I wanted to like this book, and I got what I wished for. I liked it. I didn’t love it. It didn’t blow me away, and in fact it took me a bit of getting into, but I did like it. I think it was the writing style rather than the actual story that got in the way. The author has a very distinct voice, and it took away from my enjoyment.

This book was so different from what I usually read, but I really enjoyed it.

The story follows 31-year-old Casey, who is feeling alone amongst tides of grief, following the death of her mother. Very much a creative soul, Casey has always struggled to find her place in the world, and at 31 she still feels out of place and isolated.

Through the course of the novel, she finds herself becoming attached to two (very different) men, and much of the middle and latter parts of the book follow her feelings towards these two men, as well as her continuing determination to reach her own creative dreams.

I totally loved Casey and found myself completely drawn into her life, desperately wanting her to find happiness at the end. A great read!

I loved this, I devoured it. The conflict between love, life, art, I loved Casey. She was so clever and so cleverly written. A child prodigy, a creative soul, she struggled to make her way in life, financially, emotionally, I championed Casey from the start. When she simultaneously fell for two different men while struggling, against the odds, to achieve creative fulfilment in her life we wonder will she ever be happy. King wrote a heart felt, witty and clever novel. It sucked me in and kept me entranced. I really really enjoyed this read, so different from much of my reading, and i absolutely adored Casey. It’s my first from King but certainly won’t be my last.

I loved this book. It's about grief and writing and life and love and I didn't want it to end.

https://www.bookbub.com/books/writers-and-lovers-by-lily-king-2020-03-16

The Wives ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

What did I read?! This book was insane. Absolutely fantastic. My mind is muddled. In the best way.

A thriller like no other. It was gripping, compulsive and page turning.

I loved the plot, I loved the characters, I loved everything about this book.

So cleverly done. Thursday was fantastic. Her character was absolutely brilliant. My heart felt for her. Imagining what you would do in her situation. You couldn't help but hope for her.

Summary
The story is about Casey Peabody, a 31-year-old aspiring writer finding her way in contemporary New England after the death of her mother leaves her feeling lost and alone. As she reflects on her career ambitions and deals with a crushing student loan, she also reevaluates her priorities in love as she finds herself in the middle of a love triangle.

My take on it
I really enjoyed reading this book, probably because I could take pleasure in
peeking into a normal mundane life in late 20th century New England and get away from our current chaotic situation.

My favourite aspect of this book was the care King tool in building Casey’s character. As a narrator, she felt close and real through her many lows and fewer thrilling highs. Struggling to finish her first novel, overcome by grief and seeing how her life is at the brink of collapse, Casey is perseverant and true to herself.

This novel is mainly about the sacrifices needed to hold onto a dream, and how every choice can take us a step closer to the life we imagine for ourselves. Casey encapsulates the difficulties in believing in oneself and not to be sidetracked and overwhelmed by others’ choices and successes or by unexpected tragedies happening to us.
But this book is about many other things: grief, love and passion; desire, determination, and finding one's way; and also about craving love, family, and success.

This novel is full of lyricism and symbolism, which become carriers of a story that is absolutely compelling without needing to be innovative.
King is a master in introducing trivial conversations and elements of what seems like another reality at this point, each of those carrying deeply symbolic meanings nonetheless. In King’s writing, a ring is a reminder of losing one’s mother, geese show freedom and the passing of time, a bridge the fracture of a previous life and the attempts of building a new one.

Casey’s story is emotional, full of heart and soul. Whilst she brings all the pathos, her story is sprinkled with humour.
Perfectly measured and spread details paint a tragic story that is also romantic and heartwarming. Despite her being messy and constantly anxious, she is sympathetic and I often found myself wanting to give her a hug and call her a friend.

My verdict
I didn’t know this was exactly the book I needed to get lost into for a couple of days. You probably don’t know it either, so follow my advice: find a cozy place, grab King’s latest novel, and lose yourself in its pages.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

It took me a little while to get into this book but in the end the narrative pulled me in and I couldn't put it down. It probably helps that I am the same age as the protagonist and share more than a few of her anxieties! I think the depiction of dealing with grief and the mental health pressures of being a millennial with debts and very little family support were very on the nose, and the whole narrative felt very realistic.

On reading the preview of this i was really looking forward to reading this, it was an enjoyable but on reading the first half i really need to persevere, this was i'm afraid a bit of a slog, past halfway and the book seemed to start to get in it's stride and was really enjoyable and i finished in it in a day. What i did enjoy was checking out the other author recommendations in the book, an interesting way to be introduced to a new author. Just ordering Woodcutters by Thomas Bernhard.

Brilliant, deep, clever writing about how to write and live and grow up, and who is worth taking on the journey with you.

I devoured American writer, Lily King’s latest novel, Writers & Lovers: the story of aspiring writer Casey, who is navigating grief and disillusionment, as she strives to make her mark as a writer and find her way in a world in which she’s no longer ‘the youngest kind of adult’. Wry, moving and funny, I’ll be recommending this novel to all.

