It's 1997. Casey is 31 and $73K in debt. She waitresses at night to have her mornings free to write her novel. She's been working on it for six years.

I loved this beautifully observed, beautifully written story of a young woman trying to move forward from loss, betrayal, and bad decisions. The characters are sharply drawn, and Casey's dialogue is often warmed with flickers of dry humor. Her internal thoughts about her mother's death are touching and relatable:

“I can tell he lost someone close somehow. You can feel that in people, an openness, or maybe it's an opening that you're talking into. With other people, people who haven't been through something like this, you feel the solid wall. Your words go scattershot off of it.”

The book is not for every reader. It's slow-moving, with an emphasis on character over plot. But if you enjoy coming of age stories, books about writers and writing, and pre-2000 Harvard Square, you will probably enjoy this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Writers & Lovers: Lily King
4 stars

Release date: Jan. 17, 2020

Lily King’s fifth novel, Writers & Lovers, is set in 1997. Narrated by 31-year-old Casey Peabody, a struggling novelist who, managing the crushing weight of college loan debts and recent grief of her mother’s unexpectant passing, is struggling with unchecked anxiety and depression. As hard working as they come, Casey begins the day walking her landlords dog, coming back to the house before 6:30 am in hopes of putting in a couple hours of writing before her daily 3 mile bike ride into Cambridge where she is a waitress at a demanding, high end restaurant. By the time she returns to her small, damp garden shed that has bleakly been converted to a living space, it is after midnight.

At the initial introduction, Casey is mentally torn to shreds over a passionate affair with a poet she met at a prestigious writing residency she resided to shortly after the passing of her mother. Muriel, one of Casey’s friends who oddly still has stuck to writing despite most of her other friends who have turned to more stable careers, brings Casey to a book signing at which she meets not only one, but two love interests. Oscar, an older, well established author who lost his wife to cancer and is now raising his two, adorable sons on his own and, ironically, one of Oscar’s workshop students who is a more age appropriate, high school teacher with a rusty car and moody disposition.

“There's nothing exotic or startlingly new about this story, but 'Writers & Lovers' is stellar proof that literature doesn't have to be groundbreaking to be absolutely compelling- Heller McAlpin with NPR”

King’s novel captures how tough it can be to be honest with oneself and how sacrifices are often involved when holding on to a lifelong dream. Beautifully written, Writers & Lovers asks us to toughen our skin and allows us to experience the highs and lows of a believable, passionate story of family, love and success.

Along with posting on Net Galley, I will be posting my review to Goodreads, Amazon (when it becomes available), my Instagram (which has over a thousand book review followers) and my blog. Please find the link to my blog post below.


Respectfully
Chanel Johnson

This was my first book by Lily King. She has a beautiful handle on the flow of a story and her choice of words is also spot on.

I did not connect with the main character and did not love the kind of desperate nature of her life. Although there was a "happy" ending, the journey there for me was a bit rocky.

I see that this is a solid work of fiction but at this point, it just wasn't for me.

#NetGalley #Writers&Lovers

This was the book that finally got me back into reading, after a few stressful, distracted weeks adjusting to the new realities coronavirus brought to our lives. King has created an engaging, vivid portrait of a young woman grieving but also searching for new beginnings, in love and in her creative pursuits.

Grief can do crazy things to people, especially when they lose someone close to them suddenly and do not give themselves time to process it. Especially when this is not the only thing they are dealing with, such as mountains of student loan debt, waiting tables, trying to write a novel, and dealing with a father that to call an a-hole doesn’t even cover it. Enter Casey Peabody, who recently lost her mother, very suddenly, and cannot take time off to grieve given the other reasons I noted above. She is working on a novel, but it’s going slow and her mother’s death just continues to prolong it. Add all of these factors together and Casey is currently on a crash course of making bad decisions while questioning her life choices and desperately wanting to talk to the one person that can make it better, but is no longer there, her mother.

I cannot say enough great things about this book. Just knowing that everything Casey does is born out of grief automatically gives you empathy for her. She is waiting tables to support her writing, doesn’t have insurance and as a result hasn’t been to the doctor in years, and is desperately trying to do what she can to keep it together while moving forward at the same time.

