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A Five-Letter Word for Love
9 hours, 33 minutes
A heartwarming and humorous romance in which an unlikely couple fall in love over Wordle.
Twenty-seven-year-old Emily doesn’t have a lot going well in her life right now. She dreams of a creative career but works as a receptionist in an auto shop. She longs for big city life but lives in a small town on Prince Edward Island. She craves a close group of friends but is stuck with irritating, car-obsessed coworkers.
What Emily does have is a 300+ day streak on the New York Times Wordle. But one day, with only one guess left and no clue what the answer is, she’s forced to turn to one of her irritating, car-obsessed coworkers, John, for help—and in doing so, realizes that he might not be so irritating after all.
As they make their way, word by word, toward a 365-day streak, Emily is drawn into a surprising romance that will take her outside of her comfort zone—and challenge everything she thought she knew about happiness, success, and love.
A heartwarming and humorous romance in which an unlikely couple fall in love over Wordle.
Twenty-seven-year-old Emily doesn’t have a lot going well in her life right now. She dreams of a creative career but works as a receptionist in an auto shop. She longs for big city life but lives in a small town on Prince Edward Island. She craves a close group of friends but is stuck with irritating, car-obsessed coworkers.
What Emily does have is a 300+ day streak on the New York Times Wordle. But one day, with only one guess left and no clue what the answer is, she’s forced to turn to one of her irritating, car-obsessed coworkers, John, for help—and in doing so, realizes that he might not be so irritating after all.
As they make their way, word by word, toward a 365-day streak, Emily is drawn into a surprising romance that will take her outside of her comfort zone—and challenge everything she thought she knew about happiness, success, and love.
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First published December 3, 2024
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About the author
Amy James
5 books244 followersAmy James lives with her husband and dog on the east coast of Canada.
Find her on Instagram @amyjamesbooks.
Find her on Instagram @amyjamesbooks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,244 reviews
July 14, 2025
nauseatingly insufferable main character who can’t play wordle to save her life
December 18, 2024
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.
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.
January 13, 2025
3.5 ˖⁺‧✮
”Then, in the morning, I’m going to dismantle this beautiful dream.”
book centered around wordle? i’ve never played wordle but the idea of this book sounded so exciting. and it actually was. this book follows an extroverted, funny and passionate emily and grumpy (at first sight) but also hard working john. while emily dreams about having big life and dream job, john seems pretty confident in his settled life in small town. they both work in autoshop and for the whole year, and since emily started working there, they only had couple work-related interactions. until, john notice emily playing wordle.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷characters
the chemistry was there since the beginning. i loved reading about their interactions and wordle minutes. the way they were giving each other small details about themselves through 5 letter words made me a being a detective, in a way. i’m still confused about some words though… nevertheless, both emily and john are the most passionate and dedicated characters ever. i couldn’t stop reading about emily wanting this beautiful life and doing as much as she can to get there. she wasn’t scared to change her life, try new career and fight all these battles to get there. was i disappointed at the end? not really, i’m happy that everything turned out the way it did. but i feel like emily should’ve continued, maybe🤷🏼♀️idk. john was a mystery guy who was always appearing unexpectedly at right time. super sweet and helping. what does word “court” meant? he seemed upset.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ random quote:
“I couldn’t get a job without any experience, and I couldn’t get any experience without getting a job.” too relatable…
pre-read
going for another arc.
as an award, i can read reckless next
Thank you Edelweiss and HarperCollins for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.
”Then, in the morning, I’m going to dismantle this beautiful dream.”
book centered around wordle? i’ve never played wordle but the idea of this book sounded so exciting. and it actually was. this book follows an extroverted, funny and passionate emily and grumpy (at first sight) but also hard working john. while emily dreams about having big life and dream job, john seems pretty confident in his settled life in small town. they both work in autoshop and for the whole year, and since emily started working there, they only had couple work-related interactions. until, john notice emily playing wordle.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷characters
the chemistry was there since the beginning. i loved reading about their interactions and wordle minutes. the way they were giving each other small details about themselves through 5 letter words made me a being a detective, in a way. i’m still confused about some words though… nevertheless, both emily and john are the most passionate and dedicated characters ever. i couldn’t stop reading about emily wanting this beautiful life and doing as much as she can to get there. she wasn’t scared to change her life, try new career and fight all these battles to get there. was i disappointed at the end? not really, i’m happy that everything turned out the way it did. but i feel like emily should’ve continued, maybe🤷🏼♀️idk. john was a mystery guy who was always appearing unexpectedly at right time. super sweet and helping. what does word “court” meant? he seemed upset.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ random quote:
“I couldn’t get a job without any experience, and I couldn’t get any experience without getting a job.” too relatable…
pre-read
going for another arc.
as an award, i can read reckless next
Thank you Edelweiss and HarperCollins for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.
March 7, 2025
A cute and light romance
3.5 rounded up because overall this was cute.
Don’t overthink this one and shut your brain down for awhile. This is a really cute and earnest romance with a very optimistic, almost starry eyed heroine, and a gruff hero who self describes as ‘not a chatter’ but has hidden depth but was not terribly well developed. .
But other than that, this was your traditional small town grumpy sunshine book and it was very light hearted and funny. The concept was cute (yes I’ve said cute four times now, that’s just what this was) and everything was really relatable and I particularly loved that they both wanted to remain childless and there were no babies in the epilogue, but I did have some annoyances with the authorial choices; notes below.
Number of Anne of green gables references= 12. Why? Just because the book is set in PEI? Seemed trite and unnecessary.
