m4rtt4's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
3.75
Finally a contemporary romance novel that actually had me rooting for the main couple, dying even... I feel like my identity as a romance-hater is being threatened, but perhaps not in a bad way? There definitely were so many cliché tropes in this book, some of which melted me *cough* the moonlight swimming scene *cough* and some others that were predictable and boring. Also both of the sisters were really insufferable at times, I didn't really like all their interactions very much, but I also have to praise the "mandatory" third act conflict
I'm still doubtful of whether a romance book worthy of MY five stars even exists, and while this one was not perfect either, it was still so very enjoyable that I binge-read like 75% of it in one sitting. No regrets <3
Spoiler
for it not having been between Charlie and Nora — first of all I'm glad they didn't have serious drama and secondly, the conflict made me like the sisters more. It was also a necessary element for character growth and overall gave more depth to the story.I'm still doubtful of whether a romance book worthy of MY five stars even exists, and while this one was not perfect either, it was still so very enjoyable that I binge-read like 75% of it in one sitting. No regrets <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Medical content and Vomit
novella42's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Vomit, and Death of parent
ekalmusla's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit and Abandonment
gingerbiscuit's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
3.75
Slow start, beautiful ending, perfect title.
It was a bit predictable and chapters felt a bit repetitive at times, especially if you're the type of reader that can easily foreshadow what happens next. But it was well written, all characters were lovable and I especially enjoyed Nora staying true to her self the whole time.
It was a bit predictable and chapters felt a bit repetitive at times, especially if you're the type of reader that can easily foreshadow what happens next. But it was well written, all characters were lovable and I especially enjoyed Nora staying true to her self the whole time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Mental illness, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Vomit, and Panic attacks/disorders
horizonous's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Apart from some small little nitpicky things I had a really good time with this 😊
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy, Bullying, Vomit, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Chronic illness, and Misogyny
◦ Chronic illness: Strokereadwithria's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
Book Lovers is 100% worth the hype.
Prior to reading Book Lovers, I had a somewhat split opinion about Emily Henry. I loved People We Meet on Vacation, but didn't love Beach Read. Now that I've finished Book Lovers I can say with confidence that I'm on the Emily Henry hype train.
Book Lovers is so much more than a romcom. It turns tropes on their heads. It's full of so many different kinds of love. It made me laugh out loud, and also made me tear up a couple of times. I cannot sing this book enough praise.
Things I loved
- The banter! It was so funny, and the dry wit was exactly my kind of humor
- Nora and Charlie are so great for each other! As they learn about each other it opens them up to the reader as well. They are so compelling, and their motivations feel very grounded in reality
- Nora and Libby's sibling relationship was amazing! Seeing how they interact makes me want to hang out with my own sister more, and their trials and tribulations were so relatable even in the most extreme cases (yes, I have kept dumb secrets from my sister for no reason. no, I don't think that's weird at all)
- The depiction of people who don't want kids of their own, but still like kids! Nora's nieces are adorable, and I want to be that cool aunt when I grow up. I love how Nora didn't change her mind for a man, how she loved her nieces, and how she had a very reasonable reason for not wanting her own kids. A+, I feel very seen
- The book talk! Some of it was a little meta, and I could tell Emily Henry was poking fun at some accusations made about her not visiting the places she has written about, which I personally found hilarious. There were also some structural things about the book-within-a-book that reflected back onto Book Lovers itself, and I found that quite intriguing! It definitely made me want to think more about plot structure in a very nerdy way
Things I didn't love
- Libby calls Nora "Sissy" and it was a little weird, but it didn't bother me enough to detract from the reading experience
The characters were amazing, the writing was both hilarious and heartfelt, and the story kept me reading for hours on end. 5 stars.
Prior to reading Book Lovers, I had a somewhat split opinion about Emily Henry. I loved People We Meet on Vacation, but didn't love Beach Read. Now that I've finished Book Lovers I can say with confidence that I'm on the Emily Henry hype train.
Book Lovers is so much more than a romcom. It turns tropes on their heads. It's full of so many different kinds of love. It made me laugh out loud, and also made me tear up a couple of times. I cannot sing this book enough praise.
Things I loved
- The banter! It was so funny, and the dry wit was exactly my kind of humor
- Nora and Charlie are so great for each other! As they learn about each other it opens them up to the reader as well. They are so compelling, and their motivations feel very grounded in reality
- Nora and Libby's sibling relationship was amazing! Seeing how they interact makes me want to hang out with my own sister more, and their trials and tribulations were so relatable even in the most extreme cases (yes, I have kept dumb secrets from my sister for no reason. no, I don't think that's weird at all)
- The depiction of people who don't want kids of their own, but still like kids! Nora's nieces are adorable, and I want to be that cool aunt when I grow up. I love how Nora didn't change her mind for a man, how she loved her nieces, and how she had a very reasonable reason for not wanting her own kids. A+, I feel very seen
- The book talk! Some of it was a little meta, and I could tell Emily Henry was poking fun at some accusations made about her not visiting the places she has written about, which I personally found hilarious. There were also some structural things about the book-within-a-book that reflected back onto Book Lovers itself, and I found that quite intriguing! It definitely made me want to think more about plot structure in a very nerdy way
Things I didn't love
- Libby calls Nora "Sissy" and it was a little weird, but it didn't bother me enough to detract from the reading experience
The characters were amazing, the writing was both hilarious and heartfelt, and the story kept me reading for hours on end. 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Grief
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Medical content
Minor: Vomit
amre23's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Medical trauma, Cursing, Mental illness, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Sexism
Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, Misogyny, and Cancer
jbabbm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’m simultaneously in love with Emily’s writing and angry at her for being able to write so beautifully.
This is definitely one of her best works, if not her best, you feel completely immersed in the story. It’s impossible not to laugh, cry, and feel butterflies along with the characters. I felt so identified with both Nora and Charlie, not to mention Libby as well, I kind of had the feeling that I was part of the story. Henry decided to write a book where the main character would not normally have a happy ending and give it to them because she saw that they deserved it. She literally wrote a book for all of us who might sometimes feel as the not so popular side character in someone else’s story, her way of saying that we are the main characters of our story and that we will get the happiness we deserve in the end.
Definitely recommend. Definitely will re-read in the future. Definitely in love with Nora and Charlie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit
doublexfesh's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A fluffy romantic read that gives the "big city girl with high powered job goes to small town where she falls in love with local hunk" trope a big twist. Easy to read and enjoyable overall, but I wasn't a fan of the spiciness level of the sex scenes. I've definitely read spicier stuff, but this was more than I wanted and really unnecessary as far as moving the plot along.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol and Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit
kalilarhiane's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
The premise was interesting and I loved the romance - getting to see characters flirt and genuinely enjoy each others presence was refreshing. The relationship between the sisters was sweet, and as an older sister I could relate to the main character heavily.
Some of the banter felt a little left of what real people sound like, but I didn’t mind much as it was entertaining.
Towards the last quarter of the story it felt like it dragged a little but I got back into it within a couple of chapters.
Overall a very enjoyable romance with some fun characters.
Some of the banter felt a little left of what real people sound like, but I didn’t mind much as it was entertaining.
Towards the last quarter of the story it felt like it dragged a little but I got back into it within a couple of chapters.
Overall a very enjoyable romance with some fun characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Death of parent, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit