Cover Image: Must Love Books

Must Love Books

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I wanted to love this book because of the title, but I did not love THIS book. A few times I put it down and really didn't want to pick it up again, but I forced myself to five it a chance, hoping that the book would get better.

It didn't.

Nora just didn't resonate with me at all. I can't quite put my finger on why, but I just wasn't empathetic to her plight. Her former boss Lynn put it in context: she could have taken a part time job anywhere: a restaurant, a grocery store, the Gap, to help make ends meet but she didn't.

While I love books I didn't love this one, but who's to say that you won't? Don't skip it just because I didn't love it... you might.

Was this review helpful?

I went into this book knowing nothing about it except “cute cover” and “a title with books in it!” But this was not a rom com — it was much more focused on the main character’s journey to extricate herself from a dispirited position and find happiness. As someone who worked in newspapers for a number of years and watched a lot of downsizing happen, I empathized with Nora’s hopelessness. And the book industry setting felt pretty accurate (bookish professionals in any capacity are definitely going to want to pick this one up!). I also thought the mental health rep was extremely well done — Nora’s feeling of being frozen when considering change is something that I think most people who have struggled in their life can relate to. I particularly was impressed by the way her occasional suicidal thoughts were portrayed — not as something enormous, but just as “wouldn’t giving up be easier?” because that feels frighteningly accurate to what many people experience. I feel like my review makes this book sound extremely depressing, and it isn’t! It has a lot of fun bright spots, and a cute romance subplot! I really really enjoyed it.

Was this review helpful?

Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson introduces us to book and reading lover, Nora. All Nora wanted was her dream job, instead after five years she is doing more and getting paid less. Now she is balancing needs versus wants. She takes on a questionable second job hoping she can get what she finally wants. Then she meets Andrew, an author at her current employment and things get more complicated. This is Nora’s story about her choices and desires.

Happy reading!

Was this review helpful?

I am finding more and more that I really enjoy a book where we truly witness the main character's growth. When we first meet Nora, she is wallowing in an editorial assistant job that she doesn't really love. She hasn't moved in five years. Yes, it has to do with books but not even the fiction she loves, it's business books. When her pay is cut, she moonlights at another publishing house. It is the competition and both are vying for author Edward Santos and his new book. Sparks fly between Nora with her dark, pessimistic thoughts and ever positive Edward. So what is she to do?

We have the inevitable conflict of interest and the nagging that it will all have to crash at some point but I love how Nora turns her life around. Even if it means starting all over again, she learns from her mistakes. I love that! I would love to see what happens in the future between Nora and Edward. I would also love to see where she is after a while. I really liked her and you will just cheer for her to succeed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a copy of this book for review.

Was this review helpful?

A fun, relaxing read that gave me something else to focus on during a stressful time. Overall this was just an okay book for me--I didn't love it but I still enjoyed it. I had trouble connecting with Nora as a character but loved the setting in book publishing.

Was this review helpful?

I loved following Nora's journey to find the right job, man and all the twists and turns in her life. I was surprised along the way---and really enjoyed reading this book.
Thank you so much for sharing it with me.
I look forward to more tales from Shauna Robinson.

Was this review helpful?

This book was just okay. The best thing about it was the cute cover and title but the MC was really hard for me to care about. I just couldn't connect with her for some reason and I didn't feel like I was rooting for her at all. this is more women's fiction than it is romance and not a lot about this book was super memorable

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me an advanced copy of this book through #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Three stars.

Must Love Books follows Nora, an editorial assistant stuck in a career rut, struggling to make ends meet financially, and who has lost touch with happiness in her life.
When Nora’s employer, Parsons, cuts her pay, she picks up freelancing for their competition - Webers - unbeknownst to either publishing house. she continues working for them both.
Meet Andrew Santos - the accomplished author that Parsons is desperately trying to get to sign a contract with for is next book. With the promise of a promotion if she succeeds, Parsons

Nora’s process of figuring out what would make her happy in both her career and personal life is one that will resonate with readers who are looking to make changes in their life and to get back in touch with what brings them joy and makes them feel fulfilled in their career. I think that the message that your career path is not set in stone and that you can switch paths and industries to do what makes you happier is an important message for people. When it came to mental health, this book danced around and hinted at underlying problems Nora was feeling but did not address them beyond small lifestyle changes, I would have liked to see this fleshed out more.

I found the romance in this book to be sweet and lighthearted - I enjoyed the banter between Andrew and Nora. I found their connection to feel genuine and well developed. This being said, if you were looking for spice, this is not the book for you. Strictly fade to black. I was expecting there to be more romance in this book, but I think it was balanced well with the rest of the plot.

I found the climax of this book to be a bit rushed, when her boss at Webers found out about Nora never quitting Parsons, the fall-out fell flat, but I am very pleased with how the book concluded and that Nora made career and personal moves that were better aligned for her!

Overall - three stars because I think that Nora’s self discovery regarding being dissatisfied and discouraged in her career was well written, I really liked the friendship she had with Beth, and the romance made me smile!

