I have heard a lot of good things about this author but I felt this book wasn't for me. This book became more of a thought than the story and the characters just didnt hit the mark for me.

read this in a single day without knowing anything about it going in, and was honestly surprised. there’s a moment around the 60%mark where everything clicks, especially in how it ties back to Writers and Lovers. That reveal hit me.
The story is reflective, romantic, and a little sad. I found myself relating a lot. I was once a college girl, too, making impulsive decisions around men that, whether I realized it or not, ultimately shaped who I became. That part of the book felt incredibly real. It captures the college girl experience so well, the messiness, the emotion, the self-discovery.
That said, it did lean a little heavily into familiar territory with things like an unexpected pregnancy, a love triangle, and a personal loss. Those elements felt predictable at times. Still, I enjoy Lily King's writing. She has a way of portraying womanhood that feels honest, especially in how women navigate love and communicate while being surrounded by men who often do not meet them halfway.

Heart the Lover by Lily King was not what I was expecting. This story about three college friends, billed as a love triangle (a characterization I don’t quite know if I agree with), and then the impact their choices have later on in life ripped my heart out. The first person present tense point of view that was used in the majority of the book creates a real sense of intimacy and immediacy. In addition, the author switches to a second person narration in the second part of the book which I found to be very effective, adding a new emotional layer to the story. This book’s writing style and story is deceptively simple, but in the end so complex and beautiful. A story about love, friendship, and loss. Get your tissues ready.

Heart the Lover begins as a lively coming-of-age story, made addictive by the unnamed narrator’s witty voice and the delicious tangle of her budding relationships. Twenty-five years later, she is forced to reflect on the choices she made those decades ago. Chock full of love at its most earnest, Heart the Lover is a poignant exploration of grief, fear, forgiveness, and what we risk when we fail to risk vulnerability.

I devoured this book in a day. The protagonist’s unassailable optimism had me rooting for her from the first lines, and the academic banter at the center of her new relationships was so much fun. I was so absorbed and hopeful, I entirely forgot the contents of the back cover, and I was not prepared for the time jump in the least.

The wreckage the second half of this book wrought was sudden and thorough. I was touched by the way the protagonist grieved the past without regretting it. Lily King renders human emotion with so much consideration, and after reading Heart the Lover I find myself compelled to go back and read everything she's ever written.

4.25 ⭐️

This was my first book by Lily King, and I went in completely blind—and wow, I’m so glad I did. The story felt so real, raw, and heartbreaking in the best way. King’s writing style is beautiful and effortless; really loved the format of this as well. In such a short read, she manages to explore love, grief, loss, friendship, and the choices that shape our lives. It truly packed a punch. The ending really hit me hard.

Thanks to NetGalley for the earc!!

I’m once again blown away by Lily King’s ability to put so much depth and character development into so few pages. This little story perfectly encapsulates that feeling of youth, when every relationship feels intense and pivotal. And then later, the experience of growing older. The way past relationships can shape the future.

By the end, I was devastated yet content. Very few authors can leave me that way. Thank you Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Heart the Lover by Lily King — a book I truly didn’t want to end. I read it while it was raining, and somehow it felt warm, cozy, like the book itself was wrapping me in a hug. And yes, I cried. The ending was sad, but in the kind of way that stays with you. This book gave me a feeling I’d been craving for so long. It’s also my very first Lily King novel, and my first 5-star read of the year.

The story begins in a 17th-century literature seminar, where the narrator—known only by the nickname Jordan (their real name is revealed at the end) becomes entangled with two classmates, Yash and Sam. What starts as a friendship soon turns into a charged love triangle (one of my favorite tropes!), full of academic passion, goofy games, and intense emotions.

What made this book stand out for me was how natural it felt. The emotions weren’t forced, and there were no cheesy pickup lines—exactly the kind of love story I prefer. The dialogue in particular was brilliant: spontaneous and real, as if I were overhearing actual conversations rather than reading a novel.

I didn’t want to finish it quickly, I wanted to live in it longer. Maybe that sounds dramatic, but I mean it. The only thing I disliked at first was Sam’s personality, but thankfully, he didn’t carry that energy to the end, so I forgave him.

I loved every part of this book, and now I’m excited to read Lily King’s earlier works to see if she deserves a permanent spot on my list of favorite authors!

4.5 stars. Lily King is an author that you probably either love or hate the way she writes - and luckily I am one that loves it - reminds me a bit of Sally Rooney's writing style. Really long rambling type of paragraphs that are more thought processes rather than clear coherent sentences at at times. This one is about love - in several different ways - the love of writing, reading, analyzing books, the sheer joy of literature. But, it's also about human love - the first love and then the deepest most meaningful love of your life that can last a lifetime, and then the rock that you marry who loves you with all your flaws and idiosyncrasies. It's about an immature love that you learn from and the love of a mother to a child.

This book really made me sit in my silence after it was over and digest the wonder of this novel. It hits you hard - you will likely see yourself in bits and pieces of this main female character and want to urge her to move on, move up, etc. And then, it will gut you with such sweet moments that you just don't want to end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lily King and Grove Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Publishes September 30, 2025 - put this on your TBR for a weekend when you're home alone and want to slowly read a book that will sit with you long after you finish reading it.

This was my first Lily King and it will NOT be my last. Loved the story. Could not put this down. Highly recommend and now to go read her previous work asap.

Let me quote the final lines of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

It may seem strange to begin a review of Heart the Lover with a nod to this time-honored classic, but – hold on! It’s obvious that during The Great Gatsby’s centennial celebration, Lily King knows our very human struggle is with the allure of the past as we reach to grasp a murky future.
The book begins with the interspersion of three students – Sam, a charming academic who is ruined by religion, believing sex is a sin, his best friend Yash, who exudes his own charm and sweetness, and the woman who comes into their life. She is first referred to as Daisy, and later, Jordan – both pivotal characters in The Great Gatsby. The name Jordan seems to stick.

