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Available
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Publication
Penguin (2022), 379 pages
Description
"A by-the-book literary agent must decide if happily ever after is worth changing her whole life for in this insightful, delightful new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation. 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"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member MickyFine
Nora Stephens is a literary agent and quite possibly the inspiration for every Big City work-obsessed girlfriend who gets dumped by the male lead to run off with the girl from a small town at the end of a rom com. After her latest break-up, Nora's sister, Libby, convinces Nora to take a break and
I really loved this book. It's an excellent send up of romance tropes while also hitting all the beats I love about the genre. It is also very, very funny. I was regularly laughing aloud and sharing passages with my longsuffering husband. Add in the bookish element of both Nora and Charlie working in the publishing industry and this book couldn't be more my kind of catnip if it tried. Highly recommended.
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spend three weeks in a small town in North Carolina. Nora reluctantly agrees and is astounded shortly after their arrival to bump into Charlie Lastra, the one editor in all of New York City she'd least expect to find in a small town. While Nora and Charlie don't really get along, in the nature of life in a small town, they continue to run into each other and when their work lives conspire to throw them together too, it's not long until sparks fly.I really loved this book. It's an excellent send up of romance tropes while also hitting all the beats I love about the genre. It is also very, very funny. I was regularly laughing aloud and sharing passages with my longsuffering husband. Add in the bookish element of both Nora and Charlie working in the publishing industry and this book couldn't be more my kind of catnip if it tried. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member brendajanefrank
This book seriously needed more editing, which is ironic because it is about book editors. A horse does NOT have a snout. And, was it necessary to us the F word every other sentence? Further, the whole plot was trite.
LibraryThing member Narshkite
There is a line in the book about how you are a real New Yorker when you are willing to experience your emotions out in front of everyone right there on the street. I finished this book on the F train today, and Emily Henry, you made me a real New Yorker. I wept like it was my job. I wept like I
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did when I was 8 months pregnant and an AT&T commercial came on (that is a special aside for one GR friend, but also an accurate statement.) And you know what? Just like in the book a woman reached into her bag and handed me a tissue (unused thank god) without ever raising her eyes from what appeared to be a Spanish language Us Magazine equivalent. Emily Henry did it again. This was written for me, I swear. And Julia Whelan read the audiobook perfectly, My heart feels 3 sizes too big for my chest, and my eyes are still a little red-rimmed, and I have a giant book hangover. This is a beautiful book about all kinds of love and about how worth it the pain of loss is in exchange for the gift of loving and being loved (this includes but is in no way limited to romantic love.) Sigh. The best. Show Less
LibraryThing member rmarcin
I enjoy reading books about people who are involved with books, so I was hoping to love this book. However, I just liked it "okay".
The story is about Nora Stephens who is a literary agent in NYC. She is devoted to her younger sister, Libby, and has given up opportunities so that Libby can have
Libby asks Nora to go on a month long vacation to a small NC town, Sunshine Falls, written about by Libby's favorite author. Libby has a list of things for them to do, as Libby tries to get Nora to relax. Charlie Lastra happens to be there, running his family bookstore due to a family emergency.
Naturally, they fall in love, but the circumstances are against them.
What bothered me most about this book was the language Charlie used to tell Nora his feelings. I cringed every time I read his words. For a book editor, use better words Charlie!
The story is about Nora Stephens who is a literary agent in NYC. She is devoted to her younger sister, Libby, and has given up opportunities so that Libby can have
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what she needs. The male character, Charlie Lastra is an editor in NYC, and the meetings that Nora and Charlie have had so far have not been pleasant. Libby asks Nora to go on a month long vacation to a small NC town, Sunshine Falls, written about by Libby's favorite author. Libby has a list of things for them to do, as Libby tries to get Nora to relax. Charlie Lastra happens to be there, running his family bookstore due to a family emergency.
Naturally, they fall in love, but the circumstances are against them.
What bothered me most about this book was the language Charlie used to tell Nora his feelings. I cringed every time I read his words. For a book editor, use better words Charlie!
