I really really loved the premise of this book - one of my fave shows from the past few years was Younger and it was definitely at the forefront of my mind while I was reading.

Must Love Books is a fun and lighthearted story about a woman who struggles to balance her two jobs working for rival publishers to make ends meet. A conflict of interest with Parsons means that she has to hide the fact that she's working for the enemy (Webber) while waiting for a much-deserved contract from them. But then Andrew Santos is thrown into the mix - an author originally about to sign for the publishing house she's trying to leave, and whom she tries to convince to sign for Webber instead (and romantic interest).

My favourite part of this book was the approach the author had to Nora's mental health journey. I think it's incredibly important the books these days address the issues that comes with mental health and the stigma that surrounds it. Shauna Robinson did this gracefully and I appreciated her efforts.

I think the main thing that got to me about this book was the lack of any real romance and more importantly, the ambiguity towards the end. I read romances for the HEA, and I felt really unsure and dissatisfied towards the end. Even if there wasn't a HEA, I would've liked to know how the heroine did, and if she'd overcome her struggles at all. I really enjoyed reading her story and would love to see how everything turned out for her (maybe in a follow up?)

Overall it was a great read and I really enjoyed it!

Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC!

Whats in a dream job? Nora works as an Executive Assistant at Parsons Publishers. This is her dream job. She gets to work with books all day and talk to authors. Everything seems great, but then Parson's goes through some downsizing and her co-workers move on leaving Nora to do the work of three people for less pay. These changes start make Nora realize that maybe there is more out there for her. Maybe her dream job is something totally out of publishing.

On her path to try and find her true purpose, Nora meets an up-and-coming author, Andrew Santos, who starts to blur the lines between author/editor. He encourages and brings about a new side of Nora. Their banter is super cute and witty and I would have liked even more conversations between the two. Unfortunately, Nora has to balance her role at Parsons with becoming close to Andrew. This romance brings a nice change of pace to Nora's woe-is-me attitude. At times I just wanted to shake her into making better choices. Almost all of her problems could have been solved if she just told the truth. I didn't love Nora, but Andrew was an amazing character. Very supportive, honest, and relatable. Their chemistry is what sold me on the book. I enjoyed that Nora was able to identify what truly made her happy and fulfilled.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for granting me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Recommended: sure
For an MC who makes truly questionable decisions, for some honest struggles, for a look at the publishing world and whether or not it can make a reader jaded, honestly not much here for the romance

Thoughts:
I love this book for the intense look at the happiness in career success (and in general) that the main character Nora has. Sure, it's billed as a romance, but it's really more like a self-discovery or identity read to me. Nora's romance shows her how much she's missing romance in other parts of her lives: career, hobbies, friends. Once one element of her life starts to glow, she realizes how dingy and dull the others are. That more than anything is her motivation to seek change.

If you've ever been in a job that made you hate your life, this book will be immensely relatable. So many of the thoughts Nora has sound like they're pulled directly from my head circa four years ago. And if you currently hate your job, this book might be a breath of air that you can draw inspiration from (or at least live vicariously through).

This review can't skip the praise for Beth! Nora and Beth are best friends through work, good enough friends that they survive the "breakup" when one of them leaves work. Again... having just gone through this.... very relatable. Their interactions are not all focused on men and relationships. There's a lot of discussion of happiness, and goals, and careers, and self care, and just humour and laughing! It was a really robust relationship that wasn't romantic, which is practically unheard of in a book billed as a romance. Nora's roommate Allie gets like one single mention and then is never seen again, so clearly not all friendships are built the same, but still: Beth took the cake here.

So, okay, what about that actual romance that apparently heads the story then?? It was fine. It was a slow build that felt really natural. But it was also oddly secondary. Andrew is an element to the story, and an element of Nora's path to happiness. But he's not the answer to her happiness and I REALLY loved that! He helps her figure herself out, but doesn't magically cure her with sex and external validation. I also appreciated the reality of the ending -- and that's all I'll say on that. :)

This became a non-five-star book partially because Nora made some genuinely shady and low-key illegal decisions in the book with the way she handled her two jobs. It was kind of hard for me to root for her when she was doing that. Other characters call her out on her other options and block-headed decisions in a very realistic way, which helped resolve this side-eye for me though. The acknowledgement that yeah, she took the wrong path here, made it easier to settle with.

