2.5 rounding up.

As a Wordle enthusiast, I was so excited to receive an ARC for this book. I had high hopes for this cute premise, but had a really hard time seeing past the glaring errors in the Wordle puzzles. Emily was one of the more insufferable characters I’ve read recently and unfortunately, John was no prize either. Their romance was lackluster and not in the way it intended to be.

An editor should look into the Wordle days for train, ghost, and dirty. Also, NYT does not allow you to use swears.

Many thanks to Net Galley, Amy James, and Avon for this ARC.

Cute book, was definitely intrigued by and enjoyed the storyline. However there were many parts that felt like I was reading either a book meant for teenagers, or the journal of a very young person. There was a lot of explanation/qualification and spelling out of things that didn't really need it (e.g. we don't need you to explain that you don't actually intend to murder anyone). Even the wordle solving was a bit too spelt out - like I am an avid solved of the game and even I didn't need the detail (and sometimes very inane) step by step breakdown of how the protagonist solved the puzzle. The love story was cute though, I enjoyed the grump/sunshine trope. All in all, I don't regret spending the time reading it and wouldn't be averse to checking out future books by the author but do feel it could've been a more polished and shorter book.

thank you NET GALLEY for the ARC

I was drawn to the prompt due to my love of Wordle. I think this book was good, but not great. Some of the moments were cute.

I received an eARC of A Five Letter Word for Love, set to release on December 3, 2024! In this captivating story, Emily’s desire to escape her small town in PEI transforms into a journey of self-discovery as unexpected relationships begin to shape her life. Her daily Wordle guesses, always starting with words that reflect her emotions, seamlessly tie into her growing understanding of happiness and love. This charming and heartfelt tale reminds us that sometimes, the answers we seek are closer than we realize.

After reading a heavy fantasy, I wanted to read a cute and fluffy book and this fits the bill.

Both characters work in an autoshop as the receptionist and a mechanic, and they both play Wordle. That seems to be their icebreaker and it slowly evolved them doing the game together and forming a friendship and dating.

It's very fun, very cute and cheesy at times. It's kinda a woman's fiction and a romance at the same time, so I love that surprise.

Emily's having a career-crisis, stuck in a job she doesn't love and doesn't like her degree. I love that she's making her dreams into a reality and did things for her own good. I kinda treated it like a romance subplot because I didn't really care for the MMC lol.

I really love Emily as a character and I can relate to her a lot.

Overall, fun and cutesy read that's a good palate cleanser.

A Five Letter Word for Love centers on Emily, a 27 year old girl going through a bit of a quarter life crisis. She’s struggling with connecting with her friends who are in different phases of life, letting her parents down who want to see her succeed, determining what she really wants to do with her life, and being lonely in a small town made up of mainly retirement age community members. But, she’s committed to doing the Wordle everyday and she soon finds out that the Wordle may be the spark to cracking the conversation code with her quiet coworker.

As an avid Wordle lover I jumped at the chance of an arc of this book after seeing the amazing cover, cute title, and lighthearted premise. However, unfortunately, after 21% I’m calling it a DNF. The book is written in first person, which isn’t always a bad thing, but in this book puts you inside Emily’s head constantly and she’s quite scatterbrained. She’s also dealing with loneliness and trying to figure out her passions and while these are touched on they’re at the surface level. This book had the power to have an emotional element to an HEA with real growth for Emily but the treatment of these topics is too light a touch to make an impact. Unfortunately, the romance also wasn’t there for me. The way Emily thinks about John is again rather surface level, sometimes bordering on unkind, and I don’t feel any set up for a genuine connection between the two.

To top it all off while the Wordle piece was a big draw for me to the book it ended up being a big turnoff. The way Emily approached the wordle and then judged John for his approach was borderline infuriating to me. I feel like Wordle is in the popular conscious enough to just explain the premise of the game once in the beginning and then go about the book, however, it felt like everyday that Emily played the author re-explained the rules (yellow, right letter wrong spot) and it got extremely repetitive.

I have no doubt that this book is for someone, unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the Arc.

This book was so cute!!! I can’t recommend it enough! The main characters were so cute together and the banter was perfect!

This wasn’t my cup of tea. Emily came across as a snob and it was hard for me to overlook that. And once I was put out with her, it was hard to enjoy the book.