To keep this book authentically Canadian can she not have applied for an internship at the AGO or the ROM and applied for her masters at the university of Toronto?
I was so happy for a Canadian story in a Canadian setting and then her dreams took her to fucking New York City like every other stupid small town romcom. Lean into the Canadian, authors, New York isn’t the only city where dreams are made. I’d actually venture to say most Canadians wouldn’t want to seek their dreams south of the border because yikes, why?
Book four in my reading Canadian authors for 2025.
3.5 rounded up because overall this was cute.
Don’t overthink this one and shut your brain down for awhile. This is a really cute and earnest romance with a very optimistic, almost starry eyed heroine, and a gruff hero who self describes as ‘not a chatter’ but has hidden depth but was not terribly well developed. .
But other than that, this was your traditional small town grumpy sunshine book and it was very light hearted and funny. The concept was cute (yes I’ve said cute four times now, that’s just what this was) and everything was really relatable and I particularly loved that they both wanted to remain childless and there were no babies in the epilogue, but I did have some annoyances with the authorial choices; notes below.
Number of Anne of green gables references= 12. Why? Just because the book is set in PEI? Seemed trite and unnecessary.
To keep this book authentically Canadian can she not have applied for an internship at the AGO or the ROM and applied for her masters at the university of Toronto?
I was so happy for a Canadian story in a Canadian setting and then her dreams took her to fucking New York City like every other stupid small town romcom. Lean into the Canadian, authors, New York isn’t the only city where dreams are made. I’d actually venture to say most Canadians wouldn’t want to seek their dreams south of the border because yikes, why?
Book four in my reading Canadian authors for 2025.
September 23, 2024
If I read the word "Wordle" one more time, I’m gonna puke! Huge thanks to NetGalley, Avon, Harper Voyager, and the lovely Amy James for the ARC of A Five-Letter Word for Love! This book, dropping on December 3rd and spanning 368 pages, promised a unique concept but unfortunately fell a bit flat for me.
✧ Slow Burn 🔥
✧ Small-Town Romance 🏡
✧ Workplace Romance 💼
✧ Shared Hobby 🎮
✧ Opposites Attract 💘
✧ Self-Discovery 🌱
✧ Eccentric Side Characters 🎭
✧ Clean Romance 💖
Emily, our 27-year-old FMC, has a 300+ day Wordle streak, but her life in a small town on Prince Edward Island is seriously lacking excitement. Enter John, her grumpy coworker at the auto shop. Their supposed Wordle connection? Total zero chemistry, folks. 😩 Emily can come off as a bit whiny, and John barely registers—more of a background character than the MMC he should be.
The novel feels more like a self-discovery journey than a romance. Sure, the small-town vibes and Emily’s quirky interactions with eccentric elderly characters were cute, but parts of the book dragged on, making it feel repetitive and dull. Emily's internal monologues? A bit immature, to say the least, and I found myself skimming through some sections.
If you’re looking for depth in romance, this might not be your jam. The moments between Emily and John lack substance, and their relationship development is practically nonexistent.
Now, I don’t want to be too harsh since this is a debut, and if you love Wordle and small-town romances, you might find it mildly entertaining. For me, though, it just didn’t deliver, earning a solid 2 stars. 🌟
✧ Slow Burn 🔥
✧ Small-Town Romance 🏡
✧ Workplace Romance 💼
✧ Shared Hobby 🎮
✧ Opposites Attract 💘
✧ Self-Discovery 🌱
✧ Eccentric Side Characters 🎭
✧ Clean Romance 💖
Emily, our 27-year-old FMC, has a 300+ day Wordle streak, but her life in a small town on Prince Edward Island is seriously lacking excitement. Enter John, her grumpy coworker at the auto shop. Their supposed Wordle connection? Total zero chemistry, folks. 😩 Emily can come off as a bit whiny, and John barely registers—more of a background character than the MMC he should be.
The novel feels more like a self-discovery journey than a romance. Sure, the small-town vibes and Emily’s quirky interactions with eccentric elderly characters were cute, but parts of the book dragged on, making it feel repetitive and dull. Emily's internal monologues? A bit immature, to say the least, and I found myself skimming through some sections.
If you’re looking for depth in romance, this might not be your jam. The moments between Emily and John lack substance, and their relationship development is practically nonexistent.
Now, I don’t want to be too harsh since this is a debut, and if you love Wordle and small-town romances, you might find it mildly entertaining. For me, though, it just didn’t deliver, earning a solid 2 stars. 🌟
December 24, 2025
This book tested my patience, so:
WARNING!!
LOTS of complaining ahead.
I'll start with the Wordle thing. Emily spends two full pages complaining about how much she dislikes crosswords, all to say she plays Wordle instead. Here's the kicker: she's terrible at Wordle too!
I have 0 clue how she got her 300-day streak, cause the way she plays is abysmal. Her streak is probably due to PURE luck. She doesn't even get better at the game as the book goes on. Also, I don't think this book went through someone who actually plays wordle, cause there are some mistakes (like- look at the cover. that should tell you the level of wordle-correctness in this book), but whatever, I guess 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
NEXT: Emily's dream to "work in a creative field" is so... superficial. The way she talks about art/ artists def raises some questions. At one point, she says she wants to do photography and like... what? Where is this coming from??? She very clearly wants to be an influencer. That's what she wants to do.
Now, for the part that actually made me so angry, I just sped through the rest of the book:
anyway, 1 star. I kinda sped through this towards the end & finished it.
I'll start with the Wordle thing. Emily spends two full pages complaining about how much she dislikes crosswords, all to say she plays Wordle instead. Here's the kicker: she's terrible at Wordle too!