Apparently Nora is also Black, which is barely mentioned except for a few inconsistent lines about her hair and a brief conversation with the male lead about how being Black makes them careful of what they say when negotiating at work. This is also when I realized the male lead was Black, which I don't think was ever established prior to this moment halfway through the book. It was not a well-developed element of the story, and the fact that it was tossed in seemingly randomly took it down a peg in my view.

Pull in the fact that she's Black and working in publishing, which especially recently has been seeing a ton of advocacy since it is SUCH a White industry, and it was extra disappointing with how it was handled. Sure, this wasn't a book focused on race and equality, but I would certainly think it would at least merit a mention. It had to have an impact on her life for sure, so you'd think that would come up once or twice in her evaluation of her unhappiness and difficulties.

Overall, though, I definitely recommend this! It was a great book for any reader or anyone who seeks fulfillment in their life. Especially anyone who hates or has hated their job. Give it a go! :)

Wow, what a wonderful debut by Shauna Robinson! With a cover design like that and the words book in the title I was immediately drawn to this book and had to read it. I love reading books about books, especially when the main character works at a publishing house. I've always thought of going in to publishing as being my dream job, though for Nora Hughes what started off as a job to be excited about quickly turns in to a less than ideal situtaion, being over worked and underpaid she's understandably distressed and depressed.

Depressed as she was, she goes through the motions as she's starting to crack under the pressure of the situation. Enter a love interest at just the right point in the story and I was hooked. Who doesn't love a dose of love, especially when all else seems hopeless!

Overall, I found this is a tad slow in the beginning but it does get much better, soon I was as wrapped up in Noras life as I had hoped to be when I picked up the book.. With wonderful prose and hope woven into the pages, I can definitely say this is a novel well worth reading! Any bookworm or anyone needing a feel good story that is realistic but hopeful will fall in love with Must Love Books.

Thank you to netgalley, publishers, and Shauna Robinson for providing a digital arc for me to enjoy in exchange for my honest opinion. I am grateful I picked up this story and can happily say I definitely rec0mmend it!

What this book is not: a light-hearted rom-com or comedic slice-of-life set in a quirky, rosy depiction of the publishing industry. What this book is: a semi-autobiographical life-at-a-crossroads contemporary fiction that is the most accurate portrayal of the publishing industry I've ever read — in fiction or nonfiction. It was so accurate that it was a slightly traumatizing read for me. So if you are or ever have been an editorial assistant or a production editor or an assistant content associate editor or any of the editor-adjacent titles that litter the hardworking lower ranks that keep the publishing industry going, proceed with caution. Especially if you've lived through the rounds of shrinking staffs and budgets. If you struggle with depression, proceed with great caution.

Nora loves books. Or at least she did before she started working in publishing. Now? She's lucky if she can get through reading a single book in several months. It's more than just the distraction of insider book-world knowledge, though. After all the downsizing and restructuring, she's doing the admin and editorial work of several people…for even less money than before. A little freelancing on the side seems like the perfect solution until things start getting complicated — professionally and personally.

"Must Love Books" is an incredibly believable, sensitive portrait of a talented, intelligent, sarcastic, book-loving, young professional who is struggling with her career path, her mental health, and her personal and professional relationships. It also does a great job of highlighting some of the excellent friendships, supportive mentors, and exploitive bloviating managers that seem particularly drawn to publishing. Although the first third of the books is slow-moving and was a little hard for me to get through, it lays a solid character foundation for the rest of the story, so that by the end I appreciated the author taking her time with it.

Topics, tropes and themes: publishing, predatory/abusive corporate systems, author life, city life, depression, overwhelm, burnout, quarter life crisis, race, industry tell-all/behind the scenes, career path, career crossroads, friendship, minority life
Content notes: depression and suicidal ideation (with no health insurance or social safety net), lying, financial struggles, juggling two jobs

This one was so. much. fun. I love a good book about books plot! My favorite thing to do is to read- so what is betteR??

