“It’s a particular kind of pleasure, of intimacy, loving a book with someone”

And there is a particular kind of intimacy in reading Writers & Lovers by Lily King, as well.

I went into this expecting a slow, somber love story. But it really is so much more.

At the center of the story is Casey, a struggling writer/waitress who is reeling after the sudden death of her mother. Her life seems as though it’s in a tailspin and she just desperately wants some semblance of balance. What follows is a beautiful, honest, and powerful exploration of how grief slips its way into every aspect of a person’s life. How the simplest tasks become virtually impossible simply by virtue of remembering your loved one has passed.

King’s writing is flowery without being superfluous, poetic without being pretentious, and vulnerable without being overwrought. Every page, every sentence, every word feels intentional and perfectly chosen and placed.

I was concerned that reading a book about a writer would grow tiring, but it didn’t. My investment in Casey completing her novel was only matched by my investment in her personal triumphs as well. Casey becomes a fully-formed, flawed, challenging, and stunning character whose mind you enter completely from the very beginning.

My first Lily King book, but certainly not the last.