Luv is a 42 year old mother, who lands a job cleaning for her favorite author, Essie Starling. A mysterious recluse, Essie asks Liv to help her finish writing her last book. Of course for Liv this is complicated, chaotic and life-changing.

Liv Green, cleans up after other people in her job as a maid and dreams of becoming a writer like her favorite client, Essie Starling, a mysterious and intimidating recluse. One day Liv is informed that Essie has passed away and her dying wish is that Liv finish her last book. In order to do that Liv must untangle the many threads of Essie's life to see what made her a great writer. In all of Phaedra Patrick's books there is a quest that forces the characters to not only examine their lives but to take a look around at the lives of others. As Liv progresses through her journey, she quickly discovers that the glamorous life Essie led was just as messy as hers. I loved this book and enjoyed sharing Liv's adventure!

First of all, I want to say a very big thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for the opportunity to read/review this book prior to its release.

When I first saw the cover and read the description, I expected this to be right up my alley! I was hoping for more on the murder mystery side of things and can appreciate the direction that the author took it, but I guess I was left hoping for a little more.

I still think a lot of people will enjoy this read!

I really really wanted to love this one. I mean, the title and the cover are absolutely perfect !! But for me, it just fell flat. It’s by no means a bad book, but I just felt like I couldn’t connect with anything, despite being a reader and a writer, myself. It felt a lot like Evelyn Hugo without the magic of what that book actually is. Despite feeling a little lacklustre, I did keep reading. I did enjoy the writing style and the twist and turns we took, it’s just not a favourite for me.

A book about books!! I can never turn them down and I'm so glad I read this one! It was cute and I cried??? out of nowhere??? It was heartwarming in a way I wasn't expecting and I definitely would recommend this one.

3.5 Stars

Thank you #NetGalley @htp_books @HarlequinBooks @ParkRowBooks for a complimentary eARC of #TheMessyLivesOfBookPeople upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Liv Green is the daughter of an English Literature professor, loves the world of books, works two jobs, scrambles to make ends meet, and cares for her family. She finds her escape in a good book and dreams of being a writer. Her job as a house cleaner for a popular, reclusive, eccentric author feeds this dream. When the author unexpectedly dies, Liv is astonished by the author’s last wish….she wants Liv to complete her current work in progress. There’s an important writing deadline to meet and secrets to uncover.

Did you ever dream of being a writer?
Do you have a dream on the back burner?

I enjoyed the unique premise, the focus on writers, and the mention of several book titles in this story.

Will Liv finish the book and meet the deadline? Will she be able to write a compelling and satisfactory ending and uphold the author’s reputation? Will she uncover the author’s closely guarded secrets? Will this assignment break her marriage? Even though one of the plot points (where she attends a conference and impersonates the author) is a bit far-fetched, the author holds my interest. I felt invested and motivated to keep turning pages as I cheered for Liv’s success and her HEA.

I’m placing The Messy Lives of Book People in the “uplit” category. It’s a heartwarming story of bookish people, writers, and realizing a dream.

I’m warmly recommending The Messy Lives of Book People for fans of uplifting women’s fiction, for book clubs, and for your beach bag!

Olivia Green cleans houses and businesses for a living. Her husband owns a not so profitable paper company with his family. They have two boys who will both be in university this year. They can barely make ends meet. They are a family; they share game night together and family meals. Even though Liv has always had her own set of dreams as to what she wanted in life, family has always taken precedence.

Liv especially enjoys working for Essie Starling, the best-selling author of the Georgia Rory adventure series which Essie is in the process of writing the twentieth book. Essie is known to be difficult, but Liv takes her with a grain of salt grateful for the opportunity to be around such a renowned author. Liv is an avid reader. You see, secretly, Liv has always wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. At 10 years old her late father who was an English professor told her she had talent. But, as you know, sometimes life has a way of putting some dreams on the backburner.

Then, Essie suddenly dies, and Liv discovers to her amazement in her will she chose her to finish the final Georgia Rory adventure. But, there are stipulations such as no one can know Essie has died until the publication date of the book, and absolutely no one can know Liv completed the work. Not understanding what was in Essie’s mind, she reluctantly takes on the responsibility of completing the book. The money could certainly come in handy. Unfortunately, she must lie to everybody including her husband Jake as to what she is doing. But with this opportunity comes way more questions than answers.

As Liv reads what Essie has already written, she just can’t get a feel for who the characters really are and where they are going. So, as she begins her work of figuring out where Essie had been going with the story, she soon has more questions than answers. In order to grasp the characters as they are now, she feels the only way she can do Essie’s work justice is to go back in time and find out what exactly Essie was thinking when she created the first story. What were the mysteries lurking in the background of these developed characters?