Must Love Books was a great take on being at a crossroads in your career. Nora is no longer happy at her job with more work, less recognition and even less pay. She starts to explore other options to make ends meet juggling between two publishers. I love her friendship with Beth even after they were no longer coworkers they managed to stay in touch. The banter between Nora and Andrew was really sweet as well and I love how she finally got to explore some parts of the city with him! Even though I live in the bay area I’ve never been to Bi-Rite so I will definitely be checking that out before the summer ends! I wanted more closure at the end with Nora’s job situation but that’s also part of taking the leap when it comes to careers. I’m glad I was able to read Must Love Books and learned more about the publishing world!

Thank you NetGalley, Shauna Robinson and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read and review an ARC of Must Love Books!

I don't know where to begin! From the writing, to the characters, and even the plot--saying I loved this book would be an understatement. Shauna Robinson did that rare thing where authors seem to crawl inside my head and write down my subconscious. Nora was a highly relatable character, even though she's in a different situation than me.
That's another thing I loved about this book, it translates its message through ages. You don't have to be caught in the professional world to have the same concerns as Nora throughout the book. As a high school student, everyone is so caught up on one 'end goal/career' but 'Must Love Books' talks through that topic, as you follow Nora's own journey with that concept, and eventually the dismantling of it. it was pleasant to see, to also help me realize that my future isn't definitive.
It was very easy to connect to every character, as well as get a grip on their personalities from the get-go. I love Andrew. but I hope Henry BURNS.
Onto the Mental Health portion of the book. It was so well incorporated and handled, it wasn't discussed in the life-or-death way books often take it. It was realistic, speaking from personal experience. It was one of my favorite aspects of the book because I saw myself in Nora during those moments.
I finished the book along with Nora, hopeful. I really, really loved every aspect of this story.
PLEASE GO PRE-ORDER IT NOW.
thanks!

"Must Love Books": 4⭐

(Unpaid Review: thank you to @netgalley, @shaunarobinson and the publishers for allowing me to read this eArc copy in exchange for a review.)

"Must Love Books" isn't a normal book. It really touches your heart. I wasn't expecting to get emotional while reading it but, well, I did. Nora was a really great character: her struggles with depression really got to me and I was so deep in her story, I couldn't remember of real life.

This felt so close to reality, even the part of choosing your way right after uni. I've struggled so hard with that, so maybe, that's why it hit me bad when reading. Such a sweet, yet powerful book!

3.8/5

Off the bat I wanted to read this book because of the cover and the title.
I enjoyed meeting Nora Hughes, smart, introspective, very bookish in a different way and considered but sadly also overworked, i’d say stressed (but she never admits to that) and lost.

Nora has what she thought would be a dream job, after 5 years, having “survived” being laid off from her current role, then consequently finds herself forced to work for “egos” and those feeling entitled having survived not losing their jobs.

Fortunately we get to also meet some very helpful friends, colleagues of Nora and we follow her bad and good decisions; her coping techniques and resources used to sort herself out in the way that suits her. A warm comforting story.

I felt as if I knew Nora, and wanted to befriend her. I'm looking forward to more books from Shauna Robinson - maybe a sequel?

(Thank you for the ARC I’m exchange for an honest review)

Well this book was not at all what I was expecting- but in a good way.
It was cute at the right times, but also dealt with serious topics. I’m a big fan of mental health rep in a book, and I felt that the author did it correctly here.
This cover and blurb led me to believe it would be more of a rom-com , but that’s okay!
I enjoyed it and would recommend it for a local book club!

I really enjoyed this book. The main protagonist is struggling with mental health, which is something not often written or talked about. There was slightly less romance than I had hoped for especially since I really loved the banter between the two main characters. As a bibliophile, getting a "behind the scenes" look into the publishing business was very interesting. I have to say, this was a very impressive debut novel!
Trigger warning: Suicidal thoughts

Thank you NetGalley, Shauna Robinson and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really sweet and genuine book about Nora, a woman who has become stuck in her life and in a job that isn’t going anywhere and she finally realizes is making her unhappy.

