I liked this book. It was really good. It was an easy read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would totally buy this book for my trophy shelf and even for a friend.

the concept was really interesting but unfortunately the execution did fall a bit flat for me. the plot was quite dull and repetitive, the characters didn't seem to have much development, and the romance was disappointing.

Though I was excited to read this because I am fan of Wordle and thought the premise of the book would be cute and quirky, I ended up being bored and rating this low. The book took too long explaining Wordle, which I think people who pick this up would already know about the game, and the rest of the writing was cliche. I do think the premise of the book could of been funny.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
3.5 for me!
This was a quick, cute, quirky, and fun read. I loved the community aspect of the novel and the side characters/found family involved. I liked the Wordle premise and how our MCs grew closer through their love of the game. I could have used a little more romance between our MCs, but I still enjoyed watching their relationship grow.

What are some five letter words I can use to describe this book?
PRESH (as in previous);
SILLY (as in our girl Emily is a silly silly girl, for better and for worse);
WORDY (as in talks a lot about words, given the Wordle nature of it);
SMALL (as in the town of Walden, where Emily and John live and work);
OLDIE (as in the music Emily plays for her elderly clients/pals)
DREAM (as in all the dreams they chase, new dreams and old dreams alike…and maybe a Wordle word in the book!)

This was super adorable, slightly cringe (but that’s okay), and very wholesome! My only complaint is the number of times Emily tried to guess four letter words +s as her Wordle guesses when those are in the rules of not being used!!!


Thank you so much to Amy James and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

I was expecting cheesy when I started this, but the tone and voice of the main character made this honestly unreadable for me. The pure amount of Wordle in this book came at the cost of other story elements (nuance of character, chemistry, complex plot). The story put all of its effort into incorporating more Wordle into the story which again could have been fine, but I just couldn't get into it and honestly actively hated Emily from the first page, and she didn't give me a reason to change. Maybe it's the author's sense of humor, but Emily talk about Wordle in a way that made me feel insulted for liking it, but also not cool if I didn't (also like 2000 era hipsters). Just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this advanced copy. You can pick up A Five-Letter Word for Love on December 3, 2024.

While I was wildly curious about the way Amy James would weave Wordle into a romance novel, I have to say that this didn't impress me much. I wanted to love it and get sucked in, but I could barely make it past the first chapter. The main character just didn't appeal to me, and I wasn't a fan of the author's writing choices. While others might enjoy the sarcastic tone, it felt a bit cheesey to me. Plus, as someone who regularly plays the NYT games, I couldn't decide if the explanations of the games were too much or not enough to get dumped on you right in the first chapter.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5

Release Date: December 3rd

Thanks to Avon, Harper Voyager and Netgalley for gifting me an ARC of her book in exchange for an honest review!

I didn’t expect a lot from this book going in; knowing it was a Wordle-themed romance, I had low expectations. Unfortunately, I knew by about 15% in that I wasn’t going to like this book. Out of a lack of ability to DNF a book, I powered through.

I found a few points of this book to be nice or to have a nice sentiment, such as Emily’s relationship with 96-year old Jim, but mostly this book was lackluster and cringey.

Listen, I KNOW it is a book that revolves around World, BUT Emily talks about it SO MUCH. And is shocked that John (which can we talk about how his name is John Smith???) knows about it. It is a very popular internet game that has been in popular culture for years.

I did not care for the way that their relationship progressed: moving from hostile coworkers to sleeping over every night felt disjointed, and their first date was like 80% silence because he didn’t see the need to talk to or learn about each other? The third-act breakup felt very selfish and stifling on John’s part, and the way that Emily’s career aspirations and dreams played out felt icky and conservative to me?

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book to readers, and this is one of the ARCs I’ve read where I won’t be posting on my book account.

When Emily's huge Wordle streak looks like it might possibly end, she asks work colleague John for assistance, as a last resort. Not really expecting him to help out, she's shocked to find that he does Wordle too. This starts an unexpected friendship between the two which ultimately becomes more.

As a Wordle and Scrabble fan, I was thrilled to find a romcom based on word games! I can't even tell you how much I enjoyed reading this book. Our two main characters were genuine and easy to relate to and they gelled together perfectly, in the opposites attract kind of way. This was a solid debut by Amy James and I'm excited to read what she writes next.

This had such a fun premise, and as someone who does love her morning wordle (and strands and mini crossword and connections), I was curious to see where the author would take the concept with this he falls first workplace romance and really excited to root for John and Emily.

Instead we had a book that lacked cohesion, chemistry, and depth. The characters had no personality, the subplots were added in in such a choppy way, and there were so many things that felt unresolved in the end.

