Book Lovers by Emily Henry Book Review

Nora is a literary agent, who prides herself on being top of her game and getting the best for her clients, including her favourite Dusty. Previously she met editor Charlie and the two of them did not get on, with Charlie slating one of Dusty's books. It didn't help that Nora had just been dumped and arrived late at the meeting. Now a few years later, Nora's sister Libby has persuaded her to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for month as it is one of her favourite literary settings. Nora's not sure she can last a month outside her beloved New York City but she would do anything for Libby. She then keeps bumping into Charlie. Can she survive the month in this small town with her enemy or will she be running back to the city the first chance she gets?

I really enjoyed this book! I love that from the get go, Nora talks about romance tropes and how they always play out, it was smart and meta and worked for the profession she's in. Nora talks about how in a typical romance, she's the hard working, cold blooded lover that ends up alone by the end of the book or film, as the male lead goes to a small town to shut down the local failing Christmas tree farm/bakery/pumpkin patch but falls in love with the daughter who's the complete opposite to Nora: friendly, warm and kind. Libby has a list of these small town cliches for herself and Nora to complete while in Sunshine Falls (Wear flannel! Ride a horse! Skinny dip! Go on dates with locals!) which adds to the fun of the book.

Romance wise, it's an enemies to lovers story, complete with some small town cliches. I enjoyed the chemistry between Nora and Charlie and seeing their relationship unfold. I found this book much more satisfying than Emily Henry's previous book People We Meet on Vacation. That I found slow moving whereas the pace in this one moves along nicely, completely with some obstacles thrown in to thwart the path of true love!

Tropes wise, this hits on many of them, good and bad. There is some miscommunication, which is my least favourite trope but it wasn't the worst I've encountered and happens more between Nora and Libby. These sisters are close but have drifted apart recently, which is part of the reason why Nora agrees to the trip. The book touches on issues such as grief, self-sacrifice and the impact this can have on your life and relationships with others

I loved reading this, it was so comforting and I couldn't wait to go back and finish it, despite not wanting it to finish either. A perfect read holiday romance for summer 2022!