I thought this was going to be a rom com type book, but actually it is a very real story a woman realizing she is unhappy and taking the steps to change her life. I felt like the romance was minor to the story. A bigger part was the support and motivation from Andrew. The ending felt real, and the way our lives are a work in progress rather than being neatly wrapped up.

I wavered between 3 and 4 stars. I did enjoy it, and it was well written. However, the story felt really slow through the last third. Glad I read it and would look for other books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Book Review

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the Advanced Review Copy!

The dream job is not always as glamorous as it's made out to be, and Nora discovers this after losing her beloved team and is left over worked and underpaid, working at a publishing company on books that don't even get her remotley excited anymore.

In a desperate attempt to make ends meet, Nora accepts a secret, freelance job with another publisher. Working the two jobs, and trying to keep them discreet from eachother, all while dealing with her developing feelings for an author she must sign to advance her career, becomes too much. Nora's happiness is dwindling fast, as she tries to find not only herself but where she truly belongs.

Overall, I liked it. I generally love books about books, and this was compared to The Bookish Life Of Neena Hill, so I had super high expectations. I LOVED Neena Hill but Nora's character lacked in comparison, so perhaps it was the high expectation that had me feeling like it didn't live up to the comp. My main issue was with Nora, and that I couldn't connect much with her. I found her a tad boring, too whiny, and just not enough depth to her character's personality. She did, however, have a great transformation from beginning to end, and this was satisfying.

Overall, The first half was slow going, but it did pick up mid way though and ended on a high note. A solid three star read to be enjoyed by book lovers of all ages.
🌟🌟🌟

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy provided for this review.

This was not what I expected, and I mean this in a good way. I really enjoyed the portrait of living your 29s with little to no money, struggling to discover what you want of life and yourself: it felt very real.
My only negative is the mention of suicidal thoughts... I understand the importance of showing a person facing this situations, but it felt to light in the narrative (a mention but nothing developed), since I've never dealt with it I'm not sure if this "trying to ignore it" is accurate... I only wished it would have been talked a bit more.

But, it was an entertaining and easy read, I struggled with the first third because I was expecting something else, but when I adjusted my expectations it flew by.

After reading about Nora and the author, Shauna Robinson, I felt like I found a kindred spirit. Especially during this time when I internship for a big organization but my state of mind is not in the best of places. The anxiety and stress, how my mentor said I had to be happy and should rejoice that I was the chosen one for the internship, and how I dreaded going to sleep every night because I had to go to work the next day. And when I was there, I just wanted my work hours to end so I could go home. I couldn’t have been more understood by a book.

Must Love Books was probably one of the most realistic depictions of adult life, and I felt really connected to Nora Hughes: her insecurities and worries about her job, financial troubles (and what those entail), comparing yourself with others, slaving the whole day at work and consequently not having enough energy to go out with friends or snuggle up with a good book, but instead closing yourself in your room, where you are alone with your thoughts and worries. But what scares me the most of what Nora experienced is applying for your dream job and then realizing it's not what you thought it would be, and starting to hate it. Instead of changing jobs, you try to persevere and after five long years, you realize you're not much better off than you were when you started.

It would be noble of me to say that I don't really confide in my friends about my problems because I don't want to bother them and instead rather listen and give advice. Truthfully, many times I didn't tell them the whole truth about my problems because I had a feeling they wouldn’t really understand. Like Nora. I also felt really understood when Nora asked others about what they wanted to do in life, what gets them going in life, how they knew what they wanted to do. Because she didn’t know for herself, and neither do I, despite being a psychology postgraduate student.