My favorite part of a book is that AH HA moment when the book title is mentioned in the plot and everything comes together. In the book, A Five Letter Word for Love that AH HA moment never happens. The book starts out slow and honestly does not get better until the very end. I’m the beginning, we are introduced to our main character Emily, she is the epitome of a ditsy snob who has no concept of reality or the real world. I get that the book revolves around her obsession with Wordle but that is not ALL the book is about. We are first introduced to her Wordle obsession and the fact that she thinks her coworker is stupid. Spoiler she thinks this man is stupid and later falls in love with him what a romantic story NOT. You’re telling me this man works with her for a year and all of a sudden becomes interested because he sees her playing Wordle in the break room? Not likely. Emily is that one person that peaked in high school and is stuck there thinking she is all that and a bag of chips when in reality she is not. She is a 27 year old with no direction thinking she has to do something amazing with her life yet she is still trying to drag her “friends” from college into her life by still texting them in a group chat that she eventually realizes that none of them want to be in. Girl you graduated college like 5 years ago. LEAVE THEM BE. Back to John the hot coworker, Emily admits in her internal dialogue to immediately being attracted to John when she first started there a YEAR ago and stalking him on Facebook. John straight up tells her multiple times during the book that she is weird and it is overlooked as something endearing and that she is eccentric. With the way both Emily and John are portrayed, her obsessing over everything and John’s disinterest in mostly everything besides cars it made me believe the author was trying to suggest that one of them has autism but I wasn’t sure which. Emily admits that she does not really have any friends and no wonder because she has a bad attitude and a not great personality. There are a bunch of parts in the book that just don’t make sense. Emily stated she didn’t want wealthy and status she just wanted happiness and purpose after she already stated she wanted to make $100,000 a year. Then in Chapter 14, it starts with Emily at her neighbors house at 11:45AM trying to get her to take her medicine and when she won’t Emily goes to the museum for her shift. While at the museum, John texts Emily to ask her if she wants a coffee and the text is time stamped 11:24AM, did we just go back in time? When asking people what makes a great relationship they mention certain things and then BAM John does them. Emily is definitely not the brightest crayon in the box when at the event she wants to put a paper chain decoration on a dang grill and another character has to tell her it is not a good idea because it is flammable. There are multiple instances where it seems like Emily is attracted to girls and makes comments about dating and being with them and this seemed very pointless to the plot as nothing ever happens between Emily and another woman. “Heart fizzy” is another thing the author came up with that was annoying. Part of this book talks about a character hiring her daughter at the museum as a nepo hire. This makes me feel like Amy James knew someone at the publishing company because I really want to know who read the manuscript for this book and was like “yeah! Let’s print this book!” I am sorry this book is just so terrible and I have no idea who thought it was a good idea to publish this.

Please note I received an ARC of this book and noticed multiple issues with the formatting and some of the dialogue that I am hoping have been corrected before publication. I had to force myself to get through this book. This is my honest review, unfortunately it may be harsh but my review is my honest opinion.

I absolutely adored this book. To me, this book really was more than a cute, cozy small town rom-com. I also really loved this FMC. I think that me being 26 and reading this book while actively going through very similar struggles to Emily, I related SO MUCH to this book. The use of wordle throughout this book was also really adorable, when I first started I was unsure how it would make me feel, but I really think it added something special throughout the book. I also really enjoyed how “normal” John was. He seemed like more of a background character while we went through life with Emily and I loved how “real life” their romance felt. I do think if you go into this book looking for a romance you may be underwhelmed, but I enjoyed this book so much, and it was more for Emily as a character and less for the romance aspects. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends, and I look forward to going out to get a physical copy when this book comes out on December 3, 2024.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Amy James, and Harper Collins for sending me this ARC.

I felt like I needed to read this at exactly the time I did.

This really didn’t work for me. Emily came across as incredibly shallow and, frankly, rude. It made it difficult to root for her. Also, many of the side characters were pretty one-dimensional.

I absolutely and completely adored this book. Words I would use to describe it are: funny, cute, cozy, emotionally devastating….you know, the usual. This story made me laugh out loud, it gave me butterflies and it made me actually hyperventilate cry (ask Danielle and Taylor).
It seemed like just a cute little rom-com with a fun and cute cover, but this was so much more than that. Truly I was not expecting for my emotion button to be punched the amount of times that it was…

Emily (fabulous name) is our MC and it’s written from her POV. I really loved her as a character - and not just because of her wonderful name - I could relate to her and the way her brain operates. Because like me, she too rambles in random tangents and tells multiple little stories before getting to the point of her original story. The banter she has with her love interest John, is written well. I thought the way the pacing of how their relationship developed was done so well! I often feel like these days there isn’t enough time spent on those little moments or those little details that might seem small but are actually so pivotal in the evolution of the characters relationships.
I really wish we could get a book or heck even a couple of chapters from John’s POV because good lord…I really, exponentially wish I knew what is going on in that head of his.
I also became really attached to some of the side characters 🥹. They really make the story what it is.

The way Wordle played the role it did in the story is such a cute and fun element. Some people might find it silly or whatever but it became so much more than a silly word game to these characters - and it’s actually relevant in current events. Obviously this story isn’t just about a word game. It’s about chasing your dreams and holding out hope that one day you will get everything you want. That you end up happy. It showed the struggles and feelings of self doubt that so many people go through while trying to find the right path for themselves. And it beautifully showed how sometimes your path isn’t what you thought it would be, but through life’s twists and turns, trials and errors, you discover where your true passions lie and what is most important to be happy.

