Emily Henry’s Book Lovers is a delightful mix of banter, steam, and layers. It made for the perfect, easy read for me to get out of my reading slump.
Book Lovers is told from the perspective of Nora Stephens, who works as a literary agent in New York City. She’s seen as the stereotypical “shark”–with her cold, no-nonsense demeanor at work and cutthroat attitude–rather than the typical, cliche heroine in romance novels. When her sister Libby plans a trip to Sunshine Falls to give Nora a chance to take a break from work and to become the heroine of her own romantic story, Nora reluctantly agrees, unable to bring herself refuse her own sister. There, she meets her long-lost “work nemesis”–sharp, brooding Charlie Lastra, an editor she’s had not so fond experiences with two years ago. They continue to meet up coincidentally, leading to…not-so-cute experiences.
I’ve found that a lot of romance novels lack depth, but Emily Henry’s Book Lovers was generously layered in a way that made it both a meaningful and not-so-overwhelming read. I absolutely loved the dynamic between Nora and Charlie; the balance between banter and sweetness felt well-explored and fluid. Charlie Lastra, being the successful, compassionate yet passive guy that he is, could very well be up there in the list of novel boyfriends.
However, in romance novel fashion, I felt that this book kind of overused the name of some tropes like enemies to lovers and such. For reference, Nora has only run into Charlie once before running into him again at Sunshine Falls. To declare him her “workplace nemesis” based on that one interaction seemed immature to me, to say the least. The book was also extremely predictable–it lacked the push and pull, and thus failed to create a complex dynamic, although I did enjoy their banter. From chapter 3 onward, Nora and Charlie’s feelings for eachother were pratically sealed, and the rest of the chapters were just them trying to repress it.
I also want to point out that romance is not a central theme of the story. Nora is also conflicted with her issues about herself, her sister, and her mother. I don’t view this as a flaw; in fact, I think this adds a layer of depth to her character. While her placing her sister’s life ahead of hers was done, in my opinion, in a way that made her a little unrelatable, they all work together to clearly express her motives behind her actions and her ice-queen attitude.
Emily Henry’s Book Lovers is the perfect summer read. Light, funny, and absolutely engaging, it’ll leave you hungry for more.
~4 stars
