I wanted to love this story more than I actually ended up liking it. I play wordle almost every day and the cover is so cute and reined me in. I didn’t really like/connect with the characters. Loved the concept, didn’t love the execution.

Let me tell you I love Wordle. I have even had a streak of 90 something days. When I saw the cover for this book I laughed and said...heck yeah I want a Wordle inspired Romance! This was it and so much more. I love Emily and how she is figuring out her life. She has so many goals, so many ambitions, and no idea what she actually wants to do but she does have a really good streak of Wordle going. I love how through out the whole story we get how she picks her words on what is going on in the day, (i also chose words like that). I love how her and John spark up the friendship over doing wordle. My favorite scene might be the one where he says he plays on hard mode and it rearranges how Emily see John. I speak three languages and can completely rework a car, whatever but you play wordle on hard - I am all in baby! LOL.
I love how Emily slowly start piecing her life together with her caregiver services, how her old friends start falling away and she is making new friends. How she loves to listen and is completely interested in people and John doesn't like to talk. Their banter really made this story so cute. I love how they just kinda of fell into friendship, dating, love. Not a lot of drama, not a lot of fuse...they were just so easy and perfect together.
I am never really a fan of the 80% break up rule (where the characters break up at 80% of the book) but it actually really worked her. That scene where Emily was in the Met staring at the other guys hand and she saw her whole new life. Urgh..that moment hit hard. Choice in life are hard, and you always have to wonder "what if" but she saw it, and realized she wanted what she already had (with or without John which I feel is super important). She needed to know she would be ok on her own, and then she could be with him. She also pushed him with all her ambition - he goes from an employee to and owner of the garage, an apartment to a house that he really wanted and loved ( it just happens to be the house she loves also).
The scenes with Jim were just beautiful. I cried my eyes out (with happy tears I swear) knowing that Jim was going to be with his wife, but they had one great afternoon together before he left.

Just lovely. Highly recommend to those that like sweet romances with easy to love characters, coming of age type stories, quirky side characters, small town romances, and of course who could forget a love of barrels or Wordle!

I was looking forward to this book because I love playing the Wordle everyday. I have so much fun comparing my score with my husband and my children. This is marketed as a story about two people who fall in love over playing Wordle, but it just didn't feel like that. The main characters are Emily and John. They work together at an auto body shop in a small town on Prince Edward Island. Emily is very unlikable, and she comes across as whiny, immature, and boring. With John, we don't know much about him. We know that he is a mechanic at the auto body shop, and he loves living in his small town. Other than that, John is super boring.

I didn't feel much romance between these two characters, and I was not interested in them as individuals or as a couple. The other characters were more interesting than the main characters.

Overall, the book was difficult to get through, and I didn't have fun reading it.

This was such a cute story! I’m such a sucker for a good, grumpy/sunshine romance. I do feel like 2 characters who barely spoke at the beginning of the book got together very quickly.

I’m also still not entirely sure how I feel about Emily leaving New York to go back to him. I understand it was important to the storyline but it’s like she was chasing after him rather than the standard “he gives up his life for her.” That was definitely different from other rom-com-esque books I’ve read.

All that being said, I did really enjoy this book and would definitely recommend it!

A Five-Letter Word for Love was a slow start for me and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get through the whole book. But I'm glad I stuck with it because it did get better and the plot came together better.
The main character Emily stressed me out with how much she had going on between her jobs, volunteering, her million interests, and her big dreams. It made the book quite complicated and the plot felt lost with it. As she and John started to get to know each other and Emily narrowed down her dreams in life, the story became easier to read and I enjoyed the book more.
I appreciate how unique this book was and surprisingly liked the Wordle factor in the story.
Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

A Five Letter Word For Love was a cute read. Emily and John were a nice match. I love that Wordle brought them together. I think that Emily is what a lot of us can feel when it comes to where to settle in life. I like the fact that John was so supportive. The small town in PEI was a wonderful, fun backdrop for this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper, and Amy James for this e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

This is a very high two start rating because the story was sweet but there was too much Wordle. Emily and John barely spoke and their communication had left much to be desired.

💚 Small Town Vibes
💛 Grumpy MMC
🩶 Slow Burn
💚 Opposite Attracts
💛 Workplace Romance
🩶 Work Acquaintances to Lovers
💚 Third Act Breakup
💛 Self discovery
🩶 Mention of Death 💀
💚 Great Side Characters

Emily does a daily Wordle and has a streak going. Emily almost did a full year of daily word guess. [Wordle is a five letter word guess]

Emily and John work at the same place at a mechanic shop. They didn't have much in common until they realized that they both play Wordle. They started a friendship and turned into a romance with this game.

John had his sweet moments of helping Emily throughout the book. I was not crazy about their romance, and it seemed like something was missing there for me. I didn't like Emily's character when she was creating bonds with people in the small town, and then she decided to leave for bigger and better things. She was making great relationships with everyone around her. All of a sudden, she wanted to do something she thought was important until she tried it. It's good she tried this opportunity to see if this is what she wanted. However, she left a lot of people who wanted her to stay, including John. Emily's character was not my favorite, honestly.

