CHRISTMAS EVE REVIEW of THE MESSY LIVES OF BOOK PEOPLE by Phaedra Patrick

This brand new (published 2022) novel about bookish people doing bookish things is the best novel I’ve read in a good while. It comes in third or fourth of the best book I’ve read overall in 2022.

Olivia, “Liv” Green, cleaner, aspiring writer, avid reader of Essie Starling’s books, takes a job for Essie herself, cleaning her apartment. Essie’s books feature Georgia Ray, whom Liv would love to model herself after, but she doesn’t have the guts. As Liv develops as an author, she also develops as a person, growing more like Georgia Ray with each daring move.

Caught up in an impossible plot, Liv finds herself lying to her preoccupied husband, her two grown sons, and pulls it all off nicely. Frequent references to Essie’s books about Georgia’s life occur, as do references to Liv’s reading life of real, current authors, many of whom I’ve read and admired. Before being employed full time by Essie, Liv’s cleaning clients were the employers from hell. Released from her other jobs, Liv finds herself writing with and for Essie, for who knows Georgia Ray better than her strongest fan?

Many twists and turns and close calls frame this novel into a delightful read, one that will keep you turning pages to determine how Liv will “get out of this one.” It was a darned good read.

Advertisement