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Lily King, author portrait

Lily King

American
1963 - Present
Lily King is an American novelist.
On LuvemBooks, we've reviewed Heart the Lover by Lily King.
1
Books Reviewed

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Heart the Lover by Lily King
Heart the Lover by Lily King

4.4/5

Lily King's seventh novel follows the unnamed narrator — revealed at the end to be Casey Peabody, the protagonist of King's earlier Writers & Lovers — across roughly three decades, from a college love triangle with Sam and Yash in the 1980s through pregnancy, marriage, parenthood, and finally a reunion around a deathbed. Published by Grove Press in the US and Canongate in the UK in 2025, the novel functions as both a prequel and sequel to Writers & Lovers while standing on its own. The Guardian called it "a delightfully witty tale of college romance" that "matures into midlife poignancy," and critics described it as "intensely moving." Critical coverage was more skeptical, finding the plot at times "clunky melodrama" lacking "the staying power" of King's earlier work — making this a novel whose admirers will be passionate and its skeptics few but vocal.

Reviewed Jun 1, 2026

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