Thank you for the ARC Netgalley & Sourcebooks. I am sucker for books about books and so was immediately drawn to the title and cover. The story follows Nora, who has worked in publishing for 5 years but her career seems to have stalled out and she feels unsure of what's next. When she takes a part time role at a rival publishing firm, without leaving her current job to make ends meet, things in her life get more complicated. Oh! And of course, a rising star author happens to add additional lovely complications to her life.

I was surprised out how melancholy this book was, since Nora suffers from depression and lot of the story is about her digging out of the sadness. Additionally, I wished there was more reflection on the race conversation that is touched on but never gets quite deep enough.

Overall, a quick and engaging read, but be forewarned that it's a bit heavier than may be expected.

3.5 stars

The story has a compelling premise. The characters and the story setting are relatable.

I loved that Nora owned her mistakes and recovered from the predicaments she was in. The story has a lot of potentials and would have been more captivating if Nora's depression and suicidal thoughts were addressed clinically. A backstory about her childhood would also help us know more about how she deals with life's challenges.

The story was a feel-good read and would appeal to those who love romance and real-life situations.

I'm grateful to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved the book aspect of this novel! The book references and publishing info was so fun for this book nerd. The characters were interesting and I was rooting for them throughout. I was frustrated with the mental illness aspect, as it was kind of glazed over and not really explained or investigated. I feel like it could have been either left out completely or fleshed out more, but the way it was done left me feeling unsettled and frustrated. Other than that, this was a fun book about finding your path and creating a happy life. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review! 3.5 ⭐️

This was such a beautiful story! There's some romance in this, but it's really about a young woman trying to figure out what she wants her life's path to be like. I really enjoyed watching her navigate the frustrations of a downsizing company and how she tries to solve for her pay cut.

The romance felt real to me. I liked the chemistry between the two characters, and I enjoyed the entire arc of their relationship.

The story touches on some suicidal thoughts that seem to be something the character is living with her entire life. I wish that this would have been given a bit more focus at times. It felt like something that the character definitely needed to speak with someone about, and I would have liked to see that step taken within the story.

Overall, though, this was a great read. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. It was fun to think about what I love about books throughout the story as well!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

4.5 ⭐️ Must Love Books is a fabulous debut novel by Shauna Robinson. Nora Hughes feels stuck in her job as an editorial assistant at Parsons, a publishing company. Everyone she is friends with has left the company and then her pay gets cut. To help with the pay cut, Nora takes a job at a rivalry publishing company. During all of this, Nora meets someone she’s interested in that just happens to be Andrew Santos, an author who is about to sign a contract with her company. Getting him signed with either company will help Nora out financially, but she has to decide what is more important - money, or her relationship with Andrew. During all of this, Nora struggles with her mental health and just trying to get up to face each day. This book does a great job addressing mental health while also developing the characters and their relationships. Nora Hughes is definitely a relatable character that everyone needs in their life!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

DNF
I love looks into different professions, but this was a little too inside baseball on the publishing world—of really boring books. Honestly, this was just a bore. It could have been just where I was at in my reading or this book just isn't for me.

This book wasn’t exactly what I expected based on the cover and synopsis.

I was expecting a more fluffy rom-com type book and I love books about books. However this wasn’t that. The first part started off a little slow. It does touch on some heavier topics throughout and I could relate to Nora’s struggles with work and money concerns.

None of the characters really stood out to me besides Andrew. I enjoyed his character a lot and I wish we saw more between him and Nora.

I did like that everything wasn’t neatly wrapped up in the end and that Nora is going to continue work on herself and her happiness.

Nora works a low paying job in publishing. Shes struggling to make ends meet and to be happy in her job. After her company cuts her wages she decides to take a 2nd job working for a competing publisher but she needs to keep each job secret from the other. To complicate things further, shes been assigned to make sure a promising author, Andrew Santos, signs with her company... but it may be better for her if he signs with her new one. Soon her professional and personal relationship with him begins to blur and things are about to fall apart.

I picked up this book thinking it sounded like a cute rom com with a book themed plot. This however is not a light fun rom com. It took on some pretty serious and heavy issues like depression and suicide and was more a story of a girl discovering herself. Overall I liked the story but was heavier than I anticipated.

Read if you like:

Books about books
A look into the publishing world
San francisco based
Mental health/ suicide themes
A heavier read
Racial diversity
A story of self discovery

⭐⭐⭐💫

This one releases Jan 18th. Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book. All opinions remain my own as always.

Nora works in publishing and feels unchallenged, unappreciated, and overworked. When her salary is cut even more, she must fight off depression and figure out what to do with her life. She uses her contacts to find a freelance job, but this only clouds her relationships and makes her more of a mess. Nora must decide what she wants to do and how to value herself.
This cover and synopsis bill this book as a rom com- which it is not. There is very little romance or comedy in this book. Once I stopped looking for those things, I could enjoy this book as a workplace drama. It reminded me of The Overdue Life of Amy Byler a little. I wanted it to be more like an Abbi Waxman book, but this had no humor or situational comedy. Maybe it would have benefitted from some?
Thank you to Netgalley for the advance readers copy for review. Hopefully this can be marketed correctly and find it's perfect audience.

