Last summer, Emily Henry wrote the romcom so many of us packed away in our beach bags, tucked into our suitcases, and dog-earred by the pool. People We Meet on Vacation was a Number One New York Times best-seller in 2021, and it has racked up nearly half a million ratings on GoodReads. To say Henry's newest romcom was highly anticipated—and had huge shoes to fill—is an understatement.
But Book Lovers, our May #ReadWithMC pick, met the high expectations of our readers. Each month, we gather up the reviews of our virtual book club members so anyone else looking for their next great read has a collection of recommendations. Our readers were split on the romance between the two main characters in Book Lovers—but everyone loved the relationship between the protagonist, an ambitious literary agent, and her sister.
"I love that the relationship between the two sisters Nora and Libby also takes a main stage here, the story being about sisterly love, as well as romantic love," wrote @dessiereads.
Here's what else #ReadWithMC readers had to say about Book Lovers:
"I can’t tell you how excited but also nervous I was that this would not live up to my expectations. I absolutely loved Beach Read and I just didn’t think anything could compare to it. I was wrong, I devoured this book and didn’t want it to end but I loved every minute of it!
I LOVE books about books! In this case the book editing process and what it is like to be a literary agent. I loved all the troupe references and the book references.
Charlie and Nora are amazing characters. Nora is so relatable and not the typical MC which we normally get in romance books. Charlie and Nora’s playful banter was honestly just perfection. The chemistry and steam between these two was honestly everything. Charlie Lastra is added to the list of book boyfriends."
—@readsbydani
"I love Emily Henry with all of my heart.
I sobbed reading this book. I will say, most of the things I loved about this book had to do with the main character Nora, and not as much with the romantic aspect. I did really enjoy the romance and I thought the chemistry and banter between Nora and Charlie was fun and cute. However, Nora's backstory and the struggles she faces in this book hit a little too close to home. I was a crying mess towards the end. Some of the details of her childhood and her current situation felt personally relatable to me, and it wrecked me. I loved this book so much. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 solely because I think that the romantic aspect wasn't as strong as in People We Meet on Vacation, but it is still such a lovely book. I highly recommend it."
—@jordanlamagna
"Emily Henry never disappoints! Her books have always worked for me. You always get more out of the story than just the relationship between two people. You get the backstory of the characters, why they are the way they are, what makes them tick. You also get the exploration of some serious topics, like in this case, dealing with grief and trauma.
And the banter in this book is really good! Emily Henry knows how to write humor in conversations without it being too contrived. I love that the relationship between the two sisters Nora and Libby also takes a main stage here, the story being about sisterly love, as well as romantic love. Even though if you ask me, I needed a bit more of Nora and Libby ticking off silly challenges from the checklist to enjoy more of their dynamic while doing care-free things.
What is a book about book lovers without any book references? This one has plenty sprinkled here and there, which I loved. I mean, Charlie mentioning an Octavia Butler book that changed his life or Nora referencing 11/22/63 by Stephen King (my favorite book ever btw)—my heart did a lil happy dance.
Overall, I really liked this book and highly recommend to anyone looking for a good romcom."
—@dessiereads
"This was the first Emily Henry book I’ve read and omg I am obsessed! I started reading it online but I loved it so much I had to buy it in paperback along with Beach Read, so now I have all three of hers!
I love all the characters in this book, especially Charlie Lastra. Nora Stephens is such an amazing and strong character; I love how she is portrayed. Being the eldest sibling, I felt really connected to Nora and it made me felt really seen. Small town romance is one of my favourite tropes, and this book made me love it even more. If I'm being honest, the romance wasn’t my favorite part and that’s simply just because I loved the plot so much. Definitely read this—it quite literally makes my top 3 books I've read this year!"
—@judecqrdan
"Victoria’s thoughts: OBSESSED! If a perfect book existed, it would be this one. This book is officially my new comfort read. Book Lovers had me feeling all the emotions. I laughed so hard, I swooned, I cried. Honestly, the love story in this book made my heart so happy and full, because there really is that perfect person that exists for everyone out there, ya know?
Emily Henry is the definition of an auto-buy author for me.
August’s thoughts: I absolutely loved this book. Emily Henry can do no wrong (easily one of my fav authors). I hate when her books end. I really enjoyed the character development, and the witty dialogue gets me every time. The ending felt like the final piece of puzzle snapping into place. This was just a very satisfying read, and I highly recommend it."
—@allthebookishvibes
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