I cannot for the life of me DNF a book so I kept reading in hopes that I would start to fall for the story or the setting or even one of the story lines but in the end, this just wasn't a story for me.


Thank you Netgalley, and Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my review!

OK, this one was so cute. I picked it up because I, like everybody else in the world, love Wordle and I make sure to do it every day to keep up my streak. I thought it was a super cute concept for a book to revolve around Wordle in some way. I really liked the main character, Emily. She was relatable and likable. You could cheer for her, even though she was a little bit directionless/lost in the beginning. I feel like she really found her footing and was just doing the best she could. The love interest, John, was kind of brooding and cute and if you like the whole, “oh he must be so deep because he’s quiet and handsome” trope then dive right in, because this guy is perfect for you. I love that she explored her different interests and rushed her dreams, and I really enjoyed the descriptions of her house in the little town on Prince Edward Island. The whole vibe made me really want to go visit PEI. I’ve never been there before but I’ve heard it’s beautiful and thanks to books like this one and Carlie Fortune‘s books, I’m dying to go and see the scenery there. Also, after reading this I guess I’m finally going to have to read Anne of Green Gables because I’ve never seen the movie or read the book and I feel like I’m super behind now. Anyway, if you like small town romance and people really investing in the community around them, this one is heartwarming and you should definitely check out this book because it was delightful. I wasn’t sure how Wordle was going to tie into it, but I really liked how Emily’s guesses always tied into what she was feeling or doing that day and I thought it was just a really cute way to bring it into the story. Who doesn’t love Wordle and love?

This review may contain spoilers.

I requested this ARC because the clever cover design caught my eye, and as a daily Wordle player, I was intrigued by the unique and fun story concept. Prior to reading, I worried Wordle might be incorporated in a cheesy way, but I was pleasantly surprised by how naturally the author wove it into the story. I appreciated how Emily’s Wordle guesses were shaped by her daily life, giving the game a personal touch. Although my own Wordle strategy differs, this approach made the game feel like an organic part of the narrative.

I tested some of my recent Wordle guesses to see how they matched the book’s events. While most were accurate, one answer in the book (CAGES) was a plural ending in "S," which contradicts NYT’s guidelines for valid answers. Additionally, while vulgar words work as guesses in the book (and in real life), they’ll never be correct answers.

The dynamic between Emily and John was delightful, with Emily’s talkative nature contrasting John’s quiet demeanor. Watching John warm up to Emily through Wordle was especially heartwarming. I also loved how Emily encouraged John to dream, while John grounded Emily by showing her that not all dreams are the right fit. Their balance of dreamer and realist made their connection feel authentic and well-rounded.
What I enjoyed most was how Emily’s relationships with others unfolded. The friendships she unintentionally cultivated, spanning all ages, gave the story a heartwarming, family-like charm that lingered even after I finished the book. While Wordle was a fun addition, the real heart of the story was Emily’s journey and the bonds she formed.

This was a fun and engaging read that Wordle fans will particularly enjoy, as the game is seamlessly integrated into a story filled with charm, humor, and heartfelt connections. I read about 60% of the book in one sitting and finished the rest over the next few days. I found myself eager to pick it up again and reluctant to put it down when it was time for bed. I highly recommend this book to fans of romantic comedies, stories of found family, and, of course, Wordle.

Thank you so much to Harper and Avon, NetGalley and Amy James for this ARC copy!

This read was a cute small town, Wordle loving book and it might be somewhat entertaining for those who enjoy a lowkey story. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t do it for me. I was not able to fall for Emily and John, or their connection/chemistry- it didn’t feel right! It fell short of the “romance” for me personally. If you love a good self-discovery journey, then this book may be for you! I love giving reviews for books I read, but always want to be honest! Emily and John lacked substance and depth for me, which is what I was hoping to find here. I also think the book ended up dragging at some parts and could have been a bit shorter.

First and foremost, I would call this book romance-lite rather than a full romance novel. There’s nothing wrong with that, just want to let people get a better idea of what to expect if/when they pick this one up to read. There is a romance, but it genuinely feels like more of a subplot to Emily’s overall journey of self-discovery. I was never all that overly invested in the romance with John.

Emily as a character herself is fairly relatable as she tries to figure out what she wants to do with her life. She also had a group of girlfriends she felt drifting away as their lives diverged and I think a lot of women can relate to that. I enjoyed the caregiver role she found herself in with the older residents around town, and it did lead to some of the more emotionally connecting moments of the book for me.

