Must Love Books

by Shauna Robinson

Meet Nora Hughes―the overworked, underpaid, last bookish assistant standing. At least for now. 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.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Books About Books, Contemporary, Adult, Audiobook, Chick Lit

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 18, 2022

About the author

Shauna Robinson writes contemporary fiction with humor and heart. Originally from San Diego, she now lives in Virginia with her husband and their sleepy greyhound. Shauna is an introvert at heart—she spends most of her time reading, baking, and figuring out the politest way to avoid social interaction.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cure for my anxious, nervous mind with its effective healing powers: such a lovely feel good novel!

I love books about books theme: the romance part of the story perfectly balanced with self worth-self discovery-finding yourself and purpose in the world parts. The author’s respective and realistic approach of mental health issues also blended well with the entire premise.

Being stuck at the same job: like a mouse chases its tail, spiraling slowly might be so frustrating : that’s what Nora Hughes deals for years. After 5 long of years at her dream job which turns into quite freaking nightmare, working at the very same position without any promotion, it’s so natural to expect more for her life but instead of getting promoted and she got the pay cut which will affect her financially.

She’s not gonna make end meets. She will be the one at the lowest ranking with her lowest paid job , working on compulsory tasks that no one wants to deal with. If she doesn’t want to declare bankruptcy, she has to find a second job urgently!

Thanks to her lucky stars she’s landed to another job in Webber. Her plan is simple and achievable! She has to balance her Parsons and Webber jobs for six months. She is determined to prove Webber team she can do anything they ask for including helping the authors meet deadlines and bringing more fresh authors to sign with the company. She has also make sure her bosses at Parsons don’t find her second job because of conflict of interest. She has to hang on long enough till Weber offers her editorial coordinator position. Then she can quit from Parsons.

But her meeting with Andrew Santos who has contract drawn up and awaiting his signature for Parsons will change her destiny. She tries to convince him to sign for Webber. And the bunch of lies she has to tell put her in complicated situation.

Overall: I easily empathize with Nora. The publishers world always picks my interest. It was well written, riveting, genuine, lovely novel I absolutely enjoyed to read!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

[Jesse (JesseTheReader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.5) I enjoyed the publishing environment of this book and seeing our main character navigate the harsh realities that come with working in that space. This book is being pitched as a romance and there definitely is a spark that takes place between two characters, but that's really a very small part of this novel. I feel like we mostly follow a girl who dreams of working with books in some capacity, but finds herself lost in the money making aspect of it and loses what her original drive was.

[Taylor Reid]

Nora believes she’s landed her dream job in publishing. But five (long) years later, she’s come to the realization that dream jobs don’t exist. Pushed to her wits end when her salary is cut, she takes a risk moonlighting for a rival company. But will her risk pay off? A wise and heartfelt debut.

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

books in which everything is horrible but somehow turns out nice in the end >>>

i like books where the protagonist starts off deeply depressed and everything goes wrong and then everything comes together.

although...this was mostly bad stuff and then too realistic of an ending. give me joy. give me career fulfillment and romance. not half-hearted takes on both!!!

i'm not here for realism. i am here for A Happily Ever After That Is Surreal And Magical Enough To Be Fairytale-Esque And Impossible, even if there are no princesses or cast spells and it's really just the sheer impossibility of having, like, a successful love life and career and social plans all at once.

but anyway.

overall this was fun!

bottom line: nice.

---------------
tbr review

so true

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This unfortunately was not a book I loved. I always wonder when I don't care for the audiobook, would I have enjoyed the book had I read it? I'll never know. What I do know is that this wasn't the book for me.

As the description states, Nora is overworked and underpaid. She is an editorial assistant at Parson's Press. When she learns she is getting a pay cut, she comes up with a plan to moonlight at a rival publisher. Enter Andrew Santos stage left. He is a best-selling author at Parsons. When she gets his sandwich order wrong, she gets on his radar, and they form a friendship. Now Nora must decide, try to get him to sign with Webber, where she is moonlighting, or convince him to stay at Parsons.