3.5⭐
I went into this book thinking it will be a fun light hearted read but this wasn't the case...
It focuses on Noras mental state, her depression and indecisiveness , her struggle in her work life
It took me a while to get into the book and also was frustrated with Nora so many times as regards to her choices!!
Loved Noras friends who supported her esp Andrew..their exchange were fun and witty..wished there was more romance between the two.
The insight into the publishing field was a big plus to read!!

Thank you Netgalley and sourcebook landmark for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cute and sincere with some serious tones about mental health. Nora is a bit lost with thinking there’s such a thing as a dream job and it’s pulling her down. Enter Andrew Santos who has a positive outlook on life and helps Nora figure some things out.

While there is romance, it isn’t the focus of the novel. It’s not about self-discovery, self-love and figuring things out.

I was given an ARC of this book by the publisher in exchange of an honest review. Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson was a very cute romance book, to be honest I think it was going to slow at times and that made it harder to keep reading without stoping.

Even though third person books are not my favorite Robinson did a pretty good job writing like this. I loved the main character and seeing her growth from a sad, unconfident woman to a happier and more confident woman at the end of the book made me really happy!

If you’re looking for a cute rom-com this is a good choice!

<b>Review in 10-ish words:</b> More self love journey than romance, but engaging nevertheless. (4/5)

<b>Synopsis:</b> Nora is having what I would consider a quarter life crisis. Her job has lost the luster it once held, she has no idea wtf she wants to do with her life and the monsters and shadows that haunt her have come back. But when a new author presents her with a risky yet attractive career opportunity can Nora pull through?

<b>My thoughts</b>: I loved hearing about the ins and outs of working in publishing! I thought that was super interesting. I also really loved Nora's friendship with Beth and how they were able to support each other even when they were both quite different (introvert/extrovert).
I could feel myself getting frustrated towards the end of the book- not at the writing or even the story, but Nora's actions. It felt like she had set herself up for failure, which is honestly very human of her.

Overall, this book was well written and kept me engaged. Would recommend as a contemporary read that is light on romance.

TW: Suicide. I have to say that this book surprised me because it really was about depression more than anything. I was expecting a bit of romance and there was a tiny bit but it was more about the struggle of life. Definitely should have come with a warning regarding the very serious topics discussed in most of the book. I was hoping for something fun and this did not fit that bill. Hope you have more luck!

Must Love Books comes out next month on January 18, 2022, and you can purchase HERE.
Would you recommend this job to a friend?

The question echoed in Nora's mind as the silence ticked by. She glanced from the twenty-two-year-old girl across from her to the resume on the table.

Book Review: Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson

I came to this book expecting a nice light romance, but I loved the self-discovery and mental health sub-plot lines. I know that suicide or suicidal thoughts is a big trigger for many readers but I really appreciated the way that it was brought about for Nora as nagging thoughts about her worthiness of life. Reaching out to her friend and taking small steps to make her self-worth a little higher was much more realistic than I’ve seen in other books.

I loved the easy flirty relationship that she had with Andrew. The sticker for hard work scene was really cute. It felt like they had a good personality balance.

I did wish that Nora minority status has been expanded upon a little both personally and professionally. I was really fascinated when she spoke about being biracial and not feeling confident with her hair because her mother was white.

Must Love Books releases January 18th. make sure you pick it up!

Thank you @bookmarked for this advanced copy!

This review will be published on Sunday, January 9th, 2022, on my blog:

“There’s more to you than just your book.”

Genre: Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings: Discusses racism, suicide, and suicidal ideation.

You know the feeling when all the things that could go wrong, actually go wrong? Well, that’s exactly how Nora Hughes is feeling after she finds herself stuck in a job that’s underpaying her and that’s in her dream field, but not even remotely close to her dream job—she’s an assistant editor at a publisher…..that only publishes business books written by middle-aged white men for middle-aged white men. She dreamed of editing the next big American novel, but that couldn’t be further from her reality. So when they cut her salary even further, making it so she can’t even afford rent anymore, she will have to resort to some slightly unethical practices to survive.

Don’t let the cover misguide you. The publisher does not classify this as a romance book, and they’re right at that. “Must Love Books” is not a romance per se, even though there are some romantic scenes and sexual tension here and there. It, in fact, does not bang (like, they do bang but we don’t get to see any of that).

On another note, I found it a bit off-putting how the narrator went about addressing race. I feel like she put so much focus on people being white, judging them instantly at times. And I get it, I’m latinx and I’ve been underestimated by the way I look, but in Nora’s case, it was mentioned too much, especially in the beginning of the book.

Putting those things aside, this was a great book. I mean, what reader doesn’t love a book about books? The characters were charming and the story engaging at all times.

I would recommend this book to readers who’ve enjoyed books by Sally Thorne and Emily Henry. I mean, to be honest, I will probably be recommending this book all year round. It’s that good.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.
Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can pre-order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: January 18, 2022

This was a struggle for me. A STRUGGLE! I did finish but I must say it was not for me.