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LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
I really don't like romance novels and avoid them whenever I can. This is a sneaky romance novel in that it is really funny on audio! The first half had me laughing loudly late at night while listening or driving in the car!! Of course, I can never hate a book about books, either! It does get
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really romantic ar the end and cringey for me but the humor made this a 4 star listen! Show Less
LibraryThing member Carolesrandomlife
I really enjoyed this book! I have read a couple of Emily Henry’s young adult titles but haven’t had a chance to read any of her books written for an adult audience before picking up this book. I am now officially a fan of her adult titles in addition to her young adult novels. I had hoped that
This story was filled with books, banter, fantastic characters, and romance. Is that a perfect combination or what? Nora is a literary agent and in the story of her life, she tends to be the woman that loses the guy. She is having a very bad day when she meets Charlie. Charlie is an editor and he doesn’t impress Nora any when he turns down the novel she is trying to sell. Fast forward a couple of years and Nora goes along with her sister to spend a month in the small town of Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, which just happens to be Charlie’s hometown.
Nora and Charlie were perfect together. They had so much in common and seemed to understand each other in a way nobody else did. Their first impression was not a great one so they really had to warm up to each other. The banter between them was absolutely fantastic. I had no idea that this book was going to actually make me laugh but it did and I couldn’t be happier about it. Charlie and Nora had a lot of responsibilities to work through and I loved getting to see them navigate their way towards a happily ever after.
Julie Whelan is one of my favorite narrators so I was very excited to see that she was reading this book. She did a great job in bringing these characters to life. She has a very pleasant voice and I thought that the voices she used for both the male and female characters sounded natural. I would definitely recommend grabbing the audio for this book if at all possible.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a wonderfully written story that left a big smile on my face. I cannot wait to read more of this talented author’s work.
I received a review copy of this audiobook from Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group.
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this would be a fun listen and it certainly was. I was completely entertained by this wonderful and often funny romance.This story was filled with books, banter, fantastic characters, and romance. Is that a perfect combination or what? Nora is a literary agent and in the story of her life, she tends to be the woman that loses the guy. She is having a very bad day when she meets Charlie. Charlie is an editor and he doesn’t impress Nora any when he turns down the novel she is trying to sell. Fast forward a couple of years and Nora goes along with her sister to spend a month in the small town of Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, which just happens to be Charlie’s hometown.
Nora and Charlie were perfect together. They had so much in common and seemed to understand each other in a way nobody else did. Their first impression was not a great one so they really had to warm up to each other. The banter between them was absolutely fantastic. I had no idea that this book was going to actually make me laugh but it did and I couldn’t be happier about it. Charlie and Nora had a lot of responsibilities to work through and I loved getting to see them navigate their way towards a happily ever after.
Julie Whelan is one of my favorite narrators so I was very excited to see that she was reading this book. She did a great job in bringing these characters to life. She has a very pleasant voice and I thought that the voices she used for both the male and female characters sounded natural. I would definitely recommend grabbing the audio for this book if at all possible.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a wonderfully written story that left a big smile on my face. I cannot wait to read more of this talented author’s work.
I received a review copy of this audiobook from Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group.
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LibraryThing member Twink
Well, I don't know how I've missed reading/listening to Emily Henry's books! I absolutely adored her latest - Book Lovers.
Nora Stevens is a literary agent and Charlie Lastra is a book editor who don't see quite eye to eye. Both are based in New York. Nora is devoted to her clients - and her younger
Oh my gosh where to start? I enjoyed Henry's characters so much. She brings her players to life with well rounded out backstories, excellent dialogue and believable emotions and situations. Although Nora is our lead, the supporting cast is just as likable and well drawn.
The setting? Well, Sunshine Falls is a lovely, quaint town with a wealth of quirky residents that I absolutely live in! Again, the descriptions created vivid mental images. Oh, did I mention that there's a book shop/cafe?
The dialogue/bantering is really well written - whip smart but also realistic - especially between Nora and Libby.
And yes, this is a rom com. So how's the romance bit? I love the yes/no/maybe so of the relationship. Can they make it work? (I found myself coming up with strategies to make sure that happened!) And the physical bits? Descriptive but not over the top. Instead it was just right.
And not to be forgotten - the love of books that is woven into the novel.
