As long as I have been doing this (which in all fairness, hasn’t been that long), I have never had an issue writing a review. For Book Lovers, the problem isn’t knowing what to say, the problem is trying to figure out where to start because there is just…so…much.
For starters, Book Lovers left me speechless. There are no words to describe this book. I take that back, I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to trying to describe this book. Just adjectives pop into my mind: Riveting, captivating, consuming. Every which way – this book had you guessing and coming up short. Formula be darn, Henry reset the expectations with this novel.
For each beginning, there needs to be an end. For every love lost, there is a love won. All of this sounds great if you are on the winning side of the story, but what happens when your relationship is the one that ends, your love is the one that is lost? Just ask Nora Stephens, as this has become the story of her life! Somehow the road to happily ever after seems to end one exit past her. Fed up of being on the losing end of the small town romance trope, Nora focuses on what matters – being the best literary agent in the business. She may not have her own happily ever after but she makes sure her clients have theirs for their masterpieces. That is until she meets an editor who decides her author’s next book isn’t worth his time or attention. Only minutes after being dumped (again), Nora has to face off with Charlie Lastra. A walking sense of dreariness and foreboding but possessing the touch of gold to any book he edits, he passes on Nora’s author – creating a vindictive/nemesis connection between the two of them. Years pass and her sister Libby has decided Nora, after her latest break up, needs to get away from the city and take the matters of the heart into her own hands. Visiting Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, Libby is determined to get Nora’s focus off the books and onto what the town has to offer. Much to Nora’s dismay, the small town magic has a way of working whether you want it to or not.
There is just so much to walk away with in this book. The concept of reality consistently rolled into the story. As a reader, I felt like Henry constantly kept one foot glued to ground. Sure, Nora was on vacation for a month but she was still working. Yes (without giving anything away), circumstances changed but she wasn’t willing to just cut ties on her life and walk away. She was a “real” person making “real” decisions that a reader could completely relate to.
A quick note – for those who have experienced the loss of a parent or taking on the role of a guardian, this book will speak to you in volumes.
As for the steamy factor, Emily has a way of writing a smoldering scene between characters and making you feel the emotion as well as the seduction. This isn’t just hot, sweaty, wham, bam done kind of writing, this is sensual, emotional, connection type of feeling that makes these scene instrumental to the story.
Book Lovers isn’t just a book, it’s an experience. There isn’t an easy way to write a review without revealing what makes this book phenomenal, spoiling it for those who have yet to enjoy it. It isn’t about the trope, it isn’t about the happily ever after, it is all about the characters, who they are, why they are the way they are, where they are, and where they will go.