I highly recommend the audio on this one, the narrator is fantastic. It is a slow burn, which totally worked for me, but you need to be prepared as that might not be for everyone. The writing is phenomenal, and I was absolutely rooting for Casey throughout the book. I was so very satisfied with this story, I just loved it so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Press for the free copy to review.

This was a simple story about life. I do sometimes like a tale that just shows you the intricacies on one person's life, their struggles, loves, passions and fears. It has everything that we have all seen in a story before, but if you like stories about writing or authors, then this will be a book for you.
I was surprised by which of the two men the main character ended up with at the end, and just watching the development of her life over the course of the story was fun. I think I related a lot to Casey because she was 31 (right at my age) and trying to figure out her career at a time when we feel like we should have it all figured out.
I also LOVED the analogy of the bees and her fear of them. That was beautifully woven into the story. It was a lovely book, but pretty traditional and comfortable.

This book made me feel all the feels. It is not a plot-driven book; it is not particularly exciting; but it shines regardless because Lily King has somehow captured the anxiety and fear and hope that is being a woman in her late twenties/early thirties who hasn’t quite figured out what she wants. King offers touching insight into being a writer, a woman, and a human who’s afraid of the future but hopeful it’s something better.

Protagonist Casey has spent the last six years working on a novel that encapsulates the spirit of her recently deceased mother. With it finished, anxiety begins to creep in about what’s next — she’s working as a waitress, is about to be evicted, is filled with grief, isn’t in a stable relationship, and her book might not even sell.

“During the day I miss the novel. I’ve lost access to a world where my mother is a little girl reading in a window or twirling in fast circles on the street, her braids raised high off her back. Outside of that novel she is dead. There seems no end to the procession of things that make my mother feel more dead.”

Casey is straightforward in her thinking, self-aware, and an admirable character. She doesn’t have it all figured out, but her confidence in herself and her ideas leads her towards a place where she can be happy. I felt Casey’s feelings very deeply and found it easy to cry when good things finally start to come her way.

This isn’t the grand adventure of Euphoria, but it’s beautiful and contemplative and it reminded me why I love reading and writing in the first place. Writers & Lovers is one to buy and keep on the shelf — an old, bound friend that never fails to put into words that nagging feeling you just can’t quite explain.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a refreshing take on a woman’s struggle to find success professionally and personally. It also explores how grief and family dynamics when we are young can permeate into our relationships in adulthood. I found it incredibly well written and engaging.

As an English major who spent a lot of time in Cambridge and Boston in the early 2000s, ‘Writers & Lovers’ hits a lot of nostalgic buttons for me as it’s set in that area in 1999 and tells the story of a writer in her young 30s. With so many references to places and streets Harvard Square, I loved imagining the area as I was there so often. This book is clearly for book nerds and writers as there are tons of literary references. I didn’t love the story or protagonist, but the story was interesting enough to keep me reading. The characters rang true and I liked that Casey does persist and eventually grow as a person. King’s writing style takes on an almost unfinished quality, like the book itself was a draft and not necessarily cohesive. This made the book a little difficult to read for me. Overall, I really liked being transported back to Harvard Square in the late 90s and will likely read more of King.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Press for providing a copy of this ARC.

As Quarantine reads go, I almost hated to see this one come to an end. You know how sometimes you come to think of book characters as friends in your head? That's how I feel about Casey, in Writers & Lovers. When we meet her she's freefalling and pretty down and out - reeling from the unexpected death of her Mom, a bad breakup and struggling to make ends meet waiting tables and to finish the novel she's been working on for years. She meets two very different men (both writers) and the story takes off from there. It's SO good and writing is just exquisite that's the best word I can think of to describe. Read this book. 💕

Absolutely adored and was slayed by this. I’ve never read Lily King before but now she is an auto buy.. I will say that the cover is somewhat unappealing but the writing will more than compensate for anyone who picks it up.

I was drawn to Lily King’s Writers & Lovers because I love to read about an author’s inspiration and process, and the writing life in general. I got much more than I bargained for in this story.