Writers and Lovers is set in 1997 and follows 31 year old Casey, who recently lost her mother unexpectedly, who falls for two very different men at the same time. She is trying to finish the novel she's been working on for the past 6 years whilst maintaining a job as a waitress.

As well as being a book about writing a book, this is a book about love. It’s a vibrant his novel by Lily King is fresh, vibrant, and enjoyable read that is very well written.

This was a change from my usual reads and I am thoroughly glad I gave it a go.

I could not get into the story, from the beginning.
It just dragged, and the plot was not enough to keep me hooked. I could not follow the story as it was just not compelling enough.

This was my first Lily King book but I will definitely be looking through her back catalogue after this.

Writers and Lovers is the story of Casey, a writer and waitress living in Massachusetts in 1997, She’s struggling with the death of her mother, trying to write her novel, living in a glorified shed and swamped in debt.

This is a quiet book, which is exactly the kind of thing I love. Casey is immediately likeable while not being unrealistic and I found myself very engaged in her, regardless of the story. However I did find it a bit hard to get into - I struggled at first with the range of characters and also with what was happening in the present and what was in the past. I also didn’t realise for ages this was not set in the present day! (This is one of its charms though - with the exception of the emphasis on phone calls, it Casey’s struggles definitely felt contemporary).

Lily King is a wonderful writer - I found her depiction of grief throughout the book so realistic and moving. I also particularly loved the scene in the restaurant - I loved the details of life as a waitress, even the more mundane details were fascinating to me.

This is a quiet, thoughtful, introspective novel which I would definitely recommend.

Casey, a woman in her early 30s, is struggling to finish her first novel. She is seriously in debt, living in a mouldy shed, working as a waitress to barely cover her rent, with few prospects and no health insurance, all the while grieving the recent death of her mother, her estrangement from her father and a short-lived love affair that have left her barely being able to function on a day to day basis. Casey’s novel is a constant spectre but this isn’t a novel about a novel, at least Casey isn’t the usual tortured self-absorbed (male) artist that is usually a feature of novels about novels. King writes Casey’s grief and struggle in such a tender, humorous and relatable way that I was drawn to her from the outset. I loved the descriptions of Casey’s restaurant shifts, which transformed the tedium of low paid table service into something quite magical. The descriptions of the act of writing really chimed with me too, without falling on cliche (which writing about writing so often does). Alongside Casey, Writers & Lovers is littered with so many wonderful, well drawn characters. Love triangles rarely have you rooting for all parties to find their happy ever after. While satisfying, the ending didn’t quite work for me, tying things up a little too prettily, which didn’t feel in keeping with the rest of the novel. This is the first Lily King novel I’ve read and I’ll certainly be seeking out her other work along with a number of the novels that get mentioned along Casey’s journey.

Favourite line/passage:
But I can’t go out with a guy who’s written eleven and a half pages in three years. That kind of thing is contagious.

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan/Picador/Grove Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. #WritersLovers #NetGalley

The title of this book just about sums it up.

The young woman, Casey, who is the narrator , is going through grief after the death of her mother. At the same time she is trying to juggle debts( some incurred as a student) , write a novel , work as a waitress and navigate a triangular love life.

In someways the parts I found most interesting were the descriptions of her waiting job. The grinding pace of waiting on many tables with sometimes awkward customers were well described. She has both allies and enemies within the restaurant as she has both critics and supporters of her writing.

She is spiralling down into some sort of depression/anxiety and has to use a special technique to combat panic attacks.

Enter two men . Both are writers, but Oscar is an older established writer who has been widowed. . Casey makes a connection with his grieving sons .
The other man, Silas, is younger and more unpredictable but has an energy to him. She finds that his (less recent ) experience of grief resonates with her in it rawness.

Casey then has to decide on the direction she wants her life to take.

I found this book to be well written and engaging but some of the plot somewhat predictable ( what happens to the novel and how she starts a new career with great success and no difficulties)

I didn't find the description of her grief the most moving and visceral I have ever read but enjoyed the detail of the restaurant particularly.

The writing about the writing process is also interesting . Is this a new A Room of One's Own?

