Book Lovers Review

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Lovers (5/5 stars) was one of those books that I both wanted to end so I could "get to the good part" and not end - because it was that good. I actually screamed when I turned the final page.

"She wonders whether what comes next could ever live up to the expectations. She doesn't know. You never can. She turns the page anyway."

I have a love-hate relationship with rom-coms (books and movies alike) because they are so terrifyingly close to reality, but reality doesn't fold everything neatly into the most perfect ending either. People lose jobs, parents die, the girl doesn't get the guy, families are barely scraping by, and the world just sucks sometimes. And Book Lovers was no different. Emily Henry crafted a masterpiece by putting the words together for this book.

"The ones that speak to me are those whose final pages admit there is no going back. That every good thing must end. That every bad thing does too, that everything does. That is what I'm looking for every time I flip to the back of a book, compulsively checking for proof that in a life where so many things have gone wrong, there can be beauty too. That there is always hope, no matter what."

There was so much to love in this book. Charlie was a dream in the not-so-standard way. He's dark and brooding, professional, the sweetest guy behind the facade, and there was something about the way that Henry described him with salt and pepper hair that just made him downright adorable to me. But the way he loved Nora and their dry humor, I was falling for him too.

Nora and Libby's relationship was a gut-punch, though, in the best way possible. It was beautiful and delicate and nostalgic. It was my sister's and my relationship. I remember years ago when my little sister had to tell me, "You aren't our mom!" My heart bled for each sister. Libby because she wanted so much for her sister to have her own life and to stop worrying about her. Nora because she's the classic type-A, oldest child who stepped into the parental role dutifully for her single mother - she was me, I am her.

"I think it's the same for sisters. Anywhere we go, we won't leave each other. We couldn't even if we wanted to. And we don't. We never will."

Book Lovers is quotable and brilliant. And I'm sorry - but I love characters who love books as much as I do. It's spicy, but 90% of the spice is contained in a single chapter (so you can easily skip it). This book may very well become one of those books I read over and over again.