I have 0 clue how she got her 300-day streak, cause the way she plays is abysmal. Her streak is probably due to PURE luck. She doesn't even get better at the game as the book goes on. Also, I don't think this book went through someone who actually plays wordle, cause there are some mistakes (like- look at the cover. that should tell you the level of wordle-correctness in this book), but whatever, I guess 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
NEXT: Emily's dream to "work in a creative field" is so... superficial. The way she talks about art/ artists def raises some questions. At one point, she says she wants to do photography and like... what? Where is this coming from??? She very clearly wants to be an influencer. That's what she wants to do.
Now, for the part that actually made me so angry, I just sped through the rest of the book:
anyway, 1 star. I kinda sped through this towards the end & finished it.
December 22, 2024
Having enjoyed playing Wordle form occasionally, I had high expectations going into this because the concept seemed fresh and intriguing. Sadly, I found this book to be a little underwhelming.
The romance didn't make me enjoy this book at all, and the plot was quite dull and rapidly became repetitive, so I was bored most of the time. The main characters lacked development and were quite irritating and immature. The character gave off the impression of being in high school rather than being in their 20s. I can't recall the last time I became so irritated with MCs!
I liked the Wordle part of the book. The way that MC sought to incorporate the word into her life made her fascination with it very humorous.
Overall, this book was just not for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The romance didn't make me enjoy this book at all, and the plot was quite dull and rapidly became repetitive, so I was bored most of the time. The main characters lacked development and were quite irritating and immature. The character gave off the impression of being in high school rather than being in their 20s. I can't recall the last time I became so irritated with MCs!
I liked the Wordle part of the book. The way that MC sought to incorporate the word into her life made her fascination with it very humorous.
Overall, this book was just not for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 11, 2024
A book about Wordle would not be realistic without the app randomly restarting your streak out of nowhere. Tell me why, Wordle.
Rating: 3 ⭐️
I’ll be honest, John Smith (yes, that’s the MMC’s name) is a bit of a wet blanket. He just stares with a blank expression at questions and I hate people who do that. Emily would ask him how his day was or comment on something innocuous or even try to be funny and he would look on without saying a word. And I get it, he’s a “man of few words,” and he mostly stops doing that by the end of the book, but come on, man!
Wordle was also treated as this niche thing in the book. OMG, John plays Wordle? That thing that no one has ever played before? Girl, come on, don’t play with me.
Also, can’t believe she left her internship at the MET. That’s a big deal!!!!! Once in a lifetime! Invaluable job experience! Just ride it out a little bit longer, babe, and add it to the resumé.
But anyway, it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t anything to write home about. Actually pretty funny at times.
We love Doris. Also, Jim absolutely crushed me.
I wanted to cry 😭 Altogether, it was an easy read so I can’t complain.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Pre-read:
MY FRIENDS ARE MAKING ME READ THIS, OK!!!
Maeve and Anna, I don’t know why I put up with you guys.
Rating: 3 ⭐️
I’ll be honest, John Smith (yes, that’s the MMC’s name) is a bit of a wet blanket. He just stares with a blank expression at questions and I hate people who do that. Emily would ask him how his day was or comment on something innocuous or even try to be funny and he would look on without saying a word. And I get it, he’s a “man of few words,” and he mostly stops doing that by the end of the book, but come on, man!
Wordle was also treated as this niche thing in the book. OMG, John plays Wordle? That thing that no one has ever played before? Girl, come on, don’t play with me.
Also, can’t believe she left her internship at the MET. That’s a big deal!!!!! Once in a lifetime! Invaluable job experience! Just ride it out a little bit longer, babe, and add it to the resumé.
But anyway, it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t anything to write home about. Actually pretty funny at times.
What a genius idea! What kid wouldn’t want to have their birthday at a barrel museum?
“Hey, Doris,” I venture. “If you were in a nursing home, would you want to go on field trips to museums?”
“If I were in a nursing home, I’d want to be shot.”
We love Doris. Also, Jim absolutely crushed me.
Jim’s written two short lines in his wide, slightly wobbly hand. Emily is a great comfort to me. I highly recommend her services.
I wanted to cry 😭 Altogether, it was an easy read so I can’t complain.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Pre-read:
MY FRIENDS ARE MAKING ME READ THIS, OK!!!
Maeve and Anna, I don’t know why I put up with you guys.
February 19, 2025
the setup…
Emily Evans is obsessed with Wordle, playing everyday with a 300+-day streak going on. She’s 27-years old and landed in the small town of Waldon, Prince Edward Island when a friend of her mother had a rental available for free. She’s a receptionist at an auto shop and is trying to figure out what her dream job should be. Emily also is quite lonely and lacks close friends but one day when she’s stuck on the day’s Wordle, John Smith, one the mechanics who rarely speaks to her, surprises her by not only revealing he plays the word puzzle but helps her keep her streak going. Meanwhile, a volunteer assignment at a barrel museum moves her steps closer to finding that dream job along with a romance.
the heart of the story…
I love Wordle, play everyday with a few of my blogger friends. It was interesting to have that in the background and analyze Emily’s approach to solving the puzzles. I liked her and found her to be stuck emotionally but couldn’t figure out how she got there. She’s kind and a pleaser, finding more pleasure in connecting with the senior citizens in her community than people her own age. When she starts volunteering at the barrel museum, Emily comes into her own, even though she’s unrealistically idealistic. I came to like John despite his taciturn nature. However, their romance lacked fire and energy.
the narration…
This is a case where it’s just me. Katie Koster’s voice is a dead ringer for someone I know who I find irritating so that’s all I could hear. She gave an energetic and lively performance so you’ll need to sample and judge for yourself.