Besides the run of the mill struggling author conflicts, Casey is also grieving her mother’s death, navigating a roller coaster of a love-life, living in a precarious rental situation, and working at an upscale restaurant on Harvard’s campus called Iris.

Casey’s life is messy. Casey is a mess. She seems to be 31 years old going on 24, with no real indication that she had the capacity to climb out of the many holes she digs for herself. Until she does. Nestled between all the messiness is flashes of insight and inspiration. The metaphor she uses to give herself grace for writing a crappy first draft is one I won’t forget. I was also entertained by the menagerie of characters at Iris and had a vivid picture in my mind of her riding her banana seated bicycle all around Boston.

A three-out-of-five easy and entertaining read. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I fell in love with this book. It captures both the debilitating effects of anxiety and the magic of writing in one engrossing novel. I wish it had lasted longer but it has made me even more eager to dive headlong into reading again.

I've never read anything by this author. The description sounded interesting, and I had a friend mention that she'd read it and thought it was "okay." I decided to give it a try.

I agree with her assessment, and can't rate it higher than just "okay." Perhaps it's because of what's going on in the world with the pandemic, but I found it hard to connect with this story. I thought I'd love it because of the writing aspect of the story, but it just didn't work for me. Some parts, such as the ending, were a bit too predictable. If I'd read this at another time, I may have had more of a connection to Casey, who was struggling to find herself. However, at this time, I think many people in the world are doing that. Some parts were too jumpy, and the writing, overall, just didn't work for me.

This novel was so moving- readers are swept along as Casey mourns the death of her mother, struggles to achieve her dream as a writer, and is torn between two loves. I am a huge fan of Lily King's previous novel and was so happy to have loved this one just as much.

Writers & Lovers has been a breath of fresh air. It immediately drew me in and immersed me in Casey's life as a struggling writer and waitress in the late 90's Boston.

Lily King's writing is simple yet richly evocative as Casey tries to make sense of her life; the grief she faces after the loss of her mother, the obstacles she faces as she tries to finish her novel and the very different men she's involved with.

Writers & Lovers is a lovely work of character-driven literary fiction and I love the layers and nuance to the story and Casey's growth as she comes into her own. This book is funny, sensual, and smart all at once. It's filled with all the literary references you'd expect and hope for in a book about a writer while being honest about how difficult it can be to try to live a creative life.

My only complaint is that it ended too soon, not because it was unsatisfying, but simply because I wanted to stay an in that world just a little longer.

I normally do not read a ton of Literary Fiction books, but I really wanted to read this book. I am not sure if it was everyone else's reviews of the book or the cover. I have to say I am really glad I did want to read this book because I really like it. The book Writers & Lovers follows Casey Peabody getting over her Mother's death, finding love, getting through health issues, starting a new job, and writing a book. If you have been thinking of picking this book up you should give it a try. I got an e-copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley for a copy of Writers and Lovers. I wasn’t sure what to expect of this book but I really enjoyed it. I love the idea of an adult not knowing what to do with life. I felt for Casey who not only isn’t certain of her career, her love life and even her living situation. I enjoyed reading through her struggles and success as she navigates through life.

This was my first Lily King book and I enjoyed it. I am craving happy, "easy" reads during these long quarantine days, but I found this to be enjoyable and different from what I typically read.

Thank you NetGalley!

This books was slow to get into and then swept me away and I couldn’t put it down.

Casey, 31, is grieving her mother, her boyfriend (honestly seemed like she avoided a disaster), and is deep in debt for living the “writers life” (MBA, living abroad). She’s living in a potting shed, working doubles waitressing and the men around her say things like “what makes you think you anything to say?”
A book about a creative being broke and stuck and hung up on men who aren’t interested in her art?
Yeah, I don’t need any of that in my life.
But a book about healing and figuring it out and panic attacks and a true friend supporting you?
More that that, a book with beautiful writing and a resonant description of both anxiety and casual misogyny?
I’m all in.
So glad I stuck through the first few pages, I couldn’t put it down after the first 25% and was rewarded with a satisfying conclusion and a realistic look at healing through mental health issues.

“You don’t realize how much effort you’ve put into covering things up until you try to dig them out.”