Must Love Books is Women's Fiction/Romance about Nora who is struggling mightily with her lackey job in publishing. Looking for a way out and a way up, she finds a lifeline with a rival publishing house at the same time that she finds a sweet love interest in one of her author-clients.

A sweet debut.

2,5 stars.

It took me three attempts to get into this book. This is mostly because although I was expecting a cute romance novel, this wasn’t that. This is a contemporary book about a woman, Nora, trying to find purpose in life. It is also not a light read at all as it deals with pretty heavy topic that aren’t glossed over in the slightest. Despite there being some great aspects like the depiction of the publishing industry and the struggles of finding a job as well as the secondary romance, the pacing was slow, which made this drag on.

The very reason I decided to read this book was that it was about a woman working in the publishing industry. Through Nora, we get to see what an editorial assistant job entails, which I found to be really interesting. However, Nora doesn’t like her job and so her journey of looking for a new one begins. The miserable yet realistic depiction of what this process is like really struck a chord but I still failed to truly empathise with our protagonist. I understood her struggle yet I didn’t really feel for her.

The romance, although much more secondary than I thought it would be, was quite sweet. Andrew, the love interest, was easily my favourite character in the novel despite how little he’s actually in it. I loved that there was no unnecessary drama or conflict and instead the characters communicated their wants and needs.

My main issue with Must Love Books was the pacing of the novel. This starts off painfully slow and it doesn’t really pick up until the very end. Usually, I really enjoy slow-paced stories but seeing as I felt to connect to Nora, I had no interest in exploring her character and I wished there had been more going on rather than focusing on her inner thoughts so much.

All in all, although this wasn’t the book for me, I can still see how other people might enjoy it. It is a realistic depiction of what it’s like to try to find your purpose in life and being disillusioned with your job.

Words can't really describe adequately how much I love and appreciate this book. I haven't been able to read for pleasure in years, genuinely, before "Must Love Books". Nora is the perfect protagonist: sympathetic and relatable as hell even when you know she's in the wrong.
I sensed one of the main themes (not saying which for spoiler reasons) early on but did not think it would be true, let alone addressed and made a focal point. It's refreshing to see that theme in media that isn't specifically about it.
Regarding this theme but also all aspects of the plot, you can tell that Shauna Robinson comes from a place of genuine understanding and kindness, even if you don't read every word of her interview, acknowledements, and bio.
My only regret is not reading my digital ARC copy when I was approved. Incredibly thankful that I saw it at B&N and remembered that I wanted to read it.
To the author, if you ever see this: Thank you, genuinely. It's been a long time since I didn't need to pencil reading into my calendar.

Nora doesn't have a lot of options if she wants to make something of herself in the publishing industry. She has that glass ceiling every modern woman hates in addition to pay cuts and threatening lay offs. In order to keep her head above water, she applies for and attempts to juggle two jobs with the hopes of achieving her dream job.
I don't need a sweeping romance or an epic plot to enjoy a book, but I do need to feel connected to the MC and, unfortunately, this was a miss for me. I'm so disappointed because I love the concept and everything about how it's been marketed. I often find it hard to believe in a heroine who refuses to believe in herself.
Just about before the halfway point, things started to pick up in pace and Nora's professional dilemmas seemed to be on the verge of a crash course. I wish it had happened sooner.
I read this book through multi-media and I didn't find that the narration by Tyra Kennedy added any excitement. Her performance was a little dry and lacked the passion I believe Nora's character would have benefited from.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and OrangeSky Audio and NetGalley for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Regrettably, this book didn’t work for me as much as I wanted it to!

I do love how the author captured the frustration of trying to move up the ladder in publishing. How you can love to read and support authors and not enjoy the process in which they are published into the world.

I appreciate the examination of mental health, being a minority in the workplace, and the importance of prioritizing your self worth.

However, it felt repetitive and overly heavy at times. I found myself forcing myself to finish instead of enjoying reading the story. I think the author shows so much promise and I look forward to checking out her next book!

Thanks for the arc of Must Love Books!

Nora is stuck. Her job is going no where, she lives paycheck to paycheck and her mental health is suffering. She really struggles with depression which was so honest and raw to see portrayed in a book. Nora works in publishing so a large amount of this story discussed books, authors, etc. she befriends, Andrew, an author she is supposed to sign. He becomes much more than just another author to her. Unfortunately he gets caught up in her pursuit to land her dream job and well as just making enough money to survive. I loved the theme of loyalty Andrew and Nora’s friends provided in this story. It’s what every struggling person hopes for.

