Heart the Lover

“Read this in one day (and at 2 in the morning), such a great character study”

“Read it in one sitting. Definitely plan to be wrecked afterwards tho.”

“Beautiful writing. Heartbreaking. Funny. Short enough to consume in a day. 2 books, but don't feel the need to read them in order💞”

“this made me feel very real things”

“One of those stories where not a lot “happens” but somehow your entire emotional system gets rearranged. Beautifully written and quietly devastating. Can’t stop thinking about it.”

“If nostalgia was a book, this would be it for me! Loved every turn.”

“Best novel of have read in forever. Read it two times in a row.”

“read in approximately 5 minutes”

“just so, so good. tender and touching, a perfect book to get you back into reading if you've stepped away from the shelves.”

“The prequel/sequel to Writers & Lovers that I read in one day and had me utterly sobbing on the last page! Recommend reading Writers & Lovers and then Heart the Lover back-to-back for the full Casey Peabody experience!”

“Listened to the audiobook over the course of a few long drives. One of the best books I’ve ever read. Wept in the best way! Incredible characters.”

“must read when you’re in the mood to lose yourself for three days and end the trip sobbing”

“Have been missing the feeling of reading a book you can't put down and this came to the rescue, read the whole thing in one weekend.”

“Newer to her work, but gobbled it up. Preordered heart, knowing literally nothing about the plot.”

“Very, very good.”

“A very poignant story, that stayed with me for weeks.”

“Blistering good . We all need a heartachingly good love story .”

“Written with the superb wit and emotional depth .This book celebrates forgiveness, love and friendship.”

“This book is all nostalgia and yearning (complimentary).”

“Excellent morning weeping material”

“Stay up until 2am to finish/weep”

“I recently finished this... and loved.”

“A beautiful reflection on youth and the choices we make that usher us into adulthood”

“Just a gorgeous, beautifully written novel that won’t leave your mind for a long time.”

“Beautifully written, didn’t want it to end.”

“Sweet and nostalgic.”

“5 ⭐️”

“A captivating story from the get go and it’s a little hard to put my finger on what grabbed me. I liked how the setting — a college campus sometime in the 80s — was a contrast to the first person present tense point of view. I liked the dialogue. The inventive card games. The main character is learning to write, which makes the whole premise kind of meta, which is fun! Realistic plot where nothing earth-shattering happens, just the usual trials and tribulations of regular life. I’m gonna stop typing now and go reread it.”

“May book pick. Fast and furious read, like the love story itself. Some debate towards the end. Be transported to your younger years and have a tissue ready. 4.5/5”

“Quiet sob kind of book💔”

“ALLL the emotions - I read this in 2 days”

“the novel that got me back into reading novels… it’ll make you softer”

“Absolutely loved this book! King beautifully illustrates the tenderness of decisions made in youth and how consequences of those decisions impact/continue to ripple throughout our lives. This is a story of love, art, and relational trials, a story that will stay with me.”

“because I don’t always want to bawl my eyes out okay?”

“I was really averse to reading this book. The title and the cover art just aren’t for me. But my online book club read it and it was serendipitously available at the library. It knocked me out. For me, it felt nostalgic - like going back to the way I felt and experienced emotion in high school/college/my 20s. One of those books I read both before work and after. Just a good read.”

“flawed, real characters and an exploration of what if…”

“This was a gift from a friend. Loved it. Didn’t know anything about it before cracking it open but it was really good. I really didn’t know where it was going. Warning: ugly cried the last 50 pages. Needed recovery time after finishing.”

“This book is 10/10. I read it in 2 days. It really takes you back to first loves and all the feeling and growing from your 20s. Lily King is so good at capturing conversation and all the details of unsaid communication.”

“It’s not often I come across a book that when I finish it, I want to start it all over again. it’s a love story - true nostalgia for when you first discover relationships and crushes/ friends that become part of your story, and the impact of human connection”

“Read this one without realizing there was a book before it. Definitely would have read book 1 first, but it didn't change how wonderful this was as a stand alone.”

“Have been recommending this book to every woman I know.”

“This book slayed me with the combination of wit, elegant prose, and deeply moving coming of age character driven story.”

“Emotional and beautiful”