I love a book with local flare. Writers & Lovers is set in 1997 in Boston, Cambridge and surrounding towns. Our protagonist Casey Peabody works as a waitress at a Harvard Square restaurant while also trying to finish her novel. She is 31, drowning in debt and not very confident in her ability to write a novel. She finds herself attracted to two different men, both at different phases of their life and once again, she lacks the confidence to determine who to follow her heart.

I really enjoyed this story. The nostalgia factor alone made my heart sing. Boston & Cambridge were my stomping grounds in that same time frame. It felt like home reading this book. Casey was a flawed protagonist, which made me love her even more. She is unsure without being a total doormat. Two thumbs up for this one!

Casey aka Camila, lives near Boston, commutes to her waitress job in Boston on her banana bike. She has friends, a jerk for a landlord and her book. She tries not to think too much about her top three worries, her mother’s recent death, her huge student loans, and the man she met this summer, a married poet who swept her off her feet. While she is involved in the grief she feels from her mother’s death, she is trying to live, to be kind and care about others, without her need to hide all the feelings. Everything around her feels the cynicism, that is the way to make it through the day.

This book took a while for me to really engage with, but once I did it was well worth it. It is much more focused on character development and literary elements than on a fast-paced plot. Lily King definitely has a gift for writing. This book is not a light and frothy read and will appeal most to those who really like to sink their teeth into a book, myself included.

Based on how long it took me to get into this book, I loved it in the end.

This book does a great job of capturing a woman in her early-thirties and not know where her life is going. She felt like she was not taken seriously because she wasn’t in serious relationships or married, with a real desk job and a house of her own, and she’s working a waitressing job and chasing a dream. Casey is living in New England trying to finish up her novel. Her mother has just died, she’s uncertain of her own health condition, and her student loans have defaulted. She's dating two completely different guys. One is an established writer who lost his wife and has two young children that adore her. The other is a teacher but still figuring his life out. She goes back and forth between the two, afraid of committing to a course of action that could change her life forever.

Casey is immature but she's trying to get her life together. The struggles she faces relevant and touches upon a lot of things that plague women, like fertility, sexism, being taken seriously as a professional, passion, anxiety, partner intimacy, and so much more.

4 Stars read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Lily King can WRITE. The way she weaves thoughts into sentences into a narrative is exquisite. That said, I didn't find the characters or plot here particularly compelling despite how carefully crafted this novel is. It kept me turning pages, never bored, but it also has a level of emotional distance that keeps this from being a much loved book for me.

When your book is about the trials and obstacles of a young writer is trying to finish the great American novel, first thoughts aren't always kind. Great another book about a writer writing a book, overdone, "been there, done that", "haven't heard that concept before, lol", this one will be boring and so on.
I approached Lily King's book, Writers and Lovers, with some apprehension but from page one, I found myself immersed in the story of 31-year-old Casey Peabody, a struggling writer who is in. financial, relationship and emotional debt.
Easy, a waitress in Cambridge, Massachusetts is struggling with massive debt and the recent loss of her mother. She is drowning with no life preserver in sight.
King's elegant, introspective and intimate story of a young woman trying to figure out her path in life is a work of art. I found myself able to live in the shadow of Casey's story, fueling her hopes and dreams, her thoughts of happiness mixed with despair, her failures and insecurities, all in real time.
It was not the splashiest of books but I found myself drowning in King's elegant prose.
Lily King is able to balance the issues in Casey's life with a sense of equality, allowing an authenticity to the character and her life.
Reviewers will try to classify this book as fiction, women's fiction, etc. but classics don't need a category, they are just books worth the read.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #Writers&Lovers

“It’s a particular kind of pleasure, of intimacy, loving a book with someone.”

Unfortunately with Writers and Lovers this is not something I think I shared with the general public. This book had rave reviews and I was very excited to receive a copy of it but could never quite sink my teeth into it. I felt the main character to be a bit narcissistic (a tendency she claims her mother to have as well so this could be purposeful) but it felt a bit overwhelming at time. It was uneven in spots and just felt like a slog to read.

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

I very much enjoyed Writers & Lovers. I’ve read other reviewers saying that Casey was not an endearing protagonist but I found her very relatable so I don’t know what that says about me! I really liked the sections in the restaurant although they did give me second hand anxiety..! I was more invested in her writing life than her romantic struggles, mainly because I didn’t feel that either of the male characters deserved her! I was pleased with her choice in the end, although I can see why some reviewers might have found the ending a little too convenient. But honestly, who doesn’t like a happy ending now and then..!

If you enjoyed Ghosts by Dolly Alderton, Expectation by Anna Hope or Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth, I would recommend this novel. I would also definitely read another novel by Lily King!

