Nora works in publishing & she becomes totally delusioned by the whole business. The only added positive is the author, Andrew Santos.

This book covers all the ups & downs of publishing & I got a great insight into the process. This is certainly a great book for us book lovers, with the added bonus of a romance to see you through. Loved the writing that brought Nora's uncertainty & happiness to us.

An author to follow!

Must Love Books follows Nora who is an Editorial Assistant at Parsons Press, a business publishers, as she faces challenges in her work life and gets tangled with Andrew who is an author at her publishers. This book covered some deep topics including mental health struggles but shows how life can take you in unexpected directions.

As someone in there their late 20s who is still trying to figure out her career, I really resonated with Nora’s story. It’s hard not knowing what you want out of life whilst thinking everyone else has it figured out. It’s also upsetting to find your dream job isn’t really a dream and I really felt for Nora and her sadness of realising publishing isn’t all she thought it would be.

This book looks into mental health struggles and the the anxiety and depression Nora faces as her life snowballs out of control. I did find parts of this book hard to read. Nora’s decisions and lies, trying to juggle two jobs, were stressful to read about and added angst. As a reader you could see her heading towards an explosion in both her professional and personal life with the tangled web she had weaved. It was heartbreaking when things did go wrong and it even made me cry a little, I could empathise with Nora so much.

But this isn’t a sad book! There were plenty of cute moments and even some giggles. Whilst the romance isn’t as focused as I thought it would be I loved getting to see things develop between Andrew and Nora, from strangers, to friends, to lovers to hope for the future. This book really shows how changing your mind about a job isn’t the end of the world and it is never too late to try something new! The ending left me hopeful for Nora’s future no matter which direction it took.

I would definitely recommend reading this book if you are at a point in your life where you don’t know what the future holds as Nora can help you feel as if you are not alone!

*Thank you NetGalley & One More Chapter for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review*

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I found Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson a really interesting read.
I really liked our main character Nora and her relationship with Andrew was really good to read. It wasn't the typical relationship that I expected in a rom-com and to be honest I enjoyed that it wasn't overly lovey stuff.
The way Shauna Robinson writes is refreshing and it felt breezy, it gave us the storyline and details without getting too bogged down with massive build up. I really enjoyed this writing style and I felt swept away in the easiness of the story.
I really enjoyed the publishing aspect in this story with Nora juggling two jobs and the ultimate outcome.
The twists in this novel weren't unexpected, I had a feeling things would pan out the way it did but that didn't take away from my experience of the novel and I still really enjoyed reading it. I would love to find out what happens in November though

Nora works as an editorial assistant at Parson's Press in San Francisco. In her debut novel, Robinson takes us along with Nora as she struggles to maintain financial stability and determine the next steps in her career path. She writes with sensitivity while also sharing the instability of Nora's mental health during this time in her life. A handsome author named Andrew comes into her life front and center, playing a big role in her work and heart.

The character development of Nora is deep and honest as readers follow the impact of her difficult choices and decisions on her job and personal wellness. Nora is evolving in setting her goals, but books have a definite spot in whatever path she may choose. Robinson covers serious issues in this gently well-written, intimate story of a single young woman's journey with the realities of life in career, self-growth, and relationships.

Thank you to One More Chapter HC and Net Galley for the gifted copy of Must Love Books. My review is my own.

There are so many good things to say about this book!
1. I love the characters, especially the two main characters, Nora and Andrew, who balance each other beautifully in their differences and similarities. Nora's struggle with herself as she begins to practice her deception is realistic, as is her awkwardness in relationships with colleagues and in her tentative new friendships.
2. The setting: it's the world of book publishing: authors, editors, publicists, bookshops--and that always grabs me!
3. The action: character-driven, which I love, but it's full of suspense as we wait for Nora's juggling act to come to grief (as we know it will, but there are some close calls before the spectacular crash)!
4. It deals with some serious subjects: depression, suicide ideation, racism in the workplace, soul-destroying jobs, and disillusionment with the elusive 'dream job'. However, it also shines with hope as Nora realizes that she has found friends she can trust to support her in her struggles.
5. Wit and humor leaven the serious moments.
6. Last but certainly not least, there is a sweet, slow-burn friendship-to-love story. The relationship between Nora and Andrew develops so believably!

Don't go into this book expecting a romcom. You will be disappointed. This book does do an excellent job of giving us an intimate look at a career in publishing and how a young woman finds a path to better utilize her gifts.

This is not your usual romcom read. It's so very down to earth - in the main - and has some very real and relatable characters, especially in the office.

We join Nora recruiting a new member of staff. This gets her thinking about her own journey into publishing, and the not so rapid ascent within it. She's been at the publishing house for 5 years and is still taking lunch orders while all around her people are being laid off and she's lumbered with some of their work. She has an idea to get her ahead and stay afloat by working for two publishers at the same time. This had the makings of a disaster written all over it and I could hardly bare to read, waiting for a car crash. Actually it worked pretty well until it didn't! Can't say more on that one.