Set in the late 1990s, 31 year old Casey has ended up back in Massachusetts after a failed love affair has left her devastated. Her mother has recently died and she is struggling with grief, loneliness and the worry of debt and where her life is going. She works in an upmarket restaurant, Iris as a waitress and lives in a tiny rented and damp apartment belonging to a friend of her brother. Her one constant is the novel she has been writing for the last 6 years.
And then one evening she meets Silas at a book signing and they get on well but before they can get together he has to leave town. A few weeks later Oscar, a published author walks into the restaurant with his two adorable little boys. He is older than her and is grieving the death of his wife. Casey finds herself at the point of a love triangle, one with Silas who drives her mad with lust but is unreliable and Oscar the safe option, who comes with a lovely house and a ready made family.
This is literary fiction at its best. We are completely immersed in Casey's life and her every feeling. We hear about the unexpected death of her mother and the grief Casey is still feeling. Her pain is raw and will resonate with anyone who has lost someone close to them. We hear how she went to a writers retreat shortly after her mothers death and fell hard for a poet called Luke. When he left the retreat, the number he gives her doesn't work and someone tells her he is married. She returns to Massachusetts with a broken heart as well as her grief.
There is a fabulous cast of characters around her. I liked how she details the other writers she has known who have fallen by the wayside as they have fallen into conventional careers and relationships. Best friend and fellow writer Muriel is supportive and encouraging and she has a lovely friendship with Harry at the restaurant.
She is a bit startled to find herself in two relationships at once. Silas is an unknown to her but she feels deeply attracted to him. Oscar is the safer option and she is fond of his boys. I loved being privy to her decision process.
I loved my short time with Casey and really enjoyed hearing about her life. Beautiful and captivating writing, this was a wonderful read.

A great read!
Casey has been writing a novel for years but not getting very far.
She is mourning the death of her mother and the end of a passionate love affair whilst working in a restaurant and living in a rented shed.
This is a brilliant story. Casey is really believable and likeable so I found myself rooting for her from the start.
It could be viewed as a coming of age story although admittedly Casey is 31!
I would definitely recommend it. An excellent read.

I enjoyed this book so much that I actually sought out her other books! Honestly just a really engaging, pleasant story. Nicely written, with a plot that was simple but smart.

"Nearly every guy I’ve dated believed they should already be famous, believed that greatness was their destiny and they were already behind schedule. Now I understand it’s how boys are raised to think, how they are lured into adulthood. I’ve met ambitious women, driven women, but no woman has ever told me that greatness was her destiny."

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. It reminded me of Anne Tyler and Tessa Hadley. The plot seems simple, but I think it successfully achieves something that is actually quite hard: showing a slice of a very particular life, the day-to-day of it.

The blurb of the book both intrigued and alarmed me: a young woman who wants to become a writer. It feels significant that this is the author’s fifth novel - I don’t think this is the kind of plot a debut writer would be good at.

The main character is thirty-one-year-old Casey, who is working as a waitress. She used to be a golf prodigy but isn’t anymore (at one point, she jokes about the song “Casey Jones,” about the baseball player who struck out when it mattered most). She gets involved in a love triangle with a famous writer and a deadbeat eccentric (who I wasn’t really into, but whatever). She has health problems. And she is severely in debt from her creative writing graduate degree.

The novel’s attitude towards money (namely, the severe lack of it) and her day-to-day work at the restaurant was something I really appreciated. I really love depictions of ‘everyday,’ routine life. Overall, there are several narrative trajectories in the book. One is her romantic life, which takes a while to get going. Another is her grief for her dead mother. And the third is her ambition, her drive to be a writer.

As expected, I liked the ‘writing’ narrative trajectory the most. It’s captured well - the drafting, the fear - despite my early reservations that I would find them annoying. But it’s all there, with both affection and bitchiness: the culitsh weekly writing workshops where everyone feels anxious about being the ‘best’, attending readings for hardback books you can’t afford, the dread of wasting your life, the way some so-called friends don’t really want you to be successful. I REALLY liked the scene with the writing retreat staff, who don’t let her reschedule her stay at the fancy-schmancy East Coast barn, even though her mother’s just died. Fuck those people, man!

Casey’s focus on writing - her stubbornness, her kernel of ambition, her love of literature (especially the character of Quentin Compson, and Thomas Bernhard) - are very well captured. It’s hard not to find her sympathetic - someone who just plain loves books, and literature. I also really enjoyed her friendship with Muriel, her supportive and kind friend. Thank GOD for a non-toxic female friendship depicted in fiction! The book is also often genuinely funny in a Lorrie Moore-quip way (again, something that I think is VERY hard to achieve).

My main critique of the book is that the ending was way too happy. But hey, what can you do? I felt happy for the character despite my icy cold heart - she deserved it. Ultimately, book is mature and sophisticated and really quite impressive. The way it takes a young woman seriously - her goals and her life - is sadly not something I've seen enough. Overall, I would recommend this if you’re looking for a feel-good read, or if you're interested in reading a 'portrait of the artists as a young woman.'

Thanks to Picador/Pan Macmillan for the ARC via NetGalley.

This book was ok. I really wanted it to be better but, it simply failed to grab my interest. It's certainly a slow burn and written with a real craft that I hoped would build to something spectacular.

I found the style to be too slow and really expected the pace to quicken, once I got more into the book. Sadly, it didn't happen, in my view

I hadn't read Lily King before but, I'd heard good and positive things. I am, therefore, not put off and will seek out her other books but, this one was not for me.