I really enjoyed this book about people writing books. It was interesting that see the story unfold and I was not expecting the twist revealed at the end.

A pair of bee cuff links, an unfinished manuscript, and the heroine of a book series are the catalysts for this fun Cinderella story of a housekeeper turned book person. Liv is the under-appreciated, but dedicated cleaner for an elusive novelist whose series features Liv’s favorite book character, the adventuresome and headstrong heroine, Rosie. When Liv finds the an unfinished manuscript, she can’t help but start reading it, and of course, gets caught in the act. Her adventure starts there and getting strength from fictitious Rosie, takes the mess of all the book business around her and cleans it up. This was a fun read. The characters had depth and the story was original.

It's so refreshing to read an engrossing novel with a protagonist over the age of 35 that doesn't just revolve around her chucking her whole life off a cliff! Liv Green is a wonderful main character and Patrick does an excellent job of helping her reader to experience Liv's life as Liv is trying to experience Georgia's. I was so caught up in the story that I read more than 80% of the book all in one go. The writing is crisp and the pacing is extremely good. A thoroughly enjoyable book that I'll be recommending to friends.

I love how Phaedra tells a story and gets you feeling for her characters, such a great storyteller!!

The Messy Lives of Book People is a fun read. Liv Green is a hard working house cleaner for a famous writer, who asks her to complete her final book in a long running series upon her untimely death. It's a dream come true for a woman who always wanted to be a writer but put the needs of others before herself. And its a weighty proposition when the main character, Georgia, has been her daily inspiration.

I liked the thread throughout the book - "your best day is your worst day.'" We all have had moments in life where one moment we were living high and happy, only to turn on a dime and feel sad and low when the unexpected happens. Writing for Essie, is a dream come true and yet the weight of finishing the book of her hero is overwhelming. As she edits the book and unravels the secrets of her heros life, she learns about herself.

This would be a wonderful book for book clubs. Theres so much to discuss. Ultimately, Messy Lives, is about loss, discovery and love. Its about taking chances, connections with others and never giving up on your dreams.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Park Row book for a glimpse into an authors world. I enjoyed the characters, mystery and twist at the end.

Charming. I was drawn into this book immediately. Hardworking housekeeper Liv Green, works for best selling Author, Essie, who dies suddenly. Liv is challenged with the task of completing her last novel.
For Liv, this is a dream come true, she has always aspired to be a writer. But, she is also intimidated by the 'weight' of her generosity and perplexed, Why her?
Liv is on a mission to discover everything she can about Essie and to answer the question, why was she chosen to complete the book.
There were many twists and turns in this book, which made it a page turning read. This was a light hearted, enjoyable read that I felt had depth and well developed characters, as well as an engaging plot.

Thank you NetGalley and Park Row Books for the opportunity to read and review this delightful book!

jb/https://seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com/

Liv is a 42-year-old mother of two who works three jobs to make ends meet. One of those jobs is a house cleaner. Liv loves to read and often daydreams of becoming a writer herself. One day she lands a job cleaning for her favorite author, Essie Starling. Then, something unexpected happens and Liv's dreams might actually become a reality.

Lovely novel. Its just a little bit of everything; a slice of life mystery-romance. Liv is a down to earth book lover that secretly wants to be a writer, then given the most impossible task. The novel stayed whimsical even at its lowest.

A lighthearted tale of a mum finding her creative spark, perfect for fans of Shirley Valentine. Contains a mystery and a twist at the end.

I am reviewing this book as part of Harper Collins Canada Influencer Program.

A mysterious and famous author. A kind-hearted cleaning lady, aspiring author herself. « The Messy Lives of Book People » is a beautiful and inspiring novel about what it means to be creative in a life that oftentimes lacks colour and magic. Very well-written, Ms. Patrick reminds readers that most times, we can create our own type of magic on a daily basis, and find joy in the little things (such as reading a beloved book). I recommend this book for people who want a light read. Sadly, I found the story to be extremely similar to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s « The Seven Husbands » of Evelyn Hugo (this specific book is even specifically mentioned in Patrick’s novel, making it impossible for previous readers not to make connections between the two). I can recall many instances of parallelism between the stories: the author/actress wanting to have their piece finished by an assistant/journalist in light of their death because of their relationship with the dad, etc. Extremely pleasant read, yet not the most original plot for people who have already read « The Seven Husbands ». A very special thank you to Harper Collins Canada and Park Row Books for this physical ARC copy that will now be passed onto another reader through The Book Fairy initiative.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4719954428