With witty repartee between Nora and one of the authors and some great friends (if only she realised) the book bounces along nicely in between the fractious thoughts of how Nora is going to get promoted, find her life purpose and pay the rent.

Nora has a lot going on in her head and part of that is a reoccurring thought that she might not need to live anymore. I was really willing Nora to hang on in and find someone who she could really connect to and help her through all her issues. The ending wasn't one I was expecting, but it's maybe the right one considering how complicated Nora and her life choices are.

Nora is an editorial assistant at a publishers, she has always dreamed of being an editor because she loves books and that’s what people who love books do right? However, after lots of redundancies; that she has survived, and pay cuts Nora is left obscenely overworked and underpaid. Then when she is given the blow of another paycut she isn’t even sure how she can afford to make her rent payments. However, she was offered a freelance job at another publishing company that may lead to a better job… could she unethically balance both jobs until one of them offers something better? Then as if that isn’t enough ethical dilemma, throw in a hot author due to write a new book that she starts dating. Nora’s life is definitely a mess right now.

I actually really enjoyed this book. It’s also such a timely book given what has been going on with the strikes at the major publishing houses 🫣 it also had a really good balance and honest portrayal of mental health and how we are so often just plodding through life hoping it will get better. I would definitely recommend this! And the kindle edition was just released today!!

I have to admit when I first started reading this I did kind of expect a fairly lighthearted, feel-good romance set within the gruelling world of publishing; where our loveable main character (Nora) would finally find job satisfaction—and love, with a satisfying ending tied up in a HEA bow.

And though Nora (our overworked protagonist) is incredibly endearing, I wasn’t expecting her journey to be nearly as complex or emotionally fraught as it was, dealing with some pretty heavy themes such as identity, race, financial insecurity and career fulfilment.

As a reader, we often see the publishing world as a magical book-filled utopia, so to delve into a (less glamorous) side of the industry and see the not so fun parts of day-to day life was really interesting (especially when I discovered Shauna Robinson used to be an editorial assistant herself.) Just seeing how demanding the publishing sector is really makes me appreciate all the hard work that goes into getting books on shelves and into readers’ hands.

I also appreciated the poignancy and realism that mental health issues such as depression and anxiety were explored —and loved how sensitively Robinson highlights just how damaging (both physically and mentally) work-related stress can be.

Though I didn’t agree with all of Nora’s decisions (working for rival publishers simultaneously was never going to be a sustainable solution), I did sympathise with her circumstances and felt (for the most part) that she was definitely making the best of a bad situation. We do get some romance, through Nora’s flirtatious interactions and chemistry with author (and resident cinnamon roll) Andrew who I absolutely adored!

But, ultimately it’s Nora’s personal and emotional development that I found most compelling and I fans of books about books (or set in a bookish environment) are definitely going to enjoy this one—just don’t expect it to be all fluffy and sweet.

A huge thank you to One More Chapter for the e-arc.

When we meet Nora Hughes she is overworked, underpaid and very disappointed. This was supposed to be her dream job but after five years it's still not going anywhere near she wants to be in life. Still taking lunch orders and doing admin was not what she expected of being an editorial assistant at Parsons Press. So she guesses dream jobs do not exist after all. She was the last bookish assistant standing but with her life not going the right way at all and not even able to pay the rent, that won't take long. She has to do something so she starts freelancing for another publisher.
When the handsome bestselling author Andrew Santos makes her life even more complicated, Nora is forced to review her life and where her loyalties lie, and make some difficult choices. Can she finally choose herself and her future over her job?

This is not your average feelgood novel, nor is a blossoming romance the centre of the story. It's all about a young woman dealing with the ups and downs of life, trying to make sense of it all and struggling to find her way.
Nora had this romantic idea of a dream job and has to come to terms with the fact that reality kicks in and what she dreamed of may not exist. Struggling with mental health issues, like her anxiety, it is hard to turn her life around, but to make ends meet, she is forced to make some choices. It is hard to let go of a dream because you have to pay the bills, so it was absolutely understandable that she tried to be creative. Unfortunately things got more and more complicated, which made the story a cute mixture of funny and frustrating.

I really felt for Nora. The author has written her to be a very relatable, sweet young woman. You will be rooting for her as I did. Her struggles are very realistic and heartfelt. You'll keep hoping she will figure it out, untangle her mess and find happiness.

I loved reading about the publishing business. It is nice to get some background information about it. I didn't expect it to be all fun and sunshine, in the end it is as much corporate business as any, so it was no surprise what Nora had to deal with.

Even though I had hoped for a bit more romance, I was not disappointed by this story. It was an honest, well written look into the world of books, author's, publishers and bookish assistants with realistic characters that have real issues. It was heartfelt and touching, but never too heavy, perhaps more real-good than feel-good and I think that is beautiful.

This book was not at all what I expected. Based on the cover and blurb, I expected a cute romance with a focus on books and the publishing industry. In reality, the book follows Nora, who is not happy in her job and feels like she has no direction or anything meaningful in her life.