As feelings change and shift, Yash’s dad refers to Jordan as “the woman you divorce.” Like her namesake, this alluring Jordan is caught between traditional expectations and burgeoning independence. She wants to be a great novelist, but she also craves love, and she believes she can have both.

When we next meet Jordan, in the second half of the book, she has achieved her goal. Yet she is still pulled back by the memories and experiences of the past. And unknown to her, that unfinished business is sort of like the hero’s journey; it will be wrenching and ultimately, it will lead to a type of authenticity and unburdening that will certainly shape her life after the book’s final chapter.
Love is perilous – or is it? Perhaps, Lily King’s character suggests – “people are weak and perilous, not love.” And maybe, “love is the only hope we have.” This commentary on the ways we love, and the reasons to love despite our fears, captures how complicated and downright scary love can be.

Lily King saves a final twist for the last page, and it will add another dimension to our understanding of Jordan. Those who have read Writers & Lovers will gain an even greater appreciation of Heart the Lover, but even for readers who did not have the pleasure will feel as if the book ends with something important.

I am very grateful to Grove Press and NetGalley for enabling me to be an early reader of a writer I’ve consistently loved in exchange for my honest review. My rating: 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I was so excited to read this and Lily King did not disappoint!!

I loved every second of this. Yash - the heartbreak, it was the perfect college romance that felt real. I’ll read again and again. And that last line… I should have know but it shocked me!

Lily King's writing is as clear and carefree as always, but in the first section, I was wondering: What is the point? Why return to this character -- Casey, from Writers & Lovers -- only to put her in another love triangle, in another time of her life when she's figuring out what's next? Haven't you already told this story?

And then I got to the second section. Oh, I thought, this is about the way we hurt the people we love, the way the people we love shape us, even after the hurt and after they leave. Still the same, but different enough.

And then I got to the third section, and oh! my heart. This is a book about love and grief and the way they're all tangled up. I'm very glad to have read it.

I liked the structure, but found myself wondering if the first section should have been shorter. Then again, our youth takes up so much space.

simply put: i loved this.

to me, there is no better feeling than starting a book and knowing almost immediately that you will love it- and that's exactly what happened here.

i finished this book on the beach with tears rolling down my eyes. only few books push me to the point of tears, and i always give credit when one does. really any form of media that can evoke such an emotional response out of me will almost always end up on my favorites list. that feeling of being so immersed in a story and its characters that you simply can't put it down or wait until the next moment you can pick it up.

this is a story about lost love, found love, friendships, grief, forgiveness. being young and dumb and in love with the right person at the wrong time but living your life and moving on as much as possible despite it.

i had a feeling i'd like this one since i also really enjoyed Writers & Lovers, but this exceeded my expectations.

this is my favorite type of romance novel.

thank you SO much to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

I absolutely adored Writers & Lovers, so I was thrilled to be able to read an advanced copy of Heart the Lover - thank you Netgalley and Groove Atlantic.

I don’t know how else to describe it, but this story sat on my chest, from the very beginning. I wanted to savour it but couldn’t put it down. I cried entirely through the last 20%.

I’m not one to reread books usually but I think I’ll be coming back to this one.

How could such a tidy, efficient little book absolutely gut me? I feel like I've experienced several life-changing relationships over the course of the few hours it took me to read this--the central one around which the book is organized, but also the other romantic and platonic relationships Jordan experiences as she grows from a college senior to a wife and mother over a few decades. Love shows up throughout in unremarkable ways: the single man who has boundless energy and warmth for his friends' children; the man who sleeps in a cot in his lifelong friend's hospital room; the taciturn French boss who secures a job for a college student eager to experience Paris. These are amongst many tiny, shining moments that add depth to and complement a deeply moving and complicated love story.

I'm emotionally wrecked, but even know I'd end up a blubbering mess, I'd do it again. This book was phenomenal.

Heart the Lover by Lily King is a tender, contemplative novel that explores love, longing, and the complexities of human connection. King’s prose is graceful and intimate, weaving together themes of vulnerability, desire, and self-discovery. The story moves with quiet intensity, focusing more on the inner lives of its characters than on fast-paced plot twists. While it is gentle in tone, the emotional depth and nuanced observations make it resonate long after reading. Readers who appreciate character-driven fiction and reflective explorations of relationships will find this a beautifully written and thought-provoking book.

Lily King is one of my favorite novelists writing today. Her pitch-perfect depictions of complicated, flawed women finding their place in the world are always a treat to read, and Heart the Lover is no exception. King's subtle, lucid prose shines in this beautiful tribute to the ties that bind, those formative connections (both friendships and relationships) that shape us and resonate throughout our lives. I enjoyed every page of this quietly heart-rending novel, and I think many others will too.

Wow!!! I don’t normally read literary fiction, but maybe I need to start. This blew me away. I laughed, I cried, I finished it in one sitting.
Heart the Lover starts with our narrator in her senior year of college where she meets two boys in her 17th Century Lit class and becomes engrossed in their world. The second half is decades later where we find out how their decisions altered their lives forever. The heart of this book is about how time and distance brings things into perspective. A million stars!!!!

In its essence this book is about love, both familial and romantic, about growing up, death, life and heartbreak. This book took me quite a while to get into but around the end of the first part I was so hooked. I even found myself staying up late til 1 am reading one night because I was so engrossed in it. I absolutely loved that middle bit of the book. It surprised me, caught me off guard, and I'm interested in reading her first book now. I really didn't expect to be so enthralled, so I'm happily proven wrong.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for allowing me to read and review this book early.