A Five Letter Word For Love written by Amy James unfortunately was NOT for me. This book is based on the New York Times game Wordle, which I absolutely love doing every morning, so of course I had to pick up this book based on the concept and that adorable cover thinking I would love this book, but it wasn't for me at all. Once again I fell victim to the pretty cover, don't get me wrong the concept was intriguing and made the story interesting, but this book fell short for me for many reasons. If you haven't done Wordle yet, I totally recommend giving it a try because honestly it's just fun to me. I think it's super cool that an author wrote a book with the Wordle concept instead of like Tiktok or any other modern pop culture references, but I'm sad this one didn't work out for me since I kind of did have high hopes. I gave A Five Letter Word For Love two stars for a few different reasons, Wordle was mentioned wayyyyy too many times for me, the characters absolutely had no character growth, they were a bit too whiny at times, the romance felt rushed, and the ending ended a bit abruptly with no answers. I know other people really liked this book and that's completely okay, but it just didn't work out for me, but I'm still going to recommend this book because I know other people might like it, so do yourself a favor and go grab a copy of this book immediately.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND AVON AND HARPER VOYAGER FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!!

"Love isn't a substitute for happiness".

"You will never be happy if you think too much".

Wordle
Six tries to guess a five letter word. When you make a guess, the letters will turn gray, yellow, or green.
Gray means that the letter isn't in the word at all.
Yellow means the letter is in the word, but you have it in the wrong place.
Green means that the letter is in the word and you have it in the right place.

Emily Evans is a twenty seven year old woman who doesn't have a lot going well in her life right now. Emily doesn't have a career set in stone nor does she know what she wants to do with her life. Emily has a low paying job as a receptionist at an auto shop. Emily has a bachelor's degree in science, but doesn't know what to do with that degree just yet. Emily also has $26,000 in student loan debt from her bachelor's degree in science and chemistry. Although Emily doesn't have any particular interest in cars, she works a nine to five Monday through Friday as a receptionist at Martin Auto where she answers the phone, checks people in for their car appointments, processes their payments, tidy up the break room, and empty the garbage cans. Then we have John Smith, well there's not much to say about John. All he constantly talks about is cars, he's pretty rude to Emily and his customers. John made me want to rip my hair out, his communication skills were so icky, like dude try being nice and people won't be so irritated with you all of the time. What Emily doesn't know is that John does Wordle as well. During their lunch break, Emily and John start doing Wordle together.

Emily and John, where do I even start with these two? Their stupidity and lack of communication skills made me laugh because how can two grown adults be so ignorant? They were both whiny at times, instead of acting like they were in their late twenties, they both felt so childish to me. Emily has a three hundred plus day streak with Wordle, but one day with only one guess left and no clue what the word is, Emily turns to John for help where she learns that John also does Wordle everyday. Emily wants to make John her Wordle Work Buddy whether he likes it or not, DAMN, Y'ALL, JUST COMMUNICATE!!!!!!! Fast forward, John and Emily now have a Wordle friendship, plain and simple, but if you ask me it's more like a Wordle alliance. Should we even talk about their romance? Well, I guess I should since their romantic life revolves around Wordle. Their romance just gives me the ick to be honest. Emily and John have sex on their second date in John's truck. The sex part doesn't really bother me, but the fact that they work together and don't even talk to each other, and then their second date they are already doing the dirty in a damn truck after their second date after acting like complete strangers to one another.

As a Wordle player myself, I really love the premise of this novel. Unfortunately, I wasn't really feeling this romance. John had no personality and was pretty dull. She had more chemistry with the 96-year-old man she was caregiving for. What I really enjoyed though, was our main character Emily's relationships with literally everyone else in the town, and I even got a little emotional near the end.

3.5 * rounded up to 4.

"...𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯."


I would say that I overall really liked this book! It was a bit slow at the start for me, but I definitely got into it as the book went along!