Nora faces many struggles and the book predominantly focuses on this - it felt like a very realistic portrayal of depression and suicide ideation but it was also very difficult to read. Because of this, I found that the book dragged a lot in the middle.

While I did like the ending, it felt very abrupt and could possibly have benefitted from an epilogue but I can understand why there isn't one - it leaves Nora and Andrew's futures open to more possibilities.

Must Love Books, via it's lead Nora Hughes, who works in admin for a publishing firm printing business books, gives us a glimpse of the business side of publishing.

The lead Nora, who loves books, is stuck in a rut and grows increasingly disenchanted with the whole publishing business.

The story reminded me how it's often advised that it's not always roses to meet your heroes, who in real life, more or less do not live upto our fantasy version of them. The story was very up and down for me, to an extent difficult to relate and cheer for, as the lead went through her life especially in terms of emotions and mental health.

Nora works at a publishing house as an Editorial Assistant or as an Editorial Assistant of MBB (Meaningless Business Bullshit) as Nora says. As you can detect, she isn’t happy with her job and we soon understand that she isn’t happy with her life in general.
Some people come into our life but a lot go away. Nora is at a time when many of the people close to her left the job they shared and she feels left behind. And the job is getting worse by the day. Her life needs to change quickly, but what shall she do?

This book was bringing me down while I read it. I don’t like to give power to the bad stuff, and that is what Nora does. While I read I was unintentionally doing as Nora did and started giving power to the bad parts of my life. It made me feel heavy and lost. Not good feelings.
But this is good for the book front, it means I was getting carried away by Nora’s search and started to think about my own life. I had to pause the reading and focus on myself, restarting my thinking process. I love when I get to connect this much with a book.
I enjoyed reading that Nora understood that we can’t focus on the bad aspects of our life - it will only bring us down. We need to be happy and grateful for all the good we have.
Nora starts the story feeling down, then, when trying to get better, makes her life even more complicated but somewhere in there she is able to get better and find a future for herself. And in the middle of all the bad parts she gets to know Andrew Santos, one of the authors and one of the bright parts of her life.
But don’t let me scare you! I know I started really heavy and I need to tell you that this is a good book and I liked reading it.

This was a pretty good read, especially for book lovers, but I could have done with a little more action or drama....something more. Overall, a sweet romance that doesn't focus only on the romance. Plus, you get a little behind-the-scenes of the publishing world to go with it. The author really lets you get to know the characters and see their growth as well.

What helps me to enjoy a book is being able to relate to the main character, or at least one of the major ones. In this book I could totally relate to Nora, despite being completely different as both male and (much) older than her. The self-doubts, dark thoughts and being totally unsure of how to improve her life totally resonates with me, although I have the advantage of no longer having to worry about a career being semi-retired. Despite the darker undertones the book does come across as positive, with Andrew as a love interest and some helpful friends. It does give some not so flattering insight into the world of publishing though, although obviously not this publisher .......
I ended up reading the book in almost one sitting as I became so engrossed, definitely recommended and I will keep an eye out for any new books by this author..
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influenced my review of the book.

Really enjoyed a well written debut.Enjoyed Nora and reading about the world of publishing,an author to follow a book I will be recommending.#netgalley #mustlovebooks

I was pleasantly surprised by this book and really enjoyed it. I was expecting a light hearted rom com and got so much more. It definitely had heart, humour and love but also, disillusionment, sadness and a struggle to find one's purpose in life.

Despite having finished it a month ago now, I still find myself thinking about Nora. As someone working in publishing, there were a lot of relatable moments and I found myself sympathising with heras if she were one of my friends/colleagues.

I would say, my rating is closer to 3.5 stars than 4 because the last two chapters felt rushed. Whilst much of the book felt thought out and well paced, the last 25-20 pages felt like the author was rushing to a conclusion.

I enjoyed it overall and very much looking forward to reading whatever Shauna Robinson writes next.

I really enjoyed this - I found many aspects of the book very relatable including trying to work out which path you’re meant to take and feeling stuck.

Nora always thought working with books would be her dream job. Here she is though, stuck in a dead end boring job where her workload is ever increasing. When she is forced to take a pay cut she makes a decision to take a second job at a rival publisher. It’s complicated enough for Nora but here comes Andrew, a handsome author who has Nora re-examining what she wants in her job and beyond.

You might think by looking at the cover and the blurb this is a lighthearted book about love of reading with some romance thrown in for good measure. I did the same myself. But this book is so much more than that. It’s darker and grittier and like all good books, it made me examine my life and work. I respected the honest and accurate portrayal of Nora’s decline in mental health, even as I disliked her actions. I thought the author achieved a good balance within the book and the ending was spot on. The book group questions at the end were useful and I enjoyed the interview too. It’s my second book by this author, and I will definitely be back for her third.

Thanks to Shauna Robinson, One More Chapter and Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Nora is not happy in her job or in life really. When she gets a pay cut she knows she can't survive on a lower income so takes a second job, not telling either employer that she is working for someone else. Complicated by Andrew, who becomes more than just an author to her.

Ended a bit abruptly for me, I would have liked an epilogue to see what happened next.