The Messy Lives of Book People is an enjoyable, light read, but it didn’t fully live up to its potential for me.

The premise of the book—a cleaner stepping into the life of a famous author after her unexpected death—was promising. There’s something heartwarming about the idea of discovering hidden truths and exploring the complexities of a creative life. However, while the story had charm, it often felt predictable and lacked the emotional depth I was hoping for.

The protagonist, Liv, is likable enough, and I appreciated her journey of self-discovery. Yet, her character development felt somewhat superficial at times, and some of her choices didn’t always feel entirely believable. While I rooted for her, there were moments when I wanted more complexity in her reactions to the events unfolding around her.

The supporting cast of characters added a nice variety of personalities, but many of them felt one-dimensional. Their relationships with Liv often lacked the depth that could have made them more compelling. Instead of dynamic interactions, some of their exchanges felt formulaic, leaving me wishing for more nuanced connections.

One area where the book shines is in its exploration of books and writing. As a lover of literature, I enjoyed the glimpses into the life of a successful author and the book world in general. Phaedra Patrick clearly loves books, and that passion shines through. However, I expected more intrigue in the mystery surrounding the author's life. The "secrets" Liv uncovers, while interesting, didn’t feel as impactful as I anticipated.

The pacing is steady, but there were stretches where the narrative felt sluggish. While the resolution tied things up neatly, it left me wanting more complexity and emotional resonance.

Overall, The Messy Lives of Book People is a pleasant, comforting read, ideal for fans of light contemporary fiction with a dash of literary intrigue. It’s an enjoyable book, but for me, it didn’t quite have the depth or surprises to make it stand out.

A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

I absolutely loved this book. This story was incredible and for other book lovers out there, I think you could really love this book as well.

I don't even know where to get started with all the things that I loved about this book. First, there were many literary references and book titles casually woven into the story and although it seems like a minor detail, as a bookworm...I LOVED it.

This book really did remind me of something akin to a Nora Ephron film but also reminded me of novels like, "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid along with the "Shopaholic" series by Sophie Kinsella. This last one is a very strange similarity but I think it's because I feel the same way with the "Shopaholic" series that Liv felt with Essie's 'Georgia' series.

I'm going to be intentionally vague here and leave it brief but there was a part of the story that caught me fully off guard but I loved it and felt that it really added to the overall novel. To me, it made sense and also helped with the explanation of another storyline.

This was such an enjoyable, thought provoking, and emotional novel. I think it truly hit differently being an avid reader and it's a book I will no doubt come back to.

This is a book that I'd love to see adapted into a movie (if done correctly) because I think it could be such a hit for a wide range of audiences.

***I received a physical copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

This is now the fourth book by Phaedra Patrick that I’ve read and absolutely loved. She has a knack for creating interesting characters that I’m totally invested in! Liv Green being one that you want to see succeed and I loved watching her build her confidence as the story progressed and Essie Starling being this enigma that I wanted to know more about. Although I was able to guess one of the major plot twists pretty early on, I was happy in the way it was played out.

A book for book lovers, however the ending felt to rushed. But, I did love the main character and the overall story of this book.

I always love books about books and book lovers. This one was definitely one I enjoyed a lot. It was well written and I enjoyed the characters and their growth.

This was a lovely, cozy book. I was perhaps not the best audience, but would definitely recommend this to someone older. I enjoyed the characters, especially since the main protagonist was just a "regular woman" in both looks and life. It made the story more relatable. I enjoyed the character development, and the book-within-a-book portions were fun in their outlandishness.

A light but never trite read about missed opportunities and second chances, as a British woman who dreamed about being a writer ends up as a housecleaner, but later has the good fortune to work on the final novel of her favorite bestselling author. There are a few mishaps and moments of mistaken identity along the way, as Liv Green manages to make her way in the publishing world and also remember what is important about the family she loves. This is a good read for a book club wanting a lighter read that still touches on interpersonal relationships and finding your way in the world when life doesn't turn out as planned.