the bottom line…
I loved having Wordle be a major element of the romance, finding it interesting and entertaining. Overall, I enjoyed the story despite my issues with the narrator and the romance. Emily’s kind nature and affinity towards the care and nurturing of the senior citizen community was inspiring and needed more promotion. It’s timely, relevant and beyond admirable. 3.5 stars
Posted on Blue Mood Café
Emily Evans is obsessed with Wordle, playing everyday with a 300+-day streak going on. She’s 27-years old and landed in the small town of Waldon, Prince Edward Island when a friend of her mother had a rental available for free. She’s a receptionist at an auto shop and is trying to figure out what her dream job should be. Emily also is quite lonely and lacks close friends but one day when she’s stuck on the day’s Wordle, John Smith, one the mechanics who rarely speaks to her, surprises her by not only revealing he plays the word puzzle but helps her keep her streak going. Meanwhile, a volunteer assignment at a barrel museum moves her steps closer to finding that dream job along with a romance.
the heart of the story…
I love Wordle, play everyday with a few of my blogger friends. It was interesting to have that in the background and analyze Emily’s approach to solving the puzzles. I liked her and found her to be stuck emotionally but couldn’t figure out how she got there. She’s kind and a pleaser, finding more pleasure in connecting with the senior citizens in her community than people her own age. When she starts volunteering at the barrel museum, Emily comes into her own, even though she’s unrealistically idealistic. I came to like John despite his taciturn nature. However, their romance lacked fire and energy.
the narration…
This is a case where it’s just me. Katie Koster’s voice is a dead ringer for someone I know who I find irritating so that’s all I could hear. She gave an energetic and lively performance so you’ll need to sample and judge for yourself.
the bottom line…
I loved having Wordle be a major element of the romance, finding it interesting and entertaining. Overall, I enjoyed the story despite my issues with the narrator and the romance. Emily’s kind nature and affinity towards the care and nurturing of the senior citizen community was inspiring and needed more promotion. It’s timely, relevant and beyond admirable. 3.5 stars
Posted on Blue Mood Café
November 14, 2024
A Five Letter Word For Love is the first novel by Canadian author, Amy James. For a year now, twenty-six-year-old Emily Evans has lived in a totally cute house in the town of Waldon on Prince Edward Island, paying an almost nominal rent, and working as a receptionist at Martin Auto.
She sees the job as temporary: her Bachelor of Science degree didn’t result in the dream job, something creative and arty, she’s decided, something that will quickly pay off her student loan, something in a city like London or Paris or New York.
Meanwhile, she looks out for her next-door-neighbour, watches Heath Ledger movie marathons, and waits for inspiration. Her Uni friends are spread far and wide, busy with their own lives, her parents are vacationing overseas, and of the mechanics at work, Dave is older, a nice man with adult children, while John, her age, is only interested in racing cars and is virtually taciturn when she tries to engage.
Emily is a Wordle enthusiast: it’s something she can succeed at much better than crosswords, and her current streak is over three hundred days when she looks like being stumped. John has already come to her rescue when her car beaks down; as they sit waiting for his mate to bring a truck, he surprises her by coming to the rescue again with a subtle clue to maintain her streak. John does Wordle: who knew! Perhaps there are unknown depths to this silent colleague.
Even though Emily doesn’t plan to stay, she somehow falls into a private carer job looking after her next-door-neighbour (and a few others), and volunteers at the Barrel Museum in her spare time. Her enthusiasm for each of these draws comment from John: “You are weird”. But they keep sharing their Wordle efforts, and when, despite the museum manager’s disinterest, Emily begins coming up with promotional ideas: school excursions, care home outings, a new, interactive exhibit, an open day, John offers to help out.
They end up dating, even though she definitely doesn’t want to end up with a mechanic who has settled for a small-town existence. Courses, internships and the big city are still calling her…
Emily might initially strike the reader as a bit shallow, with a somewhat warped sense of priorities, but she quickly shows herself to be kind-hearted, to show initiative and some creativity, even if she appears to occasionally be oblivious to what others plainly see. Oh, and Wordle enthusiasts might find her approach to the puzzle a little irritating.
While the plot is fairly predictable, the journey to the happy-ever-after is a very pleasant one; the characters are appealing, and James gives them some insightful observations about life. This is a sweet and enjoyable debut, and more from Amy James will be most welcome.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia.
She sees the job as temporary: her Bachelor of Science degree didn’t result in the dream job, something creative and arty, she’s decided, something that will quickly pay off her student loan, something in a city like London or Paris or New York.
Meanwhile, she looks out for her next-door-neighbour, watches Heath Ledger movie marathons, and waits for inspiration. Her Uni friends are spread far and wide, busy with their own lives, her parents are vacationing overseas, and of the mechanics at work, Dave is older, a nice man with adult children, while John, her age, is only interested in racing cars and is virtually taciturn when she tries to engage.
Emily is a Wordle enthusiast: it’s something she can succeed at much better than crosswords, and her current streak is over three hundred days when she looks like being stumped. John has already come to her rescue when her car beaks down; as they sit waiting for his mate to bring a truck, he surprises her by coming to the rescue again with a subtle clue to maintain her streak. John does Wordle: who knew! Perhaps there are unknown depths to this silent colleague.
Even though Emily doesn’t plan to stay, she somehow falls into a private carer job looking after her next-door-neighbour (and a few others), and volunteers at the Barrel Museum in her spare time. Her enthusiasm for each of these draws comment from John: “You are weird”. But they keep sharing their Wordle efforts, and when, despite the museum manager’s disinterest, Emily begins coming up with promotional ideas: school excursions, care home outings, a new, interactive exhibit, an open day, John offers to help out.
