Book Review: Book Lovers
15/06/2022
Book Review | Book Lovers by Emily Henry
It’s hardly been a moment since I posted my review of Beth O’Leary’s The No Show, so I’m coming in unexpectedly hard here with the romance novels. On a practical level it’s just that all my favourite authors of this genre have really been leaning into the Spring and Summer months with new releases but, on a more emotional note, I think these are great reads for pure escapism. They’re fun, flirty and you know the author is going to try to make everything feel right by the end. Sometimes we just need that. Just like how other times I might turn to a hard-hitting memoir or a traumatic family saga for catharsis, romance novels can let you leave everything behind.
Book Lovers is everything I’d hope for from an Emily Henry novel. She immediately became a go-to writer for me right from her first adult novel Beach Read and I’ve enjoyed her two follow ups immensely. While they’re all definitely romance books first and foremost, they’re also beautifully plotted, each with a great premise and dialogue is always crackling with wit and humour. Book Lovers felt like a bit of a return (after You and Me on Vacation) to Henry’s now trademark meta-bookishness within each novel. In Book Lovers the lead protagonists are a literary agent (Nora) and editor (Charlie) who, after an initial bad business meeting about a potential collaboration on a new novel, later meet in the small town where the now hit novel is set. From Nora comparing the trajectory of her life to that of the romance novels she works on to the punnish names of each small town shop, there are many nods to the business of writing and publishing novels throughout.
Though the will-they-won’t-they nature of Nora and Charlie’s romance is at the heart of the book, both characters have well-fleshed out backstories as do the peripheral characters, in particular Nora’s sister Libby. The bond between the sisters is essential to the storyline and, although I found it all pretty predictable, it’s also so full of warmth and heart that I never stopped wanting to read on. Due to how richly Henry drew the town and its inhabitants (as well as the sisters’ childhood experiences of New York), it felt to me that the novel had much more in the way of interesting scenarios, potential alternative relationships and familial commitments than other romance novels I’ve read. I genuinely cared about the bind Charlie found himself in having to choose between his own desires and looking after his family, plus I also could feel how interdependent Nora and Libby were due to their childhood.
If I had any complaints whatsoever it would probably be that it felt like Henry kept trying to present Charlie and Nora as instant enemies who fight against their desires for one another. In truth though, there wasn’t much build up before their on-and-off again romance began. They have one unpleasant meeting for sure but even before they meet again in person they begin emailing each other and there are flirtatious undertones pretty much immediately. I don’t mind this at all, I actually really enjoyed the timeline of their romance, finding it messy but often realistic but it did feel that the enemies-to-lovers trope kept trying to be shoehorned in a bit.
Book Lovers is the kind of book I imagine I’ll keep on hand for future rainy and/or sick days. Though it’s fairly easygoing reading there’s also plenty of layers to sift through and discover a new little detail each re-read. If you’re a fan of snappy dialogue, enforced bookishness and lots of family backstories absolutely give this gal a read.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance digital ARC of Book Lovers
You can pre-order your own copy at my affiliate link on Bookshop.org or go to your local independent bookstore!