Was this review helpful?

This book was heavier than I expected, tackling deep issues, but I very much enjoyed it. I could relate to the MC in many ways, having once been stuck in a career that became soul-crushing but that I felt I couldn't leave because I needed the steady paycheck. I like that the book focused more on the MC finding herself and forging a path to happiness than on the romance, and without giving anything away, I think the fact that the ending didn't wrap everything in a neat little bow was fitting to the story. If you enjoy a book that's both sad and hopeful, this one's for you !

⭐⭐⭐.75

Was this review helpful?

I received this book from the publisher on NetGalley. There may be spoilers ahead.

I loved this book. Hands down LOVED this book. Romance/Women's Lit are not my typical genres, and with a very few exceptions I tend to stay away from them. But when I read the premise of this one, I immediately requested it from the publisher. And boy am I glad I did.

Much of this book reads as a love letter to publishing and those who work in publishing, who have worked in publishing, and who dream of working in publishing. You can tell the author herself comes from the world of publishing because its nuanced and TRUE, but not to the detriment of the plot or coming off as a technical manual for publishing job seekers.

Nora Hughes, the books protagonist, could be anyone. She could be any young (or older!) person in the workforce who had a dream and has slowly seen that dream become tarnished by the realities of the workforce. Nora and her struggles spoke to me on an intimate level because I have been Nora, and I think many people can relate to her. Nora's life isn't perfect, as I feel many characters in romance/women's lit novels can seem. She has real struggles and makes real decisions that have (GASP!) real. consequences. Could that be one of the things I loved most? That when our heroine gets caught in her "web of lies" she actually has to suffer the consequences and figure out where to go from there? Maybe.

But I also loved the frankness with which Robinson wrote her struggles, from the depression she sinks into (possibly a little bit of a TW for depression and suicidal thoughts), to the money struggles that she hides from her more well-off friend and former coworker. Nothing in Nora's life was easy for the sake of plot. Are there a few obvious tropes at play? Of course, it is a romance novel after all. But (another gasp) The Romance Was Secondary to Nora's Journey.

Let me say that again THE ROMANCE WAS SECONDARY TO NORA'S JOURNEY. There was less of a focus on the central relationship in this book than others that it might be likened to or lumped in with. Nora's journey for self discovery was the heart of this book and that made the romance aspect of it feel EARNED.

I honestly cannot sing the praises of this book enough. I went into it thinking it would be a nice palate cleanser after reading a spooky historical fiction novel, and it was! but it was also something more. It was a warm blanket. It made me smile and laugh. And, unlike other romance novels, it truly made me THINK. Was I reevaluating my life and career path by the end of this book? Maybe... But is that necessarily a bad thing?

Was this review helpful?

Just by the title alone, I knew I needed to read this book. I love books and wanted to discover what was in store for Nora.

I felt for Nora. She was in a company that was downsizing and all of her favorite people had been let go. Her workload had increased but her pay decreased. This was all having a negative impact on her mental state but she didn't realize it until much later. I could relate to her situation, I have worked for companies that things changed or the work environment became toxic and the best thing to do was leave. But it wasn't until years later that I realized all of this. Nora doesn't go about trying to fix her situation the right way, but she did what she thought she needed to do at that moment in time.

Andrew is an author that has other ideas about his newest book. However, he isn't sure if Parson's is the right publishing house for him. The friendship that he builds with Nora can be a positive one for both of them if they can just tell each other the truth. They aren't lying per se, but perhaps not telling each other the full story. But I enjoy their banter and watching their friendship develop.

I think we have all been in a situation similar to Nora, not knowing what we want to do with our lives. I like how she uses a book that we have all heard of to help guide her when times get tough. It is never easy to articulate what we want from life and sometimes it takes friends to help push us in the right direction.

This was an enjoyable debut novel and I look forward to more books from this author. We give this book 4 paws up.

Was this review helpful?

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Must Love Books is a heartfelt look at the concept of a “Dream Job,” and how it doesn’t really exist. And while it’s definitely a hard pill to swallow for me, as an unemployed, broke, desperate millennial who at one point seriously thought about trying to look for publishing work, only to be daunted by the barriers that most of the ones I was interested in had in place for most of their positions until recently, I think it’s a relevant one, and that getting one’s Ideal Job doesn’t necessarily mean you have everything figured out.
I really appreciated the insights about publishing. I had already gotten little glimpses, thanks to following lots of authors, agents, editors, etc. on Twitter, but getting a realistic depiction of the ins and outs really hits hard, especially considering what Nora is going through.
Nora’s struggles resonated with me. She’s struggling with what life’s throwing at her, and her once-Dream Job doesn’t seem like the dream it once was. The depiction of her struggle with her mental health issues is beautifully done, as is her ultimate quest to take chances and risks to find herself.
While definitely not Genre Romance, there is a lovely romantic subplot with author Andrew. He provides a lot of support and perspective for Nora, as well as some much-needed lightness to the overall narrative.
I enjoyed this book, even if it was a bit heavier than it promised with the marketing (cover, blurb, etc.) If you’re looking for an emotional contemporary read with a sympathetic lead, I recommend checking this out.

