Emily, 27, is a receptionist in a small Prince Edward Island town, annoyed by car enthusiasts.
- She escapes with a 300-day Wordle streak in the New York Times.
- When she gets stuck on a tough Wordle guess, she reluctantly asks coworker John for help.
- They team up to hit a 365-day streak, leading to an unexpected romance.
- Emily starts to see John differently and rethinks her ideas about happiness, success, and love.
- The book focuses on Emily and John's relationship, which often lacks excitement.
- John is a quiet guy who shows love through actions but is a pretty passive character.
- The romance feels forced and lacks natural chemistry and depth.
- Emily's lack of interest in her dream life and her pretentious reflections make her unlikeable.
- The book has unappealing characters and a confusing plot.
- The Wordle aspect, initially charming, becomes disconnected from the main story.
- There's too much explanation about Wordle that could have been cut.
- The narrative loses focus, making the book feel long and disjointed.
- Final rating: 1 stars.
- Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"A Five-Letter Word for Love" by Amy James tells a funny story where an unexpected romance blooms between two Wordle enthusiasts, Emily and John. Emily, a twenty-seven-year-old at a career crossroads, works as a receptionist in a small Prince Edward Island town surrounded by car fanatics who annoy her. Her daily escape is her impressive 300-day Wordle streak in the New York Times. When she hits a tough Wordle guess, Emily reluctantly turns to John, a coworker she finds bothersome. As they team up to conquer Wordle together and aim for a 365-day streak, Emily starts seeing John in a new light. Their journey leads to a surprising connection and a romance that exceeds her expectations, challenging her views on happiness, success, and love in an unexpected adventure.

Regarding the book itself, the focus is on Emily and John's relationship, which lacked excitement most of the time. John, portrayed as a man of few words, rarely opens up about himself. While he shows love through actions, his passive role in the narrative could have been way more engaging. The story might have worked better if it was solely focused on Emily's personal journey rather than a romance, as the chemistry was lacking and felt severely forced. Their love seemed artificial rather than naturally unfolding, and their relationship lacked depth. Emily also shows little interest in her supposed dream life, and her reflections on her importance come off as pretentious, which made me dislike her character.

Overall, this book is filled with unappealing characters and confusing plot points. While I initially enjoyed the charming Wordle element, it started to feel disconnected from the main story halfway through. There's too much unnecessary explanation about Wordle that could have been cut. As I read on, the narrative lost coherence and I was just eager for the book to wrap up.

My final rating is 1.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.