I really wanted to love this book. It had been in my to be read shelf for so long, there were so many great reviews and when I got this ARC I was so excited to get started! This book took me so long to get into. I mean maybe by the last quarter I was flipping pages faster and faster The majority of the story is this woman who is just down on her luck and can't catch a break and it is exhausting to read a story like this where just everything goes wrong for 90% of the book only for the last 10% to be tied in a perfect bow. I feel it's a bit unrealistic and then all of a sudden in the end everything happens and she's got the offer she wants, after no one wants to sign her. It's a little bit "Happily Ever After" for adults.

Up front I was told this ARC from netgalley was an unedited copy. I thought that meant like look out for a typo or two. My copy was riddled with errors. I mean no spaces half the time, words broken up on separate lines and no chapters or definitive breaks. It was headache inducing, and I wonder if it might have changed my perspective on the book had it been a little more polished off.

Every now and then I am fortunate to open the perfect book when I most need it. The interesting thing is that when I originally tried to read “Writers and Lovers” I wasn’t able to get through more than a few pages before being distracted by whatever came into my sight-line. I put it away for another day and am so glad I tripped over the title again.

Lily King has nailed her protagonist Casey. She is too perfect for the part and I mean perfect in the most sympathetic way. She is battered by the loss of her mother, by a father who wrongs so many yet can’t forgive, the loss of a boyfriend, her time in another country, her landlord, her employers, some of her co-workers and fellow writers. Casey has been working on her book for years, years and more years. And did someone just say “I find it extraordinary that you think you have something to say.”? Does the general public really think that about aspiring writers? Are we really that nasty, that discouraging?

Casey lives in a potting shed, and the imagery brings to mind the dwellings of a poor artist, damp and smelling of rot with a hot plate in the bathroom. She walks the landlord’s dog for a break in the rent for this hovel. She is in debt, she is being chased for payment, she has so many problems, not the least is that she is sad. But she is also the person who want to comfort the sad person and then she thinks how sad must that person be because the reason she has compassion for the sad person is because she must have endured much of the same and then she sees that is a self-repeating cycle. And this concept really slayed me. What perfect imagery: “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 narrow hallway of yourselves, diminishing into infinity. It feels like that, like I’m sad for an infinite number of my selves.”

She meets men, fellow writers, men who take an interest, men who compete, men who understand or think they do. They don’t. Casey understands it all but never realizes it. She can dig deep without acknowledging it and all the pith, the essence is hers. She falls for one, chooses the other, can’t close the deal and it all ruptures.

I loved this book. Loved it for the smart language, the brilliant story of a young woman’s struggle to be a writer, real and compelling characters, the locale, the sorrow and the ultimate satisfaction. Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a copy.

Wow!!! Absolutely wonderful read.
This is about a women coming into her own after fighting the devastating loss of her mother and end of her personal relationship with someone she loved. She really struggles with depression.
I really could relate to this book.
Highly recommend. I read this in one sitting.

I am always wary of reading books that have tons of buzz around them. But i knew from the first paragraph that this book was something special. If you are in a reading funk, this one is guaranteed to bring you out. It is totally addictive and unforgettable! This book goes on my Best of 2020 list.

I was immediately captivated by the story of Casey, a writer struggling to make ends meet while working as a waitress. Her mother has just passed away and Casey is hiding from student loan creditors while slaving away at a local Boston restaurant. From the amount of detail, it seems to me that Lily King must have waitressed at some point in her life. Physically exhausting work, to be sure.

Casey is smart and funny but at this point in her life thinks that maybe she should get a "real" job and give up on her novel. No one has read it and she is literally almost penniless. King’s writing is absolutely gorgeous. I loved the descriptions of other writers - they can be a catty bunch, according to Ms. King! Don't be put off by the themes of grief in this book. Ultimately the story is very uplifting and completely captivating.

"My mother will be worrying about me, and I can’t tell her I’m okay.”

Casey finds herself being pursued by two very eligible men. Oscar is a well-known and successful writer with two young, adorable boys. Silas is also a writer, less successful but still gainfully employed as a teacher. The unfolding of these relationships is glorious and while not explicitly detailed, is enough to push this extraordinary book in to the romance genre for me. Casey is suddenly faced with two men pursuing her but she can't seem to get out of her own head.

“But I can’t go out with a guy who’s written eleven and half pages in three years. That kind of thing is contagious.”

The entire cast of characters, from the restaurant to Casey's family, are all memorable and realistic. I loved the glimpse into the inner world of writers and the insecurity and jealousies that come with the territory. I was completely moved by Casey's journey and highly recommend this delightful book! An absolute must-read!