This idea takes Liv on her own adventure into Essie’s past, the people she knew, who worked for her, who she married and a mysterious love of her life. Liv discovers Essie had many secrets. As the task and deadline quickly approach, Liv is overwhelmed with fear of not doing Essie or the characters justice. This all begins to take a toll on her marriage as well. She begins to see a different side of herself. One which she never knew was inside her.

Then suddenly, Liv discovers Essie’s secrets. These secrets will pull Liv’s and her family’s lives in a direction she never saw coming. All she thought she wanted to do was make Essie proud of her. but it turned into something so much more.

The Messy Lives of Book People is a heartwarming, uplifting story about, well…books, those who read them, those who write them and those who wish they could. But the lesson learned from the story is this, Love is the glue which holds the writer’s and the readers of books together. No matter who you are.

Thank you #NetGalley #ParkRow #PhaedraPatrick #TheMessyLivesofBookPeople for the advanced copy.

Unlike other books about books I have read recently, this one was unexpectedly different and I enjoyed it.
The plot was fantastic and I wasn’t expecting the end at all.
Overall I gave it 3.5 stars, as I felt a disconnect with the characters.

Messy Lives of Book People is such an apt title for Phaedra Patrick’s latest book! The two main characters, reclusive author Essie Starling and Olivia Green, a cleaner, are both book lovers and both have very messy lives.

I enjoyed both of these characters. They are vastly different both in terms of social status as well as their personalities. The one thing that they have in common is their love of reading. I loved the references to books sprinkled throughout the story as Essie shares her suggestions with Olivia.

Readers learn Olivia and Essie’s stories mostly after Essie has passed away. As Olivia muddles through Essie’s last request that she finish the manuscript of Essie's final Georgia Rory novel, she also muddles through her transitioning life. Her children are off to university. Her husband spends more time at work and taking phone calls in the coat closet than working on his marriage. So, the mystery of Essie Starling’s life and her “true love” easily becomes Olivia’s focus; not only does her sleuthing through the possibilities in Essie’s past provide her with a diversion, she feels it is key to successfully writing the perfect HEA ending for her very favorite Essie Starling character, Georgia Rory.

Olivia’s journey takes her outside of her comfort zone, and forces her to grow as a person and as a writer. The intricacies of Essie’s life are interesting, and her “true love” is an amazing twist in the story. The characters are engaging and the story is compelling. It is a story of books, writers, and how reality can weigh down one's hopes and dreams if you let it.

4.5 stars

Could you imagine your favorite author entrusting you with the task of finishing their book after their death? Well, this novel is every book lovers dream. The author introduces us to Liz Green, a house cleaner and book lover, who is employed by one of her favorite authors, Essie Starling. The time spent as her house cleaner allows the two to develop an unexpected friendship. Unfortunately, Essie’s death brings the friendship to an end, but she leaves behind a dying wish for Liz to finish her last novel.

We follow Liz as she embarks on her journey to becoming an authoress which is a road of mystery and self discovery. I felt like the author did a great job of setting the scene, but I needed a little bit more. I like that it appealed to book people, literally. All in all, the writing was great. I really enjoyed the the idea of the story because I know if I was ever given the chance to finish a novel for one of my favorite authors as nerve wrecking as the idea may seem I would jump at the opportunity and just sort through whatever came my way much like the main character.

When Liv, a 40-something wife and mom, takes a job cleaning for a reclusive author, she never dreams it will end up changing everything.

I really enjoyed this book, and finished it in just a couple days. The twists that the story took seemed a little incredulous, but they worked somehow and translated into a page turning, escapist novel. I also really identified with Liv's personal storyline, regarding grown children, changes in an empty nest marriage, and trying to figure out what comes next in life.

If you enjoy women’s fiction, and/or books about books, give this one a try! Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary digital review copy of this title.

I love the title of this book, and even though The Messy Lives of Book People isn’t quite what I was expecting, it satisfies on several levels. The story flows easily, with some sentence gems along the way.

Olivia, the main character, is a somewhat untethered wife and mother of two older teen boys and is the cleaner for her favorite author. She dreams of more for herself, and, suddenly, finds those dreams coming true in an unplanned, high pressure way. While the main plot line is unbelievable, it is a sweet coming of age story for a middle-aged woman; I really enjoyed the ways in which the author used the unfolding events and different characters to help Olivia grow. I’ll definitely read more of Phaedra Patrick’s work in the future.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row, author Phaedra Patrick, and Netgalley for access to an early electronic version of this book.

