By Carmen Lebar
Content warning: death of a parent
Book Lovers by Emily Henry is a heartwarming enemies-to-lovers romance centering around Nora Stephens, a literary agent, who goes to Sunshine Falls for a month-long trip with her sister Libby. But enemies may be too harsh of a word to describe Nora and her love interest, Charlie. I think the best way to describe the inception of their relationship is as being more competitive and rivalrous. Both work in the publishing industry and seem to bump into each other in the most unexpected ways, which eventually blooms into a full-on romance. However, this novel is more than just a romance; it’s about sisterhood and making your dreams come true. What I liked most about this novel was how it balanced familial struggles and humour.
One of the most powerful elements of Book Lovers is the relationship between Nora and Libby. These two sisters, as they go off to Sunshine Falls, have a great girls’ trip, but also unpack a lot of trauma from when they were growing up. Their mother died, and Nora stepped up to be a mother figure to Libby at a young age. The novel shows this tension of wanting to be a fun older sister but having the opinions of someone who had to be a parental figure. For example, the reason Libby wanted to visit Sunshine Falls is misunderstood by Nora because of her mother-like nature. It is later revealed that Nora was wrong in her assumptions about Libby. This further shows the complicated nature of Nora’s roles as both a sister and a motherly figure. I felt the sisters’ relationship was very relatable and believable, and when things weren’t tense, it was very enjoyable to read. Libby is an infectious character, and whenever she was in a scene, it made the story a lot brighter.
Even with the more serious topics in this novel, there is a lot of fun and humour in it. The novel has a Hallmark movie quality to it. There is situational comedy, but also funny awkwardness when Charlie and Nora’s relationship starts to bloom. Texts between the two are very funny and playful, just like you would expect in a relationship that started on a bit of a rivalry. Having Libby integrated in this love story also creates a lot of great humour when she knows Nora has a thing for Charlie. Book Lovers has these expected tropes and silly moments, but it’s this type of humour that makes it a perfect balance with the more hard-hitting topics that pop up such as childlessness, career advancement, and the death of a parent, to name a few. This novel is very charming, and predictable—but in the best way possible. There’s no need to watch your favourite romantic comedy when you can read it in a book.
Book Lovers is a great romance novel for anyone who doesn’t gravitate towards the genre. If you have read any of Emily Henry’s other novels, this will be another great one to add to your collection. It has an equal balance of serious topics and heart that any type of reader will enjoy. It will make you laugh, cry, and think about the importance of family. I hope you, too, will get swept away by Nora’s journey in Sunshine Falls.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.