3.5/5. I enjoyed Nora and Charlie, but I didn't love either of them. To be honest, I can't pinpoint why. I usually love semi-grumpy, no nonsense, workaholic characters. I especially love when a woman MC is a little prickly. I think maybe I didn't really feel like I knew them. I also didn't feel like I got to experience them falling in love. It seemed sort of out of the blue just because they had similar personalities and were both hot. I also had a few issues with the story. I felt like it was both not doing enough while simultaneously doing too much. I mean we had to girls trip, the checklist, the housing situation, the grief over Nora's mom, saving the local store, and then the reveal toward the end. It was... a lot. And yet, I didn't get enough of an experience for any of it. Maybe because so much was packed in? Also, I realize this was Nora's POV, but I felt like Charlie was sort of just there for Nora. Sure he had his own problems, but no one was really there for him. No one helped Charlie sort out his probably conflicting feelings about being back in his home town. He was there for Nora every time she had an issue though.

All of that to say, there were some positives. I liked all the characters (I just didn't love any) including the side characters like Libby and Sally. I liked the small town and all the quirks that came with it. I liked that Charlie was from that small town and knew all those quirks like they were facts. I liked the book store and Charlie's race car bed. I enjoyed Charlie and Nora's banter. It was witty, which made sense for two literary people. I enjoyed a book about fellow book lovers.

But also... very little sex. Like none. What's up with that?

Notes: small town, enemies to lovers (sort of), summer, vacation, check list/bucket list situation, sister bonding