As a Worlde-fanatic, I had to shoot my shot at getting this ARC. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for my (long overdue) review :)

This book was such a pleasant surprise! Grumpy x Sunshine is one of my favorite tropes, and I was giggling and kicking my feet throughout the book, but the journey of self-discovery that the FMC goes through is what sealed the deal for me. Like any twenty-something-year-old, Emily is at a crossroads in her life. A Five-Letter Word for Love allows the reader to follow her journey of self-discovery, so much so that I'd label this book as "fiction" instead of "romance."

Emily has fallen into a pattern many of us have been in before: being complacent with our lives, wondering if there's something more out there, but being too afraid to try. She constantly struggles with the overwhelming number of career paths, the pressure to figure out the right one, and feeling stuck when the decision becomes too difficult. Reading through Emily’s personal growth in her career and her relationships (both romantic and platonic) was so easy to relate to. James' playful narration style helped make the novel engaging and optimistic despite Emily's inner turmoil of chasing after her "dream life." And yes, a lot of Wordle is included throughout the book, but it never got repetitive, which was nice!

Another pleasant surprise was the diversity of this book; despite Prince Edward Island being a small town (er...island?), we're introduced to various characters of different ages, races, and sexualities.

A Five-Letter Word for Love was the perfect cozy read that I'd definitely recommend!

Emily is a 20-something lost in thought, and you get to hear all of them in this first-person POV. The premise of the book is that Emily and John bond over their common love of Wordle, and Emily (and the reader) tries to find something else interesting about herself. The romance is non-existent in this book; John has no personality, and there is no chemistry between the two main characters.

There are interesting sub-plots, like Shelley and the museum. That's what kept me going for 368 pages.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager US for this eARC.

I very much enjoyed this tale of Emily and John and the year-long Wordle streak. It was a very cute, small town romance about how opposites attract. I also enjoyed the introspective nature of the book, a cozy question of how do we make a life we love and maybe the answer is not always what we had imagined. Overall I really enjoyed this read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a digital ARC from Avon via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A cute, fun little romcom! Loved how obsessed they became with Wordle and keeping their streak going!! 😂 I’ve felt the same disappointment breaking my Kindle reading streak!

This was a cute read! The Wordle aspect is what initially drew me in (I play almost daily with my daughter), and the themes of choices, life, and happiness were sweet. But the main characters felt a bit mediocre, so while I enjoyed it, it didn’t completely win me over.

This is a cozy story of Emily finding her way in the world. The title is a bit misleading as it is more of a “finding one’s self” story rather than romance novel. Spice level 1/5.

Do you still wake up with a cup of coffee and the daily wordle? Do you also love a cute grumpy/sunshine, small town, find your purpose in life rom-com? Then “A Five Letter Word for Love” by @amyjamesbooks is exactly what you need.

This book follows Emily as she tries to reach her 365 day wordle streak, which is nearly lost until John (her perpetually grumpy co-worker) saves the day. She’s found new passions in helping her elderly neighbors and working at the local barrel museum, but quickly feels like she is destined for more than what her small coastal town can offer.

I liked the concept and the slow pace of this book but it did feel a bit more about self-discovery and acceptance than romance.

Emily was pretty relatable in the sense that she kept dreaming of something bigger and always felt like she should be doing something more with her life. Those feelings are pretty common, especially for people in their mid/late 20s who have been taught to always strive for more: more success, more money, more things, more promotions, etc. and her Wordle obsession shows how addicted to success, routine, reward people can be. John is pretty much her opposite and is a very steady presence. He likes his life and doesn't think less of it just because he's not out there saving lives or becoming rich. He has dreams, though he is a little too lax about trying to reach them, but I still liked his calm demeanor and kinder outlook on life, success, and happiness. Emily was annoying at times because she basically thinks she's better than everyone in the small town she's currently living in and she makes that known regularly, I'm not sure how John put up with it but I like that he did call her out on it too. If you look at it as her not meaning to offend but more so looking for contentment in her own life, it's easier to let it go. And while I did like John for being his grumpy, broody, quiet self, I would have loved a bit of passion from him. The side characters are quirky and fun, each with their own little pieces of wisdom to impart. I definitely found myself attached to some of them throughout the book and I love when I'm made to care about more than just the MCs. The Wordle competition aspect was cute because she's so clearly obsessed and he's so clearly enjoying helping her/having something in common with her with a much more laidback approach. Overall, it's cute and definitely gives perspective for people who feel like they're constantly reaching for something more and may be missing all the good things they already have/opportunities already within their reach.

It's very opposites attract, slow burn, small town romance so if you like those things (and/or are a daily Wordle player) you should check this one out!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a digital ARC from Avon via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was prepared for this to be the lamest book I’ve read all year (and was fine with that!) but it actually held up! It was definitely a cheesy, fast read, but it was cute. Heavy on the Wordle focus, but billed as such. My main criticism is that both the characters and the writing were very juvenile so it read like YA, but I don’t think it was supposed to based on their ages and experiences. Easy 3 stars for a light read.

This was a cute and cozy read. Overall, I enjoyed it and had a couple of good takeaways from it. I did struggle a bit to like the main character and understand the sudden attraction/relationship between Emily and John. This book did inspire me to do the worldle a couple of times. Pretty good for a debut novel!

What a fun take on the game Wordle. This was just a cute romance of two co-workers. I liked how there was growth in the relationship and they didn't just jump into anything

Emily is a Wordle enthusiast, excelling at it far better than she does with crosswords, and her streak has been going strong for over three hundred days when she’s suddenly stumped. John, her quiet colleague, has already helped her out once when her car broke down, and as they wait for his friend to bring a tow truck, he surprises her again—this time with a subtle clue to keep her streak alive. Who knew John played Wordle? It seems there are hidden layers to this reserved colleague.

