Author Lily King brings us a stunning collection of ten short stories, as varied in voice as they are in theme. The tales are told by captivating characters of various ages and genders, during different time periods and moments in their lives. Read to get a taste of the desire and heartbreak, the loss and discovery, and the profoundness of love of all kinds in these characters’ stories.

I am now wondering if the mark of a truly great writer might be in how intensely they can make the reader invested in their characters and plots in just a few pages of a short story. In each of these stories, Lily King incorporated so much character development that I felt as if I knew each main character and their supporting players intimately. Each plot was unique, and even though the themes were also different, the power of love in all shapes and forms echoed throughout. It was hard for me to give this a star rating because the stories were so different and some had plot elements that I didn’t truly enjoy (some trigger warnings for some! I can tell you more if you need to know), the writing was truly so remarkable, I had to give it all the stars. Also, the narrators (I think there were five different ones?) were all INCREDIBLE. I highly recommend this one on audio.

If you’re in the mood for a collection of short stories with intensely developed characters and unique plot lines that make you ponder life and love and feel deeply, read this! I know I will be reading more Lily King in the future.