Nora has always loved books, after college she landed a publishing job thinking it would fulfill her dreams. Five years later,stuck in a dead end job,after lay offs and a pay cut she spirals into a fugue.
Doing the job of 3 employees and feeling dumped on she begins to search for more. Enter Andrew Santos an attractive published author her firm is desperate to re-sign. He quickly becomes a sounding board, a mentor and possibly a romantic partner. His positivity pushes her to find a job better suited to her life and future. Will his optimism move her enough to find a future she deserves? Nora has to do something when her life feels like nothing, but does she have the courage?
Wonderful read, loved the characters and conversations. You can feel the daily angst of being in the wrong job!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own.

I couldn't read this as an ebook for some reason so will get it when it comes out! Sorry! (Leaving a 4 star review to be fair.)

This book was actually quite a difficult read. Nora, who has always loved books, works in publishing and finds her career unfulfilling, and worse, spoiling her passion for reading. The publishers reduce their staffs pay, cut back on their teams, creating a spiral effect for her feelings, and leave her unable to pay rent. Nora takes a second job freelancing for another publisher to make ends meet, but at the same time is caught up in a budding romance with an author working with her original employer.

The book covers Nora's difficulties with her mental health as she is feeling lost in the world, which is complicated by her feelings for Andrew coupled with how beneficial he could be for her career.

The love interest is sweet but by no means the central theme of the book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange fro my honest review. it's a solid 3.5 / 5 from me.

When Nora lands her dream job. She is over the moon. Until reality quickly sets in that all is not as it seems in the publishing world.
Overworked, underpaid Nora starts to lose all hope that this could be the career for her. When her current publishers Parson’s cut her wages to an unmanageable amount it’s time for Nora to take action. She decides to double job, moonlighting for another (read slightly better) publishing house.

Add in to the mix Andrew Santos, Parson’s bestselling author, who has become a friend. She suddenly needs to convince him to sign with Parsons so that she can keep her job.

This book is definitely not romance per se, more the main protagonist finding her way in the publishing world and dealing with a downward spiral of her life. That being said I really enjoyed it anyway and I felt it to be a realistic storyline that I enjoyed very much.

This book wasn’t what I expected. I wouldn’t call it a Romance. Sure there’s a fling, but it doesn’t have any tension or much flirting at all. It adds to the self- discovery / coming of age story that is the anchor of the plot line. I appreciated the behind the scenes of the publishing industry, but I didn’t connect to the mental health pieces of this book at all. I wanted more depth for her story. I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Main character Nora Hughes is in the midst of an identity crisis.
She’s coasting along in her job as an Editorial Assistant at Parson Publishing who are tightening the belt – making redundancies and slashing salaries including Nora’s.
She has a history of anxiety and spiralling and the thought of losing her apartment due to the salary decrease starts to paralyse Nora.
The flirtation and sparring between Andrew and Nora was enjoyable but she didn’t treat him very well.
Facing possible eviction, Nora makes a questionable decision to take on a freelancing role at a rival publishing house and juggles her two roles at the same time – a very risky move.
Don't go into this book expecting a rom-com like I did as you will be disappointed.
I don’t feel like we saw Nora addressing her mental health issues or getting any real help which is a shame.
I liked that included are reading group discussion questions and an interview with the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Must Love Books" by Shauna Robinson offers a captivating journey into the life of Nora Hughes, an overworked and underappreciated editorial assistant seeking more from her career and life. As she navigates the challenges of a stagnant job and financial strain, Nora's world takes an unexpected turn when she freelances for a rival publisher and encounters Andrew Santos, a charming bestselling author. Robinson crafts a heartfelt tale exploring themes of self-discovery, mental health, and the pursuit of happiness. Readers will resonate with Nora's relatable struggles and find themselves immersed in a story that beautifully captures the complexities of being a young woman trying to carve her path in the world. "Must Love Books" is not just a book; it's a touching exploration of life's uncertainties, making it an ideal pick for book clubs delving into discussions about personal growth and the pursuit of fulfillment.

A enjoyable and entertaining read. It is both funny, realistic, romantic and about BOOKS! I was thrilled with this story that took me away from my own problems and made me smile.

When I saw the title and read the description I was thrilled to the bones. A book about books? Is it anything better than that? But then I have in on my Kindle and it was like... no. Like a huge, fat NO.

At first, It was boring. Like boring boring. Of course, I understand why we should read all the details about Nora's life, especially the financial sides, but c'mon... Who cares?! Let's please go forward to the books!

Then... It was no better. I see that author is focusing so much on giving as many details as possible to have to story in a frame, but I felt overwhelmed by the things that do not really matter.

I struggled to finish it, so, unfortunately, I cannot give any recommendation about this particular book.

Must Love Books is a book many will identify with and fall in love with. I personally found it a little slow to start with but was glad I kept reading as it's a funny, heart warming read.

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

Incredibly heartwarming, I loved the different dynamics in this book from being stuck in the same job and having to be strategic to make ends meet and doing what it takes to do so. I was incredibly grateful to receive a copy!

Thank you for my eARC of this book. I wanted to love this but the pacing was off for me, and I just didn’t feel drawn into the story and found myself not wanting to pick it up. Unfortunately I didn’t finish.

•𝕄𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕤
•𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕦𝕟𝕒 ℝ𝕠𝕓𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕠𝕟

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Thanks to @onemorechapterhc for letting me part of this Readalong!

Nora works in publishing but the company she works for is going through troubles & she has her pay cut. Trouble is, Nora still has rent to pay, what will she do?

This was an enjoyable read, I was on the edge of my seat with worry for Nora in places! Her friendships were interesting & seeing how the story progressed was enthralling.

I also liked the WhatsApp group to chat to each other along with the challenges!

4🌟

#books #bookstagram #harpercollins #mustlovebooksreadalong #onemorechapter #shaunarobinson

Just finished this fantastic book. I really loved Nora and felt her emotions deeply. I really realtor to her especially when she said she was a three. I loved her relationships throughout the book coupled with her internal monologue made her really down to earth and real.

This book was really enjoyable. I wasn’t expecting too much as I’d never heard of the book or the author however, the characters and storyline were enjoyable and refreshing.

I enjoyed this charming story about a woman’s self discovery and growth. And there were books!
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Nora landed an editorial assistant position at Parsons Press, it was her first step towards The Dream Job. Because, honestly, is there anything dreamier than making books for a living? But after five years of lunch orders, finicky authors, and per my last emails, Nora has come to one grand conclusion: Dream Jobs do not exist.

With her life spiraling and the Parsons staff sinking, Nora gets hit with even worse news. Parsons is cutting her already unlivable salary. Unable to afford her rent and without even the novels she once loved as a comfort, Nora decides to moonlight for a rival publisher to make ends meet…and maybe poach some Parsons' authors along the way.

But when Andrew Santos, a bestselling Parsons author no one can afford to lose is thrown into the mix, Nora has to decide where her loyalties lie. Her new Dream Job, ever-optimistic Andrew, or...herself and her future.

Nora really dislikes her job and I felt sorry for her in the first half of this book.
I enjoyed the snippets into the world of publishing and that the difficult topics were covered,
I did find the book a little slow in places but overall an enjoyable read
Thank you for my copy to read and review

I've not read anything by the author before, and I'm glad I had the chance to read this.
Nora is in her dream job, in the world of publishing but she is really struggling with her mental health, as she's clearly struggling with depression and anxiety. I felt so sorry for her and just wanted to give her a big hug.
I really enjoyed reading this and the ending wasn't what I was expecting.