Engaging and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where bookish women's fic is popular.

A bookcase on the cover. A book about life. A book about book people. I was sold based on the cover and title alone of The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick. The book proves to be a middle age version for coming of age story – a journey of self discovery that allows family paradigms to be reinvented and reminds us that dreams are always possible. While somewhat far-fetched and neatly packaged at the end, the book is a lighthearted, easy read.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2023/10/the-messy-lives-of-book-people.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

This book was hard for me to get into. Easy to put down. I didn't connect with the characters. This was the first time I've read this author. I say read this book, just because it wasn't an amazing read for me doesn't mean it won't be for you!

Liv has always dreamed of being a writer. Working as a maid for an eccentric is the next best thing, right? Until she disappears and Liv finds herself drawn into the world of putting words on paper into meaningful form. As she struggles to fulfill a deathbed commitment to her employer, Liv finds herself questioning her life, her marriage, and who she is. As she finds the story, she finds herself. I loved this book!

How does Phaedra Patrick write such endearing characters? Every book of hers has characters that I want to befriend in real life. I really enjoyed this book about a woman who gets involved with a reclusive writer.. I don't want to give anything away. You have to get the book and read it.

This book was truly a delight. No earth shaking events happens that will change the world, but all the characters grow into their full potential right before our eyes. The way Ms. Patrick took all the loose threads of the story and wove them all together and ended with one of the sweetest endings ever was great. I found myself smiling as I read it, even the kind of sad parts and the story lines that create tension, still the book just seems so cozy (?), even the "jet-setting" trip and spa visit. I think my word for this book is sweet--there are really no bad characters and all of them reveal parts of themselves that you might not expect. Maybe the book people have messy lives, but they really do have happy endings!!

I didn't know what to expect from this but I really enjoyed it. Its about writing, and figuring yourself out, even at an older age.

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

I didn't love this book as much as I hoped I would. It's an unimpressive three stars.

The characters are different and some of them are interesting but others are just boring. The story is way too long AND predictable, which makes it even harder to keep moving through. It was easy to walk away from this book. I only kept going because reading it fit into my busier schedule.

This isn't one I'd recommend.

BOOK REVIEW

BOOK: The Messy Lives of Book People
AUTHOR: Phaedra Patrick
FORMAT: eBook
RATING: DNF (did not finish)

MY THOUGHTS

I started this book and found that I had a lot of difficulty connecting to the story. I did not finish it, not for lack of quality of the book but more so that I felt it was a “right book wrong time” situation where I wasn’t in the right mindset for this one at this time! Hopefully will be picking it back up in the future!

This is my first book by this author and it will not be my last!!!! This is a beautiful story of finding yourself and honoring the ones you treasure.

The mystery element of this book was a little too slow for me, but you can't go wrong with a book about books. I didn't love it as much as The Library of Lost and Found, but I did love the cozy feel of this one and it was a nice escape from everyday life.

Were you looking for a rip-off of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo paired with Who Is Maud Dixon?? If so, you've come to the right place. But if you've already read those two books (and especially if you liked them), then you can just go ahead and skip right on by because that's this book in a nutshell.

At first I liked this book, because in true Phaedra Patrick fashion, we have a woman who needs to find her backbone (our main character Olivia). The cover of this book is awesome and I was hoping for a redemption for Liv and some great bookish references. But when all is said and done I got a plot that has been done before, and a woman who gets away with a lot and doesn't really seem to learn anything in the process. I didn't have any buy in for the whys and hows of this book and I really hated Liv's husband and how much he alternately expected from her and hid from her and how much she took it.

I've enjoyed some of Patrick's books in the past for their heartwarming plots, but this is not one of them. I listened to the audiobook and give a star to the narrator Katy Sobey who did a fantastic job narrating. In the future if the author is going to borrow so much of a plot maybe don't do it from a book that everyone and their grandma and their neighbor's book club have read.