There was an overall sadness to this story. I was expecting a little more of a rom-com. I think it’s so important people like Nora are represented. I relate to her so much, whether I want to really admit that or not. Life can be so challenging. The reader really feels for her as she can’t achieve happiness on the path she is on but it’s financially impossible to just “follow her dream.” I loved Andrews sweetness- although I wish they moved along a little faster in the story. I’d say this was more of a self discovery book than a romance- which is a beautiful thing.

If you've ever felt overworked and underpaid, this may well be a book for you.

MUST LOVE BOOKS features Nora, a Black editorial assistant at Parsons, publisher of business books. Nora loves books, and felt like she was really on a dream career path when she first started at Parsons. The problem? That was five years ago, and since then she hasn't gotten a promotion - just more responsibilities (i.e. work!) and her workplace support system has vanished (thanks to downsizing and people leaving for opportunities elsewhere). Not to mention, she's barely making ends meet when she finds out her pay will be cut.

I expected to like this book; I wasn't expecting it to be so entirely heartfelt. Nora's struggles, while specific to her, also felt universal. Who hasn't felt stuck? Who hasn't known, deep down, that they needed a change, but also had no idea how to go about making that happen?

Please note that Nora occasionally experiences suicidal thoughts on the page. While at times I wanted better support for her, I think this representation reflects what some people do experience.

I'm afraid this review makes this book sound like a downer, when it wasn't! I really enjoyed reading MUST LOVE BOOKS and while it's not a romance (despite some great scenes), I'd leap at the chance to read a sequel!

Note: I switched between the audiobook and e-book and would recommend either. I was a big fan of the narration by Tyra Kennedy.

4.25 stars

I keep requesting and picking up books that I think are going to be a different style (or even genre) of story than they actually are. I don’t know if it was the cover design, the title, or the blurb for this one, but I was expecting something lighter, more along the lines of a rom-com. Instead, this one was kind of heavy. There was romance, but it wasn’t always front and centre, and the book also deals with issues related to race, sexism, mental illness, suicide, financial hardship, and a few other things. I really liked the main character, once I got to know her; she was imperfect and relatable. Also, the ending of the book was unexpected. The protagonist leaves her high(er) profile career-track job to work in retail/customer service in order to do something that makes her happy while she finds herself and formulates her plans for the future; similarly, she puts her romantic relationship on hold so that she can work on her mental health and wellbeing before trying to be with someone else. These are great things that are almost never shown as worthwhile priorities, in stories or in real life. I was initially caught off-guard by some parts of the book, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. Even thought it wasn’t what I expected, I enjoyed this one.

Such a lovely coming-of-age story for twentysomethings, with spot-on depictions of publishing. I love Robinson's writing style and look forward to whatever she writes next!

She held the book close to her and let the pages flutter, breathing in that paper and ink scent that made her heart swell. There was something about a book that brought such joy, but lately they seemed to be bringing a weight into her life that wasn’t welcome. Her job in the publishing world wasn’t what she had dreamed… it was resembling a nightmare more and more each day. The sense of doom loomed over her shoulder and she needed to discover a way out… she desperately needed to find that joy again.

Must Love Books shares Nora’s story, a woman working in the publishing world… but not the publishing dreams she thought she’d be experiencing. Desperate to find a spark of joy in her life, she’d do anything to find that happiness again.

I love a book about books, and this one took a bit of a different spin on that premise, focusing more on the publishing side of business books and nonfiction. The miscommunication trope was also a big part of this story, which isn’t a favorite trope of mine, but I still enjoyed the read. While this book had some very cute moments with hints of romance and flirtation, I must mention it deals with some heavy topics as Nora battles with depression and suicidal thoughts.

If you’re a fan of books about books and light romance, then you’ll want to give this one a read.

DNF at 30%

It seems like I'm not the only one who went into this book with different expectations set by the cover and the blurb.
What annoyed me the most was Nora's constant complaining and whining. I'm not saying that people don't feel trapped or hung up on their "dream job" and deal with lots of stuff at work, but to say she's "dreading" going into work stumped me. Nobody bullies her or she doesn't get any verbal abuse from customers like many of us do nowadays. She complains that she's not invited into the meeting (she didn't ask to be part of it because she feels like it would be presumptuous of her and she can't handle the rejection). She complains that everyone dressed up nicely and that IF she would have been invited, she would have dressed nicely too. Seriously?!
You could just dress nicely everyday if you really wanted to.