I chose to listen to Book Lovers. And boy was that the right choice. The reader is Julia Whelan - a perennial favourite of mine. The voice for the characters change to match their moods, emotions and settings. The Nora voice is wonderfully snarky and caustic at times, but also kind, vulnerable and more. There's a lovely smooth tone to Whelan's voice. Libby's voice is always upbeat and sounds younger. Whelan uses a low, growly (and yes, kinda sexy) voice that absolutely sounds like a man speaking. The speaking pace is just right. Henry's voice is clear and easy to understand. She interprets Henry's work very, very well. An excellent performance of an excellent book! What else can I say? I loved this audiobook!
Nora Stevens is a literary agent and Charlie Lastra is a book editor who don't see quite eye to eye. Both are based in New York. Nora is devoted to her clients - and her younger
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sister Libby. When Libby asked Nora to take a vacation with her to the small town of Sunshine Falls, she agrees. After all, she can work remotely. But Libby has other ideas about how they should spend their time. She's written up a sort of bucket list. Oh, and guess who they run into!Oh my gosh where to start? I enjoyed Henry's characters so much. She brings her players to life with well rounded out backstories, excellent dialogue and believable emotions and situations. Although Nora is our lead, the supporting cast is just as likable and well drawn.
The setting? Well, Sunshine Falls is a lovely, quaint town with a wealth of quirky residents that I absolutely live in! Again, the descriptions created vivid mental images. Oh, did I mention that there's a book shop/cafe?
The dialogue/bantering is really well written - whip smart but also realistic - especially between Nora and Libby.
And yes, this is a rom com. So how's the romance bit? I love the yes/no/maybe so of the relationship. Can they make it work? (I found myself coming up with strategies to make sure that happened!) And the physical bits? Descriptive but not over the top. Instead it was just right.
And not to be forgotten - the love of books that is woven into the novel.
I chose to listen to Book Lovers. And boy was that the right choice. The reader is Julia Whelan - a perennial favourite of mine. The voice for the characters change to match their moods, emotions and settings. The Nora voice is wonderfully snarky and caustic at times, but also kind, vulnerable and more. There's a lovely smooth tone to Whelan's voice. Libby's voice is always upbeat and sounds younger. Whelan uses a low, growly (and yes, kinda sexy) voice that absolutely sounds like a man speaking. The speaking pace is just right. Henry's voice is clear and easy to understand. She interprets Henry's work very, very well. An excellent performance of an excellent book! What else can I say? I loved this audiobook!
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LibraryThing member ftbooklover
Nora Stephens is a New Yorker through and through, but when her sister, Libby, suggests they go on a month long adventure in a small North Carolina town called Sunshine Falls, Nora decides to do what she can to make her happy. Although she feels like a fish out of water, Nora does her best to fit
Book Lovers takes the small town romance trope and turns it on its ear. The small town and its inhabitants play a major part in the story, but the main characters are both city dwellers who can't wait to get back. The characters in this story are extremely well developed and the banter is laugh out loud funny. At the same time, the plot pulls at the heart strings due to not only the romance, but also the relationship between the two sisters. There is also a little mystery as to why Libby is so insistent on the trip with Nora. Even though the ending is a bit predictable, overall, Book Lovers draws the reader in and doesn't let go until the very end.
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into this town popularized by a book that one of Nora's clients recently published. While in town, Nora runs into Charlie Lastra, the book editor that all of her clients want because he seems to have the Midas Touch when it comes to creating bestsellers. Nora can't stop thinking about Charlie, especially when he becomes the editor for one of her client's new books.Book Lovers takes the small town romance trope and turns it on its ear. The small town and its inhabitants play a major part in the story, but the main characters are both city dwellers who can't wait to get back. The characters in this story are extremely well developed and the banter is laugh out loud funny. At the same time, the plot pulls at the heart strings due to not only the romance, but also the relationship between the two sisters. There is also a little mystery as to why Libby is so insistent on the trip with Nora. Even though the ending is a bit predictable, overall, Book Lovers draws the reader in and doesn't let go until the very end.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
Nora Stephens is a high-power literary agent who will do anything for her younger sister Libby. When Libby asks Nora to spend a month in bucolic Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, Nora agrees to leave her beloved New York City to go along.
Libby, who is five months pregnant with her third child, has a
It is hard to check off the boxes when Nora keeps running into Charlie Lastra who is book editor she has worked with in the City. Sunshine Falls is Charlie's hometown - one he was very glad to leave when he turned eighteen - but he's back to help his parents and feeling pressured to stay.
Nora is hoping that their time together will bring back the closeness she feels she is losing with Libby who is keeping lots of secrets.
