A Charming Small Town, Coming of Age Story with a Sweet Romance
A Five Letter Word for Love
Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Avon
December 3rd, 2024
ebook, paperback, audiobook
368
A heartwarming and humorous romance in which an unlikely couple fall in love over Wordle.
Twenty-seven-year-old Emily doesn’t have a lot going well in her life right now. She dreams of a creative career but works as a receptionist in an auto shop. She longs for big city life but lives in a small town on Prince Edward Island. She craves a close group of friends but is stuck with irritating, car-obsessed coworkers.
What Emily does have is a 300+ day streak on the New York Times Wordle. But one day, with only one guess left and no clue what the answer is, she’s forced to turn to one of her irritating, car-obsessed coworkers, John, for help—and in doing so, realizes that he might not be so irritating after all.
As they make their way, word by word, toward a 365-day streak, Emily is drawn into a surprising romance that will take her outside of her comfort zone—and challenge everything she thought she knew about happiness, success, and love.
When someone does something for you, without you having to ask, it’s just really nice, isn’t it? It shows that they’re thinking about you, even when you aren’t around.
Amy James’ newest release, A Five Letter Word for Love, gives Wordle fans a charming and fast-paced coming of age story with an adorable grumpy sunshine romance. Emily is a woman whose lofty dreams often feel out of place in the small town in which she resides for the time being.
Wordle gif via GIPHY
Nearing a perfect year-long Wordle streak, Emily takes her word inspiration from her life. W-E-I-R-D? Sure. But it works for her. She has a job as a receptionist, and a longing to find her dream job. Surely it couldn’t be found in her small town on Prince Edward Island. Her co-worker John, quickly changes her opinion of him by kindling a daily Wordle check-in.
Emily’s life begins to evolve as she experiences more of the life in a small town. Volunteering at the local barrel making museum, helping her elderly neighbor, and genuinely staying as busy as possible makes Emily an utterly charming and likeable character. Her ability to dismiss her talents is frustrating but shows her naivete in a way that still made me want her to succeed.
There are thousands of things I could do with my life. Millions of different winding paths I could take. And there might always be one that’s brighter, or warmer, but at some point, I have to stop wandering and choose one.
ghost wordle gif via GIPHY
John as a love interest is settled in his job and knows exactly what he wants to do with his life, essentially, he’s the exact opposite of Emily’s character. The drama of A Five Letter Word for Love revolves around this opposites attract romance. How can a couple succeed when one has their head in the clouds and the other has their feet firmly planted where they are?
I am reluctant to agree with the publisher that A Five Letter Word for Love is a romantic comedy. Sure, there are funny moments, but so much of A Five Letter Word for Love involves themes that tug on heart strings. I admired how well Amy James combines the heartfelt moments with periods of lightheartedness. Emily and John’s HEA is also second to Emily finding her place in a space that is exactly right for her.
A Five Letter Word for Love should be given a chance to anyone who loves small town life and the success of a young woman amidst so many obstacles. While Emily is twenty seven, she reads younger than that, although somedays, for me, late thirties feel more college-age than it should. Overall, I enjoyed my read of A Five Letter Word for Love and was happy I took a chance at reading an advance copy.
Jes is a self-proclaimed bookworm, who recently moved from the PNW back to the Midwest. When her nose isn’t in a book, she’s spending time with her husband, two kids, and her three fur babies, or exploring the globe. She also firmly believes that you should start the day with coffee, and end the day in bed with a good book.
