Anyone who has been young, female, and broke, full of longing for love and a creative life, will likely see herself in this book. Absorbing and at times sharp-edged, a raw look at what it means to move through the world as a young woman with big dreams. Every sentence feels close to the nerve endings. I read it in two sittings.

Writers & Lovers was quite the divisive novel, or so it seemed from the perspective of this lowly bookstagrammer; complaints about descriptions of pointless things and zero plot abounded. I don’t want to sound like a snob - which we all know is a preface to a sentence in which I’m going to do precisely that. I think those that didn’t enjoy Writers & Lovers are perhaps those that prefer a less cerebral type of reading experience to the one that Lily King offers in this, her fifth novel. Yes, there are lots of descriptions about seemingly trivial things; and no, there isn’t much in the way of a plot, but those are two of the reasons why I adored this novel.

The title of Writers & Lovers essentially tells you everything you need to know going into what is a brilliantly written, and fleeting beauty of a novel. Casey is a writer, as are many of her friends, and, throughout the book, she takes a lover or two and recalls past lovers–that’s pretty much it. No whodunnit, no mystery to solve, no invented place names or magic spells to learn or remember–just a novel about a woman wanting to finish her book, and make the right decision about her love life. Simple.

There is, of course, more to Writers & Lovers than that. Casey is a waitress, working at a job she hates, crippled by debt, coming to terms with the recent loss of her mother, and writing a novel she’s desperate to finish and sell. She has flaws, fears, doubts, anxieties, desires, passions, and a hell of a lot of thoughts. It’s these thoughts that bring her to life so vividly because we experience mundanity along with her. Most importantly, she is a richly detailed character that came to life beautifully in my mind, and I loved being on a 300-page journey with her.

Thank you to Grove and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

King's last book was incredibly hyped a few years back. Because of this, Writers & Lovers was also highly anticipated for 2020. Initially, I had no interest in this book - the writer struggling troupe wears thin quickly - but I was pleasantly surprised!

Writers & Lovers is the story of Casey, who is a young struggling novelist. She is also experiencing grief from the loss of her mother and mounting student loan debt that has no end in sight. The reader follows Casey through her writing, her waitress job, and her on-again-off again relationships.

I really enjoyed a lot about this book. I thought Casey was well developed and I was really rooting for her in the end. I also thought that, while being very much a literary book, Writers & Lovers still was a page-turner - this is often not the case with literary fiction. I appreciated how quickly I was able to read this story.

There were a couple of things I didn't love about this book. I thought the additional supporting cast of characters were great, but they could have been better developed. I think Kings' intention was to be consistently in Casey's head, so Casey was really where most of the character development occurred. I also felt, at points, that she was very woe-is-me without recognizing any privilege she had - any person that can afford time to write a novel while living in Boston (despite financial "hardships") still has a pretty nice life despite the negatives.

Overall I really enjoyed as a new release for 2020. Won't make my top 2020 release but would recommend for someone looking for a more interior literary fiction story

Feedback Review:

We have long been treated to the behind the scenes of a chef’s world and privy to a ‘kitchen confidential’. Now Lily King’s WRITERS AND LOVERS gives us a glimpse into a writer’s world.
Like most struggling artists Casey is juggling long shifts as a waitress with writing her first novel. However, to add to the grind she is also juggling two very different men,Oscar and Silas, in her life and trying to decide between the two whether she wants “fireworks or coffee in bed”. Then throw in the mix her best friends, Harry and Muriel, who are staunch and loyal supporters of Casey and her work, to round out the varied cast of characters in this writer’s coming of age journey.

As Casey says she doesn’t just want to write , she NEEDS to write. She struggles with crippling anxiety , “bees” that crawl under her skin and buzz her body that have only heightened since her mother’s shocking recent sudden death overseas on vacation. She also is still trying to conquer the ghosts of her past related to her father’s ‘indiscretions’ to put it lightly. These emotions not only complicate her ability to put words on the page but also necessitate her need to write and finish a novel that has travelled with her over 6 years. Finally, there are also enough local references to the book’s setting in Boston and Harvard that it draws in New England flavor and the readers who will relate to, love, and remember in nostalgia its local streets.

