erkietheturkey'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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Minor: Medical content
amberinpieces's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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: Cursing
Moderate: Mental illness and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcohol, Medical content, Grief, Body shaming, and Death of parent
ttumbletree's review against another edition
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Mental illness
iamnita's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
2.0
Soooooo the book overall has a really happy vibe. I loved delving into both character's personalities, and found the writing of the characters overall consistent. The banter was over-the-top for how people generally speak which certainly took away from the book.
However, the bigger issue I have is that I hate reading about terrible mental health rep. All the characters disregard how unwell they are as "the way it is" which it doesn't need to be. Further, the main relationships were just absolutely toxic and I'm tired of hearing about unhealthy dynamics.
However, the bigger issue I have is that I hate reading about terrible mental health rep. All the characters disregard how unwell they are as "the way it is" which it doesn't need to be. Further, the main relationships were just absolutely toxic and I'm tired of hearing about unhealthy dynamics.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Pregnancy
annarbpollock's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Such a beautiful story! Loved Charlie so so much, but I secretly wish
Spoiler
Nora and Charlie would've stayed in North Carolina to all be together - just my opinion!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Mental illness
mallory10100's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
WOW i loved this book so much! a perfect mix of beach read and people we meet on vacation, while still completely original. if you love classic hallmark stories you’d love this one! i loved that Charlie was an editor as i will be a newspaper editor starting in september :) also LOVE that one of the main characters is named Libby as that’s my dog’s name 🥰
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Cursing, Sexual content, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Rape, Murder, and Vomit
10/10 emily henry you never misstoofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
This book has had mixed reviews among my friends for months, and so I've been *worried* to pick this up and really excited to pick it up at the same time. The complaints that I kept hearing were that this wasn't really a romance even though it was marketed as such, that it was more about the sisters. People came to this book for a romance and got familial trauma and a complicated sibling dynamic.
I get why they didn't like it, I don't think that this book is for everyone, but I think because I knew going in that this was more about sisterhood than romance, I wasn't disappointed. Like its predecessor, "Beach Read," Book Lovers is heavy on the family dynamics and familial trauma, and is often flat out sad. There is still a romance IN it and its prevalent, but this is very much a story about the growth in the relationship of Nora and Libby (whether or not I liked Libby as a character is a completely different post altogether). While a lot of people hated this aspect, I think it made the book more memorable for me. It reminded me of a Hallmark movie but with more depth.
It was refreshing to see a female character from Emily Henry who is so starkly different from her other heroines, Poppy Wright (my beloved) and January Andrews (my other beloved). It was even refreshing to me for there to be a character in an Emily Henry book that I didn't like. I didn't know that was even possible, and instead of it making me rate the book down a star, it just made me more entertained.
People We Meet On Vacation is still my favorite Emily Henry book but, like Beach Read, this also captured me. Interesting characters and a great atmosphere from my newest auto-buy author.
This is the section where I'm going to share a critique - I know, wild that I'm adding a very specific critique to a 5 star book, but I feel like I'd be doing people who genuinely trust my opinions a disservice if I pretended this book was perfect.
Anyway, there is a line in the book that gave me pause. My best friend and I both raised our eyebrows at this line from Nora:
"Straight men have it too easy. A heterosexual woman can see a very normal looking, nonsexual appendage, and biology's like, Step aside, last four thousand years of evolution, it's time to contribute to the continuation of the human race."
My issue here isn't that Nora is straight and experiencing attraction, but the use of the word heterosexual specifically feels not only unnecessary, but unintentionally exclusionary. It seems to me that while writing this part, Henry - in order to not seem like she was lumping all women together (after all, not all women or afab people experience attraction to men and some don't experience sexual attraction at all, and furthermore, sexuality is obviously a spectrum and many women are attracted to men, women, and those who do not conform to the gender binary), she overcorrected and got too specific, which felt kind of alienating to read as a member of the lgbt+ community. It isn't a *big* thing, but it's still a thing that's been on my mind. I don't think that EH was trying to be exclusionary or homophobic here, but I think that line could've been taken out or edited a certain way so as to not come off strangely.
I get why they didn't like it, I don't think that this book is for everyone, but I think because I knew going in that this was more about sisterhood than romance, I wasn't disappointed. Like its predecessor, "Beach Read," Book Lovers is heavy on the family dynamics and familial trauma, and is often flat out sad. There is still a romance IN it and its prevalent, but this is very much a story about the growth in the relationship of Nora and Libby (whether or not I liked Libby as a character is a completely different post altogether). While a lot of people hated this aspect, I think it made the book more memorable for me. It reminded me of a Hallmark movie but with more depth.
