I think if I hadn't read this in the middle of a global pandemic--when we are all in transition, moving into a new normal--I'm not sure it would've hit me as hard. I had to take a *second* after Casey's therapist reassures her that she's already made it through quite a bit of the hard stuff in life. It's not as if EVERY bit of hardship is still waiting for her. She's already survived a lot. "That's not nothing.", he says. ***knife to the heart***

I loved this book so much. One of the best novels I've read in a long time. Can't wait to pick it up again in a few years! I think it might be one of those I return to as the need for some soul-searching arrives.

The relationships in this book come to life. Each one is a person I have met. Casey is confused and lost, in a familiar way.

this book was perfect i love the writing style so much. and i liked how realistic all of the problems in Casey's life were, some were trivial/many weren't, and they all contribute to the helplessness Casey feels. i could literally feel how lost she felt and how everything felt like her life was crumbling, Lily King described those feelings well. I was glad her issues weren't all magically solved by falling in love. everything fell into place for her and THEN she was able to be with a good person. 5 stars. xx

4.5 ⭐️ It took me a few chapters to get into the book. There are a lot of characters/names right from the start, which was a little hard to keep straight. The story develops beautifully and I was interested in seeing how it turned out.

When I was younger, I used to write a lot. I would type up stories and print them out for my friends to read. I liked the way it felt, knowing someone was interested in the words swirling around in my mind. Nowadays, I don't write at all. The desire or craving just isn't there—but this book changed that. It reminds me of the times I stayed up late to write, even when I had school the next morning. It reminds me of feeling alive, letting all these words I've been carrying inside me finally find a way out. It reminds me that it's okay to be confused, unsure, and young

While I found the book started off slow for me, I read on, in hopes I would get drawn in. Once all the various names of the many characters were shared, I found myself in the story. And by in the story, this meant finishing it within one day, something I have dreamt of doing for so long and have found the time for in this new season. Casey’s journey sparked feelings I’ve had in this season, in this weird in-between of trying to find my own footing. It shows how the challenges faced are always part of the story and part of what needs to be shared. Of course we all love to hear the good, the exciting, the optimism, the feeling of “I’ve finally made it”. And you get that with Casey — and you also get to see her travel the journey. This book is one I will treasure and can imagine reading again in a few years.

"I don’t write because I think I have something to say. I write because if I don’t, everything feels even worse."

“Blindsided by her mother’s sudden death, and wrecked by a recent love affair, Casey Peabody has arrived in Massachusetts in the summer of 1997 without a plan. Her mail consists of wedding invitations and final notices from debt collectors. A former child golf prodigy, she now waits tables in Harvard Square and rents a tiny, mouldy room at the side of a garage, where she works on the novel she’s been writing for six years. At thirty-one, Casey is still clutching on to something nearly all her old friends have let go of: the determination to live a creative life. When she falls for two very different men at the same time, her world fractures even more. Casey’s fight to fulfill her creative ambitions and balance the conflicting demands of art and life is challenged in ways that push her to the brink.”
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I was so excited to receive and read this book but my excitement withered away when I actually started reading it. This book let me down. I could not get into it at all. I pushed through for about 6 hours total and I had to DNF. Too many characters too early on and the lack of dialogue was disappointing. I’m not sure where this story was headed but I just couldn’t push through to finish and find out. I will be very skeptical about choosing a Jenna pick in the future.
1/5⭐️