This was an intensely emotional story filled with trying to hold on to the past while making baby steps into a new future. I loved Nora and her growing relationship with Charlie. I also loved that they were all book lovers and readers.
Libby, who is five months pregnant with her third child, has a
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checklist of things that the two of them should do while in Sunshine Falls. Most of them are well outside of Nora's comfort zone and most of them are from literary tropes. It is hard to check off the boxes when Nora keeps running into Charlie Lastra who is book editor she has worked with in the City. Sunshine Falls is Charlie's hometown - one he was very glad to leave when he turned eighteen - but he's back to help his parents and feeling pressured to stay.
Nora is hoping that their time together will bring back the closeness she feels she is losing with Libby who is keeping lots of secrets.
This was an intensely emotional story filled with trying to hold on to the past while making baby steps into a new future. I loved Nora and her growing relationship with Charlie. I also loved that they were all book lovers and readers.
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
New York Times Bestselling author, Emily Henry (Beach Read, The People We Meet on Vacation) is back with an exciting new novel that readers will devour this summer. Literary agent, Nora Stephens, is cut throat but well loved by the authors she represents; Nora eats, drinks, and breathes books. When
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her pregnant sister convinces her to spend the summer at the backwoods setting of her favorite romance novel, Nora can't say no - she is desperate for more sister time. What she doesn't know is that the cocky Charlie Lastra, an editor from back in New York, will also be in Sunshine Falls. Talk about a plot twist that neither of them saw coming. Charlie and Nora find themselves repeatedly thrown together, whether it be looking for the town's only wifi, ordering drinks they hate to appease the scary bartender, or discussing bigfoot erotica. Enemies to lovers will be more than a trope in one of their manuscripts as they try to decide how important first impressions are. Brilliantly narrated by Julie Whelan, who infuses her signature humor and cadence into Emily Henry's characters. Fans of small town romances, realistically flawed characters, and witty humor will eat up Emily Henry's best book to date! Show Less
LibraryThing member WordMaven
Book Lovers is one of the hottest romance novels of the summer. I read roughly 1 romance novel a year, so I was ready for it to be over around 80% in. Everything that needed to be said was said by then. If you like books that go on and on, this is probably going to be your jam. Fortunately it's
Nora and Libby grew up in New York City raised by their wonderful wistful mom who wanted to be an actress. She never fell out of love with the magic of the city and her daughters grew in love with the city, too. But when mom died before the girls were fully grown, Nora took it upon herself to make Libby's happiness her reason to live. Problem is, Nora kept doing it well into adulthood. So during the final trimester of pregnancy #3, Libby plans a sister's trip to the North Carolina town of Sunshine Falls, setting of Nora's client's bestseller. Wait til you find out what else it is.
Am I jealous of Nora's "have it all" life? 5'11 and meticulous grooming, great job that of course she's great at (more hate her), her fantastic man and how perfect they are for each other (ugh), and her great relationship with her sister Libby. Her humanizing grace? She gets dumped. A lot according to her. Good. I reminded myself this is a romance novel, a fantasy. Don't look for hope here. You'll just get your feelings hurt. Because there is some make-believe ridiculousness in this book, let me tell you. For one thing, no straight man was ever born who says the things that Charlie says to Nora. NFW. And if he does exist, he doesn't repeat himself the way Charlie does. Now I want to read a romance novel authored by a straight man just to see how a man does it and whether it exists. Because I'm pretty sure it won't go this way.
While I appreciate the author's desire to meaningfully quote those wonderful, eternal lines from Wuthering Heights, I just want to say "Nice try, but NO. NO NO NO. NORA IS NOT CATHY. CHARLIE IS NOT HEATHCLIFF." You went there. But no. Just no." Never remind your reader of Western literature's greatest romantic tragedy, which your book cannot possibly ever come close to. No one's can.
That is all.
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also a love story about sisters, what we think we owe family and how codependent traits show up, usually for worse.Nora and Libby grew up in New York City raised by their wonderful wistful mom who wanted to be an actress. She never fell out of love with the magic of the city and her daughters grew in love with the city, too. But when mom died before the girls were fully grown, Nora took it upon herself to make Libby's happiness her reason to live. Problem is, Nora kept doing it well into adulthood. So during the final trimester of pregnancy #3, Libby plans a sister's trip to the North Carolina town of Sunshine Falls, setting of Nora's client's bestseller. Wait til you find out what else it is.
