love for her little sister Libby. Nora would do anything to see Libby happy, even taking one month of holiday in a small town.

I have never met a more “city person” than Nora so that truly shows her dedication for her sister.

The sibling love is another thing that I really appreciated in that book as well as all the happy memories of Nora and Libby’s childhood in New York City.

I wanted to visit all the places Nora remembered fondly in that story!

As the synopsis states, Nora will find, surprise, surprise, her nemesis Charlie Lastra in Sunshine Falls.

I won’t tell more about the plot.

I also adored that Nora talked and saw life as tropes of books! It was refreshing and very astute! A pure delight. Also Nora being an author’s agent must have been cathartic for Emily Henry! A change of perspective, coupled with Charlie being an editor.

Everything in this story was about books one way or another. Their jobs, the bookshops, the work in libraries, the books… for a booknerd like me it was heaven!

I could rave for hours about the book truly as I also adored the character growth, the romance, the past trauma explaining Nora and Libby’s behavior, the…

Honestly, this is one of my favorite reads so far this year.

Thanks for reading!

Sophie