Bitter Sweet
The intoxicating, razor-sharp debut book club read for 2025 everyone is talking about!
by Hattie Williams
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Pub Date 3 Jul 2025 | Archive Date Not set
Orion Publishing Group | Orion
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Description
'I inhaled this novel. Utterly believable, immersive and heartfelt. I loved it' JENNIE GODFREY
'Hattie's writing on early-20s friendships and their enmeshed intensity, was so convincing. I enjoyed it so much' MARIAN KEYES
'A timeless tragedy, a story of the intricacies and illusions of true love' CHRIS WHITAKER
'Beautifully crafted, with aftershocks of conscience' JODI PICOULT
'Sharp, compelling, and thought provoking. The perfect book club pick for 2025' LOUISE O'NEILL
*Don't miss the intoxicating and compulsive debut novel from Hattie Williams - pre-order BITTER SWEET now!*
'In my life, there are things that have happened to me, and things that I have done, that have proven to be moments that have a clear before and an after. One of those moments, perhaps in some ways the biggest, was the day that I met Richard Aveling for the first time.'
Charlie is twenty-three, single and the new publicity assistant at the independent London publishing house Winden & Shane. Richard Aveling is fifty-six, married and the author that has defined his generation.
Charlie has long idolised the charming, illustrious writer, who also represents a link to her late mother, who loved his work. But as they embark on an illicit and all-consuming affair, Charlie is forced to hide the relationship from everyone she cares about.
And when the success of Richard's latest book launches him to a new level of fame where all anonymity is lost, she realises she might just be in too deep...
A thought-provoking exploration of a relationship founded in power, control and silence, Bitter Sweet is perfect for book clubs and will appeal to fans of Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason and Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors.
** More praise for BITTER SWEET by Hattie Williams**
'Brutal but tender, entertaining, compelling and completely believable' LAUREN BRAVO
'An instant classic of a debut: honest, winning, breakable' AJ FINN
'Raw and beautiful and true' ABIGAIL DEAN
'Fresh, unflinching and reminds us how dangerous love can be' ARAMINTA HALL
'Thrilling, compulsive and utterly addictive' KIRSTY CAPES
'As intoxicating as the relationship she portrays, a book that keeps you obsessively within its pages' KATE WESTON
'A brilliantly assured debut which deftly charts the pain of young love' SJ WATSON
'Smart and intense, a thrilling new voice' AJ WEST
'Beautiful and tender, addicitve and heartbreaking' CJ COOKE
'An addictive, relatable story of obsessive love' JULIA RAESIDE
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781398722804 |
| PRICE | £16.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 400 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Glenda S, Reviewer
Bitter Sweet
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
(Contemporary fiction)
This book was an absolute gem.
At first glance, the plot follows Charlie, a 23-year-old girl, as she becomes involved in a romance with Richard, a renowned (married) writer that she idolizes since forever, more than two decades older than her and with whom she also works as part of the marketing team for her next novel. However, the story goes far beyond than just representing the forbidden romance that occurs between the two of them.
Bitter Sweet is a kind of a coming of age book that uses the power disparity between the main couple to also explore topics such as the connections to things and people that may occur while going through a grieving process, trying to find our place in the world and mental health, but despite dealing with such complex situations, the pages turn by themselves. It is IMPOSSIBLE to stop reading and even having an idea of what the ending could be, it still comes as a surprise.
The dynamic between Charlie and Richard is literally a roller coaster and I think the author knew how to perfectly handle that line where I, as a reader, often felt anger and anguish for no obvious reason. It's hard to explain without actually spoiling, but it wasn't so much the situations as the way the protagonist felt in many of them that made me feel uncomfortable while reading if that makes sense.
Something I really liked about this book, too, was the connection that Charlie felt with her friends. A full-fledged found family, where each one feels like a complete and well-structured character, with an unbreakable bond with one another above all and despite the initial prejudices that one reading may experience. Once again, the author filled with beauty and depth something that at first glance could seem banal and superficial.
I think it's clear that I loved both the narration and the story itself so so so much. I got excited, I got frustrated and I find it incredible that this is a debut. Totally recommended.
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