June 1, 2022

The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick

Genre/Categories: Women’s Contemporary Fiction, Writers, Secrets

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

Thank you #NetGalley @htp_books @HarlequinBooks @ParkRowBooks for a complimentary eARC of #TheMessyLivesOfBookPeople upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Liv Green is the daughter of an English Literature professor, loves the world of books, works two jobs, scrambles to make ends meet, and cares for her family. She finds her escape in a good book and dreams of being a writer. Her job as a house cleaner for a popular, reclusive, eccentric author feeds this dream. When the author unexpectedly dies, Liv is astonished by the author’s last wish….she wants Liv to complete her current work in progress. There’s an important writing deadline to meet and secrets to uncover.

My Thoughts:

Did you ever dream of being a writer?
Do you have a dream on the back burner?

Unique Premise: I enjoyed the unique premise, the focus on writers, and the mention of several book titles in this story.

Page Turning Plot: Will Liv finish the book and meet the deadline? Will she be able to write a compelling and satisfactory ending and uphold the author’s reputation? Will she uncover the author’s closely guarded secrets? Will this assignment break her marriage? Even though one of the plot points (where she attends a conference and impersonates the author) is a bit far-fetched, the author holds my interest. I felt invested and motivated to keep turning pages as I cheered for Liv’s success and her HEA.

Uplit: I’m placing The Messy Lives of Book People in the “uplit” category. It’s a heartwarming story of bookish people, writers, and realizing a dream.

Recommended: I’m warmly recommending The Messy Lives of Book People for fans of uplifting women’s fiction, for book clubs, and for your beach bag!

Also by Phaedra Patrick: The Library of Lost and Found and The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

My Rating:  3.5 Stars (rounded to 4)

The Messy Lives of Book People Information Here

Meet the Author, Phaedra Patrick

Phaedra Patrick studied art and marketing and has worked as a stained glass artist, film festival organiser, and communications manager. An award-winning short-story writer, she now writes full time in Saddleworth where she lives with her family.

Her debut novel, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, was translated into over twenty languages worldwide and has been optioned by a major Hollywood film studio. Her second novel, Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone (named Wishes Under the Willow Tree in the UK), is also under option in the US as a TV movie. Her third novel is The Library of Lost and Found, and the fourth one is titled The Secrets of Love Story Bridge (The Secrets of Sunshine in the UK).

You can find/follow Phaedra at http://www.phaedra-patrick.com where she shares more information and writing tips. She’s also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

---

---

QOTD:

Is The Messy Lives of Book People on your TBR or have you read it?
Have you read other books by Phaedra Patrick?

---

---

Happy Reading Book Buddies!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

---

---

Let’s Get Social!

Thank you for visiting and reading today! I’d be honored and thrilled if you choose to enjoy and follow along (see subscribe or follow option), promote, and/or share my blog. Every share helps us grow.

Find me at:
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
Pinterest

---

---

***Blog posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price.

Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.

Book Cover and author photos are credited to Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website.

© ReadingLadies.com