I’m definitely as TikTok obsessed as they come and thank goodness for TikTok. In almost all of the “books you should read” videos that would intermittently pop up on my FYP, this one was on the list. Emily Henry’s The People We Meet on Vacation initiated my turn into potential book worm so it’s only fitting the Book Lovers kicks off my Reading Bingo. So, how did it fare?
Book Lovers is an easy read that becomes increasingly hard to put down. Despite elements of predictability, I found myself itching for the big conflict or reveal that was going to change the lives of these characters I was growing fond of. Some plot points get lost around my personal desire for main romance and I wouldn’t be able to draw a map of the quaint town even with a gun to my head. Even with a few complaints, I totally adored this book.
Nora is a lovely protagonist. As an older sister myself, I found her motivations relatable, if slightly exaggerated that made her more endearing. As her love interest, Charlie is more than suitable. Their connection is sweet and the electricity between them is easy to believe. Consider me charmed! The sisterly bond of Nora and Libby is the other important relationship in the novel. While it didn’t connect with me as much as the central romance and I can’t picture Libby with bright pink hair, the relationship certainly drives the books.
As a daydreamer, the dialogue fuelled my imagination. The back and forth felt natural and funny. It’s giving nice bants! The cheesier the romance novel, the more likely the dialogue will have male leads talking complete fluff that deflects any sense of reality. This isn’t one of those cases. Nora and Charlie flirting feels real.
While reading, I was constantly torn between polar ideas of “I can see where this is going” and “what’s going to happen next”. Some plot points were easy guesses, and I couldn’t tell if I was more excited to get it right or that I liked the direction the book was going. Others required more patience. For the life of me, I couldn’t tell what was truly going on with Nora’s sister beyond what the book wanted you to know. It helps keep the book interesting.
My main gripe is the “we can’t be together because of blank even though we’re totally in love” trope. The predictability I mentioned before. Yeah, of course they’ll end up together otherwise there’s no book and it would be cruel if they didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of tropes, but this one is less about how two characters are destined for each other and more fighting an invisible evil. The chemistry between Nora and Charlie was written to feel undeniable and it came across well, so I don’t care that their jobs should keep them apart. Chora 4ever!
★★★★☆
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