Am I jealous of Nora's "have it all" life? 5'11 and meticulous grooming, great job that of course she's great at (more hate her), her fantastic man and how perfect they are for each other (ugh), and her great relationship with her sister Libby. Her humanizing grace? She gets dumped. A lot according to her. Good. I reminded myself this is a romance novel, a fantasy. Don't look for hope here. You'll just get your feelings hurt. Because there is some make-believe ridiculousness in this book, let me tell you. For one thing, no straight man was ever born who says the things that Charlie says to Nora. NFW. And if he does exist, he doesn't repeat himself the way Charlie does. Now I want to read a romance novel authored by a straight man just to see how a man does it and whether it exists. Because I'm pretty sure it won't go this way.
While I appreciate the author's desire to meaningfully quote those wonderful, eternal lines from Wuthering Heights, I just want to say "Nice try, but NO. NO NO NO. NORA IS NOT CATHY. CHARLIE IS NOT HEATHCLIFF." You went there. But no. Just no." Never remind your reader of Western literature's greatest romantic tragedy, which your book cannot possibly ever come close to. No one's can.
That is all.
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LibraryThing member shelleyraec
“Sometimes, even when you start with the last page and you think you know everything, a book finds a way to surprise you.”
‘Five stars aren’t enough’ is what I wrote on Goodreads when I marked Emily Henry’s Book Lovers as ‘read’.
An entertaining plot, witty characters, incisive
Told with distinctive blend of insight, heart, and wit, Henry had me smiling, laughing, aching and I even shed a tear or two.
‘Five stars aren’t enough’ is what I wrote on Goodreads when I marked Emily Henry’s Book Lovers as ‘read’.
An entertaining plot, witty characters, incisive
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writing, and the combination thereof, all play their part, and of course no book lover can resist a book about books, but the ability to articulate why I had such a strong reaction to Book Lovers eludes me. Told with distinctive blend of insight, heart, and wit, Henry had me smiling, laughing, aching and I even shed a tear or two.
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LibraryThing member libraryhead
Really enjoyed the snappy banter in this one. Convincing chemistry between the leads. Got bogged down with crying toward the end.
LibraryThing member LindaLoretz
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Book Lovers by Emily Henry was a fun summer beach read about people who love books and a small town that embraces a particular book and appreciates its old-fashioned bookstore. Nora Stephens, a literary agent, vacations with her sister Libby for a month in a small town
Nora and Charlie are attracted to each other, and Libby, who is pregnant, gets involved with Charlie’s family and neighbors in refurbishing their bookstore. They both get to know the townspeople as they navigate the area. Nora and Charlie end up collaborating on an author’s manuscript. Nora and Charlie’s relationship mirrors the plot of the manuscript they are reading in installments—slow start, lots of conflict, exciting plot twists, and a climax and denouement.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry was a fun summer beach read about people who love books and a small town that embraces a particular book and appreciates its old-fashioned bookstore. Nora Stephens, a literary agent, vacations with her sister Libby for a month in a small town
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called Sunshine Falls outside of Asheville. Since they are both New Yorkers and city people at heart, it is difficult to adjust to rural living and the lack of services. Yet, they are enjoying their time together, and Nora meets a Sunshine Falls native, Charlie Lastra, a book editor whom she has interacted with in New York. Nora and Charlie are attracted to each other, and Libby, who is pregnant, gets involved with Charlie’s family and neighbors in refurbishing their bookstore. They both get to know the townspeople as they navigate the area. Nora and Charlie end up collaborating on an author’s manuscript. Nora and Charlie’s relationship mirrors the plot of the manuscript they are reading in installments—slow start, lots of conflict, exciting plot twists, and a climax and denouement.
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LibraryThing member bookczuk
2022 pandemic read. Like the back and forth interplay of conversations in this one.