It really liked the elderly people when they spoke their minds. It was hilarious! It was interesting how obsessed Emily was about the barrel museum. Emily had to go through this self-discovery to know what she really wanted in life.

I love playing Wordle, and I love sweet romances that don't throw in a miscommunication trope. Unfortunately there was a 3rd act breakup (insert side eye... I HATE when this is a part of a book), but ultimately you end up with a HEA. I loved how Emily truly learned to follow her dreams, even when following those dreams made her realize her heart belonged with something else. I loved the sweet, grandparent-like figures in the book, even if it was a little bittersweet to me. I loved how it added to the story.

This had a good set up and I thought it was fun but in the end it took too long and also wasn't that invested in the two characters.

This book was PHENOMENAL. Watching Emily and John’s relationship develop, watching Emily grow as a person, all the supporting character’s distinct personalities, showing Shelley up, everything in this book was fantastic. It was like a friend giving me a hug the whole time. The ending? Spectacular, no notes.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy!

Emily doesn’t have a lot going for her, but she does have a 300+ day streak on wordle. One day with only one guess left, she gets help from John, her annoying coworker. Soon they become wordle buddies which leads to an even stronger bond than she could have imagined.
I never expected to read a book where two characters connect and fall in love over a game of Wordle, but I kind of loved the premise once I started. I loved it even more when Emily felt the word of the day somehow connected to her life each day. This book really is centered around Wordle, so be prepared for it to be mentioned many times. At times, I was more intrigued by finding out if Emily would make her year streak than by the romance. This was overall a cute story but I would have loved a bit more character development.
Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I can’t get over how cute this book was 😭. As a fellow wordle-r that one year mark is huge! I loved getting to see the progression of Emily’s thoughts and dreams. It shows that not everyone has it all figured out right away. It’s ok to not know! Emily’s internal struggles are so relatable and realistic that it was so easy to fall in love with her character. I have every intention of reading anything else this author writes!

This was such a heartwarming read and I really enjoyed the story. I love grumpy x sunshine as well as small-town romances so this was so good for me! Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the advanced copy!

Rating: 🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇/5

🌷 Coworkers/Friends-to-Lovers
🌼 Small town romance
🌻 Grumpy x sunshine
🪻 Home is where the heart is

I was utterly charmed by this unexpectedly heartwarming story. I fell in love with the people and the town. I felt completely at home and wrapped in a warm hug.

This story follows helplessly idealistic and optimistic Emily who is struggling post-college. I think this is very realistic and will resonate with many people. When you’re in your late 20s, there is this idea that you need to know exactly who you are, what you want, and where you’re going. That is just not the case. You are also discovering new things and learning how to life. It was so refreshing, albeit frustrating, to read as Emily navigates through this self-discovery journey.

Her only constant in her life is her daily Wordle game. I was immediately drawn in by the Wordle premise. I have played daily for the last 341 days but I am only on a 4-day streak, and I want zero judgement. I almost felt inspired by her unique way of inputting words that resonate with her.

Emily’s daily Wordle game also leads her to friendship, and then love. Anything, even something like a daily word game from the New York Times, could become a great way to connect with someone. John is a man of very few words. Is he the most eloquent or communicative? Not necessarily. But he is a man that shows up. Actions will always speak louder than words. Also, swooning at the mention of his dimples and muscles.

I absolutely adored Emily’s relationships she developed along the way, such as Trey, Rose, Kiara, John’s parents, Doris, Mrs. Finnamore and ESPECIALLY Jim. “Emily is a great comfort to me. I highly recommend her services.” I am not okay, iykyk. Emily discovers a passion for helping the elderly with their daily tasks so they can stay in their homes, while allowing space for them to share their heartfelt stories. I was very fond of these moments we were allowed to experience with her.

I thoroughly enjoyed traversing these roads with Emily while she defines what happiness looks like to her. Realizing that making a decision, a commitment, does not mean settling. All roads lead back to: home is where the heart is. Our lives do not always need to be grand and adventurous but filling every corner with love.

I think this story is filled to the brim with love. Romantic, familial, friendship, self-love. It is an endearing story that truly captured my heart.

Thank you immensely to Netgalley and Amy James for this arc! As always, this is my honest and voluntary opinion.

My Selling Pitch:
A watered down Emily Henry. Perfectly acceptable, Hallmarkian smooth brain reading material.

Pre-reading:
I love playing Wordle, and I love a pink cover. I’m expecting smooth brain reading material here.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Simply be-exist?
Spider? Busy beaver? How many letters?
Leukocytes?
Steps?

Why are you angry that you don’t know rather than seeing it as an opportunity to learn? (Smidge inconsistent characterization because later in the book she’s like learning random shit at museums is my fave!)

Desertion?

You’re talking to bookish people. We are not rolling our eyes.

I’m basically 27 and I don’t have a career or children and that won’t be changing anytime soon.

Y P H. Is it Happy?

Jesus this college thing is relatable haha.

Spin your wheels, girl. We’ll get there.

Ha. It was happy.

How do you not know what language you think in?

This book is charming.

It’s the way I’m trying to guess the words too.

Is she gonna become like a nursing home assistant because that would suck.