They end up dating, even though she definitely doesn’t want to end up with a mechanic who has settled for a small-town existence. Courses, internships and the big city are still calling her…
Emily might initially strike the reader as a bit shallow, with a somewhat warped sense of priorities, but she quickly shows herself to be kind-hearted, to show initiative and some creativity, even if she appears to occasionally be oblivious to what others plainly see. Oh, and Wordle enthusiasts might find her approach to the puzzle a little irritating.
While the plot is fairly predictable, the journey to the happy-ever-after is a very pleasant one; the characters are appealing, and James gives them some insightful observations about life. This is a sweet and enjoyable debut, and more from Amy James will be most welcome.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia.
September 7, 2024
🌷𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡.🌷
🌸🌸🌸
୨୧ 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ୨୧
⤻ cute romance
⤻ work colleagues
⤻ friends to lovers
⤻ slow burn
⤻ grumpy x sunshine
🌸🌸🌸
⊹ ⪩ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ⪨ ⊹
The story follows Emily and John, two people who bond over Wordle (how cute is that?), and it's just as fun as it sounds! Emily is super relatable with her unique outlook on life, and her connection with John feels so genuine. I loved how playful and teasing they were with each other! Their relationship grows in such a natural, heartwarming way, without any over-the-top drama, just two people figuring out what’s best for themselves and their relationship.
The side characters make this book even better, adding a lot to the story, and the dialogue is really well done. The narrative style pulls you right into Emily's head, which I personally loved, but it might not be for everyone. Heads up if you're a Wordle expert—you’ll get a little rundown on the rules, and Emily's approach to the game is pretty casual, so don’t expect any big strategic moves from her!
Overall, Emily and John's journey to find their way back to each other is both inspiring and full of heart, making it the perfect pick for anyone who loves a meaningful love story with a fresh twist.
🌸🌸🌸
ʚ♡ɞ 𝐅𝐚𝐯 𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬/𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬 ʚ♡ɞ
“You… do Wordle?”
“Yeah,” he says. “All the time.”
⤷ the beginning of a new love story <33
“Life is only as complicated as you make it.”
⤷ my new life motto!
“People can change their natures, if they want it enough.”
⤷ well said!
“There were thousands of things I wanted to do, I'm sure. But you can't do everything you want to do in life.”
⤷ this makes me feel a bit sad tbh.
“Emily is a great comfort to me. I highly recommend her services.”
-Jim
⤷ if ykyk..
<< 🌸Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.🌸 >>
🌷𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: new arc-read!! starting this tomorrow <3
September 4, 2024
I really tried to make it work, but I truly believe this couple breaks up after the book ends. How is it going to work when one person is obsessed with everything (and extremely rede and judgmental) and the other person is literally the most passive person ever—except for cars? Another major point of me not liking the couple is the way the conversation felt surface level only, no connection or emotion in them…
How is it that in chapter 14, she was trying to get her neighbor to take some pills at 11.45am, and three pages later “her phone buzzes and it’s a message from John at 11.24am”? That is one one the many inconsistencies I’ve found in the book, but the main one is that I don’t really think the author of this book has ever played wordle a day in her life.
Also who the hell wants to see a deceased person who’s not their family, or who would allow a complete stranger to see said deceased person?
There’s also the part where in trying to do Jim justice in the museums, she starts screaming—rather unprofessional, even if she was in the right— in front of actual ‘clients’. I don’t care how you volunteered there and where asked to not come back by the manager, you simply don’t scream in the middle of the day to prove a point when there are thousands of more professional ways to do it.
The whole plot of the story revolves around her wordle streak, and in the end, i’m supposed to believe she just gives it all up, without a fight?
At the end of the day, I don’t think Emily’s character—and John’s, if i’m being honest— had any character development, and it saddens me because the only thing I didn’t just in this book was the cover.
Thanks again to NetGalley and Avon via HarperCollins for the e-arc of this book to read.
How is it that in chapter 14, she was trying to get her neighbor to take some pills at 11.45am, and three pages later “her phone buzzes and it’s a message from John at 11.24am”? That is one one the many inconsistencies I’ve found in the book, but the main one is that I don’t really think the author of this book has ever played wordle a day in her life.
Also who the hell wants to see a deceased person who’s not their family, or who would allow a complete stranger to see said deceased person?
There’s also the part where in trying to do Jim justice in the museums, she starts screaming—rather unprofessional, even if she was in the right— in front of actual ‘clients’. I don’t care how you volunteered there and where asked to not come back by the manager, you simply don’t scream in the middle of the day to prove a point when there are thousands of more professional ways to do it.
The whole plot of the story revolves around her wordle streak, and in the end, i’m supposed to believe she just gives it all up, without a fight?
At the end of the day, I don’t think Emily’s character—and John’s, if i’m being honest— had any character development, and it saddens me because the only thing I didn’t just in this book was the cover.
Thanks again to NetGalley and Avon via HarperCollins for the e-arc of this book to read.
December 16, 2024
DNF Nov 12 2024 @ maybe 15-20 pages in…
I don’t make a habit of reviewing books that I DNFd but I needed to share this. On page four of this book the author wrote that Emily got a fifty day streak by getting the word BOWLS on Wordle. BOWLS has never been the answer before. BOWLS is not a possible answer in the game. Words that are made plural by adding -S or -ES are not options in the game.
The audacity to have your novel be inspired by a game and then get it wrong on PAGE FOUR.