LibraryThing member N.W.Moors
I love how this book subverts the "Hallmark city person goes to a small town and finds love with rural carpenter/apple farmer/diner owner" trope. Nora Stephens is an NYC book agent who goes to the small town of Sunshine Falls with her pregnant sister for a month-long vacation. Her sister has plans
In this trope, Nora is actually the high-powered character who the person is in a relationship with, not the one looking for small-town love. She's the villain in the Hallmark movie, not the heroine. Ms. Henry gradually breaks down her character so we see the real Nora, the one who brought up her kid sister and frets over her even if she's married and has two children with another on the way. It's the same way she deals with her book authors; Nora needs to ensure that everyone else is happy and she comes last. Charlie recognizes this almost immediately because he has many of the same traits when dealing with his family.
I love the slow burn of their romance. Charlie is so controlled, the brooding Darcy type, and he just loses it when he's with Nora. Their banter is amazing. I laughed a lot (out loud) while reading this book. I liked how Nora and Charlie bring out the best in each other. They're intelligent adults who enjoy their lives, despite that they're not the stuff of the average rom-com.
I always enjoy Ms. Henry's books, but I think I like this one best (just by a hair).
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for Nora involving true love with a flannel-wearing country hunk, but Nora keeps running into book editor and nemesis Charlie Lastra who she knows from her job in the city. In this trope, Nora is actually the high-powered character who the person is in a relationship with, not the one looking for small-town love. She's the villain in the Hallmark movie, not the heroine. Ms. Henry gradually breaks down her character so we see the real Nora, the one who brought up her kid sister and frets over her even if she's married and has two children with another on the way. It's the same way she deals with her book authors; Nora needs to ensure that everyone else is happy and she comes last. Charlie recognizes this almost immediately because he has many of the same traits when dealing with his family.
I love the slow burn of their romance. Charlie is so controlled, the brooding Darcy type, and he just loses it when he's with Nora. Their banter is amazing. I laughed a lot (out loud) while reading this book. I liked how Nora and Charlie bring out the best in each other. They're intelligent adults who enjoy their lives, despite that they're not the stuff of the average rom-com.
I always enjoy Ms. Henry's books, but I think I like this one best (just by a hair).
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LibraryThing member Madison_Fairbanks
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Contemporary romance.
Nora is an agent, selling raw novels for authors. She will get them the best contract possible. Her personal life reads like a romcom. Without the romance. Her last several relationships ended up with the men moving out of New York to live a TV movie
Charlie is a book editor. He first met Nora in New York where their relationship started out with an antagonist edge. Now that Nora is on vacation in small town Sunshine Falls, NC, Charlie and Nora end up working together where compromise is the name of the game.
Fun, flirty and fabulous. The push and pull of these two make the story move forward at a quick pace only slowing for the emotional edginess of relationships.
There is some angst between Nora and her sister as they deal with their past and their current relationship. Growing pains for both them as they learn to be friends as adults.
I love this romance from start to finish. So many people recommended this and now I know why. Perfect for anyone that loves to read and will admit to reading romance.
Contemporary romance.
Nora is an agent, selling raw novels for authors. She will get them the best contract possible. Her personal life reads like a romcom. Without the romance. Her last several relationships ended up with the men moving out of New York to live a TV movie
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life with someone else. Charlie is a book editor. He first met Nora in New York where their relationship started out with an antagonist edge. Now that Nora is on vacation in small town Sunshine Falls, NC, Charlie and Nora end up working together where compromise is the name of the game.
Fun, flirty and fabulous. The push and pull of these two make the story move forward at a quick pace only slowing for the emotional edginess of relationships.
There is some angst between Nora and her sister as they deal with their past and their current relationship. Growing pains for both them as they learn to be friends as adults.
I love this romance from start to finish. So many people recommended this and now I know why. Perfect for anyone that loves to read and will admit to reading romance.
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LibraryThing member andsoitgoes
The only thing I liked was the banter between Charlie and Nora but found the book overall predictable.
LibraryThing member Bodagirl
This book was struggling to fit within the confines of the romance genre. The most engaging part was the sister's relationship and the trauma that Nora was still dealing with. Henry has continued the metafiction aspect of her books with the "evil girlfriend" trope being turned on its head (the
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opening pages really grabbed me), but her reliance on "writing what you know," meaning the publishing industry, is getting repetitive. Show Less
LibraryThing member Amzzz
This book was fine; light, enjoyable and predictable but in a comforting way. I may have enjoyed it more if it hadn’t been hyped so much.
LibraryThing member dwcofer
I was deeply disappointed in this book. I previously read People We Meet on Vacation, also by Emily Henry, disliked it immensely, but had hoped this book would be better. It was not.
