Writers & Lovers by Lily King

Writers & Lovers by Lily King – Audio

Book Blurb:

Blindsided by her mother’s sudden death, and wrecked by a recent love affair, Casey Peabody has arrived in Massachusetts in the summer of 1997 without a plan. Her mail consists of wedding invitations and final notices from debt collectors. A former child golf prodigy, she now waits tables in Harvard Square and rents a tiny, moldy room at the side of a garage where she works on the novel she’s been writing for six years. At thirty-one, Casey is still clutching onto something nearly all her old friends have let go of: the determination to live a creative life. When she falls for two very different men at the same time, her world fractures even more. Casey’s fight to fulfill her creative ambitions and balance the conflicting demands of art and life is challenged in ways that push her to the brink.

My Review: 4.5 stars

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Writers & Lovers was an intimate portrayal of a woman dealing with debt, loss and perhaps a leap at love. I may be the only one on the planet who couldn’t get into King’s 2014 release of Euphoria. I’m planning on trying again or trying the audio version. I enjoyed The Pleasing Hour from years ago, well before I started reviewing, so I thought I’d dig into her newest one as it’s been getting rave reviews.

First of all, I’m so glad I listened to this on audio. The narrator did a wonderful job and brought the book to life. Getting inside Casey’s head was an amazing experience. First, because I got to feel the struggles of a writer. Living in a potting shed, as the only place she could afford, gave me a good idea what she was up against. I also felt so much grief for the loss of her mother. There were many standout moments that she recounts that just made me sigh with sadness. Her daily bike rides by the geese just tore me up. Finally, her conundrum of being “torn between two lovers” was so well explored. Both men were writers, yet they could not have been more different.

Casey was blunt, stunted and sad. Watching her grow into herself was done with precision. There were so many little moments that meant so much. Many of them occurred at her waitressing job. Some at a museum. More at miniature golf. The more I write, the more I remember.

King’s writing was precise and allowed the reader (listener) to feel as deeply as Casey did. This was a quiet book with smaller, yet significant arcs in the storyline. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed as much if I’d read it. So glad I listened. Well done.

Quotes I liked:

It’s a particular kind of pleasure, of intimacy, loving a book with someone.”

“You don’t realize how much effort you’ve put into covering things up until you try to dig them out.”

“It´s so much easier to cry when there are arms around you.”

“I don’t write because I think I have something to say. I write because if I don’t, everything feels even worse.”

“If we didn’t have fear, imagine the creativity in the world. Fear holds us back every step of the way.”

“Usually a man in my life slows my work down, but it turns out two men give me fresh energy for the revision.”