So sit down and grab Lily King’s WRITERS AND LOVERS to settle in for a fast read that propels you on the up and down whirlwind of Casey, navigating writing her first novel but finding herself and peace at the same time.

#WritersLovers #NetGalley

I'm conflicted on this novel. On the one hand, it is a well written piece of literary fiction. It evolves around Casey, a disheartened thirty-one-year-old waitress and writer who's been trying to finish her first novel for six years. She's barely making the ends meet, grieving her mother's sudden passing the previous winter. She begins going out with two men: Silas, a fellow aspiring writer, and Oscar, an acclaimed author many years her senior with two children. Casey needs to make life decisions about her aspirations, writing and men.

On the other hand, I didn't find the story particularly gripping. With death and grief as the main themes, it was simply a sad book that left me feeling sad and anxious, too. It held my interest just enough to want to find out what happens with Casey's novel, but the conclusion of her dating situation was... underwhelming. Even bofore that, the romance wasn't alive but rather, again, sad. Overall, despite a great premise and skillful writing style, I found "Writers & Lovers" a bit boring.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a fan of Lily King’s work and was captivated by Euphoria, her tale of a love triangle between three anthropologists studying tribal life in 1930s New Guinea. Was it the exotic local or the deep dive into a world so different from my own that held my attention? Those things didn’t hurt, but when I picked up her latest book Writers and Lovers it was clear that it was King’s skill at putting the reader into the skin of her characters that had held me in thrall.

Writer’s and Lovers is set in1997 and narrated by Casey Peabody, a 31-year-old writer grieving the death of her mother as she struggles to write, make a living and rebound from a bad romance with a poet. Despite her challenges, Casey engages with the world. She stepping forward boldly into jobs and relationships in spite of her fear and past heartbreak.

Writers will enjoy the book for its insights in the pecking order of writers, the veracious depiction of the challenges of doing work that may never been seen or rewarded, and the doubled-edged burden writers balance of the scorn of people who don’t believe in their talent and their assumption that they too could write a book if they just had enough spare time.

As Casey’s obnoxious landlord observes: “I just find it extraordinary that you think you have something to say,” Her unspoken mental retort is: I don’t write because I think I have something to say. I write because if I don’t, everything feels even worse. In a later scene Casey’s gynecologist interrogates her about her publication history in the middle of a pelvic exam.

Casey struggles to get traction in her writing, worn down by her day job as a waitress and the weight of her grief for her mother, who died unexpectedly. Casey describes writing:

The hardest thing about writing is getting in every day, breaking through the membrane. The second hardest thing is getting out. Sometimes I sink down too deep and come up too fast. Afterward I feel wide open and skinless.

At its heart, Writer and Lovers is about grief. King’s depiction of the impact of grief on the body and mind is as pointed as the edge of a knife. King’s describes Casey’s body as humming as if it was filled with bees. This passage compares grief to a three-paneled mirror:

I look into my eyes, but they aren’t really mine, not the eyes I used to have. They’re the eyes of someone very tired and very sad, and once I see them I feel even sadder and then I see that sadness, that compassion for the sadness in my eyes, and I see the water rising in them. I’m both the sad person and the person wanting to comfort the sad person. And then I feel sad for that person who has so much compassion because she’s clearly been through the same thing, too. And the cycle keep repeating. It’s like when you go into a dressing room with a three-paneled mirror and you line them up just right to see the long narrowing hallway of yourselves diminishing into infinity. It feels like that, like I’m sad for an infinite number of my selves.

Her life is complicated further by two writers vying for her attention, an older, famous writer and single father, and one of his workshop students, a high school teacher with a chipped front tooth, less than sparkling prose, and a rusted-out car.

These relationships allow King to showcase her keen understanding of the experiences of women:

You get trained early on as a woman to perceive how others are perceiving you, at the great expense of what you yourself are feeling about them.

