This is a charming novel that I found really hard to put down!

I adored Nora but I was screaming at her (in my head) in a lot of this book - I think that will be a theme for most readers. We saw the writing on the wall so to say. The book is still enjoyable as it's real life - there's many people we know are in their own way but we can't stop them from making their lives implode.

Still, I found this book very enjoyable and I'd recommend it to a friend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book wasn't quite what I expected. It is a light, enjoyable read about a young woman trying to find her path with a lot of twists and turns along the way. Although it was really obvious that Nora's two jobs were going to collide and she was going to lose both, I did enjoy the leadup to it. Overall, I loved watching Nora figure out what she wanted to do. The ending was unexpected and perfect for this book.

Phew, lots of thoughts and feelings on this one.

My mother once joked that I’m the best liar of her children, and I think that’s why books with people juggling more than one or two BIG lies—lies that require upkeep—always give me a small dose of anxiety. They’re always bad at it. They have to be, I suppose, for purposes of the inevitable Great Unraveling towards the end. If they were good at it, I don't imagine it wouldn’t make for a very interesting read. I expect the guilt, the build of tension as the lies keep piling on, the paranoia. This is essentially the tight spot in which our heroine Nora has found herself entangled, accepting a part-time job from a rival company where her former boss for her current company currently works. Confusing? Let me break it down a little bit.

Nora's in a bit of a slump. She nearing her five-year anniversary as an Editorial Assistant at Parsons. Except coming up on the anniversary, she's feeling nowhere closer to her dream of being a fiction editor than she was five years ago, and to make a bad situation worse, her salary's just taken another 15% hit courtesy of some slimy higher-ups-in-the-New York-office executive budget cutting (my words, not hers). Desperate times and desperate measures and all that, Nora quietly takes on a part-time freelance gig at a rival publishing company. It becomes an uncomfortable balancing act on her part, keeping her Weber and Parsons careers from collision. There's room for growth on either side, if she plays her cards right. "Her cards" here being hotshot bestselling author Andrew Santos.

I've got to say, I'm surprised at the number of people who have called this book lighthearted. I blame the cover, which is misleadingly bright and happy-looking. Yes, it is a romance at its core, but it also deals with a lot of difficult topics including the main plot, which seems to be Nora's job dissatisfaction contributing to an unsettling cycle of depression and anxiety, plus the general anxiety that comes with the uncertainty of the future, being a woman of color in an extremely white industry, and Nora's jadedness in the stagnancy of a job where the only change she's seen has been the burden of her expanded workload in the wake of layoffs, and a substantial pay cut. When you're in a situation like that, it can be really hard to look ahead with any sort of substantial hope for the future. I don't know that her banter with Andrew is enough for me to agree with "lighthearted" as a descriptor, but maybe that's just me.

I’m at a point in my life right now where I both have a lot and nothing at all going on. I’ve just turned 26 (a year younger than Nora), moved to a new city in a new state, and I don’t have any husbands, boyfriends, children, pets, or plants to care for, or to care for me. I’m in between work and am struggling to break into the publishing industry (though this book has me reconsidering that path a little bit. Yikes). There’s been a lot of looking back and a lot of anxiety-inducing attempts to look ahead while keeping my chin up. There’s a stagnancy, and a weird sense of urgency as well.

So when at the beginning she’s interviewing a girl with the same stars in her eyes that Nora had five years prior, and has a running inner monologue of, “yeah honey I was like you once, but then I learned and now my best work friend is leaving and my job makes me very sad,” and so on, I had a very fast and immediate rush of understanding for her. I remember thinking I just needed to keep turning pages because I thought there would be a super happy ending where everything falls together ~just so~ for her, and that was kind of what I needed to soothe the initially overwhelming and pessimistic feelings I was having.

But here's the thing: everything does eventually, inevitably, come to a head, and Nora has spent the entire novel on the razor's edge of anxiety trying to navigate her web of lies into a favorable outcome for herself and it just...didn't really work for me I guess?

It ended somewhat bittersweetly, but I think quite realistically. Maybe it's something where what you put into it is what you get out of it. It's not happily ever after, necessarily, but it's promising. And maybe that's what this novel probably needed. Everything isn't perfect and easy and just-so, but there's a lot of promise and it ends with her feeling hopeful for the first time in probably five years.

