Must Love Books

Written by Shauna Robinson

Narrated by Tyra Kennedy

"A heartfelt and exciting debut...a wise and honest story of how it feels to be a young woman in search of yourself."―Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill meets Younger in a heartfelt debut following a young woman who discovers she'll have to ditch the "dream job" and write her own story to find her happy ending.

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.

Nora Hughes is the perfect heroine for anyone looking to get past their own chapter twenty-something and build their storybook life.

"A tender reflection on finding your person while you're still desperately searching for yourself."―KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times bestselling author of The Chicken Sisters

"A book for book lovers... It's impossible not to root for Nora!"―Jesse Q. Sutanto, National Bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties

• Language: English
• Publisher: Spotify Audiobooks
• Release date: Feb 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667068145

Shauna Robinson

Shauna Robinson’s love of books led her to try a career in publishing before deciding she’d rather write books instead. 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. Must Love Books is her debut novel.

Reviews for Must Love Books

[Jamie Zdunski · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is such an honest look at how hard it can be to live with depression and deal with the facade of the “dream job.” I really related to Nora, I have often done what I think is the only option and then get sucked way too far in to stop.

In the plot, there’s no twist. You know exactly what’s coming but I was able to feel Nora’s feelings so viscerally that I had to turn the audio book off and come back at a better time because of the anxiety I was feeling!!! The author has written a narrator that is so honest (to the reader) and relatable, I just finished the book and I miss her already.

Must Love Books isn’t lighthearted or a passive read. It has heavy themes and maybe doesn’t give you the conclusion you think it will BUT it’s realistic and intriguing. Nothing is magically fixed and that is SO refreshing.

[Carrie Nevarez · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

DNF at 55%. The protagonist was so negative about everything. I just wanted something lighthearted and fun to listen to on a Sunday evening but this was not that.

Maybe it’s because I’m “white” but the constant references to how “white” publishing is and how it sucked so much that she was surrounding by white people just tipped the scale for me.

[Kaori · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a really good slice of life book, I really appreciated the characters and learned to enjoy the book. Reading this as a freshly 20yr old it gave me some fresh perspective and hope for my future.

[tay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was a pleasant surprise, thought provoking, and I found myself identifying a lot with Nora. Would love to see a book two and how her life changes.

[Jenna Vaughn · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book was dreadfully slow. It felt like it was trying too hard to get the "lesson" across.
Nora works at a struggling publishing company and when she is told that they are cutting her pay by 15% she gets a freelance job at a competing publisher. Enter Andrew Santos best selling author wanted by both companies.
I didn't feel genuine connection between Nora and Andrew. She's rude and there didn't seem to be enough motivation to move the relationship forward, IMHO. Nora is depressed and only in the last few chapters did she begin to feel any hope. I am glad her friends were there for her despite everything. It wasn't horrible but I felt like the title was the best part ?