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Writers & Lovers

Funny and heartbreaking, the perfect read from the author of Heart the Lover

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Writers & Lovers

By: Lily King
Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski
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Now you've read Heart the Lover, it's time to go back to the original . . .

The New York Times bestseller from the author of Heart the Lover. Funny and heartbreaking, Writers & Lovers is Lily King's bitingly clever modern classic.

‘A novel with the broad embrace of a 1990s Richard Curtis film’ – The Sunday Times
‘Funny and immensely clever’ – Tessa Hadley
'Gorgeous' - Elizabeth Strout
'Writers & Lovers made me happy . . . suffused with hopefulness and kindness' - Ann Patchett
'I loved this book from the first paragraph' - Curtis Sittenfeld


Casey is lost. She is mourning the death of her mother, the novel she has been writing for six years isn’t going anywhere, and her debt is soaring. Surely at thirty-one, when all her friends are getting married and having kids, she is too old for things to be this way.

Then she meets Silas. He is kind, handsome, interested. But only a few weeks later, Oscar – older, fascinating, complicated – walks into her life, his two boys in tow. Suddenly Casey finds herself at the point of a love triangle, torn between two very different futures . . .

‘Exquisite . . . A warm and buoyant romance’ – The Sunday Telegraph
‘Captivating’ – Madeline Miller, author of Circe
‘Delightful . . . Warm, funny and sharply observed’ – Daily Mail
‘Infused with tenderness and wry wit’ – The Irish Times
‘Romantic and funny . . . Wonderfully life-affirming’ – Daily Express
‘Witty and affecting, Writers & Lovers explores where grit can get you, even when everything appears to be falling apart’ – i newspaper

Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Small Town & Rural Women's Fiction Heartfelt Funny
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Critic reviews

Lily King is one of our great literary treasures and Writers & Lovers is suffused with her brilliance. It is captivating, potent, incisive, and wise, a moving story of grief, and recovering from grief, and of a young woman finding her courage for life (Madeline Miller, author of Circe)
My favourite of Lily King's books so far. Exuberant and affirming, it's funny and immensely clever, emotionally rare and strong. I feel bereft now I've finished (Tessa Hadley, author of Late in The Day)
Gorgeous (Elizabeth Strout)
Writers & Lovers stole my heart from its first pages. I am in love with this book. In. Love. This deep dive of a novel will stay with me forever (Elin Hilderbrand, author of Summer of ‘69)
Lily King writes masterfully about desire and loss, creativity and inspiration, and how each overlaps and influences the other (Christina Baker Kline, author of A Peace of the World)
Glemboski's warm voice has great narrative appeal, and she populates the wealth of interesting characters with believable, imaginative voices. One wants to remain long in their company
All stars
Most relevant
This book has a small world, is beautifully written and moved me emotionally in many places. You won’t regret buying it.

Beautiful

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This is the 2nd Lily King novel I’ve listened to on audible, the first being Euphoria which I also really enjoyed.

I listened at a time of some personal challenges and a sense of lack of hope and meaning in my life and at first felt a little weighed down by the subject matter.
I stuck with it and was so glad I did.

The writing is beautiful and emotions conveyed with honesty and rawness which was so relatable.

I felt like I’d been on a ride with a friend and was ultimately uplifted by the conclusion of the story.

I loved this ..

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When it started, I was worried it was just going to be chicklit - but it rose far above this, with themes of bereavement and mental health. The protagonist is charming and relatable.
A couple of uncomfortable attempts at accents, but otherwise well read!

Lovely story with more depth than expected

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I almost gave up as I found the story slow and hard to engage with for at least the first 20 minutes but after that I was so pleased I’d stayed with it. I can only think that the reviews I’ve read that are not favourable are the result of people not getting past the first chapter or two.

Stay with it

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Lyrical, engrossing, unusual study of grief, depression and love. I found it totally uplifting - highly recommended

Loved this book

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