I really enjoyed the story of Liv, a wife and mother who cleaned to help her family’s finances. Liv worked for Essie Starling, an author of the books about a woman named Georgia Rory, books that influenced Liv throughout her life. When Essie asks Liv to help her complete her 20th book, Liv starts to live the life she dreamed of, but is it really what she wants? I recommend this book and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the characters were great and it was a unique storyline. There were a couple spots where it went on a little more than I liked but mostly flowed pretty well. There was a great twist that I wasn’t expecting. Good read!

This was totally not the story I expected but it was still quite the enjoyable read!

The book people in the story are all connected and yes, their lives certainly are messy. I really loved the premise of the biggest fan, working as a housekeeper for her favorite author - and all the connections that transpire throughout the story. We see all sorts of bookish angles, including the author, the academic, the publisher, the publicist, the book binder, the reader, and even the journalist.... writing and reading from all angles all interwoven in one big messy story that all revolves around my favorite things... books..

It has an inspirational angle I wasn't expecting and I really enjoyed following Liv's growth from beginning to end - despite endless obstacles and uncovered secrets. A fun mystery, and a heartwarming story!

I had such high hopes for this book. It starts so strong and then it just peters out. A huge let down. It could have been so good.

The stuff bibliophile dreams are made of, and will leave you grinning. Delighted to include this charming title in ‘Summer Reading,’ my latest round-up for Zoomer magazine’s Books section highlighting guaranteed great beach pleasers (see mini-review at link).

Liv has always dreamed of becoming a writer. But, with a growing family, her dreams have been put on indefinite hold and she has been content to work as a house cleaner. One of her clients is a reclusive but very famous author named Essie and Liv is one of her biggest and most loyal fans. Just when Liv is beginning know her better, Essie passes away. That’s when Liv discovers that Essie has left very specific instructions in her will. She wants Liv to finish her last novel, with a six months deadline.

The Messy Lives of Book People is a story of a women who is suddenly at the threshold of a new and exciting challenge. Much of the book revolves around Liv’s growth as an author, while building her confidence and envisioning her future.

This book is sweet and quite charming at times, and I enjoyed the author’s writing style. However, the pace is a little slow in some places and the mystery was, for me, fairly minimal. Overall, The Messy Lives of Book People is a nice way to escape into a quieter world for a few hours.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Here’s another book for book lovers that was recently released from the author of The Library Of Lost and Found and The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper. Liv Green is the housekeeper of a famous author. She's always dreamed of being a writer and publishing her own book. Now it looks like she'll get her chance when her employer's last wish is for Liv to complete her final book.

This was a very enjoyable book, however, I had a few quibbles which made this a less than a 5 star read. The overuse of similes had an amateurish feel to the writing. Such examples as " her round glasses had lenses as dark as licorice" . I was also irritated that Chloe continued to use the term "hon" when talking to Liv. The ending was wrapped up much too happily ever after. Aside from these complaints, I liked the mystery about the "love of her life" of Essie and the scenery descriptions of Croatia. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book for my honest review.

This was my first Phaedra Parker book so I went into this not knowing her writing style.
I was happily surprised to have enjoyed my experience..
This book is a sweet look at how a bit of faith and enouragement from others can truely change one's perseption of themselves;in this case for the better.
I enjoyed reading how people of all ages and demogrphics unified,despite some differences,for the sake of a beloved friend.

The only disappointment was that the pace of the book took a hit the list quarter of the way through. However,I did love the growth of the heroine and her refreshed outlook on the future of her family and career.

What a wistful read. Liv is a cleaner and treated disdainfully by some and used as a general dogsbody by others. The one highlight to her job is cleaning for the elusive hermit writer, Essie. Liv has lived and breathed her books for most of her life. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime, but it comes with a heavy burden. Can she complete the task and keep a snoopy reporter at bay and keep the secret?
I thought Liv was very noble and I liked how determined she was to uncover the secrets of Essie’s past. Even I didn’t see the complete story arc until it was revealed. It was a very clever plot twist.
I loved all the literary references and Liv’s love for words and books amd her passion for writing. Doesn’t every reader secretly fantasize about becoming a writer?