Along the way she gets tripped up over her lies, and you guessed it, things begin to fall apart. What will she do? Will she get the job she wants? Will her lies be her downfall?

I'm sure many will love this about the book. But I was expecting something entirely different. That is on me and not the author. But, at the end of the day, this just didn't work for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters, didn't feel any chemistry between them and didn't care what happened to them or what path they took.

Many are enjoying this book more than I did, so please seek out their reviews as well.

Thank you to OrangeSky Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Women's Fiction/Romance. The main character, Nora, in this book was very hard for me to love/care about. Nora is in a dead end job, but she does not go out trying to change anything for most of this book. I just wanted to yell at Nora for most of this book. The mental health problems of this book I feel could have been done better. This book was ok, and I did not love the main character. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Sourcebooks) or author (Shauna Robinson) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

[Obsidian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trigger warning: Suicide ideation

So. This isn't a romance book. I am fine with romance books taking on serious subject matters, but this book doesn't end with a Happy Ever After (HEA), it ends on well there's hope for one, down the line. And honestly, I don't think the heroine (Nora) is good enough for the hero (Andrew Santos) so that's a no from me. 

I think what got me is that this entire book is pretty much joyless. The only reason why I gave this two stars is that I thought the cover was cute and I honestly thought the writing was fine, and the character of Andrew was really great. However, everything else dealing with Nora, and the flow of the book was not. Also, don't tell me a book is similar to The Bookish Life of Nina Hill and it is not. Not even a little. 

"Must Love Books" follows 20 something year old Nora Hughes. Nora is an editorial assistant at Parsons Press. Though initially excited by her job (cause she loves books) Nora over the past 5 years has been grinded down by the cutbacks, layoffs, and salary cuts at Parsons. When her best friend at work, Beth, leaves for another job, Nora feels more adrift than ever. When she messes up a lunch order though, she ends up meeting one of Parson's bestselling authors, Andrew Santos. Nora keeps running into Andrew and finds herself pulled to him though she doesn't want to be. When Nora starts moonlighting at another publisher, she doesn't know if she can pull herself out before she gets caught or worse. 

I really wanted to beg Nora to see someone and obtain some medication. Because the suicide, depression, and anxiety this character had through the entire book was a lot to wade through. It didn't help that I saw her as being way too dependent on Beth and then on Andrew (she just shows up at his house without calling...who does that?) Looking to others to lift you up constantly is not a winning strategy and thought the book was being very dishonest about how hard it is to break the cycle of depression. And honestly, though you feel for her and what happens at Parsons (taking a pay cut) she had options than the one she chose. I think that Robinson wants you to feel for Nora, but I just thought how duplicitous she was through most of the book and I was not rooting for her. I think what kills me is that I wondered why anyone was defending Nora and or trying to help her out. She shuts herself away from her roommate who you can tell is hurt by it. She only talks to Beth when she needs cheered up/encouraged. She ends up "befriending" three other colleagues she dumps herself on. She just felt like a energy vampire to me. And I used to have someone in my life that had this affect on me, so maybe it was just bad memories rearing up while reading. 

Andrew was delightful and I loved the character. Him trying his best to be there for Nora and being vulnerable at times because he's worried that she doesn't really like him, but sees him as a means to an end for her job at Parsons is hard to read sometimes. And I hated how Robinson just has him and other characters constantly give Nora a pass. 

The writing was fine as I said, but the flow was not. This book was slow. Maybe it was the subject matter or something. But reading about how books get published and the ins/outs of the industry was not exciting reading. 

The setting of the book is San Francisco, but except for a few scenes here and there, this could have been anywhere USA. 