At this point I had seen some negative comments from a friend also reading the book and came and read other reviews (they’re not great…) and made the decision to DNF. This is truly the pettiest DNF of my life but it is what it is. I didn’t even finish the first chapter.
(sorry for writing BOWLS so many times BOWLS BOWLS BOWLS)
Edit 12/2024: to clarify, you can guess the word bowls, because it is a valid word, but it is not a possible answer. So guess it all you want but you won’t be right. The book says she got it right with that word and that’s my beef because that’s WRONG.
I don’t make a habit of reviewing books that I DNFd but I needed to share this. On page four of this book the author wrote that Emily got a fifty day streak by getting the word BOWLS on Wordle. BOWLS has never been the answer before. BOWLS is not a possible answer in the game. Words that are made plural by adding -S or -ES are not options in the game.
The audacity to have your novel be inspired by a game and then get it wrong on PAGE FOUR.
At this point I had seen some negative comments from a friend also reading the book and came and read other reviews (they’re not great…) and made the decision to DNF. This is truly the pettiest DNF of my life but it is what it is. I didn’t even finish the first chapter.
(sorry for writing BOWLS so many times BOWLS BOWLS BOWLS)
Edit 12/2024: to clarify, you can guess the word bowls, because it is a valid word, but it is not a possible answer. So guess it all you want but you won’t be right. The book says she got it right with that word and that’s my beef because that’s WRONG.
March 10, 2025
my guilt complex never lets me do 1 star but this book angered me so bad and i am so glad i am finally done. to sum it up:
- emily is the worst type of person. indecisive and insufferable and childish and honestly pretty classist.
- john doesn't really have a personality
- her getting into nyu AND the met internship with no experience or qualifications is not only unrealistic but just annoying as hell
- WORDLE DOESNT WORK THIS WAY PLEASE GOD SOMEONE SAVE ME
- i'm so glad it's over. so so so glad.
i feel bad because i received this as an arc and i'm so thankful to harper collins and the author for letting me have it early to review but unfortunately..... a very big miss
- emily is the worst type of person. indecisive and insufferable and childish and honestly pretty classist.
- john doesn't really have a personality
- her getting into nyu AND the met internship with no experience or qualifications is not only unrealistic but just annoying as hell
- WORDLE DOESNT WORK THIS WAY PLEASE GOD SOMEONE SAVE ME
- i'm so glad it's over. so so so glad.
i feel bad because i received this as an arc and i'm so thankful to harper collins and the author for letting me have it early to review but unfortunately..... a very big miss
Want to read
January 31, 2025just the fact that a wordle romance exists makes me so happy i can’t 🤧
December 7, 2024
What’s a five letter word for huge waste of time
Okay now that I’ve had time to digest how much I disliked this…
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.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Okay now that I’ve had time to digest how much I disliked this…
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.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.
January 7, 2025
This was as much cute as it was a little cringe. I enjoyed the FMC and MMC. Just some of the moments were predictable or ridiculous. Overall 3 stars. It had a great premise and adorable promise, just didn't land for me as I expected.
Read
April 29, 2025Expectation: A fluffy and light-hearted romance.
Reality: The above, PLUS a genuinely heartfelt coming-of-(adult) age story about change, the tug-of-war between lofty ambitions and quiet contentment, and a lovely opposites attract romance. I didn't expect to really like this, but I really did!
Reality: The above, PLUS a genuinely heartfelt coming-of-(adult) age story about change, the tug-of-war between lofty ambitions and quiet contentment, and a lovely opposites attract romance. I didn't expect to really like this, but I really did!
July 12, 2025
Cute idea 💡 but I was bored 😅
January 22, 2025
I don’t even know where to begin with this review. This book was gifted to me for Christmas because it centers around Wordle (a game I play daily, with my own hundred-plus-day winning streak), romance (a genre I usually adore), and the fact that my husband and I play Wordle together all the time. The concept was undeniably cheesy, but I’m a sucker for a cheesy romance, so I was genuinely excited to dive in.
By the second chapter, though, I realized I was going to have to hate-read this book to the bitter end, because Emily, the protagonist, is insufferable.
Let’s start with her. Emily is in her mid-twenties with a degree in chemistry—a field that demands hard work and intelligence—but she can’t get a job in her field because she supposedly lacks “passion” and can’t fake it enough to get through an interview? That already felt like a stretch. But the kicker is how painfully boring she is. Her personality boils down to her 300-day Wordle streak, which she announces as though it’s an Olympic achievement. When she goes on her first date, it’s embarrassingly clear she has nothing to offer. No hobbies, no real goals, no charm. Just Wordle.
The entire plot is supposed to be about Emily striving for more in her life, but even as she builds some semblance of purpose in her small town, she’s never satisfied. Then, when she miraculously gets the once-in-a-lifetime chance to intern at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and earn a spot in a master’s program at NYU, what does she do? She decides her life in the middle of nowhere was actually perfect all along and drops everything—her dreams, her career, her growth—for a guy she’s been dating for all of five minutes.
Now, let’s talk about the absurd chronology of this book. It opens with Emily hitting a 301-day Wordle streak and ends with her missing her streak on day 364 because she’s so swept up in her new life. That’s just over two months. So within this tiny window, she meets and dates John, starts volunteering and planning two major events at a barrel museum, takes and quits her NYC internship, and then moves in with John. Two months.
And John. Ugh, John. The man’s entire personality revolves around cars, something Emily doesn’t even like. The two of them have nothing in common except playing Wordle together, and we barely see them bond over anything else. Yet somehow, this is enough for them to decide, “Yep, let’s move in together and spend the rest of our lives together.”
