Book of the Month

Chele’s Pick

by Michele Tester

Book Lovers

by Emily Henry

published in 2022

contemporary romance novel

This month’s book pick, Book Lovers by Emily Henry, was recommended to me by my daughter, as well as my oldest son, which very much surprised me, as my son is not normally a romance novel fan. I’m usually not a big fan of romance novels either. To me, romance novels, for the most part, tend to be superficial and what I refer to as “surface reads,” lacking depth and genuine character development, and always embracing a predictable, guaranteed happy ending, a Hallmark-style motif. I admit, it is, no doubt, sometimes nice to read a book that is an “easy read,” with everything wrapped up in a nice, frilly bow, embracing all the warm fuzzies. To my surprise, I discovered that this romance book tosses the “surface read” stereotype on its head.

This romance novel is different. It overturns genre clichés; focuses heavily on career and family dynamics; and features sharp, witty banter rather than traditional romance plot dialogue.

Nora is a cutthroat, high-powered New York literary agent who views herself as the ambitious career woman, only a true heroine to her clients. Nora has a younger sister, Libby, of whom she is fiercely protective. Nora and Libby lost their mother suddenly when Nora was 20 and Libby was 16, which is a driving force behind Nora’s personality. Libby is pregnant with her third child, and she begs Nora for them to take a trip to spend the month of August in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. Libby has a secret wishlist of small-town transformation milestones she hopes Nora will experience—like meeting a local doctor—believing that Nora needs to become the heroine in her own story.

Charlie Lastra is a brooding, dry-humored, and brilliant book editor from New York. Nora knows Charlie from a disastrous past meeting, where he rejected one of her client’s books.

As it turns out, Charlie is also in Sunshine Falls. Nora and Charlie discover they are both working behind the scenes on a high-profile manuscript by bestselling author Dusty Fielding, forcing them to interact and professionally collaborate. Instead of a cute romantic spark, their repeated run-ins with each other feel like the opposite of a Hallmark movie. Both Nora and Charlie feel out of their element, dislike small-town tropes, and are initially distressed to keep crossing paths. But having to work together on the manuscript forces them to drop their defenses and re-evaluate the rigid life narratives they have built for themselves.

Along with the romance aspect of the book, the story places heavy emphasis on dealing with grief, navigating expectations, the sisterly dynamics between Nora and Libby, family responsibilities, and personal self-acceptance.

So, whether you are a huge fan of romance novels or not, Book Lovers is definitely worth the read, especially if you enjoy sharp, fast-paced, and witty banter; fun and entertaining enemies-to-lovers dynamics; and a fresh spin on classic romance themes.