The ending as I said was not a HEA. I said well maybe it's a HFN, and no, it's not. If anything, because Nora's core issues are not addressed (it's not just her job that is the issue) I just could not say yep, happiness will follow.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nora Hughes is in the midst of an identity crisis. Her duties as an Editorial Assistant at Parson Publishing have been increasing. Unfortunately her salary is decreasing. Add to that Nora's history of anxiety and a sense of encroaching doom and Nora feels paralyzed. A cute author enters her life and adds some levity and encouragement. Andrew is so good for Nora. The sticker scene is so darn cute! In the midst of her financial crunch, Nora makes a decision that is questionable and spends much of the book attempting to justify it. As the situation spirals downward, she contemplates what she would like to do and comes up with four words: 1) Books 2) Input 3) Persuade 4) Nonprofit. As Nora discovers in conversations with friends and coworkers, there are many paths that might include these four identifiers. If I were Nora's friend, I would have her apply for a job at my library. What does Nora do? Will Andrew stick with her? Read this debut title and find out. Don't go into this book expecting a romcom. You will be disappointed. This book does do an excellent job of giving us an intimate look at a career in publishing and how a young woman finds a path to better utilize her gifts. Included are Reading Group Discussion Questions and An Interview With the Author.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, cutesy cover aside—this is not a romance.

However, Nora's troubles spoke to me in increasingly uncomfortable ways. Her unhappiness in her soul-sucking job, the depression that took over her life, the slow realization that Dream Jobs just might not exist for her at all.

But I really did enjoy it, if I'm treating enjoy in a sense that does not mean "make me happy." It was a cathartic read, one that would have had me crying a year ago, and now, with me coming up on a year since I quit the job that *should* have been my Dream Job because it was crushing me heart and soul and I could not take the underhanded pettiness of it all, I only teared up. Because I've been there.

Managing expectations. Wanting more and realizing I *could* do more but also knowing that I am the one holding myself back and unable to take another step forward, crushed by the overwhelming feeling that *this path* is not one I should be on and seeing no way out beyond The Out. Thankfully, I have been very lucky in that I didn't have Nora's financial instability (thank you, Marine Corps).

Depression is a bitch, and I'm going to probably delete all of this review and do one that's not so personal (and one that has quotes and shit), but this was a very personal read for me.

TW: suicidal thoughts, depression

[Heidi (can’t retire soon enough) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

There’s a lot to like about this book including because it’s not fully rom or com.

Nora’s dead end job creates all kinds of problems for our bookworm, editorial assistant. And from page one I was rooting for her happiness.

Unfortunately she ends up being her worst enemy and one deceitful decision drives the rest of the story. I get there has to be chaos and conflict but it was a tad too much for me.

But Nora’s predicament combined with her nearly unbelievable capacity for self doubt (and self loathing) changed the initial premise. The book actually went deeper than this type of tale usually goes, but that’s also where it lost a star for me.

Nora is caught and must deal with the chaos she created but I felt the author didn’t strike the right tone as Nora shifts gears and finds “her parachute.” That said, I loved the ending which was more realistic than usual in these chick lit books.

In conclusion, I’m looking forward to this author’s next book— there was a lot of good stuff here!!

[Whitney Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is now out! Grab yourself a copy. The title and cover of this book drew me in. I enjoy reading books with book themes so I was excited to read this one and it did not disappoint! Must Love Books was a fun, light hearted read. The book follows Nora, who works for a publisher, as she struggles with being stuck at her job and making ends meet. I enjoyed getting a little insight into the publishing world and how things work. The characters were very likable and I really felt for Nora as she found the right path for herself.

Thank you Net Galley and Sourcebooks for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. This book is expected to be published on January 18, 2022.

[Jovana (NovelOnMyMind) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

And the final line under the desired skills and qualifications section sealed her fate, three little words that curled around Nora’s heart and told her she belonged in publishing: Must love books.

This book had several things going for it.

• The writing style wasn't bad at all.
• The premise had a lot of potential.
• The moral dilemma was done so well, it really made me think a lot.
• The humor was my kind of humor.

However, the things I didn’t like took a lot of place and made me want to DNF the whole time from 50% onward.

• First, the book was so slow. So, so painfully slow. And I usually love slow burners, but this one… It took me ages to read it, even though I would normally read a book of this length in 2 – 3 days.
• I guess I also expected something completely different based on the cover. I thought it’s going to be much more a nice, fluffy romance and that the problems would be more Sophie-Kinsella-style.
• Also, the characters were fine but nothing special. I certainly won’t remember them for long.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson in exchange for an honest review.