All that aside, it was good. I loved Andrew, but to be honest he was the only one who really made a strong impression on me. Everyone else felt a little faceless, including Nora who was a bit bland, but that also might have been an intentional characterization. Depression robs so much of your identity and Nora is very clearly depressed. Her situation and struggles resonated with me, but there were several times I was questioning whether I liked her, or if I just really wanted to and was willing to overlook things to achieve that connection. But I loved that the author called out the whiteness of publishing, I loved that there was the dive deep into mental illness because books like this one are what we need to start dismantling the stigma of mental illness—especially the notion that high-functioning mental illness is somehow less valid, and that it gave a glimpse of what it looks like and feels like when you can't allow yourself to not be present and active even when your brain is actively working against you—and I loved Andrew Santos, period. All in all, not a bad read. I'll almost certainly pick up Shauna Robinson's next novel, but as for this one I feel like the story I was hoping for was actually a sequel where things are really looking up, which is ultimately not this novel's fault.

I might end up revisiting this review. I'm not sure I really got to the heart of what's bothering me about it, but that's the gist. Three out of five.

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

I think I was hoping for more of a romance story when reading this. While there was a taste, it was not what I was expecting. The story was good, just wanted a bit more.

Great book! Loved it and hope Shauna writes more! Loved how the main character navigated hard choices and loved seeing into the publishing world and struggles we’ve all had in the early career days. Definitely would recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC, in exchange of an honest review.

Such a feel good debut this is.
Watching Nora & her struggles was emotionally tiring & heartbreaking.

I could relate to her so much, her character felt genuine, raw and believable.
For someone who wants to someday fulfill her dream of working in the publishing industry, this book was such an eye opener.

Just like Nora, I want to be surrounded by books everyday. The message of this book- the thrill, the joy and the satisfaction of doing something you love- was very well depicted.

I loved the ending. Rather than magically making everything right, it was a slow process of healing & finding happiness one day at a time.

Nora's frustration with her stagnant and unerpaid job are so realisitc. All of her poor decisions come together and such a painful to watch way... a well written nightmare for her. I like the hope at the end.

Must Love Books is the story of Nora, a disgruntled editorial assistant who is hit with the bad news that her salary is being cut. Desperate to make ends meet and find a way out of her situation, she takes a second job at a rival publishing company. When met with the dilemma of choosing sides when it comes to author Andrew Santos, Nora finds herself with some difficult decisions to make.

The cover and description of Must Love Books drew me in, but wow, this book is a lot different than what I expected. Nora's character is written in a brutally honest manner and confronts a lot of difficult topics, including mental health issues and letting go of the concept of a dream job. The romance aspect between Nora and Andrew is interesting to read, and really portrayed from the perspective of a struggling person. As much as I liked the writing style, I sometimes had issues with staying engaged with the plot. Again, I think I just expected something different. Must Love Books is an honest and relevant book; I would recommend it for those interested in the summary, but be prepared for some heavier topics. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.

The title and cover of this book drew me in. I enjoy reading books with book themes so I was excited to read this one and it did not disappoint! Must Love Books was a fun, light hearted read. The book follows Nora, who works for a publisher, as she struggles with being stuck at her job and making ends meet. I enjoyed getting a little insight into the publishing world and how things work. The characters were very likable and I really felt for Nora as she found the right path for herself.

Thank you Net Galley and Sourcebooks for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

I love books about books and the publishing world and anticipated this to be a light rom-com based on the description. I was surprised when the book took a turn in tone when the protagonist Nora mentions she is contemplating suicide which she refers to as "the creature." She thinks of ending her life because she is an editor's assistant who is stuck in her life while everyone around her is moving forward. She continues to grapple with her stagnant life until she meets an author who helps her realize a new path to happiness. I didn't love Nora's character or the story which I found to be slow. It does deal with mental health issues that, I think, are we as a society need to be discussing more. I did enjoy reading about the inner workings of the publishing world. Thank you Netgalley for this arc.

I'm a sucker for any books that focus on publishing, especially when it focuses about the administrative and marketing sides. Nora is so relatable as she struggles with a paycut, juggling 2 competing jobs, and a budding romance with Andrew Santos. Add on to that the listlessness of depression and a lack of satisfaction in life, and you have a book that's perfect for anyone feeling at odds with their career. This book couldn't have come at a better time.

*Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Interesting story, it has more serous topics.

A very engaging romantic comedy that also gives us a glimpse at what it might be like to work in the world of publishing. Some serious themes are woven in (mental health issues) that give this novel unexpected depth.

Must Love Books is one of my favorite romances of the year thus far-- it's not your typical cliche romance fare in that it's far smarter and goes much deeper than most books in the genre. I would argue that it's actually more 'contemporary fiction', with a romantic bent, than a pure romance. That's a plus for me, though I could see it being a negative for certain readers who are expecting something titillating or simple and fun. Robinson's novel will challenge you to consider your own life, what makes you happy, what path you're on and whether it's the right one, all while delivering a heartwarming and relatable story.
At the risk of going on too long, I'll list the things I particularly enjoyed:

-- P.O.C. main characters, but it's not at all exclusionary, nor does the book veer into being about race or social justice. It just features diverse characters, without making a big deal of it.
-- It gives us a peek behind the curtain of the publishing industry. I really enjoyed that Robinson managed to balance this by giving us just enough information, without it becoming 'a book about books' or 'a book about writing'.
-- Depression and anxiety are portrayed in a very authentic, real way. I love this because it's so rare that romances tackle bigger issues, or include characters who are anything more than 'quirky'. It's nice to see that people who are dealing with depression can hold jobs and find love.

I disliked this book from page 1. The writing and the tone were so bland that my brain hurt. The plot was non-existent and after more than half of the book, still nothing was happening. I just didn't care about the main character or the story at all.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I am a lover of chic lit. I love an easy beach read. This book checked all the boxes. I wanted to love it - but it fell flat for me. It was an easy and quick read - characters were ok - it was pretty predictable - story was decent - but the end fell apart. Felt rushed and just thrown together.

If you want an easy read, I would say add it to you pile.

tw in the history: anxiety, depression, suicide thoughts.

Must love books is the story of Nora, who has realized that adult life is not as good as she thought in her youth; her ideal job has not been anything as she expected and her office at the publishing house is suffering a staff cut. This has left her without her friends and colleagues, more work to take care of, and a new salary that is not enough to cover her expenses, all due to the new austerity policy of the company. Consequently, she has to get another extra job that could cost her actual job but could also be a good opportunity in the future. In addition to this, she meets a friendly and charismatic writer whom she must convince to publish his story. So, she must decide between keeping her job or her feelings.

The story caught my attention from the beginning. I haven't read many books that deal with this topic, about how the job expectations that we have at university are just a dream and many times we end up stuck in jobs that we do not like, while we deal with depression and low pay. And what else can we do? It's horrible to stay in such situation, but it is also a risk to quit and to get another job is a challenge. Our protagonist faces all this during the story, along with her poor mental stability, because it is understandable that she suffers from anxiety and depression during a tremendous personal and professional crisis.

Anyway, I would have been a little more cynical when making decisions. I would not have felt so bad for a man I just met when my work was involved. Which is funny because one of the weak points of the story (for me) was that romance was lacking hahaha but I totally understand why the romance developed in such a way.

In general, it's an entertaining story, with a protagonist facing a situation that we could all experience, which makes us think how we would react if we were in her place and how difficult it must be to decide.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this thinking it was going to be more Rom com than what it was based on the comparison to The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. For me, Must Love Books was actually pretty depressing.
I had to rearrange my expectations part way through so that I could enjoy it for what it offered. In the end it felt like a somber coming of age story, and a close look at what depression can look like.

I mean you had me at the title!!
First time I've come across this author but I definitely want more of her in my life.
This book had some great laugh out loud moments in it. Really good and will definitely be recommending this to my book club

Thanks to NetGalley for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Must Love Books is the story of Nora, an editorial assistant of 5 years, who is very unhappy in her job. After “downsizing” at her company, she is left with a pay cut and more dissatisfaction with her position. Shortly after, she runs into a former colleague who offers her a freelancing position at a rival publishing house. Nora takes on this other role not letting with company know she’s working for the other. This leads to lying, juggling two jobs, and a crisis of conscience. There is also a budding relationship with a handsome author that may implode if her secret moonlighting of the rival company gets out.
Overall, this book had the potential of being an amazing book but was a bit slow for my taste. Finding life’s purpose was a wonderful premise and destigmatizing mental health issues is important. 3.5 /5 for me.