“When books are your life—or in my case, your job — you get pretty good at guessing where a story is going,” muses Nora Stephens, the cool and witty protagonist of Book Lovers, “…The details may change from book to book, but there’s nothing truly new under the sun.”
Emily Henry’s “Book Lovers,” beckons you into Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, and the inner world of Nora Stephens– neither are idyllic settings. Almost immediately you understand that this isn’t going to be your typical romance novel. In “Book Lovers,” the usual (perhaps overused) tropes take a refreshing backseat.
Nora, an edgy New York City literary agent, is not your stereotypical rom-com heroine. Rather, she’s the villain you actively root against in most Hallmark movies – the big-city, cold-hearted girlfriend you just can’t wait for the male lead to dump for the small-town baker, or the small-town chocolatier, or the small town…. you get the idea. However, her icy exterior hides an interior fraught with anxiety from a rather turbulent upbringing.
Yet her journey – flanked by her effervescent and very pregnant sister Libby, Libby’s vision of a Hallmark-esque metamorphosis, and persistent run-ins with nemesis (and unfortunately attractive) brooding editor Charlie Lastra – mixes a delightful blend of humor, introspection, and romance.
“Is there anything better,” Nora quips, “Than iced coffee and a bookstore on a sunny day? I mean, aside from hot coffee and a bookstore on a rainy day.”
Nora’s life, world, and love all orbit around literature, leaving very little room for those who don’t understand what it’s like to have to take a late-night call from a panicking author because of some harsher-than-usual edits.
So, when Nora finds herself (once again) unceremoniously dumped for a small-town innkeeper right before an important lunch meeting with taciturn editor Charlie Lastra… Well, her first impression may have been memorable, but it wasn’t great.
Now two years after Nora and Charlie’s initial meeting and a few weeks after another of Nora’s boyfriends lost to the small-town-girl epidemic, Libby decides she and Nora need a break. So Libby surprises Nora with a month-long stay in Sunshine Falls, a town straight out of a fairy tale and the subject of Nora’s client’s latest book.
But the reality of Sunshine Falls isn’t quite as quaint as Libby and Nora had expected, and who does Nora seem to run into around every other corner? You guessed it – Charlie Lastra.
Charlie Lastra is no run-of-the-mill love interest either. While Nora’s original impression of him is that he is a, “Growly Misanthrope, Oscar the Grouch, second-act Heathcliff, the worst parts of Mr. Knightley,” underneath all of his gruffness, Charlie is a surprisingly tender character. He can absolutely come off a little bullheaded at times, but his aim is to understand.
In this reviewer’s opinion, the narrative while contrived, somewhat surprisingly, doesn’t feel forced. The Nora-Charlie dynamics could easily have been another rehash of city folk finding love in unexpected places, but their relationship unfolds with surprising depth and wit.
“Sometimes, even when you start with the last page and you think you know everything,” considers Nora, “a book finds a way to surprise you.”
This isn’t just a love story – it’s an ode to every bibliophile and individual who has felt misunderstood or out of place.
One of the most compelling aspects of this novel is its dedication to uncertainty. Book Lovers beautifully captures the courage required to confront the unknowable future.
“She wonders whether what comes next could ever live up to the expectations. She doesn’t know. You never can. She turns the page anyway.”
Tinged with Henry’s expertly written banter, Book Lovers is as much a romance between two individuals as it is between a reader and the world of books, “A reminder that there are things in life so valuable that you must risk the pain of losing them for the joy of briefly having them.”
This book is a testimony to that sentiment — a tale that enthralls while it lasts and leaves an indelible mark long after.
It’s hard not to fall in love with Book Lovers, and while it brims with warmth and wisdom, it sometimes veers dangerously close to overindulgence in its metaphors. Not every sentiment requires an analogy, and, at times, the narrative would have benefited from restraint. However, these are minor grievances in an otherwise stellar read.
Emily Henry’s Book Lovers warrants a solid 4.5 stars. It’s a tenderly crafted, introspective exploration of love and self, wrapped up in the comforting embrace of bookish references — a delightful sojourn for every lover of words and romance.