[Classic Jane Austen · Rating 2 out of 5]

TW: Suicidal thoughts, depression

DNF

I'm seeing lots of reviews that are calling this a "feel good" novel or an "adorable" story. This didn't feel like either of those things. The heroine deals with some heavy and hard stuff.

This book is a tough one for me to review, but I do feel like I need to warn others since I wasn't warned prior to reading. I like the mental illness rep and learning more about the publishing world, but I think the book cover and the blurb are misleading. It's described as similar to "Younger" and "The Bookish Life of Nina Hill", but I really didn't get either one of those vibes. The story talks heavily and directly about the depression and suicidal thoughts that the heroine, Nora, is dealing with during her quarter-life crisis. Depression, and certainly suicide, weren't even on my radar after reading the blurb. The challenges with mental health that Nora is going through needs to be mentioned in the blurb as there is triggering content. The blurb mentions that her life is "spiraling" but that's it. Also, the thoughts of suicide were never really fully addressed and she appeared to get better just from reading a book given to her from a romantic partner??? I felt like when Nora worked up the courage to tell her friend she was struggling, her friend just texted her and tried to give her "quick" fixes. Her friend didn't really listen to her.

I certainly understood Nora's depression when dealing with her job. I've been overworked and struggling at my day job before too. So much that it's made me physically and mentally ill, so I felt for her. I think probably most of us have been there if we've been at a dead-end job that doesn't appreciate us. Had I known Nora was going to be facing thoughts of suicide though while she dealt with her career, I would not have picked this book up to be honest. I don't need to see those thoughts right now with something that hits so close to home. I had to put the book down at 55% and didn't finish because I wasn't sure of what might happen with how she dealt with her thoughts.

If you are looking for a fun, light-hearted romantic comedy, this is probably not going to be it. There is romance, but it's not the main part of the book. Nora also does some morally questionable things in her job--nothing illegal, but enough for me to have a hard time rooting for her. There was some deceit going on that didn't sit well with me. I think overall it was just hard to connect to Nora. Maybe that was because it was told in third person and not first person, the plot was slow, or maybe because I thought the story was something else entirely. I think this book just wasn't for me.

I was provide an e-ARC from the publisher/Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.

[Brandy Painter · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is why marketing a book properly matters. I probably would've liked this way more if I went into it knowing what I was getting, but I save books like this for certain moods. When I pick up a book that is labeled romance (by both the marketing and my own library), I'm looking for an entirely different experience. This books isn't even romance adjacent like much women's fiction is. This book is to romance what actual fruit is to La Croix. I felt angry and cheated, so I probably won't be picking up anything else by this author ever again. (There is a man and there is a possibility of a potential of a thing but this can't even be classified as ending with HFN. It's a we might possibly maybe go on a date a quarter of a year from now.)

[Cora · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, for those of you who watch BookTube: you know how BookTube creators like to do a "mid-year freak-out tag" in June or July of each year? Where they list their top 3 most beloved books of the year so far? Well, were I to make a similar list, I know I'd include this book. In fact... I think I'd list this book as my top favorite, because this charming little book was so very relatable, had so much heart, and even months later, I can't stop thinking about it. Here's why:

First, the main character. This story is about a character (mid-twenties, single, working in the publishing industry) whose job is mundane & unsatisfying and consequently, it's sucking all the energy & life from her. She's actively searching for work, but finding no traction with interviews. Then, her salary is cut and her best friend at work takes a job at another company. She's isolated, burned out, financially-struggling, depressed, and unable to ask for help. As the story continued and I learned more about her, I couldn't help but become invested.

