Book Lovers

easy read!

女性エディターが主人公だが、やや個人の感覚に元ずき過ぎる表現や逸話が多く、他のロマンスに比べ、引き込まれにくい。

Nora is dreaming of a book editor career. While mothering her baby sister, Libby, who makes a plan for their holidays. She attempts to organize their lives in the future. Libby edits reality. It seems that Nora becomes her baby sister's baby sister. Nora is a main character but I focus on Libby, because Libby plays the most important role.

売れない女優だけれどもニューヨークが大好きで、いつまでも夢を抱き続けたシングルマザーの母が急死してから、姉のNoraにとって妹Libbyの幸せを守ることが何よりも重要になった。Noraは本当は編集者になりたかったのだが、夢見がちで現実感覚がないLibbyの幸せを優先して、コミッションで収入が高くなる可能性が高い文芸エージェントになった。クライアントである作家の利益のためなら何でもするNoraは、感情抜きの冷酷さで業界で恐れられている。 20歳の若さで年上の男性と結婚して母親になっている妹との心理的な距離ができていることを案じていたNoraは、妊娠中の彼女から２人きりの旅を提案されて同意した。Noraのクライアントの作家が書いたベストセラーの舞台である南部ノースカロライナのSunshine fallsに行ったところ、想像とはまったく異なる場所であり、バケーションだった。そのうえ、２年前にクライアントの作品を拒絶した不機嫌な編集者がいて、妹は大きな秘密を隠しているようだ……。 これはロマンス小説なのだが、普通のロマンス小説とは根本的に異なる部分がある。ロマンス小説の風刺小説なのだ。 プロローグで文芸エージェントであるNoraのロマンス小説の分析があるのだが、そこに出てくる「Small Town Love Story」というサブジャンルの説明が卓越している。「大都会に住むビジネス優先の冷酷なヒーローが大企業の利益のために家族経営の小さなビジネス（クリスマスツリー農家やベーカリー）を潰すために田舎町に行く。ところがそのクリスマスツリー農家かベーカリーの女性に魅了されて、人格そのものが変わり、良い人物になる。大都市には彼の恋人がいるのだが、都市に戻ってその恋人の冷酷さに気づき、彼女を捨てて田舎の心優しき女性にプロポーズする」というまとめなのだが、Noraはロマンス小説のヒロインではなく、最後に捨てられる都市の冷酷な恋人役なのだ。だが、その捨てられる恋人にはヒーローやヒロインとは異なる深い内面や美徳があることを読者は想像もしないのである。ここがこの小説の鍵である。 ロマンス小説の風刺小説であることも楽しいのだが、日本の読者にとっては、日本の出版業界とは異なるアメリカの出版業界の内情が興味深いのではないかと思う。 Emily Henryは文章力が卓越している作家だ。以前はファンタジーなどを書いていたのだが、ロマンス小説に専念するようになってからは全米トップクラスのベストセラー作家になった。正しい選択だったと思っている。

Less than the average. Don’t expect too much from this one.

After reading Book Lovers, I think it’s safe to say that when it comes to Emily Henry, I’m officially all in. I started with People We Meet on Vacation and immediately fell in love with Emily Henry’s writing style. Then Big Beautiful Life became my favorite of her books… until now. Book Lovers was simply lovely. From Charlie and Nora’s very first meet-cute, the chemistry was undeniable. It practically leapt off the page. Every conversation, every interaction, every stolen moment felt effortless and electric. Their connection was instant, but it also deepened beautifully with every chapter. What I loved most is that this story wasn’t just a romance. It was a love letter to so many things: sisters who would do anything for each other, the charm of a small town, and even the unique energy and excitement of a big city. Set against the backdrop of the publishing world, it was also packed with book references, tropes, and inside jokes that made it especially fun for fellow book lovers. And Charlie… My heart belonged to him almost immediately. Learning about the little boy who struggled to read, who was bullied by small minded people, and who persevered because of the love and support of his family was incredibly moving. He grew into a man who would sacrifice everything—including his own happiness—for the people he loved. How could you not adore him? Libby surprised me, too. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about her, but Emily Henry once again proved she knows exactly what she’s doing. As the story unfolded, it became clear just how much Libby understood and appreciated everything Nora had given up for her. Their relationship felt authentic, complicated, and deeply loving. And Nora? I absolutely loved her. She lived unapologetically as herself, refusing to fit into anyone else’s version of what a heroine should be. After spending so much of her life sacrificing for others, she deserved her happily ever after—even if hers looked different from the endings she helped her authors create. Book Lovers has a huge heart, memorable characters, sharp humor, emotional depth, and a romance that feels completely earned. It’s a story about love in all its forms—romantic, familial, and self-love—and it’s filled with characters who feel real enough to know. Emily Henry has done it again, and somehow Charlie and Nora have become one of my favorite book couples!!

5 ⭐️ | 📖 book lovers if she were in a Hallmark movie, Nora would be the ex left behind while the lead goes to a small town and falls in love with a local. she knows that. it has literally happened to her. more than once. when her sister, Libby, decides that they too deserve to have their own small-town-life-altering experience, Nora finds herself spending a whole month in the city that inspired a bestselling book from the author that skyrocketed her career as an agent. what she didn’t expect was to find her nemesis, editor Charlie Lastra, running the local bookshop. while she tries to keep her distance, she realizes this might not be as easy in a small town as it’d be in NY. I went into this book not knowing much. and I thought, I truly thought, maybe I wouldn’t love it as much as Emily’s previous books. I don’t have much in common with Nora. I didn’t think I’d be able to relate to her. I went as far as to convince myself that it’d be okay if I didn’t love it. well, I should’ve known better. even if I had hated Nora, which I obviously didn’t, I’d still have loved the book. simply because of Emily’s writing. what she does with words… it feels like magic. the kind of magic people hunt grimoires down to try to replicate, but it just never comes out the same. there’s a secret recipe that belongs only to her. she has the ability to put feelings into words, and I know this sounds like a basic skill a writer should have, but that’s not what I mean. I just can’t quite explain it. like, in pwmov, when she gave the best definition of “saudade” I’ve ever come across, and she doesn’t even speak Portuguese. i’m gonna leave her own words here, because it’s the best way I can explain how reading her books feel: “This book has crushed me with its weight and dazzled me with its tiny bright spots. Some books you don’t read so much as live, and finishing one of those always makes me think of ascending from a scuba dive. Like if I surface too fast I might get the bends.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️ 🌶🌶

Good book

Well written, dialogue is witty and full of charm. It’s believable and dreamy Emily Henry, I was not familiar with your game but I’ll be reading all your body of work 5/5

Nora is a workaholic and career-oriented. She loves her sister, Libby. She sacrificed her many dreams for Libby. She had to take on the responsibility of herself and her sister at a young age. She works hard because she can't let her past come back. Charlie is sweet. He is also career-oriented and good at his job. He thinks he doesn't fit somewhere. He has a complicated relationship with the town. He has had some bad childhood experiences in this town. Nora and Charlie. Two characters. They are similar, but different. I love them together. Their banter is one of the most entertaining banter I've ever read. They have personal problems in their lives. They find peace in each other's presence. They understand and respect what each other needs, each other's wishes, each other's dreams, and what each other wants. They do not impose one's desires on others. I loved that about them. Their back stories add depth to their characters. I love the story. It's not only a rom-com; the book deals with family matters. Sometimes we have to make decisions that our hearts don't want, for the people we love. This book deals with that too. The characters growth gives depth to the story.