Though Emily never intended to stay, she unexpectedly finds herself taking on a private caregiving job for her next-door neighbor and a few others, while also volunteering at the local Barrel Museum. Her enthusiasm for both endeavors catches John’s attention, and he quips, “You are weird.” Still, they continue sharing their Wordle scores, and when Emily, despite the museum manager’s indifference, starts pitching creative ideas—school excursions, care home outings, a new interactive exhibit, and an open day—John offers to pitch in.

Their relationship grows into a romance, even though Emily is determined not to settle for a small-town mechanic when bigger dreams of courses, internships, and the city still call to her.

At first, Emily might come off as a bit superficial with her skewed priorities, but she quickly proves herself to be kind-hearted, resourceful, and occasionally oblivious to what others can plainly see. Wordle enthusiasts might also find her approach to the game a bit irritating.

While the plot follows a predictable path, the journey to their happy ending is thoroughly enjoyable. The characters are charming, and Amy James adds insightful reflections on life throughout. This sweet and delightful debut has plenty of heart, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next from the author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the e-ARC to read and review. I read this entire book while waiting for my car to be fixed in the shop, so it was the perfect backdrop for some of the characters' workplace. I'm really torn about my actual star-rating, so instead of getting hung up on that, I'll just dive into my thoughts: I think this is standing out to me as 2 separate books put together.

This book is a really poignant look at a young woman chasing her dreams and deciding what those dreams even LOOK like for her - and this part of the story is going to stay with me for a long time, I can already tell.

This book is also an awful romance.

I couldn't believe John was the romantic lead for this story -- he feels like the guy the heroine is dating at the *start* of a Hallmark romcom: the one who barely communicates unless it's about his two (2) hobbies, has a handful of redeemable qualities, and is overwhelmingly holding his girlfriend back from being a true star, being happy, and trying new things that excite and challenge her. My brain called him a "wompy high school boyfriend" while reading, and I don't know if he ever got better. <spoiler> I'm shocked he wasn't simply cast in this story to be the dead weight Emily would eventually need to shed.</spoiler>

Emily isn't the most initially sparkling of leads. She doesn't have a ton of long term dreams: she hasn't been dreaming about being an artist or museum curator or at-home caretaker or ANYTHING for her entire life. But she's trying on those identities (a little clumsily, the way your 20s can really be about!) and learning what she likes, which was a joy to read about. Throughout, she's ambitious in her own way, and truly makes opportunities out of every chance encounter. She meets people and finds a way for them to mutually matter to one another, and it's really showing her strength. She doesn't seem excessively caught up in external validation, but she does apply to things like a NYU graduate program and an internship at The Met because they feel big and exciting, and hey, why not? I could really relate to this about her - even though I knew more about the career path I wanted to chase when I was pretty young, I still felt like working for big brand name companies with a lot of recognition may, in turn, bring ME some recognition in my work. I have always felt like I had to do big, capital-I Important things, even though I could make my own happiness in whatever world I found myself. Emily could just as easily find success in New York City as she could carve out her own little community in Prince Edward Island -- and it's a joy to see her trying all kinds of options.

The Worlde plot thread was a bit much for me, but it's what caught my interest in reading this in the first place, so it did its job!

This one is pure romance magic! Sweet, heartfelt, and just the right amount of swoon. If you’re a fan of love stories that tug at your heartstrings, grab this one. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I had a few people tell me how much they had enjoyed it, so I was excited to read it. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. I grew tired of the wordle gimmick quickly and I didn't feel enough of an investment or interest in the characters.

I ended up dnfing this pretty far through, so I think I have read enough to leave a review. Unfortunately, I do not like the style in which this book is written, and I really could not connect to the main character. While I thought the premise of this book could have been interesting, the writing style really put me off the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Amy James for the advanced copy of A Five-Letter Word for Love.

I really liked the overarching theme of Wordle in this story and how it brought Emily and John together. The plot of Emily trying to go for her dreams while still wanting John who was comfortable without big dreams led to a very reflective narrative. I really enjoyed it overall.

I personally don't rate books under 3 stars majority of the time. This book however was definitely not for me. I personally liked the idea of this book and how the characters found community in the game of Wordle like many people have across the country. I found the main character to generally be boring with not much interesting going on. She was not relatable to me and the male main character was just too grumpy and passive for my liking. I think overall there was way too much emphasis on the rules of Wordle every time they played it, I understand that it is included for readers who may not be familiar with the game but I'm not certain people who haven't played would need a refresher every single time. I think if the characters were more interesting and had a little more personality this book could have definitely been a home run hit for me, but it just missed the mark.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this title with me in return for my honest review. The opinions are solely my own and do not reflect those of the publisher, author or NetGalley.

2.5 rounded up!

I am such a Wordle lover, so A Five Letter Word For Love’s premise was an exciting one for me.

I was interested in a lot of the aspects in the novel, like finding oneself and career and how not knowing can really skew your perception on what you want. However, I think that John, the mmc, was right in saying that the fmc, Emily, was pretty pretentious about it. It felt really judgmental at points, and while she acknowledges it, it doesn’t feel like she is really apologetic.

I love the town and the caretaking, and even the museum. I just wish she stood up to her boss there sooner — it was a bit aggravating. Also there was no resolution with her friends that she was upset with? Would have liked to know if she continued to be their friend.

Regardless, I was interested in how things turned out, but I think I would have been just as satisfied if I was told.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was....fine. It took me a little bit to get into it, and then it just took a while for me to read. It was funny at first, and then I kept getting stuck on the fact that I was reading a book about the Wordle. It was alright.