And don’t even get me started on how the author messes up Wordle itself. John says something about playing in “hard mode”—not a thing at all—and Emily’s gameplay strategy is infuriating. She guesses random words, ignores obvious letter placements, swaps out greens, and somehow still has a winning streak of over 300 days? That might be the least believable thing in this entire book, and that’s saying something.
To top it all off, John is completely unsupportive of Emily’s ambitions. He doesn’t celebrate when she’s accepted to her dream school or career, nor is he particularly excited when she returns to their small town for him. Instead, his lackluster personality and shared Wordle hobby are somehow enough to convince Emily to settle for mediocrity.
In short, “A Five-Letter Word for Love” is not just a cheesy romance; it’s an insufferable one. Between the nonsensical plot, flat characters, terrible advice, and laughably inaccurate Wordle portrayal, I can confidently say I hated this book. If I could give it zero stars, I would.
By the second chapter, though, I realized I was going to have to hate-read this book to the bitter end, because Emily, the protagonist, is insufferable.
Let’s start with her. Emily is in her mid-twenties with a degree in chemistry—a field that demands hard work and intelligence—but she can’t get a job in her field because she supposedly lacks “passion” and can’t fake it enough to get through an interview? That already felt like a stretch. But the kicker is how painfully boring she is. Her personality boils down to her 300-day Wordle streak, which she announces as though it’s an Olympic achievement. When she goes on her first date, it’s embarrassingly clear she has nothing to offer. No hobbies, no real goals, no charm. Just Wordle.
The entire plot is supposed to be about Emily striving for more in her life, but even as she builds some semblance of purpose in her small town, she’s never satisfied. Then, when she miraculously gets the once-in-a-lifetime chance to intern at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and earn a spot in a master’s program at NYU, what does she do? She decides her life in the middle of nowhere was actually perfect all along and drops everything—her dreams, her career, her growth—for a guy she’s been dating for all of five minutes.
Now, let’s talk about the absurd chronology of this book. It opens with Emily hitting a 301-day Wordle streak and ends with her missing her streak on day 364 because she’s so swept up in her new life. That’s just over two months. So within this tiny window, she meets and dates John, starts volunteering and planning two major events at a barrel museum, takes and quits her NYC internship, and then moves in with John. Two months.
And John. Ugh, John. The man’s entire personality revolves around cars, something Emily doesn’t even like. The two of them have nothing in common except playing Wordle together, and we barely see them bond over anything else. Yet somehow, this is enough for them to decide, “Yep, let’s move in together and spend the rest of our lives together.”
And don’t even get me started on how the author messes up Wordle itself. John says something about playing in “hard mode”—not a thing at all—and Emily’s gameplay strategy is infuriating. She guesses random words, ignores obvious letter placements, swaps out greens, and somehow still has a winning streak of over 300 days? That might be the least believable thing in this entire book, and that’s saying something.
To top it all off, John is completely unsupportive of Emily’s ambitions. He doesn’t celebrate when she’s accepted to her dream school or career, nor is he particularly excited when she returns to their small town for him. Instead, his lackluster personality and shared Wordle hobby are somehow enough to convince Emily to settle for mediocrity.
In short, “A Five-Letter Word for Love” is not just a cheesy romance; it’s an insufferable one. Between the nonsensical plot, flat characters, terrible advice, and laughably inaccurate Wordle portrayal, I can confidently say I hated this book. If I could give it zero stars, I would.
June 17, 2024
One of the worst books I have ever read. I would give it a zero if I could, and I only made it 18% into the book.
This book is all telling and no showing; the characters aren't appealing and none of the main plot points make sense.
This book is all telling and no showing; the characters aren't appealing and none of the main plot points make sense.
June 17, 2024
you wouldn’t think that a romance book built around the game, Wordle, would be that good, but this book was SO good.
thank you so much to NetGalley, as well as Avon and Harper Voyage for making my Wordle loving heart happy by sending me this arc! ❤️
thank you so much to NetGalley, as well as Avon and Harper Voyage for making my Wordle loving heart happy by sending me this arc! ❤️
December 9, 2024
When I saw the cover of this in the bookstore, it immediately caught my attention. As someone who’s played Wordle for over 600 days and loves books, I couldn’t resist picking it up. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations.
First of all, if you’re going to base a book around Wordle, at least make sure you understand how the game works. I noticed several inconsistencies with the Wordle answers in the story. For example, one answer was "scarf," even though a previous guess ruled out the letter C. Another time, "error" was the answer, even though a previous guess showed that R wasn't in the fifth place. Even within the first few chapters of the book, one of the answers was "cages," but plural words can't be the answer in Wordle.
The romance was another letdown. There was zero chemistry or connection between Emily and John. John was the most boring, one-dimensional character I’ve ever read. He barely talks and is quite rude, which at first I was okay with because there was room for character development... That was wishful thinking! He literally doesn’t change at all over the course of the story. And the things these two said to each other were so mean - John calling Emily weird all the time or saying she talks too much. It definitely didn’t make me root for them as a couple, it made me wonder why they were together at all.
The whole book builds up to Emily’s 365 day Wordle streak, only for her to forget to play on the big day?! I was at least hoping for a cute moment where Emily and John do the Wordle together one last time, and the answer is something meaningful, like “heart." It may have been a little cheesy, but definitely better than just forgetting it altogether. This was such a disappointment because I was really hoping to love this book.
