to my own surprise, loved this!

I have been reading through the Shortlist of 2026 Women ´s Prize / Fiction. I have still a couple to get to my hands (especially waiting for the Virginia Evans The Correspondent, which by the description of it, it sound like a perfect book for me).

I liked a lot Kelly ´s Kingfisher, even more liked Hutchinson ´s The Mercy Step and as I have already read Lily King ´s Writers & Lover (which to my surpeised I like a lot!), I had been wainting tho read Hear the Lover.

For me, who does not read "light" feel good or conventionals love- romances (I am more of a darker, melancholic type of a book / film -lover, all the black, troubles, death, worries… you get the picture) I really really - to my surprise - liked this Kings´s book. Heart the Lover has all the elements of a good love story (or so I think ?!?). There is a young woman, there is a coming of age- element of it since we get to learn the narrators (her boyfriends call her Jordan) life from years being a student until in her late forties, being a wife, being mother of two. In college, she has a boyfriend, Sam, the one she thought was her love of the life, but then, there always was the one, Yash. And with that comes the difficulties of triangle. But, as to e good love story (once again, not really knowing all the "these need to belong to the story?) there is Paris, the capital of love and yes, there is the catastrophic let dow, secrets, cancer, death. Writing, literature, academic life, family life, being a parent, sickness. Friendship. All.

And Lily King, she really can write, with wit, sensitivity so you root for these people, wish them the best and this book, this was yet my best Lily King and I am definetly reading the next one from fer. Adored this one. This was excellent. And to my surprise a five star reading experience.