The FMC is slightly unlikeable (snobby) at the beginning, but that's done on purpose as part of her character arc. LOL I mean, don't get me wrong, I absolutely GET needing to follow a dream and see what's out there (I have my own debt to show for it) - but I'm definitely glad she came to her senses 😅

❤️ Prince Edward Island, Canada
🛢 Opposites Attract
❤️ Wordle
🛢 Chasing Your Dream Job
❤️ Found Family
🛢 Small Town Romance

A big thank you to @avonbooks, @harpervoyagerus and @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for this review!
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The vibe of the book was very informal, which I liked. I think given the, somewhat cringey, premise, the informal tone and the breaking of the fourth wall made it all feel cohesive. I also appreciated there not being any serious traumatic back story that is furthering the plot, and instead continued with the largely light story. I read this very quickly, and it was the perfect afternoon audiobook to listen to while I baked cookies. That being said, I thought the romance plot was generally lacking. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Emily and John, particularly because while I know John’s character was intended to be subdued, I instead found him to just not have a lot of depth. Some points when he was refusing to engage with Emily, instead of being shy or charming, instead came across as rude or uninterested. I would’ve loved a more indepth development of their relationship, and more of a focus on it, instead of the vast majority of the book being about Emily’s day to day at the museum.

That being said, I really loved all of the side characters of the story, and the town of Waldon. I also loved the random barrell museum, and it felt very reflective of the funky museums that rural small towns have.

Overall I would definitely read a book by this author again, as it was a very easy, light book.

I honestly just didn’t like this story. Emily was an entitled brat and I know this was meant to be about her growth and figuring out what she wants but I honestly just could not back up any of her decisions.

John was a great blue collar representation of a man who loves his job and doesn’t feel lesser than for being blue collar and I loved that.

Ultimately the big decision in the book just pissed me off and left me with no respect for Emily at all.

If it were up to me, she would not have gotten her HEA.

⭐️

This was a sweet, quick read despite falling a little flat on the “romance”. This felt more like a slice of life/self discovery journey not so much a romance novel as the relationship felt like a secondary plot point. The setting was cute and the supporting characters were fun. It made me laugh out loud a couple times.

1/5 🌶️ one brief open door scene with minimal detail.

🏠 small town romance
💞 slow burn
🚗 workplace romance

Thanks to Avon for an early reader copy!

Cute. Just cute.

Emily is working as a receptionist at an auto shop, it’s not her dream job, but it’s a job. She’s on a WORDLE streak and making improvements to her world everyday. Enter in not unattractive coworker John who also does WORDLE…

If you’re looking for a character to like and root for and a love story to go “awwww” to this is the story for you.

Thank you AVON and Harper voyager and NetGalley for the ARC.

Twenty something Emily is looking for her dream job. She doesn’t know what it is, but she knows it’s going to be in a big city doing great things.

For now, she’s the receptionist at an auto body shop in a small town. Her friends from university have all found their dream jobs and have families. Her new friends are geriatrics, who she starts helping out as a side hustle.

One thing she is consistent with is her daily Wordle. She’s in a streak and she’s determined to get to 365 days. Another thing also consistent is her contempt for her grumpy coworker John. They have a mutual dislike for each other, until they find something common. Wordle.

Emily is slowly finding her place and working towards happy. All she needs to decide is where is she the happiest.

I enjoyed this book. The story kept a great pace. The characters are likable. The banter is real and fun. The story is a slow burn that doesn’t fizzle out.

3.5 - Cute little story. I think the character building in it was its weakest point, especially regarding the MMC. In single-POV romance books the author needs to work extra hard to make the other character feel complete and complex; this story struggled to make me care about John. I did think they were adorable together.

I never want to see or hear the word “Wordle” ever again after this book…

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley!

This was… not for me. I am so disappointed because I am an avid Wordle/NYT games player and was really hoping for something fun and sweet and romantic and this was just annoying and boring. Emily is far too naive to be as judgemental as she is and John Smith is as flat and one dimensional as his name would suggest.

I’m so tired of bumbling FMCs in their mid to late twenties who are just absolutely clueless. I understand being at a loss for what to do with one’s life and feeling overwhelmed by the lack of direction at that age - it happens to us all - but paired with her childish inner monologue and high horse attitude I could not find it in myself to feel any sympathy for her. And John is literally that meme of “is he my Mr. Darcy or is he just mean to me”. At every chance he gets he tells Emily how weird she is and makes fun of her interests (in his defense it’s well deserved) and their chemistry seemed to come solely from proximity and being the only single people under 65 in their town.

The Wordle aspect was obnoxious. Emily plays like a maniac with no method to her madness. Also the words always being so simple like HAPPY and SCARF lead me to believe the author was not around when KNOLL and PARER were the solutions.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All of the opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I liked that this story is written from Emily’s point of view, like she is having a conversation with the reader. I laughed and cheered with her and for her as the story progressed. I liked the small-town, friends becoming more like family vibe of this book. I appreciated how everything came together, and the author did seem to leave everything open enough for there to be a follow-up. If there is, I would enjoy reading more of Emily and John’s story.