The plot was highly predictable. After only a few chapters, I knew exactly how it would end. The Romcom genre is
Henry’s writing has become too PC for me. Her earlier books were not so. She threw in drug use, LGBTQ characters, and other politically correct issues. Was this an effort to attract a wider and more diverse group of readers? Who knows? The added PC elements did nothing to develop the characters or further the plot. The same for the large amount of cursing by the characters. The use of the F-word, especially, was gratuitous. It did not add to any character development when every character curses. This is most prominent toward the end of the book.
My greatest complaint is the absolute poor attempt at humor by Henry. Charlie and Nora constantly trade barbs in an attempt to be funny, but it falls flat. Think of 400 pages of dad jokes. Yuch! The length of the book is also an issue. The book could easily have been cut back 100 pages and been a stronger and tighter book at about 300 pages. The prose is bloated. Don’t waste your money with this one.
The plot was highly predictable. After only a few chapters, I knew exactly how it would end. The Romcom genre is
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formulistic and this one follows the formula exactly. Knowing how it would end, I was tempted to DNF it, but plodded on, only to find it ended just as I expected.Henry’s writing has become too PC for me. Her earlier books were not so. She threw in drug use, LGBTQ characters, and other politically correct issues. Was this an effort to attract a wider and more diverse group of readers? Who knows? The added PC elements did nothing to develop the characters or further the plot. The same for the large amount of cursing by the characters. The use of the F-word, especially, was gratuitous. It did not add to any character development when every character curses. This is most prominent toward the end of the book.
My greatest complaint is the absolute poor attempt at humor by Henry. Charlie and Nora constantly trade barbs in an attempt to be funny, but it falls flat. Think of 400 pages of dad jokes. Yuch! The length of the book is also an issue. The book could easily have been cut back 100 pages and been a stronger and tighter book at about 300 pages. The prose is bloated. Don’t waste your money with this one.
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LibraryThing member shazjhb
Could not get into this book. The characters were all one dimensional and basically boring. The situations did not ring true. I am puzzled why people love her books.
LibraryThing member RandyMetcalfe
I liked it. Yes, it absolutely leans into the numerous well-worn grooves of its genre. But it does so with a light heart, a quick wit, and a satisfying hug.
Nora is a New York literary agent, a good one. Charlie is New York novel editor. A first, brief, lunch meeting ensures that they will detest
Easy to recommend to lovers of the genre or to those who would just benefit from a rollicking good love story.
Nora is a New York literary agent, a good one. Charlie is New York novel editor. A first, brief, lunch meeting ensures that they will detest
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each other forever. And maybe that’s the way the story would have ended, except they also rather admire each other, and they are not at all disappointed by the other’s looks or demeanour. Not at all. So when chance — if chance exists in the Romance genre — brings them together two years later for a month in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, its almost inevitable that love with blossom. Well, that is if they can ever get past the bickering one-upmanship. And there are complications. Of course there are complications. And there is their pasts, which is really the main complication. But Sunshine Falls just sounds like a place where love ought to be ready to take root.Easy to recommend to lovers of the genre or to those who would just benefit from a rollicking good love story.
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LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
It's rare that a book makes me laugh out loud but this one did. The snarky interchanges between Nora and Charlie were so great! I also liked that the humor was tempered with real life sorrows and challenges. Nora was such a sympathetic character, even though she didn't see herself as such. I loved
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everything about this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member quondame
Screamingly funny dialog and a non-standard heroine get this story off to fast start and the pace is pretty crisp throughout. Of course while the two mains aren't everyone's cup of tea, they couldn't be more perfect for each other. Still, and the reason why this isn't a 4 star book, is that it
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plays entirely within the rules - any cons for the guy are situational, and the woman doesn't have to have a thought about how to please him. Show Less
Awards
Southern Book Prize (Finalist — Fiction — 2023)
NPR: Books We Love (2022)
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Romance — 2022)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2022)
LibraryReads (Annual Top Pick — Hall of Fame — May 2022)
Lariat Adult Fiction Reading List (Selection — 2023)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2022)
RUSA CODES Listen List (Selection — 2023)
Language
Original publication date
2022-05-03
Local notes
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. When she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls for Libby, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city.