Book Summary and Reviews of Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Lovers

by Emily Henry

  • Readers' Rating (10):
  • Published:
  • May 2022, 416 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

An insightful, delightful, instant #1 New York Times bestseller from the author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation.

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.

Please be aware that this discussion may contain spoilers!

See what our members are saying about this book in our Community Forum.

Annie and Emily’s close relationship deteriorates throughout the book as they are pulled in different directions. How did you respond to the breakdown of their connection? Why do you think Annie still chose Emily as Dorothy’s guardian?
I found Annie to be immature, as if she was big doll. She wanted the security and wealth of a rich man while enjoying the thrill and adventure of her lover. She often made snarky comments to her sister and pushed for things to be her way. I wasn't sure she would ever agree that Em should leave he...
-Dee_Driscole


Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels are featured heavily throughout The Busybody Book Club. Have you read any of them, or watched the series? What’s your favorite “enemy-to-lovers” novel?
Have not read–or watched–any of the Bridgerton books. They just aren't something that called to me. So many enemy-to-lovers books out there right now; just about every rom-com uses that device (some better than others). I liked Emily Henry's "Book Lovers" and "Beach Read" but the main characters ...
-Carol_Ann_Robb


What are some books you loved reading in 2024?
...ourtney Sullivan The Women by Kristen Hannah The Sun is a Compass by Caroline Van Hemert Educated by Tara Westover The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve Book Lovers by Emily Henry Funny Story by Emily Henry After I do by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand Be Ready Wh...
-Debbie_M

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Book Lovers uses classic romance tropes with purpose and intention, offering readers a satisfying romance unto itself, while also reflecting on why romance novels are so enticing to begin with…a smart, charming and dazzling book." —Shelf Awareness

"Book Lovers is a treat from start to finish, flipping the conventional small-town love story trope on its head…This enemies-to-lovers novel is a quick and satisfying binge-read." —USA Today

"[Book Lovers] is multilayered and the characters' familial challenges are complex. By both playing to and overtly subverting romance tropes and archetypes like the high-powered big city woman who neglects her family and the life-affirming power of small-town life, this novel delivers an insightful comedic meditation on love, family and going your own way." —NPR

"I would follow Emily Henry anywhere. A small town, a literary enterprise, a bookstore to rescue, and sex in moonlit streams? Yes, please! Book Lovers is sexy, funny, and smart. Another perfectly satisfying read from the unstoppable Emily Henry."  —Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of All Adults Here

"Emily Henry's books are a gift, the perfect balance between steamy and sweet. The prose is effortless, the characters charming. The only downside is reaching the end."  —V.E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling author The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

This information about Book Lovers was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Emily Henry

Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of People We Meet on Vacation and Beach Read. She studied creative writing at Hope College, and now spends most of her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the part of Kentucky just beneath it. Find her on Instagram @emilyhenrywrites.

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