4+ stars
The complex relationships between three college seniors evokes thoughts on the power of creativity, the writing life , the depth of friendship , and enduring love. A young woman is nicknamed Daisy at first by two young men in her literature class then calling her Jordan ,both characters from The Great Gatsby by the way . They live together for a while, read together, philosophize, play made up,card games as friendships and love relationships develop.

After finishing school , they make thought provoking decisions . Choices to be made - friendship over love , religious principles over love , the creative life over love . These are decisions they made when they were young and we see the impact on their lives, nearly 30 years later . Revelations of the truth , forgiveness and the possibility of hope. It was a deeply moving story.

We don’t find out the narrator’s real name until the last page. I have thoughts on that , but won’t be a spoiler . If you loved Writers and Lovers , this is a must read .


I received a copy of this book from Grove Atlantic through NetGalley.

Lily King does it again. This book!! I didn't want it to end, and yet, it ended so perfectly. This is one of those immersive character studies, beginning in university and then shifting to middle age. Every character is so beautifully drawn, and the little - and big - heartbreaks and triumphs that occur during a life are rendered with precision and poetry. There are so many passages I underlined, so many phrases that I had to stop to admire.

This book will be huge when it's published in October as it's a new Lily King book, but I predict it will also be one that is treasured.

Expected to be a thoughtful, character-driven literary novel focusing on complex relationships and emotional depth, likely appealing strongly to fans of King's previous work and readers seeking intimate explorations of the human heart and the lasting impact of the past.

"Heart the Lover" is a beautifully written book about love, connection, and the human condition.

The book opens as a coming of age story and continues far beyond. It is the story of a life - the ambitions, friendships, loves, joys, sorrows, disappointments, and unexpected moments of grace. It is a book filled with beauty, vulnerability, and courage - both in the characters and in the writing. "Heart the Lover" utilizes masterful prose, deftly drawn characters, and real conflicts to invite the reader to connect. I highly recommend you read this novel.

This was such a strong book. The character Jordan is such a well developed character and you see her grow and experience so much from college and her relationships with Sam and Yash into her adult years. This was an emotional novel that touched on relationships, personal growth and identity and ambition. This is really a great literary fiction book and Lily King can write!

‘From the New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers comes a magnificent and intimate new novel of desire, friendship, loss, and the lasting impact of first love..’

My first read from Lily King & I’m a fan.

Told from a singular, first person POV & in 3 large chunks, Heart the Lover was written in such an eclectic style, with this sort of abrupt, matter-of-fact way, which seemed to camouflage my connections to the characters as they happen, as they unfold. And because of this, my emotions didn’t seem to come into play, seemingly for that lack of connection.

….UNTIL I found myself completely and utterly emotional. Gahh, I felt her pain so hard. I was wracked with it. And I knew then how connected I actually was...

So…yea, quite a unique reading experience for me. It copped my respect in a wholly natural way, so much so, that I didn’t fully realize or acknowledge it, until I finished the book. It was just there, sentient.

Big thanks to Grove Atlantic for this arc in exchange for review! Much appreciated!
 
Pub: 10.07.2025.

Heart the Lover is Lily King's best novel yet. A story in two parts, Heart the Lover begins when the narrator is in college and her life becomes enmeshed with two honors students, Yash and Sam. The two men challenge the narrator to grow, and the more she spends time with them, the more their influence begins to impact the way she views herself. Half way through the novel, there is a jump forward in time, which allows us to see how the narrator's early relationships with Yash and Sam continued to impact her throughout her life.

I was unprepared for the sadness of the second half of the novel, which felt unrelenting yet also earned. The plot honors the intensity of college feelings and youthful messiness, without ever belittle her characters for their lack of experience. This is a book about the person you become around others and how you lose that part of yourself when the relationship with those people fade away.

This literary fiction novel got me hooked right from the start! The way this author brought the story to life with the way she writes was extraordinary! To me, this is the definition of literary perfection! I felt the dynamics of love in this book, along with the very descriptive imagery. This is the first book that I have read by this author and it simply blew me away! It is about love, loss, grief, friendship, acceptance, control, compassion, ambition and choices! It is beautifully written, captivating and really looks at the complexities of love. I found the female main character to be lovable! This is written in the female main character’s point of view. Furthermore, It is written in three parts. This book may not be for everyone, but it was definitely for me! I am grateful to have found such a wonderful new author and book!

