emily henry, you've gained a new fan.

i'm not the type to read romance novels, the genre simply is not my go-to at any given point, but after seeing the hype around this book and author, i was dying to know if it would live up to my expectations. i have to say i was pleasantly surprised, only because i went in blind, knowing nothing about this book or the author's style. the characters were lovable, multi-dimensional and felt quite real (although my perception of 30-something people may be slanted).
i enjoyed the setting and the "hallmark christmas movie" vibe, although the book is set in the middle of summer a lot, i read it like it a well-done revisiting of an overdone trope. nora was a very interesting character, if we consider how she is literally the antagonist of the stereotypical love stories, the one who puts herself and her work above romantic relationships, and charlie's reticence towards her was well approached and developed. charlie's character had quite a lot to himself as well, first depicted as a cold, heartless man in power and then portrayed a lot softer than i expected. the relationship builds up gradually and made sense, in my opinion.

honestly, i only have positive thoughts about this book, it was a nice read.