Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Published by Berkley on May 3, 2022
Genres: Chick Lit
Pages: 377
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
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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.

Read if you like:

• Enemies to lovers
• Witty banter
• Small-town romance
• Audiobooks

Quotes:

“Nora.” He just barely smiles. “You’re in books. Of course you don’t have a life. None of us do. There’s always something too good to read.”

“Sometimes, even when you start with the last page and you think you know everything, a book finds a way to surprise you.”

“That’s life. You’re always making decisions, taking paths that lead you away from the rest before you can see where they end. Maybe that’s why we as a species love stories so much. All those chances for do-overs, opportunities to live the lives we’ll never have.”

My thoughts:

Every time I read an Emily Henry book, I decide it’s my new favorite but I think that really might be the case with Book Lovers. Choosing to re-read this one on audio was truly a wonderful decision on my part.

Charlie Lastra and Nora Stephens are perfect and I will accept no criticism of these characters. They may not be perfect human beings but they are perfect for each other. As a childless woman who works a lot, Nora was, personally, extremely easy for me to relate to. I loved that she was unapologetic about her decision not to have kids. It was refreshing to read. I don’t exactly know what to say about Charlie other than the fact that he’s my ideal man. I can’t explain what it is about him  but I adore him. The whole cast of characters in this book is impossible not to love.

Emily Henry’s writing is beautiful while also being very easy to read. Julia Whelan did a wonderful job narrating and I never wanted to stop listening. It’s safe to say that I’ll be adding her to my list of go-to audiobook narrators. Her voice was pleasant and did a fabulous job differentiating the characters.

Plotwise, it’s a fun trip to a small-town with a checklist of things to do, like sleep under the stars and save a local business. While cute, it also touches on heavier topics such as grief and bullying. Emily Henry balanced it all flawlessly.

Overall, Book Lovers is a must-read and if you’re on the fence about preferred medium, I highly recommend the audiobook.

TL;DR

A re-read, this time on audio.  The audio may have even made me love it more. Julia Whelan narrated and did a phenomenal job. If you haven’t read this one, check out the audio. Any true book lover will not be able to resist the lure of Nora Stephens and Charlie Lastra.

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