Second, the mental health representation, which is incredibly relatable. As someone who had a similar experience of working in a draining "job" (actually, while I was finishing my graduate school program), I could easily sympathize with the main character. Some of the criticism for this book revolves around the main character's lack of action to change her situation, but honestly, sometimes it is too challenging to see your way through a situation that feels hopeless and keeps worsening, especially if you have difficulty asking for help. And the aspect that I most appreciated because it felt most authentic: the way in which the main character's depression would come and go. Like, some days, she felt okay. Other days, like when the main character was at home, lonely, and just passing time staring at her ceiling fan, thoughts of suicide would crawl back into the forefront. That's what depression & suicidal thoughts feel like: isolation, and a lack of hope. But it's not always a constant! And over the course of the book, those good moments piled up and she gained a little more hope in her outlook, and I felt so very happy for her!

Lastly, this book offered the perfect balance between the romance and women's fiction elements, and unlike many other women's fiction books about the publishing industry, plenty of content about publishing!

Super relatable, super emotional, and super investing. Plus, I learned a lot about publishing over the course of this book. This is a 5/5 book that I hope to revisit again and again ❤️

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
[TRIGGER WARNINGS: Depression, racism, suicidal thoughts].

Must Love Books is a heartwarming, cleverly written book about Nora who works in the publishing world of books. But it's not all Nira was hoping it would be and she longs to find a spark of happiness and joy within her life.
This book tackles some serious topics such as depression and suicidal thoughts and even racism, but does them in a great way. I am going through similar feelings as Nora right now with feeling no spark in my life and suffering with depression and this book was a calming read for me to make me feel I'm not alone.
There are some romantic elements in this book which was great to mix up the story a little and I loved the romantic atmosphere between Nora and Andrew too.
If you love books about books and light romance you'll enjoy this read.

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows a young woman who has been working in publishing for 5 years now. This is her first real job and she's sort of lost and directionless. Like so many of us she's hit the point where the company is experiencing pay cuts and her work friends are all gone. So not only is she barely surviving but she has no one around to keep her going. Her dream job isn't what she thought it was and she's feeling jaded. She's also struggling to find a new job.

It's a little dreary at some points because so much of the story is set in the office and even when they're outside of the office the focus is constantly work. But I felt Nora's emotions. This is a very relatable story for someone who is at that crossroads in life and unsure what their next step will be.

[rach⭑ · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 20%

I wanted to enjoy this book because I love books about publishing/writers/bookish things but this book did not do it for me. At least the 20% that I read didn’t.

Firstly, I think the synopsis and the blurb are a bit misleading. I thought this would be more of a cute romance but it’s mostly women’s fiction I would say.

Secondly, this had such a slow start that I was struggling to stay focused while reading it. Nothing about Nora was making me want to continue reading even without the romance aspect of it.

From other reviews I have read, there is a bit of romance in this but by 20% our heroine only interacted with the hero twice. And both times were short, work related and pretty meaningless.

I think this is more down to a personal preference, I thought this book was a romance and it’s not so unfortunately I will not continue reading this.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC for this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Wendy W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭒
Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson is a contemporary fiction book about a woman who is at a crossroads in her life and her career.

Nora Hughes is an underpaid, underappreciated, editorial assistant at a small press publishing company in San Fransisco named Parsons Press. She’s been working hard hoping to become an editor but doesn’t see a path to editor opening up any time soon.

After Parsons Press cuts the pay of all the editorial assistants, Nora realizes she’ll never be able to live on the reduced salary. She decides to moonlight at a rival publisher as a freelancer in hopes to make enough money to pay the rent and also to find out if she can eventually move up to editor at the new job. She meets author Andrew Santos who is the highest-selling author in the business division at Parsons. Their friendship develops and their relationship becomes a conflict of interest for Nora.

I enjoyed Must Love Books for the most part, and I’m very glad I read it. However, it was a bit slow for the first half of the book. Nora has a terrible job, and her frustration and depression with her life are very evident during the first half of the book. But, it did pick up and I liked that Nora started looking at her job, and her life in a much better light. Must Love Books is a good look at what it’s like to find out your dream job, is not a dream at all, and it’s time to re-evaluate your life and make some tough decisions.

