My Rating: 4 stars
Recently, aside from reading a lot of non-fiction books (mostly related to my writing project), many of my fiction reads have been on the "serious" and "heavy" side. Don't get me wrong though — I'm not complaining, not in the least, especially since all of those reads have been good ones. Coincidentally though, I've also got a lot going on right now, both at work and in my personal life, resulting in fatigue and exhaustion from my stress levels being at a consistently high point. Because of this, I felt like I needed a little bit of a break from heavier reads at the moment — I wanted something light and warm-hearted, with "feel-good" vibes that I could count on as a guarantee to lift my spirits. In going through my shelves, I came across the latest Emily Henry rom-com Book Lovers, which I had bought when it came out back in May, but hadn't gotten the chance to read yet, so I decided to go for it. It turns out this book was the perfect choice, as it provided the exact "pick-me-up" that I was looking for, but also had emotional depth and well-drawn characters (two elements that are always important to me).
While it's true that I'm not usually a fan of romances because most are too trope-heavy for my tastes (plus I'm a bit of a cynic when it comes to this love and romance stuff), there are times when I come across a romantic tale that meets the moment for me timing-wise and this was definitely one of them. I had actually read both of Emily Henry's previous rom-coms (Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation) and while both were enjoyable overall, I didn't take to either of those books the way I did to this one. Perhaps it's because the main protagonist in this one, Nora Stephens, is a character I could actually relate to: a career woman who works hard to build a financially secure life for herself in order to ensure her family is always well-taken care of, but at the expense of her own hopes, dreams, and desires. In addition to constantly "fixing" everyone else's problems while neglecting her own, Nora also sacrifices her dream job as an editor in favor of one as a literary agent that pays well, but is cutthroat and requires her to work constantly. She also doesn't allow herself to have a love life because that would require too much emotional investment — something she doesn't have time for anyway but also because letting her guard down and allowing her vulnerabilities to show are absolutely not options for her (as she mentions herself at one point, she hasn't cried in over a decade because it's not something she can afford to do). I actually saw a lot of myself in Nora, which is probably why I was able to resonate with her character so deeply. Of course, it also made me root for her and Charlie even more, despite the fact that I already knew they would definitely have a happy ending no matter what (this IS a rom-com after all).
One of the things that has become a "trademark" of sorts with Henry's books is the witty banter between the main couple in the story and in this one, there was plenty of it, which I loved. The banter between Nora and Charlie was funny, smart, and oh so satisfying to read — I can't remember the last time I had so much fun following two characters' back-and-forth dialogue.
Another dynamic that made this book more endearing to me than Henry's previous rom-coms was the relationship between Nora and her sister Libby. I love the way Henry wrote their relationship — each scene where the two of them were together, there was a genuineness and ease to their relationship that jumped off the page for me (not to mention that it made me wish I had a sister).
In addition, I also enjoyed the "bookish" thread that ran through the entire story. Aside from having both main characters work in the world of book publishing, there were also many book references, quotes, and puns that book nerds like me are sure to appreciate.
This was definitely my favorite of Emily Henry's rom-coms and while it didn't change my sentiment toward rom-coms and romances in general (I'm still not much of a fan), it was absolutely a welcome departure from my usual reads. I also just found out that Henry has a new book scheduled to release in April of next year — that one doesn't have a bookish vibe like this one, but I still look forward to reading it.
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