“It's a particular kind of pleasure, of intimacy, loving a book with someone.”

Heaven help us all is this book is indicative of the thinking and behavior of the current 20 and 30 something generation! With grandchildren in their 20s now and embarking on their paths in adulthood, I had thought I could identify with this protagonist and enjoy her success.

Thankfully my grandchildren are polar opposites to the life styles and egotistical obsessions portrayed in this book.

Obviously there were plenty of people for whom it resonated. I was not one of them.

I appreciate this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Grove Atlantic, in exchange for an honest review.

This might be good literature but I found it very boring and cannot get past 50 pages I enjoyed her last book
I would highly recommend that book to everyone

Unfortunately, I had to DNF Writers & Lovers. I started off feeling disappointed because I remembered liking Euphoria a bit more, but looking back I also gave it three stars. For Writers & Lovers I found the plot quite slow and not engaging to me as a reader. Casey as a character is well fleshed-out but she's a bit too mundane. The combo of a deep but bland character and a slow plot really couldn't keep my attention over the other books waiting on my shelf so I had to DNF. If anything can bring be back for one more try on Lily King, it would be her prose and her ability to create full characters -- it just didn't quite work for me on this one.

I don't think I ever gave a one star, but I had to force my way through this one - it did not spark any interest nor did it have appealing characters. The main character had no redeeming qualities and just annoyed me throughout the story. I almost DNF-ed it at some point.

Just... I don't know, maybe it would appeal to writers (although you don't get a lot of the writing process documented).

And that ending? Was it supposed to make it okay? It was just too flowery and non-realistic.

DNF - I hate when I'm anticipating enjoying a book but then once I start, it doesn't turn out that way. Based on the feedback I may be in the minority on this but I didn't enjoy the writing or the beginnings of the story.

I read and really enjoyed a previous book by Lily King, however, this one seemed to be a bit overhyped. I felt that it was really slow, and found it difficult to remain interested. In the beginning, there was a lot of information about the main character's (Casey) struggles with mundane work while trying to start a career as a writer, her student loan debt, and meeting two different men and attempting to choose between them. I was hoping that it would begin to improve, as I read further, but it continued to be really slow and with little plot. I'm definitely in the minority, but I felt that this was overall a difficult book to read, as it didn't hold my attention and I couldn't identify with Casey.

I'm sad to share that I didn't really enjoy Writers & Lovers. Based on everyone else's feedback, I thought that I was going to love this one, but unfortunately, I despised the writing style. I found it very bland and depressing, and at time difficult to follow. The characters weren't anything special, and I had a hard time finishing this novel.

I'm so glad I got this ARC from the publisher through Netgalley! At first, I'd passed, because the title or the cover didn't really appeal (am I that shallow?). To be honest, I feared it would be an all-American novel for young MFA graduates or aspiring novelists. But I read many enthusiastic reviews, especially Ann's at Cafe Society and her post convinced me to request a copy. Just like me, she's not American and she's not a young MFA graduate, yet she enjoyed the novel a lot!

It took me very few pages to develop some sympathy for the main character, Casey Peabody, who has recently lost her mother, who is estranged from her father and who subsists as a waitress in a Boston (or Cambridge?) restaurant while writing her novel in her free time. In theory, because I'm a pragmatist, I wouldn't approve of Casey's life choices. Early on, she tells of her encounter with a fellow MFA graduate, who has stopped writing and settled in a comfortable career as a realtor. This friend is shown through Casey's eyes under the worst possible light, both callous and egocentric: Casey doesn't want to settle, and in fact, she physically can't get herself to take a better paying job that would make her renounce her writing dream, because her novel is the only thing that holds her together at this point.

Casey is vulnerable and on the verge of a breakdown. We readers are on our toes because something has to happen to her, and we really hold our breath that there isn't another tragedy befalling her. We really want a happy ending for her, both for her book, and also for her relationship. I couldn't put the novel down!

All along the way, I couldn't help but think how American this book is, not only because of its Boston setting (I loved it!), but because of the MFA programs, the massive student debts, the importance of the college experience, the writing retreats, also the insecurity of living off waitress's tips (tipping in the US is so confusing to me, and I know how important it is to the waitress), the medical coverage (or lack thereof) and insurance bills... A coming-of-age story is nothing new, but this particular one could not happen elsewhere. And of course, spoiler alert, it has to have a happy ending, which seems to me as credible as a fairy tale's ending.

Ann mentions that the book came recommended by Elizabeth Strout. I can see the connexion between both universe, determined people enduring hardships and a very neat, effortless writing style. I'm glad I discovered Lily King and I would be glad to read another of hers.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I received a free copy of this book for review consideration.