The cover of this book is so cute and from the synopsis, I was excited for a quirky romance. Sadly, that is not what I got. After doing my best to push through, I ended up DNFing at 49%.

Very early on, I found the FMC Emily very off-putting. The entire book is told from her perspective and her thoughts are rude and judgmental and I didn’t like her or care for her one bit. As the story goes on, what Emily thinks is very immature - I had a hard time believing she was 27. The MMC John was as one-dimensional as they come. He had no depth or personality. I love a good quiet boy, but we just don’t get to know him and Emily’s internal monologues about him are less than kind. When they do start up an unlikely friendship, she either thinks judgmental or shallow things about him. It’s mentioned a few times that he races cars which would have been interesting if we learned or experienced more of that.

This was supposed to be a romance, but the two main characters had absolutely zero chemistry. By 49% they hadn’t even flirted. This wasn’t even slow burn - there was nothing there besides the occasional thought from Emily that he smelled good or had nice abs. Every interaction they had felt odd and stilted. Nothing about their time together screamed we would be good together.

If you are looking for a book geared more toward finding yourself or quirky elderly characters, you might enjoy this.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun read punctuated with history and relationship drama. Who knew that a barrel museum could be so fun! This is not just a meet cute, rom-com, it's got layers to it which should be appreciated by everyone who reads it.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC. Unfortunately, this was a quick DNF for me. I thought the FMC annoying and immature and couldn't get through much, with a slow plot to boot.

5 ⭐️. When a book opens by sharing ing my disdain for crossword puzzles, I know I’m going to read it. This one was very well-written. The use of Wordle enhanced the vocabulary and just made it “work”. The characters were developed organically & the chemistry and banter had me wanting more. I hope an audiobook is recorded because this one should be marketed everywhere. Definitely a fun read for word nerds & romance lovers alike! 👏🏻👏🏻

This was okay. The romance was a little flat to me but I liked the journey of Emily making friends as an adult and her realizing the career she thought she wanted, wasn’t actually what she wanted.

A fun romance story that is also about learning to be okay with yourself and being open to what happens when you don’t know what you’re doing or where you’re going but you are doing something that keeps moving you forward.

I adored this book. It was nice quirky engaging read. It became a bit repetitive however it still was a very cute bubbly read.

I was definitely apart of the "wordle" craze during the pandemic, trying to play with my friends as a way to stay connected. Thus, I was excited to see the cover and synopsis for A Five-Letter Word for Love, anxious to dive in. My hopes for this novel were quickly dashed as I felt the main character was very immature and I could not get into her head as I started reading. I feel this book will be for others but sadly, it was not for me.

This sounded like a cute story even though I really had no idea what Wordle was other than something people posted about on social media. What really caught my attention was this story takes place on Prince Edward Island. Home of Anne of Green Gables. So if course I had to read it!

I found this story cute and I really liked the main character. Emily was just quirky enough to be entertaining but not irritating. I liked the tension between her and John and the natural way their friendship happened. It actually made me want to play Wordle. Besides these two characters I found all the other characters well written and I enjoyed the way they added to the story.

I have read that there are some errors in the PEI setting. It didn't bother me at all because I've never been there and even if I had the book is fiction and the author is welcome to take a little liberty with the setting.

I absolutely loved all of the Anne references. I mean, you can't have a book set on PEI and not reference its most famous resident.

All in all this was a really cute, enjoyable read and a book I have thought about in the days since I have finished it. It is a book I would definitely recommend to fans of romance and rom-coms.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.

I'm so glad that I finally read this because it is so good. I related heavily to the being around people towards the end of their lives because my aunt works in hospice and it's a hard job to do. I loved the romance and thought that Waldon is such a cute town.

As a Wordle fan, I thought this was a cute book. It took me about 15% of the book to get into what felt like stream of conscious writing but over all was a very sweet book. I came to care for the elderly characters the most, perhaps latching onto Emily's love for them all. I even cried towards the end. I don't love a third act breakup but it was ok. I liked that Emily was not a character of miscommunication, she really was able to stop, think and correct any intrusive thoughts she had. I wish there was some sort of conclusion to her university friendships.

🌷𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡.🌷

🌸🌸🌸

୨୧ 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ୨୧
⤻ cute romance
⤻ work colleagues
⤻ friends to lovers
⤻ slow burn
⤻ grumpy x sunshine

🌸🌸🌸

⊹ ⪩ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ⪨ ⊹
The story follows Emily and John, two people who bond over Wordle (how cute is that?), and it's just as fun as it sounds! Emily is super relatable with her unique outlook on life, and her connection with John feels so genuine. I loved how playful and teasing they were with each other! Their relationship grows in such a natural, heartwarming way, without any over-the-top drama, just two people figuring out what’s best for themselves and their relationship.

The side characters make this book even better, adding a lot to the story, and the dialogue is really well done. The narrative style pulls you right into Emily's head, which I personally loved, but it might not be for everyone. Heads up if you're a Wordle expert—you’ll get a little rundown on the rules, and Emily's approach to the game is pretty casual, so don’t expect any big strategic moves from her!