I recommend Must Love Books to anyone who enjoys contemporary women's fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Antonella · Rating 4 out of 5]

* NOT A ROMANCE BOOK
* NOT A LIGHTHEARTED BOOK EITHER
I really don't understand all these feelgood reviews or readers marking this as romance in my opinion it is neither, there is a romantic interest but is a side plotline and it is resolved in equal measure ( as a side thing not relevant to the main premise with an open ending)

Our female protagonist is somewhat in a rut. She is very unhappy with her workplace, her salary, struggling with the pay cuts, overwhelmed with extra responsibility, and overall feeling unappreciated. She is struggling with relatable issues and questions many (if not all of us have)
- what is my dream job
- should I quit
- is this the right career path for me

I like the book setting. We get behind the scene look of a publishing house. As someone who loves books and anything about them, I found that part fascinating.
The writing was excellent too. This is a debut novel. Congratulations to the author, in my opinion, she did well.

I was definitely drawn to the cover and the title. However, I didn't expect a lack of romance- which is my thing. The book is centered around our female protagonist and her job. As a result, we go and her self-discovery journey of finding what makes her happy, comfortable, and content.

The readers I would recommend this book to are the ones who enjoy woman fiction books centered around career and thought-provoking introspective themes.

tw: depression

* thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

3,5⭐

[Larry H · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

The title says Must Love Books , well, lucky for me, I do love books!!

Nora used to dream of a job in publishing, of finding the next great book and connecting with authors to make their dreams come true. But after five years at Parsons, she realizes how far her dreams are from the reality of her job.

After corporate restructuring, she’s now taken on many other people’s administrative tasks in addition to her own. And they just cut her salary on top of everything, so she’s doing triple the work for less money. So when she hears of a part-time freelance job at a rival publisher, she takes it—while continuing to work her job at Parsons. She intends to quit but she just never gets around to it. Nothing could go wrong, right?

But when she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Andrew, one of Parsons’ most successful authors, whom she’s supposed to be convincing to re-sign his contract, she’s suddenly conflicted. Should she do her actual job and get him back with Parsons, the freelance job and try to attract him to the other publisher, or be honest with Andrew? And what would that mean for her future—work-wise or even romance-wise?

I love books about publishing, bookstores, libraries, booksellers, etc., so I had a lot of hope for this one. It’s definitely cute but it just never really clicked for me. Maybe I was expecting more of a rom-com, but that really wasn't the core of this story. Even the cover design of the book and the blurb felt a little misleading. In the end, though, I thought this one was just ok.

You can’t win ‘em all!!

Check out my list of the best books I read in 2021 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2021.html.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.

[Lisa (NY) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really the rom-com I expected - more of "young woman trying to figure out what she is going to do with her life." I enjoyed the glimpse into the publishing world.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful debut by Shauna Robinson! Of course, the title and cover captured my heart. And I could definitely relate to main character Nora Hughes, stuck in a low-paying job she hates. We’ve all been there! Turns out even publishing jobs can do a number on one’s psyche, as it did to Nora. The real strength of MUST LOVE BOOKS is the way the author deals frankly with depression. Wonderful books like these help remove the stigma and give hope for a new, happier life. Brava!

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 18 Jan 2022
#MustLoveBooks #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

[Natasha Leighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit when I first started reading this I did kind of expect a fairly lighthearted, feel-good romance set within the gruelling world of publishing; where our loveable main character (Nora) would finally find job satisfaction—and love, with a satisfying ending tied up in a HEA bow.

And though Nora (our overworked protagonist) is incredibly endearing, I wasn’t expecting her journey to be nearly as complex or emotionally fraught as it was, dealing with some pretty heavy themes such as identity, race, financial insecurity and career fulfilment.

As a reader, we often see the publishing world as a magical book-filled utopia, so to delve into a (less glamorous) side of the industry and see the not so fun parts of day-to day life was really interesting (especially when I discovered Shauna Robinson used to be an editorial assistant herself.) Just seeing how demanding the publishing sector is really makes me appreciate all the hard work that goes into getting books on shelves and into readers’ hands.