I enjoyed A Five-Letter Word for Love by Amy James. It was a quick read and lighthearted. While there was some romance, the intimate scenes took place behind closed doors. Though Emily was a bit too friendly/polite for me at times (I'm not that patient), I appreciated her questioning if where she was in life was where she was meant to be. I found her to be relatable when the reader (and her friends) knew she should do one thing, but she chose another. We have all been there, or know someone who has. The Wordle references throughout the story were fun and was something different. While Emily's university friends did nothing for me, I enjoyed the in person friends she had and thought their characters were great.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy for me to read.

Read this book if you like:
✧ Slow Burn
✧ Small-Town Romance
✧ Workplace Romance
✧ Shared Hobby
✧ Opposites Attract
✧ Self-Discovery
✧ Eccentric Side Characters
✧ Clean Romance

Though the book is marketed as a romance, it felt more of a women's fiction which dealt in self-discovery of the main character. Emily was irritating for me and I just wanted to skim and skip her monologues and thoughts penned down. This book is not a pick if you are looking for full blown romance but it was entertaining if you are love wordle and small town stories.

I have picked this one up twice and not been able to really get into it. The FMC, Emily, is written with a lot of monologue/dialogue describing things and I grew tired of 'listening' to her as she set up the scene and story. I am an avid word puzzler so I thought the Wordle angle would be fun but the challenge of integrating it into the romantic storyline was just clumsy for me.
Thanks so much for the ARC and the opportunity to read this one.

happy belated pub day to this lovely book! it was a terrific read. i enjoyed it so much. the premise was cute, abd the story itself lived up to everything i wanted. also, can we talk about the cover?! i need this book on my shelves if only for the cover! 😍

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a review as well as Goodreads for the physical copy.

This was a cute and easy read. I did laugh out loud a few times.

There are a few things I felt like could be different/better. I felt like the build up to their relationship could have more. I feel like while you knew she had feelings there were no initial signs from John.

I know this book is about WORDLE but I didn't realize how much it was about WORDLE haha. I didn't mind it though.

Overall, this was a cute read but not one of my favorites.

An adorable concept for the basis of a sweet romance story! Emily isn’t sure what she wants to do with her life, but her one constant is her 300+ day streak solving the Wordle puzzle. But when she has only one guess left and no clue what the answer is, she turns to her grumpy coworker John, who helps her discover the answer and continue her streak. The pair quickly bond over the daily Wordle puzzle, become friends, and start to wonder if there could be more between them than words.

This quick romance read was fun from start to finish! I adored Emily and John as they both tried to find their way in the world and in the hopes that their chosen paths would keep them together.

Read this one if you like grumpy/sunshine, small town romance, workplace romance, found family, and stories about finding yourself.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author Amy James and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

*“A Five Letter Word for Love”* by Amy James is a charming debut that follows 26-year-old Emily Evans, who’s living in a cozy house on Prince Edward Island while working as a receptionist at Martin Auto. Emily dreams of a creative career in a big city like London or New York, but for now, she’s stuck in a small town with a job that doesn’t quite match her ambitions. Her life consists of watching Heath Ledger movies, playing Wordle, and occasionally caring for her elderly next-door neighbor. When she gets to know John, a quiet mechanic who shares her Wordle obsession, their unexpected connection leads to a sweet romance. Despite her plans to leave, Emily finds herself volunteering at the local museum and coming up with ideas to bring in visitors, with John offering his help. Though Emily initially seems a bit self-absorbed, she proves to be kind-hearted, creative, and full of initiative. While the story is fairly predictable, the journey to a happy ending is delightful, with well-drawn characters and plenty of heart. Amy James’ debut is a heartwarming, feel-good read, and I’ll be eager to see more from this author in the future.

This review is from an ARC provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia.

This was not a book I found myself invested in. It would have worked better as a novella or short story.

3 Stars A Five Letter Word for Love has a really cute premise which initially drew me in. Emily and her coworker John strike up an unlikely romance after bonding over a shared love of completing the New York Times daily Wordle game. This is a light and easy read. I wasn’t a huge fan of either main character and they seemed to be lacking some depth. But overall it was a fine read.