Overall, Emily and John's journey to find their way back to each other is both inspiring and full of heart, making it the perfect pick for anyone who loves a meaningful love story with a fresh twist.

🌸🌸🌸

ʚ♡ɞ 𝐅𝐚𝐯 𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬/𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬 ʚ♡ɞ
“You… do Wordle?”
“Yeah,” he says. “All the time.”
⤷ the beginning of a new love story <33

“Life is only as complicated as you make it.”
⤷ my new life motto!

“People can change their natures, if they want it enough.”
⤷ well said!

“There were thousands of things I wanted to do, I'm sure. But you can't do everything you want to do in life.”
⤷ this makes me feel a bit sad tbh.

“Emily is a great comfort to me. I highly recommend her services.”
-Jim
⤷ if ykyk..

<< 🌸Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.🌸 >>

This book was giving cozy, cute, and small-town rom-com. This story resonated with me because it is okay to not know what the next steps are in life, just take it one moment at a time. What intrigued me most in this book was the use of Wordle throughout it making it even more fun and adorable to read. I also enjoyed how real their love story seemed to be how "normal" Josh was and getting to see Emily go through a "real life" romance. I will be recommending this book when it comes out in December. Perfect to read while curled up with a cozy blanket and warm drink.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As an avid WORDLE fan, this was a cute read. I was a little hesitant at first but it got me hooked. I do wish there was a little more plot but it focuses more on the characters themselves rather than the story yet they still needed more depth. Regardless, it's super fun to see how a NYT game can bring people to a wonderful and sweet love. Read if you are also a fan of the grumpy x sunshine trope!

A cute and fast romance book centered around the game Wordle if you’re looking for a quick read. If you’re looking for anything more substantial steer clear.

The book made a lot more sense after I read this is the author’s debut romance book. Is the set up for the book there? Yes, but the plot is flimsy, and the characters are very 2 dimensional.
The main character can definitely read as judgy and snobby especially when she’s describing her life and talking to other people, especially the old folks that she cares for. I didn’t have too many issues with John but also as a man with mixed heritage more could have been done.

Halfway through the book you start to realize that the FMC could be given her dreams on a gold platter, and she still wouldn’t be happy, so her conflicts and self-doubt start to get really annoying.

But like I said, this is the authors debut book so I'm not judging too harshly. I read the book in less than 6 hours in between 2 heavier fantasy books so it did the job that it was intended to do.

This was such a cute story! Something of a pallate cleanser if you've been reading the heavy stuff. Highly recommend.

I really tried to make it work, but I truly believe this couple breaks up after the book ends. How is it going to work when one person is obsessed with everything (and extremely rede and judgmental) and the other person is literally the most passive person ever—except for cars? Another major point of me not liking the couple is the way the conversation felt surface level only, no connection or emotion in them…

How is it that in chapter 14, she was trying to get her neighbor to take some pills at 11.45am, and three pages later “her phone buzzes and it’s a message from John at 11.24am”? That is one one the many inconsistencies I’ve found in the book, but the main one is that I don’t really think the author of this book has ever played wordle a day in her life.

Also who the hell wants to see a deceased person who’s not their family, or who would allow a complete stranger to see said deceased person?

There’s also the part where in trying to do Jim justice in the museums, she starts screaming—rather unprofessional, even if she was in the right— in front of actual ‘clients’. I don’t care how you volunteered there and where asked to not come back by the manager, you simply don’t scream in the middle of the day to prove a point when there are thousands of more professional ways to do it.

The whole plot of the story revolves around her wordle streak, and in the end, i’m supposed to believe she just gives it

At the end of the day, I don’t think Emily’s character—and John’s, if i’m being honest— had any character development, and it saddens me because the only thing I didn’t just in this book was the cover.

Thanks again to NetGalley and Avon via HarperCollins for the e-arc of this book to read.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As a fan of wordle, I was already entertained by the idea of this story. I enjoyed the plot and the characters!

Another debut read this week, though I felt like I could see the places where this could've used a little more trimming, particularly in the last third of the plot — which is what makes this book skew closer to a women's fiction/romance hybrid for me overall, rather than being a straight-up romance read. This was mostly about Emily's road to self-discovery and pursuing her true dreams, with her road to a relationship with someone essentially one component of her overall story — again, not necessarily a bad thing, but for people who may be expecting adherence to certain genre conventions, just know that the plot focuses more on the main character overall, from being in her POV to following her journey over that of her romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is an ARC review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I thought this was a really sweet, feel-good book! I loved the overall story and how everything fell into place.

I took off a couple of stars due to the main characters. I actually enjoyed reading about the side characters a bit more and felt they really contributed to the story. The FMC was a bit annoying and whiny/immature and the MMC didn’t have much depth to him. I would have loved to see more intricacy of their relationship.

Overall, it’s a cute book that I enjoyed reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amy James for the ARC!