People tend to have a very limited perception of what psychology is and when asked where I want to work, they mostly expect the answer to be Clinical or Organizational Psychology or school counseling. On another note, my parents are really supportive and want me to be happy. But like Nora, sometimes it feels harder to talk to them because of this. It might seem selfish to others whose parents put pressure on them on what to do in life, but when your bar is set to happiness it seems like whatever you do must make you happy. And if it doesn’t, you should do something to change it; but often you don’t want to tell others you’re unhappy because you don’t know what makes you happy, so you have no idea what changes you should make.
So, when people ask you How are things? you answer with Fine! and that following evening lay on your bed, watching the fan turn around.

I’m really glad how this book turned out to be. I honestly dove into this book in search of a fluffy rom-com but instead found an unexpected treasure trove. The emotional depth of this story really took me by surprise and the complexity of the daily life of an adult woman was portrayed in a way many of us can relate to. I was also really glad at how the story breached the topic of suicide, showing it with great care, and once again teaching us that different people struggle with different things, but a small kindness can turn out to be an irreplaceable lifeline in a person's life.

Nora is an editorial assistant that is completely miserable at her job, and life in general. Andrew Santos is an up and coming author with a lot of potential and an extremely positive outlook on life. When Nora realizes her publishing company needs to sign Andrew she grows closer to him, but is it just business or pleasure?

Honestly I went into this book thinking it would be a romcom, and I was so wrong, but I'm glad I was! Seeing the struggles Nora had with depression and how unhappy she was in her life was not only eye opening but also made her very real and relatable. Andrew was also an amazing character, mature and with his head in the right path but not for that without defects. I loved the character growth and the chemistry between the main characters, and although the beginning dragged a little with how technical and into the every day it was, it soon made progress as Nora did which made it appropriate for the tone of the book!

This was an entertaining read and I loved reading about real-life problems (finally) and "real" people (enough with perfect billionaires, bring on mental health problems), nonetheless I had some difficulties connecting with the main character every now and then and with the plot, therefore I won't give it 4 stars.

We meet Nora Huges a woman who thought she knew what her dream job was: she wants to work for a publishing company.
She gets the opportunity to work for Parsons, she's happy at first, but then what she thought was going to be heaven actually becomes a nightmare.
After years of hard work not only she's not given a promotion, she gets a pay cut and she can't afford that. Like literally, she can't afford to live on her new salary.

She needs to earn extra money and so she finds a job at a rival publishing company called Webber, they offer her a sort of a short trial before hiring her.
Among the various tasks, she has to bring new authors to Webber.
It's a risk, she needs to keep it a secret and manage to do both jobs well. None can know, at least until she passes the trial and gets the job at Webber.

One day at Parsons she meets Andrew Santos, an author who's going to sign a contract with the publishing company who she wants to convince to sign with Webber. Might he be a way to escape her life?

I didn't dislike this book but I had some difficulties with it.
The romantic theme is quite lacking until half of the book and even after that I didn't find it entertaining.
In some parts, it also becomes a "dark" story talking about depression and other of Nora's struggles (there's nothing wrong with that, but it's certainly not a light read).
Nonetheless, I liked the emphasis the author put on mental health, in fact this book is more of a journey in Nora's life rather than a romance, she struggles, she tries to overcome difficulties and in the end she manages to get her life back on track.
I must say that sometimes this book was too much, maybe it's because it's a very "personal" and introspective novel, maybe it's because there's a big emphasis on mental struggles which I didn't expect when I started reading it, or maybe because I just wasn't in the mood.
Nonetheless, I've found it heavy is some parts and it was difficult to continue in others.
The ending is bittersweet and it's not really an ending because we don't know exactly what will happen "after", unfortunately, I don't like these types of endings (and it's hardly the author's fault) but I would have preferred to know what will happen to Nora.

In the end, I would suggest reading this novel without expecting a lighthearted, fun romance, because it isn't.
It's a nice and painful journey in a woman's life.

I will upload the same review on Goodreads and Amazon.

If this book doesn 't speak to everyone at some point in their life then someone must be living a perfect life. As a late 20 something, Nora realizes she is not happy in her career and so begins the life changes. When one door closes, another opens in her personal life. It's amazing to watch things come full circle. Again, many ways to relate. I enjoyed this book and it left me waiting for more.