The following version of this novel was used in the creation of this study guide: Henry, Emily. Book Lovers. Berkeley. 2022. Paperback.

Book agent Nora Stephen’s sees herself as the villain of most people’s romance stories. She describes herself as the city girl with ambitions and wit that is often left behind for a girl in the countryside. Now, convinced that she will never find true love, Nora dedicates herself to her job, representing many authors, including Dusty Fielding. When she tries to give Dusty’s book to a new editor named Charlie Lastra, however, the two immediately dislike each other, and Nora decides she will never work with him again.

Two years later, Nora’s little sister Libby asks her to go on a trip to Sunshine Falls, the iconic location from Dusty’s most recent bestseller Once Upon a Lifetime. While Nora is reluctant to leave her work behind, she agrees to go in the hopes of making Libby happy again. On the way, Libby unveils a vacation bucket list containing a variety of things that are new to them. Many of them pertain to the dreams Libby had before their mother died, though she insists that Nora go on dates with a few men from the small town to get out of her comfort zone.

In Sunshine Falls, Nora struggles to detach herself from her work, much to Libby’s annoyance. Nora is shocked to see Charlie in the town, later learning that he is actually from Sunshine Falls and refused to edit Once Upon a Lifetime because Dusty had clearly never been there, despite making it the main setting. While the two initially do not see eye to eye, both realize that they are more similar than they thought and develop feelings for each other. Still, Nora hesitates to start a relationship with Charlie as he does not fit the small town aesthetic that Libby wants. Furthermore, she feels that Libby is pulling further away from her and is desperate to know how to repair their relationship.

At the same time, Nora is devastated to learn that the main character of Dusty’s new novel, Frigid, is an ambitious and uncaring agent named Nadine who is very similar to Nora herself. Yet, the story is so good that Nora encourages Dusty to keep going despite it hurting her feelings. So, when Dusty’s editor goes on maternity leave a month earlier than expected, Nora agrees to let Charlie take over the editing, but only if his notes go through Nora herself. Dusty agrees to the arrangement, and Nora and Charlie start working together.

Meanwhile, Libby decides to spruce up the local bookstore, Goode Books, owned by Charlie’s parents Sally and Clint. As the vacation continues, Libby gets more distant and Nora is convinced that she is unhappy because Libby cannot find a bigger home for her family to move into. So, when Charlie says that Nora will not complete the bucket list before the end of their trip, they make a bet with his New York apartment at stake. Determined to get it for Libby, Nora throws herself into completing the list, but she and Charlie’s relationship get more complicated as they get close to intimacy, but remind each other that they cannot be together.

Throughout the next few weeks, Nora pushes Libby to work on the list. Meanwhile, Nora and Charlie edit Frigid together, falling in love with Dusty’s plot and making drastic changes to improve it. While Nora and Charlie learn more about each other, Nora is sad to learn that Libby thinks she works herself too hard and is following in the footsteps of their eternally depressed mother. Nora disagrees, as she threw herself into the agent job to provide for Libby when their mother passed away, even turning down her dream editing job because she did not know if she would make enough. Charlie encourages Nora to follow her dreams as he believes she is a very good editor. Eventually, he reveals that he is staying in Sunshine Falls to help his parents, even though he does not think they want him there.

Towards the end of their visit, Libby decides to hold a Blue Moon Ball that mirrors the same one from Dusty’s Once Upon a Lifetime that the town is proud of. The two sisters work hard and cross more things off of their list when Nora receives a call from a publishing house to interview for the editor job that Charlie is leaving. Libby gets upset that Nora is working again, but Nora shouts that she gave her her dream job for Libby and has no life because she wanted to provide. However, Libby collapses, and Nora learns that she has low iron and B12 due to the pregnancy, but never told her. As the two sisters reconcile, Libby says their mother treated Nora more like a partner than her daughter and that Libby no longer wants Nora to sacrifice her life for Libby.

After Nora and Charlie sleep together, she tells him about the chronic anxiety she has after her phone died while she was with her ex-boyfriend Jakob. This meant that Libby was alone at the hospital for hours after their mother died, and Nora blames herself for not being there. Charlie is upset that Nora’s ex abandoned her while she was struggling, but Nora says she could not have done anything for her. She and Charlie consider another relationship, but Nora does not think she can stay.

Then Nora learns that Libby was already planning to move close to Sunshine Falls and had hoped to convince Nora to move before telling her. Nora, who adores New York, breaks down and goes to Charlie for advice. He promises her that everything will be okay and that she needs to focus on herself now. Libby later agrees, telling Nora to go for the editor job, even if it means they will have to be apart.

After a successful ball and a last goodbye with Charlie, Nora returns to New York and has a successful interview. She and Libby do everything they can together before Libby leaves in November. By December, Nora has the editor job and is shocked to see Charlie in the same bookstore that she, Libby, and their mother always visited. He announces that Libby took over the family bookstore and his parents told him to be happy and not spend all of his time on them. So, he plans on moving back to New York and living the rest of his life with Nora. She happily agrees.

Six months later, Nora and Charlie return to celebrate Goode Book’s success as Charlie plans to propose. Nora wishes everyone luck in finding what makes them happy.