I also appreciated the poignancy and realism that mental health issues such as depression and anxiety were explored —and loved how sensitively Robinson highlights just how damaging (both physically and mentally) work-related stress can be.

Though I didn’t agree with all of Nora’s decisions (working for rival publishers simultaneously was never going to be a sustainable solution), I did sympathise with her circumstances and felt (for the most part) that she was definitely making the best of a bad situation. We do get some romance, through Nora’s flirtatious interactions and chemistry with author (and resident cinnamon roll) Andrew who I absolutely adored!

But, ultimately it’s Nora’s personal and emotional development that I found most compelling and I fans of books about books (or set in a bookish environment) are definitely going to enjoy this one—just don’t expect it to be all fluffy and sweet.

A huge thank you to One More Chapter for the e-arc.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Must Love Books was a pretty interesting book with realistic characters. In it, you will meet Nora. She sort of has my ideal dream job - working as an editorial assistant at Parsons Press. I mean, it's not the dream position but honestly working at a publishing company does sound fun. To be surrounded by books all day, every day - yes.

But to be honest, it's not her dream job right now. To be suck in a position that underpays her for all the work she does. Trust me, I feel that pain in my current job because I'm definitely overworked and very underpaid right now. So her wanting to go elsewhere for her mental health and happiness? Yes please.

Enter a potential love interest and I was already sold. Even though I kind of wanted more than the flirting? Maybe it's just be but I definitely wanted more from these two. Plus the whole will she or wont she quit for most of the book was kind of annoying but I get wanting to have a back up plan for when shit hits the fan.

In the end, even though it was a tough decision to make I think she did the right choice. Especially if this new role in her life will make her happier.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Must Love Books isn't light-hearted and fluffy ... it's the story of pushing oneself beyond your boundaries, stepping outside of your comfort zone. Making mistakes and learning from them. It's the story of self discovery. It's about Nora, a woman who is at a crossroads in her life. Her job of five years has her overworked and way underpaid. Nora feels stuck.

Overall I enjoyed this book. Nora deals with a lot of really heavy feelings. I didn't feel that the synopsis really portrayed that and I found it misleading.

TW: Suicidal Thoughts. Depression.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for my gifted copy!!

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a lover of romance novels, but of course this title was going to attract me no matter what AND I read “The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks” by this author which I enjoyed.

This is not a typical ‘romance’ novel, it is not the Mills & Boon kind of book it is a book about the publishing business, books and authors with a bit of romance thrown in.

Nora is in a dead-end job at a small publishing house where she has worked for five years as an Editorial Assistant. Now they are laying off employees, cutting salaries and giving Nora more work none of which has anything to do with her job title.

She has to take (secretly) a part-time job with a rival publishing house in order to pay her bills.

Nora is torn and finds herself falling back into a dark place of not knowing what to do with her life. What was supposed to be her ‘dream job’ is anything but.

She meets and develops a connection with an author that her full time publishing house is trying to secure and she is charged with getting him to sign their contract with the promise of a better salary, but also getting him to sign with the part-time publishing company would be a big boost and likely lead to a better full time job with them.

When all of this comes crashing down Nora finally takes a leap of faith and sets out to find her real passion. Maybe nothing to do with publishing at all, but maybe something to do with a certain author. Maybe.

Just know that the girl/boy romance is secondary in this novel – but since I have a romance with books "Must Love Books" worked for me.

[Mary Jackson _TheMaryReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about books, YES, please. This was a refreshing debut read. One that I think you will enjoy. The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I snagged this from Hoopla when it compared it to Younger and assumed it was a romance. While it has some romance, it's much more about the central character of Nora, who is unhappily employed in her fifth year as an editorial assistant at a less than prestigious publisher. When she gets a pay cut, she has to figure out what comes next.

[Scarlett Loves Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting. First of all, it wasn’t a romance. Second, this book went into dark places with suicidal thoughts and depression. I did enjoy reading about the different aspects of publishing, both the good and the bad. And I did relate to Nora’s struggles. However, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with how things got resolved.