Author Emily Henry’s new release Book Lovers offers more of a touching sister relationship than a small-town romance.

The book follows Nora Stephens, a literary agent in New York City, who agrees to take a month-long trip to Sunshine Falls, N.C., with her younger sister Libby. While away on vacation, Nora runs into Charlie Lastra, a book editor back in the city. 

Nora and Charlie decide to team up to work on a book together, and their partnership eventually grows into more. Although Nora’s love life is flourishing, her family life is changing, ultimately creating the plot of the novel. 

Book Lovers is promoted as a contemporary romance, but the content itself heavily focuses on the sisterly bond between Nora and Libby. It explores the dynamic between an older and younger sister who both want to protect and do what’s best for each other. 

Nora and Libby have been close all their lives, but there’s a sudden shift in their relationship that causes Nora to question if she really knows her sister. Nora’s emotional investment at bridging their distance is heartwarming and is sure to make readers shed a few tears. 

The sisters have different life paths, and instead of setting them against each other, the author navigates the conflict of diverging wants, which is different from the normal happy ending. 

In addition, Henry does an excellent job at creating realistic characters and not the typical, cliched archetypes. Nora’s cutthroat personality is refreshing and is a perfect opposite to Libby’s  carefree character description.

Overall, Book Lovers shows an authentic and genuine relationship between sisters and is undoubtedly Henry’s best book yet.