stagemanaginger's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have heard about how good Emily Henry books are for a while from multiple sources, but figured her books would be on par with other romance novels. But I have to say I was really impressed! I spent my entire day reading this book from start to finish and don’t regret it! The best written romance I’ve read in a long time!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment
gimmiiie's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Spoiler
The ending was a little too long. The book should have been about 1 hour of audio shorter. I was ready for it to be over.I enjoyed a lot of it but the conclusion was drawn out. I enjoyed the sisters dynamic. Charlie wasnt the most interesting love interest. He was most interesting at the very start of the book during the work meeting and when Nora was trolling him.
I enjoyed the setting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Medical content
Moderate: Addiction and Alcoholism
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Abandonment, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying
janaya's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Abandonment
chasingpages1's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Cursing, and Medical content
Moderate: Sexual content and Grief
Minor: Alcohol and Death
vanesst's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Abandonment
jasquid's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It was a really fun and easy read. Super enjoyable and funny, Henry is always great at breathing life into her characters', their dialogue and their dynamics. Personally, I thought the way that Nora and Charlie got together was too smooth, too easy, or else that the conflicts they had were relatively easy to solve.
I became a Henry fan after reading People We Meet on Vacation which had fantastic drawn out angst and turmoil. I found the conversations more meaningful, but no less funny. Book Lovers was a great book and super enjoyable to read and digestible. Most of my friends preferred Book Lovers because the pacing and structure of the story makes more sense compared to PWMoV. I agree, but overall I still prefer PWMoV. (Also this is a teeny tiny complaint but the book feels like it was marketed as a summer book, and the story took place in August but all of Sunshine Falls gave me such fall energy)
I did enjoy Book Lovers very much, though! I read it in one afternoon. Charlie and Nora's dynamic was so fun and delicious. But other parts of meaningful dialogue I found a biiittt repetitive and too blatant in how 'emotional' they were meant to be. So I had a lot of fun reading this book, but I would have appreciated more subtlety or nuance in its flavour.
I became a Henry fan after reading People We Meet on Vacation which had fantastic drawn out angst and turmoil. I found the conversations more meaningful, but no less funny. Book Lovers was a great book and super enjoyable to read and digestible. Most of my friends preferred Book Lovers because the pacing and structure of the story makes more sense compared to PWMoV. I agree, but overall I still prefer PWMoV. (Also this is a teeny tiny complaint but the book feels like it was marketed as a summer book, and the story took place in August but all of Sunshine Falls gave me such fall energy)
I did enjoy Book Lovers very much, though! I read it in one afternoon. Charlie and Nora's dynamic was so fun and delicious. But other parts of meaningful dialogue I found a biiittt repetitive and too blatant in how 'emotional' they were meant to be. So I had a lot of fun reading this book, but I would have appreciated more subtlety or nuance in its flavour.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment and Death of parent
joey1914's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, and Bullying
kdailyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, and Medical content
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, and Abandonment
amaranthingly's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
PROS
✨ the January Andrews mentions are giving me life! my girl will be forever famous.
✨ the portrayal of Nora and Libby’s relationship as sisters is something that hits close to home. I loved that their conflict was not depicted as “pros and cons” to having a sister; it was shown that there are ups and downs they have to face together despite the strength of their bond and how they’re each other’s person.
✨ Sally and Clint’s short scene times (get it, screen time?) were still so wholesome. sure, I would’ve loved to see more of them together, but it didn’t feel like I didn’t know who they were and their relevance to Charlie’s life.
✨ I see no red flags in the hero, Charlie Lastra. his humor was the perfect blend of snark and wit. he was organized, orderly, and neat. he had sense of style and understood the love for impractical shoes. he had good communication skills and expressed what he wanted. he was understanding, loyal, and empathetic to a fault. as if if Emily Henry was god, she sent Charlie Lastra to apologize for the creation of other men.