This book is like eerily relevant to me.

Rom com mentions serial killers sin

I think this book is SO CHARMING.

But it can’t be scarf? If there’s no C.

Different smell

I literally don’t know why this book is getting such low ratings. It’s perfectly Hallmark.

Barrel of monkey toy?

Or he’ll spank you lol.

I know this is a summerish book, but it’s scratching my cozy romance itch so good.

This book is so goddamn cute. The audiobook is really good. She’s doing the most with what she was given.

Rom com mentions TSwift sin

They balance each other so well.

Also, girlypop is so relatable. I’m really liking this book

Take a shot every time this book mentions Anne of Green Gables.

Girlypop, what about the debt?

This book has made me crave pizza so bad.

Girl, you can’t just show up!

How did homeboy have money for a shop and a house?

Aw, that was cute.

Post-reading:
The negative reviews for this one baffle me. It sells itself as a small town cozy romance and it is exactly that. It’s not life changing. It’s not all that deep. It’s generic as hell. But like isn’t that what you’re signing up for when you pick up a cozy?

The characters are a little flat and the story arc follows the classic Hallmark plot of city girl learns the charms of small town life. But it’s sweet and charming. It’s an easy read. It’s a good palette cleanser from more serious books. It’s like a watered down Emily Henry.

The main character is naive but in a relatable way for twenty-somethings who are also just spinning their wheels while they try to figure out what they want out of life. I think the book did a solid job of giving characters lives outside of their relationships and emphasizing that romance can’t be your only reason for living.

It all wraps up a little too neatly to be believable, but that’s kind of the point of the genre. Do you want a happily ever after or do you want to talk debt and property taxes?

There’s some really sloppy errors with the Wordle clues. Scarf shouldn’t be a possible answer, and from other reviews, it seems like a lot of other people noticed that too. The book’s whole schtick is a Wordle romance so how that got missed in the edits is beyond me.

Pick it up for a solid three-star, just don’t expect anything amazing from it.

Who should read this:
Hallmark movie fans
Cozy small town romance fans

Ideal reading time:
It’s not a holiday romance, but I feel like cozy romances fit holiday time reading in general

Do I want to reread this:
Nah, I’ll remember it.

Would I buy this:
I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it, but I’ll definitely keep the copy I was sent.

Similar books:
* The No-Show by Beth O’Leary-holiday romance (Valentines)
* The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall-small town cozy romance, magical realism, family drama
* Hopeless by Elsie Silver-small town cozy romance
* Book Lovers by Emily Henry-contemporary bookish romance, family drama
* Funny Story by Emily Henry-small town cozy romance, family drama
* Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez-contemporary romance, family drama
* The Wake-Up Call by Beth O’Leary-cozy holiday romance
* How to Kiss Your Grumpy Boss by Jenny Proctor-small town cozy romance
* Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review by Tehlor Kay Mejia-small town cozy romance, family drama
* Anatomy of a Meet Cute by Addie Woolridge-contemporary romance
* Welcome to Beach Town by Susan Wiggs-small town romance, family drama
* Our Place on the Island by Erika Montgomery-small town cozy romance, family drama
* Hello Stranger by Katherine Center-contemporary romance
* Too Wrong to be Right by Melonie Johnson-slowburn holiday romance, family drama
* The Second You’re Single by Cara Tanamachi-cozy romance
* Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score-
* Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee-small town cozy romance
* When in Rome by Sarah Adams-small town cozy romance

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Five-Letter Word for Love by Amy James [Avon and Harper Voyager #egalley #gifted]

An interesting love story with Wordle as the connection between our unlikely lovers. This was fun and cute - and explored the idea of what it means to want something bigger, without overlooking the great things already in your life.

This is a super cute romance book. I really enjoyed the Wordle connection and guessing along when our characters had some green gray and yellow squares. Super unique and relevant to today’s modern romance world. I did find the slow burn a little too slow for my liking but wonderfully written and absolutely enjoyed the banter. It was slightly grumpy to warm dynamic but mostly just to good hearted people coming together. I also enjoy the elements of Emily finding her passion in her working life. Very relatable would recommend for friends and gift

Never have I felt so old reading a romance novel before. This book was a personal struggle.


Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.


I typically read romances written with female leads between 20-35, just my personal preference. And this was within that range. HThe main character, Emily, is 27. That’s pretty close to my age and we’ve even had a similar sounding path post-college, but I could not relate to her perspective on really anything.


She read as quite snobby and dense with regards to other people. She is a very organized person, planning and executing a lot of intricate tasks. But her inability to relate to other viewpoints and her own perspective towards older folks was so awkward and painful. She read as if she was 18, honestly.
The male lead, John, was a solid romance lead, but had no sparks. He was just a nice guy that was fine dealing with someone I would never even want to hang out with for more than a chat. There was no fiery passion in this and it read quite flat to me. Everything was too formulaic and preachy without strong emotion to carry the love element.

It was a little letdown for me, the Wordle App /storyline was mentioned a bit more than I was expecting. The romance plot felt like it took the backseat. John and Emily are opposites, the Wordle app works as an ice breaker to getting to know each other. But also their romance was a little lackluster.