First of all, if you’re going to base a book around Wordle, at least make sure you understand how the game works. I noticed several inconsistencies with the Wordle answers in the story. For example, one answer was "scarf," even though a previous guess ruled out the letter C. Another time, "error" was the answer, even though a previous guess showed that R wasn't in the fifth place. Even within the first few chapters of the book, one of the answers was "cages," but plural words can't be the answer in Wordle.
The romance was another letdown. There was zero chemistry or connection between Emily and John. John was the most boring, one-dimensional character I’ve ever read. He barely talks and is quite rude, which at first I was okay with because there was room for character development... That was wishful thinking! He literally doesn’t change at all over the course of the story. And the things these two said to each other were so mean - John calling Emily weird all the time or saying she talks too much. It definitely didn’t make me root for them as a couple, it made me wonder why they were together at all.
The whole book builds up to Emily’s 365 day Wordle streak, only for her to forget to play on the big day?! I was at least hoping for a cute moment where Emily and John do the Wordle together one last time, and the answer is something meaningful, like “heart." It may have been a little cheesy, but definitely better than just forgetting it altogether. This was such a disappointment because I was really hoping to love this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2024
You pretty much get what you came for here. A competent romance with actually more Wordle involvement than you would think is possible. The one thing that separates this book from most others I’ve read in the genre is that it is shockingly normal. Like this is a life a normal person would lead with normal arguments and normal dates. I did find myself getting attached to the side characters, but unfortunately the female and male main characters are a bit boring. But normal. I prefer a bit more whimsy and banter.
Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC :)
Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC :)
Read
December 19, 2024DNF at 20%
I couldn't get into this one at all. As much as I love Wordle, there was an insane amount of time talking about it, including a full explanation of the game. Plus, I was not a fan of the MCs inner monologue.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
I couldn't get into this one at all. As much as I love Wordle, there was an insane amount of time talking about it, including a full explanation of the game. Plus, I was not a fan of the MCs inner monologue.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
January 3, 2025
4.25 stars 🌟
A Five Letter Word for Love is a love letter to finding your foot in this mess called life.
We have always been told that at a certain age, we should have everything figured out. That we should be following the exact plan we had for our lives. But for better &/or worse, this isn't reality. People change, goals shift, love appears, and the future is never clear. You have to make mistakes and learn from them.
The number of times I related to Emily on her journey to find out what she wanted in life was insane. I adored the journey we took with her, and her relationship with John was sweet!
Also, I think I'm interested in Wordle now!
A Five Letter Word for Love is a love letter to finding your foot in this mess called life.
We have always been told that at a certain age, we should have everything figured out. That we should be following the exact plan we had for our lives. But for better &/or worse, this isn't reality. People change, goals shift, love appears, and the future is never clear. You have to make mistakes and learn from them.
The number of times I related to Emily on her journey to find out what she wanted in life was insane. I adored the journey we took with her, and her relationship with John was sweet!
Also, I think I'm interested in Wordle now!
December 29, 2024
In short I hated this....I kept reading since it was easy to read and I thought it seriously couldn't be this bad, but here we are. The writing was awful (don't even get me started on the Wordle stuff), the characters were transparently one dimensional, and the ending was a crime.
May 5, 2025
This felt less a romance and more like a late 20s coming of age story with a romance subplot. I'm not complaining, but an FYI for strictly romance readers, there's just as much if not more content about Emily trying to figure out what her "dream job" is, what kind of place she wants to live in, and letting go of old friendships in place of new ones.
I loved how Canadian and PEI-centric this was, until the author bizarrely chose to make Emily apply to and get accepted as an NYU masters student and an intern at the Met. I'm usually quite generous in suspending my disbelief, but it was a bit much. (She has no background in art, volunteered at a barrel museum for a month, and in her own words didn't have stellar grades). Couldn't she have applied to U of T and the Art Gallery of Ontario instead??
Anyway I loved the small town PEI vibes, laid-back stoic John, delightful elderly people, Anne of Green Gables references, and Emily as an endearing and flawed protagonist trying to find out what might make the happiest life for her.
I loved how Canadian and PEI-centric this was, until the author bizarrely chose to make Emily apply to and get accepted as an NYU masters student and an intern at the Met. I'm usually quite generous in suspending my disbelief, but it was a bit much. (She has no background in art, volunteered at a barrel museum for a month, and in her own words didn't have stellar grades). Couldn't she have applied to U of T and the Art Gallery of Ontario instead??
Anyway I loved the small town PEI vibes, laid-back stoic John, delightful elderly people, Anne of Green Gables references, and Emily as an endearing and flawed protagonist trying to find out what might make the happiest life for her.
June 28, 2025
Am I mostly pissed by the fact that this book spells out my future life? Maybe. I don’t understand how I’m supposed to enjoy a book about a woman with high ambitions who settled with a mediocre man and stays in her mediocre life where she’s entirely dependent on him. I’m not the “a woman should never rely on a man” person, but she gives up her opportunities at NYU with The Met to take a less than minimum wage job in a nowhere town with a man who prefers her silence to her speaking. I picked this up looking for a cute romantic pick me up and put it down feeling even more depressed than before. Good lord
Edit: three months later and the thought of this book, namely the $13 and four hours of my life I spent on it, STILL pisses me off.
Edit: six months later, don’t speak about this book to me
Edit: three months later and the thought of this book, namely the $13 and four hours of my life I spent on it, STILL pisses me off.
Edit: six months later, don’t speak about this book to me
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2024
This book was like a warm hug! I loved it! I loved the town, the characters, the lessons learned. I also really related to the couple. Emily reminded me of myself, and John reminded me of my own husband John! They complemented each other well, helped gently identify areas for improvement, and supported each other. This should be a series! I want more.
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