✨ I found Nora Stephens relatable. always composes lists (especially color-coded ones), checks emails and answers calls after work hours, thorough with her makeup and skincare, also has fashion sense and in favor of wearing impractical shoes. but despite being perceived as this cold, relentless, workaholic, fastidious, emotionless bitch, she had a “sunny” side. she loves her nieces, goes great lengths to make her sister happy, is a softie, snorts at really good jokes (particularly Charlie’s), and is surprisingly capable of falling in love.
✨ Nora and Charlie’s banters either had me chuckling or uncontrollably smiling.
✨ the grumpy-grumpy here is SPECTACULAR. well, this is the first book i’ve read of that trope, but Book Lovers did it so well, especially with such an underused archetype.
✨ despite being grumpy-grumpy, Nora and Charlie weren’t remotely close to one-dimensional. there were so much more to their attributes and manners that went deeper than being thunderclouds. it is, after all, a reality that everyone is not just grumpy or not just sunshine, we are all a mix of both.
✨ the third act conflict was so nuanced and fleshed out. their situation was so realistic and it was actually high stakes.
✨ oh, to be in the shoes of someone who’s going to read this for the first time. I would love to be torn apart and put back together all over again.
✨ not to be that person but this book felt like a love letter to me
CONS
💫 did too much of an excellent job of raising my standards with men
CONCLUSION
💡 still at odds with deciding my top emily henry book, but this is 6 stars.
TRIGGER WARNINGS
⚠️
✨ the January Andrews mentions are giving me life! my girl will be forever famous.
✨ the portrayal of Nora and Libby’s relationship as sisters is something that hits close to home. I loved that their conflict was not depicted as “pros and cons” to having a sister; it was shown that there are ups and downs they have to face together despite the strength of their bond and how they’re each other’s person.
✨ Sally and Clint’s short scene times (get it, screen time?) were still so wholesome. sure, I would’ve loved to see more of them together, but it didn’t feel like I didn’t know who they were and their relevance to Charlie’s life.
✨ I see no red flags in the hero, Charlie Lastra. his humor was the perfect blend of snark and wit. he was organized, orderly, and neat. he had sense of style and understood the love for impractical shoes. he had good communication skills and expressed what he wanted. he was understanding, loyal, and empathetic to a fault. as if if Emily Henry was god, she sent Charlie Lastra to apologize for the creation of other men.
✨ I found Nora Stephens relatable. always composes lists (especially color-coded ones), checks emails and answers calls after work hours, thorough with her makeup and skincare, also has fashion sense and in favor of wearing impractical shoes. but despite being perceived as this cold, relentless, workaholic, fastidious, emotionless bitch, she had a “sunny” side. she loves her nieces, goes great lengths to make her sister happy, is a softie, snorts at really good jokes (particularly Charlie’s), and is surprisingly capable of falling in love.
✨ Nora and Charlie’s banters either had me chuckling or uncontrollably smiling.
✨ the grumpy-grumpy here is SPECTACULAR. well, this is the first book i’ve read of that trope, but Book Lovers did it so well, especially with such an underused archetype.
✨ despite being grumpy-grumpy, Nora and Charlie weren’t remotely close to one-dimensional. there were so much more to their attributes and manners that went deeper than being thunderclouds. it is, after all, a reality that everyone is not just grumpy or not just sunshine, we are all a mix of both.
✨ the third act conflict was so nuanced and fleshed out. their situation was so realistic and it was actually high stakes.
✨ oh, to be in the shoes of someone who’s going to read this for the first time. I would love to be torn apart and put back together all over again.
✨ not to be that person but this book felt like a love letter to me
CONS
💫 did too much of an excellent job of raising my standards with men
CONCLUSION
💡 still at odds with deciding my top emily henry book, but this is 6 stars.
TRIGGER WARNINGS
⚠️
Spoiler
adoption, anxiety and panic attacks, bullying, child neglect, death of a parent (recounted), drug abuse (mentioned), divorce, estrangement, grief & loss depiction, overdose (mentioned), pregnancy, stroke (parent)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Medical content, Pregnancy, Cursing, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Drug use, Vomit, Miscarriage, and Drug abuse