It was refreshing to see a female character from Emily Henry who is so starkly different from her other heroines, Poppy Wright (my beloved) and January Andrews (my other beloved). It was even refreshing to me for there to be a character in an Emily Henry book that I didn't like. I didn't know that was even possible, and instead of it making me rate the book down a star, it just made me more entertained.
People We Meet On Vacation is still my favorite Emily Henry book but, like Beach Read, this also captured me. Interesting characters and a great atmosphere from my newest auto-buy author.
This is the section where I'm going to share a critique - I know, wild that I'm adding a very specific critique to a 5 star book, but I feel like I'd be doing people who genuinely trust my opinions a disservice if I pretended this book was perfect.
Anyway, there is a line in the book that gave me pause. My best friend and I both raised our eyebrows at this line from Nora:
"Straight men have it too easy. A heterosexual woman can see a very normal looking, nonsexual appendage, and biology's like, Step aside, last four thousand years of evolution, it's time to contribute to the continuation of the human race."
My issue here isn't that Nora is straight and experiencing attraction, but the use of the word heterosexual specifically feels not only unnecessary, but unintentionally exclusionary. It seems to me that while writing this part, Henry - in order to not seem like she was lumping all women together (after all, not all women or afab people experience attraction to men and some don't experience sexual attraction at all, and furthermore, sexuality is obviously a spectrum and many women are attracted to men, women, and those who do not conform to the gender binary), she overcorrected and got too specific, which felt kind of alienating to read as a member of the lgbt+ community. It isn't a *big* thing, but it's still a thing that's been on my mind. I don't think that EH was trying to be exclusionary or homophobic here, but I think that line could've been taken out or edited a certain way so as to not come off strangely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Misogyny, Grief, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Medical content and Alcohol
Minor: Injury/injury detail, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Abortion
alexxm13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.0
Spoiler
4 stars! i am a book lover and a lover of this book, it’s actually so cute and had also sad pain i went thru because of the family issues from nora being a protective older sister who wants to constantly fix things due to guilt and grief from her mum’s death. and with charlie feeling he wasn’t good enough for his step dad’s acceptance and this book was truly magical with a happy ever after <3 this book is a romance but still has elements that i love which was the theme of family and sacrificing so much for the people you love. i love the relationship between libby and nora as there were so many moments i deeply related to and ofc nora and charlie were adorable with ✨tension✨ running throughout as well. what i particularly like in this is the ending where nora chose to chase her dreams she wanted from the start but was scared to do so for the sake of giving up everything for libby’s happiness, and the ending was just lovely with charlie finally staying in nyc. i loved the parallels between the viewpoints of what nora views her mum to be and how she is so similar with constantly working for her family. i relate to nora a lot who wants to constantly fix everything as she blames so much due to not being there for her mum’s death so she wants to ensure everything can be fixed and she can control things as she did not have it, she also fears to be in a relationship with someone as she thinks people would leave her like her mum did. she chooses family always and stops looking after herself and to overwork to not think and reflect on her trauma and guilt. i like charlie (altho i wish we got his pov cuz that would have been very interesting to have his internal dialogue esp with issues with his step dad) but he’s adorable and is mr grumpy on the outside but is just a softie which i love. im not really an avid reader of romance but suprisingly did like this one and will be the first emily henry book before i absorb her other works.🎵cigarette daydream by cage the elephant
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Grief
simixfe's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
2.5
You know what? I am a bit mad. It may not be the author's fault but more the publisher's
I wanted to like this book and in the beginning I did. It started out as the cute, light-hearted romance it was marketed as but it got rather sad and depressing towards the end. It may be that I am sensitive but it bothers me a lot when a book is praised as the perfect light-hearted summer read when it is not.
Also the plot and characters were kind of boring.
On a positive note, the writing style is great and very readable.
Conclusion: I thought I would like this more than 'People we meet on vacation' but I didn't :(
I wanted to like this book and in the beginning I did. It started out as the cute, light-hearted romance it was marketed as but it got rather sad and depressing towards the end. It may be that I am sensitive but it bothers me a lot when a book is praised as the perfect light-hearted summer read when it is not.
Also the plot and characters were kind of boring.
On a positive note, the writing style is great and very readable.
Conclusion: I thought I would like this more than 'People we meet on vacation' but I didn't :(
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Medical content
ardentlychris's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcohol and Toxic relationship
Minor: Bullying, Mental illness, Vomit, Car accident, Cursing, and Medical content