If you love funny, cute, cozy and emotionally devastating books, you will love this one! I can’t recommend it enough.
It will be out on December 3rd of this year and you should definitely consider picking up or downloading a copy!

A big thank you to NetGalley and publisher Avon and Harper Voyager for exchanging this free ebook for my honest review.

This book is fabulous. I was giggling and kicking my feet from the first page until the last! It reads as though Emily, the main character, is telling you this story over mimosas at brunch as if you’re best friends. It is only written from Emily’s POV - which is fine - but I wish it had been a dual POV with John! Hearing his side of things would’ve added more substance and I feel like the maybe the end as a little rushed.. but I still enjoyed it and still think yall should read it! Also makes me want to go do Wordle and visit a museum…

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying this book did not immediately suck me in, but I'm glad I stuck ot out. The writing in the first few chapters felt like when you're trying to look at a recipe online and the person is just monologuing their life story. Like COME ON, GET TO THE POINT. But then it seems like she hit her stride, and the tone changed. It was less someone speaking at me and more a great story unfolding.

I did not care for John at first. This is a one person point of view - our FMC, Emily. So we don't really get to flesh out how John feels and thinks and why he is how he is. But it honestly works.

This book is a great telling of a young woman trying to find her place in life and struggling to be happy. And we have all been there. The relationship between her and John buds slowly over playing Wordle together. Which is an interesting concept.

This book is minimal spice, so don't come in expecting a Canadian dom. I would definitely say it isn't one I would have chosen normally, but it was a great read overall.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the arc! All opinions are my own.

Are you part of the Wordle trend? Our FMC, Emily definitely is! Emily isa 27 year old in small town Canada, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. Her only constant is her wordle streak. Emily is on a mission to find her dream job but is currently a receptionist for an auto shop. Our MMC, John, is a mechanic at the shop and is a very quiet, plain guy. This book delves into their relationship, as well as Emily’s relationships with others, i.e. her college friends, and friends around town. All of this goes on while Emily is keeping her wordle streak going.

I gave this book 3.5 stars out of 5. I really want to give it a higher ranking because I like the concept so much (for me it's like looking in a mirror almost because I’m an Emily who is 27 and having a life crisis and loves wordle!). I just couldn’t get over how much John just didn’t add anything to the story. He was just so plain. I was reading the book and asking myself, “does he even like Emily?”. He got a little better as the book got along but it really dragged it down for me. That being said, I did like the book and if you also like wordle and a sweet romance story you should give it a try.

Having enjoyed playing Wordle form occasionally, I had high expectations going into this because the concept seemed fresh and intriguing. Sadly, I found this book to be a little underwhelming.

The romance didn't make me enjoy this book at all, and the plot was quite dull and rapidly became repetitive, so I was bored most of the time. The main characters lacked development and were quite irritating and immature. The character gave off the impression of being in high school rather than being in their 20s. I can't recall the last time I became so irritated with MCs!

I liked the Wordle part of the book. The way that MC sought to incorporate the word into her life made her fascination with it very humorous.

Overall, this book was just not for me.

This might be the best book of 2024!!!
A Five Letter Word for Love tells the story of Emily, a young woman who dreams of having a creative career but works as a receptionist in an auto-shop andJohn, a grumpy mechanic. As Emily explores different careers and learns more about herself, the readers embark in a wonderful story of passion, choices and living a fulfilling life.
I LOVED all of the side characters and how much joy and wisdom they brought to the book. I LOVED that John made choices for himself and Emily made choices for herself and each of them created a life that brought them happiness.
Every twenty-something year old should read this book - it is a fun romance but it is so much more! it is a story about making choices and sticking to them, it is about accepting that there are many wonderful lives you can live and you get the joy of picking one!

What I liked: As an avid fan, I loved the Wordle Puzzle aspect of the plot.

What I disliked: The story reads more as a coming of age story than a romance, as the main characters have no magnetism.

A Five-Letter Word for Love sounded super cute, and I loved the incorporation of Wordle, but I just didn't end up loving this one as much as I hoped.

Such a cute and heartwarming read! When I saw this book was set on Prince Edward Island, I knew I had to pick it up immediately. Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite books, and the vibes of the main character and town in A Five-Letter Word for Love reminded me a lot of that book. Emily, a twenty-something girl struggling to find her place and achieve her dreams, was going through a lot of struggles I found so relatable. Self doubt, having a degree that has nothing to do with what career you want, struggling to keep in touch with uni friends, and just feeling lost about the direction of your life--the author really made these emotions come to life.The romance was cute, and the cast of side characters were funny and heartwarming at the same time.

Initially I was a bit skeptical about the inclusion of Wordle, but I ended up really liking the way it was tied into the plot and the romance! Overall an enjoyable read, but I think the writing was a little clunky at points(the explanations of Wordle, some of the descriptive language used), and that bumped this down to more of a three star read for me.