I went in hoping for this amazing story of a BIPOC female in publishing finding her way. That did happen but throughout the book I was yelling in frustration. Even my husband was like, "please stop reading that. You're way too upset."

It wasnt all together bad, the ending was a nice place to land. I just didn't agree with the deception frustrations, mention of drastic mental illness without being addressed, and just overall meh.

Thanks Sourcebooks for an opportunity to read an advanced copy. I hope it's a better fit for others.

Must Love Books wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I was expecting a spunky rom-com about a woman struggling in the publishing industry.

But what I got was a hard hit in the feels. This book will hit home with anyone who is still struggling in their twenties to find "success".

The characters were all great and well fleshed out.

ARC received in exchange for an Honest Review
Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley!

Publication date: 18 January 2022

Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson presents us with the overworked and lost Nora at a very stressful point in her life. After pursuing a career in publishing for the last five years, Nora finds herself in a meaningless job that does not even pay the bills. Her colleagues and friends have all left and she is the last one standing, making her wonder if ‘dream jobs’ are even real.
Nora will have to take risky decisions when the opportunity comes to work part-time for the competition and this makes her examine her loyalties - but can she do? She has no money or another plan. Along comes Andrew Santos, the bestselling author whose signing could give Nora a promotion in the company she already hates, or he could sign with the new publishing house and secure her a full-time job. On the other hand, he could be something else, someone else in Nora’s life that stirs her into looking for personal fulfillment instead of just precariously getting from paycheck to paycheck.

I believe I am just the target audience for this book - so maybe I am incapable of writing an objective review. I am Nora. I am 24 with an English Degree and dreaming of the perfect job in publishing. I see so much of myself in the main character that it is difficult to separate myself but allow me to try:
-Must Love Books might look like a cutesy romance at a first glance but like The Midnight Library (that also features a Nora), this novel is about self-discovery. A late coming of age that is much less popular and romanticized than the YA counterpart. Nora is in her mid-twenties and before even allowing herself to find love, she needs to allow herself to find who she is and what she wants.
-Robinson makes an exquisite job of portraying the bay area. As a UC Berkeley grad, I know what it feels like to be in the BART mentally counting how much money you have left and how many meals you can skip until your next paycheck. We see a San Francisco that is less about glamour and more about the big city feeling of isolation.
-Nora as a character feels like an actual human being, that as a reader, I understood why she took the decisions she took, and honestly, in her place, I would have probably done the same.
-On that note, the other characters like Beth and Andrew went beyond their typical roles of ‘friend’ and ‘love interest’ and have a certain complexity that enriched my experience. Although I would have liked to see more of Nora’s roommate.
-The majority of this novel develops in the office, and in this space as a black woman of lower-ranking, Nora faces a lot of microaggressions due to her gender and standing as one editor from the NY office uses her for the most pointless tasks and mansplains every detail. I think this window into office life and the team behind our favorite books is so important and it brings visibility to the otherwise forgotten members that work in publishing.
-Most importantly, I think this book addresses very important subjects like mental health, race, and class. Nora for the majority of the book is in a dark place - one that I have the misfortune of knowing very well -and realistically, it is up to her to change her situation. Even when Beth and Andrew want to help, the book delivers an open ending that empowers Nora -and the reader- to accept that it is okay to still be figuring stuff out.
Moreover, race and class make an important part of Nora’s identity and the decisions she can take. Publishing is predominately white and as a half-black woman, Nora feels the responsibility of representing but also masking her race when she is working. The people around Nora are also more wealthy than her, and money might not give happiness but it gives options. Because of this disparity, Nora can not fully relate or talk with her friends as she knows they do not understand how impossible it for her is to leave one job for a part-time offer or to not have something stable as she has massive responsibilities and payments due.

In conclusion, I think it is easy to disregard this novel as another quirky office romance -that there is nothing wrong with them and that I love them so much as well- but if you give Must Love Books a chance, you are in for so much more than you expected. I am very happy to have finished 2021 with this book and I wish Shauna Robinson all the luck and success in the world.

Follow the author on Twitter as @shaunarobs
and you can find me as @isabelsdigest everywhere

Nora Hughes is overworked, underpaid, and the last editorial assistant left at Parsons Press. When she first took the job she thought it was the first step towards her dream job. However, after five years, Nora has come to the conclusion that dream jobs don't exist. When Parsons cuts her already unliveable salary, Nora decides to freelance for a rival publisher to make ends meet, and potentially steal some Parsons authors along the way. But when Andrew Santos, the bestselling author that Parsons can't afford to lose is thrown into the mix, Nora must decide where her loyalties lie; her new dream job, Andrew, or her future.

From the cover this looks like a lighthearted romcom, and while there is a romance, this is very much a quarter life crisis book. Nora's mental health has deteriorated over her time at Parsons as she has taken on several different roles as her co-workers have gotten laid off, and feels under appreciated by her remaining co-workers. None of them noticed her struggles but it was heartwarming to see both Andrew and her best friend Beth help her take the steps she needed to improve her life. I also liked seeing the publishing aspect and Nora finding her love for books again. This was overall a very solid debut and I can't wait to see what the author writes next!

TW: suicidal thoughts and depression

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review.