In a good majority of romance novels and Hallmark movies, there’s the woman who lives in the Big City and is forced to go to the Country/Small Town for whatever reason.
First, let me preface this by saying, this was a book I didn’t know I needed until I began reading it.
I dare you, I triple dog dare you, to not be enchanted by Nora Stephens by page 9.
I’ve never read any of Emily Henry’s books before then, but Book Lovers is the best, in my opinion, that I could have started with.
The romance readers and watchers of the Hallmark channel always know, for every big city guy/girl who ends up in a small, quaint country town and falls in love with the local Christmas tree farmer/ small book store owner/ whatever else, there’s always that one big city guy/ girl they were dating that just doesn’t understand what the protagonist has found and leaves that person for their small country town true love.
Nora Stephens is that person. The big city woman who loves her shoes and her skin care routine and New York City and has been the recipient of her boyfriend leaving her for some small-town girl who he discovered the meaning of true love with. Not once, but three times. Nora’s a cutthroat literary agent who is dragged to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina by her sister. Sunshine Falls is the town that one of Nora’s clients has made famous in her best-selling novel.
While dragged there she runs into Charlie Lastra, an editor she has butt heads with back in New York. And that’s where our story takes off.
It was a delight to see the interactions between Nora and Charlie, two people who couldn’t be more out of place in this small town, even though Charlie grew up there. I loved Nora’s character, she is continuously bold and brash and not taking anything from anyone, especially not this town she’s only in because her sister had a romantic streak a mile wide!
It’s nice to see a story that focuses on the left behind woman, to tell the story in her world. To show what she can still have her happy ending, without changing everything that she is. That being career driven and loving the big city isn’t bad, it’s just not for everyone.
Also, the scenes where Nora and Charlie discuss bigfoot erotica…read it for that.
I’ve been spoiled by this book. Hoping to find more like it, because the story of the people left behind need to be told!! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.
For my American folks, I hope you enjoyed your turkey fest! For my non-American folks, I hope your Thursday and Friday were stress free. Tomorrow is Small Business Saturday, where we do some of out holiday shopping to support small businesses in our areas. Everyone please remember to support your local book stores. Stop in, find your new favorite book, buy some bookish Holiday presents for friends and family. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books a Million get our money on other days. Find your local bookstore and step in, you’ll be delighted at what you find.
Remember to take time for yourselves this weekend friends! Relax, curl up in your favorite spot and lose yourself in a good book.
Mouse's Reading Nook 