Published 16th February 2023 by One More Chapter.
From the cover of the book:
Meet Nora Hughes – the overworked, underpaid, last bookish assistant standing. At least for now.When Nora landed an editorial assistant role at Parsons Press she thought it would be The Dream Job. But after five years of admin and taking lunch orders, Nora has come to the conclusion: Dream Jobs do not exist.
With her life spiralling and unable to afford her rent, Nora does the only thing she can think of and starts freelancing for a rival publisher.
But when Andrew Santos, a bestselling author (who also happens to be quite attractive), is thrown into Nora’s life, she must decide where her loyalties lie, and whether she’s ready to choose herself and her future over her job…
Your next book club read touching on mental health, happiness and the ups and downs of being a young woman trying to figure it all out.
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When Nora Hughes landed a job in publishing straight out of college, she was looking forward to her career taking off, but after five years stuck in a lowly role as editorial assistant at Parson Press, she is beginning to think that this might not be her dream job after all.
Parson Press is being reorganised, and many of the old faces that Nora worked alongside have been casualties of the bottom line. When her best friend Beth, who started at Parson Press on the same day as she did, finally jumps ship too, Nora's mood hits rock bottom. It does not help that her work load has risen enormously as jobs have been cut and employees not replaced, and now she has been asked to take a pay-cut too.
The only glimmer of light at Parson Press has been her meeting with the very attractive business author Andrew Santos, who they are desperate to woo to their list for his new book. Nora and Andrew have become friends, with the promise of more, but she does not see how she can remain in this job and still pay her bills.
She hits on a plan to take some freelance work for a rival publisher, without telling them she is still working for Parson Press, and although this appears to be the solution at first, things get complicated very quickly. The pressure of trying to make ends meet, juggling the priorities of two publishers, and navigating the conflict of interest that rears its head in respect of Andrew's forthcoming book, affects Nora's mental health badly - so much that she begins to think suicide might be the only solution to her problems.
When matters come to a head and Nora's life comes crashing down, the budding relationship between her and Andrew seems to be over too, but out of the ashes of this disaster Nora is forced to reflect on the direction her life has taken, and she realises that it might be time for some real changes.
Must Love Books is part publishing drama, part rom-com, and part self-help book, which is an unusual combination. Using her own experience in the publishing industry, Shauna Robinson spins a tale that is all about appreciating that the idea of the 'dream job' is in fact a fallacy. As Nora works through her problems, battles against her own demons, and comes to terms with the fact that her career path might be rather different to the one she anticipated it would be, Robinson uses the story to show that the route to happiness in the world of work is a meandering path - and to stress that it is not only okay to take a few side-turns, but that it can be be a valuable thing to do in your search for a career that is right for you.
There is so much about being aware of the things that impact your mental health, and coming to terms with who you are in a wider sense in this book, and Robinson touches on a host of themes, including taking a few side-swipes at publishing. The nature of the writing and its intent does mean that you feel a bit less connected to the characters, and, for me, the intensity of feeling that you need to be convinced they are living breathing people somehow gets lost in the telling. However, as someone who has taken a very twisty career path over the course of many years, I can see that this book actually has a lot of merit as a fable for those starting out in the world of work - especially if they are consumed with the idea of the 'dream job'. It also has a few really interesting lessons about how easy it is to become isolated and depressed when the people who make a job enjoyable fall away.
I think it is one that will affect you very differently depending on your age, and the stage you are in your career. It is an intriguing story, and makes a good book club choice, because there is a lot to talk about here - particularly about career paths, mental health, how mood affects reading, and how working in publishing affects your appreciation of books as vehicles for enjoyment.
Must Love Books is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to One More Chapter for sending me a Netgalley copy of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of the readalong.
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