I was pretty strategic in picking out the books that I plan on reading throughout the summer. I wanted something light-hearted, set in summer, and something that I could see myself reading outside in the backyard. One book that I knew I wanted to read was Book Lovers by Emily Henry. Emily Henry’s books are immensely popular and it seems like everyone raves about her books. I recently finished Book Lovers a few days ago and now I get the hype. Book Lovers is one of the best romance books I read this year.

Nora Stephens has dedicated her life to her career as a literary agent. Nora has an awkward run-in with Charlie Lastra, an editor who trashed the book that Nora was currently working on. Nora pushes Charlie aside and follows her sister Libby to Sunshine Falls, a small town that’s the setting of a book from one of Nora’s clients. Much to Nora’s surprise, she runs into Charlie as he’s from Sunshine Falls originally. Nora and Charlie are forced to work together to edit a book much to Nora’s chagrin. Nora starts to see Charlie in a new light and Charlie realizes how much he has in common with Nora. Can they move past their preconceived notions of themselves and each other?

While Book Lovers is a book centered on Nora and Charlie’s relationship, this book is so much more than that. This book beautifully shows grief and the consequences of not facing grief head-on and allowing someone to be swallowed in it. It’s a book that shows the relationship between two sisters and how they each have their own struggles. I enjoy reading romance, not necessarily for the romance itself, but about the lives the characters have built for themselves and how those lives become interwoven together.

Throughout the book, Nora is shown as a motherly figure toward Libby. Their mother died while they were young adults and Nora steps in to guide Libby to ensure that she’s okay. By doing this, Nora pushes her own emotions down to the point that she becomes numb to it. I thought this was a realistic way to show grief because Nora finds herself drawn to her career to put aside her emotions. I liked how Nora grew throughout the book and did so without Charlie’s help.

I loved reading about Nora and Libby’s adventures throughout Sunshine Falls. They give each other makeovers, they try to save the local bookstore, and Libby sets Nora up on some pretty bad first dates. This book reads like a Hallmark romantic comedy which is normally not for me, but Book Lovers was an exception.

Onto the romance, I loved Nora and Charlie together. They had this flirtatious banter that was so fun to read. This is one of those romances that’s a slow burn, but once they finally get together, it feels right. For me, I was rooting for Nora this whole time to have her happy ending and I was so happy for her by the end of the book.

Book Lovers is an ode to the joys of a small town. Sunshine Falls serves as the best backdrop for the story. I kept picturing the mountains, a small downtown with a Gazebo, and some land outside of the downtown area. The local bar along with cracked sidewalks leads to homes up the hill. The setting makes you want to go explore a small town for a weekend.

Book Lovers was the perfect book to start summer off with. I rated Book Lovers five stars on Goodreads.