It is the combination of insight into human nature and the immediacy of her prose that makes reading King such a pleasure. Writers and Lovers has much to offer readers who are interested in the writing life and human relationships.

This is a solid read. I liked Casey and her struggle through life, romance and the death of her mother - which she clung to. In many ways I connected to her. It’s more character driven than plot. If you enjoy that, you’ll enjoy this.

This is my first Lily King book, which I was thrilled for based on the glowing recommendation and it being featured as Grove's lead title for 2020. I can see why. Casey's character is just about as complicated as any of us but written in such a way that I know she will be relatable to most who read her. I found myself thinking about her in between reads, which means I know I empathized with her and got attached. Very pleased to read the author tackling anxiety, death, complicated human relationships, and fighting for your own happiness. I also really loved that the character found her way through writing, as well as workshop, and enjoyed the foray into the writing process which unexpectedly was very motivating for me even though I am not a writer. I will be back for more Lily.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

Writers and Lovers - Lily King

4 / 5 STARS

** Thank you to Netgalley, Grove Press, and of course, Lily King for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


Writers and Lovers follows Casey Peabody in the summer of 1997. Casey is a 31-year-old woman in the middle of crossroads. A wishful writer, former golf prodigy, filled with debt, medical issues out the wazzu, and a lack of a romantic relationship in her life. So when her mother suddenly dies, she picks up and moves to Massachusetts - where King is from.

Casey is incredibly relatable which is something I really enjoyed with this book. Hard work pays off, however you shouldn’t sacrifice your happiness in order for this to happen. This is something we can all take from her story. I also really loved the conversation she had with herself when it came to deciding between Oscar and Silas. Again, super relatable!

When I concluded this book, I found myself unhappy. I figured I could have had so much more after reading the last couple of words. But, at the same time, I think this book is something that if I were to pick it up again - I would still enjoy it. Regardless of how I felt at the end, it was still something that I enjoyed reading and I think could take on a different meaning if I were to read it at different times.

I really enjoyed King’s writing style and choice of words. I look forward to picking this up in the future and seeing it from a different perspective.

This was not my first Lily King book so I was familiar with her sparse yet insightful style of writing. I found the way she wrote anxiety to be one of the most true to form descriptions I have found in fiction ever, which was a powerful experience to see something you know so intimately written and represented so well. I also appreciated the sense of place that she created in the restaurant--the rhythm, personalities and quirks plus the way the work can sweep you away of a current of distraction for hours on end was so well written. I also really loved the ending--the way everything pulled together, the way Casey worked through her grief and gave herself some grace to be broken.

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

This is a wonderfully written book. Lily King explores the life of a 31 year old struggling writer as she deals with grief, men and debt. This is extremely character driven, so if a lack of plot is an issue for you I might skip this one. I am impressed how the author was able to create flawed characters that I ended up rooting for, even if I wasn’t sure if I liked them even up until the end. Lily King is an excellent writer, and I'll be picking up her other titles.

Lily King has created a character in Casey Peabody that is raw and real and unapologetically human. She could be any of us: in debt, lacking good health coverage, struggling with grief, and still trying to reach her dreams despite it all.

While parts of the story seemed drawn out and a bit slow, I still found myself completely submerged into Casey's flawed life. It feels as if the character just came alive and you could feel the vibrations of her anxiety within the words of this book.

Casey's life is messy, harried, imperfect, and we are pulled along for the journey. The author has a knack for showing the reader exactly how someone is feeling without telling us anything about feelings or emotions. I could vividly picture each of these characters in my mind, their nuances and what makes them tick. Writing characters is definitely Lily King's forte, and while the plot was a bit slow I did appreciate what she was trying to do. I will definitely seek out more from this author

I received a free copy of this book for an honest review. Writers and Lovers by Lily King is the story of Casey. Casey is an aspiring writer stuck in a rut in her life. She’s working as a waitress and not earning much. She’s deeply in debt for her education. She’s had no luck in love and her living situation is less than desirable. She is in a relationship with two men, one of which has two children. To top all of that off, she has recently lost her mom and she has been estranged from her dad for years. Casey has been working on her novel for six years and not really moving forward with her life. Casey finally finishes her novel and loses her job and that propels her to reevaluate her life and grow up. Casey finally makes some choices that helps to put her life in order. I really enjoyed Casey’s story, but I would’ve liked a few more chapters just to find out what happens next.

