Reviews for Book lovers

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Henry’s latest is a witty, rapidly unfolding novel set in New York’s publishing world, where literary agent Nora Stephens is known as a shark. Scary, precise, and organized, she works tirelessly. She is someone people can count on, whether they’re her clients, her colleagues, or her sister, with whom she’s spending August in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. Charlie Lastra is a talented editor with a reputation for brusqueness, broodiness, and acerbic editorial comments. He craves complete honesty at all times. While wanting to understand how things work in the world, he has learned not to trust it. They meet over Nora’s client’s book, which Charlie badly wants to edit after rejecting her former book. He, too, is in Sunshine Falls, and as they work together, their initial hostility sparks romance. They are both true big-city workaholics who appreciate each other’s ethics and brilliance, but both struggle with insecurities and the sense that they will always be watching life from the outside. Like Henry’s two previous runaway bestsellers, People We Meet on Vacation (2021) and Beach Read (2020), Book Lovers is poised to capture readers’ hearts and minds.


Publishers Weekly
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A summer trip spurs unexpected self-discovery in bestseller Henry’s latest rom-com (after People We Meet on Vacation), a moving examination of love, belonging, and family. Since childhood, literary agent Nora Stephens has structured her life around taking care of her sister, Libby, four years her junior, so when an exhausted and—Nora fears—increasingly distant Libby suggests a monthlong trip to small-town Sunshine Falls, N.C., Nora eagerly agrees. As she wrestles with Libby’s irritability and strives to make her happy while trying to find her own equilibrium—including making a surprising connection with her professional nemesis, editor Charlie Lastra, a Sunshine Falls native—Nora must turn fresh eyes on old problems. Meanwhile, things heat up between Charlie and Nora, but the demands of their professional lives may keep them apart. Henry expertly captures the complexities of close but unbalanced familial relationships along with the distance between the dreams of youth and the realities of adulthood. As usual, her sharp eye for detail in establishing setting and creating empathetic characters engages the reader, and Nora’s well-shaded emotional struggles complement the steamy enemies-to-lovers plot and lovely scenery. This introspective romance is sure to please. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary. (May)


Library Journal
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Literary agent Nora is tired of always playing the ambitious big-city ice queen whose boyfriends leave her for new lives (and new relationships) in small-town America. That's why, when Nora's sister insists on taking her on a trip to a little town that's straight out of one of her authors' novels, and imposes a list of romance tropes to experience, Nora is doubtful she can find her happily-ever-after. Cue Charlie, an editor and Nora's nemesis from New York, who mysteriously shows up in town and slowly reveals that there's a lot more to him than his surly exterior. Will Nora finally break out of her doomed pattern and find true love? Henry (Beach Read; People We Meet on Vacation) has written another sweet and swoon-worthy novel with plenty of witty dialogue, an evocative setting, and strong characters. VERDICT Truly a book for book lovers and a romance for romance lovers, this novel will delight Henry's fans, as well as readers of smart, sexy, and funny romances with emotional depth and storylines featuring family dynamics.—Migdalia Jimenez


Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Best-selling author Henry (Beach Read) is back with an exciting new novel that readers will devour. Literary agent Nora Stephens is intense and demanding but adored by the authors she represents. Nora eats, drinks, and breathes books, and expects others to follow suit. When her pregnant sister convinces her to spend the summer in Sunshine Falls, the small-town setting of her favorite romance novel, Nora can't say refuse. What she doesn't know is that cocky Charlie Lastra, a New York editor, will also be in Sunshine Falls. Charlie and Nora find themselves repeatedly thrown together, whether looking for the town's only Wi-Fi signal, ordering drinks to appease the scary bartender, or discussing Bigfoot erotica. The two thought that enemies-to-lovers was just a romance trope, but they soon see this trope playing out in real life. The audio is brilliantly narrated by Julie Whelan, who infuses her signature humor into Henry's characters. Whelan's perfectly timed delivery adds both a comedic and an emotional flair. VERDICT Fans of small-town romances, realistically flawed characters, and witty humor will be enchanted and may rate this as Henry's best novel to date.—Erin Cataldi


Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A cutthroat literary agent finds herself stuck in a small town with the grumpy editor she despises. Nora Stephens knows she isn’t anything like the heroines in small-town love stories. She’s not sweet or unassuming, and she definitely doesn’t own a Christmas tree farm or a quaint B & B. With her Peloton obsession, high-powered job at a literary agency, and expensive shoes, she’s the villainous girlfriend who gets dumped when the hero realizes he really wants to leave New York City and embrace the simple life in a small town. But Nora has no interest in slowing down—she embraces the hustle of her life, enjoying the city and spending her time either negotiating for her clients or helping her pregnant sister, Libby. When Libby suggests they take a girls’ trip to Sunshine Falls, a picture-perfect North Carolina town, Nora agrees. Trying to make her sister happy, Nora throws herself into Libby’s checklist of classic small-town experiences. But there’s one brooding, annoying wrench in her plans: editor Charlie Lastra. He and Nora met years before when he brusquely rejected one of her books, and now he’s here in Sunshine Falls for some reason, terrorizing her by having the nerve to be both good-looking and funny. As Nora and Charlie get to know each other, she learns that there may be more to him than she suspected. But Nora’s also concerned about her relationship with Libby—they’ve been close all their lives, but now something seems off. Can Nora get her happily-ever-after even if she doesn’t want to ride off into the small-town sunset with a lumberjack? As in People We Meet on Vacation (2021), Henry creates a warm, sparkling romance brimming with laugh-out-loud banter, lovable characters, and tons of sexual tension. High-maintenance, high-strung Nora shows that uptight, goal-oriented women deserve romance, too, and Charlie is a perfect grumpy hero with a secret soft side. What’s more, Henry never falls into the easy trap of vilifying either small towns or big cities, allowing her characters the room to follow their dreams, wherever they lead. And while the romance between Nora and Charlie is swoonworthy and steam-filled, it’s Nora’s relationship with Libby that really brings the tears. A heartfelt and hilarious read about books, sisters, and writing your own love story. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.


Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A cutthroat literary agent finds herself stuck in a small town with the grumpy editor she despises.Nora Stephens knows she isnt anything like the heroines in small-town love stories. Shes not sweet or unassuming, and she definitely doesnt own a Christmas tree farm or a quaint BB. With her Peloton obsession, high-powered job at a literary agency, and expensive shoes, shes the villainous girlfriend who gets dumped when the hero realizes he really wants to leave New York City and embrace the simple life in a small town. But Nora has no interest in slowing downshe embraces the hustle of her life, enjoying the city and spending her time either negotiating for her clients or helping her pregnant sister, Libby. When Libby suggests they take a girls trip to Sunshine Falls, a picture-perfect North Carolina town, Nora agrees. Trying to make her sister happy, Nora throws herself into Libbys checklist of classic small-town experiences. But theres one brooding, annoying wrench in her plans: editor Charlie Lastra. He and Nora met years before when he brusquely rejected one of her books, and now hes here in Sunshine Falls for some reason, terrorizing her by having the nerve to be both good-looking and funny. As Nora and Charlie get to know each other, she learns that there may be more to him than she suspected. But Noras also concerned about her relationship with Libbytheyve been close all their lives, but now something seems off. Can Nora get her happily-ever-after even if she doesnt want to ride off into the small-town sunset with a lumberjack? As in People We Meet on Vacation (2021), Henry creates a warm, sparkling romance brimming with laugh-out-loud banter, lovable characters, and tons of sexual tension. High-maintenance, high-strung Nora shows that uptight, goal-oriented women deserve romance, too, and Charlie is a perfect grumpy hero with a secret soft side. Whats more, Henry never falls into the easy trap of vilifying either small towns or big cities, allowing her characters the room to follow their dreams, wherever they lead. And while the romance between Nora and Charlie is swoonworthy and steam-filled, its Noras relationship with Libby that really brings the tears.A heartfelt and hilarious read about books, sisters, and writing your own love story. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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