“Heart The Lover” centers around a young woman, who quickly gets nicknamed Jordan by two male students in her literature class. It is Jordan’s Senior year in college and she gets involved with these two boys on campus named Yash and Sam. These two boys are best friends and live together off campus. They start inviting Jordan over to their house and things start to become complex between these three characters. As the story unravels, the choices that were made between all of these three characters ultimately changes their lives forever. Overall, I give this a 5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Lily King and Grove Atlantic | Grove Press for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Content warnings include grief, trauma and the complexity of relationships.

This book is in the general adult literacy fiction genre. I think people that love reading literary fiction novels that explore the complexity of love and a triangle relationship would enjoy this one!

This book is expected to be published on October 7, 2025!

Some novels don’t just tell a story — they unearth one you somehow already carry inside you. Heart the Lover is that kind of book: not loud, not showy, but deeply resonant, like a private echo in a room you once lived in.

Set against the academic stream of a New England campus, this novel follows Jordan, our perceptive, wry narrator, through a season of friendship, infatuation, and intellectual awakening. She meets Sam and Yash, two older students living in the borrowed home of a professor on sabbatical, and quickly gets pulled into their world. It's one of literary debates, card games, inside jokes, and emotional undercurrents.

Lily King writes not just with intelligence, but with tenderness — the kind that quietly sees you and holds your messiest emotions without judgment. I loved how the book captured the specific intensity of senior year: the sense of everything mattering too much and not enough all at once. There’s an ache in these pages — a nostalgia that I felt in my bones.

The structure unfolds like memory— and King resists the urge to tie everything into a neat bow. That restraint is what makes it so powerful. I felt every page, not because the plot was sensational, but because the emotional truth was.

By the end, I didn’t feel like I’d read about characters. I felt like I had been one of them, that I had been there the whole time. That’s the highest compliment I can give.

She is truly a magnificent writer and you are going to love this story #Groveatlantic #heartthelover #lilyking

Reading Lily King is a luxurious, mesmerizing, and immersive experience.

‘Heart the Lover’ is Literature at its finest. It’s also a lifetime of intricacies, pleasures and pains, love, hope and despair, all fleshed out on paper.

This book is certainly hard to depart with.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this captivating novel.

I'm immediately adding all of Lily King's books to my TBR. Her writing is captivating, and her story entertaining. I was lost in the pages and characters she crafted. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Lily King has impressed us once again with her latest release, “Heart The Lover.” In this captivating novel, she weaves a coming-of-age story that spans decades, exploring the complexities of ambition, creativity, relationship dynamics, and the evolving landscape of personal identity.

King's prose is both intimate and intellectual, while remaining relatable. Her wistful tone draws readers in, evoking a range of emotions and prompting us to reflect on our own journeys. If you enjoy authors like Sally Rooney, Coco Mellors, Alison Espach, or Claire Lombardo, this book is a must-read.

This profoundly moving story is sure to tug at your heartstrings and may even bring you to tears. Mark your calendars for its release in October—you won’t want to miss it! A heartfelt thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

For me, a perfect book that arrived at just the right time. 5 shining stars, streaming tears like the beautiful cover. I will buy this book for my forever shelf, but for now I am so grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance read for what is sure to be a big book this Fall.

I read this book totally blind and the joy was in experiencing the unfolding of the story, not knowing anything in advance. However I did read the publisher's summary afterwards and am pleased that nothing was revealed that would spoil the book.

The majority of the book takes place during the senior year of college for our female narrator who becomes friends with two male students who are housesitting for a beloved professor. Through these characters, we experience romance, a frantic card game (that I immediately Googled to see if it was real), an intense love story, friendships both fleeting and deep, wistful nostalgia - I didn't want to leave these characters.

This book is sure to be a favorite of mine for the year. I still need to read more of the author's backlist (I've only read Writers & Lovers) - I was happy to read in the publisher's note that she has had the same editor for all of her books so there is more to discover soon.