Book Lovers by Emily Henry

“As I gradually restore Words Like Silver to its archive of reviews written between 2011 and 2024, I'll aim to first and foremost make my reading history explorable by publishing the blurbs and short reflections as books cross my mind, with the goal of eventually transferring and fleshing out the original WLS content. For now, please enjoy this brief spotlight.”

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming....

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

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Emily Henry’s style lends itself so well to romantic comedy. She’s the queen of one-liners (and admits she comes up with premise and jokes before all else in her writing process.) Her witty dialogue and clever banter makes her books enjoyable to read no matter what else happens. She’s also laser-focused on hyper-specific details that, while scattered in a calculated way that feels formulaic after reading her collection, ultimately makes her books feel full and satisfying.

All that said, I was nervous about Book Lovers because People We Meet on Vacation felt plotless enough to disappoint me. In my review, I noted that there was no real conflict: both characters were awkwardly reconnecting on a very steady trajectory, and the narrator wasn’t ever suffering; she just felt a little vaguely bored despite emphasizing how fabulous her life was. There was never a question about whether or not she and the other guy would end up together, so it felt pretty pointless to read (although I did like it well enough due to Emily Henry overall being talented.)

Luckily, Book Lovers exceeded my expectations, more similar to Beach Read which I loved. It all felt well-balanced: angst, rivalry, romance, friendship, banter. No surprises. The tropes in this one were fun, and the small town Hallmark movie angle was one that led to some tenderness (on the corny side, which might inform whether you decide to read.)

I wanted a bit more of a North Carolina feel from a small town in North Carolina, but I’m biased because I spend nearly every summer near Asheville; she did a wonderful job depicting New York City in a homey way reminiscent of Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares.

Nora was supposed to be an “ice queen”, but that was definitely told not shown. I rarely got that vibe -- she was ambitious but friendly -- but it was constantly emphasized. Still, despite not really agreeing, she had a super satisfying amount of growth throughout the narrative and I really felt her transformation with each encounter. Her internal struggles felt real and complex. Charlie, the love interest, was fine, but I liked them together. And yes, I loved the over-the-top meta book references.

I love how Emily Henry can build out a whole picture and relationship regardless of how convincing it is or not (Hallmark movie vibes!) The ending felt overly long and some things were a bit too perfect, but honestly I enjoyed those airbrushed bits. Beach Read is still my favorite of her works, but I loved this one for similar reasons. Delightful.