Disclaimer: I read this book a long time ago so the details are fuzzy, but I am trying to clean up my NetGalley shelf.

I would definitely categorize this as sad girl fiction, kind of in the realm of Hanna Halperin and Sally Rooney. Casey, aspiring (and struggling) writer, is just trying to make ends meet as she deals with the aftermath of her mother’s death and the end of a relationship. In the pages that follow she gets swept up in 2 romances (which felt very much as if they could represent the two very different paths her life could take) as she also tries to figure out her career and life as a whole. What stuck with me about the book is how it beautifully dealt with the complex relationships in it, but also with Casey’s struggle to decide what kind of life she wanted to live.

Highly Recommend! I wasn't sure reading a novel about a novel was going to be very good. However, this book proved me wrong. Casey is easy to identify with. This story takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions that will stay with you for a very long time.

Books about writers can be so hard to get right. Some things are romanticized, while others are sort of glossed over. Lily King succeeds with this novel. Her main character, Casey, is a down-on-her-luck writer, waiting tables and trying to finish her first novel. She's had a string of failed relationships and her mother recently died. She's stuck in a cycle of poverty and depression, while still working her butt off to get ahead and to find connections (both professionally and emotionally). Her love of literature and of being a writer comes across so fully, that it was easy for me to relate to her. But Casey does tend to make a ton of bad decisions (which makes her both relatable and frustrating!).

My issue with this book is that there were parts that were extremely boring. I kept waiting for more action to happen, and when it did, it felt like major events were brushed aside pretty quickly. I was also bummed out with the ending. Some aspects were tied up really neatly, while I was left with some questions with others.

King does have a gorgeous way with words, but this book felt really long (even though it's only like 300 pages). I'd probably read more from her in the future because she's so good at her craft, but I'd have to be in the mood for a book with an emphasis on character development versus plot.

Possible spoilers ahead. NetGalley approved my request to read this book in March of 2020. I was so excited to read it at the time and then Covid happened, I had one kid, and then two kids, and now I have returned to a moment in my life that feels settled enough to read this book with my full attention. This is actually pretty fitting considering Casey’s struggles and the ultimate way that life rewards her for those effort. At the end, her accomplishment feels like my accomplishment. But I am real, and she is a character from a story. Therein lies Lily King’s brilliance. King truly taps in to what is it like to be human - the bad, the ugly, the sadness, the triumphs, and the small moments that life delivers that feel so poetic and fitting though they are minor. I read Euphoria and I loved its bittersweet ending. This happy ending didn’t feel like pandering; it felt like a true culmination how how life is supposed to be and how it can be with the the right amount of luck and a bunch of hard work.

This was my first Lily King and I was skeptical from the synopsis but ended up loving it! It hooked me right from the first page and was just quietly poetic and lovely.

I reviewed this book on my Booktube channel. The review can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/sWfswPNiltU

I'm unsure of this book. It was just an okay read for me, but I did like some elements. Casey is a struggling writer who has gone through a lot, and just wants to focus on writing and making sure her life is stable. Overall, the big picture of the story is interesting, but the writing kind of made it a little boring or slow to get through.

*Thank you to @netgalley and Grove Press for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon because less than 4 stars.*

I had an advance copy of this book and cannot BELIEVE I put it off as long as I did!! It was an engrossing, surprisingly propulsive read for a book about art/grief/finding your way. It captured my attention at a time when very little could corral my whirling brain, and there were so many insights about ways to be in the world that made me want to press it into my friends' hands.

The summary--an aspiring writer in New York City in the 90s, grappling with the loss of her mother, creative hurdles, and fractured love affairs--doesn't even scratch the surface of the aching, funny story woven here, a story elevated by King's prose and her ability to expose tenderness and harsh reality almost in tandem, just the way we experience them in life.

If you've been meaning to pick this up? Treat yourself by doing it sooner rather than later.

Writer’s & Lovers is such a beautiful book about writing, hardships, relationships, and everything in between. Casey Peabody is a struggling writer who has been working on a manuscript for six years. As she gets close to finishing the first draft of her novel, she is also grappling with the sudden death of her mother and trying to climb out of mountains of school debt. Casey desperately tries to keep her creative ventures in balance with her other adult responsibilities and finds herself crippled with anxiety as she tries to navigate it all. Full of honesty and hope, this isn’t a book you want to miss.

Easily one of the best books I've read all year, Writers & Lovers is going to be a favorite for many years to come.

I love reading about the 90s and I love reading about writing and this novel is at the top of the pile for both. Add in the restaurant and romance scenes and I flew through this in one sitting.

I think Lily King reminds me a lot of Lauren Groff and Sally Rooney. In my opinion, And that's a great thing. I will be reading King's backlog of books.

Enjoyed this, especially as I lived in Boston and it was fantastic to read all the familiar references to Boston locations. Interesting characters and think this would be excellent for readers who have dreams and aspirations of writing.

As far as I'm concerned, Lily King can do no wrong. I loved Writers & Lovers. Casey's (late) coming of age story reads as wonderfully sincere and nostalgic at the same time. Casey's love triangle doesn't feel forced, and I enjoy the way it wrapped up. Highly recommended.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise, the writer, the writing - all of it. However, it fell flat for me. I simply wasn't able to get into it and it felt like a chore to keep reading. Very disappointed because it felt like such a great concept of a book. Did not quite understand why it felt, almost boring, to me.

Excellent writing and story. This is my second book by this author and it did not disappoint. I loved the characters and how the authored slowly developed the story.

I got this book nearly a year ago and it took me a long time to get into it. And that is purely a 'me' problem, as I found the book delightful with Casey as a protagonist. There were instances where it felt like I am reading myself on paper and it spooked me to no end. With that said, I had a bit of difficulty with the pace. Either it dragged or it flew (towards the end) and that put me in a place of reading it only at night. It's a shame that I was not in a proper mind to read this book. I did like King's writing style and I am stoked to read her next book.

Thank You, NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me with the ARC.

Absolutely loved this book and it's writing. I felt super connected to the main character and her inner monologue. I cannot wait to read another Lily King.

I appreciated that this book was about a writer. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book as it didn’t captivate me.

I really loved this story. It was a real, raw, honest look at what grief can take the shape of in many forms for different people. I loved walking through the thoughts of a writer who doesn’t technically have it all figured out but keeps trucking on. I loved the writing even more. The writing is lovely and beautiful as we follow along in the plot. It’s a perfect combination of literary prowess and good plot.