“It’s a particular kind of pleasure, of intimacy, loving a book with someone.”
Click the cover for more about the book on Goodreads.
Writers & Lovers is a novel written by Lily King. It follows a 30 year old waiter and aspiring writer, Casey Peabody, who moves back to Massachusetts in the summer of 1997. As hinted in the title, Casey meets two different men in the novel, both writers like herself. King explores the mind of a writer in love, and Casey discovers more about herself and her novel through these relationships.
The underlying story weaved throughout the romance focuses on Casey’s childhood as a golf prodigy, her relationship with her parents, her adventurous young adult years, and how her writing has been impacted by these things. The familial recollection is both beautiful and heartbreaking and will resonate deeply with readers. Casey’s new relationships and the writing of her novel serve as introductions to Casey’s past and are explored beautifully.
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After pulling an all-nighter, to finish this book, I summed up my thoughts in a rushed GoodReads review: “This was really good & so beautiful” as well as a five-star rating. But this review is absolutely how I felt; the emotional climax of the novel compelled me to stay up all night to finish it. The beautiful conclusion felt perfectly earned. I enjoyed the romantic aspects of the novel; however, the thoughts, emotions, and history of the main character were ultimately my favorite parts. The gradual unshrouding of Casey as a person was enlightening and perfectly executed.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It features important themes of forgiveness, empathy, and love in a way that I personally want everyone to learn about. This book will definitely appeal to romance readers. But, similarly to how it is only half of the title, the “lovers” portion of the book is not overbearing. I’m personally not a fan of rom-com books, and the romance in this novel isn’t a typical predictable romance—an aspect which I particularly enjoyed.
“There’s a particular feeling in your body when something goes right after a long time of things going wrong. It feels warm and sweet and loose.”
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