Then we get complaints about how she cannot afford to buy lunch out like many of the other people. Let me tell you that most of the people on this planet cannot afford to buy lunch out every single day... and you need to get your priorities straight. You're in your late 20's. Grow up.
All this just happened in the first 7% of the book.

I skim read through to 30% because I hoped it would get better. It didn't. I wanted to yell at her and tell her to find another job, even if it's not in publishing and read your books in your free time. I know that mental illness doesn't help you problem solve properly in situations and you can focus on the wrong things, but by god, this book and Nora as a character riled me up.

Thanks Netgalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley.

I adored this book. Nora was such a real character, and I loved reading her journey and growth.

The behind the scenes insight into a small publishing house were fantastic - especially for someone like me, who has a romantic view of what working in publishing would be like.

I liked all the supporting characters as well, making this world feel real, Beth and Andrew were favorites. Henry Brook - man back pats for everyone who has to deal with Henry Brooks in their lives.

I, unfortunately, judged a book by its cover and think I set myself up on a path of false expectations with this one. I was expecting a fluffy romance. It was not. It's more of a contemporary women's fiction book and the main character is definitely in a situation she does not enjoy. I had a hard time fully connecting with her story and the book also felt a bit slow to me. If you are going to read this one, know that it's a bit heavy and not a romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Absolutely adored Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson! Thank you @netgalley for the ARC!

Nora Hughes is an editorial assistant at a publishing company. She is overworked, underpaid, and her work bestie just left for another job. Not only that, but she gets a pay cut because of the company’s struggles.

This book was extremely relatable. Nora isn’t fresh out of college, she’s been working at her “dream job” for years and is disillusioned, wondering what it is she wants to do with her life. I think a lot of us can relate.
Be warned though, this book does talk about anxiety, depression, and lying.

This book does have some romance, and the lead, Andrew Santos, is adorable 😍
Again, there is romance, but lots of heavy themes.

Nora is biracial and she mentions a few times on how often she’s the only Black girl at an event or in the room. Super important to call out, as she’s in publishing.

Overall, I loved this book. ❤️

I wanted so much to enjoy this book, but I felt it was so draggy at the start. I felt immensely sad and sorry for Nora , who struggled at a job with no career prospects, while simultaneously struggling with her mental health. I ended up DNFing this at approximately 50-60 pages in - I usually don't DNF books, which makes this a tragedy for myself.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

When I saw the title and read the description I was thrilled to the bones. A book about books? Is it anything better than that? But then I have in on my Kindle and it was like... no. Like a huge, fat NO.

At first, It was boring. Like boring boring. Of course, I understand why we should read all the details about Nora's life, especially the financial sides, but c'mon... Who cares?! Let's please go forward to the books!

Then... It was no better. I see that author is focusing so much on giving as many details as possible to have to story in a frame, but I felt overwhelmed by the things that do not really matter.

I struggled to finish it, so, unfortunately, I cannot give any recommendation about this particular book.

I did not finish this book.
DNF'ed it at about 80-90 pages in.

Honestly it was the characters, I did not get along with how they were written, how they were talking and it was just.... not it for me.
I really liked the concept and I might pick up the book again if I come across an audiobook of it.

I initially assumed this was going to be a romcom but it is more about a young woman discovering what she really wants in life. There is some romance but that is not the central theme. Nora is working for a publishing company in a dead end job. Her hoped for dream job in publishing is not happening and she needs to make some serious life decisions. She is also struggling with depression and has suicidal thoughts so she definitely needs to dig deep and make some big changes in her life. This was an interesting book by a debut author.

This was such a heartfelt novel and I really liked Nora. It was enjoyable to read and I really liked it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the reader’s proof copy of this book. This was an enjoyable, thoughtful story about a woman in publishing who is going through a career and life transition. The main character, Nora, wrestles with depression and suicidal thoughts about the future and how she will survive. I really appreciated the realistic and honest portrayal of someone who isn’t sure how they will keep paying bills, what they want to do career-wise, what really makes them happy, and whether the struggle is worth it. I did not find this a light-hearted “chick lit” book, as other reviewers have mentioned, it dealt with serious topics and did not solve everything with an HEA. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has struggled to find direction in their lives.