Book Lovers by Emily Henry #EmilyHenry @justjuliawhelan @PRHAudio @librofm

the setup…
Nora Stephens is a highly successful literary agent who lives in New York and fights hard for her clients. She lives for her work, books and her younger sister Libby. But, her love life is a massive fail. You know the romance trope where the guy who represents a big company comes to town to take over a small business and falls for the lovely owner, leaving his city slick girlfriend/fiancée behind? Well, Nora’s that girlfriend who was left behind by three past beaus. So, when Libby arranges for the two of them to spend a month in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, the setting in her client’s latest bestselling novel, Nora reluctantly agrees because she needs the time with her sister, despite the crazy bucket list that comes with the trip. It gets off to a strange start when she runs into Charlie Lastra, the broody and scowling book editor who turned down that bestselling book featuring this town.

the heart of the story…
There’s a lot to admire about Nora who is completely devoted to her sister’s well being because never in a million years would she have agreed to a trip like this. They were raised by an artistic and whimsical single mother and it became Nora’s mission to keep Libby happy and thriving after her death. Libby’s married with two young daughters and another child on the way. But it’s Nora’s encounters with Charlie that are the heartbeat of this story. Both of them are book lovers and that connection can’t be ignored despite their prickly encounters and barbed banter. And underneath all of that is a developing attraction that neither seems to want or acknowledge. I loved the scenes of “oneupmanship” that were über witty and clever but never mean. Libby’s efforts to find Nora her own small town hero brought hilarity as well.

the narration…
This was the fabulous Julia Whelan at her finest! From the characterizations to the storytelling, she captured the essence and magic of this story.

the bottom line…
I could kick myself for putting off listening to this book because I was captivated from the prologue. Every aspect of it worked for me…the romance, Nora & Charlie individually, all the book connections and references. There’s an underlying concern for and mystery about Libby that is in the background that takes an interesting and unusual turn, adding even more layers. This was a wonderful reading experience elevated even more by the narrator. I get why it won the Goodreads Romance Choice Award as it far surpassed the hype.

Book Info

• Release Date: May 3, 2022
• Narrator: Julia Whelan
• Audio Length: 11 hours, 21 minutes
• Publisher: Penguin Audio

Listen to a Sample!

Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm

(Thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)