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. You can find more of my reviews of Shauna's work here.
Applicant: Nora Hughes—the overworked, underpaid, last assistant standing. At least for now. Experience: Five years too many. When Nora landed an editorial assistant position at Parsons Press, it was her first step toward the "dream job." 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. Salary Expectations: Abysmal. 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, Nora decides to moonlight for a rival publisher . . . and maybe poach some Parsons authors along the way. References: None. Well . . . maybe one? 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 jobs, ever-optimistic Andrew, or . . . herself and her future. Required: Must Love Books.
This novel discusses some themes that may be triggering to some! Please take care while reading the book, and this review.
The first thing I want to say is that Shauna Robinson writes with so much heart—I was incredibly struck with how much I empathized with Nora, especially within just the first 50 pages. The description of depression is so real and raw; the desire for publishing to be one way, to be perfect, and then it turns out to be an absolute sham is so heartbreaking. I really felt for Nora, and maybe it's because I want to be Nora, an editorial assistant at a publishing company, so watching Nora go through this process of revealing the reality behind the dream was heartbreaking and eyeopening. But it's done in such a way that doesn't take away from the publishing company so much—rather, it's a journey for Nora to uncover what she really wants to do, and it's a journey through the different ways book lovers can using their savviness to be involved in the industry without being involved in publishing. With all the heart and love that's evident between each sentence of this novel, it felt like Shauna Robinson was whispering to readers to not give up, which is the lesson we follow Nora learning.
One of the major elements of this novel was the sort of curtain Robinson pulls back from the publishing industry. It is, indeed, a business world—something that book lovers sometimes forget, as we get so hung up on the "book" part of it, and forget the "profit" side. This is not entirely new for contemporary romance—Sally Thorne in The Hating Game and Emily Henry in Beach Read have also begun the trend of writing books about those who work in publishing, but Robinson takes the cake. She unravels what it means for one's identity to be so tied up with books and publishing to forget that we need to live to be happy. Robinson also doesn't sugarcoat anything in Nora's journey—depression is brutal, working somewhere you hate is equally heart-wrenching. Yet instead of using all the negatives against the publishing industry, Robinson makes it clear that while this is the reality of the industry, that it's not for everyone, and that there's still hope for those who, like Nora, are disenchanted with it. That balance of revealing the truth while also providing a path to better options was beautiful, and one of the major reasons I loved this book.
Another thing that might strike big contemporary romance novel fans is that this book actually doesn't emphasize so much the relationship between Nora and Andrew, but rather the relationship Nora has with herself. It is literally impossible to love other people until you love yourself, which is another journey Nora is undertaking throughout the novel. While of course the relationship Nora and Andrew share is so beautiful and sad and wonderfully depicted, I loved that it wasn't the entire focus of the novel. Rather, Nora has to learn what she wants to do with her life, and learn how to balance that with everything else. I don't want to spoil too much, but I will say this: if you love learning about the publishing industry, and you love contemporary romance, this book is perfect for you. But if you want something that's more in line with what you love about contemporary romance novels (the journey of being in a relationship with someone, the steamy scenes) look elsewhere! Nora's story is different, and so much better for it. I'm so glad Robinson took this approach, as that makes this novel all the more powerful.
Speaking of powerful, Robinson also doesn't shy away from ethical quandaries, and from the fallbacks of the publishing industry relating to diversity. Maybe it's just because I read the "ethics" chapter of my business textbook while reading the beginning of this book, but the ethical dilemma of working for two publishing companies at the same time really spoke to me. This especially in the face of a severely reduced salary, and being in a position where there is no upward mobility made that ethical dilemma that much more complicated. As Nora navigates this double-life, I found myself relating to her guilt and her worry about it, but also feeling, just like her, what else could she do? Robinson really just depicts this entire path very well, making you both relate to Nora and hoping for the best for her. In the middle of the ethics of Nora's choices, though, Robinson doesn't let publishing companies off the hook. She incorporates commentary on how white and privileged the publishing industry is. The fact that Robinson doesn't only focus on the whole salary cut situation, but also on all the different aspects of publishing that just aren't it (the whiteness of the industry, the corporate layers taking away the things book lovers love, the pay cuts, doing two people's work on one salary, the lack of upward mobility) is what helps paint a clear picture of the publishing industry, and gives Robinson the most power in telling Nora's complicated story. There is never a clear answer, never a clear path, and it truly feels like we're traveling this journey right at Nora's side. That is why I'm so glad Robinson left the ending ambiguous, because it gives Nora the chance to have a life off the page, while also giving power back to the readers to hope and wish for the best for Nora, and incorporate the lessons we learned into our own lives. Bravo Shauna Robinson on this absolutely brilliant debut!
Shauna Robinson in an author to keep a lookout for future publications from—I know if she writes more books, it will be an instant purchase for me! You can find more of Shauna Robinson on Instagram @Shauna.Robs, and you can stay tuned to this blog for more book reviews!
*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*
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