Emily was, however, a bit of the snob, which thankfully she does get called on. It’s not intentional, but she often portrays herself as above the small town life she’s living and the people she spends her time with there. It’s not a bad thing to have ambitions, but discounting what makes other people happy and content isn’t the move either.

Overall, this was just an OK read for me. There were things that worked well and others that didn’t. I would give another Amy James novel a chance in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I hated this book so much. I hated Emily so so much. Like I get not knowing your place in life and figuring it out. But she wants to be great at everything and be successful at everything but she Is just chaos.

The Guy was just so mean and he's Dominican, why? I thought it was a basic white man because of the cover.

I hated this. Don't waste your time. Please.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! I love wordle, so I was curious to see how it would be entangled into a romance. There were a couple of unrealistic wordle answers, but it wasn’t enough to detract for me.

The book was a little cheesy, which I think was to be expected, but it was also super cute and a feel-good story.

The FMC is on a journey to discover herself, which I loved to see. I was worried that she might give up all her dreams for the MMC, but was pleased when she went on her own adventures, and figured out what would make herself happy - outside of just a man.

I really enjoyed this, and would read any future books by this author!

A Five-Letter Word for Love
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)

This book started a bit touch-and-go—literally. The word "Wordle" is used over 100 times, which felt excessive and made it hard to settle into the story at first. But once I got past that hurdle, I found myself happy to have read it.

The couple's connection over their shared love of a word game is sweet and serves as a fun backdrop for the grumpy/sunshine dynamic to really shine. As the storyline hits its stride, their relationship develops in a way that's both heartwarming and charming.

While not without its quirks, this was a quick and cute read, perfect for fans of lighthearted
contemporary romances.

Thank You, NetGalley and Avon Publishing, for allowing me an early copy to review.

4.5 stars rounded up

Wordle becomes the catalyst for a young woman to find herself and love.

Twenty-seven-year-old Emily is lonely and adrift working in a dead-end job on Prince Edward Island. Her once close university friends barely contact her and she yearns desperately for a life in a creative job (what, she doesn't know) in a big city, not a small town. Her only solace is Wordle, and she's nearly up to a one-year streak.

This was a charming gem of a book about how we have to water the grass on our side in order to find our happiness. It's a gentle, slow-burn story as Emily finds herself and, unexpectedly, love with her monosyllabic colleague John.

Emily was such a relatable character as she slowly makes friends with the people around her and becomes more self-aware about the choices she needs to make in her life to reach her goals. For those looking for romance, I'd suggest that this book is more women's fiction

At times it lagged a bit in pace, but because the character was learning more about herself it was easy to overlook it. Plot-wise, I would've personally preferred that she stayed longer given she was enjoying it and to see John make a change for her. We just don't see enough sacrifices from men in real life or fiction so it would've been what would've made it a 5 start for me.

Thanks to Avon/Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC.

A FIVE-LETTER WORD FOR LOVE by Amy James is a novel revolving around the main character's Wordle streak. Wordle! That was all I needed to hear to request the ARC on NetGalley. (hashtag blessed)

It's definitely more women's fiction than romance, although from the title it's clear that finding love is part of it. But a lot of the story is about Emily figuring out her dream job and what she wants to do with her life. Plus getting to a full year Wordle streak. (Clearly the story takes place in a universe that did not recently have a strike of the NYTimes tech workers, because surely she would never cross a digital picket line!)

It's also a slow burn. Verrrry slow! In a very realistic way, they start as coworkers who really don't have anything to do with each other, before bonding over Wordle and then gradually getting to know each other. A real "barely even friends" scenario!

It has a very distinct women's fic kind of voice, addressing "you" towards the audience sort of thing. I thought it was cute and fun, but then, I too am still a dedicated Wordler.

A FIVE-LETTER WORD FOR LOVE comes out December 3.

It was cute. The story itself is not really engaging and the FMC has no idea what she wants out of life. She also doesn’t seem compatible with the MMC at all. I did like that it didn’t quite follow the usual format of a romance novel and had the big fight and break up earlier in the plot. Emily definitely grows throughout the story, but I don’t know if she grew on me. I just didn’t feel the connection to her, like I have in some other novels.

I appreciate that she went after her dreams and that there the acknowledgement that sometimes things don’t work out the way you plan. It almost felt more like a women’s fiction book than a romance, as her relationship with John (MMC) seems to be a smaller part of the story than Emily trying to figure out what exactly she’s looking for in her world- a dream job, a new career, more friends? Also, her other friends from university weren’t great, and the story leaves you hanging on that front, I wish there had been some more closure there.

However, I have picked back up on the Wordle after this novel, so there’s that at least.