A book about a struggling writer trying to get her big break? Honestly, I never would have even picked this up if it were by anyone else other than Lily King, because in the wrong hands this kind of book is a disaster. But, of course, Lily King's hands are very much the right ones for any story. I was instantly drawn into Casey's life, and couldn't put this book down. King has a way of bringing characters to life in a way that is just so human and relatable, and her descriptions of trying to figure things out in your 20s and 30s is just so spot on. Highly, highly recommended.

Writers & Lovers is one of those books that's about nothing and everything at the same time. Casey Peabody has been writing her novel for the past 6 years, and between coping with her mother's sudden death, she is also caught between two love interests, both of whom give her different things. But Casey's story is also one about finding yourself and living a life that is truly fulfilling, and determining what exactly that life will look like. It's a premise that I found intensely relatable and that made me enjoy the book that much more.
Casey's goal is to live a creative life, and it was a so wonderful to be along for the ride, cheering for her when she succeeded and commiserating with her when she fell short. This book was tender and honest and raw, and Lily King really made me feel as though I was Casey, experiencing all of the same feelings right along with her, King made it impossible not to root for Casey, and she was a protagonist that I truly grew to love.

What a fantastic book, I give this a 5 star! I am in my late 20s and I felt like I connected with this book and the characters. I love how it shows what it's like to be this age as a woman and to not have it all figured out and it be okay. I would recommend this to a friend. I love reading books about writers writing books, it's just so fascinating to me to go into the mind of a writer like that.

WRITERS AND LOVERS is definitely written for lovers of words and books. Lily King gives us a lovely protagonist in Casey, who is just getting the whole "adulting" thing down, even though she is in her 30s. The literary references are wonderful and fascinating to experience the difficulties of writing a novel. through Casey's eyes. Lovely book.

I really, really wanted to like this book. I enjoy lieterary fiction which it is but, it lacks substance. We follow Casey/Camilla as she struggles with life, love, the loss of her Mother and a sundry of other characters. The funniest line from the book is when her landlord asks her how her novel is going and then states, "waiting for her full attention, I just find it extraordinary that you think you have something to say." That quote summarizes the book for me. She doesn't. I disliked the characters and they all appear to be lost souls, meandering through -and I could care less about any of them.

Thank you NetGalley & Grove Press the opportunity to read this book.

janne boswell
https://seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com/

I was worried this book wouldn’t live up to its hype, but boy did it ever. This book gutted me. I devoured it in two days. I felt sad when Casey was sad; when she was having full-bodied panic attacks, I felt as indescribably anxious just sitting on a couch reading those passages; and of course I felt her joy and relief when she got what she wanted and needed at the end. Please read this book!

A story about a multilingual bookworm gal aspiring to be a writer. Yes please!
Writers and Lovers is about a girl in her 30s with a dedication of becoming a writer. After her mother’s sudden death she struggles to recuperate and get her life back together, working as a waitress at a restaurant. We experience first hand her lack of motivation, her changing moods, her immaculate sense of humor, her complicated love life, her friend circle comprised of authors and filled with sophisticated conversations and also her life in the delicious alternate universe, the luxurious restaurant she works at and her friends waiting on customers.
The protagonist is so human and lovable with a broken spirit, awkward at times and anybody can relate to her at some level. She takes a chance on life, takes risks for her dreams even though she has a lot of fears.
There are many attributions in this book to literature and authors and I particularly enjoyed the part where our protagonist reminisces about her mother and then mentions several famous authors, who have lost their mothers too soon without the opportunity of a final farewell. A great novel for fiction and literature lovers, aspiring writers and bookworms.