Was this review helpful?

I wanted to love this one so much more than I actually did. It has all the elements to make a great book - behind the scenes of the Publishing world, constant references to books upon books, witty banter and open discussion of mental health issues. Yet, it was just a meh reading experience. I can't put my finger on just one thing that didn't work for me...it just didn't come together the way I'd hoped when I started it. While the cover gives the impression of a lighter romance, this one is not light as it explores (TW) depression and suicidal thoughts.

Was this review helpful?

Sadly not my favorite contemporary romance with a book subplot. I'm sure others will love it but it just wasn't for me.

Was this review helpful?

Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson is a novel following Nora, an editorial assistant at a major publisher. While this initially seemed like a dream opportunity five years ago, Nora is now disillusioned after a lack of career growth since joining the organization and only gets worse after her salary is cut. Desperate to scrape by, Nora chooses to work for a rival publisher and works to get some authors to move over to the rival publisher. Her latest target is Andrew, one of the top authors at her initial publisher and now Nora must decide whether she is looking out for herself, Andrew, or the publishers?

When I read the premise, I was fascinated by the premise of working for a rival publisher while still working at your current day job. While this book served that, it also brought lovely characters and plot. Nora is extremely likeable and I was rooting for her the whole book. I truly could feel the desperation and stress in her situation and could relate to similar experiences when I was younger. I really appreciated reading how Nora handled a difficult situation, especially one where you get yourself in a questionable situation due to impossible choices. Nora's character development was fantastic and how she overcame her situation.

As for the romance, I enjoyed her relationship with Andrew. The two had great banter and the hurdle to their relationship made sense. While this book included a romance, I want to highlight that the romance was more of a sub-plot and instead was focused primarily on Nora's characterization, rather than their relationship. The book was "fade to black" for intimate moments and instead we saw the sweet, caring relationship between the two.

Overall I enjoyed this debut novel from Shauna Robinson and am looking forward to future work from this author!

Many thanks to the publisher SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It had moments of humor, held my interest and I wanted to find out what would happen. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Was this review helpful?

We've all experienced in one way or another - not quite fitting in or feeling like we're making all the wrong choices. This book brings a relatable voice that struggles while being equally unsuccessful and on track. You watch with no control as her story unfolds and quickly find yourself pulling for her to get it right.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

I was expecting a lighthearted bookish romcom, and instead what I got was an incredibly real contemporary with sprinkles of romance, sarcastic humour and mental health representation.
This was an amazing debut from Shauna Robinson! I will be desperately waiting for her next project and in the meantime as ordering a copy of this book to hold close to my heart. Nora Hughes struggle hit so close to home and I will be recommending this book to all who read fiction. What an amazing book.

Was this review helpful?

Original post at @shelved_ramblings (Instagram)

Thanks so much to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the eARC copy!

📖: Must Love Books
🖋: Shauna Robinson
🎧: “The Best of Me” by The Starting Line
⭐️: 3/5 stars
✨: For fans of sweet romances, sassy MCs, mental health discussions, book publishing behind the scenes
‼️: TW for depression, mentions of suicide; small spoilers

// 𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑬𝑾 //

Considering this was supposed to be a rom com, the reason I enjoyed it had little to do with the actual romance.

Don’t get me wrong - our MC, Nora’s interactions with her love interest, Andrew are sweet and at times witty, and he seems like truly a good guy. (Also the fact that Nora’s friend calls him “daddy Santos” makes me giggle because I just think of Matt Santos from the West Wing - but I digress). But they never quite had a lot of steam and their relationship kind of leaves on a question mark at the end of the book.

However, I think what Robinson does incredibly well is capturing the hopelessness many of our generation feeling being “stuck” in jobs they don’t enjoy, and how it can affect their mental health. This is where Robinson’s writing actually shines, in highlighting this vital discussion. As someone currently struggling with her job and anxiety, I really identified with Nora and some of her feelings. I also enjoyed Robinson’s semi dive into the world of publishing as I have no knowledge of it, and I thought some of the processes she had explained or featured were super interesting.

This was a speedy, rather light reading (even considering the heavier focus on mental health and finding your “destiny”), and I recommend it for anyone who is looking for a quick romance read!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark got the gifted book.

On boy. I wanted so badly to like this book. The cover is adorable, the synopsis sounded fantastic. Unfortunately, it bored me to tears and I barely made it through.

It was so predictable - both in Nora’s career path and her relationship with Andrew. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop with Weber and for either Rita or Lynn to figure things out. Andrew was a minor part of the story in my mind, and just didn’t seem to fit.

And spoiler alert slash trigger warning - Nora’s suicidal thoughts? Not cool at all. The girl needed some professional help. You can’t just bring it up and then brush it under the rug.

I don’t know. Just really disappointed in this one. 2.5 stars.

Was this review helpful?