The Messy Lives of Book People
Phaedra Patrick
May 31, 2022


Olivia Green worked hard to help support her boys. Her husband Jake spent a good deal of his time at his family's publishing company. Liv spent her days cleaning other people’s homes. She was good at it, and enjoyed working for the most part. Her favorite home belonged to writer, Essie Starling. She read all of Essie’s books. She was a reader and spent her break and lunch time with books. Cleaning Essie’s apartment was a joy. She had many unique things around her home. Liv did have rules to follow. While Essie is writing there cannot be any disturbances. When that door was closed, the phone did not ring, no visitors came. Essie is a very private person. She didn’t give interviews. On a rare occasion she might attend a writer’s symposium but for the most part she kept to herself. There were odd times when her door would be open and Essie would be gone. That was the hour that Liv could clean in the study. On occasion she found notes about a coming book. How exciting to find a clue about the next adventure in her famous character, Georgia Rory’s life.
Patrick’s book was a secretive glimpse at an author’s life. It gave us a look at what life might be like to write the days away with nothing but the publisher’s due date on their head. The Messy LIfe of Book People will be published on May 31, 2022 by BookClubish of Park Row Books. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review Patrick’s latest book via NetGalley. This is an interesting, amusing glimpse at an author’s world. Quite an enjoyable read, a first for me from Phaedra Patrick. Truly a cozy selection that readers will find enticing. Do enjoy!

The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick is a charming story that was a fascinating escape at a much needed time. This is a wonderfully written story that is filled with emotion, secrets and mystery. It is a heartfelt story of books, authors and their writings. The characters are unforgettable and each one is full of hope. It will show you to follow your dreams even if you have to go out of your comfort me. This is a good one!!

Thank you NetGalley, Park Row Books, HTP Influencers and Phaedra Patrick for an advanced copy of this compelling story. My review is my own.
#netgalley. #parkrowbooks. #htpinfluencers #phaedrapatrick #arc #messylivesofbookpeople

A story of change, second chances and love of books. Liv is the cleaner to famous Essie Starling, her favorite author. Although most people look through their cleaners, Essie not only sees Liv but asks for input on her writings. Upon her sudden death Essie asks for her death. It to be reported for six months and for Liv to finish her new novel. At first petrified, Liv grows into her role as author and assistant, and into herself, becoming a woman who now stands up for herself.
A delightful book

Know this is a feel good book about a woman discovering as much about herself as she does about the woman who makes her the writer she's always wanted to be. Liv has been cleaning for Essie Starling for years but that's not what she wants. She wants to be a writer, a goal encouraged by her father that somehow fell by the wayside. Now though, Essie has died and made Liv her literary heir of sorts- she's designated Liv to finish the last book in her much loved Georgia Rory series, the 20th one. Liv sets out to learn what made Essie tick (complicated woman) and discovers that Essie had a lot of secrets, including one involving her own family. No spoilers on this one. There's a revelatory trip to Croatia. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Yes it's a bit trope-y and yes, you might see some of it coming but the characters are good, the storytelling is good and it's fun.

Liv Green never went to university, despite wanting to be a writer. Instead, she married her first love, and made his dreams her own. Now she works as a maid, and her income helps put her two sons through school.
But then she meets Essie Starling, her favorite author, and becomes Essie's maid. When Essie dies, her will stipulates that Liv is to complete her latest book, and gives her 6 months to do so. Suddenly Liv has a chance to do something she's always dreamed of, and she discovers a bit about herself in the process.

Oh how I absolutely adored this book! The story definitely has major ‘Evelyn Hugo’ vibes except with Essie being a famous author compared to Evelyn being a famous actress. Although there are definitely similarities between the two novels, this story has its own way of being unique and quirky.

All the characters in this story are absolutely lovable. The main character Liv, who works for Essie is just perfect. I want to know this woman in real life. Reading about Liv’s journey of working for Essie while finding out about herself and her past was mysterious, remarkable and so heartwarming.

Definitely one of those books you just hug at the end and it makes you feel all the emotions. I truly loved this!

Thank you so much to Park Row Books and Harper Collins Canada for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Out May 31st, 2022 if you wish to grab yourself a copy!

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. Anything by Phaedra Patrick is actually. I highly recommend this book.

family, family-business, family-dynamics, famous-author, England, inheritance, personal-growth, personal-sacrifice, hope*****

Liv is an underappreciated wife/mother/multi-contract maid service who is surprised and dismayed when life takes an unbelievable life changing inheritance from her favorite client/writer. Fantastic character growth and development in Liv as she works through everything. The other characters are so well defined and interesting, but it is Liv and Essie who really live on. Like hope itself. Wonderful read!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you
PS The book is called THE MESSY LIVES OF BOOK PEOPLE in the US and Canada, and THE BOOK SHARE in the UK