As a lover girl myself, I’m often drawn to books that make me feel less alone in my “big feelings.” My sensitive soul craves empathy and understanding, which is why I turn to novels rather than people, as they tend to be gentler with my heart.
If you’re anything like me, I have some book recommendations that will change your life and your perspective on love. Here are three books for the lover girls.
1. Writers & Lovers by Lily King
Writers & Lovers by Lily King is for both the writers and, you guessed it, the lovers—both of which describe me to a T. Needless to say, it’s one of my favorite books I’ve read in a while, as well as the first novel I’ve fully annotated. Typically, I wouldn’t interrupt my reading process to underline quotes or bookmark certain pages, but this story was filled such relatable content that I couldn’t stop myself.
The novel follows 31-year-old Casey Peabody, a writer who’s processing her mother’s sudden death and the loss of a lover, during the summer of 1997 in Massachusetts. Throughout the book, Casey is committed to finishing her novel and finding an agent/publisher who believes in her work. Of course, any writer knows just how challenging (emotionally, mentally, financially, spiritually, and even physically) the writing and querying process can be, especially if you’re working at a restaurant, actively grieving, and barely making ends’ meet.
As most artists understand, the creative life is not for the weak—but sometimes (and certainly not all the time), it’s worth the struggle.
As the synopsis so eloquently states, “Written with King’s trademark humor, heart, and intelligence, Writers & Lovers is a transfixing novel that explores the terrifying and exhilarating leap between the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another.”
2. The Heart of the Deal by Lindsay MacMillan
When I first picked up The Heart of the Deal by Lindsay MacMillan at a local rummage sale, I figured it’d be a lighthearted contemporary romance novel with a similar energy to Sex and the City. In some ways, I was spot on. However, the story turned out to be anything but lighthearted.
The novel follows Rae, a Wall Street banker who’d much rather write poetry than climb the corporate ladder, as she navigates her 20s with her girl friends in the Big Apple. However, the closer she gets to 30, the more she notices her biological clock ticking within her. And so, determined to find a husband and father for her future children, she starts to treat dating like a second job.
But as Rae quickly discovers, using dating apps in New York City doesn’t exactly guarantee a lifelong romance. That is, until she meets Dustin, a poet trapped in the body of a businessman, much like herself.
Though Dustin seems like her perfect match, he struggles with severe depression, causing high highs and low lows in their relationship. Soon, Rae finds herself neglecting her business-like approach to love and redefining her standards for love and success.
“Perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jojo Moyes, Lindsay MacMillan’s debut novel deftly captures the feeling of being adrift in your late twenties, with poignant commentary on female friendships, mental health, and what happiness really looks like,” the synopsis reads.
3. Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid shifted the way I view love and fate. I read the story after a breakup in my mid-20s, which rattled me to my core. My fragile little lover girl heart felt like it was permanently damaged, grieving who I thought was my one and only true love. Reid’s story challenged my belief that we each have just one soulmate—and if we blow it, we end up alone forever.
The novel follows Hannah Martin, a 29-year-old woman who decides to move back to her hometown after moving from city to city for the last several years. However, shortly after she settles into her best friend Gabby’s guest room, she runs into her ex-boyfriend at the local bar. That night, unbeknownst to her, Hannah is forced to make a life-altering decision: go home with Gabby or stay with Ethan.
Maybe in Another Life follows the consequences of both decisions in alternate timelines, showing readers just how impactful even the smallest of choices can be. No matter what road you take, you can still make the journey beautiful.
As its synopsis states, “From the acclaimed author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.”
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